take of gadget

Apple Offers Unlocked iPhone 5

2013-01-05T13:55:00.002-08:00

After keeping the iPhone 5 tied up with certain wireless carriers with each purchase, Apple now offers its latest smartphone without the burden of a two-year carrier contract. You can now buy an unlocked iPhone 5 right within Apple’s online store and use it on whichever network you want, as long as it is compatible with the device. And by compatible, we mean only GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile in the United States. Those who travel a lot can simply pop in a new nano-SIM card from a local GSM carrier and you are good to go. The unlocked iPhone 5 does not work in CDMA networks such as Sprint and Verizon. The contract-free iPhone 5 starts at $649 for the 16GB model, $749 for the 32GB version, and $849 for the 64GB device.

Source: http://www.gadget.com/2012/12/01/apple-offers-unlocked-iphone-5/

Top 9 Free iPhone Apps, According to Apple

2013-01-05T13:53:00.007-08:00

No matter how Apple would try to eliminate Google from the minds of their faithful users, it does not seem to work. Even though Google-made apps such as YouTube and Google Maps were no longer included among Apple’s suite of default programs when it unveiled iOS 6, users of the iPhone and iPad continue to download them anyway and it was very much evident in iTunes’ year-end chart. Apple recently released its “iTunes Best of 2012,” highlighting the most popular apps for its devices. Leading the pack in the list of free apps for iPhones is YouTube, which was released ahead of the launch of iOS 6. It is very weird that Apple ditched YouTube when the iPhone maker has yet to come up with its own video-sharing service, just like how the company introduced its own Maps app to erstwhile default Google Maps. But after Maps was largely panned by the public to the point its CEO apologized, Apple may want to take their time in developing its YouTube counterpart… that is, if they are making one. Here are the rest of the Top 9 free iPhone apps: 2. Instagram – Many users were initially worried when their favorite photo-editing and photo-sharing app was acquired by Facebook for $1 billion last April. The original company–Burbn, Inc.–remains independently managed and the app’s popularity continues to soar even as it severs its compatibility with Twitter. 3. Draw Something – This Pictionary-style game app is one of the breakout mobile stars of 2012. It was downloaded 50 million times 50 days after its release, then the app (and its company, Omgpop) were acquired by social gaming magnate Zynga. Draw Something has its share of bad news, such as when cyberscammers tricked users into revealing their personal information. 4. Flashlight Ⓞ – This utility app turns your iPhone into a convenient flashlight, harnessing the LED bulb right by the camera. Flashlight can be used for both recreation and emergency situations. It comes with a compass and SOS mode, which are very handy when you find yourself lost in the middle of nowhere. 5. Facebook – A huge chunk of social media users check out their news feed through their mobile devices, so it is not that surprising why three social media apps are on this list. The latest version allows users to choose an album when uploading photos, as well as view their profiles in a revamped Timeline format. 6. Pandora Radio – The popularity of streaming radio apps is at its highest in 2012, with Pandora leading the way. Users can simply type in the name of their favorite music artist or songs and Pandora would create a customized “station” based on similar music. 7. Temple Run – Temple Run has knocked out Angry Birds as the most popular free action game app on iTunes. (Angry Birds Space, meanwhile, is #1 among paid apps.) The critically-acclaimed endless running game has reached 100 million downloads since its release. 8. Pinterest – Since mainstream media took notice of this visual-board app in 2012, many tech companies took notice. In reaction, Facebook introduced “Interest List“; Myspace and eBay completely flipped their layouts and made it as pristine as that of Pinterest. 9. Twitter – Despite its popularity, not a lot of Twitter users use its native iOS app, opting to tweet instead in third-party applications such as TweetDeck (which Twitter bought) and Echofon.

Source: http://www.gadget.com/2012/12/15/top-9-free-iphone-apps-according-to-apple/

Incase iPhone 5 Leather Snap Case

2013-01-05T13:50:00.002-08:00

Many people think of having the new iPhone 5 for a smartphone as something of a privilege that puts them at a different level among the other smartphone crowd. The iPhone just have established that kind of experience with its ownership. And many people also try to put themselves a step above other iPhone 5 users by dressing up their phones according to their style and status preference. For those who look for elegance, this Incase iPhone 5 Leather Snap Case certainly provides that. The Incase iPhone 5 Leather Snap Case gives that added ounce of elegance to your much-coveted iPhone. It is made out of premium aniline dyed leather covering a durable hardshell case. An easy snap-on attachment feature that provides ample protection to your iPhone 5 makes it convenient to use. The Incase iPhone 5 Leather Snap Case is available at Incase for US$50.
Source : http://www.gadget.com/2012/12/21/incase-iphone-5-leather-snap-case/

Nokia 808 PureView hands-on, first impressions

2012-06-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

We’re here at the Nokia office today for a short hands-on session of the company’s 41-megapixel 808 PureView smartphone. Announced at Mobile World Congress, this particular smartphone is one of the most unique devices to come out of Nokia’s stable so far, considering that it’s megapixel count is considerably higher than some cameras and DSLRs.

The overall size of the 808 PureView is 123.9 x 60.2 x 13.9mm, which bulges out to 17.95mm once you get to the sensor. The 808 PureView is around 169 grams, which is considerably heavier than most other smartphones out there especially at the sensor end. The body is a polycarb deal with a fine textured finish which feels a bit weird at first. The 4-inch screen uses a AMOLED ClearBlack display which has a resolution of 640 x 360, which is a bit disappointing, given the display type used. We think it’s a limitation of the Sybian Belle OS on the device itself, as Nokia’s Lumia range of smartphones have higher resolution displays.

The entire appeal of the 808 PureView is the 41-megapixel sensor, which if you can recall is the biggest one in any smartphone out today. The focal length for the 808 PureView is 8.02mm – when compared to a 35mm focal length, it’s equivalent to 26mm at 16:9, and 28mm at 4:3. Shooting the 808 PureView is easy, and there are several shooting modes available for users, as well as the option to control the shooting type and resolution used. We did notice during shooting that the 808 PureView showed us that we were only taking pictures at 38-megapixels and not 41. That’s because while the 41-megapixel sensor is square, no one really takes square pictures – some parts of the sensor gets cropped out depending on the aspect ratio you use.

That doesn’t mean that the shots aren’t great – in fact, we’ve added some of the shots below for you guys to check out. And even though the 808 PureView runs on a single core 1.3GHz processor, the overall user experience wasn’t terrible – in fact, it was pretty good, with the device being responsive during our time with it. Obviously our time with it was only limited, but for what it is, the device ran pretty well.

(Click the pictures below to see it in the full resolution)

source : http://www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph/gadgets/nokia-808-pureview-hands-on-first-impressions.html

Huawei outs Ascend Y200, budget challenger to the Samsung Galaxy Y and LG Optimus L3

2012-06-23T07:49:00.000-07:00

It’s a well known secret that most manufacturers make the majority of their cash peddling low-end devices to the masses. This is probably the reason why Huawei has decided to launch their budget device, the Ascend Y200, in the Philippine market. The Ascend Y200 doesn’t have the highest of specs (predictably) but for money (the Ascend Y200 is priced at Php 5,490) it’s already giving you a lot: 3.5-inch, IPS screen, Qualcomm 800MHz processor, 3.2-megapixel camera, Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) Wi-Fi and 3G. In addition, Huawei says that this particular smartphone has a quick, 5-second boot time, and charges completely in just 90 minutes.

Nokia Asha 202 now shipping in the Philippines

2012-06-05T22:23:00.002-07:00

Heads up, lovers of all things dual-sim’ed and affordable – Nokia has told us that their Asha 202 feature phone has just gone on sale all over the country. If you’re wondering what an Asha 202 is, well, let us refresh your memory, dear readers – it’s a compact feature phone made by Nokia that’s capable of handling two sims at the same time yet can still deliver a pleasurable web browsing experience by compressing the data efficiently via Nokia’s web browser. The new device also comes pre-loaded with games like Need For Speed The Run and Bejeweled. The Asha 202 is priced at an affordable Php 3,550.

Asus unveils Tablet 600, world’s first commercial Windows 8 RT device

2012-06-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

Before we get carried away with Transforming Intel powered tablets and AIOs, let’s not forget that Asus still had some ARM related goodness in today’s COMPUTEX presser. The Taiwanese company unveiled their Tablet 600, which according to the company, is the world’s first Windwos 8 RT device. The Tablet 600 is powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 processor and has GeForce graphics inside. Unsurprisingly, the device comes with its own dock, which we guess would work just like the other tablet docks in their Transformer line.

The device sports a 10.1-inch Super IPS+ panel, as well as a 8-megapixel camera on the back. Asus also says that the Tablet 600 has their SonicMaster audio technology embedded, so it’s not a stretch to assume that this particular device will have awesome sound to go with its fast performance. No price or availability for the Philippines have been set, unfortunately, but we do have a nice video of the device in action courtesy of NVIDIA. Check it out below.

Asus PadFone first Impressions

2012-06-05T22:20:00.000-07:00

We’ve talked about the PadFone before, but we’ve only had the opportunity to get our eyes on and handle the product today, at COMPUTEX. On the whole, the phone part of the PadFone feels extremely solid, and the screen looks bright and crisp. The 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen of the PadFone looks fantastic, and the overall build quality of the device is top-notch.

To use the device as a tablet, you need to dock the phone to the tablet part of the PadFone, which is done by lifting the lid on the back of the 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) capacitive multi-touch screen.

After connecting the PadFone to the tablet dock, the tablet display lights up, and you’re able to use it as a tablet. The PadFone uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 8260A Dual-Core 1.5 GHz processor which provides a quick and snappy user experience.

There’s also a keyboard dock accessory available, which to be honest looks and feels like the other, detachable keyboard docks in the Transformer line. The device uses Android 4.0 (ICS) and each peripheral that it attaches to (the tablet and the keyboard dock) provides additional battery power to give you longer battery endurance.
Unfortunately, there’s still no word when this particular device will be available the Philippines – the device is still in short supply and there’s rumors circulating that it’s one of the products that are suffering from the rumored Qualcomm S4 processor shortage.

source : http://www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph/gadgets/asus-padfone-first-impressions.html

Review: Acer Iconia Tab A500

2012-05-14T00:51:00.000-07:00

I may not be big on tablets, but I do like things that keep me preoccupied, informed, and entertained. The Acer Iconia Tab A500 does just that. Measuring at 260 x 177 x 13.3 mm and weighing at 730g, this machine—with its 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 TFT LCD screen—sports an incredibly sleek brushed aluminum design that has very little frills.
The power button, headphone jack and a mini HDMI port are on the left, while the charging micro USB and USB port are on right. The power button glows white when the tablet is on and orange when charging with the display off. At the top you’ll find the volume rocker and orientation lock and a small flap that protects a microSD slot while a docking connector is on the bottom. The 5-megapixel camera and impressive speakers are located at the back and a smaller 2-megapixel front-facing camera on the front.
Now if you’re not all too familiar with tablets, you may find the A500 a bit on the heavy side. And for someone with really small hands, I didn’t feel all that secure holding it with one hand while the other poked and prodded lest I want to throw Php 21,900 down the drain. And for its seemingly sturdy build, there were obvious creaks which just made you want to be even more careful man-handling it.
The Acer A500 is powered by Android Honeycomb and has a dual-core Nvdia Tegra 1Ghz processor which makes the tablet relatively fast especially when you want to surf the net or just go from one app to the next as my overzealous fingers did. Even my 4-year old had an easy time with it and enjoyed playing Angry Birds since the screen was larger than my mobile phone’s and the colors were much more vivid. Software included LumiRead, an e-book reader; SocialJogger, which is a Twitter and Facebook status update browse; NemoPlayer, a photo, video and music navigator; Clear.Fi multimedia browser; and Photo Browser 3D, which allows you to flip through digital scrapbooks of your camera images. Game Zone links to the included versions of the games Need for Speed: Shift and Let’s Golf. Whatever it is you’re doing, be mindful. The screen can get a little dirty with all the fingerprints and smudges so it’s good to have one of those display cleaner cloths handy.
What I personally liked about the A500 is its battery life. I’m not a heavy user generally but the tablet lasted a whole weekend without needing to make a run for the charger (which I deliberately left in the office). I guess it can go about 7 hours for the average user.
Specification:
Display: 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 TFT LCD
OS: Android Honeycomb, 3.1
Processor: 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 Dual Core processor, Tegra 2 chipset
Dimensions: 260mm x 177mm x
13.3 mm
Weight: 730g
What’s Hot:
• Sleek design
• Impressive sound and screen
• Battery life
What’s Not:
• A bit on the heavy side
• Slight creaks and smudges easily
Bottomline:
It may take a strong arm to wield this tablet but for its price, you get considerably more for your money.
Buy Meter: 8.2

TY

Pentagon approves the use of BlackBerry 7 for its personnel

2012-05-11T21:10:00.002-07:00

A while back, we heard about how officials from the U.S Department of Defense all carry around BlackBerry phones and how the U.S government also approved of Dell-made Android devices running Android 2.2.
Nowadays in the U.S Department of Defense, BlackBerry is still the device of choice due to its security features. In fact, they’ve approved RIM’s BlackBerry 7 devices for agency-wide use. The U.S Army and Defense Information Systems Agency has certified the following devices for use by its personnel: BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930; BlackBerry Torch 9810, 9850, and 9860; and BlackBerry Curve 9360.
The U.S Department of Defense is one of RIM’s biggest customers—currently with about 250,000 BlackBerry phones in use. This helps pave the way for the release of the BlackBerry 10 in the future.

Lumia 610 first impressions [VIDEO]

2012-05-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

Nokia has graciously sent us a Lumia 610 for review. This particular member of the Lumia family is aimed at the budget smartphone shopper, and its specs reflect that – 800 GHz processor, 8GB of internal storage, 5-megapixel camera. Curiously, the Lumia 610 and it’s bigger brother, the Lumia 710, both have the same size screen – 3.7-inches – which means that even though you’re picking up a budget device, you’re not losing out on screen real-estate compared to other Android offerings. Check out our full video first impressions below.

New HP Elitebook makes short work of CAD, can probably crush your desktop

2012-05-09T04:44:00.002-07:00

There’s a special segment of notebooks that are aimed at people who absolutely need to have the fastest processors and video cards possible while still retaining the mobility side of the notebook equation. HP’s Elitebook series of portable workstations are especially aimed at these individuals, and can probably best most typical gaming rigs today in raw computing power. The newest entry to that particular product line is their 8770w and 8570w. While the PC company hasn’t released solid specs yet, opting instead to give us vague product descriptions like “highest-performing professional graphics and extreme processing power”. Nevertheless, you can expect these monstrous notebooks to sport 17.3- and 15.3-inch displays respectively, as well as carry workstation level graphics and processors, all stuffed in a frame that’s rife with connectors and ports.

Android powered tablets were the most popular in developing ASEAN nations last year

2012-05-08T06:01:00.000-07:00

Seems that Google has more reasons to celebrate, as GfK Asia has announced that Android powered tablets are apparently the device of choice for developing ASEAN nations (which includes us). The report states that most tablets bought last year in countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam were powered by Android OS. Two out of three tablets purchased in the region were powered by Android, and the research firm expects this upward trend to continue this year. In fact, in the first two months of the year Android powered tablets have already managed to rack up 243 million dollars in sales, further climbing in its volume by 70%. Manufacturers managed to sell 1,038,000 Android OS powered tablets last year.
“Due to the open source nature of the Android OS, tablets running on this system are generally priced lower than those running on other OS and its greater affordability encourages mass consumer adoption which in turn accelerates further development of its ecosystem.” explained Gerard Tan, Account Director for Digital Technology at GfK Asia. “The combined muscles of numerous manufacturers have helped proliferate adoption of Android OS in SEA. This is a compelling factor for developers to create more applications to cater to market needs, leading to the tightening of gaps between Android and the reigning market leader,” said Mr. Tan. “Moreover, the good transparency of the Android OS also bodes well in the business vertical industry, whereby specialized applications can be developed and implemented to improve a company’s productivity. As long as Google continues fine-tuning and improving its Android ecosystem, this OS is here to stay for the long haul,” he concluded.

Review: HTC One X

2012-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

While HTC did well enough at the start of 2011, the Taiwanese company took a bit of a pounding at the tail end of the same year. Some analysts attributed the loss to the company releasing too many phones aimed at too many markets. This year, HTC has bounced back to the fore with a new device strategy culminating in the One line which focuses on only three main devices: the top of the line One X, the mid-market One S, and the entry level One V. The subject of today’s review is their flagship smartphone, the One X.

The HTC One X is a departure of sorts for the company design-wise, as it’s the first time I’ve ever seen HTC use a unibody polycarbonate body on a flagship device.

Not that that’s a bad thing – the overall design and build quality on the One X is very, very good – the phone is solid as a brick without weighing like one (130 g).

Comparison shot with the HTC Sensation XE

There’s no skirting around the issue – the One X is huge. At 134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9mm, it’s one of the biggest phones available right now, save for Samsung’s Galaxy Note. The One X packs a 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD2 capacitive touchscreen, with a display resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. While I’ve been spoiled by Samsung’s Super AMOLED displays, I’ve got to say that the screen of the One X is one of the prettiest I’ve seen so far (though I admit I might be saying the same thing once I get my eyes on the Samsung Galaxy S III’s display). The bottom of the screen holds the three navigation keys – back, home and recent apps.

The right of the device holds the volume rocker, while the USB slot (which doubles as a charging slot) sits on the left side. On the top lies the power and 3.5mm jack. The One X has an 8-megapixel camera that I’ll go into depth a bit later. There’s also a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front for video calls and the like.

As impressive as the overall look of the device is, things just get better when you dive under the hood. The powerplant of the One X is a quad-core, NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor running at 1.5 GHz. There’s still Beats Audio technology in the HTC One X, though you won’t find Beats branded headphones this time around. There’s 32GB of storage on tap, with an additional 25GB of cloud storage courtesy of Dropbox. The whole experience is powered by Android 4.0 (ICS) with HTC’s special sauce on top, dubbed Sense. Contrary to the companies’ previous Sense offerings, the one that ships with the One X is simple and not overly complex, a far cry from what the bloated, battery draining mess Sense has become on their other, earlier smartphones not running ICS.

One of the features that HTC is proud of in the One X is its camera. The camera present on the One X has an 8-megapixel CMOS camera with a backside illuminated sensor which aids in low light performance, as well as having a F2.0 aperture, 28mm lens and a dedicated imaging chip. We were pleasantly surprised at how good the camera was because to be honest, I’ve pretty much given up on the cameras attached to smartphones nowadays. That’s not the case with the One X for a variety of reasons. For one, the One X takes pictures quickly, and exhibits almost zero shutter lag and minimal focus hunt. Another nice thing about the One X is that it’s able to take pictures continuously – as fast as some point-and-shoots – and allows you to choose the one you think is best (or just save them all for posterity). To put it bluntly – the camera one the One X is one of the best I’ve seen so far this year.

Performance on the One X was unsurprisingly good. During the time the One X was with me it never hanged nor had problems with any of the apps I ran on it. The quad-core Tegra 3 processor definitely comes into play here, and even with multiple apps open the device never did slowdown.

The overall feel of the device when using it is fantastic as you can feel the snappiness in the UI, especially when you’re going through the apps and menu items in the device.

Of course, no review of the One X would be complete without the requisite benchmark test, so here it is: using AnTuTu, the One X managed to score 10629 points, which is a few points higher than a similar, Tegra 3 powered device, the Asus Transformer Prime.
The One X is a phone first and foremost, so all those fancy features wouldn’t mean diddly squat if you couldn’t speak to other people or send SMS messages, right? Well, I’m happy to report that the overall call quality of the One X is fantastic, with no problems in reception whatsoever. Calls are clear and crisp, with no problems in both outgoing and incoming calls. Sending SMS messages and general typing duties are a breeze to accomplish using the large on-screen keyboard of the One X, as even people with big digits (that includes yours truly) won’t have a problem typing on the large screen.
Battery life is also pretty good, with the unit clocking in about a day and half on single charge with slightly moderate use (texting, calling and a few minutes on data). Of course, that number will vary depending on your use, and you’re probably looking at about a day’s worth of battery with heavier use.

Of course, as lovely as the One X is, it does come with its own share of niggles. The unibody polycarbonate shell means that the battery is non-user replaceable, so if ever the 1800 mAh battery does decide to die on you, you will have to take it to a service center to have it replaced. Also, the HTC One X uses a microSIM, something that you need to be aware of if you’re planning to get the device as an upgrade.

HTC has scored a slam dunk with the One X. The fantastically built body, the excellent performance of Tegra 3 and awesome camera all come together in a package that’s simply beautiful. To put it in simpler words: the HTC One X is currently the Android smartphone to beat. HTC has gotten its groove back.

What’s Hot:

Solid, unibody polycarbonate body
Large, 4.7-inch screen protected by Gorilla Glass
Fast, Tegra 3 processor
Excellent camera performance in low light
Burst shooting

What’s Not:
Uses microSIM
Non-user replaceable battery

Bottomline:

The HTC One X is the best Android phone you can buy right now. Beg, steal or borrow to get one.

Buymeter: 5/5

Tech Specs:
Operating System: Android 4.0 ICS
CPU: NVIDIA quad-core Tegra 3 1.5GHz
LCD size: 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD2 capacitive touchscreen, display resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels
Physical Dimensions: 134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9mm
Band: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100

Review: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

2012-05-06T21:12:00.000-07:00

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1’s exterior is very sleek, albeit very similar to it’s more popular fruity counterpart. Its overall design is very minimal and when held in its prescribed horizontal/landscape orientation, the 2-megapixel camera is all that is visible.
On the sides of the unit you will find the speakers which have been craftily designed as to be almost indiscernible. At the bottom, you will find the port to connect the USB/charger cable. On the top of the tablet, the buttons for power and volume, 3.5mm audio jack and slot for a SIM card can be found. Unfortunately, the 10.1 cannot make phone calls and is restricted to text messaging and 3G only.
Once the Galaxy Tab is up and running, it is hard to resist toying with it without any technical oversight. The display is crisp, vivid and well illuminated which makes it quite pleasurable to use. Some users might find the extra large widgets shocking it at first, but since the 10.1 runs on Android 3.1 Honeycomb, widgets can be resized and arranged to your preferred taste.
At the very bottom of the screen on the right hand side are the familiar info data (time, WiFi signal and battery life indicators). When touched, a menu will appear in which you can customize the Tab’s settings. On the left hand side, you will find the main navigation buttons (Back, Home, Running Applications, and Screenshot). Opening the Running Applications displays a graphic menu on the left hand side which shows all the open applications. It would have been nice to be able to shut them down from there as well, but this is possible via another shortcut bar that can be accessed by an subtle arrow on the bottom-center of the screen.
The button to access the apps is a little difficult to spot in the beginning, but it’s located on the upper right hand side, next to a + button which launches an organizer for your homescreen. Opening the Apps will launch a graphic menu.
The first app I launched was the already installed eBook reader, seeing that tablets initially cater to that specific need. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 came with two free eBooks (at least in our review unit): The Marvelous Land of Oz and A Christmas Carol.
It was fun to read The Marvelous World of Oz because you could actually “turn” the pages, and the graphics were fluid and smooth. Several tools were available such as a highlighter and pen so that you could make notes on the digital “pages.” The Galaxy Tab 10.1’s weight does become a factor after some time however, and wrist fatigue made it necessary to place the unit down on the table. So despite this tablet’s thin and light form factor, it still isn’t suitable for prolonged one-hand usage.
Upon opening the web browser, a notification appeared asking to download the Google Circles app. After agreeing to the request, setting it up was easy. Once the Gmail account is synchronized, everything flowed smoothly. In tandem with Google, this author’s Facebook account was also synced to the Social Hub app, which provided a quick and intuitive way to view new posts. All Facebook events appeared in Samsung’s Calendar app as well, which makes this tablet a great way to organize.
However, I did experience recurring “Force Close” messages. These notifications needed some investigating, so I mustered the courage to run a number of apps simultaneously. Launching the Gallery, camera, Angry Birds, YouTube App, eBook Reader and six other tabs on the web browser did not only cause the “Force Close” pop-up to appear. Rather, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 froze and required a complete reboot.
It was now time to run the benchmark test, and it seemed that installing Advanced Task Killer was necessary, so that unnecessary apps/processes could be shut down. Two consecutive benchmarks tests were done using Quadrant Standard. In both benchmarks, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes out on top, with the Nexus One coming in second.
A third benchmark test was supposed to follow, but unfortunately, the “Force Close” notification surfaced once again. Apparently, after some extensive research, there are other testers/users experiencing this issue, which seems to be recurring in Samsung’s tablets especially when multi-tasking. Whether this is a hardware-based issue or Honeycomb cannot be confirmed, but both consumers and Samsung should be aware of this.
Fortunately, in the span of time that I was able to test it, the hard reboot only occurred once, but it can be assumed that if you don’t effectively manage your running apps with this tablet, it might be a frequent problem. Although the Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes with its own Task Manager, it is highly suggested that you avail of Advanced Task Killer (or something similar) from the Android Market.
Specifications
SCREEN: 10.1’ display @ 1280×800 WXGA screen
OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 3.1 Honeycomb
CPU & CHIPSET: Dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor; ULP GeForce GPU, NVidia Tegra 2 chipset
MEMORY: 1GB RAM; 16GB/32GB/64GB internal storage
CAMERA: 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash (rear); 2 megapixel front-facing camera
CONNECTIVITY: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0; 3G, HSDPA, HSUPA, GPS w/ aGPS
What’s Hot:
• Excellent display
• Responsive touchscreen
What’s Not:
• “Force close” notifications
Bottomline:
The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is an excellent device and should be at the top of your list if you’re looking for an Android tablet.

Samsung beefs up software arsenal, starts hiring outside talent

2012-05-06T21:11:00.002-07:00

Samsung has always been a firm believer in keeping everything in-house. But even juggernauts like Samsung need help in the fast evolving world of technology. That’s why the Korean company is now seeking to acquire top notch tech talent, as well as embracing acquisitions to shore up their pool of engineers and innovations to keep up with rivals like Apple. In light of this, the company has begun hiring foreign software engineers, with a large number of those hires hailing from India.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the president of Samsung ‘s mobile business, J.K. Shin said that “The technology industry is growing very quickly and it is too much of a burden to try to do everything in-house. There are many qualified workers from India that are very skilled in software. And there are small companies that we can acquire that have good research and development capabilities.”
Samsung sees the future of their mobile success in software, not hardware. Younghee Lee, senior vice president of sales and marketing said that while Samsung will continue to work with Android, their company’s strategy is to work with multiple software platforms, and to continue investing in Bada. Bada is Samsung’s own OS offering, and though the company has implemented the OS in several of its phones, the OS is nowhere near Android in terms of popularity and appeal.

Review: LG 55LM9600

2012-04-30T05:59:00.000-07:00

Today’s TV’s aren’t just about being able to deliver HD and 3D content anymore. The field of battle has shifted dramatically to internet connectivity, with all three major players (Samsung, Sony and LG) offering internet connected models. The LG 55LM9600 is one such model, and is currently LG’s flagship internet connected TV.
Physically, the 55-inch LM9600 is impressive to look at. The panel is a full-array, local dimming LED backlight, which means that the entire LED panel (not just the edges) are illuminated by LED backlights. This means that the LM9600 has excellent black levels, as well as better overall color reproduction compared to edge-lit models. The LM9600 is 19mm thin at its thinnest point, which tapers out to an additional 5mm as you go down the unit.

As thin as the LM9600 is, you still get a full swath of connectivity options for it. There’s 4 available HDMI ports on the left side of the TV, as well as three labeled USB ports.

The last port on the bottom was made especially for hard disk drives, with the first one on top created for potential TV app upgrades when they come. All three USB ports can take media from USB thumb drives. Aside from HDMI and USB, all the other input options are present, which include composite and component ports, as well as a plug for cable or terrestrial TV.

The manual controls are located on the back as well, on the right side of the TV.

Aside from the regular remote control, the LM9600 also comes with a funky looking secondary remote control they call the magic remote. The magic remote works basically like a glorified Wii controller, and allows you to navigate through the My Apps menu easier and facilitates typing on screens that require information from you. The magic remote is also capable of taking voice commands, as well as interpreting motion gestures.
Setting up the LM9600 is pretty straight forward – connect the stand, find a suitable place to put it in, plug in and go. Like I said earlier, most of the functionality for the LM9600 can only be accessed using an internet connection, which you’ll have to set-up yourself. There are two connectivity options for the LM9600 – you can connect it via the Ethernet port on the back of the device, or via the built-in WiFi module on it.

The heart of the device is the LG Smart Menu, which gives users several things to do that add to the overall value of the device. For instance, you can log into your social network accounts like Facebook, Twitter and Picasa, and view content from several portals like LG’s 3D world, as well as exclusive access to K-Pop channels and YouTube. You can also theoretically connect to other premium content portals as well, though that particular feature hits a bit of a wall that I’ll go into depth later.

Like most of LG’s other 3D models, the LM9600 relies on passive 3D (polarized technology) rather than the active 3D shutter tech that’s present in the 3D TVs of their competitors. The main advantages of passive 3D glasses is that they’re relatively cheap (cheap enough that LG sends 6 pairs per TV), lightweight and don’t require batteries or constant charging. The fact that they also don’t make you look like a huge dork while wearing them is also another win in my book. The only disadvantage I can think of is that passive 3D reduces the resolution of the picture on the screen by about a half, an issue which some people have disputed. Personally, I couldn’t really see a resolution drop when the 3D mode was active. There’s also a 3D depth option present on the LM9600, which allows you to set how aggressive the 3D effect is.

The device LM9600 performed well during its time with us, and LG generously provided a Blu-ray player and home entertainment system to go with the TV when they sent it to us. We had a choice of several movies, both 3D and non-3D which was supplemented by our own stash of full HD flicks that we use for testing. Overall the LM9600 had excellent color reproduction and deep blacks, something that I was expecting given that the device had local dimming capabilities.

One of the main draws of the LM9600 is that you could access additional content, both 3D and non-3D, from the internet. While this is true, your choice is limited to LG’s 3D World (which basically serves up bite-sized 3D content for you to enjoy), K-Pop Zone and YouTube. Other premium channels like Hulu and Netflix isn’t supported, mostly because of region locks.

While the LM9600 allows you to access the net and connect to your social network, the apps themselves need a bit of work. I connected my Facebook account to the device during the test, and found out that the Facebook functionality of the device was pretty bare. I couldn’t see who my friends tagged in their posts (making it look like some of them were greeting themselves a happy birthday) which made the whole experience feel incomplete.
Overall the LG 55LM9600 is a good TV. It’s hobbled in some respects by its apps and lack of access from premium online services, but for the most part it’s online component adds quite a bit of value to the package. The 55LM9600 retails for Php 299,990.

What’s Hot:
Extremely thin bezel
Thin design
Can connect to the internet
Has both wired and wireless connectivity options
Excellent performance

What’s Not:
Some streaming apps are blocked
Social network app feels incomplete and tacked on
Pricey
Bottomline:
LG’s 55LM9600 is a fine Smart TV, as long as you’re willing to overlook some of the more annoying aspects of hooking your TV up to the internet.

Buymeter: 4.0

Tech Specs:
Technology: NANO FULL LED
Screen size: 55-inches
Contrast Ratio: Dynamic MCI 1000
Features: Internet connectivity, Four-way magic remote control
Connections 4 x HDMI, 3 USB, RF, component, composite

Alleged picture of BlackBerry 10 developer device leaked

2012-04-30T01:46:00.002-07:00

Take a look at that picture BlackBerry lovers, as this particular picture might spell the future of BlackBerry devices. This particular image is supposedly a prototype device for the upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS handed to developers. While particular specimen might just be a developer device (meaning that the chances of this actual device being sold to the public is slim to none), it still gives us some clues to where RIM’s design mantra is currently aligned. From what we can deduce from the photo, BlackBerry may very well be contemplating larger, full touchscreen devices (around 4- to 4.3-inches) as well as more touchscreen devices when BlackBerry 10 launches.

LG gives away modified smartphones for the blind

2012-04-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

In an industry that’s dominated by snazzy displays and lightning fast processors, it’s nice to see an electronics company actually creating products for people less fortunate. LG has created a specialized smartphone for the blind that’s aimed at making their lives easier. The smartphone comes with a comprehensive Braille manual to teach blind folks how to use it and is controlled primarily by voice commands. LG says that they’ve giving away 2000 of these phones, which is a spectacularly nice thing to do for humanity as a whole.

LinkedIn App for iPad Now Available

2012-04-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

Professional-oriented social network LinkedIn has introduced an iPad app version, aiming to encourage more users to engage with their free service.
“Our mobile platform is the fastest growing consumer service on LinkedIn,” wrote Manish Sharma, LinkedIn’s product manager. “We aspire to be the place where every professional comes throughout the day.”
Although LinkedIn brags about its 150 million members, making it one of the top social networks in the world, only a third of them check the website on a daily basis. Compare that to Facebook whose half of its total members use the site everyday.
The app–now available for download–works a bit different from its web-based counterpart, as the mobile version is designed to be a personal assistant of sorts. It has added features such as calendar integration and focus on LinkedIn’s personalized news feed, which displays articles that are popular among people within the user’s network.

Review: Nokia Lumia 710

2012-04-28T00:28:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that Nokia lost its way with Symbian and their lack of vision for the future of their smartphones – while companies like Google and Apple pushed the boundaries of what smartphones are capable of, Nokia was content to tread the water and go with Symbian, with disastrous results. Now the company has seen the light, and has bounced back with brand new smartphones sporting Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango). Their recently released Lumia 710 is one such device, and is aimed at conquering the mid-end market.

Physically, the Lumia 710 looks like a throwback to the phone designs of old, with its rounded corners and chunky frame that measures in at 12.5mm. The Lumia 710’s navigation keys are a stark contrast when compared to its older brother, the Lumia 800, as the former uses actual physical keys as opposed to the latter’s capacitive controls integrated onto the display. Other controls include a volume rocker on the right side and a camera shortcut key located just below that. The USB port, power switch and 3.5mm jack are all located on top of the device. Like the Lumia 800, the Lumia 710 uses micro SIMs instead of full sized SIM cards, something that you’ll need to be aware of when you decide to get one.

The screen is a 3.7-inch capacitive screen capable of 16M colors and has a native resolution of 480 x 800. Under the hood, the Lumia 710 runs a single core 1.4 GHz Scorpion, Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor – a bit dated considering the number of dual-core and quad-core smartphones running around. Additionally, the Lumia 710 also packs a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash which can be accessed even if the device is locked.
Like we said earlier, the Lumia 710 runs Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) OS, with a few key additions. Nokia has found it fit to enhance the Windows Phone experience with three key apps – Nokia Drive, Music and Maps. Nokia Music does exactly what it sounds like – a hub for your music and playlists. Nokia Drive is the included navigation app for the Lumia series of phones, which gives you turn-by-turn navigation right on your Lumia device, which in our case is the Lumia 710. Nokia Maps is the go-to map application for Lumia devices.

Like Android and iOS, WP7 has its own hub for buying and trying apps. While the number of apps available in the Windows Marketplace pales in comparison to what’s available in Android and iOS, the mix of apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace is a good start with most well-known apps like YouTube and Angry Birds.
Nokia’s Lumia series come with the WP7 Mango update already pre-installed, so you won’t have to worry about upgrading it yourself. The Mango update brings a couple of new features to the fore, which includes location aware search and voice recognition.

Using the Lumia 710 is a bit of a change from the usual fare of smartphones that we get, simply because WP7 isn’t what you’d call an OS that’s widely used at this point. After using so many Android devices, I found the simplicity of the WP7 interface was a breath of fresh air, as most of the most commonly used social networking apps like Twitter and Facebook were already integrated into the different tiles that you use, which means you don’t need to open a separate application. Posting a status update to either FB or Twitter is as simple as going to the Me tile (located on the bottom of the live tiles by default) and posting from there. Posting pictures is pretty much the same deal – you can upload the picture you’ve taken to either FB or Twitter (or any other social network you’ve linked to your account) as soon as you press the shutter button, which means far fewer presses on the screen compared to Android.
Performance for the Lumia 710 is good – and even though the device uses a relatively older processor, (the Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor used by the Lumia 710 has been in existence for a while) WP7 is optimized well enough that you really don’t notice a lot of slowdown when using the device. Battery life is about a day – not surprising since the device only uses a relatively small 1300 mAh battery.
Unfortunately, the Achilles heel of the Lumia 710 is the same thing that makes it so desirable: WP7. While WP7 is excellent on its own right, the lack of decently priced apps on the platform is kind of a letdown for potential users who want to migrate to Microsoft’s mobile OS offering. Apps like Instagram and Draw Something still hasn’t managed to make the jump to WP7, and the steep pricing of apps and games for WP7 is a bit of a turnoff, especially considering the relatively cheap apps available on iOS and Android.

The Nokia Lumia 710 ultimately isn’t a bad smartphone. It’s fast enough for most users, and is a device that’s capable of going against more established brands and devices in the category it swims in. The Nokia Lumia 710 is exclusively available to Smart subscribers via their limited edition Plan 1000 with a monthly amortization of Php 450 per month for 24 months.
What’s Hot:
Fast, responsive
WP7 is easy to use and learn
Added Nokia services like Drive, Maps and Music
Deep Twitter and Facebook integration
What’s Not:
WP7 apps are priced higher than iOS and Android
Killer apps present on Android and iOS not present on WP7
Mediocre battery life
Bottomline:
If you’re in the market for a solid, dependable WP7 smartphone, you can’t do worse than a Lumia 710.
Buymeter: 3.5
Tech Specs
Operating System: Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango)
CPU: 1.4 GHz Scorpion, Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor
LCD size: 3.7-inch capacitive screen, 16M colors, 480 x 800 resolution
Physical Dimensions: 119 x 62.4 x 12.5 mm
Weight: 125.5 g
Band: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100

Kindle Fire officially has 50% of the Android tablet market in the US

2012-04-27T23:49:00.002-07:00

If we told you that a relatively stunted device (specs-wise) had a stranglehold on the Android tablet market in the US, would you believe us? Well, apparently that’s the reality in the US, where research company comScore has said that the Amazon Kindle Fire, a relatively low-specced device (when compared to other tablets) has grabbed 50% of the Android tablet in the US. What’s surprising is that this $199 tablet managed to achieve this feat in a span of only 4 months, edging out rival Samsung by a large margin (15.4%). The tablet game in the US is now effectively a two company race, with Amazon and Apple competing for customers’ hard earned cash. Other Android manufacturers like Asus, Samsung, Acer, Sony and Toshiba will now have to drop their prices to compete with Amazon’s rock bottom $199 pricing, a strategy that even Google is actively working towards.

LG releases new IPS4 series of IPS monitors

2012-04-27T04:56:00.002-07:00

LG is strengthening their monitor range by releasing their IPS4 series of IPS monitors that the company says deliver superb color reproduction, exceptional picture quality and unmatched color shift-free wide viewing. These new monitors use In-Plane Switching panels rather than the more common Twisted Nematic panels that’s used in regular monitors. Because of the IPS panels used in the new monitors, users get wide viewing-angles (178 degrees) without any color shift whether you’re sitting, standing or lying down. LG says regions in Asia will get first dibs once the product hits the stores in May, followed by Europe and North America.

Kaspersky CEO: Apple Way Behind Microsoft in Security

2012-04-27T04:55:00.002-07:00

The Flashback trojan virus has cemented its place in Apple’s history for being a big thorn on its side. For one, the malware broke the myth that Apple computers are virus-free. And even though Apple tried to fix the problem, it certainly exposed the company for being too slow to act in security issues.
Eugene Kaspersky, founder and CEO of Kaspersky security software development company, told attendees at the Infosecurity 2012 conference in London that Apple is behind Microsoft by 10 years in terms of security.
“For many years I’ve been saying that from a security point of view, there is no big difference between Mac and Windows. It’s always been possible to develop Mac malware, but this one [referring to Flashback] was a bit different. For example, it was asking questions about being installed on the system and, using vulnerabilities, it was able to get to the user mode without any alarms.”
“I think they are ten years behind Microsoft in terms of security,” Kaspersky told us. “For many years I’ve been saying that from a security point of view there is no big difference between Mac and Windows. It’s always been possible to develop Mac malware, but this one was a bit different. For example it was asking questions about being installed on the system and, using vulnerabilities, it was able to get to the user mode without any alarms.”
Kaspersky predicted that this is not the end of Apple’s run-ins with viruses. “Cyber criminals have now recognized that Mac is an interesting area. Now we have more, it’s not just Flashback or Flashfake. Welcome to Microsoft’s world, Mac. It’s full of malware.”
It is interesting to note that Flashback takes advantage of loopholes around Java, which is not initially developed by Apple. The company has also dealt with malware last year, resulting to an update into OS X’s built-in antimalware tool. However, most Mac users tend not to use antivirus and antispyware programs, thus making their computers prone to future malware attackes.

Review: Sony VAIO C Series (VPCCA1S1E)

2012-04-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

Fruity bubbalicious. That’s the first thing that crossed my mind when I first beheld the pink Sony VAIO C. It looked like something Katy Perry and the rest of the California Girls would use and bring along (though it’s not exactly portable) as they set forth to Candyland. It’s definitely one ultra-feminine color for a notebook. But don’t worry guys, the Sony VAIO C also comes in a very neutral and masculine black and white (15.5-inch versions and comes with the option for a screen that can handle 1080p high-definition entertainment) as well as green and orange for the more effeminate.

The VAIO C Series also sports a rubber, machine-washable keyboard cover as well as a transparent overlay that scatter light all over the edges of the notebook and round the touchpad to create a rather subtle glow, which does prove somewhat useful for those who enjoy working in the dark. Of course, that’s a pretty cool feature to have for an entry-level machine. The form/fashion factor is definitely there despite its plastic-ky feel.
For connectivity, you’ve got a Gigabit Ethernet port, VGA and HDMI for video, and both USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports for data on the left. A memory card reader and physical wireless switch is in the front, while headphone and microphone jacks, twin USB 2.0 ports and a DVD writer are on the right.
Now despite its “hey look at me, look at me” design, the C series has an impressive “inside” as well thanks to a dual-core i5, which runs at 2.3GHz but can manage up to 2.9HGz with Intel’s Turbo Boost. It also has 320GB of storage and 4GB RAM alongside the bundled Windows 7 Home Premium.
This laptop is easy to use, especially if you’re the type who doesn’t ask way too much from it, save for a bit of speed when loading and logging onto the “cloud.” And you can’t really use it for too long without being near a power socket. On standby, the VAIO C only lasts about 4 hours. But it does have some other cool features such as the integrated HD webcam with a Sony Exmor sensor for good low-light performance. The systems also include Sony’s VAIO, Assist, and Web buttons that launch Sony’s Media Gallery and VAIO Care software and enable users to access the Web without waiting for a full Windows boot. It also has its own Imagination Studio Suite 2 VAIO Edition for editing, managing, and enhancing photos, videos, music, and more. And the systems can be used with Sony’s Remove keyboard technology so the notebooks can be used to drive other Sony devices like PlayStation 3 consoles or Bravia Internet-connected TVs.
All in all, I found the Sony VAIO C rather befitting of my more lively character. Even the rubber keyboard (which some may find uncomfortable to use) was something I found to be quirky and comfy. It may not be for everyone (design-wise) but hey, if you want to add a little more color into your technology, the Sony VAIO C series will do the job.
Specifications
Screen Size: 14-inch, 1366 x 768 glossy screen, Radeon HD 6470M Graphics
Memory: 4GB RAM, 320GB 5200rpm HDD
CPU & chipset: Intel Core i5-241M
Wireless used: Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g/n, BlueTooth
Weight: 2.45 kg
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
Warranty: 2 years
Price: Php 69,999
What’s Hot:
• Both Fun and neutral colors to choose from
• Rubber keyboard cover and backlit keyboard
What’s Not:
• Short battery life
• Not that portable
Bottomline:
Want something that will brighten your day (and night)? Give the Sony VAIO C series a go and make a shining statement.

G