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2011 Top Nokia Store Downloads In Philippines

2012-01-27T19:30:00.003+08:00

After its launch on 2009, Nokia Store continues its strong growth with, to date, more than 50,000 downloadable applications and 11 million global downloads per day. The milestone is said to be the result of the increased demand for mobile content and the growing number of new apps and partner developers, complemented by new consumers signing up for Nokia Store. Both Filipino consumers and developers took a vital part of this success recording the biggest number applications created and downloaded yet.

Out of the thousands of downloadable applications on the the store, Social apps were the front line of the most downloaded for 2011 with the likes of Facebook Chat, an application that allows users to chat with their Facebook friends on their mobile; Skype, which allows users to call or text for free to families or friends abroad; and eBuddy Messenger, a chat app that allows you to talk with your friends on MSN, Facebook, Yahoo!, GTalk and more.

Gaming apps were not to be left behind with Adventure Of Ted, an exciting game that will make you jump, run and kick the enemies to bring Ted safely home, making it to the elite lists.

Meanwhile, of the 177 software developers that have achieved over 1 million downloads, 3 of which is coming from the Philippines. These top three local app developers are Y&R Philippines, who published the Ovi Theme-spirations phone themes, Music Mix and WatchNow among others; MRM Studios, publisher of top-quality phone themes, ringtones, karaoke music and other multimedia content, and Octacore Games, developer of popular and top downloaded paid games The Tallest Ice Cream, Pharaoh’s Tomb and Nice Fruits.

The massive growth is expected to continue for the next 5 years, with the Nokia Store client incorporated to affordable entry level phones like the Nokia Asha series, making it available to the biggest mobilephone consumers, the mass market.

If you haven't been part of the revolution yet, grab a Nokia phone, click the Nokia store client and join the trend.

Nokia Store and Globe Telecom offers Filipinos opportunity to purchase premium apps

2012-01-26T19:30:00.000+08:00

I already featured an article about this before but I wasn't aware that its currently an exclusive offer to Globe subscribers, but I guess it won't be long before Smart Communications starts to offer one, so just seat tight Smart subscribers.

Anyways, Nokia and Globe just made it official this time, that marks another milestone accordingly to make Nokia Stores premium apps available for purchase.

Using the telco’s automated billing system, Globe subscribers using Nokia mobile phones and smartphones can now purchase premium games, apps, and other content from the Nokia Store much easier because costs will be charged to their postpaid phone bill or prepaid load account.

“Nokia Store provides consumers with mobile content and applications from some of the most recognized developers and publishers around the world. We are focused on having the right apps with the right quality to enhance the experience on Nokia mobile phones and smartphones. Free apps were a hit with consumers but others wanted more and we are excited to have found a partner in Globe, the first local operator to offer premium apps to its subscribers," said Dharmesh Goshalia, general manager and head of sales, Nokia Philippines.

Glenn Estrella, Head for Digital Media of Globe Telecom explains further, “With the integration of the Nokia Store into our secure billing system interface, we are able to provide our subscribers a convenient and worry-free way to purchase premium content like apps, games, ringtones, productivity tools, movie trailers and more from the Nokia Store without the need for credit card or direct cash payments. The cost for apps purchased from the store will be charged to their postpaid phone bill or from their prepaid credits.”

This exciting development is expected to further strengthen Nokia’s position as a trustworthy brand that meets consumer needs, provides practical and convenient services, and enables a powerful mobile experience.

To get started, Globe subscribers simply need to visit store.nokia.mobi from their device browser. They will be prompted to download the Nokia Store application. Once registered, they can start downloading great content and applications for a wide range of Nokia devices from mobile phones to smartphones.

To date, Nokia Store is seeing strong growth with more than 11 million global downloads per day. This milestone is a result of the increased demand for mobile content and the growing number of new apps and partner developers, complemented by new consumers signing up for Nokia Store.

With the local implementation of the Nokia Store automatic billing solution, Nokia continues to pursue its commitment of providing user-friendly, affordable devices and more importantly, in providing mobile content and innovative services.

Loreto's Beach House, Party Exclusively!

2012-01-24T19:30:00.000+08:00

If your looking for a place to exclusively celebrate birthdays, wedding receptions, anniversaries, baptisms, among the rest of the parties ever created then your off to a good place to held such at the Loreto's Beach House located in Lupagan, Clarin, Misamis Occidental, Philippines.

I was able to discover this place due to a birthday invitation from a family friend and find it convenient thats why it landed a spot on the blog.

What I like most about the place is its exclusivity, you get to enjoy every amenities of the beach house within yourselves, the 2 fully air conditioned rooms with cable TV, swimming pool, video k, billiard, video games, sauna and function hall capable of handling more than 200 visitors.

Ambiance-wise, its not the best place with picturesque scenery, and the area is rather smallish but you would be assured that you and your visitors will have fun together.

The rent of the place for 24 hours which cost at around PhP8,000 while the 12 hour rate is around PhP4000. You can reach them via this numbers for booking; (088) 521-3597, 09209157566.

Photos are taken using the Nokia C7

Law 101: Bribery

2012-01-23T19:30:00.001+08:00

What were going to discuss today is very much rampant in the Philippines, I believe almost all government workers or regular citizens are doing these consciously without knowing the consequences of such. In fact, its uncontrollable that it had become part of the system that it takes only a miracle to curtail, Bribery!

Are you the type of a public worker who asks for something in return for your work done or who expects something from anybody visiting your office?

Have you tried giving something to a person, in particular, government workers, for whatever reason? Let say, a treat to her or him as a gratitude of being able to act on your request fast, or say you want your request to be acted right away on top of everyone else, or you want somebodies request not to be acted upon, or he/she is your friend and just wanted to give her birthday or Christmas present?

Well, hold your horses ladies and gentlemen, both scenario is committing the crime of bribery under the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines.

The act agreeing to perform an act in connection with the performance his/her duty as a public officer, on consideration of any offer, promise, gift or present received, personally or through a mediator constitute the crime of Direct Bribery and shall be punishable with a penalty of 6-12 years imprisonment and a fine of not less than 3x the value of the gift. Not so much of a penalty in here, so better refrain from doing it or feel sorry.

Even the act of accepting s gift offered to him/her by reason of his office, without mentioned request by the giver will still be penalized with 6 months to 6 years. It’s called Indirect Bribery and nothing exempts anyone even if the public officer is your close friend or relative.

The act of giving gifts to any public officer is a crime of Corruption of public official which has the same punishment to that of officials, who committed Direct or Indirect bribery, meaning, you will be penalized and imprisoned up to 12 years.

Moral lesson of the story, before you give gifts, think thrice!

Beat Wireless Bluetooth Headset by Cdr-king

2012-01-21T19:30:00.002+08:00

I was set to buy a Nokia BH-214 Bluetooth headset when I went to Cagayan de Oro City recently but unfortunately it wasn't available anywhere and since I badly need it a.s.a.p, I scouted for other brands and found this in Cdr-King, the Beat Wireless Bluetooth Headset.

The headset is a deal shocker, its cheap, it looks good and its warrantied. I wouldn't have brought it without the warranty specially that I have trust issues with brand-less or re-branded products from China. The headset cost only PhP750.00, thats about less than half of the BH-214's price of PhP1,750.00.

My impression after more than a week of used, not worth buying. First and foremost, it sound terrible with its supplied headphone that I have to buy an ear bud type headphone worth PhP595.00, secondly, the Bluetooth reception is worst that often times its chappy that the music dissipates, thirdly, it has a blue blinking lights in the middle that looks awkward when being used and last but not the least, battery life is unpredictable that I often end up powerless in two hour's time even after overnight charge. I really did regret buying the product, I hope Cdr-King would accept product returns by reason of non-satisfaction.

On the upside, the design is good, itS smallish and lightweight that you can clip it anywhere you want, it has a 3.5mm audio jack where you can attached any custom headphones you can find in the market, it has a micro charger port compatible to a Nokia charger so you can charged it using a Nokia charger, it connects to any Bluetooth device and it can be configured easily.

Full Specs includes:

Interfaces: Bluetooth V2.1 specification with EDR
Handsfree 1.5 and headset 1.1 profiles
Battery Rechargeable Lithium-Polymer
Talk Time: Up to 6 hrs.
Standby Time: Up to 100 hrs.
Clip style design
User-friendly interface
3.5mm audio jack
3 button design
Smart Buzzer: Tells you when you have an incoming call or lost of signal
Compatible: Windows 7, Vista, XP
Messenger: Yahoo, MSN, skype, Google Talk

To conclude, I would iterate my stand earlier, this is not a good buy if you want to value every cent of your hard earn money. Better yet, buy quality products that are well tested and well made, its a little pricey but very much worth-ed. I wouldn't mind looking for the Nokia BH-214 again or if none, the new BH-111 with NFC support.

Share Movies: The Sitter Official Trailer

2012-01-20T19:50:00.000+08:00

Jonah Hill as “The Sitter” is the last person you want watching your kids. But this time, The Sitter has met his match in three manipulative brats. When a shady endeavor in which he finds himself in goes bad, The Sitter and the malevolent youngsters embark on a wild chase through Manhattan.

From the director of “Pineapple Express.”

Full trailer:

Symbian Belle, What To Expect

2012-01-19T19:30:00.000+08:00

Since the Nokia Belle upgrade is inevitable with Nokia's twitter account confirming its roll out starting February, it’s high time for us to learn more about it. What is it about Belle that makes it critically acclaimed and how did it feared with the competition.

Here are few reasons why:

1. More personalized Homescreen

a. The phone is capable of handling up to 6 Homescreen. The current Symbian Anna software is only limited to 3.

b. Dynamic widgets. Users can add widgets individually, change its size, or move it anywhere in the screen. The current software version is only capable of handling group widgets with the ability to move such around the screen and without the ability to change size. There were also more live widgets and Toggle widget. The live widget is capable of updating feeds directly from the Homescreen while the toggle widgets are those types were you can do commands automatically like the switching of Bluetooth on and off, etc.

2. Pull down Menu notification incorporated in the status bar. This includes the settings, notification of incoming messages and missed calls, mobile networks, Bluetooth (if turned on), mobile data, WIFI among others. Well this is an Android adopted system which I don’t like really because you have to reach on top of the phone and pull down to open it up, why not make it a pull up system instead with the command bar on the bottom?

3. Better web browser promising a PC-like experience.

4. NFC. Tap and Share between devices, social networks or unlock exclusive games content.

5. New apps. A new suite of powerful business apps from Microsoft includes Lync (IM for businesses, like Microsoft Communicator), SharePoint, OneNote, Exchange ActiveSync and PowerPoint Broadcaster are included and will be automatically installed with the update.

6. Informative lock screen. The lock screen now tells you about missed calls, messages in your inbox and more, so you can check your phone at a glance. Users can also add coloured wallpaper to lock screen.

and so much more… It is perhaps the biggest upgrade so far, Nokia made it sure that there current users are not left behind in mobile user interface race. So far, it will compete pretty well with Androids but not that much yet with the iOS. Considering the fact that both systems could be enjoyed at a high price, Nokia Belle gives the best of both in a cheaper price.

Nokia Belle upgrade will be rolled in for the following devices, Nokia N8, E7, C7, C6-01, X7, E6 and 500.

Nokia Lumia's Slated For Q2 2012 In The Philippines

2012-01-17T19:50:00.003+08:00

If your anxiously waiting for the Nokia Lumia line-up (900, 800 and 710), then your on to an exciting 2012 second quarter as the device is geared up for launched, thats according to a reliable tipster from a Nokia insider.

Nokia's Windows Phone squad earned a lot of accolades from critics being very sleek, stylish, powerful and competitive and had earned a lot of interests from consumers across the globe. Well, in a few weeks time, we can start purchasing them in retail stores.

No date for the exact release yet and it did not mention the type of Lumia's to launched or the Telecom company where it will be subsidized, but one thing is for sure, Nokia Philippines is preparing something BIG for the phone in line with the Amazing Everyday theme.

Now thats interesting! c",

Nokia Lumia 900

Nokia Lumia 710

BT Infinity

2012-01-16T19:30:00.000+08:00

Simon, online gaming champion and microwave master chef is on the hunt for two flat mates.

Nokia Lumia 900 Live and Large Tech Specs

2012-01-15T19:30:00.000+08:00

If there's one gadget in the recently concluded CES 2012 event that shines the brightest, its the phone that shades luminous light, the Nokia Lumia 900. I'd say its the first Windows phone from Nokia that really kicks butt being competitive both hardware and software-wise. I like it, it looks stunning and beautiful with its 4.3 inch AMOLED screen with Clear Black Display, polycarbonate unibody design and curve Gorilla glass display. Its different from Nokia N9, and I'm glad it is because I would just fall short like the Nokia Lumia 800 when it was announce in Nokia World 2011. It wouldn't be held the best mobilephone device of the event for nothing.

Live and Large, it live up to expectation and large enough to conquer everyone's fancy. The technical specifications speaks for itself:

General

• Operating: Windows Phone Release 7.5 – Mango
Commercial Release 2 (Mango + LTE)
• Processor: 1.4GHz Snapdragon APQ8055 + MDM9200
• Networks: GSM/EGSM 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA and 850/1900/2100, LTE Band 4 (1700/2100) & 17 (700)

Design

• Volume: 90cc
• Weight: 160 g (5.6 ounces)
• Dimensions (max): 127.8 x 68.5 x 11.5 mm(5 x 2.7 x .45 inches)
• Slimmest Lumia to date

Data Speed

• 4G/LTE - up to 50Mbps down/25Mbps up, HSPA - up to 21Mbps down/5.76 Mbps up
• Diversity antenna array to maximize RF performance

Display

• 4.3” ClearBlack AMOLED display with WVGA 800x480 resolution

Memory

• 512MB RAM
• 16 GB internal memory (14.5GB user memory)
• Available cloud storage on SkyDrive

Camera

• Primary: 8MP with f2.2/28mm Carl Zeiss lens and dual LED flash, Auto Focus, 720p, 30fps video capture
• Front-facing: 1MP with f2.4, 30fps video capture (VGA video call resolution)

Connectivity

• A-GPS
• Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n)
• USB 2.0 high-speed
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• 3.5mm headset connector

Battery

• 1830mAh battery

Misc

• Accelerometer, Proximity, Magnetometer, light sensor, Gyroscope
• HAC Compliance: T3/M3

Key Experiences Internet

Internet
•Internet Explorer 9 with HTML 5 support
•Internet Sharing for up to 5 devices

Maps
•Nokia Drive (available as a free download)
•Nokia Maps (available as a free download)
•Bing Maps
•AT&T Navigator

Social Networking
•Integrated Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
•Groups

Music
•Service - Zune, AT&T Radio
•Wide range of codecs supported - .m4a, .m4b, .mp3, .wma - AAC/AAC+/EAAC+ - AMR-NB, AMR-WB - EVRC, QCELP

Video
•Playback: - H.264 @30fps - MPEG-4 ASP - 3GP, .3GP2, .MP4, .M4v, .MBR., .WMV (Windows Media Video 9 and VC-1)
•Video capture - 720p video recording - mp4 - H.264
•Tango Video Calls ( preloaded app) - VGA

Gaming / Entertainment
•Xbox Live
•Marketplace
•AT&T U-verse Mobile
•ESPN & App Highlights Live Tiles

Email
•Unified email (combine multiple accounts into one)
•E-mail (SMTP, IMAP4, POP3)
•Mail for Exchange 2003 & 2007
•Rich HTML
•Office 365

PIM
•Contacts, Calendar, To-do, Notes

Synchronization
•Zune PC SW + Mac Connector
•Calendar, Contacts, To Do list
•Media (Music, Video, Photos, Podcast)

Sales Package Content

Inbox enhancements
•Nokia Fast USB Charger (AC-16U)
•Nokia Charging & Data Cable (CA-190CD)
•SIM Door Key

Inbox colors available
•Black and Cyan

Available Outbox Accessories

Car Solutions
•Nokia Universal car holder (CR-123 and HH22)
•Nokia Dual Output car charger (DC-20)

Headsets
•Nokia Bluetooth Headsets (BH-220)
•Nokia J Bluetooth Headset (BH-806)
•Nokia Purity Stereo Headset by Monster (WH-920)
•Nokia Purity HD Stereo Headset by Monster (WH-930)

Speaker
•Nokia Play 360 (MD-50W)

Personalize & Protect
•Nokia Soft Cover (CC-1037)
•Nokia Hard Cover (CC-3038)
•Nokia Screen Protector (CP-5045)

Estimated Operating Times*
•Talk time: up to 7 hours on WCDMA/GSM
•Standby time: up to 300 hours (WCDMA)
•Music playback: up to 60hours (offline mode, wired headset)

Exclusive Apps To Go With The Nokia Lumia Smartphones

2012-01-14T19:30:00.001+08:00

The Windows Phone line-up from Nokia goes full blast in North America with Nokia Lumia 900 on the front line for AT&T, Nokia Lumia 710 for T-Mobile USA and Rogers Communications and the Nokia Lumia 800 for Telus. Aside from carrier association, the Nokia Lumia 800 will also be available from Microsoft Stores and available online in three vivid colors (cyan, magenta and matte black).

All this will be carrying exclusive apps which will bring unique experiences for Nokia Lumia users. Within the key categories, new app experiences include:

NEWS: CNN for Windows Phone application

The CNN App for Windows Phones will provide the latest news and video from CNN's reporting around the globe. Offering a robust user experience, the CNN App takes full advantage of Windows Phone 7 features to offer a vivid, panoramic interface, the ability to pin sections of the app to a home screen, Live Tile for real-time news updates, and direct access to iReport, CNN's participatory news community. For the first time on an app, users will have the ability to submit an iReport while simultaneously capturing the event. Launching globally for free in the next month, the CNN App will be exclusive to Nokia users for 90 days and then available on all Windows Phone devices as they come to market.

MULTI-CULTURAL: Univision for Windows Phone application

Univision offers a wide range of unparalleled content that resonates with Hispanics, the fastest growing segment in the US. The Univision app provides coverage from news and entertainment to sports and soccer, as well as cooking and local content for several U.S. markets including New York, Miami and San Francisco. Users have access to real-time information, clips of Univision shows and special events, and news and weather based on their location. The app will be exclusive to Nokia consumers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico for 18 months on Windows Phone devices.

SPORTS: ESPN Sports Hub Windows Phone application

From the worldwide leader in sports, the ESPN Sports Hub app brings Nokia Lumia users a truly unique smartphone sports experience. With great localized content wherever you are in the world, the user experience enables sports fans to fully customize the app and enjoy news, scores, video and analysis via a single screen which can be navigated with the swipe of a finger. Whether it's Football or Futball, NFL or Netball, this exclusive delivers the very best sports app experience.

ESPN, Inc., The Worldwide Leader in Sports, is the leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring the broadest portfolio of multimedia sports assets with over 50 business entities.

KIDS& FAMILY: Sesame Workshop rich reading titles

Utilizing Nokia's interactive rich reading eBook experience, Sesame Workshop designed their apps based on extensive research, adapting these Sesame Street book titles to help an adult teach her child to become the storyteller while the adult becomes the listener, the questioner, and the audience for the child. Building on a three-year collaboration between Nokia, Sesame Workshop, and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, the exclusive apps include both a free book, 100th Day of School, and three additional titles: Big Block Party, Color Carnival and Abby in Wonderland. Each title incorporates familiar Sesame Street characters including Elmo and Grover. These titles are exclusive to Nokia consumers globally for a minimum of six months.

The rest of the world still awaits for the coming of the Lumia's. Hope it will be very soon here in the Philippines.

Nokia challenges student mobile app developers

2012-01-13T19:30:00.000+08:00

Do you have a unique app idea waiting to be developed? Join the Xtreme Java: National Inter-School Mobile App Development Challenge and have your creations published on Nokia mobile phones and win your share of cash and prizes worth P150,000!

Xtreme Java is a mobile app development competition among universities and colleges in the Philippines organized by De La Salle University, in collaboration with Nokia. It allows college-level students, in teams of 2-3 members with 1 mentor, to develop and publish their own utility game and location-based applications and receive great prizes.

Join the Xtreme Java Training and Kick-Off on January 14, 2011 from 9am – 5pm at Room 1103, Br. Andrew Gonzalez Hall, De La Salle University, 2401 Taft Ave., Manila. Get an overview on Java ME, Game API, performance guidelines and Java security, learn how to develop and deploy Java ME applications and get an introduction on the Touch & Type UI.

If you miss the Kick-Off, you can still register at http://netcentric.dlsu.edu.ph/xtremejava until February 15, 2012. Each college/university represented by mentors will be given a Nokia Store publisher account FREE of charge. You can choose to develop different applications following these 3 categories: Utility / Productivity Applications, Games, and Location-Based Applications.

To complete your registration, publish your Java app to Nokia Store and then submit the content ID until April 11, 2012. Apps submitted must be published on or before April 30, 2012.

One (1) winner for each Xtreme Java App Category will receive a Nokia Asha 303 plus P 20,000 cash!

What’s more, Nokia will be giving away special prices for the participants of this great app competition. The first ten (10) apps to be published will receive a Nokia C3-00 each! And the first five (5) individuals with minimum 3 apps published will each win a Nokia 500, P10,000 cash, and a Nokia Achiever Certification.

Participants should use the Nokia SDK for Java for the app development. It must support and successfully run on at least one Nokia Touch and Type and/or QWERTY device: Nokia X3-02, Nokia C3-01, Nokia C2-02, Nokia C2-03, Nokia Asha 303, Nokia C3-00 and Nokia X2-01.

Law 101: Prostitution and Gender Bias

2012-01-12T19:30:00.001+08:00

There is no such thing as Male Prostitute, thats according to the Revise Penal Code of the Philippines which specifically defines that Prostitutes are "women" who, for money or profit, habitually indulge in sexual intercourse or lascivious act. Penalty is aresto menor or fine not exceeding 200 pesos and in case of recidivism, by aresto mayor in its medium period to prision correcccional in its minimum period or fine ranging from 200 to 2,000 pesos, or both, in the discretion of the court.

Unfair of course to the well loved gender of our society and advantageous to the other but its just one of the many laws in the country that pegs women's inferiority. Nobody can be blamed for this except Filipino culture and tradition but we must not also be complacent about it because our modern times dictates equality for both gender.

The first women president in the world is a Filipino, the mother of our current president Benigno Simeon Aquino, and another women already came to power, its high time for us to update all this laws and embrace reality. Not to mention of course was the fines mentioned on law, 200 pesos is just so cheap for a serious and punishable crime, offenders will just shrug it off there sleeve because they can pay it easily nor serve the imprisonment of 1 Month and 1 day to 6 months. The revised law must stipulate gender equality adding male on the description, higher monetary fines and longer imprisonment to discourage current and future offenders.

There had been moves at the moment to amend the laws and the constitutions itself, let us be open minded with the move, support it and not let to much politicking hinder changed. We need this now more than ever!

Canada Braises For Nokia Lumia 710 and Nokia Lumia 800

2012-01-11T07:30:00.004+08:00

Amazing everyday? Now, Canadians will get to experience this magnificent aura as the first two smartphones based on Windows Phone will be rolled out.

Nokia Canada announces the availability of the first two smartphones in the Nokia Lumia family, the Nokia Lumia 710, available exclusively at Rogers Communications, and the Nokia Lumia 800, available exclusively at TELUS. The affordable Nokia Lumia 710 was designed to make the Nokia Lumia experience accessible to more people around the world and at launch was widely praised as the best Windows Phone experience at its price point. The stunningly social Nokia Lumia 800 features familiar Nokia elements like head-turning design, vivid colours, outstanding Carl Zeiss imaging capabilities, and a unique unibody construction.

Based on the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango release, the Nokia Lumia smartphones are designed to appeal to people with active social lives and combine the powerful social and Internet experience of Windows Phone with the ability to take pictures in almost any conditions and share with friends in seconds, as well as access to thousands of the most popular apps, including exclusive Nokia experiences.

Both smartphones come equipped with the signature Lumia experience, Nokia Drive, which delivers a full-fledged personal navigation device (PND) with free, turn-by-turn navigation and dedicated in-car-user-interface.

The Nokia Lumia 710 will be available this February for $49.99 on select 3-year plans as part of Rogers' Smartphone Lite lineup of affordable devices.

The bold Nokia Lumia 800 will be coming soon only to TELUS in black, as well as cyan and magenta options for customers looking to stand out from the crowd.

Nokia Lumia 710: Designed to be personal and affordable
- Deeply integrated social networking experience through Windows Phone 7.5 Mango; stay in touch across Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter right from the people hub
- Best Internet browsing experience with Internet Explorer 9
- Available in black, with optional Xpress-On covers in a variety of colours to suit your mood and style
- Access to thousands of apps in the Windows PCanahone Marketplace
- 3.7" WVGA TFT, ClearBlack capacitive touch screen with pinch zoom, 800 x 480 pixels and 16 million colours
- 5 MP camera with auto focus, LED flash, high definition 720p video recording with 30FPS and one-touch image sharing
- 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 512MB program memory, 8GB internal user memory, and up to 7.6 hours of 3G talktime
- Access to Microsoft SkyDrive for cloud storage

Nokia Lumia 800: Stunningly social
- Head-turning unibody design in vivid colours: cyan, magenta, black
- Deeply integrated social networking experience through Windows Phone 7.5 Mango; stay in touch across Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter right from the People Hub
- Best Internet browsing experience with Internet Explorer 9
- Vivid 3.7" AMOLED, ClearBlack display with WVGA 800x480 pixels, 16 million colours and 2.5D curved glass
- 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 512MB program memory, 16GB internal user memory, and up to 9 hours of 3G talktime
- Access to Microsoft SkyDrive for cloud storage
- Access to thousands of apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace
- Leading imaging capabilities with Carl Zeiss optics, pocket-to-picture-to-post in seconds, 8MP camera with autofocus and touch focus capability, dual LED flash, high definition 720p video recording with 30FPS and one touch image sharing.

Nokia Re-conquers U.S. Via AT&T Bound Nokia Lumia 900

2012-01-10T19:30:00.003+08:00

Perhaps one of the major announcement so far in the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the Nokia Lumia 900, the first Nokia smartphone designed specifically for the US features LTE with a large display and exclusive applications.

This is actually the very first also for Nokia to announce its flagship device in the US and the first to tight it up with a major carrier. Usually, Nokia would announced a worldwide version first and will take a few months before hitting US. This just proves how serious Nokia is in getting a share in the US market.

It will also be the first of Nokia's Windows® Phone-based range to feature high-speed LTE* connectivity. With Nokia's largest display, the Nokia Lumia 900 delivers a rich content experience from a phone that still fits easily in your hand.

Coming exclusively to AT&T in the coming months in cyan and matte black, the Nokia Lumia 900 has a 4.3-inch AMOLED ClearBlack Display for rich, bright images both indoors and out, faster connection speeds based on cutting-edge 4G LTE technology, and a long-lasting 1830 mAH battery for enjoying content all day.

The primary camera includes Nokia's exclusive Carl Zeiss optics, with large aperture (F2.2) and wide angle focal length (28mm) for high-quality, uncropped images even in low-light conditions. In addition, the Nokia Lumia 900 includes a front-facing camera boasting a large aperture and a wide angle lens that ensures sharp, bright images for high-quality video calling, right out of the box.

Nokia's third Lumia smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 900 builds on Lumia's head-turning design on the outside and a rich social and Internet experience on the inside. People Hub is the quickest way to connect with friends with Live Tiles for real-time updates and a fast Web browsing experience with Internet Explorer Mobile.

The Nokia Lumia 900 benefits from a range of leading content experiences:

- The AT&T U-verse Mobile app lets U-verse TV subscribers browse the U-verse TV program guide, schedule and manage their DVR recordings, and watch hit TV shows while on the go. The U-verse Mobile library includes more than 100 TV series and more than 700 TV shows from a variety of genres.

- Nokia Drive, available to download from Windows Phone Marketplace, provides free voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation with a dedicated in-car user interface that turns the Nokia Lumia 900 into a GPS navigation device.

- The exclusive ESPN sports hub is pre-loaded on Nokia Lumia smartphones, and provides a one-stop sports application for news, videos and scores.

- The CNN App for Windows Phones provides the latest news and video from CNN's reporting around the globe and direct access to iReport, CNN's participatory news community. Launching globally for free in the next month, the CNN App will be exclusive to Nokia users for 90 days.

- The Univision App will be exclusive to Nokia Lumia users in the U.S. and Puerto Rico for 18 months, delivering unique and exclusive Spanish-language content experiences, including Univision entertainment, sports and soccer coverage, plus news, cooking and local content for different U.S. markets - all in one App.

- A partnership with EA to bring over 20 of the world's most popular games to the Windows Phone marketplace, coming first to Nokia Lumia devices.

Smarterphone for Nokia, Thoughts

2012-01-09T19:30:00.006+08:00

News recently came out in the web about Nokia purchasing Smarterphone, an Oslo-based company that had created a software platform that enables a smartphone-like user experience on cheap hardware but everything is quite in the Nokia camp yet, no press release or comment whatsoever which lead me to think if theirs really truth behind these informations.

But either way, I see it as a move for the company to push further on the low end market being slowly attacked by Samsung and Cloned phones from China but do they really need another software platform when they have Symbian 40 at the moment and the rumored Meltimi on the pipes. Will this be another move to dissociate the companies name to Symbian believing that its dragging them down like what they did changing Symbian Belle to Nokia Belle.

Sound mysterious enough but whatever there reason be, I do hope they studied it carefully because as far as I've searched about Smarterphone, there's nothing really special about the platform except that it offers new User Interface. Everything is the same feature-wise with that of Symbian 40.

Anyways, nothing is final unless announced by Nokia, I suspect they will disclose it in the upcoming CES event together with new Windows Phone and Symbian devices. It will surely be a busy week ahead for Nokia and the tech community.

Nokia ushers in the New Year with Dual SIM Nokia Asha 200

2012-01-08T08:00:00.000+08:00

Easy Swap Dual SIM, Nokia Messaging and Communities bring richest multiple SIM device

Nokia today announced the availability of the Nokia Asha 200 in the Philippines – a colorful Dual SIM phone with a full QWERTY keypad for fast messaging.

The Nokia Asha 200 offers Nokia’s Easy Swap feature for convenient changing of SIM cards without the need to turn off the phone or remove the battery. The phone allows up to five SIM cards to be personalized and managed, so that calls, texts or web browsing can be enjoyed with minimized costs and maximum network coverage.

Available in a wide range of vibrant colours – including Graphite, Pink, Aqua and Pearl White – the Nokia Asha 200 is the perfect phone for staying connected. It includes a dedicated key for immediate access to favorite email and chat services through Nokia Messaging, and features an SMS view that shows an entire text message chain on the screen, to make chatting with friends easier than ever.

The pre-installed Nokia’s Communities application allows one-click sign-in to multiple social networks, letting users view, post, comment and update their status as well as share photos from networks such as Facebook and Twitter directly from the homescreen.

With support for up to 32 GB of additional memory, music lovers can take their entire collections with them, enjoying favorite tunes through high-performance 106 phon loudspeakers and enhanced stereo FM radio, as well as an FM recording feature that allows users to record songs directly off the radio.

“Consumers are calling out for the right mix of style and substance – phones that look great, but also give the richest possible experience in calling, texting or browsing the web,” said Mike Smith, Device Portfolio Manager, Nokia Philippines. “The new Nokia Asha 200 with Easy Swap Dual SIM helps people enjoy more affordable and connected chat, while new features like Nokia Messaging and Communities place social right on the phone’s homesecreen.”

Pricing and availability
The Nokia Asha 200 is available in Nokia Stores nationwide with a suggested retail price of PhP3,500.

Asha's on the rise!

2012-01-06T19:30:00.000+08:00

Two months from its announcement at the Nokia World 2011, the Asha family surmounts in full scale invading the midrange mobilephone market in the Philippines. Available nationwide for more than 2 weeks now is Nokia Asha 303 Touch and Type that cost PhP6,450.00 and just recently, the Nokia Asha 200 that cost PhP3,500.00 on retail stores. Both phones are on are now up for grabs across the country on different color variants.

The Nokia Asha 303 lands second of my list as the best mobilephones for 2011 being no less than the most value mobilephone handset in the market at the moment. For its affordable price, Nokia manage to squeeze in powerful specs and features such as the 1Ghz processor, 2.6inches TFT capacitive touchscreen, full QWERTY keyboard, WLAN, 3.2MP camera, MP3 and MP4 player, popular games among others. Its almost a smartphone "per se" with only a few feature missing like multitasking and document viewer, other than that its the most outstanding smartphone on its class. Do I need to mention that the phones design is one of my favorite as well? Without a single doubt, this phone is one of my most recommended mobilephone of all time.

The Nokia 200 on the other hand is the first QWERTY Dual SIM phone from Nokia. It cannot be denied that Dual SIM devices are now becoming a mainstream with more and more people using more than just one SIM. The phone simply completes the crave of this users who prefer to enjoy two worlds at a time under one simple device that can do intelligent stuffs. On the specs sheet and feature beside its very affordable price are the 2.4inches, 256 Thousand color resolution screen, 2MP camera, Nokia Browser with Adobe Flash Lite, Bluetooth, Stereo FM with RDS, MP3 and MP4 player, popular games among others.

Asha is on the rise! Be part of the trend.

Nokia N9 Full Blast

2012-01-05T19:30:00.002+08:00

I was able to visit Cagayan De Oro City 4 days ago and very happy to find out that Nokia N9 is already selling in all retail shops around the city. Nokia Flagship Store in Limketkai Mall offered the phone for PhP25,500 for the 16GB variant and PhP29,500 for the 64GB while other retail outlet offers it a thousand less from the above mentioned.

To be very honest, I really missed the phone, obvious proof was my unusual fiddle of the display dummy for a few minutes, to rekindle the memories maybe or just wanting to fell that haunting hold again. I might not be able to afford the phone at the moment because I still have to finished my laptop installment but who knows.

My Nokia N9 fancy will definitely be challenged by Nokia Lumia 800 having the same design and to be offered anytime this month or next month so its going to be a huge weight-out for me. Both phones offer an interesting Operating System gaining positive feedback from everyone.

I've just observed though that the phone did not gain commercial support from Nokia Philippines as compared to Nokia N8 when it was launched two years ago but even so, I really want to stress the phones overall performance here and want to recommend it to everyone. The phone is worth every penny spent you visit any Nokia retail store and grab yours.

First Choice All Inclusive

2012-01-04T20:30:00.000+08:00

First Choice now offer great all inclusive holidays.

BuzzL Man

2012-01-01T19:30:00.000+08:00

Do you like puzzle games? Check this one out!

Top 10 Mobilephones of 2011

2011-12-31T16:00:00.011+08:00

It’s time ladies and gentlemen for the dreaded yearly countdown of the Top 10 best mobilephones of the year. Last year was unexpected because my runaway winner is a mid-range device with a not so powerful specifications. What it has is the total packaging from being useful to being the most affordable without sacrificing to much features. You can read the blog post HERE.

So which phones will make it to the elite this year? Could it be as mentally challenging or emotionally disturbing just like last year? Read on…

10. Cheery Mobile Magnum HD

This is a living proof that high spec's phones should not be expensive and unreachable for the mass market. For just PhP15,600, you will get the following, 4.1 inches TFT WVGA Capacitive screen, Android Gingerbread, 1Ghz processor, 5.0 MP Camera with Flash, 720p HD Recording, WIFI among other specs that you can find in a PhP27,000 Android devices, but less the hardware of course being not so reliable with a possibility of a broken signal or a broken phone itself in 6 months or less. Ask the Cherry Mobile owners, they knew better.

9. Nokia E6

I have been very vocal about the phone being my dream form factor, QWERTY plus capacitive touchscreen, and up to now it still is but the problem with the phone was that, it doesn’t have the jest or the "buy me" factor that’s why it’s almost on the bottom of my list. First and foremost, the screen lacks the size that I would have wanted it to be, 2.46 inches is way off the normal screen size. It would have been better if it has the least 3.0 inches with a 360 x 640 pixels so it’s compatible to all applications for Symbian Anna. Secondly, it has a sub-par camera with its 8MP and Full Focus feature taking regular photos only, but nonetheless, it has a superior hardware cover, the best business apps in the market and the best value price. Nokia just have to add a few tweaks here and it will be perfect.

8. Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S

If we talk about the looks, this phone is the runaway winner! It really look beautiful but holding the phone and using it speaks the other way around. It’s uncomfortable to use and Timescape User Interface (UI) on top of the Android Operating System is rather confusing than helpful. In fact among the Android phones, Sony Ericsson’s UI implementation is the most boring and unattractive. Have anyone even care to tell them that it’s the main reasons why they lag behind in the Android race? But nonetheless the phone has the following specs to brag about, 4.2inches LED-lit capacitive screen, 1.4Ghz SnapDragon Processor, 8MP autofocus camera with HD video recording, WIFI with DLNA among others. And it cost a fortune as well.

7. Motorola Droid RZAR

Yes it’s the RZAR branding alright, that’s why it made it to my Top 10 list. I never question the hardware of a Motorola phone, it will definitely last long unlike any Samsung devices. Motorola made it sure that the phone inherits the character that made the RZAR line-up famous a decade ago, thin dimension yet very solid. And rather, Motorola phones must be the only choice for anybody getting an Android device because it’s now own by Goggle and if there’s one company that Goggle favor in the future, it will be their own.

6. Nokia Lumia 800

This phone is indeed the first real challenge to the Apple iPhone and Androids because the fanboys did all it best to discredit the phones presence. Come to think of it, they belied the phones sale standing, they tried to inculcate the thought that it’s uninteresting and they want it to be dead before it gets even release worldwide, how stupid was that? Maybe they just can’t accept the fact that it’s better than iPhone when it comes to user experience and Android when it comes to system implementation. I’m not fully sold to the phone rather being a copycat to Nokia N9’s hardware design but I’m interested in getting one being very much talked about. Agree?

5. Samsung Galaxy Y S5360

The phone has the unreliable Samsung hardware that might broke after 6 months of use but hey, its is dead cheap for a device with the following specs and features, 3 inches capacitive touchscreen, 860Mhz ARM processor, Android Gingerbread, 2MP camera, WIFI among others. I call it the first touchscreen phone that is truly for the masses. But again as mentioned earlier, buy in your own risk.

4. Amazon Kindle Fire

Will it’s not a true phone in real sense but you can call anybody using the device via Skype or other social applications so its phone in technical sense. Confuse, I am too but it made it as far as number 4 on my best lists for the year. The baseline is of course the price being affordable but it gained more weight being technically good and feature-riched. It has the specs that most of the tablet costing PhP27,000 or more with only a quarter of its price. Just count the difference!

3. Apple iPad 2

That’s a tablet to, moron! But again it’s a phone base on my definition. So why the iPad2 then? Well among the tablet in the market at the moment, this device is no less than the crown jewel being unchallenged by let say Samsung Galaxy Tab or Acer Iconia or Blackberry Playbook when it comes to user experience and features and you know the most hilarious thing about these competing tablets? They are priced the same as that of the iPad2 even if they are less in everything else! How stupid was that?

2. Nokia Asha 303

The phone made it almost to the number one spot by simply becoming the phone that Nokia E6 should have been hardware-wise, a bigger screen and undoubtedly stylish. Its the phones hardware and form factor that made this phone outstanding and the specs and the price were just supporting attributes even though it only cost PhP6,400 and has the following features to brag about, capacitive touchscreen, I GHz of processor, 3.2MP camera, WIFI among others. It must be further improved by adding more size to the screen, like .4 inches more?

1. Nokia N9

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I’m still bounded by the charm of Nokia N9 two months since my free trial with it ended. It just proved how alluring the phone is because it continuously hunt me with its enigma; the superior hardware, unibody design, curve glass display, the bright AMOLED screen with ClearBlack Display technology that makes the icons looks afloat, the three panel system that’s so easy to use, among others, it’s like a phone that was made almost to perfection, only that its running Meego, the Operating System that will cease to exist in two years’ time or more. But I don’t care if it does, as long as I get satisfaction I need when I’m using it. Would that be the best thing that matters most?

Comments and violent reactions are welcome.

Download Free Nokia Store Premium Apps While You Still Can!

2011-12-29T20:30:00.000+08:00

If you haven't knew this yet, Nokia Store is offering FREE premium apps for a limited time to celebrate the holiday season! Get the full versions of the best apps in the store from games, tools, music gears, social connectivity among others.

Angry Birds

The most famous touch-centric game in the world gets wrapped and loaded for Nokia users to download and enjoy. Say goodbye to the 6 level limit of the free game version and hello to more crazy and addictive levels to butcher pigs like no other. The game cost at about PhP30.00 before the promo so don't let the offer pass by. CLICK HERE to download.

Moodgent

If your in to music with a vast number of collection, then this is an app for you that would allow intelligent sorting of songs from your phones music library and play them by modes. Choose from either Sensual, Tender, Happy, Angry and Tempo or combination of each by sliding the mood sliders. I personally use this app and learn a lot from it, from the type of songs to the musical and emotional characteristics of such. Quite heavy I know but really, this app gives you a unique experience. CLICK HERE to download.

Camera and Photography?

Both the Camera Lover Pack and National Geographic Photo app will give you the jest. The Camera Lover Pack offers camera utilization tools like Panorama, Burst capturing, to photo effects, etc. On the other hand, the National Geographic Photo app offers budding photographers a handful of guides and tips to take top-notch pictures. I downloaded both but I haven't had the time to use them yet. If your interested, download the Camera Lover Pack HERE and the National Geographic Photo Tips HERE.

Chat Freak

Most of us probably, that is why Nokia made it sure that we get the best messaging app this Christmas with Nimbuzz and eBuddy Messenger. Connect and chat on Yahoo!, GTalk, AIM, MySpace and Facebook, etc, conveniently with there welcoming user interface. You can download the Nimbuzz Ad-Free application HERE, normally cost PhP50.00 and the eBuddy Messenger HERE.

Data rates apply to all download of course, except WIFI use. Happy Holidays guys and enjoy!

The Honda Experiment Game Promo Film

2011-12-28T19:30:00.000+08:00

To get somewhere new, you’ve got to experiment. That’s how Honda engineers developed the new Civic’s suspension.

Now it’s your turn.