tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22698813817988727942024-09-05T08:10:08.615-07:00frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.comBlogger170125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-21553290731166476822011-08-04T17:54:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:54:00.129-07:00 <P>Smart is set to publicly announce their new HSPA+ capable Plug-It and calls it <STRONG>Smart Bro Rocket</STRONG> with promised speeds of up to 12Mbps on their mobile network.</P><P><BR><IMG alt="" src="/smart-rocket-plugit-prepaid.jpg"></P><P>The Smart Bro Rocket uses a Huawei E353 HSPA+ USB dongle.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/smartbro-rocket-plugit-150x150.jpg"> <IMG alt="" src="/smartbro-rocket-150x150.jpg"> <IMG alt="" src="/smart-rocket-4g-hspa-150x150.jpg"></P><P>The new dongle is available for prepaid users with a retail price of Php3,995 (will be available by Friday next week). </P><P>The same Smart Bro loading system works and the same rates apply (Php10 per 30 minutes). Smart currently has 154 base stations capable of delivering HSPA+ speeds so it’s still limited to Metro Manila and key provincial cities like Cebu and Davao. </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/-NM-T_iKAEc/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-35409648041751601032011-08-04T17:52:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:52:00.033-07:00 <P>For the past 5 days I have been actively testing Smart’s new <STRONG>Always On </STRONG>plans that offer bucket-pricing which charges by the volume of bandwidth consumed. Here’s my personal observation of that test.</P><P>For this experiment, I limited my mobile internet usage to the basic apps I normally use:</P><P>- Twitter<BR>- FourSquare<BR>- GMail<BR>- Google+</P><P>(Note: I’m not really a huge FaceBook user except when maintaining the blog’s fan page so I don’t access it from the phone a lot. Of course, I still get FB email notifications thru GMail.) These apps are my most frequently used apps so the results will be heavily dependent on my lifestyle.</P><P>My data usage is as follows:</P><P><IMG src="/smart-always-on.jpg"></P><P>Note as well that data usage for uploads are logged and included in your <STRONG>Always On</STRONG> allocation. My testing and observations can be summarized with this simple FAQ:</P><P><STRONG>How did you measure your usage?</STRONG></P><P>I downloaded and installed <STRONG>3G Watchdog</STRONG> on my Android phone. I would also request for SMS updates on how much bandwidth the system has logged against my allocation.</P><P><STRONG>How long are you on 3G?</STRONG></P><P>I used a dedicated Android device to run Twitter, FourSquare, GMail and Google+ during the entire testing period. The device is on 3G 24-hours a day. I also subscribed to Always On 20 which is Php20 for 25MB of bandwidth for 24 hours.</P><P><STRONG>How active are you with using those apps?</STRONG></P><P>If you follow me on Twitter, Google+ or FourSquare, you’d see I’m an average user (I don’t really consider myself a heavy user). Nevertheless, since the apps I used are running 24/7 in the background and constantly downloading status updates, I think I’m fairly on the average spectrum.</P><P><STRONG>Did you ever exceeded the daily bandwidth allocation?</STRONG></P><P>Not once. Sometimes, when I see that the expiration is near and my consumption is still below the quota, I would fire up some other apps (like YouTube, Maps or the browser) just to see how many MB that short activity would consume. Google Maps would eat up like 1MB just to show you your current location on the map; the front-page of YugaTech is also around 1MB to 2MB, depending on the banner ads that show up with it. A single YouTube stream can eat up between 1MB to 5MB.</P><P><STRONG>So what is it good for?</STRONG></P><P><STRONG>Smart Always On</STRONG> is best for social networking apps like Twitter and FourSquare. It’s even good with GMail too but that will somehow depend on the volume of attachments you get on a daily basis. I think you can also add in Facebook and Google+ into the mix safely.</P><P><STRONG>How about the other apps and mobile activities?</STRONG></P><P>Frankly, I don’t see this being usable with web-browsing (even if it’s just mobile web). Imagine, loading the home page of this blog will already use up 1.9MB.</P><P>Other smartphone apps that will easily eat up your allocation are Google Maps, YouTube, DropBox. I don’t even recommend opening up the Android Market and downloading any apps when you’re on Always On (I suggest doing that via WiFi instead).</P><P><STRONG>What’s the catch?</STRONG></P><P>The only issue I think that they need to address (and I’ve talked to the Smart guys there about this) is the automatic switching of the internet billing to Php10 per 30 minutes once the Always On plan expires.</P><P>This happened to me when I was subscribed to the daily plan. Was asleep the whole morning and my plan had expired for several hours before I woke up and discovered it. I ended up being charged something like Php50 because of the switch to Php10/30 minute billing. I’d call this a minor bill-shock</EM>.</P><P>I suggested to Smart they provide an option for subscribers to disable mobile internet once the plan expires so there’s no way you get charged after that.</P><P>I think my sweet spot for Smart’s Always On would be the <STRONG>Php300</STRONG> for 30 days with a 250MB allocation. If you’re just on Twitter, Gmail and FourSquare on your smartphone, this goes down to just Php10/day for 30 days. Will try that next time and update this post. </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/iYRv2lakhNs/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-43495932078423640162011-08-04T17:51:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:51:00.083-07:00 <P>A recent speed test conducted by an independent professional engineering service, <STRONG>NESIC</STRONG>, showed that <STRONG>Smart Bro</STRONG> got better results, over-all. See some of the findings of the tests below. </P><P>The tests were conducted from July 4 to 6, 2011 in 100 test locations nationwide. The results were shared to members of the media during lunch today with reps from <STRONG>NESIC</STRONG> and <STRONG>Smart</STRONG> answering questions from the press.</P><P>The tool used to measure the data was Speedtest.net and the text server is located in San Francisco, USA (SF Monkey Brains server). Average speed test is taken from a sample of 5 tests.</P><P>Here’s the summary of the test done by NESIC:</P><P>- Smart is faster in 99 of the 100 test locations.</P><P>- 2.66Mbps highest peak speed for SmartBro (tested in Plantation Bay Resort)</P><P>- 1.23Mbps peak speed average for Smart Bro vs. 0.23Mbps of Globe Tattoo </P><P>- Average of 1Mbps faster in 47 of 100 locations.</P><P>- Average of 1.5Mbps faster in locations.</P><P>- Cebu has highest average speed difference of 1.38Mbps vs. Globe Tattoo</P><P>- Tondo, Manila has highest average speed difference of 2.29Mbps vs. Globe Tattoo.</P><P>Globe actually beat Smart Bro in only 1 of the 100 test locations (that’s at the Matutina Restaurant in Dagupan).</P><P>Smart’s network has been upgraded to HSPA+ as well with 3,116 base stations on HSPA 7.2Mbps and 154 base stations on HSPA+ 21Mbps.</P><P>It is interesting to note that NESIC was also used by Globe Telecom to do a similar test in 2009 (see our Globe-NESIC story here). </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/MGIAEr_m0hY/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-83127241661572119892011-08-04T17:50:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:50:00.503-07:00 <P>Smart is set to publicly announce their new HSPA+ capable Plug-It and calls it <STRONG>Smart Bro Rocket</STRONG> with promised speeds of up to 12Mbps on their mobile network.</P><P><BR><IMG alt="" src="/smart-rocket-plugit-prepaid.jpg"></P><P>The Smart Bro Rocket uses a Huawei E353 HSPA+ USB dongle.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/smartbro-rocket-plugit-150x150.jpg"> <IMG alt="" src="/smartbro-rocket-150x150.jpg"> <IMG alt="" src="/smart-rocket-4g-hspa-150x150.jpg"></P><P>The new dongle is available for prepaid users with a retail price of Php3,995 (will be available by Friday next week). </P><P>The same Smart Bro loading system works and the same rates apply (Php10 per 30 minutes). Smart currently has 154 base stations capable of delivering HSPA+ speeds so it’s still limited to Metro Manila and key provincial cities like Cebu and Davao. </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/-NM-T_iKAEc/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-73016683698805930442011-08-04T17:48:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:48:00.203-07:00 <P>Was writing down my review of the Dell Streak 5 but had a hard time calling it a tablet considering its size. So the thought came up that I should do a poll and ask readers what they think is the most ideal size for a tablet.</P><P>Currently, there are a number of form factors and sizes — you have the 10.1? which is represented by the iPad 2, Asus Transformer, Acer Iconia Tab A500, Motorola Xoom as well as the upcoming Galaxy Tab 10.1. </P><P><IMG alt="" src="/tablets-singapore.jpg"></P><P>There’s also the odd 8.9? size which is represented by the LG Optimus Pad and the Galaxy Tab 3G 8.9. </P><P>The 7-inch is a very popular size as well with the original Galaxy Tab P1000, BlackBerry Playbook, HTC Flyer, ViewSonic ViewPad 7, Archos 70, Huawei Ideos S7 and the Cherry Mobile Superion.</P><P>Then, there’s the lonesome Dell Streak 5 at the 5-inch range.</P><P>So, why don’t we just put this to a vote, shall we? </P><P><STRONG>What’s your ideal tablet size?</STRONG></P><P>a) 10.1?</P><P>b) 8.9?</P><P>c) 7?</P><P>d) 5?</P><P>e) others</P><P>Go hit the comments to register your answer and also tell us why. </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/gKq2QSsN4wY/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-62784196461534447692011-08-04T17:46:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:46:00.458-07:00 <P>We bought the new <STRONG>Macbook Air 11?</STRONG> yesterday so we can get you a more realistic review of this new ultraportable from Apple. We did the first review of the 11.6? here last year so we’ll do an update on that based on the new hardware improvements.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/2011-2010-macbook-air.jpg"></P><P>From the outside, you won’t be seeing anything different between the 2010 MacBook Air 11.6? and the 2011 model. The only thing you will probably notice would be the back-lit keyboard when you turn on the device.</P><P>The second one would be the FN keys on the keyboard — there are additional shortcuts in the function keys, including control for the brightness of the backlit keyboard.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/macbook-air-backlit-keyboard.jpg"></P><P>The rest of the differences would be due to the new Max OS X Lion, most prominent of all is the reversed scrolling function (which could be really annoying at first).</P><P>SO we fired up a couple of simple benchmarks and see how much improvement we are getting from the upgraded hardware.</P><P>Here’s what we got from <STRONG>NovaBench</STRONG>:</P><P><STRONG>2010 Macbook Air 11.6?</STRONG> (1.4GHz Core 2 Duo, NVidia 320M)<BR>RAM score: 98<BR>CPU Tests: 112<BR>Graphics Test: 53<BR>Hardware Tests: 11<BR>3D Frames Per Second: 121<BR>Write Speed: 72 MB/s<BR>RAM Speed: 2013 MB/s<BR><STRONG>NovaBench Score</STRONG>: 274</P><P><STRONG>2011 Macbook Air 11.6?</STRONG> (1.6GHz Core i5, Intel HD Graphics 3000)<BR>RAM score: 123<BR>CPU Tests: 303<BR>Graphics Test: 22<BR>Hardware Tests: 28<BR>3D Frames Per Second: 54<BR>Write Speed: 227 MB/s<BR>RAM Speed: 5767 MB/s<BR><STRONG>NovaBench Score</STRONG>: 274</P><P>Here’s the GeekBench scores:<BR>2011 Macbook Air 11.6?: 4630<BR>2010 Macbook Air 11.6?: 2202</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/2011-macbook-air-11-6.jpg"></P><P>The new 11.6? Macbook Air got much better scores from the 2010 model, except for the graphics department. Although numerous benchmarks comparing the NVidia GeForce 320M and Intel HD Graphics 3000 are showed both integrated graphics processors (IGPs) perform at par with each other, frame rates will vary from game to game or benchmark tool. In our NovaBench test, the 320M scored better than Intel HD 3000.</P><P>So far, the biggest performance improvements I noticed is with Adobe Photoshop CS5 and with iMovie. More on this once I finish the full review.</P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/3f09wu7C55s/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-73964001300008918332011-08-04T17:44:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:44:00.150-07:00 <P>Looks like Alcatel Philippines also has their own dual-SIM Android smartphone called the <STRONG>OneTouch Blaze Duo 890D</STRONG>. It has a suggested retail price but Alcatel is giving it for an introductory price of <STRONG>Php4,999</STRONG>.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/alcatel-onetouch-blaze-duo-890d.jpg"></P><P><STRONG>Alcatel OT Blaze Duo 890D</STRONG> specs:<BR>2.8-inch display @ 320×240 pixels<BR>420MHz processor<BR>150MB internal storage<BR>up to 16GB via microSD card<BR>WiFi 802.11 b/g<BR>Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP<BR>2MP camera<BR>Stereo FM radio with RDS<BR>GPS w/ aGPS support<BR>1000mAh Li-Ion battery<BR>Android 2.2. Froyo</P><P>There’s no 3G here, just EDGE for both the two SIM modules. The handsets are available in Fuschia, Orange and Steel Grey. Regular price is Php5,999 but it’s down to just Php4,999 with the limited promo. </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/kg9gUMGTPBI/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-76897852214190922162011-08-04T17:43:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:43:00.471-07:00 <P>Cosmic Technologies is also coming out with what could be the cheapest Android smartphone in the Philippines, the <STRONG>Cherry Mobile Eclipse 2.2</STRONG>. It’s the first Android phone to have a suggested retail price of under Php5,000.</P><P>And it’s a dual-SIM smartphone too running Android 2.2 Froyo. See poster below for full specs:</P><P><IMG title="" height=464 alt="" src="/cherry-mobile-eclipse-2-2.jpg" width=480></P><P>It’s interesting to note that the Eclipse used to refer to the WinMo line-up of Cherry Mobile. The Eclipse 2.2 is now on Android (the 2.2 suffix might refer to the Android version). It’s got 512MB of ROM and 256MB RAM and comes with WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3.2-inch screen and a 2MP camera.</P><P>The Cherry Mobile Eclipse 2.2 will have a retail price of <STRONG>Php4,999</STRONG> and should be available in stores soon.</P><P>On a side note, we’re giving away that Cherry Mobile Cosmo here. </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/nea74KNQmWs/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-41069332897453794132011-08-04T17:41:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:41:00.809-07:00 <P>Cosmic Technologies has just announced what could be the first quad-SIM phone in the country, the <STRONG>Cherry Mobile Quad Q70</STRONG>. This full-qwerty phone not only has four (4) active standby SIM slots but also has a TV tuner.</P><P><IMG title="cherry mobile quad q70" alt="" src="/cherry-mobile-quad-q70.jpg"></P><P>The <STRONG>Cherry Mobile Quad Q70</STRONG> has a suggested retail price of <STRONG>Php3,499</STRONG>. </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/ffx8t5dk86o/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-41155903561237880382011-08-04T17:39:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:39:00.372-07:00 <P>Originally referred to as the Galaxy Z, the <STRONG>Samsung Galaxy R</STRONG> has now been officially announced by the Korean company as the other twin-brother of the popular <STRONG>Galaxy S2</STRONG>.</P><P>A little thicker than the S2 due to its metallic construction, the Galaxy R sports a Tegra 2 processor and a slightly smaller camera sensor {via}.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/samsung-galaxy-z.jpg"><BR><STRONG>Samsung I9103 Galaxy R</STRONG> specs:<BR>4.2? SC-LCD capacitive touchscreen @ 480 x 800 pixels<BR>Dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor<BR>Nvidia GeForce GPU, Tegra 2 chipset<BR>1GB RAM, 2GB ROM<BR>8GB storage<BR>up to 32GB via microSD card<BR>5MP auto-focus camera with LED flash<BR>1.3MP front-facing camera<BR>720p video recording<BR>WiFi 802.11 b/g/n<BR>Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP<BR>GPS with aGPS support<BR>FM radio<BR>Li-Ion 1650mAh battery<BR>Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread</P><P>It’s been released in Europe this month so we should be seeing it slowly creeping into Philippine shores soon. As for the price, we expect the Galaxy R to be less expensive than the Galaxy S2. </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/AtM9dnwwhU4/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-21962936904221209432011-08-04T17:38:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:38:30.806-07:00 <P>Nokia has just revealed the <STRONG>Nokia 500</STRONG>, the first 1GHz Symbian smarpthone (it’s also their 2nd smarpthone that runs on a 1GHz processor, next to the N9).</P><P>The phone looks like the Nokia C5-03 with with better, design-wise but with better hardware.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/nokia-500.jpg"></P><P><STRONG>Nokia 500</STRONG><BR>3.2? display @ 360×640 pixels<BR>1GHz processor<BR>2GB internal storage<BR>up to 32GB via microSD<BR>HSDPA 14.4Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps<BR>WiFi 802.11 b/g<BR>Bluetooth 2.1<BR>5MP camera<BR>GPs w/ aGPS support<BR>FM radio tuner<BR>1100mAh battery<BR>Symbian Anna OS</P><P>See teaser video below:</P><P><EMBED src=http://www.youtube.com/v/-YJdCO-F9Bc?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0 width=500 height=314 type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></EMBED></P><P>The Nokia 500 should be out before end of this quarter. </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/5UgsQ-CEcQA/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-40151717112782130242011-08-04T17:37:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:38:30.547-07:00 <P>Been using the <STRONG>MMDA Traffic Monitoring</STRONG> system for several weeks now but have not really blogged about it since I was waiting for an Android App or an iPad App. But, it looks like TV5 and MMDA has already officially launched the service the other night after being on beta for about a month.</P><P>If you follow <STRONG>@mmda</STRONG> on Twitter, you know you can actually ask them about traffic situation in certain areas and get answers instantly.</P><P>However, it would be nice if you can just pull it up on-demand. That’s what the MMDA Traffic Navigator does. It’s a visual microsite that shows traffic situation along EDSA and C5. </P><P><IMG alt="" src="/mmda-traffic-navigator-150x150.jpg"> <IMG alt="" src="/mmda-traffic-150x150.jpg"> <IMG alt="" src="/metro-manila-traffic-navigator-150x150.jpg"></P><P>The site offers 3 visual interfaces that show live traffic conditions along the major roads in 15-minute intervals (it’s not really live but 15 minutes should be enough). Of the three, I liked the System View the most (there’s the Line Item view and Google Maps View). You can filter the results for Northbound or Southbound traffic as well.</P><P>Traffic is rated as Heavy, Moderate or Light with corresponding color codes. Just click on the POI (point of interest and more details will pop up on the screen.)</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/mmda-traffic-navigator-website.jpg"></P><P>The microsite is best viewed on a laptop/netbook or tablet (renders very well on the iPad). It’s usable on smaller smartphones since you can always zoom in or out of the map. </P><P>Here’s some more improvements that, I think, should be included in future updates.</P><BLOCKQUOTE>Get the apps out soon — Android, iOS, Symbian (we’re still a Nokia country) and BlackBerry. I hear they’re doing a beta on the iOS now. An Adobe Air app could be of good use for netbooks and laptops too.Probably extend the traffic monitor to more areas like Kalayaan, Shaw Boulevard, Katipunan, etc.I understand MMDA has live cameras along these routes. Maybe a screenshot of the actual traffic in those locations will give commuters more qualitative information on how heavy or light the traffic is.The site is currently hosted on mmdatraffic.interaksyon.com which is a bit too long to remember or verbally share. A URL shorter or domain (traffic.ph) would do or maybe something like traffic.mmda.gov.ph. I understand this is a joint project with TV5 so they’d want to host it on their domain but a URL redirect can fix that too.They also should put a disclaimer at the bottom of the website that says “This is where your taxes go”. *jk*</BLOCKQUOTE><P>The MMDA Traffic Navigator is a really good start and I’m glad some branches of the government are catching up with the times and employing some really usable online services (we featured the DTI Mapping Project in Bohol earlier).</P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/Sh2jU7qPdw8/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-16438179840902377632011-08-04T17:35:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:38:30.291-07:00 <P>During a press briefing with one of the local telcos last week, the question of minimum speed was again raised by one of the members of the media. NTC has also released a memorandum circular to that effect but I think the issue will continue to linger.</P><P>The answer to the question was a bit vague but they promised they’ll do their best to provide it. So, why telcos <STRONG>cannot</STRONG> and <STRONG>will not</STRONG> guarantee minimum 3G (mobile internet) speeds?</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/apn-settings.jpg"></P><P>Well, there are actually many reasons, both technical and financial in nature, that prevents telcos to guarantee a minimum speed (take note the reasons are for mobile internet only).</P><STRONG>Nomadic Nature of 3G Users</STRONG>. Mobile internet users are always moving around and as such, the density of users in specific locations at specific periods of time will vary. This means certain base stations may be congested while others are not.<STRONG>Coverage of Cellular Base Stations</STRONG>. Thousands of base stations are spread across the country to maximize the spread of 3G coverage but that’s not yet 100% fully covered. Last time I heard, they have 98% reach of the population (not area) of the country. That’s just cellular reach, which means GPRS, EDGE and 3G combined. My bet is that less than 50% of the population has 3G coverage so they still have a long way to go.<STRONG>Bandwidth Cost & Provisioning</STRONG>. To guarantee a minimum bandwidth means they need to buy more international bandwidth. That minimum speed might not cover the Php999 monthly fee users pay for unlimited mobile internet. I also discussed here the true cost of guaranteed speed.<STRONG>Geography and Topography of the Philippines</STRONG>. The country’s geographic make-up and the topography of each island is so different, it’s a bit harder to set-up towers and get it to maximum efficiency. Our land mass is not as small as Singapore and Hong Kong so telcos need more resources (so much more I guess) to blanket the entire archipelago with a 3G network.<STRONG>Extraneous Factors</STRONG>. Extraneous factors such as weather and other interferences that affect signal quality (let’s not even talk about the NPA that regularly bomb cellular base stations just to get revolutionary taxes). Simple Economics (Law of Supply and Demand). Telcos will never invest in a location where demand for their services are low, sparse or non-existent. That’s the reason why you cannot get any 3G signal in Batan Island in Batanes. The demand is too few to justify putting up one.<P>If and when the carriers are required to provide minimum 3G speeds, I am sure they will find a way to circle around it. Just read the fine print. Requiring a minimum 3G speed will be a blanket provision (the odds are stacked against them) and they know it will be a losing proposition. I think, and this is just my personal opinion, that NTC memo will not fly and the commission should just look at the quality of customer service first.</P><P>My suggestion is that if they can’t make the guarantee, just make it more affordable.</P><P>It’s a different story altogether if we talked about fixed-line broadband but that discussion is for another time.</P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/jMS_LkX9rio/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-16683955937289322332011-08-04T17:33:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:38:30.082-07:00 <P>In a press release sent just now, Globe announced that they are lowering the prepaid price of their Tattoo Prepaid USB dongle to only <STRONG>Php995</STRONG>.</P><P>Not exactly sure how much it was before but as far as I can remember, it used to be around Php1,245. </P><P><IMG alt="" src="/globe-tattoo.jpg"></P><BLOCKQUOTE readability="6"><P>The Globe-powered Tattoo has just upped the ante on its popular broadband stick, dropping the price to just Php995 and packing it chock-full with 120 hours of surfing good for 5 days. </P></BLOCKQUOTE><P>The price drop was made effective since last week The 120 free hours has a value of Php250 (when converted to SuperSurf50).</P><P>Globe Tattoo sticks started out in the Php3k price range when they were first introduced in the market many years ago.</P><P>The kit comes with a Tattoo Broadband USB Device, SIM pack, USB cable, and user manual. To activate the 5 days free surfing, just send FREE120 to 8888 via the dialer.</P><P>(Note: Globe used to offer Php895 with Php100 free load as early as last year but that was on a limited or promo basis. This one looks like it’s a permanent price cut.)</P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/W9b1qiqXeVo/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-80429753731784417972011-08-04T17:31:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:38:28.964-07:00 <P>If the recent global shipments of smartphones can be considered a basis to determine if a platform performs well, then this graph is telling a lot.</P><P>This is a quarterly graph of how many smartphones are shipped by Nokia, Samsung, Apple, Motorola, HTC and Sony Ericsson. Note that this is only for smartphones and not the entire handset line-up of each manufacturer (although for HTC and Apple, the numbers are the same since they only sell smartphones).</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/smartphone-market-worldwide.jpg"></P><P>Looking at the graph, you can see that Nokia smartphone shipments went thru the roof up until the 4th quarter of 2010 until the 1st quarter of 2011.</P><P>However, by the end of the 2nd quarter of this year, Apple and Samsung caught up and even surpassed Nokia.</P><P>HTC, on the other hand, was somewhat flat from 2008 to early 2010 and then grew several folds form the 1st quarter of 2010 until this quarter.</P><P>Samsung smartphones sales were very low until 1st quarter of 2010 and then went passed HTC by the 3rd quarter of the same year and is now almost at the same level as Apple’s iPhone. Samsung carries several smartphone platforms though, including Bada, Windows Phone 7 and Android.</P><P>RIM was also having a really steady growth with their BlackBerry handset sales although there seems to be a slight dip in the numbers during this last quarter.</P><P>Android has done a lot in helping boost the numbers for Samsung and HTC, not that much though with Sony Ericsson and Motorola though there’s still some noticeable growth there. </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/H9X0KEZLHFM/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-45802646434612267972011-08-04T17:30:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:30:01.475-07:00 <P>Aside from the news that the HTC Desire is already rolling out Gingerbread via OTA yesterday (can’t find my Desire so can’t verify), Sony Ericsson also rolled out Android 2.3 to the Xperia X10 last night.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/sony-ericsson-xperia-x10-gingerbread-2-3.jpg"></P><P>They actually made a premature announcement last week but pulled back. To get the update, just plug your Xperia X10 to a PC with SE PC Companion installed and running (and follow the steps).</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/xperia-x10-gingerbread-150x150.jpg"> <IMG alt="" src="/gingerbread-xperia-x10-150x150.jpg"> <IMG alt="" src="/android233-xperia-x10-150x150.jpg"></P><P>Android 2.3.3. Gingerbread added a few more tweaks to Xperia X10, making it more responsive. The UI has also improved, more snappy and has pretty nice transition effects. Since they skipped Android 2.2., this is the first time WiFi and USB tethering will be available to the X10.</P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/omAZ2L_j2lg/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-73720243147898612022011-08-04T17:28:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:28:00.514-07:00 <P>RIM has just announced a couple of new BlackBerry Torch, including the earlier BlackBerry Bold 9900. The <STRONG>BlackBerry Torch 9810</STRONG> is a slider phone that looks like a successor to the first one while the <STRONG>BB Torch 9860</STRONG> is a full touch screen phone that reminded us of the Blackberry Storm from many years back.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/blackberry-torch-9810.jpg"><BR><STRONG>BlackBerry Torch 9810</STRONG><BR>1.2GHz processor<BR>3.2? capacitive touch screen @ 480×640 pixels<BR>Optical trackpad<BR>Full qwerty keyboard<BR>8GB internal storage<BR>768MB RAM<BR>up to 32GB via microSD card<BR>HSDPA 14.4Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps<BR>WiFi 802.11 b/g/n<BR>Bluetooth 2.1 w/ A2DP<BR>GPS w/ aGPS support<BR>5MP camera with autofocus and LED flash<BR>NFC support<BR>Li-Ion 1300 mAh<BR>BlackBerry OS 7</P><P>The BB Torch 9810 is 11.5mm thin, which is not bad for a touchscreen and slider phone. The Torch 9860 also has the same thickness.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/blackberry-torch-9860.jpg"></P><P><STRONG>BlackBerry Torch 9860</STRONG><BR>1.2GHz processor<BR>3.7? capacitive touch screen @ 480×800 pixels<BR>Optical trackpad<BR>4GB internal storage<BR>768MB RAM<BR>up to 32GB via microSD card<BR>HSDPA 14.4Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps<BR>WiFi 802.11 b/g/n<BR>Bluetooth 2.1 w/ A2DP<BR>GPS w/ aGPS support<BR>5MP camera with autofocus<BR>NFC support<BR>720p video recording<BR>Li-Ion 1230 mAh<BR>BlackBerry OS 7</P><P>Aside from the 3.7? touch screen display, the Torch 9860 also has a touchpad at the bottom with an optical trackpad in the middle.</P><P>These new BlackBerry Torch handsets might take some time to arrive in the Philippines (maybe sometime between October to December this year). </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/6iZSWTX_7Us/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-47908472427918953102011-08-04T17:27:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:27:00.366-07:00 <P>With so many platforms and so many devices to choose from (Android, iOS, Symbian or Windows Phone 7), some things remain the same. Some names are familiar (like Qualcomm or NVidia Tegra) while others are seldom mentioned, like <STRONG>Corning</STRONG>.</P><P>If you haven’t heard of the company, it’s because their product goes by the name <STRONG>Gorilla Glass</STRONG>. Sounds familiar?</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/corning-gorilla-glass.jpg"></P><P>Gorilla Glass is a damage-resistant, thin, lightweight piece of glass that protects your smartphones from scrapes, bumps and accidental drops.</P><BLOCKQUOTE readability="8"><P>The glass is placed in a hot bath of molten salt at a temperature of approximately 400°C. Smaller sodium ions leave the glass, and larger potassium ions from the salt bath replace them. These larger ions take up more room and are pressed together when the glass cools, producing a layer of compressive stress on the surface of the glass. Gorilla Glass’s special composition enables the potassium ions to diffuse far into the surface, creating high compressive stress deep into the glass.</P></BLOCKQUOTE><P>This doesn’t mean Gorilla Glass is totally unbreakable. I’m sure, with enough determination, one can easily break it. It’s the hazards of daily use that’s what Gorilla Glass prevents your precious device from being harmed — like putting it with a bunch of keys in your pocket.</P><P>Corning’s numbers for Gorilla Glass are impressive — 30 major brands, 425 product models and over 300 million devices use Gorilla Glass. And they only started introducing it to the market in 2008.</P><P>Gorilla Glass is currently being used mainly for smartphones (Dell, HTC, Kryocera, Nokia, Samsung, NEC, LG and Motorola), tablets, even notebooks (Acer, LG, Lenovo) and TVs (Sony). Hyundai is also be using it with the LCD panel of their concept car called Hyundai Blue. I wonder what Apple is using for the iPhone and iPad (Note: Corning’s FAQ says some agreements prevent them from disclosing other brands).</P><P>The company made like $6.6 billion in 2010 so I’m sure they’re happy everyone’s getting Gorilla Glass nowadays (they made $80 million in the first 18 months since they introduced it). Btw, did you know Corning also introduced Pyrex back in 1915? </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/jlF9UNYGg2g/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-14200343525556162242011-08-04T17:26:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:26:02.068-07:00 <P>Was just listening to SRO over at <STRONG>DZMM</STRONG> when a radio plug for the new <STRONG>Smart Bro Starter Plug-It</STRONG> aired with the announcer mentioning some sort of minimum speed and service reliability at the end of the ad.</P><P>Smart’s <STRONG>Starter Plug-It</STRONG> is a prepaid kit for their mobile internet service that sells for just Php995 and comes with 1 hour free internet.</P><P>So I went to their website to check out it and saw this:</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/starter-smartbro-plugit.jpg"></P><P>The fine print confirms it. “Minimum GPRS speed of 12-48kbps, where broadband service is available”.</P><P>It does not say anything about the service reliability though, unlike the one in the radio ad which mentions something like 80% service uptime reliability. </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/stt7GtghAG8/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-69814350206619342412011-08-04T17:24:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:24:01.053-07:00 <P>Been using the <STRONG>MMDA Traffic Monitoring</STRONG> system for several weeks now but have not really blogged about it since I was waiting for an Android App or an iPad App. But, it looks like TV5 and MMDA has already officially launched the service the other night after being on beta for about a month.</P><P>If you follow <STRONG>@mmda</STRONG> on Twitter, you know you can actually ask them about traffic situation in certain areas and get answers instantly.</P><P>However, it would be nice if you can just pull it up on-demand. That’s what the MMDA Traffic Navigator does. It’s a visual microsite that shows traffic situation along EDSA and C5. </P><P><IMG alt="" src="/mmda-traffic-navigator-150x150.jpg"> <IMG alt="" src="/mmda-traffic-150x150.jpg"> <IMG alt="" src="/metro-manila-traffic-navigator-150x150.jpg"></P><P>The site offers 3 visual interfaces that show live traffic conditions along the major roads in 15-minute intervals (it’s not really live but 15 minutes should be enough). Of the three, I liked the System View the most (there’s the Line Item view and Google Maps View). You can filter the results for Northbound or Southbound traffic as well.</P><P>Traffic is rated as Heavy, Moderate or Light with corresponding color codes. Just click on the POI (point of interest and more details will pop up on the screen.)</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/mmda-traffic-navigator-website.jpg"></P><P>The microsite is best viewed on a laptop/netbook or tablet (renders very well on the iPad). It’s usable on smaller smartphones since you can always zoom in or out of the map. </P><P>Here’s some more improvements that, I think, should be included in future updates.</P><BLOCKQUOTE>Get the apps out soon — Android, iOS, Symbian (we’re still a Nokia country) and BlackBerry. I hear they’re doing a beta on the iOS now. An Adobe Air app could be of good use for netbooks and laptops too.Probably extend the traffic monitor to more areas like Kalayaan, Shaw Boulevard, Katipunan, etc.I understand MMDA has live cameras along these routes. Maybe a screenshot of the actual traffic in those locations will give commuters more qualitative information on how heavy or light the traffic is.The site is currently hosted on mmdatraffic.interaksyon.com which is a bit too long to remember or verbally share. A URL shorter or domain (traffic.ph) would do or maybe something like traffic.mmda.gov.ph. I understand this is a joint project with TV5 so they’d want to host it on their domain but a URL redirect can fix that too.They also should put a disclaimer at the bottom of the website that says “This is where your taxes go”. *jk*</BLOCKQUOTE><P>The MMDA Traffic Navigator is a really good start and I’m glad some branches of the government are catching up with the times and employing some really usable online services (we featured the DTI Mapping Project in Bohol earlier).</P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/Sh2jU7qPdw8/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-43195643037706889532011-08-04T17:22:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:23:21.250-07:00 <P>The next round of smartphone wars will be in the 3D front. At the moment, it’s just between the <STRONG>LG Optimus 3D</STRONG> and the <STRONG>HTC Evo 3D</STRONG>. No word when these two will arrive in the Philippines but let’s look at what’s coming up.</P><P>Looks like 4.3 inches is the new standard among superphones and both the Optimus 3D and Evo 3D come in this form factor. While HTC has been doing a number of handsets in the 4.3-inch range, the Optimus 3D is LG’s first of this size.</P><P><IMG height=234 alt="" src="/htc-evo-3d-lg-optimus-3d.jpg" width=496></P>1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8660Dual 5MP autofocus camera with LED flashDual 5MP autofocus camera with LED flash720p 3D, 1080p 2D video recording1.3MP front camera for video calls0.3MP front camera for video calls3G, 4G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA<P>Local LG reps have hinted about the Optimus 3D but did not give any indication as to the release date in the Philippines.</P><P>It’s still a touch call between the two but if we based it from the comparative table above, which one makes you drool? </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/HDoQ8Gx9KiQ/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-36312911853065486132011-07-28T18:47:00.000-07:002011-07-28T18:47:00.237-07:00 <P>Since the Nokia E71 came out several years ago, I’ve been a huge fan of the Finnish company’s full qwerty handsets. They’ve continued that same legacy and after 3 years, we still see the same signature with the E6. Read our full review of the <STRONG>Nokia E6</STRONG> below.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/nokia-e6.jpg"></P><P>Very little has actually changed on the design of the <STRONG>Nokia E6</STRONG> when you compare it to its predecessor. The hardware specs has improved a lot but a first look at the device by an untrained eye will definitely confuse them in a lineup together with the E71 and the E72.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/nokiae6.jpg"></P><P>The handset has a pretty solid body construction, built with a combination of metal back-plating and hard polymer. The power button is found at the top end, along with the 3.5mm audio port and a compartment for a microSD card slot, for easy access.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/nokia-e6-review.jpg"></P><P>The micro-USB port is hidden on the left side while the volume control is on the right side along with a dedicated button for voice commands and a screen-lock slider.</P><P>The Nokia E6 sports a full qwerty keypad and a touch screen allowing you to navigate using the physical D-pad and the display, depending on the need. On the first few days of use, you might get confused with navigation because you switch between the buttons on the touch panel-like uni-button of sorts</EM>, the D-pad and the screen but you’ll soon get the hang of it.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/nokia-e6-keyboard.jpg"></P><P>The E6 is one of the very few breed of Nokia handsets that they’d often refer to as “Touch & Type” although they didn’t really put this label on the E6, much like the E7 (don’t really know what qualifies a Nokia handset to carry the Touch & Type suffix).</P><P>The shortcut buttons (Home, Contacts, Message & Calendar) are now part of the touch panel uni-button to give it a clean, clutter-free and more polished look (I still prefer the physical buttons on the E72 though).</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/white-nokia-e6.jpg"></P><P>The solid metal back-plating gives the E6 a more solid design and construction. The 8MP camera is raised a bit, along with the dual-LED flash and speakers. This also makes the E6 a bit heavy for its size, which coud be good or bad, depending on where you’re coming from.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/nokia-e6-battery.jpg"></P><P>The Nokia E6 now comes with the new <STRONG>Symbian Anna</STRONG>, a more streamlined fork of the Symbian OS line-up. You get four scrollable homescreens you can customize with icons, shortcuts and widgets. The OS is more fluid, organized and functional compared to other previous Symbian variants. The UI works well for full touchscreen, full qwerty or a combination of both, just like the E6.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/nokia-e6-philippines.jpg"></P><P>The camera on the Nokia E6 has an 8-megapixel sensor. However, it’s fixed-focused and not autofocus so half of the time, your photos will be out of focus or blurred. It’s only good when your subjects are at certain distance. Close-up shots will mostly be un-usable though. It’s also a bit lacking in color saturation. </P><P><IMG alt="" src="/nokia-e6-photo1-150x150.jpg"> <IMG alt="" src="/nokia-e6-photo2-150x150.jpg"> <IMG alt="" src="/nokia-e6-photo3-150x150.jpg"><BR>Sample photos take with the Nokia E6. Click on images to see larger version.</EM></P><P>The E6 can record video up to 720p. It’s decent but a bit grainy at full screen. Still, for a business phone, it’s a much welcome upgrade.</P><P><EMBED src=http://www.youtube.com/v/BlNG3rl0QM0?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0&hd=1 width=500 height=314 type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></EMBED></P><P>As for apps, you have the Ovi store for that and there’s practically thousands of apps available there for you to download for free or for minimal cost. One of the two Nokia E6 review units I have has Joikuspot pre-installed from the Ovi store. I remember this 3G tethering software as my most favorite app way before Android and iOS were even popular.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/e6-nokia-review.jpg"></P><P>The Nokia E6 has pretty good specs for its class. It’s not the fastest in terms of CPU clock-speed but it does the job really well. The basic phone functions like SMS and calls are pretty easy and fast to access and use (the shortcuts on the touch panel helps). Launching apps takes a bit of time (like 3-5 seconds) but that seems to be normal for most of Nokia handsets.</P><P><STRONG>Nokia E6</STRONG> specs:<BR>680MHz ARM 11 processor<BR>2.46-inch display @ 640×480 pixels<BR>8GB internal storage<BR>256MB RAM, 1GB ROM<BR>up to 32GB microSD<BR>HSDPA 10.2Mbps, HSUPA 2.0Mbps<BR>WiFi 802.11 b/g/n<BR>Bluetooth 3.0 w/ A2DP<BR>USB On-the-go support<BR>8MP fixed-focus w/ dual-LED flash<BR>720p@25fps video recording<BR>2D/3D Graphics HW Accelerator with OpenVG1.1 and OpenGL ES 2.0<BR>FM Radio tuner<BR>Li-Ion 1500 mAh<BR>Symbian Anna OS</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/nokia-e6-black-white.jpg"></P><P>Battery life is very good. I am able to get between 3 to 4 days of normal use on a single full charge — that’s with light browsing over 3G and a little gaming (Fruit Ninja fro Ovi). Nokia phones of this form factor normally get really good battery life, compared to most other smartphones that normally do between 1 to 2 days only.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/nokia-e6-review1.jpg"></P><P>The Nokia E6 will definitely find it hard to squeeze itself into a more crowded space today, compared to a few years ago. It’s practically in the same category as the Samsung Galaxy Pro, HTC Chacha and the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Long-time Nokia loyalists will definitely love it but will surely have a hard time convincing new users considering the alternatives int he market vis-a-vis the price point.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/nokia-e6-white.jpg"></P><P>The <STRONG>Nokia E6</STRONG> still has its charm — that familiar full qwerty keyboard, elegant yet business-style design, great battery life and a very dependable handset. </P><P>The Nokia E6 has a suggested retail price of only Php17,820 but you can get it in some stores for as low as Php16,000. </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/3AOXizSXypA/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-76152522790455626282011-07-28T18:46:00.000-07:002011-07-28T18:46:00.160-07:00 <P><STRONG>TDK</STRONG> launched a slew of audio accessories last week and though I wasn’t able to attend the event, they gladly sent over one of their high-end headphones, the <STRONG>TDK ST-800</STRONG>, for me to try out and test.</P><P><IMG alt="" src="/tdk-st800.jpg"></P><P>I have to admit that I’m not very familiar with TDK except of course that they’ve been making really affordable blank CD-Rs and cassette tapes for as long as I can remember.</P><P>So when they delivered this <STRONG>TDK ST-800</STRONG> HiFi headphones, I was a bit surprised at the packaging. The headphones are definitely premium and targets those who prefer more power and performance than the usual headphones around.</P><P><IMG src="/tdk-philippines-headphones.jpg"></P><P>The on-ear headphones are huge, a little on the heavy side with a bit of a short (around 1.5m long) cable which is protected by a thick, woven thread. If you need more length, they included an extension cord about 2 meters long in the box.</P><P>The headphones’ exterior are covered by leather stitched around the sides with the headband made of metal (most probably stainless steel) and some plastic. The ear cups have thick padding and protected by thin, smooth leather.</P><P><IMG title=tdk alt="" src="/tdk.jpg"></P><P>The headphones come with a built-in equalizer that’s attached into the cord. As such, you will also need some battery to power it up — using two AAA batteries tucked inside the left ear-cup. The volume control is found on the right ear-cup which you dial around to get the desired volume (pretty slick feature I’ve never seen in any other headphones).</P><P><IMG title="tdk st-800" alt="" src="/tdk-st-800.jpg"></P><P>Sound quality is pretty good, not the best we’ve tried but certainly nice. The bass is good in the middle but somewhat distorted at higher volume. It’s clear and crisp at the low end and at high volume could be ear-shattering.</P><P>The EQ plays a role in adjusting sound quality. It allows you to adjust treble and bass but that’s it. Switching it off is no problem while playing music but there’s a couple seconds of delay when you turn it On (probably while it’s powering up).</P><P>The TDK ST-800 has an output power of 250mW x 2, a frequency response 20-20KHz, input impedance of 32Ohms and a sensitivity of 1KHz for 111 +/- 3dB. </P><P>The volume dial will not work when the EQ is Off and the plate on the cup also turns the headphone to mute by pressing it down. Despite its weight, the ST800 feels comfortable to use but my ears become warm over time.</P><P>The <STRONG>TDK ST800</STRONG> was announced back in January and was released a couple of month ago in the Philippines. The suggested retail price of the ST800 is about Php5,000 <STRONG>Php6,500</STRONG>. The TDK Life on Record Headphones are available in <STRONG>Astroplus</STRONG> and <STRONG>Digital Walker</STRONG> stores nationwide. </P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/HsJtfm9u2iA/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-44983734365360764382011-07-28T18:44:00.000-07:002011-07-28T18:44:00.152-07:00 <P>Announced back in February, the <STRONG>Alcatel One Touch Blaze 990</STRONG> was only released in the Philippines this July and it looks like it’s being positioned as a mid-range Android smartphone.</P><P>We received our review unit of the Alcatel One Touch Blaze 990 early last week but have not un-boxed it until the other day due to a long line of review units we have at the YugaTech HQ.</P><P><IMG src="/alcatel-onetouch-blaze-990.jpg"></P><P>With some decent specs and screen size, the One Touch Blaze could be an alternative smarpthone for those looking at their first affordable Android phone.</P><P><STRONG>Alcatel One Touch Blaze 990</STRONG><BR>3.5? capacitive display @ 320×480 pixels<BR>600 MHz processor<BR>200MB internal storage<BR>up to 32GB via microSD<BR>3G/HSDPA 7.2 Mbps<BR>WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi hotspot<BR>Bluetooth 3.0<BR>5MP autofocus camera w/ LED flash<BR>Stereo FM radio with RDS<BR>GPS w/ aGPS support<BR>Li-Ion 1300mAh battery</P><P><IMG src="/alcatel-onetouch.jpg"></P><P>The Alcatel OT Blaze 990 has a suggested retail price of around Php15k but they’re offering an introductory promo price of just <STRONG>Php9,999</STRONG>. Full review by next week.</P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/rsHHmrnyv7s/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2269881381798872794.post-43311377131656345802011-07-28T18:42:00.000-07:002011-07-28T18:42:00.881-07:00 <P>All that confusion about mobile internet speeds and the upgrade to the 4G network has got us all excited and frustrated at the same time. I tried to explain it here before but I though this short video from HakTip should give us all a nice and simple explanation.</P><P><IMG src="/3g-4g-speed.jpg"></P><P>I have to admit I did not know EDGE’s theoretical speed could be faster than the old 3G. Though it’s been obvious from the start that Globe’s HSPA+ and Smart’s LTE aren’t really 4G, it’s just that 4G sounds better than 3.5G or 3.9G (so, okay they just rounded it up).</P><P><EMBED src=http://www.youtube.com/v/hwURaEMSDr4?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0&hd=1 width=500 height=314 type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></EMBED></P><P>I’d like to stress what Jason said — the generation does not dictate the actual speed. This means 4G is no better than 3G since it’s the actual speed that’s what matters most, not the theoretical.</P><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yugatech/~3/NqtFl00rMW4/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>frederick cardonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05314007039064300823noreply@blogger.com0