HAYTECH

iOS 5.01 update now live, fixes 4S battery life bugs and adds iPad 1 gestures

2011-11-11T09:49:00.001+08:00

Apple has just released the first update for iOS 5, bringing the version up to 5.01. The changes are:

bug fixes for the iPhone 4S battery life, as well as Documents in the Cloud
improved Australian voice recognition
iPad 1 now has gestures

The update is available through iTunes or through the devices (over the air [OTA] updates). The update size ranges from ~35 to ~55mb depending on the device. OTA updates are done through Settings -> General -> Software Updates. Gestures on the iPad 1 are turned off by default. Turn it on through Settings -> General -> Multitasking Gestures.

I can confirm that OTA updates are live for the Philippines as I have been to update our iPad 1 through Wifi. Nothing really groundbreaking in this update but I am glad that I can now do the 5 finger pinch-in gesture to preserve my Home button from wear and tear.

Security update changelog can be found here : Apple Support

Sony deters PSN game group buying with new policy

2011-11-05T22:04:00.000+08:00

After November 18, Sony will be making a policy change regarding all new game content purchases from the Playstation Network (PSN).The change is the following:

Currently:

For Game Content - Five (5) PS3 and/or PSP systems

After November 18, 2011:
For Game Content - Two (2) PS3 and/or PSP systems

Sony also reiterated that purchases made prior to this change will stick with the 5 machine limit.

Why did Sony do this? There are many instances wherein multiple (up to 5) users will band together and create a joint PSN account. The joint account will make purchases, and then the purchases are downloaded unto the users' respective PS3 consoles. The cost of the purchases are then split among them, effectively making each PSN purchase massively discounted, from 1/2 to 1/5 of the original purchase price.

Thus, Sony and the publishers loses revenue from these game sharing or group buying practices. And that is the reason why they decided to implement this change. In line with this, Sony will soon enable deactivation through PC. Previously, deactivation was limited to only through the console associated with the activation.

Info on how to deactivate your console here

via Shacknews
Source Playstation Blog

Nokia's first Windows Phones

2011-10-26T18:32:00.003+08:00

Nokia has unveiled its first Windows phone, the Nokia Lumia 800, previously known as "Sea Ray." Looks wise, it is similar to the Nokia N9 and boasts a 3.7-inch curved glass AMOLED ClearBlack display with 800x480 resolution.

The Nokia Lumia 800 is powered by a 1.4GHz single-core Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor and the Adreno 205 GPU with 512MB of RAM and 16GB internal storage. The phone will be running the latest version of Windows Phone 7.5, known as Mango and also features an 8-megapixel camera that makes use of a f/2.2 Carl Zeiss lens.

Also announced at the Nokia World event was the Nokia Lumia 710, which features the same processor and RAM but only has a 3.7-inch LCD display, 5-megapixel camera, 8GB internal storage and a smaller battery.

The Nokia Lumia 800 will retail for 420 euros while the Lumia 710 will go for 270 euros. Both phones are expected to launch this November in Europe. However, they aren't expected to arrive in American shores before 2012.

Nokia Lumia 800
Nokia Lumia 710

Sony PS Vita to be released in US and EU on 2/22/12

2011-10-19T11:35:00.000+08:00

PS Vita US 3G box

Around a month after the news that the Vita was going to be released in Japan on December 17, Sony US and EU announced earlier today the release date in those regions to be February 22, 2012. No other new information was revealed.

One thing you will not be able to do though on a Vita connected to 3G is to download full games, at least in the US and Japan. Andriasang first broke out the news of a 20MB cap in Japan for the Vita on 3G a while back. This was then followed by Sony confirming that the PS Vita will also have a 20MB download size cap while on 3G in the US.

via Playstation Blog

Google raises new Android Ice Cream Sandwich statue to commemorate Ice Cream Sandwich Launch

2011-10-14T12:48:00.003+08:00

With Google set to officially unveil its latest and greatest Android update yet in next week's Hong Kong press event, Google wasted no time in instructing their statue makers to commemorate the event by raising a statue of Android Ice Cream Sandwich (seen above). In addition to that, Google also opened up an @Android Twitter account set to give us news and tips direct from the Android team.

Check out the awesome video of how they set up the Android Ice Cream Sandwich statue after the break.

Via @Android (Twitter)

Google and Samsung set up Android Ice Cream Sandwich launch event on October 19 in Hong Kong

2011-10-14T12:23:00.001+08:00

Photo Courtesy: ThisIsMyNext

After deciding to cancel their Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2011 press event at this year's CTIA in San Diego, supposedly out of respect for the passing of the late Steve Jobs, many were left to wonder just how long we would to wait to see the highly anticipated Android Ice Cream Sandwich powered Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Well wait no further we shall. According to ThisIsMyNext, Google has sent out new invites (pictured above with the Ice Cream Sandwich logo) set for October 19, 10 A.M at Hong Kong. As Android chief Andy Rubin is set to appear at the AllThingsD AsiaD Conference (set on the same date in Hong Kong as well), this looks to be the perfect time and place for the unveiling of Google's latest and most anticipated Android update yet.

Be sure to check back here for news on Google and Samsung's latest and greatest as we'll be covering it in depth.

Via ThisIsMyNext

New Nokia Tune gets in on dubstep sensation

2011-10-11T01:22:00.002+08:00

Remember that Nokia Tune contest around a month ago? A few hours ago, Nokia announced the $10,000 grand prize winner and the new Nokia Tune. The winner is an Italian DJ named Valerio Alessandro Sizzi who created the tune he calls "Nokia Tune Dubstep Edition." Why did he make a dubstep version? His words:

“I made a dubstep version of the Nokia Tune because the style has become massively popular during the last two years. I just thought that a sparkling, cool version of the Nokia Tune would attract young customers."

For those of you who want to hear the new tune, here it is:

Nokia Tune Dubstep Edition

Seems quite a departure from any of the previous Nokia Tunes right? Fans of the regular Nokia Tune do not need to worry. Future Nokia handsets will ship with both the regular version as well as this dubstep version. You can find more info at the Nokia Blog.

via TNW

Steve Jobs passes away at the age of 56, 1955-2011

2011-10-06T09:12:00.001+08:00

Image on Apple.com

Just a day after the unveiling of the iPhone 4S, Apple has announced that Steve Jobs, a true visionary, has died due to his pancreatic cancer. The last time we saw him before he stepped down from the CEO role, he appeared quite sickly. But no one would have thought that he would have passed away so soon. What will happen in a world without the genius that is Steve Jobs? RIP Steve Jobs.

-Kerwin

I'm still in shock of the news of Steve's death. Having just awoken to this morning through the telephone call of my cousin, he immediately tells me of the sad news. I can not overstate enough the impact Steve has on not only the technology industry, but the world in general. His enthusiasm, belief, fire and charisma have charmed consumers and even the toughest CEOs of the world. This is a man who was never afraid to share his vision and push the envelope, no matter the criticism. It takes a very special person with a very special gift and passion to have that kind of impact in this world. We just lost one of those people. Rest in Peace Steve. The world will miss you for sure. We will miss you. Thanks for the inspiration. Thanks for the great products. And thanks for reminding us to always "Stay HUNGRY and stay FOOLISH" and always believe in ourselves and our dreams.

-Justin

via Apple

iPod Lineup changes: White Touch, software updates, price cuts, Shuffle and Classic survive

2011-10-05T19:37:00.002+08:00

The draw of the Apple event a while ago was of course, the new iPhone 4S. Aside from that, Apple also announced some changes to the iPod line. Sadly, there are no hardware revisions for any models in the iPod family.

iPod Touch: Much like the iPhone 4, the iPod Touch now has a White model available. Aside from that, the Touch will receive iOS5 as well as iCloud support as expected. The White iPod Touch and new Touch units will ship on October 12, the same date as the launch of iOS and iCloud. The 8GB Touch also received a price cut. The prices by model are now:

8GB iPod Touch: $199 from $229

32GB iPod Touch: $299

64GB iPod Touch: $399

iPod Nano: All 6th-gen Nanos get a new firmware. The new features are: Menu items are now larger single items on screen (compared to the 4 on a square grid previously), built-in workout tracking capabilities, and 16 new clock faces (like the Mickey Mouse one above). The Nano also got price cuts for both of the models:

8GB iPod Nano: $129 from $149

16GB iPod Nano: S149 from $179

iPod Classic: Despite the removal of clickwheel games from iTunes seemingly signalling the end of the iPod Classic, Apple stated that the model will not be discontinued anytime soon. The 160gb classic remains steady at $249.

iPod Shuffle: The interface-less iPod stays at $49 for a 2GB model.

All in all, not much to be excited about. I guess we have to wait for another year before we see some radical changes.

Nexus Prime shown in Samsung Teaser?

2011-10-05T19:15:00.002+08:00

Samsung has just released a teaser video for their highly anticipated October 11 press event (October 12 here) with Google during next week's CTIA in San Diego and all sings point to the unveiling of the rumored Android Ice Cream Sandwich powered Google Nexus Prime super phone. The Nexus Prime is said to have an eye popping 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) "Super AMOLED HD" display powered by a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor running Android's latest and greatest version called Ice Cream Sandwich.

The video doesn't offer much with regards to the device's final look but it does offer a glimpse into what it might look like. In the spirit of the Nexus S, this device also has a "curved contour" display and a Samsung Galaxy SII like rear bump (probably for audio output). On the top side there is a power button that is placed similarly as with all of Samsung's Android devices, and what seems like a "3 pin" connector of some sort below it. And as Samsung confidently claims in its teaser video, "Something BIG" is surely coming. And with Ice Cream Sandwich surely to be unveiled as well, look for this event to be our most anticipated of the coming week.

With Apple's "safe " and sort of "weak" showing of their new iPhone 4S, this might help Google stamp its class and further solidify its grip in the world of mobile. Be sure to check back with us on the 12th for all the news on Google and Samsung's latest and greatest. We're most definitely excited about this one.

Teaser video after the break.

Via Pocket-lint

iPhone 4S officially announced, to be available on October 14

2011-10-05T12:58:00.003+08:00

iPhone 4S

Apple has officially unveiled their new iPhone, called the iPhone 4S, at their "Let's Talk iPhone" event today at the Apple Cupertino offices. While many were expecting a brand spanking new design, Apple instead went with the safe route and chose to "just refresh" their iPhone 4. The iPhone 4S will be sporting a dual-core Apple A5 processor (same with the iPad 2) that's up to twice as fast and seven times faster graphics processing. The camera has now been upped to 8 megapixels with a faster sensor, f/2.4 aperture, 1080p video recording with image stabilization and noise reduction and an "Apple claimed" 73 percent improvement in light sensitivity per pixel. Battery life is promised at 8 hours on 3G (up from 7 hours), 6 hours of 3G internet browsing, 9 hours of WiFi internet browsing, 10 hours of video playback, and 40 hours of music.

Apple has also changed its antenna system so that it can "intelligently" switch between antennas so that call quality is improved (a huge problem of the iPhone 4). A new internal chip set also allows for seamless transition between GSM and CDMA networks as the phone is able to use both network technologies, thus eliminating the need for 2 models. That means the iPhone 4S is a true "global phone" in every sense of the word and will allow problem-free roaming for the more travel inclined people out there. Network speeds will strictly be limited to 14.4Mbps HSPA and won't be as fast as the HSPA+ and LTE devices already out in the world market. As expected, the new iPhone 4S will be running iOS5, which will have a new "Cards" application for sending out greeting cards and the amazing Siri personal assistant (Apple's incredible voice powered solution; see video below).

For its availability, the iPhone 4S will be made available for pre-order on October 7 for the USA, Australia, Canda, France, Germany, Japan and the UK. The iPhone 4S will retail on October 14 with other countries (hopefully including us) to follow. If this launch follows that of the iPad 2, then expect an iPhone 4S here sooner rather than later.

While we were expecting something new and groundbreaking, we've got to tell you that we were honestly disappointed with the iPhone 4S. While we understand that the improvements are in the software and the internals, this is not something Apple would typically do. After all, this is Apple we are talking about. With such a long lull between the iPhone 4 and the new iPhone, and the rumor mill exploding with all sorts of speculations of an aluminum body tear drop shaped 4" iPhone 5, one cannot help but be disappointed. With that said, it is still a beast of a phone with better hardware and software. Plus the camera is just amazing with all the technology packed into what still is a cellphone camera, albeit one now capable of taking DSLR quality photos and video. Add to that the new Siri personal assistant voice recognition software they included and make no mistake, this device is still going to sell like hotcakes. Guess we'll just have to wait another year for that new redesign.

iPhone 4S and Siri Promo videos after the break.

Via Apple

iCloud to go live on October 12

2011-10-05T11:36:00.001+08:00

Photo Courtesy: The Verge

To match the impending release date of iOS 5, Apple is also set to activate their iCloud service on the same day, October 12. The iCloud service will come with 5GB of free space and will allow one to sync contacts, calendars, documents, and photos to all their Apple products (Macs and iOS devices). Apple will also be offering its iTunes Match service to its US customers. For $24.99/year, customers will be able to store their music on iCloud and have it streamed to any of their devices. This will go live in the US at the end of October.

Promo video for iCloud after the break.

Via Apple

iOS5 to roll out on October 12

2011-10-05T11:21:00.000+08:00

Photo Courtesy: The Verge

You heard that right. Apple's finally taking the rug off beta for iOS 5 and releasing it for all to use starting next week on October 12 (Wednesday in the USA/Thursday for the Philippines). This update will be available on the iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, iPad, iPad 2, and the 3rd and 4th generation of the iPod Touch. Check out our feature on what's new with iOS 5 here.

While we can't say we're not disappointed that the release will be made next week and not today, I've got to applaud Apple for a well played move. As we all know, the Samsung Google Ice Cream Sandwich Nexus Phone Event will be done on the 11th. This is a perfect way to supplant even just some of the buzz on Google and their announcement on Android Ice Cream Sandwich and a possible new Nexus phone. Well played Apple. Well played.

Via Apple

NBA 2k11 mod PBA 2k11 updates to 2.0, adds UAAP and NCAA teams

2011-09-29T18:14:00.000+08:00

The PBA 2K Series mod team has teamed up with the College Hoops Pilipinas mod duo to bring to us PBA 2k11 version 2.0. Version 2.0 adds all the UAAP and Phil. NCAA teams in addition to the existing PBA teams in PBA 2k11 version 1.3.

This is an update pack, not standalone. This means you will need PBA 2k11 version 1.3.

PBA 2K11 version 2.0 Install Guide

1) Get PBA 2k11 Version 1.3 first here: PBA 2K11 1.3 Install Guide

2) Download the version 2.0 update pack:

Part 1: http://www.mediafire.com/?nc0qgcbes7q4sia (187 MB)
Part 2: http://www.mediafire.com/?oxhdo1vmtfvp2ql (183 MB)

3) Download HJSplit (to join parts 1 and 2): http://www.hjsplit.org/windows/

4) Extract and run HJSplit.exe. Click Join, then Input File (PBA 2K11 v2.0 Update Pack.exe.001), and Run. PBA 2K11 v2.0 Update Pack.exe should then appear

5) Run PBA 2K11 v2.0 Update Pack.exe as Administrator (just in case)

6) Change the directory to the PBA 2k11 folder and then install to that folder

Installation is done at this point

7) Upon running the game, load first the roster file: PBACHP2K11v2.ROS

Finished! You should now see UAAP, NCAA, and PBA teams available.

If you want to use the Nike Elite Ball (UAAP / NCAA ball): go to Codes in the game and type “payrespect” and then turn the ABA ball on to see the change

As always, all credit belongs to the mod teams themselves.

You can visit their official site here: http://www.pba2kseries.com/

Changelog after the break:

UAAP and NCAA teams with matching 3d logos, jerseys and cheerdancers
Portrait pictures of players for Adamson, DLSU, ADMU and all NCAA teams
Filoil Flying V Arena (San Juan Arena)
Banners at the stadiums
Nike Elite Ball (UAAP / NCAA ball)
Cyberface (CF) of the following players:

NCAA

Calvin Abueva, Ronald Pascual, Anthony Del Rio,
Ian Sangalang, Garvo Lanete, Dave Marcelo,
Anjo Caram, Rome Dela Rosa, Kevin Alas,
Jam Cortes, Raymond Almazan, Allan Mangahas,
Yousef Taha, Josan Nimes, Nate Matute,
Adrian Celada, Jekster Apinan, Paolo Taha

UAAP

Alex Nuyles, Jan Colina, Lester Alvarez,
Eric Camson, Januz Lozada, Austin Manyara,
Greg Slaughter, Kirk Long, Nico Salva,
Kiefer Ravena, Aldrech Ramos, RR Garcia, Terrence Romeo,
Jeric Fortuna, Jeric Teng, Chris Camus,
Emmanuel Mbe, Ray Parks, Mike Silungan

Amazon announces Kindle Fire, a 7-inch fully customized Android tablet with IPS display and a dual core processor for just $199

2011-09-29T18:00:00.000+08:00

It's been a long time coming and amidst all the speculation, Amazon has finally revealed the details of their highly anticipated tablet, simply known as the Kindle Fire. This is a 7-inch tablet running Android that serves as a "souped up version" of the popular Amazon Kindle. If you're wondering why the tablet is priced so cheaply at just $199 (just around P8,681.69), it's because, unlike current tablets out there on the market, the Fire has chosen to sacrifice the integration of the camera, microphone and 3G radios. In short, this is just like Barnes and Nobles' popular Nook Color. The Fire will come with WiFi though and a free 30 day trial of Amazon Prime ($79 or P3,500 per year). Prime members garner free two-day shipping and access to Amazon's video streaming service, for free.

The Kindle Fire will have a Gorilla Glass, multitouch-capable IPS display, a TI OMAP4 dual-core processor and will weight just 14.6 ounces (413g). The screen resolution will be at 1024 x 600 with a physical dimension of 7.5 x 4.7 x 0.45 inches (190 x 120 x 11.5mm). There will be 8GB of built-in-storage and the battery will supposedly last up to 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback (with WiFi switched off). Lastly, a 3.5mm headphone jack with a pair of top-mounted stereo speakers.

For the software, as was mentioned earlier, this will be running Android (2.3 to be exact), albeit heavily skinned to Amazon's preferences. According to Amazon, this will have a more accessible UI and will be closely tied together with Amazon's plethora of content and services. This will include the Amazon App Store and a new web browser Amazon calls Silk. This is based on their EC2 cloud computing engine. This supposedly is done through sharing the workload between the Fire and Amazon's cloud. The web browser will also support Flash.

Exciting stuff is you ask us. We believe that this can compete with the iPad, just based on Amazon's breadth of services alone. Add to that a cheap price point and a generally good hardware and software combination and we're looking at a powerhouse. Might we say, Amazon has truly hit the ball out of the park with this one. Only downside is it will be available only in the USA as of now. No word yet on an international release.

Kindle Fire and Silk Videos after the break.

Via ThisIsMyNext

Google and Samsung to hold an event on October 11, to announce Ice Cream Sandwich and Nexus Prime?

2011-09-29T13:47:00.002+08:00

Samsung and Google's CTIA Invitation (Photo Courtesy: ThisIsMyNext)

According to a ThisIsMyNext report, Samsung has sent out invitations to their Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2011 show during this year's CTIA's fall show on October 11 in San Diego, California. Samsung will apparently be debuting their latest Android smartphone (Nexus Prime perhaps?) and Google will be with them to show us "what's new with Android." All signs point to the official announcement of Ice Cream Sandwich and the brand new Samsung Nexus. Check back here as we flesh out all the details on Google and Samsung's latest and greatest. We're giddy.

Via ThisIsMyNext

Another Humble Bundle, this time with Frozen Synapse

2011-09-29T09:58:00.001+08:00

Two months after the release of Humble Indie Bundle 3, the Wolfire guys have released yet another Bundle. The Humble Frozen Synapse Bundle consists of one game, the titular Frozen Synapse. The game is relatively new and it has been recommended by many gaming sites (85 Metacritic Score). The game is a turn-based strategy game (not grid-based) wherein you control a squad and you try to predict the movement of your enemy and kill them.

And just like last time, by paying over the Average Purchase when you buy the bundle (currently $4.50 ~ 200 pesos), you get a bonus. This time, the bonus is the Humble Frozenbyte Bundle, which consists of Trine, Shadowgrounds, Shadowgrounds: Survivor, Jackclaw, and Splot.

What you get for purchasing above the average:
1) Steam (separate) keys, Desura (separate) keys and a Direct2Drive key (single key for both)
A) Frozen Synapse
B) the Frozenbyte games (Trine, Shadowgrounds, Shadowgrounds : Survivor)
3) Onlive key for Trine (US / UK only)
4) DRM-free versions of all the included games, as well as extras for each game

You can find the bundle here: http://www.humblebundle.com/

Apple's iPhone Event scheduled on October 4

2011-09-28T00:15:00.004+08:00

Apple has made it official. They'll be announcing the new iPhone on October 4 (in the USA) and October 5 here (Philippines). Many popular US tech blog sites are reporting that they've just gotten their official invites from Apple. As aptly put in the invitation image above, they're going to be "talking iPhone". And you can bet we'll be here to tell you about Apple's latest and greatest iPhone. Question is, "Will it change everything yet again?"

Via ThisIsMyNext

Google+ opens to everyone, adds new features

2011-09-21T12:57:00.000+08:00

Google homepage doodle

The social network Google+ has previously only been invite-only. But starting today, Google+ has entered Beta and is opening registrations to everyone. Alongside this public release, Google+ has also added new features to the service:

Google+ Search - search within Google+, with results within Google+ and the web
Mobile Hangouts - Hangouts are now available on the Google+ Android app (for Android 2.3+ devices with front-facing camera, IOS support soon)
Hangouts on Air - Hangouts can now be broadcast to the public (broadcasters are only a select group for now, any Google+ user can tune in to these broadcasts)

Google is also experimenting a bunch of Hangout extras, such as:

Screensharing: for showing to others what's on your screen that instant
Sketchpad: for drawing together (like the Doodle plugin for Yahoo Messenger)
Google Docs: Google Docs with Hangouts on the side
Named Hangouts: public hangouts with a theme or a topic

Interested folks can register for Google+ here: https://plus.google.com/

via Techcrunch

Source Google Blog Post

Playstation Vita launches December 17 in Japan, will be region-free

2011-09-17T11:42:00.001+08:00

At the Tokyo Game Show a few days ago, Sony showcased a whole bunch of Playstation Vita stuff, including games, extra features and what not. Most importantly, Sony announced the release date, at least for Japan, of the portable gaming device. The Vita will be available in Japan starting December 17, roughly 3 months from now. The prices are the same as what was announced during E3, 24,980 yen (~14,000 pesos) for the Wifi version and 29,980 yen (~16,800 pesos) for the 3G model. The 3G carrier for Japan will be NTT DoCoMo.

And to those are considering importing the Vita from Japan around Christmas time, here is a nice bit of info for you. The Vita will be region-free, which means you are free to play US or EU games on your Japanese Vita or vice-versa. This news comes from a tweet reply from the president of Sony Computer Entertainment of Worldwide Studios, Shuhei Yoshida:

I guess this will undoubtedly mean that we will be seeing a whole lot of overpriced Japanese Vita systems in Greenhills around Christmas time. I am predicting that it will be sold at least twice the retail price in those stores. Anyone up for a 30,000 peso Japanese Wifi Vita?

Source: 1up, 1up

Nokia lets users create new Nokia Tune in contest

2011-09-06T17:38:00.000+08:00

The Nokia Tune has gradually evolved through the years, as evidenced in the video below. For the first time, Nokia is offering people the chance to have their own rendition of the Nokia Tune be included in Nokia phones. The Nokia Tune remake contest has the following prizes:

The five runner-ups will be awarded a prize of $1,000 US dollars with their work available for download in Ovi Store. The winner will be awarded a prize of $10,000 US dollars and will be featured in Nokia's Brand Book. The winner’s work will be included in over 100 million Nokia devices and also be available as a free download in Ovi Store.

Here is the promo video which also serves as a sort of "Nokia Tune through the ages" type of video:

Users have around 27 days from now to submit their entries. I checked the eligibility rules and it seems like Philippine users are allowed to join:

The Contest is available worldwide but as payment of prizes will only be made through PayPal you must be resident in a country where PayPal is available for sending and accepting payment (for more information please visit http://www.paypal.com/worldwide). (The Philippines is on that Paypal List)

You can enter the contest here: http://nokiatune.audiodraft.com/

via Neowin
Source Nokia Blog

Well known iDevice Jailbreaker Comex hired by Apple

2011-08-26T23:32:00.004+08:00

Nicholas Allegra A.K.A Comex

Though already extremely useful, Apple's iDevices have always been plagued by the company's walled garden philosophy. While it already had quite the selection of apps and a simple yet effective UI, users were always left wanting for more; especially when it came to phone features. And even with the recent announcement of the new version of their mobile OS, iOS5, majority of the new features in the new iteration were already readily available to jailbroken iUsers. As such, majority of the users resorted to jailbreaking their phones to get access to apps that Apple did not approve. This all began when George "Geohot" Hotz (or the man more famously known as the hacker sued by Sony for jailbreaking the PS3) first unlocked and jailbroke the original iPhone way back during 2007. The jailbreak community was set and it never looked back.

One of the more well known jailbreakers is Nicholas Allegra, better known as Comex, the author of the popular and easy jailbreaking tool, JailbreakMe. And quite to the shock of many, he recently revealed that he would be interning at Apple, continuing the trend of well known jailbreakers being scooped up by these major software companies. Some of the more well known jailbreakers already working for these big name companies include Geohot who is now working in Facebook and Peter Hajas (Creator of the popular MobileNotifier app in the Cydia appstore) working in (where else?) Apple. While we don't know what Comex will be doing for Apple, one can presume that he will be helping their developers in making future iterations of iOS more "jailbreak proof." Well, only time will tell. In the meantime, the jailbreak community will continue to live on, better and healthier than ever.

Via Twitter

Sony officially drops PS3 price

2011-08-17T14:42:00.001+08:00

For those looking to buy a new PS3 but are still waiting out for the right time, your wait is over. During this year's Gamescom in Germany, Sony announced that they would be dropping the price on both of their PS3 models (160 GB and the 320 GB). From The 160 GB model would go from $299 (₱12,685.51) to $249.99

( ₱10,606.19) while the 320 GB model would go from $349 (₱14,806.83) to $299 (₱12,685.51).

If you ask me, these are really affordable prices. I, being a PS3 owner myself, and having bought my PS3 at around ₱13,500 over a year ago would recommend that if any of you would like to join the PS3 community, now would be the best time to do so. Not only does this price cut give you a huge discount, it's also a bung for the buck as you would be getting the 320 GB model at the same price as the 160GB model pre-price cut. And with new blockbuster titles like Mass Effect 3, Uncharted 3, and Skyrim on the way, I can assure you that this will be money well spent. You'd also have free access to Sony's PlayStation Network (PSN) which will give you access to its online store for different freebies and downloadable content; more importantly, you get to play online for free. What are you waiting for?

Via The PlayStation Blog

New PSP with no Wi-Fi coming to Europe for €99

2011-08-17T12:11:00.004+08:00

The PlayStation Vita may be delayed until early 2012 in the US and Europe, but Sony has announced a new PSP which may appease some of the more value-conscious gamers.

Sony will release the PSP E-1000 in Europe this coming fall for only €99 (approx. 6,000 pesos.) The "new" PSP is not going to be released in the US, but there's no word yet on whether it will be released in Asia. The PSP E-1000 is basically the same as previous models, except it has no Wi-Fi. It still has the 4.3-inch LCD screen, Memory Stick Pro Duo slot and the UMD slot. Most importantly, you can still buy games from the PlayStation Store and transfer them from your PC through the MediaGo software.

Wi-Fi is not that big of a loss unless you're big on multiplayer gaming. The PSP web browser is excruciatingly slow and all PSP models thus far only supported the older 802.11b standard.

Dota 2 Beta registration now available

2011-08-17T11:36:00.001+08:00

Earlier today while I was checking out the Dota 2 tournament site, I noticed this on the page:

The only current requirement is to register using a Steam account.

Registration may be done on this site: http://www.dota2.com/tournaments/international/

We do not actually get to play the beta yet but hopefully it will be up soon. In the meantime, here is the first Dota 2 trailer: