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DTC Mobile GQ6 Review

2013-05-21T04:49:00.002+08:00

Who doesn’t like very light phones? Well most featurephones are like that. Who said that the featurephones are already dead? Think again. These are the phones that are really eye catching for holdappers and snatchers. These are also the phones that you can only use for texting and calling only. Like the DTC Mobile GQ6, the phone that features a QWERTY keyboard and a very light design. Check it out here on my review.

I didn’t expect too much on the phone since this is just an affordable one. The first thing that I noticed with the phone is that it is small and it is light. It’s a very very cute phone since this one has a very vivid color with a small and compact design. Text addicts will surely love this because of the QWERTY keyboard. Typing on it is real breeze. The keys are big enough for you to type fast on the device.

The display is just 1.6” and it is pretty small for today but this one is just an affordable featurephone and it isn’t touchscreen so a 1.6” display is a bit acceptable for me. The phone has Micro-USB on the bottom and a 3.5mm audio jack on the top. Of course, there’s the Dual-Sim inside the phone and there’s Bluetooth. Unfortunately, the phone can only handle GPRS and not 3G.

If you feel that the phone needs more memory for your music files then you have the MicroSD which is up to 8 GB. The battery isn’t the best one but it has a 1000mAh battery, which is enough for more than 3 days of average use.

The camera of the phone is just 0.3 megapixel that can capture images at up to VGA (640x480). C’mon guys. This is just a feature phone not a smartphone so don’t expect too much on the phone.

The phone is running on a proprietary OS but it can run JAVA apps. There’s also Snake, the game that you guys always love on the Nokia. If you want to browse your Facebook or your twitter, you can use the browser inside the phone.

One thing that I like about the phone is that the lockscreen sound is the same with the iPhone and it shows you clean design of your notifications. Of course, it is not like the same notifications that you can see on your phone but at least, it looks really nice for me.

The phone is just a featurephone that’s why I didn’t expect that much from it because it will only cost you P1,499 and it is available in Black, Red and Blue. It’s cute, it’s colorful and it’s small. A great back-up phone if you already have a smartphone J. Why don’t you check out the nearest DTC mobile outlets and get one now.

Watch out for the raffle of this phone!

Thanks to DTC Mobile for the DTC Mobile GQ6!

Ultimate Selfie and Ang Tipo Kong Bigote Videos

2013-05-19T18:41:00.000+08:00

I don't really post videos that are really funny in the internet on my blog but this one, YOU GOT TO SEE THIS ONE. I'm not the biggest fan of Lourd De Veyra and Jun Sabayton, the people you always see on the "Word of the Lourd" videos. If you haven't seen it, they tackle very interesting topics on those videos. I also haven't tried nor tested the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 since Samsung isn't lending me a review unit. But yeah, these two videos are really funny. Check out the "Ang Tipo Kong Bigote" and "Ultimate Selfie" after the break

The videos are really funny. Don't ask me about the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 since I don't have a review unit, I just want to share with you these funny videos :D.

ASUS Fonepad Launched in the Philippines (UPDATED)

2013-05-18T13:55:00.001+08:00

ASUS Padfone was introduced to have a tablet and phone in a just a single device. But for those who can't afford it but still want to have the taste of a smartphone and a tablet in a single device then you can opt for this device, The Asus Fonepad. Yeah, they just interchanged the names but this one is different from its bigger brother. The ASUS Fonepad is really great for those people who are always into using tablets but still want a full functionality of a phone. Compared to the Padfone 2, this one doesn't have a docking station. Basically, this is a 7-inch with a phone functionality. Actually, there's something different about this tablet compared to the other 7-inch Android competitors. Check it out after the break.

Mr. Eason De Guzman discussing the features of Asus Fonepad

The ASUS Fonepad features a 7-inch screen just like any other Android tablets but this one runs under Intel Atom processor on the hood. Most Android devices are running on ARM like the Exynos of Samsung, Qualcomm Processors and many more. Intel and Asus is proud that the ASUS Fonepad which is powered by Intel Atom Z2420 can last up to 9 hours of mobile usage. Not bad for a tablet.

Another good thing about this tablet is the 7" sleek metallic finish design and its 2 premium colors -- Champagne Gold and Titanium Gray. The tablet really feels solid and premium thanks to that premium finish. Asus is also boasting that this is the only 7-inch tablet with this design.

The Asus FonePad packs a 3 Megapixel Rear camera that can record 720p videos and a 1.2 MP camera. The front camera seems to have a better aperture than the one on the rear. I don't really recommend tablets for taking photos so a better quality on the front camera sounds real nice.

ASUS Fonepad Specifications

Display: 7-inch IPS Display, 800 x 1280 pixels
Processor: 1.2Ghz Z2420 / 1.6Ghz Z2460
RAM: 1 GB RAM
Storage: 16 GB/32 GB Internal Storage
Camera: 3 MP Rear Camera and 2 MP Front Camera
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi b/g/n
Connectivity: HSPA+
Battery: 4270mAh
Colors: Champagne Gold and Titanium Gray
OS: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

ASUS Fonepad Price in the Philippines

The ASUS Fonepad comes in two variants the 1.6 GHz Intel Atom 2460/32 GB for Php14,995 and Intel Atom Z2420 1.2GHz /8GB for 11,995.

Cloudfone Excite 400D Review: The Exciting affordable Android phone

2013-05-16T22:13:00.000+08:00

Cloudfone Excite 400D is really one of the most exciting smartphone in the market right now. Why? Because it packs an exciting specifications but it still have the affordable price in the market for its hardware. The phone is set to compete with Cherry Mobile Flare, the most affordable dual-core smartphone in the market right now. The Cloudfone Excited 400D is a Dual-Core and Dual-Sim Android smartphone that has a SRP of P4,499. CloudFone gave the phone to me for review and so far, I like the phone and its features. So what do I think of the phone? Can it beat the Cherry Mobile Flare? Check it out after the break.

Hardware

The Back covers

When you first look at the phone, you’ll notice that it does look like any other Android phone from the market. It is made up of pure plastic in the black and glass on the front. The phone has a much cleaner 3 capacitive Android buttons – The Menu, Home and Back button. Some phones still even use the 4 capacitive Android buttons and I don’t really like that. At the back, you can see the glossy and fingerprint-attractive back cover with cloudfone’s small logo at the bottom. The design is kinda neat., there are no other markings in the back. Thankfully, Cloudfone brings us a free back cover. You can choose from Red, Blue and Yellow back covers. Reminds me of the Nokia Lumia

4 sides of the Cloudfone Excite 400D

It packs a 4-inch screen, which is kind of bluer than most displays. I’m not really why is it like that. The screen doesn’t have ghosting or any other problems. Just the blue-r display. I really hope that there’s a fix for that. Nonetheless, the display has a WVGA resolution which is already good for browsing the internet and playing games on the 4-inch IPS display. For me, if you have a 4-inch display it must have at least a WVGA resolution.

The phone doesn’t really surprise me when it comes to connectivity. Of course the phone packs a 3.5mm audio jack and the Micro-USB and as expected, the phone packs a dual-sim slot but there’s only one slot that supports HSDPA. Not really a deal breaker except for those people who are using both their mobile data on their two Sim Cards. Beside the SIM card slot is the MicroSD card slot that can hold up to 32 GB. It is not hot-swappable because the battery is blocking it. The speaker is also placed at the back that gives me a not-so-good but still decent sound. But c’mon guys, why would expect that much on a phone that is only priced below P5,000.

Speaking of battery, CloudFone listed it in their specifications that the phone has a 1200mAh battery but the one that I got has a 1400 mAh battery. I’m not really sure what’s the real rate of the battery. But the battery is much better than the flare because it last up to 14 hours to me. It’s not that long and I really suggest that you get a power bank or an extra battery if you are a heavy user.

Here's what inside the box

Camera

The camera of the Cloudfone Excite 400D is not that exciting. Its camera is actually one of its weakest points. The phone’s camera app has some bugs that will force to close the app. I really suggest that you get a 3rd party app for the camera. When it comes to quality of the images of the Cloudfone Excite 400D, the images has a lot of noise whether you’re taking a photo at low-light environment or even at the well-lit scenarios. Another annoying thing about this is that the images are really dark than normal. Sometimes, it’s really frustrating to take a shot at low-light because the LED Flash doesn’t really help that much. Take a look at the images that I took using the Cloudfone Excite 400D:

The phone cannot record in HD but the quality isn’t that plausible. I was really hoping for a better recording. The phone can only record .3gp and not .mp4. IBut c’mon guys, this phone is just P4,499. Here, take a look at my video recording sample of the Cloudfone Excite 400D:
Software

The Cloudfone Excite 400D is running on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean already. That’s why the apps and some simple tasks are smooth and it loads easily. Swiping to the app drawer and photos are such a breeze thanks to the combination of Android 4.1 and 1 GHz Dual-Core Mediatek MT6577 processor. I didn’t need to have another launcher just to have those silky smooth transitions.

One reason why I’m happy about CloudFone Android Smartphones is because they aren’t adding to much bloatwares and unnecessary apps on the phone. CloudFone and CloudStore is still here in the phone and there’s the Media3D app in where you can check out the weather, photos and videos with a cool 3D effects. It is not useful to some but it is really fancy for me to check out my media files with 3D effects.

The performance of the phone was great. I’ve tried different games in the phone like GTA: Vice City and it performed really well at high settings. I really didn’t expect that GTA:VC will have a very high frame rates at that. I expect that most games will work on the device.

The benchmark that I got didn’t fail my expectations. I was expecting that the phone will only have a score of 6500 at Antutu but it got a score of 6881. Not bad. A pretty high score for a phone like this.

Verdict

This isn’t the cheapest smartphone around but this one is one of the best for its price. Not all smartphones could have a dual-core processor with a price like this. The construction is made up of plastic but it is really sturdy and I really feel that it won’t break easily. The Dual-Core MediaTek processor and the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is really a fast combination. But the smartphone has a mediocre battery life and the camera wasn’t that good too. But for P4,499, I think the phone is worth the price and I bet you’ll love the phone too.

Pros:
Affordable
The construction is solid

Cons:
Camera was mediocre
Display was blue-ish

RATING: 3.5/5

FAQS

Q: Koya, okay po ba ang cellphone na ito?
A: Yes

Q: Is the Cloudfone Excite 400D better than the Cherry Mobile Flare?
A: Yes. I think so.

Q: Paparaffle po ba ang cellphone na ito?
A: Nope

Q: Ano po ba itsura ng loob ng Cloudfone?
A:

Samsung Galaxy S4 with Stock Android unveiled

2013-05-16T07:15:00.002+08:00

Some people are not really impressed with Samsung Galaxy S4's Smart features, TouchWiz UI and S apps. Sometimes, I was really disappointed with TouchWiz on my SGS3 because it makes the phone slower but I really love the Smart features on the phone. Anyway today at Google I/O, Google announced that they'll be selling the Samsung Galaxy S4 with a stock Android. So what does that mean for the consumers? Well, you'll still have that Samsung Galaxy S4 but with less of a Samsung. They'll be removing all the Smart features, Touchwiz and S apps on the device. Basically, this is like a Nexus device. They didn't announced the full specifications of the phone but I guess, it will still have the same specifications but they didn't announce which processor that they'll use for the phone but I guess they'll be using the Snapdragon version since this one will have LTE for AT&T and T-Mobile. I hope that LTE is available for all regions because if they do, Gray markets might want to sell this one at the Philippines. The SRP of the phone is $649 which roughly estimates at PHP26,000.

Source: Engadget

BBM is coming to iOS and Android

2013-05-15T21:55:00.000+08:00

BBM is one of the killer feature of RIM and one of the reasons why people still love their Blackberries. But of course, BBM is not the only messenger around for mobile phones. Viber, WeChat, Line and WhatsApp. We know that some these messengers are even better than the Blackberry Messenger but some people still stay on BBM. But of course, there are so many things why you'll love Blackberry like the Blackberry Services rates which are more cheaper than the normal data plan. Personally, I like Blackberry phones because of their awesome QWERTY keyboards. That's why I prefer the Q10 than the Z10. Anyway, the BBM for iOS and Android will feature cross-platform BBM chats, groups, ability to share photos and voice notes. It will be available on Android 4.0 and up while you need iOS 6 for your iPhones. The app will also provide you the BBM Pin, QR Code and everything that you need. Awesome news right? Because I really have a lot of friends who are using BBM but I'm not sure what will be future of RIM with this move. BBM for Android and iOS is expected to be release this summer.

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra Specifications and Price in the Philippines

2013-05-12T19:11:00.001+08:00

The real Iron Man 3 phone is here, The Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra. It is the twin brother of the Alcatel One Touch Idol but this one has a more beefed up specifications. Compared to the Alcatel One Touch Idol, this one has the same screen but with a much larger resolution and this one uses AMOLED for its display but this one still uses the same MediaTek processor that was used in Alcatel One Touch Idol. This one is much faster thanks to that 1 GB RAM. And before forget, remember how thin the Alcatel One Touch Idol was? Well this one is much thinner than the idol. Ohh, sexy and slim right? Want to know more about it? check it out after the break.

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra Specifications

Dimensions and Weight: 134.4 x 68.5 x 6.5 mm, 115g
Display: 4.7-inch AMOLED, 720 x 1280 pixels
Processor: 1 GHz Dual Core MTK 6577
RAM: 1 GB RAM
Storage: 16 GB Internal Storage
Camera: 8 MP Rear Camera w/ LED Flash and 2 MP Front Camera
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi b/g/n
Connectivity: HSDPA
Battery: 1800mAh
Colors: Black, Red, Yellow, Green & Turquoise
OS: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Yeah, I know. Same battery that's why this one has a much shorter battery life.

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra Price in the Philippines

The Alcatel One Touch Idol in the Philippines for P14,990. Quite reasonable right?

Use your Globe Rewards at Ayala Malls, Petron, Enchanted Kingdom, Figaro, etc.

2013-05-11T10:41:00.000+08:00

Do you have a lot of Globe Rewards points but you don't know where you can use them? Finally, Globe Rewards has now a use at different partner stores. Yes, you can now use those Rewards points to purchase different products at those selected stores. The conversion and the process isn't confusing too. This is really an exciting product from Globe. The conversion is PHP 1.00 = 1 Rewards point, It's not confusing and you don't really need a calculator for that just to compute your conversion. Do you want to know more about Globe Rewards? Check it out after the break.

Globe Rewards Ambassador Bianca Gonzalez

You can avail these whether you're a TM, Globe Prepaid or Globe Postpaid subscriber. Just like what I've said earlier, the conversion is PHP 1.00 = 1 Rewards point. Basically, if you have 50 Rewards Points, you can convert it to PHP50.00 worth of products from the different partner stores. But of course, there's a minimum points required. Here's the partner merchants and the minimum points required:

Pretty exciting huh? I think, I'll always spend my Rewards points on Ayala Cinemas movie tickets. It's always a good time to spend up my Rewards points for myself after a long stressing day. Whenever I need a gas card from Petron, I can get it at Globe Rewards or when I want to spend my time drinking a coffee at Figaro.

Don't worry it's really easy to pay using your Rewards points at Partner stores. But before that, better check your available points.

To check your available points, Type in BAL to 4438.
If you want to buy something, text BUY <space> <Mobile number of the merchant> <Space> <points needed> to 4438

Example: BUY 0917XXXXXXX 300 to 4438

Remember, the conversion is PHP1.00 = 1 Rewards points. You can get rewards points whenever you top-up for Prepaid. If you're on postpaid it's either the 4% of usage on top of plan (If that's not with lock up) or 4% of total billed amount (with no lockup). Anyway, the important thing is, you can get something out of your Rewards points. And yes, you can now avail this on different partner stores. Hmm, actually I was thinking of filling up our car with at Petron using the Globe Rewards points that I got.

Cherry Mobile Skyfire 2.0 Specifications and Price in the Philippines

2013-05-10T16:28:00.000+08:00

Anne Curtis and the Skyfire 2.0. I love them both

UPDATED!

Finally, the Skyfire 2.0 is now here in the Philippines! The Cherry Mobile Skyfire 2.0 is now the 4th Quad-Core Device of Cherry Mobile and it is now finally unveiled! After weeks of rumors and speculations, the Cherry Mobile Skyfire 2.0 has been unveiled. As expected, the Cherry Mobile Skyfire 2.0 will have a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.2 GHz Quad-Core processor. Unfortunately, contrary to most rumors the Cherry Mobile Skyfire 2.0 will only have a qHD 5-inch screen. I was a little bit disappointed with that because I was hoping for a HD screen. The Skyfire 2.0 will have a 8 Megapixel Camera w/ flash and a 2 MP front. And just like its other Android brothers, the Cherry Mobile Skyfire 2.0 will have a Dual Sim Feature, 4 GB of internal storage and 1 GB of RAM. Check out the price after the break.

Cherry Mobile Skyfire 2.0 Specifications

1.2 GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor
5.0-inch qHD Display
1 GB RAM
4 GB of Internal storage with MicroSD Card slot
8 MP Rear Camera and 2 MP Front Camera
Bluetooth
Wi-Fi
HSDPA
Dual-Sim
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Cherry Mobile Skyfire 2.0 Price in the Philippines

The Cherry Mobile Skyfire 2.0 will be available starting next week for P7,999.

Nokia Asha 501 Specifications and Price in the Philippines

2013-05-10T15:52:00.000+08:00

Nokia has announced another new member of the Asha family but this one is a little bit different because it uses a new Asha platform in where it shares some genes of the Nokia N9. Nokia is really aiming on making a featurephone that is really close to a smartphone. They are emphasizing on FastLane in which They are really pushing for the Asha line since their Windows Phone smartphones couldn't have that affordable price tag. The Cheapest Windows Phone 8 is the Nokia Lumia 520 which will cost you PHP7,990. That price tag is almost x2 of the price of the Nokia Asha 501. The Nokia Asha 501 will also support a lot of applications. Actually, the Asha platform already supports Facebook, Twitter and a lot of games. Java Games will also be supported on this one so don't worry about your Java games saved on your computers. And of course, Nokia doesn't forget those lively and eye catching Lumia colors and the exclusive Nokia Here Experience. But the feature that I'm really excited about it is the long standby battery life of up to 48 days. Check out the phone's specifications after the break.

Nokia Asha 501 Specifications

Dimensions and weight: 99.2 x 58 x 12.1 mm, 99g
Display: 3.0” QVGA TFT Capacitive Display
Memory: 128 MB Internal Storage with 4 GB MicroSD Card included
Camera: 3.2 Megapixel Camera
Bluetooth: Yes
Wi-Fi: Yes
Connectivity: EDGE
Battery: 1200 mAh
Colors: Bright Red, Bright Green, Cyan, Yellow, White and Black
OS: Nokia Asha Platform

Nokia Asha 501 Price in the Philippines

The Nokia Asha 501 will cost you $99. I guess this phone would have a SRP of P4,999 in the Philippines

Get the Speck Macbook Cases' 100% protection at 50% price!

2013-05-09T21:46:00.000+08:00

In this world, they say that we couldn't get a 100% of something if we don't give our 100% for it. But I just realize that it was wrong. Why? Because you can get the Speck Macbook Cases at 50% OFF. Yes, you could now have those colorful and sturdy Macbook shells for your Macs at half the price. As a Macbook user, I really recommend on getting one for your babies to avoid those scratches and unwanted dents. Before, I was really proud of showing the sexy body of my Macbook Pro before my Mac got a dent. It was really heartbreaking to look at the dent of my Macbook Pro (His name is Tosh BTW!). Anyway, The Speck MacBook Air cases are down to P1,125 from P2,250 but if you have a Retina MacBook Pro 13 and Macbook Pro 13, you can get a Speck MacBook Pro 13 case for P1,225 from the original price of P2,450. But of course, the 15-inch Mac users aren't left out because the Speck MacBook Pro 15 case is available for P1,325 from P2,650. Oh and better hurry because this promo will only last up to June 9!

Nokia Lumia 920 Review: The best Windows Phone ever?

2013-05-09T20:11:00.000+08:00

The new Nokia Lumias has just been launched a few weeks ago. One of them is the Nokia Lumia 920. Nokia called it as the most innovative smartphone. Its camera is one of the best in the market right now and it is one of the best Windows Phone in the market right now. The Nokia Lumia 920 is first Lumia to feature Pureview and OIS which enables you to have a stabilized videos and awesome low-light photos without even the need of flash. But of course my review doesn’t only cover about the camera. Check out the review after the break.

Hardware

The first time I held my hand on the Nokia Lumia 920. I already felt that the phone is a flagship phone. Compared to the Nokia Lumia phones that I’ve reviewed before. The Nokia Lumia 920 is a glossy one. The Nokia Lumia 920 that I got is a glossy yellow one and it really look and feels good. Nokia also started that lively and colorful design language on their phones. The only thing that I really don’t like about it is that some of their phones looks very similar. They always use the same design just like Samsung. I know, the Lumia looks good but c’mon, maybe they need to spice things up sometimes.

When you compare the Nokia Lumia 920 to the competition, you might think that the Nokia Lumia 920 is too thick. I guess that phone is really thick but holding it isn’t really an issue. It won’t strain your arms for holding it too long. It’s the type of smartphone that you would rather hold and show it to everyone rather than hiding it in your pocket. I really commend Nokia for making such a great design.

I praised the Nokia phones that I reviewed before for having such a great screen especially the Clearblack displays. But of course, there are already a lot of competition that had been introduced like the HD Super AMOLED, Super LCD2 and a lotta more. I expect that Nokia could improve it more but there wasn’t really too much to praise about it. They called it a Puremotion HD+ Display. The display is something to be proud of Nokia because it has a very sensitive screen but I guess that won’t be needed here in the Philippines because there’s no snow here and we won’t use a our gloves when using the phone. The display isn’t bad but I really expected too much from the display of the Nokia Lumia 920.

The Nokia Lumia 920 has all the things that you need when it comes to connectivities. The phone has NFC and LTE. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to test the LTE on the device because the software on the phone isn’t capable yet in the Philippines. But the Nokia Lumia 920 that is on retail in the Philippines can do LTE. FYI, The Nokia Lumia 920 came from Nokia Connects (Thanks guys!). However, I was able to use NFC thru Tap + Send feature for Lumia phones. Basically it pairs up your phone to another thru NFC and send it via Bluetooth. You can also use the NFC for saving NFC business cards. Not really something that can “Wow” people.

Unfortunately, there’s no MicroSD card slot. If you want that one then you can opt to Nokia Lumia 820. It’s not really an issue for me since the phone’s storage is already at 32 GB. But of course it’s not really 32 GB because a little bit of that is chopped of for the phone. Oh and speaking of batteries! The Nokia Lumia 920 didn’t really perform that well. The Nokia Lumia 920 performed up to less 14 hours of Jam’s average-heavy use. I guess I always took a lot of photos (Because the camera is really great!!!).

Once again, I really love the hardware and construction of the phone. They still used the same design language from the Nokia N9 and the first Lumia phones. You still need that little needle to eject the Micro-Sim tray and the buttons are still placed at the same position. The glossy look didn’t make it cheap but I still miss that Cyan Nokia Lumia.

Camera

This is the best thing that you would love from the Nokia Lumia 920. The camera. To give you a short review about the camera, the Nokia Lumia 920 boasts a 8.7 Megapixel rear Carl Zeiss camera with LED flash. Not impress? Well, the Nokia Lumia 920’s camera also packs OIS. To give you a much simpler and not so techie terms, the OIS lets you have a very stabilize video even when you have a shaky hands, riding a bike, walking or whatever you’re doing. Basically, when you’re moving your Nokia Lumia 920 into a certain direction, you wouldn’t that shaky and jellow videos instead, it will make the video look like you’re using a tripod and having a smooth video.

Still not impress? Here’s the best thing that I really like about the Nokia Lumia 920, the phone can take photos at low-light environment. I know, all phones can do that. But I’m not finish yet! The phone can take low-light photos without the need of flash but still have bright photos without sacrificing too much shutter lag. Actually, I don’t really remember when I used the LED flash of the phone. The Nokia Lumia 920 also replaced my Micro 4/3 camera when I’m attending events and taking a shot of review units. You can take a look of some of that photos in these posts:

Braven 570 Review
Nokia Launches Nokia Lumia 720 and Lumia 520 in the Philippines
Be the Ultimate Man and Win a Toyota 86 with Vaseline Men!

E-Leksyon 2013 website and and mobile app launched!

Globe launches Tatt Awards 2013, It's time to nominate your favorite bloggers now!

But if you’re still not convince with that, you can check out my photos that I took using the Nokia Lumia 920. Like what I’ve said, I never used the flash of the Nokia Lumia 920. All photos that I took here are taken without a LED flash. I must warn you, it is really really really really good.

Here’s a photo that could convince you how great is the Nokia Lumia 920’s camera. This photo are taken using a Nokia Lumia 920, Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Nokia Lumia 720. The Nokia Lumia 720 can also took great low-light photos. All phones are at normal settings.

Here’s a 1080p video sample of the Nokia Lumia 920.

As you can see in the video, the sound was really great and of course, the video. My hands are a little bit shaky but the video doesn’t really showed it. I was impressed by its camera and it exceeded my expectations. I hope that the next Nokia Lumia could record a HDR video.

Software

The Nokia Lumia 920 is powered by Windows Phone 8. Contrary to what most people said, the Windows Phone is really a great operating system however it is plagued by a limited selection of apps. I really like using a Windows Phone because of its simplistic design and live tiles. But there’s one thing that I really hate now. The menu in the settings isn’t arrange alphabetically which is very annoying as it really take some time to find the things that you really want in the settings.

Nokia City Lens

Of course, the Nokia Lumia 920 comes with Nokia Apps that we all loved. Aside from the Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive. The Nokia City Lens is also one thing you could surely love about the phone. It uses Nokia Maps and your camera to show you an augmented reality of the nearest places. It is actually an AMAZING app. That is a must download app from Nokia. Cinemagraph is another Lumia-exclusive app that you would really love. It take a short video and then converts it to .gif. You can edit it and choose the things that you do not like to move. Not really a useful app but it is really fun to use.

Sample .gif image made by Cinemagraph

The market might be filled with Quad-Core or even an Octa-Core Androids. But Windows Phone doesn’t really need that. The Nokia Lumia 920 is powered by a Dual-Core Qualcomm processor. It is already enough for all the games and the apps that you need. It might not have the same smooth framerates of Temple Run on Android but at least, the other apps and games really made for the phone doesn’t really suffer. I guess the Windows Phone is still lagging behind even at games.

Nokia Lumia 720 and Nokia Lumia 920

The Windows Phone Store lags when It comes to number of app on its store. Some Android and iOS apps doesn’t have a Windows Phone counterpart especially Instagram. But some people didn’t know that there are alternatives for that. For Instagram, you can buy Instagraph, which enables you to upload photos to Instagram. But the downside is you have to pay P120-P150 for that. Twitter app for Windows Phone has also been updated to a much similar one to the Android and iOS. Facebook app for WP will get the much-awaited overhaul too, which will align it to its Android iOS counterpart.

I believe Nokia and Microsoft are really catching up to that and they believe that they could succeed in that soon. I’m not being biased here but I really want to see Windows phone rise and have a more decent apps.

Verdict

The Nokia Lumia 920 is Nokia’s current flagship and best smartphone. Nokia Lumia 920 is really innovative. It pushes the smartphone camera into a whole new level. Actually, the whole photography industry. IMO, this is the best camera after the Nokia Lumia 808 Pureview. I also love the design of the phone. I got the yellow one and it doesn’t really look like feminine at all. All the Lumia colors looks good. The only thing that I really didn’t like about this is the lack of apps that I need. There are some apps that are only exclusive to iPhone and Android phones. If there are some alternatives, some of them lack some functionality or it might be a paid app. If you think that all the apps that you need from a smartphone is on Windows Phone then get this one. I really recommend this one especially if you’re a photo junkie. It has the best camera in a Windows Phone. Actually, it is the best Windows Phone. I can’t say if this is the best smartphone in the world right now but I really love using the Nokia Lumia 920. The Nokia Lumia 920 is now available in the Philippines for P24,950.

Pros:
Great camera
The design and colors were really catchy
Fast and Fluid

Cons:
Windows Phone needs more apps
The phone is thicker than most phones in the competition
Lack of MicroSD card slot

RATING: 4/5

FAQs

Q: Is the camera really really really good?
A: Yes it is.

Q: Can I replace my camera with this one?
A: I believe that the Nokia Lumia 920 can replace SOME of your Point and Shoot cameras but not really the Micro 4/3 and SLR. The phone might have replaced my Micro 4/3 but nothing can beat the flexibility of settings, DOF and other things of SLRs and Micro 4/3. I only use this one because it can take nice photos even at low-light conditions and this phone is very portable compared to my camera.

Q: What about games? What can you say about it?
A: Like what I’ve said, Windows Phone’s Achilles heel is their availability of apps. There a lot of games but most of them are paid apps. I also noticed that most of their games are original and only available on Xbox Live/Windows Phone.

Q: Can I use LTE hotspot on this phone?
A: Yes, I believe you can do that as long as you got a LTE enabled sim.

Q: Is this the Best Windows Phone ever?
A: In my opinion, yes.

Thank you Nokia Connects/Nokia Conversations for lending me a review unit!

Viber now available in Windows and Mac!

2013-05-08T06:46:00.000+08:00

Viber is one of the best messaging app on smartphones. A lot of my friends are using this one instead of iMessage because Viber is available in almost all devices and it is very easy to use. One of the things that I loved about this is that I can do group messages, share my location and even send pictures. But the recent update of Viber is the most exciting one. Why? Because Viber won't be just available on your smartphones and tablets but it will also be available on your desktops. Yes, you're right. You could now send messages, pictures or whatever it is that you're sending using a computer! The new features of Viber are very similar to iMessage. You could now have all your received and sent messages on your different devices. But the best thing that I like in Viber is that you're now able to have a video calls on desktops. Want to get one? Check it out after the break.

There are a lot of new features in Viber aside from that. Viber will also allow video messages, last online status and have a new stickers. For Android users, they'll now have a Holo interface. I really loved that interface. If you want to get one now for you desktops then head on to http://www.viber.com/ for your Viber for Windows or Mac.

Samsung Galaxy Core Specifications and Price in the Philippines

2013-05-07T22:01:00.001+08:00

Samsung doesn't really ran out of names and phones. Samsung just announced a new phone in their Galaxy family. It doesn't have a really eye-popping feature or hardware. The Samsung Galaxy Core is for the people who are looking for a 4.3-inch phone with a Dual-Sim and processor with a just-so-right 1.2 GHz Dual-Core processor. Aside from that, the smartphone will be having a 8 GB internal memory and a 1 GB of RAM. That hardware features would be good for your multi-tasking needs. I'm not really sure what's the processor inside this phone. But I hope that it's not really crappy. The design and features inside the phone shares from the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy S4. It features the textured-back from the S4 and the UI design from the Samsung Galaxy S3. Oh and before I forgot, will have the smart features that you can found on the the phone If you want to know more about the phone, check it out after the break

Samsung Galaxy Core Specifications

129.3 x 67.6 x 8.95 mm, 124 g
1.2 GHz Dual Core Processor
4.3-inch WVGA Display
1 GB RAM
8 GB Internal Storage with MicroSD Card slot
5 Megapixel Camera with VGA Front
Bluetooth
Wifi
HSDPA
Dual Sim
Smart features
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Samsung Galaxy Core Price in the Philippines

The phone doesn't have a SRP yet. But my guess estimate is PHP 14,000

Cherry Mobile Fusion Fusion Bolt Review

2013-05-06T23:18:00.000+08:00

Who doesn’t love a tablet? Affordable Android tablets are popping out from nowhere from different companies. That is just one of the factors why there are a lot of people have tablets. One of those affordable tablets that is making a buzz here in the Philippines is the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt. Yep that’s the most affordable quad-core tablet in the Philippines. Do you still remember the press launch that I attended a few weeks ago? It is now available in different Cherry Mobile Stores. The one that we got in the press launch has a prototype firmware that’s why it took some time before I posted the review. Want to know more about the tablet? Check out the review after the break.

Hardware

The Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt doesn’t have the best body construction but it isn’t that bad either. It’s made up of plastic with a diamond shape textures at the back. (Shine bright like a Diamond!) And it isn’t matte. It is just plain ol plastic. A little bit disappointing but at least, there’s no moving parts that might ruin that tablet very soon. The Tablet is made for landscape mode because of the placement of the camera but of course, you could still use the tablet at portrait mode.

The Cherry Mobile Fusion bolt’s Power button, Home button and Volume are place at the top back of the tablet (In landscape mode) but I really had a hard time pressing it at first because the button lacks some elevation from the body. On the right side of the tablet, you can find the MicroSD Card slot that can handle up to 32 GB, the Mini HDMI, 3.5mm Audio Jack, Micro USB Slot and the charging slot.

I always use the Mini HDMI for watching movies on our HDTV. Mini HDMi to HDMI cables aren’t that expensive, it will only cost you at around 120-150 at CD-R King. I didn’t have problems with connecting my Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt to the HDTV. But the Micro-USB was a disappointment to me since I can’t connect my USB OTG in it. Maybe my unit has a defect. So you could say goodbye to your USB Flash drives now. Oh and you may kiss your Bluetooth speakers goodbye too because the Fusion Bolt doesn’t have a Bluetooth. Speaking of speakers, I can say that for its price, the sound quality of the tablet is acceptable for its price. But I praise the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt for having a slim profile a small bezel. Another thing that I like with the FuBo (Yes, It may sound wrong but it means Fusion Bolt) is that it’s very light and very portable. It even fits in my back pocket by I wouldn’t suggest to put that in your pocket because you might sit on it.

The display was of the strengths of this tablet. It is just a 7-inch tablet but it has a resolution of 1280x800. Not bad for a tablet with a price tag of P4,000. The display is crisp but sunlight legibility wasn’t that good. But the 7-inch display was really great for reading E-Books and browsing the Internet. I also love to E-Books on the screen. It’s not the best screen in a 7-inch tablet but it exceeded my expectations for a P4,000 tablet.

The battery wasn’t that disappointing. Most tablets on this price range have a battery life of less than 5 hours. The Cherry Mobile Fusion tablet was able to manage 8-9 hours of battery life on average use. I was also able to watch 2-3 movies while on HDMI. Again, not bad for a P4,000 tablet.

Camera

There’s nothing special about the camera. The Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt has a 2 MP Rear camera and a VGA front camera. Both can be used as a camera for taking a video and picture. It can also be used for video call but the quality isn’t that great. I don’t really recommend this tablet for taking photos even at well-lit environment. There’s no auto focus so don’t expect that you could do Macro Shots in here. I already expect those things on a 7-inch tablet with a price like this. But hey, at least there’s two camera on the tablet. Take a look at the pictures that I took using the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt:

Here’s a video that I took using the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt. It is recorded in HD. The framerates wasn’t that good but at least, the tablet can record in HD. The video quality hen recording videos at low light is very disappointing too. Take a look at my video sample here:

Software:

Here’s the most exciting part of our review of the Cherry Mobile Fusion tablet. The Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt is powered by Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and as expected, it gave the tablet a fast and smooth transitions. But it wasn’t fast as I expected.

The Quad-Core processor of the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt tablet raises too many questions. Does this Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt’s Quad core processor can topple off the other processor in the market? Unfortunately, Antutu wouldn’t work on the device. But Quadrant worked well. Check out the benchmarks:

Don’t expect too much on the Quad-Core processor of the Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt. It may be a Quad-Core processor but its performance is just like a Dual-Core processor. Some of the heavy games like GTA: Vice City and Dead Trigger worked on the device but you won’t get a very fast frame rates on these games. You will have no problem regarding HD videos because the Cherry Mobile Fusion tablet can play your 1080p videos even you you connected your tablet to your 1080p HDTV.

The Quad-Core processor was disappointing. It doesn’t live up to my expectations.. But in spite of that, why would you complain on the performance if the price of the tablet is just P4,000!. The performance of this tablet is far better off than most of the tablets in that price range

Verdict

The Fusion Bolt lacks a lot of features including the support for USB OTG and Bluetooth. The Quad-Core processor isn’t as fast as I expected too. This is not the best tablet in the market right now but this is certainly the best tablet at P4,000. If you’re the type of person who loves to browse the internet, check your Facebook and Twitter and watch the latest Koreanovelas or movies on your MicroSD then this tablet would be great for you. I don’t really recommend this for heavy gaming but this tablet could play some decent and not so demanding games. Oh and I’ve been using this tablet this tablet ever since for watching the latest HD movies that I downloaded.

RATING: 3.5/5

This fly is even interested on buying a Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt because of its price.

FAQs

Q: Do you recommend this tablet Koya Jam?

A: If your budget is below P5,000. Yes

Q: Okay po ba ang tablet Koya Jam??

A: That is a Vague question, Next please

Q: Can I use this for gaming?

A: Not really, The Quad-Core processor of the tablet isn’t really made for gaming

Q: Koyaaaa, para san po ba maganda ang tablet?

A: The tablet is great for reading E-Books, watching videos and browsing the web. I always connect this tablet to my HDTV for watching my favorite HD movies.

Q: Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt + HDTV? Paano po koya jam?

A: Buy a Mini HDMI to HDMI cable from CD-R king (P120-P150) and connect it to your tablet and HDTV. Voila! Say hello to Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt that can output up to 1080p

Q: Koya Jam ipaparaffle mo po ba yan?

A: Nope ☹

The Cherry Mobile Fusion Bolt was given to us by Cherry Mobile during their media launch. Thanks guys!

Alcatel One Touch Idol Specifications and Price in the Philippines: The Iron Man 3 Phone!

2013-05-03T19:24:00.000+08:00

Who watched Iron Man 3? Of course, almost all of us watched the third installment of Iron Man 3. We love Tony and his armor but of course we also loved their gadgets and devices that were used in the movie like the Holographic shingablings that doesn’t really exist, the amazing phone of Tony stark and Jarvis that we all wished preinstalled in our devices. But did you know that the phones (That really exists!) that were used in the movie were Alcatel phones? Yes, I won’t spoil you guys who used those phones but they used the Alcatel One Touch Idol! Yes, the sexy & slim affordable Jelly Bean Android smartphone was used in that movie. I actually have the Alcatel One Touch Idol right now and I’ll be having a review of that very soon. But before that, Why don’t you check out the specifications of the Alcatel One Touch Idol

Alcatel One Touch Idol Specifications

Dimensions and Weight: 133 x 67.5 x 7.9 mm, 109g
Display: 4.7-inch IPS LCD, 540 x 960 pixels
Processor: 1 GHz Dual Core MTK 6577+
RAM: 512 MB RAM
Storage: 4 GB Internal Storage with MicroSD
Camera: 8 MP Rear Camera w/ LED Flash and 2 MP Front Camera
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi b/g/n
Connectivity: HSDPA
Battery: 1800mAh
Colors: Silver, Slate, Pink Red and yellow
OS: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Alcatel One Touch Idol Price in the Philippines
The Alcatel One Touch Idol is now available in the market with a SRP of P11,990

I have a Alcatel One Touch Idol here and I'll be writing a review of this unit here at JAM Online. So watch out for that . Thanks Alcatel Philippines!

Get the Samsung Galaxy S4 at Globe My Super Plan now!

2013-05-02T17:51:00.000+08:00

The Samsung Galaxy S4. Wooohooo!

The most awaited Galaxy is now here in the Philippines. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has now arrived at Globe and you can now avail it for as low as P1599 monthly at their award winning fully-customizable postpaid plans. For P1,599 a month, that’s on Globe’s My Super Plan 999 plus the P600 cashout. Of course, you’ll be locked in into a 24-month contract period. In that Plan, you could already get Unlimited LTE surfing that is up to 42 mbps theoretically. The real life speeds that could get with LTE is at around 10-20mbps. Not bad, that is still faster than my broadband at home but of course, this is still under the FUP of Globe which caps you at 800 MB per day. But are you interested with Samsung Galaxy S4? Check it out after the break.

Like what I’ve said earlier, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is available at Globe My Super Plan 999 but if you don’t think that plan fits for you and you want something affordable then you can opt for a lower plan but still have an affordable monthly cashouts. Not bad right.? Check it out here:

But of course, if you have a lots of money to spare for Globe then you can avail the Platinum plans that enables you to have a free Samsung Device when you sign up for a 2 year contract. Yes folks, at Plan 3799 subscribers will get a free Samsung Galaxy S3 mini while you’ll get a free Samsung Galaxy Camera at Plan 5000. But if you really don’t know what to do with your money and you want to just spend it on a Samsung Galaxy device then head over to the Plan 10000 which will give you a free Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

Another thing that I like in here is that you can choose the contract periods from 6 months to 30 months. Which made it more flexible to you. But of course, the shorter the contract, the more expensive it will be.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is available in White frost and Black Mist. Samsung called it as a Life Companion (but she’s not our wife!). The Samsung Galaxy S4 from Globe will be powered by 1.9 GHz Snapdragon 600 Processor and it boasts a 5-inch HD Super AMOLED screen. The camera was also upgraded to 13 MP from 8 MP of SGS3.

If you are interested at Globe’s Samsung Galaxy S4 then you better check out it out now at www.globe.com.ph/galaxys4. The newest Samsung Galaxy smartphone will be available in Globe Stores nationwide starting May 2, 2013.

Nokia Launches Nokia Lumia 720 and Lumia 520 in the Philippines

2013-05-01T11:21:00.001+08:00

Last Friday, Nokia Philippines introduced their new Lumia lineup for the Philippine market. The current lineup now includes the whole slew of numbers starting from the 520 all the way up to 920. (Forming the poker equivalent of a Lumia straight). All of the Nokia Windows Phone 8 is finally here in the Philippines and all of them are available in Nokia stores. Yes, they launched the sexy, slim and chic Nokia Lumia 720 and the Nokia Lumia 520 for the budget minded folks. Nokia Lumia 920 was also seen and launched in the event. If anyone checked out my YouTube page then you might have seen the Nokia Lumia 920 Hands-on. I featured the Nokia Lumia 920 on my show. Anyway, if you want to know more about the Nokia Lumia 720 and Nokia Lumia 520 then check it out after the break!

Nokia Lumia 520

It's the cheapest Windows Phone 8 in the Philippine market right now. It might be affordable but the Nokia Lumia 520 can still run your favorite Nokia apps and games as long as the RAM can handle it. The Nokia Lumia 520 is still fast just like its Windows Phone brothers but there are some things that you might now like about it like the lack of LED flash. But hey, the phone comes with Here maps. IMO, It's the best navigational app. The Nokia Lumia 520 is available in different colors and it is now available with the SRP of PHP 7,990

Nokia Lumia 720

The Nokia Lumia is a midrange smartphone that packs a sexy slim profile and a lightweight body but still able to retain its long lasting battery and fast & fluid performance. The Nokia Lumia 720 also packs a 6.7 Megapixel BSI Camera which is great at low-light conditions. It isn't as good as the Nokia Lumia 920 but it is still great at low light conditions. Another great thing about the Nokia Lumia 720 is the 2000 mAh battery that can last up to more than a day of average-heavy use. And yes, we featured the Nokia Lumia 720 last Saturday at the Big Time Show. I had the Nokia Lumia 720 for a week and I'll post the review of it soon. The Nokia Lumia 720 has an SRP of P14,590.

Nokia Lumia 920

It's the best Windows Phone smartphone from Nokia. I've been using this phone for weeks now and I'm quite happy with it. The Nokia Lumia 920 packs a 8.7 Megapixel Carl Zeiss PureView Camera (I don't know which came first. the Pureview or the Carl Zeiss LOL) and it is the current flagship phone of Nokia! Watch for my full review of the phone here at JAM Online! It is now available for P24,950

Mr. Gary Chan with Jam

Why don't you check out the nearest Nokia Stores and buy one? (Well of course, read our review first before buying!)

Thanks Alexei Rivera of The Technoclast for typing the first sentence of this article! hehe.
Thanks Nokia Philippines!

Be the Ultimate Man and Win a Toyota 86 with Vaseline Men!

2013-05-01T06:47:00.000+08:00

Do you want a Toyota 86? Of course, we all want to have that car (Oh I wish, I have that one!). But of course if you have a nice car, you should always have clean and smooth face (Of course you need a nice car and a handsome face to get the attention of ates!). Thanks to Vaseline Men, we could Be The Man by becoming a look alike of Jericho Rosales and even get a chance to win a Toyota 86. Yes, our favorite brand when it comes to facial care are raffling off a Toyota 86 with the Vaseline Men Be the Man Win the Car Promo. Yes, It's the Toyota 86. The hottest and one of the most in demand sports car in the Philippines. And fortunately, I was able to take home a Toyota 86 thanks to Vaseline Men.

The Toyota 86 that I took home. I wasn't able to drive it coz. ugh. Well, you can't drive this thing

I know guys. It's a 1/60 Toyota 86 not the real one. But hey at least, that's a Toyota 86 and it's a red one! Anyway, let's get back on how we can have that REAL Toyota 86. It's easy guys. You simply have to buy any Vaseline Men Facial Wash Tube or Moisturizer Tube and then scratch the sticker code found in the Vaseline Men Face products. Then they would have to register their name by texting VMEN_Name_Address_Age and send to 2600 then you have to text VMEN_CODE send to 2600. But you can get a higher chance of winning by checking out www.facebook.com/VaselineMenPH and by inviting their friends to join in the promo.

You need these products to look fresh and handsome (Iced Tea isn't included)

If you are interested with Vaseline Men products, you could check out the nearest stores for Vaseline Men's Facial Washes, Face Moisturizers, Body Lotion and Body Wash. In order to have fairer skin and a not so dull skin, you should check out the facial wash that comes in three variants which are the Spot Removal Facial Wash, the Anti Dullness Face Scrub and the Oil Control Facial Wash. The Face moisturizer reduces dark spots in as early as 2 weeks. It’s also available in three variants - SPF15, Oil Control and Hydrate & Fresh. And yes, These Vaseline Men products are available in the nearest supermarkets.

Sir Jonathan of Vaseline Men. Thank you sir!

Okay, so you now know how to look good in front of beautiful women by using these Vaseline products. Now, you just need that Toyota 86 right? Why don't you buy a Vaseline Men Product now and win a Toyota 86 and be the Ultimate Man!

Thanks Vaseline Men!, Especially for that Toyota 86

Braven 570 Bluetooth Speaker Review

2013-04-29T19:44:00.000+08:00

Sometimes it’s really hard to depend on speakers of our devices when we’re watching the latest episode of The Walking Dead (unfortunately, we have to wait until October!) or whenever we’re listening to our favorite playlist on our iTunes. Mobile devices are becoming our all-in-one entertainment device but its audio isn’t enough to keep us entertain that’s why some people opt to buy a speaker. And if you’re the type of guy who has some money to spare then why don’t you get a Bluetooth speaker?. When it comes to Bluetooth speakers, Braven is one of the known brands in that market. And what I got here is the entry-level Bluetooth speaker from Braven, the Braven 570. Check out how the Braven 570 fares in my review.

Hardware and Features

The Braven 570 looks like the Braven 600 except that the Braven 570 has a tone down hardware which made it an entry level Bluetooth speaker from Braven. The Braven 570 is made up of plastic compared to the aluminum body of Braven 650. Which made the Bluetooth speaker lighter than ever. But that doesn’t mean that the Braven 570 isn’t durable. The body of the Braven 570 doesn’t feel cheap even though it is made up of plastic. Although there’s a hollow feeling whenever I tap the top part of the Braven 570.But that wasn’t really an issue for me. I still like its minimalistic design. It really fits on modern day interior households.

One of its unique features is the ability to charge devices using the USB port on the Braven 570. It’s quite useful but the battery of the Braven 570 is only rated at 1200mAh. It can’t fully charge your iPod touch or your iPhone especially my Samsung Galaxy S III which has a battery rated at 2100mAh. But at least, the speaker can be use as a power bank whenever your device is at low batt. Don’t get confused! There’s a USB port for the charging of your phone and there’s the Micro-USB for charging the Braven 570. The 1200mAh battery of the Braven 570 is expected to have you a 10 hours of battery life but I only manage to have 7-9 hours of battery life.

The Braven 570 can play and stream your audio either on 3.5mm audio jack or using Bluetooth. I prefer using the latter. I mostly use it on wireless mode and I didn’t have too much problems when I’m transferring the device connected to Braven a room apart. I tried using my Mac, Windows Phone, Android and iOS devices and none of them had a problem except my Windows 8 tablet. That’s why I have to use the 3.5mm jack for my Windows 8 Tablet.

Aside from being a speaker and a charger, the Braven 570 could also be use as a hands-free speakerphone for phone when you’re connected to your device. You can even answer the phone using the call button on the Braven 570. A nice feature that you can’t found on most Bluetooth speakers.

Performance

The Braven 570 might be an entry level Bluetooth speaker but it performs very well and above my expectations. The 6W output speaker is already enough liven up your condo or your hotel room. The Braven 570 is really great for listening to your favorite music or podcast especially when you use it wirelessly.

Like what I’ve said earlier, I seldom use the 3.5mm jack and I mostly use it wirelessly with my different handheld devices. The sounds are pleasing to my ear. The bass are just great to hear. I tried different genre and types of songs. I’ve also used different Flacs, Mp3s and Apple Lossless files for these and listening to the Braven 570. The quality is just balanced even at maximum volume, the Braven 570 didn’t fail to enjoy my listening on my newest playlist.

You might not notice the difference between listening wirelessly and using the audio jack if you’re not the audiophile type of guy. But of course, it would still depend on the device that you use and the file that you’re playing.

Verdict

This is just an entry level Bluetooth speaker but it doesn’t fail to impress me. The plastic build quality was a downgrade from its bigger brothers but it wasn’t really a deal breaker because the Braven 570 is still solid and durable. I was only disappointed by its battery life as it can only manage up to 7-9 hours of battery life. I still recommend the Braven 570 if you want an entry level Bluetooth speaker but be wary of the short battery life of the Bluetooth speaker. The Braven 570 is now available at Astrovision, Digital Hub, Beyond the Box, Digital Walker, iCenter, Power Hub, iStudio, Switch, Odyssey, Quick Sound, Buzz, and SM Appliance for Php 4,450 and it is available in blue, green, purple, red, white and black. Why don’t you get one now at the nearest stores?

RATING: 4/5

FAQs

Q: Koya Jam, maganda po ba ang speaker na yan?
A: Yes, I recommend this Bluetooth speaker if you have the moolah$$$

Q: Koya Jam, gagana po ba ang featurephones?
A: I haven't tested it but it will work.

Q: Compatible ba sa iPod?
A: Yes po.

Q: Magpaparaffle ka ba nyan Koooya Jam?
A: :( Hindi po kaya ng powers ko :(.

Q: Bibilhin ko na po ba Koya JAM?
A: OO NAMAN!!!

Thanks Johann Fojas for helping me in this review!

Disclaimer: The Braven 570 review unit was lend to me by Digits Trading and Make.Believe! Thanks guys!

E-Leksyon 2013 website and and mobile app launched!

2013-04-28T18:13:00.000+08:00

Mr. James Jimenez of COMELEC and the Bitoopi team of Smart DevNet

With just a few days left till the Election 2013 here in the Philippines, it's better that we are educated and we know what are the things that we should and we shouldn't do in the upcoming elections. And thanks to COMELEC and Bitoopi, the developers of the E-Leksyon app from Smart DevNet. Aside from the mobile app, there's also the website that does the same thing. The Bitoopi team along with COMELEC developed this app for free so don't worry anything about it. Too bad it's only available for iOS and not on Android. But don't worry about it that much because an Android or a Windows Phone application will be coming on the next elections. Yeah, I know. This app is a bit late but hey, at least this would be useful for the next presidential elections. Check out the app after the break.

The E-Leksyon 2013 app features a simulation of filling out a simple ballot. A great way to educate the youth on how to vote. Of course, they'll be restricting you if you voted more than the allowed number of votes per position. Not only that, my favorite feature of this app is you can view your precint and other infos by just typing in your name and your birthday. The mobile app also allows you to report violations made by politicians. Awesome app for the upcoming elections right?

If you want to check out the website, check it out at report.mycomelec.tv but if you have an iOS device then better check the Apple iTunes app store for the e-Leksyon 2013 app. There's no Android version as of this posting but it will be announced soon. Why don't you check out the iTunes app store and get the app or just check out their website?.

Globe launches Tatt Awards 2013, It's time to nominate your favorite bloggers now!

2013-04-27T15:50:00.001+08:00

Oh yes, It’s the time of the year when bloggers and the famous people on social media get nominated and awarded for their greatness and their influence.There are many individuals and groups who are taking their causes on the social media and made a big impact! On its third year, Tatt Awards aims to inspire people, to move ideas and start a good movement using social media. But of course it’s not just about blogs, it’s all about the impact that they’ve made online. If you love reading blogs or when you own a blog, maybe you’ve have heard of Tatt Awards. This year’s Tatt Awards will honor 13 individuals in different categories. WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT? CHECK IT OUT AFTER THE BREAK.

Just like the previous Tatt Awards, there will be councils that are well known in the social media world. These are the councils that are well renowned in their respective fields.

Dong Ronquillo, Head of Nomadic Broadband Business
Maria Ressa, the CEO of Rappler
Abe Olandres of Yugatech.com
Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet
Jim Paredes, one of the country's leading advocates of OPM
Joey Mead-King, Top international model and personality
BJ Pascual, In demand talented photographer
Mikey Bustos, Youtube Sensation
Bianca Gonzalez
Bianca Consunji, video producer for global site Mashable
TJ Manotoc

The councils are the one responsible for screening of nominations and shortlisting of the finalists. They are also responsible for the 70% of the total score while the 20% goes from the Social Media Engagement and influence based on fans, followers, subscribers, etc. while the rest came from Public Voting.

You can nominate your favorite bloggers and social media influencers in these categories:

Blogger Phenom of the Year
Trending Twitter Phenom of the Year
Youtube Phenom of the Year
Instagram Phenom of the Year
Best Social Media Movement
Best Comedy on YouTube
Best Music on YouTube
Best Style Blog
Best Sports Blog or Microblog
Best Tech Blog or Podcast
Best Photoblog or Microblog
Best Travel or Food blog

But of course, if you love Jam or this blog then why don't you nominate this blog or your favorite blogs? Check out Tatt Awards 2013 now!

Here's a guide! hehe!

CloudFone Excite 400D Specifications and Price in the Philippines: The P4,499 Dual-Core Jelly Bean Smartphone!

2013-04-23T16:01:00.000+08:00

Oh we love the CM Flare so much for having a much affordable price but that phone didn't have a competitor at that price range. Well actually, there are phones that are at around P4,000-P5,000 but none of them can actually compete with the specifications of the CM Flare because of its WVGA display, Android 4.0 OS and the Dual-Core Snapdragon processor. But Cloudfone has released their new phone that would compete in that price range. The specifications are pretty similar to the CM Flare except that the Cloudfone Excite 400D is powered by a MediaTek processor running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean which made the phone smooth as butter. The phone also sports a very slim design but this comes with a much smaller battery. Check out more about it after the break.

CloudFone Excite 400D Specifications

Dimensions and Weight	122 x 63.6 x 10.4mm
Display	WVGA 3.97" Capacitive Touchscreen with 5 point touch
Processor	1.0 GHz Dual Core MTK 6577 processor
RAM	512 MB RAM
Storage	4 GB with MicroSD Card Slot up to 32 GB
Camera	5.0 Megapixel Camera w/ LED Flash with VGA front camera
Bluetooth	Yes
NFC	No
Wi-Fi	Yes
Connectivity	3G HSDPA
Battery	1200 mAh
Colors	Black
Other features	Dual-Sim CloudStore Back Covers
OS	Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Yeah, the battery is only rated at 1200 mAh. Quite disappointing.

CloudFone Excite 400D Price in the Philippines
CloudFone Excite 400D is now available at stores for P4,499

Watch out for our review of the CloudFone Excite 400D soon!

Instagraph: Your Instagram app for your Windows Phone 8

2013-04-16T22:18:00.000+08:00

UPDATE: Instagraph is now available in the Philippines! Check it out on your Windows Phone! Thanks Neil! Check it out here

Every Windows Phone user has been praying to get an Instagram app that can upload photos for Windows Phone 8. Finally, your prayers have been answered. Yes, it is now possible to upload photos to Instagram using your Windows Phone 8. Nope, it's not the official Instagram on Windows Phone but this one is made by a 3rd Party and this app is called Instagraph. Unfortunately, this app comes in a price. Yep, it is not free on the Windows Phone Store and you need to shell out $2.49 for this app. But who cares? At least you can still upload photos on Instagram! There are more downsides of this app and if you want to know more about it check it out after the break.

Of course, you would still get the effects that you can see in Instagram but the downside about this thing is that it will took some time before it uploads to the server of Instagram according to the comments and as of this moment, only 3 photos uploads are allowed every day. They are currently upgrading their server to improve their services. And oh, Instagraph is not yet available in our region and only Windows Phone 8 users would be able to enjoy this app. Let's just wait for the official release in our region. Click here if you want to check out the app.

Via Windows Phone Store

8 GB Iron Man 3 USB Flash Drive Giveaway

2013-04-14T17:31:00.003+08:00

Oh Tony Stark, we love your Iron Man Armor so much that the helmet became a USB Flash Drive. And if you want one, we're having a raffle thanks to our friend at Widget City! I know all of you wants to have that Iron Helmet USB so we're having a raffle. Yeah, I know. Just in time for the Iron Man 3 screening on April 24 and we're all pretty excited for that movie. Obviously, you can't wear the Iron Man Flash drive but you can use it on your devices. The Iron Man USB packs an 8 GB storage. But if you think that the odds of winning is too small then you can just get this 8GB Iron Man USB Flash Drive at Widget City. Want one? Check it out after the break

8GB War Machine USB Flash Drive

If you want to get one then just buy one from Widget City for P990 (Click here if you want to buy one) and if you're planning to buy a smartphone from Widget City then just add P500 then you can get this one. If you don't want Iron Man then you can opt for the shiny colorless War Machine. And If you're planning to get one, I recommend that you get one now because there will be only 50 pcs. at Widget City. So what are you waiting for? Get an 8 GB Iron Man USB Flash drive now at Widget City!

Like what I've said earlier, We'll be raffling off One (1) 8 GB Iron Man USB Flash Drive here at JAM Online. How can you join the raffle? It's easy.

Valid only for those people with Philippine address. (Of course we'll be sending it to you!)
All entries must be done through the Rafflecopter below.
The winner will be notified via Facebook/Email/Twitter.
You can join the giveaway which will start today, April 14 2013 and it will end at April 19 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks Widget City for sponsoring this raffle!