We’ve finally got one — the HTC Hero, unboxed and in the flesh. Check out the photos after the jump.

This HTC Hero came in last night with the Acer Timeline with a price of USD$642 from HKIA, way less expensive than the rumored ~Php40,000 price tag when it’s officially released here in the Philippines next month.

The unit came with only 2GB of microSD card but fortunately I got several spare 8GBs around here to replace it. It can support up to 32GB so I’ll have to look around and buy one next week.

It’s open-line so after popping in my SIM card, everything’s all set and running. And though I am still working my way around some of the features and functionalities, everything’s smooth sailing so far.

Check back in a couple of weeks for the full review.

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So here it is, fresh from its flight from Hong Kong last night — the 11.6″ Acer Timeline 1810TZ. It’s got the same design and form factor as the slower Acer Aspire One AO751 but is powered by an Intel Pentium Dual Core SU4100.

Acer Timeline 1810TZ is like a cross between the Timeline series and the Aspire One series. Not sure when this model will reach the Philippines but the’ve been released in HK for just two weeks only.

Specs include an Intel Pentium Dual Core SU4100 at 1.3GHz, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, Intel GMA 4500M (796MB @ 1366×768), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, HDMI port, Bluetooth and a 6-cell battery that can last up to 8 hours. The battery does not protrude much at the back unlike the AO751.

The unit comes pre-installed with Windows 7 (Windows Experience Index gives it a nice 3.2 score).

Like the other Acer Timeline notebooks, this one does not come cheap. Price was USD$750 or about Php35,000 at the Duty Free of HKIA.

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Last April, HP introduced the Vivienne Tam Special Edition of their HP Mini 110 series. Last night, they showcased the new Studio Tord Boontje edition.

The new design was created by Studio Tord Boontje which is said to be inspired by nature. As such, there lid cover has some 30 etched designs of animals in an HP 3D Imprint.

The specs are the same as the old HP Mini 110. This is mostly a limited edition design like the one b Vivienne Tam.

HP Philippines also showcased the HP Mini 311 and the HP Mini 5101 during the launch last night but did not mention them (could be on a separate event in the future).

The Tord Boontje edition will have a suggested retail price of Php27,950 and should be available in stores.

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Toshiba introduced their own version of ultraportable notebooks powered by Intel CULV processors and boasting of battery life of up to 11 hours — the 11.6-inch Toshiba Portege T110 and 13.3-inch Portege T130.

Portege T110 specs:
11.6″ WXGA @ 1366×768 pixels
Intel Pentium Single Core SU2700 @ 1.3GHz
1GB DDR3 RAM (up to 4GB)
Intel GMA 4500M up to 828MB Memory
250GB SATA HDD
Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
3 USB 2.0 ports with Sleep-n-Charge
HDMI port
5-in-1 Card Reader
6-cell Lithium Ion battery

Weighs about 1.58kg and has Windows 7 Home Basic is pre-installed. The Sleep-n-Charge feature allows you to charge devices (phones, camera, etc) over the USB port even if the laptop is shut down.

Portege T130 specs:
13.3″ WXGA @ 1366×768 pixels
Intel Pentium Dual Core SU4100 @ 1.3GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 @ 1.3GHz
Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 @ 1.4GHz
2GB DDR3 RAM (up to 4GB for GS40 and 8GB for GS45 chipset)
Intel GMA 4500M up to 828MB Memory
320GB and 500GB SATA HDD
Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
3 USB 2.0 ports with Sleep-n-Charge
HDMI port
5-in-1 Card Reader
6-cell Lithium Ion battery

This model weighs about 1.76kg and has Windows 7 Home Premium is pre-installed.

The trackpad has multi-touch feature with gesture support. Asked about the claim of 11 hours battery life, Toshiba Product Manager says this is under optimal settings (meaning WiFi, Bluetooth turned off and low light) but real-world tests showed 5 to 6 hours of continuous video playback.

The Portege T110 will have a retail price of about Php39,000+ while the Portege T130 will be around Php49,000.

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This has been in the box for about a week now and I’ve only gotten the chance to do the un-boxing today (lots of other stuff in the line to unbox around here). First up is this JBL MX100 which is a stereo system with an iPod Dock and a CD player in tow. See our unboxing photos after the jump.

The JBL MX100 is one big-ass iPod Dock (I mean it’s an 18-lbs gorilla of a music system). It’s got 2 integrated speakers, each with 30-watt power rating. All I can say for now is that it’s pretty loud.

Aside from an iPod Dock which plugs in from the bottom left side (see photo), it’s got a CD player that supports CD-RW and an FM Tuner. There’s TV output via S-video and composite so if your iPod if iPhone 3G plays a movie, you can view it from a TV connected to the dock. It also comes with a remote that not only controls the sound system but also the playback of the docked iPod.

Will have to do some more testing before I can get the full review out but if you’re interested in this system, be prepared to shell out Php34,990.

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Sony lent me a couple of gears last week for my trip to Misibis Bay. Hoping that we could do some water-related activities, I picked the Sony Cybershot DSC-T900 with Marine Pack.

The Cyber-shot T900 is a slim 12-megapixel point-and-shoot camera with full touchscreen interface. It’s not really fit for any under-water shooting like the Canon D10 or the Olympus Tough 8000 but take it along with the Marine Pack and you’re all set.

Optical zoom is only 2x but this camera can do video recording at 720p resolution so I took the chance and left my dSLR at home for this one.

The Marine Pack (sold separately) is an enclosure specifically made for the Cybershot DSC T900 series. This water-proof case can do down to a depth of 40 meters or 132 feet.

You can check out the sample photos here and the HD videos here.

Here are the suggested retail price:

Sony Cyber-shot T900 : Php27,999

Marine Pack THH : Php10,999

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While Smart and Globe are both offering Php499 a month for unlimited calls on mobile and landline within their own network, Sun Cellular Double Unlimited is also offering similar to its subscribers for half that price — at Php249.

To subscribe for Sun Double Unlimited, you need to call *738# on your mobile.

Has anyone here tried this yet?

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A tip from a reader shares that Liberty Telecoms is gearing up to be introduced commercially this November providing WiMax connectivity to cities of Mandaluyong, San Juan, Makati and Quezon City.

An announcement from this website says the telco is giving out free 2-month trials starting this month.

If you are from Mandaluyong, San Juan, Makati and Quezon City please leave your name, wireline and mobile number to: gobeyond3g@gmail.com or call us @ (02) 346.0921 and 0922.853.4880.

We already have 3G, WiFi and fixed DSL in Metro manila so introducing WiMax as an alternative is a welcomed idea. I am not really sure how true this trial service is but you can always call that number above to verify. Thanks to Arvee for the tip.

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The new Nokia X3 has been spotted on a local distributor’s site ahead of the official launching in the Philippines. The listed retail price — Php8,990.

The Nokia X3 is a slider phone with 3.2MP camera, stereo FM tuner, Bluetooth a 3.5mm jack and dedicated touch music keys. But that’s all there is to it.

There’s no 3G (just EDGE), no WiFi and no GPS. Nokia new X-series phones doesn’t make any sense in terms of branding as they already have the XM, the N and the E series all lined up. The X3’s specs isn’t any different from their current entry-level phones.

But if you’re still interested, call Asianic at 415.81.41 or 415.82.41 for more info {see the listing here}.

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MSI’s 12 inch Wind12 U210 netbook is the very first one in its category to sport a AMD Athlon Neo processor. Check out our review below and see how it fares in the Atom-dominated world of netbooks.

The MSI Wind U210 is a pretty large netbook, weighing in at 1.45kg (3.19lbs) with the 6-cell battery while the 9-cell version that I bought is heavier at 1.6kg (3.52lbs). And though most of the other 12-inch netbooks have a diagonal screen size of just 11.6 inches, the U210 is larger at 12.1″.

In many respects, this model is like a cheap, full-fledged notebook without a built-in optical drive. I remember buying a similarly-spec’ed 12″ Compaq-Presario laptop 2 years ago worth Php55k.

The design is similar to the first generation Wind netbooks — glossy lid cover, glossy display screen and about an inch thick, not counting the protruding 9-cell battery at the bottom. It’s got a wide and textured trackpad with separate left and right click-pads which are pretty easy to use. There are 3 USB ports, a multi-card reader, LAN port, VGA port and and HDMI port to output HD videos to external monitors.

Standard specs of this unit is also above average with 2GB DDR2 RAM, 250GB HDD, WiFi draft-N, HDMI and option for 9-cell battery. Unfortunately, Bluetooth is missing (although the F9 function key has a Bluetooth icon printed in it) — prolly to save on production cost.

Most interesting part is the AMD Athlon Neo X2 processor that powers this unit. It’s a dual core CPU running at 1.6GHz.

On Windows 7 Ultimate, it scores high on Windows Experience Index with 3.0 as the lowest sub-score assigned on the graphics card (ATI Radeon Xpress 1270). The CPU alone got a sub-score of 4.1, the highest we’ve when compared to the Intel atom N270, N280 and Z530. Video performance is also good and capable of playing HD videos as well as streaming YouTube HD.

However, that extra juice that the dual-core CPU is pumping also becomes a problem when it comes to battery life. For a 9-cell battery, I was expecting between 6 to 8 hours of battery life on a single full charge. Even after several optimization and tweaks, I could not even get it to last more than 5 hours. On average, you’d get 4.5 hours with the 9-cell battery. I wonder how would the standard 6-cell battery perform? My guess is 3 to 3.5 hours.

So far, the MSI Wind12 U210 is one of the most responsive and powerful unit in the netbook category I’ve ever reviewed. The only drawback is that it’s also power-hungry so battery life is below average. Surprisingly, the unit does not feel hot even on prolonged use — probably due to the ventilation offered by the protruding battery at the bottom (PC Wizard records CPU temp between 53 to 57 degrees though which is high IMO).

Shops are selling this for a promo price of Php23k without an operating system so you’ll need to shell out a couple more thousand bucks for an OS license or you can get the version with Windows Vista for Php28k. Standard battery is 6-cell and the 9-cell model I got was during the promo period. If you have an old XP license or Windows 7 RC at home, maybe the Php23k price is a good deal.

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My brother kept on begging me for a week to set up PLDT WatchPad on the laptop so we can hook it up on the LCD TV for the Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto fight today.

Being on a 2Mbps Plan 1995, I thought the PLDT WatchPad might be a bearable option to watch the big fight. PLDT was also promoting WatchPad a lot and promised subscribers can watch the Pacquiao-Cotto fight for free.

I was scheduled to fly back from out of town around that time so I shrugged off the possibility of seeing the fight live.

Fortunately, our Cebu Pacific flight from Legazpi came in early (a rarity) so I got home just in time for the first round. But alas, we settled for radio commentators as the PLDT WatchPad set up didn’t work. It was slow, choppy and completely unbearable to watch. More angry comments from WatchPad users here.

I was hoping PLDT would shine this time around by bringing the Pacquiao fight for free to hundreds of thousands of its subscribers. This would have also set a precedent and would prove that PLDT is ready to do some sort of an IPTV service. Now, if they are planning to charge subscribers in the future (and that’s the whole idea here) for the live streams, they might as well re-think it first.

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This is the second year that I’ve been invited to join HP and Intel on their annual Synergy trip. This time, it’s at the Cagraray Island in Albay (we went to Bohol last year) where I got to drive around a 1,000-cc Rhino ATV.

This all-terrain vehicle is among the biggest in the ATV class and can seat two people. And when they say it’s “all-terrain”, they mean it can go thru sand, mud, rock and gravel without much of a sweat. Of course, you need to wear your seat belts, watch out for mud splatter and small rocks flying all over from under the tires. I got a full video footage to document all these.

The area around Cagraray, Island is now being developed as a tourist destination and there’s an AVT track that goes around the island up to the highest peak. There’s no power-steering on this Rhino but owning one of these  little “motorized gadgets” has topped my wish list.

For more photos of the resort, check out my other entry on Misibis Bay Raintree here.

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First time I saw the HP Mini 5101 was earlier this week during the Windows 7 Enterprise Launch. I only had a short video clip of it. Fortunately, I had another chance to use it again today. Check out the video and photos after the jump.

As mentioned in earlier posts, the HP Mini 5101 is powered by an Intel atom N280 @ 1.66GHz, GMA 950, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, WiFi and Bluetooth in a 10.1″ screen @ 1024×600 resolution — almost similar in specs with the HP Mini 2140 with some upgrades. The 6-cell battery protrudes at bit at the bottom end and gets me about 5 hours of power.

It feels a little thick though from the side compared to the other HP Minis they’ve released earlier. The chicklet-type keys are also smaller but are more spaced apart.

The unit has Windows 7 Professional pre-installed and Windows Experience Index gave it a score of 2.1. An HP exec told me they introduced this earlier to their corporate clients but the units are also being sold by distributors for Php23,995. I have yet to see these in stores though.

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Aside from scoring an AMD Athlon Neo in one of its Wind netbook series, MSI also brought in some CULV processors to boot. I saw the MSI Wind12 U200 in a magazine ad inside a Cebu Pacific plane yesterday.

From the looks of it, the exterior design is similar to the U210 and only the specs have been changed:

MSI Wind12 U200
Intel Core 2 SU3500 ULV 1.4GHz
Intel GMA 4500M HD
WiFi 802.11n
12.1″ screen @ 1366×768 pixels
2GB DDR2 RAM
320GB HDD
1.3MP webcam
3 x USB 2.0, HDMI port
6-cell battery

The ad says it comes with Windows 7 but does not say which version. Suggested retail price is Php28,500. This is the cheapest CULV portable laptop we’ve seen in the market so far.

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Consumer Electronics Live! (CEL Manila 2009) starts today until Sunday at the World Trade Center, Pasay City. I will be speaking at a panel tomorrow afternoon so drop by if you can.

Actually, I am at some island in Albay right now (Misibis Bay, Cagraray Island) for the week-end and my talk will be streamed on-stage via Skype Video. I think this is a first for me and a true testament that broadband internet in the Philippines is readily accessible even in faraway islands.

Glad to have Sun Wireless Broadband helped in setting this up for me and we’ve just finished testing the connection this evening. Looks like all is set for tomorrow.

P.S. I heard the Dell Adamo M13 and the Adamo XPS were launched today. Check out the post at PTB.

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There will always be claims of product/service superiority among competing companies and the one between Smart and Globe is a classic example. The latest one is the battle between mobile broadband services Globe Tattoo and Smart Bro.

I’m sure a lot of you have seen SmartBro’s latest commercial with Mo Twister in it. If you haven’t, check this YouTube clip:

In the commercial, Smart claims that 9 out of 10 times, SmartBro is faster than the competing brand. In this case it, was implying Globe Tattoo (the blurred footage of the Tattoo USB dongle is pretty obvious). In the trials made by Smart they used Speedtest.net as their benchmark tool of choice.

Not to be outdone, Globe Telecom wants to rebut the claim and says it isn’t so. So Globe commissioned NESIC to do a broadband test for them and showed the results to the media proving otherwise.

The methodology includes both an HTPP Speed Test using 2Wire.com as well as Direct HTTP Download from Download.com and an FTP Speed Test using a 12MB file from a local server. I am sure you know what the results of the study are and who came on top.

What is more interesting is the methodology of the benchmarking they’ve done. In my opinion, using SpeedTest.net is not a reliable way to test broadband speeds, despite it being a popular tool among users. My understanding is that Speedtest.net measures the burst speed of your connection and not the sustained speed or average speed. It means that during the test window, the tool will see variable speeds (that’s while the dial meter fluctuates) and will pick up the fastest it has detected. In some sense, it is a good way to measure the maximum achievable speed of an internet connection but that’s all it does.

Here’s an analogy — imagine a Javelin Thrower in a competition is allowed 3 attempts to get the javelin the farthest. His 3 attempts were 55 feet, 125 feet and 185 feet. If SpeedTest.net were the judge, it will score the athlete a 185 feet rating. If 2Wire.com were the judge, it will give the athlete just 121.67 feet (average of 3 attempts).

So why is Globe saying that Speedtest.net is not reliable? Because it does not take into account consistency. Let’s go back to the Javelin tournament — a second athlete throws with the following distances: 145 feet, 130 feet, 155 feet. If Speedtest.net were the judge, it will give the 2nd athlete a score of 155 feet while 2Wire.com would give it 143.3 feet.

Now, which of the two athletes is the better javelin thrower?

However, there could be a number of external factors that may affect speed test for mobile broadband:

• Location of the Test Site. The distance of the cell tower from the test site can affect the performance of the benchmark as signal degrades over distance.
• Signal Strength. This is self-explanatory. Factors include distance, elevation and barriers like buildings or thick walls.
• Connection Mode. Connection mode (GPRS, EDGE, 3G, HSDPA) sometimes switches depending on which tower is servicing the connection.
• Time of the Day. Networks could get congested depending on the time of the day when a lot of users are using the network.

Rather than using benchmark tools, I’d rather propose some real-world measurements:

• Download a movie file using Bittorent. A 600MB file downloaded in about 4 hours will give you a speed of 44KB/s or 350Kbps. Longer download times will give us a better picture of the network’s consistency.
• Streaming with YouTube HD. Streaming a 10-minute HD video on YouTube will also provide live bandwidth performance of the connection. This can be augmented with a YouTube upload of a 100MB file to see upstream speeds.
• iTunes Download. What I used to do is download 3 video podcasts simultaneously on iTunes and record the incoming bandwidth using NetMeter. This will show sustained download speeds (like the one shown below).

Who has the biggest subscriber base? Who has the widest coverage? Who has the fastest mobile broadband service? Any one of them can claim these but ultimately it is the users’ commulative experience that will decide which is more reliable.

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During the Windows 7 Enterprise Launch earlier this week, I was able to take a sneak peek at the upcoming HTC HD 2 and though I was not allowed to take pictures or video, they allowed me to play around with it for a while.

This phone combines sexy and elegance with a large 4.3 inch capacitive screen {see full specs here}. This is the largest screen I’ve ever seen in a mobile phone — larger than the first Touch HD and even the iPod Touch.

Despite that, HTC was still able to keep it slim at 11mm (as slim as the Nokia E71). It’s got some pretty kick-ass graphics as well.

While it is running Windows Mobile 6.5, it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD2850 1.0 GHz processor so everything is smooth and fast. The HTC Sense UI is also a beauty and runs on top of WinMo 6.5 so you don’t actually see any semblance of the OS in the interface. The Touch HD2 is also Windows Mobile 7 compatible so when that OS comes out, you can have it readily upgraded.

Reps from HTC Philippines tell me the Touch HD2 will be out in the public by December or early January next year with an estimated retail price of around Php49,000.

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A Philippine-based company called Xitrix has assembled their own netbook and the specs are a bit souped up. Check out the photos and specs after the jump.

Xitrix TravelPro M-10
10.1″ glossy screen @ 1024×600 pixels
Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz
Intel GMA 950
2GB DDR2 RAM
320GB HDD (upgradeable to 500GB)
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Built-in 3G Module (optional)
Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR
3 x USB 2.0 ports
1.3MP webcam
3-cell & 6-cell battery
Multi-card reader
External DVD+RW drive
Windows 7 Starter

The 6-cell model without the 3G module has a regular price of Php22,995 while the one with the 3G is about Php27k. Xitrix has been dealing with companies and SMEs before and only now that they are introducing their products to regular consumers.

They have an introductory promo price of Php4,000 discount on these netbooks if you buy them on or before Friday the 13th (that makes it Php18,995 for the specs above). Their sales line is (02) 926.82.79 or email sales@xitrix.net.

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