Accutone is known for making quality headsets for the corporate industry for decades. They’ve produced some of the world’s best headset and monitors that’s been used by call centers, corporations, professional musicians and now, they’re bringing their expertise to the consumer market.

What we have here for review is the Accutone Pisces Band which is their top-of-the-line high-definition stereo headphone with an in-line microphone and digital control. It comes in 3 different flavors: White, Orange and Black. Looks really awesome but how does it fare? Read on for our review.

Packaging

The box is a clear plastic so you can clearly see what the Pisces Band looks like. You can see from the box that it’s compatible with all Apple products from the iPod to the iPhone up to the latest iPad. There’s nothing much to see in the box, not even the specs which I was hoping to see as any audiophile would want to know what they’re buying.

Underneath the shiny silvery base of the headset, you’ll see a stylish-looking white carrying case and the user manual.

Construction

The Pisces Band feels solid and tough. The entire headset is made of genuine aluminum metal so it won’t break easily. The leatherette used in the headphones is quite comfortable and doesn’t heat up as much as other foams from headphones I’ve used. And if ever they need to be replaced, they can easily be removed (see user manual). The ear cups are quite small which can be uncomfortable for long periods of time for people with big ears.

There’s a bit of clamping force which is good and bad in different ways. Good in a sense that it’ll keep the headset from falling and keeping your tunes to yourself and bad in a sense that it might give you headaches after long usage.

The folding mechanism feels has that assuring lock and doesn’t feel like it’ll snap for a long time. This folding design is suitable for people on the go for its added portability.

The cable is flat and a tad bit short but it’s not a problem when it’s connected to a gadget on your pocket. Flat cables also don’t tangle as much as rounded cables.

This headphone comes with an in-line mic and volume controls so it can be a nice companion to your iPhone. Using the volume controls is not as responsive as I hope it would be. The construction is rather flimsy as compared to the build of the headphone itself and the buttons are not that easy to click. But if you can learn to control it deftly, you can also use it to skip to the next or previous track as well as pause/play. However, it only works on iOS devices, not on Android or other phones.

Performance

As with all headphones, when you buy them new, you need to burn them in first. This is to loosen the drivers and will definitely open up the sound a lot more. I did the standard sine sweep for 24 hours.

When I first got the headphones, the sounds were muffled and I couldn’t justify the price on this one. But after a week, I got to hear the dynamics of these cans. The lows really cut through the sound and doesn’t muffle the mids and highs.

The bass really feels natural and doesn’t target the bassheads market. It’s just the right amount of bass. I played some bass heavy RnB music which I don’t listen to much, but listening to them in these ‘phones is certainly a delight. I played Kenny G’s Romantic Collection and I can feel the high notes of his sax through my spine. There’s also very good instrument separation, as you can identify where the sound is coming from, giving the midtones their very own distinct sound space. The Pisces Band’s drivers have a nice balance from the low-end up to the high-end tones. (Disclaimer: Sound perception is very subjective and my experience with the same headphones might be different from yours)

The sound stage is actually good despite being a closed-back ‘phone. It doesn’t leak as much so you can use it on the library without disturbing anyone. But these headphones are loud, it’ll leak if you max out the volume. From experience, 70% is already loud enough for me.

Conversations with the mic on an iPhone are clear according to my friends on the other line. Something I’m not really surprised about since Accutone is known for delivering high-quality headsets for call centers and they applied the same quality over to their music headsets.

Conclusion

These are a great set of ‘phones for people who’s always on the go. The compact folding design and the stylish carrying case can easily fit in your luggage or you won’t mind carrying it around like a clutch bag. It outputs great audio, has great looks and great durability, the perfect combination for mobile headphones. And the call reception quality you’re getting from the in-line mic is just a bonus.

The Accutone Pisces Band retails for Php8,450 which can be a bit steep for some but actually, it’s worth every peso you’re paying for. You can buy the Accutone Pisces Band from The Online Gadgeteer and comes with free delivery and one-year warranty.

Among the Sony NXT phones, the one that I think fits my needs is the 4-inch Sony Xperia P. We didn’t see this phone during the launch and there was a bit of delay bringing this in but the Sony Xperia P is now here with us ready to be played with.

But first, let’s do a short unboxing.

Similar to other Sony Xperia phones, you’ll get a big, flat, square box for its packaging. A bit more complicated packaging inside will reveal the contents aside from the Xperia P itself.

You’ll get a USB power adapter which you can also use to power other USB devices, the USB cable to charge the phone, a generic in-ear earphone with 2 other different-sized pairs of silicon tips, and a shirt clip for the earphone.

The phone itself looks really nice in an industrial-looking way. Love the silver, grainy finish which gives the phone a rugged, manly look. You’ll see the transparent strip element found in all Sony NXT phones.

Not included in the box but should be included when you purchase this phone on authorized resellers are the 2 NFC Smart Tags, an HDMI cable, screen protector, and a fast charger.

A little about the phone. The Sony Xperia P is powered by the NovaThor U8500 1GHz dual-core processor which replaced the originally planned 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon “Krait” S4 due to shortage. It has a 4-inch screen with a Bravia display plus a technology Sony calls WhiteMagic for a brighter screen with good contrast as evident from the first time I fired it up. Do note that it has a 16GB storage but without a microSD slot.

The Sony Xperia P has a suggested retail price of Php22,990. We’ll post our review of this phone after we’re done playing with it.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has been available for pre-order from both Globe and Smart since last Monday, May 23. We covered Globe’s pricing plan and we’re still waiting for Smart to reveal their pricing for the Samsung Galaxy S3 which was not yet displayed on their pre-order page (or so I thought).

I don’t know if we missed this piece of info before but looking at Smart’s pre-order page for  the Samsung Galaxy S3, it says you can get the phone for FREE on Smart’s Unlimited Data Plan 2000. That’s all the option you’re presented and this means Smart has the best deal for the Galaxy S3 if you want a plan to go with it. Globe is offering it for free starting on their Plan 2499.

We’re not sure if this is a mistake (still waiting confirmation from Smart), or a special introductory promo for those who pre-order, but this makes the Samsung Galaxy S3 cheaper than the iPhone 4S which is available for FREE on Plan 3000. If you’re wondering what other phones are free on Smart Plan 2000, you have the Galaxy Note, iPhone 4, Galaxy Nexus and the HTC Sensation XE to name a few. With Smart’s Unlimited Data Plan 2000, you will get 200 free text and 150 minutes worth of free calls per month on top of the unlimited data.

If this is indeed the real deal then it makes the Samsung Galaxy S III really appealing if you go with Smart.

UPDATE: Ok, got confirmatoin that the FREE on Plan 2000 is for real with a lock-in period of 30 months instead of the usual 24.

Globe Telecom joins forces with Vonage Holdings Corp., a leading global provider in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), to offer cheaper international calls to the Philippines from other parts of the world. Seeing the huge market demand for OFWs looking at ways to cut cost to communicate with their loved ones back home, Globe finally ventured into VoIP.

Initially, Globe and Vonage are setting up to launch call services to the Philippines from the US, with call plans from UK and Canada expected to follow suit.

Globe Telecom, represented by (from left) Rizza Maniego-Eala, Group Head for International Business; and Gil Genio, Head of the International and Business Markets; and Vonage, represented by Kimberly O’Loughlin, Managing Director for International Markets and Gowrishankar Bharadwaj, Vice President for International Markets, signed a partnership agreement last May 2, 2012 that will further drive down the cost of international calls to and from the Philippines

“We are thrilled to sign our first international partnership with Globe,” said Kimberly O’Loughlin, Managing Director International Markets. “Our creative alliance enables both companies to serve the needs of Filipino callers globally.”

“This partnership with Vonage defines Globe’s intent in addressing the evolving communication needs of the almost 800,000 Fil-Am households in the US,” said Gil Genio, Head of the International and Business Markets of Globe Telecom.

“We are happy to launch with Vonage our first foray into the VOIP arena for inbound calling from the US, UK and Canada, said Rizza Maniego-Eala, Group Head for International Business of Globe Telecom. “This collaboration between Globe and Vonage presents a firm promise that we will continue to stay attuned to the needs of our market, developing products that are truly relevant and competitive,” she added.

Most of the HTC Sensation line users received their Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update since March but HTC fans are wondering when the other phones will get their taste of ICS.

Well HTC released their schedule for ICS update for global devices. Based on the list, the HTC Desire S, HTC Rhyme and HTC Incredible S will get the Android 4.0 update starting this June. Surprisingly, even the HTC Desire HD will also get an ICS update starting this July.

So what about the other phones? HTC said that handsets with less than 512MB ROM won’t be getting Ice Cream Sandwich. This means handsets like the HTC ChaCha, HTC Wildfire S, and HTC Explorer are stuck with Gingerbread. Their tablet, the HTC Flyer, won’t get the update as well and will remain at Android 3.0 Honeycomb.

Here’s the complete Android 4.0 update schedule from HTC

The Android 4.0 update for HTC devices will include HTC Sense 3.6 so expect some cool new features with your HTC phones if it’s in the list. Be warned though that sometimes, it takes up to 45 days before the update becomes available to your phone while others will already have it.

[HTC]

Earlier today, Qualcomm announced its expansion of the Wireless Access for Health (WAH) project, which uses 3G technology to improve health care in the Philippines. The Department of Health and Tarlac Provincial Health Office also gave its commitment to support the replication of the project across the entire province by the end of 2012.

The Philippine Field Health Service Information System (FHSIS) is the government’s primary method for managing public health data and is used for policy analysis and planning at all levels of the public health system. Traditionally, information has been manually recorded on paper by health care providers – a time consuming and error prone process that is difficult to access and manage. The WAH project streamlines the reporting process and improves access to accurate and timely patient information for clinicians and decision makers by utilizing 3G wireless technology, building upon and strengthening the existing Community Health Information Tracking System (CHITS), an electronic medical records system developed by the University of the Philippines, Manila.

Since the project began in July 2009, WAH partners have established CHITS as their own electronic medical record (EMR) platform and successfully expanded implementation from four rural health units to 21 health clinics in the Tarlac Province, serving more than 1,500 patients a day.  As of April 2012, more than 109,000 patient consultations have been captured by the system, resulting in improved patient and increased number of patient visits as a result of efficiencies that have reduced the four to five minutes needed to search paper records to just seconds. Due to the success of the pilot project, the Tarlac Provincial government has committed staffing and financial resources to replicate the project in all 38 health provincial clinics, which will make Tarlac the first and only province in the Philippines to have all of its health clinics interconnected and running on a health information system.

“Wireless Access for Health empowers local health care providers through enhanced patient care services and efficient patient visits using an open-source health information system. It empowers local communities by promoting participatory health planning among local leaders, health managers and providers, thereby transforming clients and patients into partners,” said Crispinita Valdez, director of the Department of Health Information Management System Division.

“The WAH initiative is a means to deliver quality health services to clients, aid health workers and local and national governments by promoting data-driven planning and sound decision-making,” said Dr. Ricardo P. Ramos of  the Tarlac Provincial Health Office. “Timely transmission of complete and reliable health data to local and national health agencies and government leaders facilitates policy analysis and allows faster program implementation, assisting local leaders and health workers in identifying and preventing disease outbreaks through preventive care, strategic health promotions and advocacy campaigns.”

“WAH demonstrates the extraordinary benefits that 3G wireless connectivity can bring to underserved communities, particularly in the area of wireless health care,” said Mantosh Malhotra, director of Business Development for Qualcomm. “We hope that what has been achieved so far will encourage the expansion of this innovative network to benefit hundreds of thousands throughout the Philippines.”

The expansion of the WAH project also includes province-wide pilot testing of the Mobile Midwife and SPASMS (Synchronized Patient Alert via SMS) applications. Mobile Midwife enables data to be captured electronically during patient visits via smartphones, tablets or laptops and instantly sends patient data to the CHITS system. SPASMS is an automated alert and health promotions system that sends patients information related to important health milestones such as for prenatal care and child immunization. To date, 26 midwives are participating in the Mobile Midwife program and 1,100 SPASMS have been sent to more than 250 patients.

WAH is made possible through the collaboration of public-private partners: agencies of the Philippines Department of Health, including the National Epidemiology Center, the Information Management Service and the Center for Health Development for Region 3; the Provincial Government of Tarlac; local Tarlac government units; Qualcomm’s Wireless Reach initiative; RTI International; Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART); Tarlac State University; the University of the Philippines Manila-National Telehealth Center; and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). 

When Divoom products reached our shore, they’re mostly just speakers in all shapes and sizes. They specialize in portable speakers that you can take with you anywhere. Now they’re venturing into docking stations with the Divoom iBase, a speaker dock made for iOS devices.

The Divoom iBase is a round docking base that’s not only a speaker but also acts as a charging dock for iOS devices, even iPads! Looks really simple yet elegant to fit your office or living room and the mood light at the base adds that “cool” factor.

The four full range neodymium dynamic drivers face upwards and dominates the top. The 30-pin dock portion supports iPods, iPhones and iPads. There’s even a support stand to keep a docked iPad stable. The buttons (not touch) only control the volume and the base mood light switch. There’s a rubber pad at the base to hold this speaker in place.

At the back is the Power button, AC in, and also a 3.5mm audio line in so you can still use this speaker for other music players such as the iPod shuffle, smartphones, etc. using the included 3.5mm audio cable.

The iBase is pretty straightforward to use, connect the power, turn it on, and slap in your iPod. The base light is a cool touch but if you get tired of it, you can simply turn it off. I just wish that the dock also has the basic music playback (back, pause, next) buttons so you don’t have to do it on the iPod anymore. Or better yet, wish they included a remote control for it.

Divoom claims that the iBase can deliver superb, distortion-free, crystal-clear sound despite its size. Well I’m happy to say it does. It’s not the best quality I’ve heard but you shouldn’t expect much from its size. Even at 75% volume, it’s already loud enough for our neighbors to hear our music which still sounds clear and not distorted. If you’re after those big, solid booms then you won’t find it here. Bass is not the strength of the iBase but I’m not saying the bass here is too weak. It’s just not distinctive enough when playing bass-heavy tunes.

Overall, it’s still a very nice and inexpensive speaker/charging dock for your iOS devices. The capability to charge iPad is already a win for me but of course you need to remove those thick cases before you can dock it here. The sound output is quite decent if you don’t care much for the woof and the design of this speaker is easy on the eyes and should match your space. Oh yeah, it’s still portable enough to take on trips.

The Divoom iBase retails for just Php2,900 and you can find it (as well as other Divoom products) in Authorized Apple Resellers, SM Appliance Center, and Rustan’s.

At the recently concluded 2012 Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) Awards, Digital imaging leader Canon bagged six new honors for best products.

TIPA is Europe’s leading photo imaging and press association composed of editors from leading photography titles worldwide. The TIPA Awards, widely considered as the most coveted international imaging honors, lauds best products launched in the preceding year. Once again, TIPA has acknowledged the outstanding quality that consumers around the globe have come to associate with Canon, especially with its revolutionary new Cinema EOS range.

This year, Canon received six awards from TIPA namely Best DSLR Professional for Canon EOS-1D; Best Expert Compact Camera for Canon PowerShot G1 X; Best Professional DSLR Lens for Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L USM fisheye; Best Multi-function Photo Printer for Canon PIXMA MG8250; Best Video DSLR for Canon EOS 5D Mark III and finally, Best Professional Video Camera for Canon EOS C300 Digital Cinema Camera.

The citations for the product awardees noted the sophisticated technology of Canon cameras and printers including the “well-balanced package of image quality and shooting speed that can go as high as 14 frames per second” offered by Canon’s top-of-the-line professional DSLR, the EOS-1D X.

The TIPA judging panel also recognized the “superior image quality” afforded by the PowerShot G1 X, the  PIXMA MG8250’s “photo lab-quality printing at impressive speed” and the role of the EOS 5D Mark III in furthering the digital photography revolution started by its predecessor, the EOS 5D Mark II. Finally, the judges also noted the “landmark video camera technology” implemented in the creation of the C300 Digital Cinema Camera.

If you want to belong to the 9 million people worldwide who pre-ordered the Samsung Galaxy S III, then you might be interested in Globe’s pricing plan for this very much-awaited quad-core Android phone.

Globe Telecom’s pre-order page for the SGS3 is now up along with the plans and prices it will be available for to those who want to be among the first to have this flagship phone from Samsung.

My Super Plan (Consumables, Unlimited, Freebies)

• All Unli Plan: + Php1,027 per month or Php24,640 cash out
• Plan 299: + Php1,127 per month or Php26,810 cash out
• Plan 499: + Php1,027 per month or Php24,640 cash out
• Plan 999: + Php700 per month or Php16,800 cash out
• Plan 1799: + Php200 per month or Php4,800 cash out
• Plan 2499 and up:  FREE

My Super Plan UnliSurf Combo (with Unlimited Data)

• Plan 999 (no consumable) – Php1,699/month
• Plan 1799 (Php800 consumable) – Php1,999/month
• Plan 2499 (Php1,500 consumable) – Php2,499/month
• Plan 3799 (Php2,500 consumable) – Php3,799/month

*Cashout amount payable in 24 months for Citibank and BPI Owners, For BPI, only transactions before July 21 will enjoy 24 months installment. On July 21, only 12 months extended for installment.

Disclaimer: The Samsung Galaxy S III product, promo, pricing and plans are offered by Globe at a limited time only. Prices are subject to change without prior notice.

Yesterday, Research In Motion (RIM) and Globe Telecom announced the launch of the latest smartphones in the Curve series – the Blackberry Curve 9220, which is available in the market TODAY and the Blackberry Curve 9320, which is already available for pre-order.

These new Curves target the socially-connected consumers in the market by having Blackberry messaging and social-centric features and apps. The launch was held in Prive Luxury Club in The Fort Strip and the theme was “Rock the Night” where guests can sing with the band Trinidad in Rockeoke fashion.

“These new Blackberry Curve smartphones are a great choice for customers who are upgrading to a smartphone for the first time as well as existing Curve customers who are looking for a step up in speed and functionality. They provide an amazing user experience with all the unique social networking benefits needed to help Philippine customers ‘join the conversation’ and stay connected to the people and information that matter most throughout the day.” – says Hastings Singh, the Managing Director, South Asia at RIM.

Here’s something new: The new Curve smartphones come with a dedicated BBM button at the side of the unit allowing users to access their Blackberry Messenger with just one push of a button. Other apps included in the smartphone are Facebook for Blackberry, Twitter for Blackberry, Social Feeds 2.0 (an app to post updates to multiple social applications and capture updates from RSS feeds). Both Curve smartphones are equipped with the Blackberry 7.1 OS, a built-in FM radio (that won’t require data services to use) and a long lasting battery that lets you have 7 hours of talk time or up to 28 hours of FM radio listening/music playback with headphones.

The Blackberry Curve 9320 comes with additional features including Mobile Hotspot support which lets you share your mobile data connection with up to 5 WiFi enabled devices – this I like considering BIS is cheaper than ordinary broadband! This unit also has a camera with flash and also supports location-tagging because of its built-in GPS. The Curve 9320 also runs on 3G  while the Curve 9220 can only do EDGE.

The Blackberry Curve 9220 will be available for free with Plan 499 + P99 unlimited Blackberry Chat subscription. The Blackberry Curve 9320 on the other hand will come free with My Super Plan Blackberry Unli Surf Combo Plan 999.

If you’re not looking into getting a postpaid plan, you can get the Blackberry Curve 9220 for P9,990 and the Blackberry Curve 9320 for P11,990. What an affordable price! I was pleasantly surprised when they announced the prices of these Curve smartphones because it’s a whole lot more affordable than previous Curve models when they were released in the market. It looks like I’ll be expecting more friends to join the bandwagon with Blackberry Messenger!

Get the Blackberry Curve 9220 or Blackberry Curve 9320 under Globe My Super Plan by visiting Globe stores, calling 730-1010 or checking out their website – http://blackberrycurve.globe.com.ph/.