YugaTech | Philippines, Tech Reviews Blog

Contest: YugaTech-Creative Wordplay Online Contest

yuga — Fri, 25 May 2012 13:00:14 GMT

Our friends from Creative are back and wanted to do another giveaway to our readers. This time, let’s try how good you guys are with words. Check out the details below on how you can win these speakers from Creative.

This is a word-puzzle game. All you need to do is list of all words you can come up with from the letters of this phrase — “Creative ZiiSound Wireless Bluetooth Speakers“. The assembled words must be 5 letters or more.

Don’t forget to email your entries to creative.yugatech@gmail.com and then leave a comment below that you have sent an email entry so we can verify/confirm.

In case of a tie, the participant who sends their winning entry first will be considered the winner.

Our Prizes.
1 Creative D200 Wireless Bluetooth Speakers
1 Creative Inspire T6160
3 Consolation Prizes (Tactics Alpha, WP350, HQ1600)

Facebook releases Camera App for iOS

Louie Diangson — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:22:00 GMT

Facebook has just recently launched its own photo app for the iPhone; creatively called Facebook Camera, which lets you take a photo, apply effects and captions and share it on Facebook.

The app is developed by Facebook’s own team and not Instagram’s because the acquisition hasn’t closed yet. One of the advantages of the Facebook Camera over Instagram is its ability to upload multiple photos. It also has 14 filters, the ability to tag friends, “Like” photos and send comments.

Since the app is closely tied to Facebook, it offers a smoother interaction with the social media site. “The big problem that we were trying to solve was that if you are in the middle of an experience and you want to share your photos, it’s often too much of a hassle to go through the whole process.” said Dirk Stoop, Facebook Photos product manager.

The question now is how will this app fit into play if Facebook already has Instagram? Stoop admitted that there’s an overlap in functionality but they see the two apps as separate products with different personalities, serving different purposes and audiences. If that’s the case then there will be some slight competition since Facebook has decided to grow Instagram independently.

As for other platforms like Android, Windows Phone or Blackberry, Facebook has declined to comment about future products but said that it is “carefully looking at what might make for a good Facebook photos experience across other platforms.”

As of the moment, Facebook Camera is not available for download in the Philippines App Store yet but you can expect it to roll out in the coming weeks.

Slim Case with Slide-On battery for iPhone 4

yuga — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:11:59 GMT

We seldom feature iPhone cases around here but this new one from Third Rail has an interesting proposal. Instead of a built-in battery ticked into a bulky case, Third Rail made it optional as a slide-on pack.

The case is made of solid polycarbonate materials in a matte black finish. The inside, at the bottom end there’s the proprietary 30-pin Apple USB port while the top section slides out to make way for the iPhone to fit inside the case.

The case itself is relatively thin (around 2mm) but the construction extends the height of the whole assembly by at least 2 centimeters at the top and bottom end.

The back panel has 4 small, rectangular holes where you can snap in the external battery. There’s a set of 3 metallic contact points around the middle section for the charge to pass thru.

At the bottom of the case is where the micro-USB port is located along with a switch for the charger.

The slide-on battery is also interesting. It comes with 2 micro-USB ports — one for input and one for output (probably to be able to daisy-chain the power charging).

The back of the battery also has the same 3-pin contact points which allows for another slide-on battery to ride on top of it. It’s a pretty interesting proposition but I reckon the iPhone might not be that usable when you have several batteries stack on top of each other.

The Li-Ion battery is rated at 1250mAh and is able to re-charge my iPhone 4S from 9% to 70% before it completely drains up. With the case snapped on, you can now hook up your iPhone via a micro-USB charger as well.

The case is available in local stores like Digital Walker or Digital Hub for about Php3,850. Seems to be a little on the expensive side though (that is, if you consider buying a separate slim case and external battery instead).

Anyway, if you have an iPhone 4 or 4S, you might want to have this review unit for yourself.

So we’re raffling it off with Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Digits Trading provided for the review unit. They are also a display banner advertiser on this site.

Seagate to buy Lacie, HDD market consolidates

yuga — Fri, 25 May 2012 01:01:01 GMT

Seagate Technology and LaCie S.A., has just announced an exclusive agreement with the intent for Seagate to acquire a controlling interest in LaCie.

Lacie is more popularly known for selling premium branded consumer storage solutions (portable HDDs) for years now.

Lacie is valued at around $186 million. Their product line includes HDD, NAS, DVD/Blu-ray, display and accessories.

Show Press Release (951 More Words)

SEAGATE AND LACIE ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT WITH INTENT FOR SEAGATE TO ACQUIRE CONTROLLING INTEREST IN LACIE

Seagate has Offered to Purchase LaCie CEO’s 64.5% Ownership Position; Seagate to Subsequently Commence Tender Offer for Remaining Outstanding Shares

Expands Seagate’s Product Line and Capabilities in the Growing Consumer Storage Market

CUPERTINO, CA and PARIS, FRANCE – May 23, 2012 – Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ: STX) the worldwide leader in hard disk drives and storage solutions, and LaCie S.A. (Euronext: LAC), a leading manufacturer of consumer storage products, today announced an exclusive agreement with the intent for Seagate to acquire a controlling interest in LaCie. Seagate has offered to purchase from Philippe Spruch, LaCie’s chairman and CEO, and his affiliate, all of their shares, representing 64.5% of the outstanding shares of LaCie. Following receipt of governmental approvals[1] and the close of this transaction, Seagate would commence an all-cash simplified tender offer (followed as the case may be by a squeeze-out procedure) to acquire the remaining outstanding shares in accordance with the General Regulation of the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF).

Seagate has offered Mr. Spruch and his affiliate €4.05 per share in cash, minus a potential adjustment depending on the cash and debt position of LaCie at closing. This price may be increased by a possible price supplement of 3% in the event that the threshold of 95% of the shares and voting rights of LaCie would be reached by Seagate within 6 months following closing, resulting in a maximum potential price per LaCie share of €4.17. Without the price supplement, the offer currently values LaCie at an approximate €146 million, or $186 million total equity value, including acquired net cash of approximately €49 million, or $65 million, as of March 31, 2012. The €4.05 per share price represents a premium of 29% to LaCie’s average closing stock price over the 30 trading days ended May 22, 2012.

Ricol Lasteyrie & Associés was appointed today as independent expert by the board of directors of LaCie, to deliver a fairness opinion on the price that would be offered in the context of the tender offer, including in the perspective of a potential squeeze-out procedure.

The transaction would combine two highly complementary product and technology portfolios, adding LaCie’s line of premium branded consumer storage solutions, network-attached storage solutions and software offerings to Seagate’s array of mainstream consumer storage products. The combination would accelerate Seagate’s growth strategy in the expanding consumer storage market, particularly in Europe and Japan, and add strong engineering and software development capabilities, as well as relationships with several key retailers.

The transaction is expected to be neutral to Seagate’s fiscal 2013 earnings per share.

Following the close of the sale of his shares to Seagate, Mr. Spruch would join Seagate and lead the company’s consumer storage products organization. Reporting to him would be Patrick Connolly, who currently serves as vice president and general manager of Seagate’s retail group, as well as Pierre van der Elst, who currently serves as deputy general manager of LaCie. The financial terms of the new position of Mr Spruch are not determined as of today and would therefore be described subsequently, including in the tender offer documentation.

“Seagate has a strong commitment to the growing consumer storage market and bringing the most dynamic products to market. LaCie has built an exceptional consumer brand by delivering exciting and innovative high-end products for many years. This transaction would bring a highly complementary set of capabilities to Seagate, significantly expand our consumer product offerings, add a premium-branded direct-attached storage line, strengthen our network-attached storage business line and enhance our capabilities in software development,” said Steve Luczo, Seagate chairman, president and CEO. “We are also excited that Philippe, who is a true visionary and leader in the consumer storage business, would join Seagate to run our consumer storage products organization.”

“With the proliferation of devices and content being shared and stored today, consumer demand for high-quality branded storage solutions continues to grow,” said Philippe Spruch, LaCie’s chairman and CEO. “We are excited about the potential for this combination to benefit customers and employees by creating significant scale and opening up new markets. We look forward to making the resources of a much larger company available to our customers around the world.”

LaCie will initiate the information and consultation process required by its employee representative council in relation to the contemplated transaction, in accordance with French law. Upon completion of this process, Seagate and Mr. Spruch would execute a definitive share purchase agreement and finalize the purchase of the controlling interest held by Mr. Spruch and his affiliate. This share purchase transaction is expected to close in the third calendar quarter of 2012 pending completion of the relevant governmental reviews. Seagate would then commence a tender offer for the remaining outstanding shares of LaCie (followed as the case may be by a squeeze-out procedure), subject to a clearance decision from the AMF. The tender offer is expected to be completed in the third calendar quarter of 2012.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approval in the United States (antitrust filing), France (approval of foreign investments by the Ministry of Finance) and other jurisdictions (antitrust filing in Germany) and to other customary closing conditions.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC served as financial advisor and Allen & Overy LLP served as legal advisor to Seagate in connection with the transaction. De Pardieu Brocas Maffei A.A.R.P.I served as legal advisor to LaCie.

About Seagate

Seagate is the world leader in hard disk drives and storage solutions. Learn more at www.seagate.com.

About LaCie
With operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia, LaCie is the leading manufacturer of storage devices for PC, Apple, and Linux. LaCie has differentiated itself through sleek design and remarkable technical performance. Find out more about our products at www.lacie.com.

Around April last year, Samsung also sold its HDD division to Seagate (story here).

Globe may offer new iPad 3 at 10k discount on May 29

yuga — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:35:11 GMT

Globe has sent out a release today that they will start offering the new iPad 3 + 4G starting May 29. This coincides with the official release of the new iPad in the Apple Online Store and local resellers.

So, what is Globe Telecom offering that you will not get in the Online Store and other premium resellers — most probably a discount or subsidy when you get the WiFi + 4G models to the tune of up to Php10,000.

In October last year, Globe also offered the iPad 2 WiFi + 3G with a Php10k discount to subscribers of UnliSurf Plan 999.

Globe may continue to offer the same under the Globe Tattoo Data Plans. This could be the Plan 999 and the Plan 1799.

Since Globe is promoting their 4G network, I guess the discount will only apply to the WiFi+4G variants of the new iPad and not the WiFi-only. Note though that the 4G here refers to HSPA+.

Check out our full review of the new iPad 3 here.

Yahoo! Axis browser for the Desktop, iPhone & iPad

yuga — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:19:07 GMT

Well this is a surprise — Yahoo! has just announced/launched their very own browser and they’ve already covered your desktop, iPhone and the iPad in one go. Looks interesting but check out the video after the jump.

Yahoo! describes the browser as “a new kind of browser that redefines what it means to search and browse the web. Watch this video to see how Axis works on your computer, iPhone and iPad.”

I’ve already downloaded the iPhone and iPad version and they both look good and spiffy. Here’s a video presentation from Yahoo.

You can get it a axis.yahoo.com or search for “axis” in the iTunes App Store.

Anybody else checked it out?

Blackberry Curve 9220, 9320 on BB 7.1 OS launched

Louie Diangson — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:17:49 GMT

RIM and Globe Telecom held a party last night at the Prive Luxury Club in Bonifacio Global City to launch two of their latest socially-inclined smartphones, namely, the BlackBerry Curve 9320 and BlackBerry Curve 9220.

Before I got lost at the buffet table, the event started with well-rehearsed lines from a pretty female host and sharply-dressed executives who spoke about how they loved social media and how useful the Blackberry Messaging service is to keep you connected with other BBM users like your family members and friends. Add your favorite yaya to the mix if you want. Needless to say I went back to my plate and focused more on my booze.

Good thing I sorta blacked out until the best part when they finally unveiled the new smartphones before everyone else got tipsy. For starters, the Curve 9320 and the Curve 9220 come with the Blackberry 7.1 OS, built-in FM radios, social media apps such as Facebook, Twitter and Social Feeds 2.0 are already included, and both have dedicated BBM keys on the side.

Of course, as the model number suggests, the 9320 is more advanced in terms of specs. It supports 3G, has a 3.15 megapixel camera with LED flash, built-in GPS and Mobile Hotspot support which allows you to share your mobile data connection via WiFi with up to 5 devices. On the other hand, the humble 9220 supports 2G and has a 2 megapixel camera without flash.

Check out the basic specs comparison below:

Battery Curve 9320:
2.44″ TFT display @ 320×240 pixels (~164 ppi)
up to 32GB via microSD
512 MB ROM
512 MB RAM
HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
microUSB v2.0
3.15MP camera with LED flash
BlackBerry OS 7.1
Li-Ion battery 1450mAh
109 x 60 x 12.7 mm
103 g

BlackBerry Curve 9220:
2.44″ TFT display @ 320×240 pixels (~164 ppi)
up to 32GB via microSD
512 MB ROM
512 MB RAM
microUSB v2.0
2MP camera
BlackBerry OS 7.1
Li-Ion battery 1450mAh
109 x 60 x 12.7 mm
102 g

The Blackberry Curve 9320 is priced at Php11,990 while the Curve 9220 comes at a lower price of Php9,990.

If you don’t dig the cash-out then Globe can hook you up with these devices through their postpaid plans. The Curve 9320 is FREE under Blackberry Unli Surf 999 while the Curve 9220 is FREE under My Super Plan 499.

Asus X401 in the flesh, promises to be affordable

Ronnie Bulaong — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:40:53 GMT

ASUS is set to launch their new and very affordable X-series laptop next week. We’re among the lucky few who got their hands on one of these before they launch it. We’ll let you in on a sneak-peek and our first impression of the 2012 RedDot design award winner after the break.

The Asus X401 is one of the lightest and thinnest notebook that I held in my time, excluding the ultrabooks of course. This is mainly due to its slightly tapered bottom panel and the absence of optical disc drive. That may prove to be a deal-breaker for some but with today’s technology, it may not be that much of a factor in considering this notebook. Although majority of the material is made of plastic, it doesn’t feel flimsy. The design is simple yet classy without any hint of cheapness.

The X401’s back panel is coated with a scratch-resistant material which is a definite plus for me as it adds protection to usual bumps and scratches. It houses the 14” LED screen which a resolution of 1366×768 pixels.

On its left side, the security hole is found along with the AC port, USB 2.0 and air vent.

The right side houses a handful of ports. There’s the VGA, SD Card slot, Ethernet port, HDMI out, USB 3.0 and the 3.5mm audio port.

The touchpad is a bit unusual and will take a bit of getting used to before getting the hang of it. It is responsive and does the typical touchpad multi-touch functions like pinch-to-zoom, two finger scrolling, etc.

Typing is relatively easy and comfortable with the X401’s keyboard. This is mainly due to its one-piece, back-assembled design and well-spaced chiclet keys. The keyboard as well as the touchpad is surrounded with the same scratch-resistant material found on the LCD back panel.

The palm rest, which also has the same material as the rest of the panel, also dissipates heat thus adding to the comfortable typing experience.

The tapered bottom part houses a number of LED notification lights. The X401 comes with a 6-cell battery which is slight bulkier than the rest of the component. When attached it gives the notebook a slightly sloped look which also adds to a more comfortable typing experience.

Speaking of battery, I’m going to brush a little bit about it as well. The battery life is what you’d typically expect out of a 6-cell battery, nothing really ground-breaking. With the aid of some optimizations and ASUS battery saving software, a user should be able stretch the life a little more but not that long.

In my case I was able to squeeze in 4 hours of browsing over Wi-Fi on battery efficient configuration. Not bad but definitely not the greatest we’ve seen.

This laptop is equipped with what ASUS coined Super Hybrid Engine II that enables this PC to resume in 2 seconds. There is also a handful of ASUS software that aids it users in protecting their data and aids the notebook perform at an optimal rate.

In terms of speed and performance, the X401 should be able to deliver desirable performance that a user expects out of a mid-range machine .The laptop scored pretty decently on the Windows Experience Index with only a minor hit on the Windows Aero rating. Here’s the screen of the WEI results:

Performance is pretty decent as well as the battery life, nothing out of the ordinary but should be enough to take on usual tasks. As for the pricing and availability, we’d have to wait for the official launch of this notebook which is just around the corner.

An Asus rep told us this unit will be a challenger in the really-affordable-notebook category. We’re guessing it will be under Php20k but it should be way less if Asus really wants a challenger. We’ll find out next week.

Editor’s Note: The demo unit we got from Asus was powered by an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i3 processor (reason why it got good WEI scores). However, they just informed us that the ones they will launch in the Philippines will only be using a Pentium Dual Core processor as they will be positioned as entry-level units. The local SKU is not yet final so we can’t also share the exact specs (prolly 2GB RAM, 320GB HDD as this is netbook levels).

Samsung Galaxy S3 Plans and Price on Globe

yuga — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:58:05 GMT

Globe Telecom has now started accepting applications for the Samsung Galaxy S3. Here are the details of the postpaid plans and pricing for new and existing subscribers.

Globe Postpaid Plans (My Super Plan, New Subscribers)

All Unli Plan (+ Php1,027 per month or Php24,640 cash out)
Plan 299 (+ Php1,127 per month or Php26,810 cash out), total Php1,426/month
Plan 499 (+ Php1,027 per month or Php24,640 cash out), total Php1,526/month
Plan 999 (+ Php700 per month or Php16,800 cash out), total Php1,699/month
Plan 1799 (+ Php200 per month or Php4,800 cash out), total Php1,999/month
Plan 2499 and up – free, total Php2,499/month

My Super Plan UnliSurf Combo (with Unlimited Internet)
Plan 999, no consumable – Php1,699/month
Plan 1799, Php800 consumable – Php1,999/month
Plan 2499, Php1,500 consumable – Php2,499/month
Plan 3799, Php2,500 consumable – Php3,799/month

* Cashout amount payable in 24 months for Citibank and BPI Owners, For BPI, only transactions before July 21 will enjoy 24 months installment. On July 21, only 12 months extended for installment.

A Globe rep told me last night that they will have a Samsung Galaxy S3 event on June 1. This could also be the day they will release the pre-ordered units.

Olevia Box turns your set to an Android TV

yuga — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:36:54 GMT

We got this Olevia Box a few days before my trip to Europe so I wasn’t able to test it extensively until only recently. This companion box plugs into your HDTV to make it work like those expensive Smart TVs. Big difference is that this one runs on a customized Android platform.

The box looks pretty simple, made of plastic, a bit big (gives an impression there’s a 2.5″ HDD inside) and weighs 427 grams. The white and pale grey colors add to the simple yet elegant design. I just wish they could have make the box a bit smaller though.

We’ve tried a lot of those HD media players in the past couple of years (I have 4 or 5 of them around) but this one adds more interaction by allowing users access to Google Play and download thousands of apps and games. That’s on top of being able to play full HD 1080p videos via the HDMI output.

The Olevia Box runs on Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread but they managed to simplify the user-interface of the box. The interface does not look like Gingerbread at all and resembles a media-player style of presentation with the main section stack like a carousel.

Ole Box specs:
3Core 1.2GHz processor
Super 3D GPU
1080p multimedia chipset
512MB DDR3 RAM
1GB internal storage
8GB built-in NAND storage
GC800 Graphics Engine
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
10/100Mbps LAN port
HDMI port
S-Video ports
SD card reader
2 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x optical audio
1 x CVBS port
1 x RJ45 port
Android 2.3.1 Gingerbread
Olevia UI

At the back of the box are options for connecting the device to an external display like an HDTV. The primary and most recommended would be the HDMI port.

There’s also two USB 2.0 ports so you can connect the box to additional accessories. I was able to plug an external USB mouse to help me navigate the player and another portable HDD drive to access more the HD movies.

The box also comes with an IR remote control but it’s a bit hard to navigate with it alone. I’d say plugging a mouse and keyboard should help maximize usability of the box.

We ran a couple of benchmarks on the set and got 2372 on Antutu Benchmark while Quadrant Standard would not run the test.

Over-all, the system feels responsive but not that snappy. It’s comparable to a lot of those smartphones with a single-core 1GHz processor. For an HD media player, it’s actually a really good one already. We could not run a number of apps on the device though, including Temple Run.

Suggested retail price is in the Php12,500 range and is available in 5th Avenue Stores in the malls.

Nokia launched the Lumia 900, priced at Php27,990

Ronnie Bulaong — Tue, 22 May 2012 08:22:27 GMT

At an event, or should I say party, held at The Bonifacio High Street’s Amphitheater, Nokia has officially announced the arrival and pricing of their flagship device, the Lumia 900. We also spotted something rather surprising.

The “Lumianation” was nothing short of spectacular (kudos to Nokia and the other people involve for making this launch a success, not to mention memorable). The Amphitheater was packed with people from the press, bloggers and Lumia as they await the announcement of Nokia’s top of the line handset. While waiting for the announcement, the audience was entertained by the Jump Smokers dance group backed by an outstanding mixes by DJ Nina and DJ Flipside.

There was also a Nokia booth that showcased their Lumia handsets and booths for Nokia’s telco partners. Ms. Kat Alano who hosted the event went around these booths and did a short interview of the people there. She, along with the other who dared, was also smoked in the Nokia-WP7 challenge as shown in the picture above. Nokia has also given away a handful of Lumia handsets to attendees and are drawn electronically.

At the height of the event, just moments away from the official announcement of the Lumia 900, spectators marveled at the 3D presentation of the evolution of Nokia smartphones projected at a building at the side of the Amphitheater.

The Lumia 900 shared the limelight with its Lumia siblings; 610, 710 and 800. As we mention on our previous posts, the 710 and 800 are available via Smart and Globe respectively while the 610 is priced at PhP10,980 apiece.

The Lumia 900 is said to hit the shelves this June for Php27,990 and will come with a free Nokia Purity Headset by Monster.

Nokia Lumia 900 specs:
4.3-inch AMOLED display @ 480×800 pixels
Nokia ClearBlack display
Qualcomm Scorpion 1.4GHz processor
512MB RAM
16GB internal storage
HSDPA 21Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
8MP autofocus camera, Carl Zeiss optics and dual-LED flash
720p video recording
1MP front-facing camera
GPS w/ aGPS support
Li-Ion battery 1800mAh
Windows Phone 7.5 Mango

Samsung Galaxy S3 goes up on Amazon for $799.99

yuga — Tue, 22 May 2012 04:53:24 GMT

While we’ve been speculating for weeks how much the suggested retail price of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S3 and eagerly waiting for the offerings from Globe and Smart, Amazon has put up its pre-order page for the handset.

The price of a 16GB, unlocked, international version of the Galaxy S3 is pegged at $799.99. At current exchange rates, that’s about Php34,400. But that’s the US price which is more often cheaper than Philippine price.

This points us back again to our earlier story that the Philippine price of the Galaxy S3 will be somewhere in the Php36k to Php37k. See story here.

Lady Gaga Concert bags a Super Duper Swarm Badge

yuga — Tue, 22 May 2012 04:25:50 GMT

Getting 250 concurrent check-ins will get you a Super Swarm badge in FourSquare. Hit 500 and you get a Super Duper Swarm badge. The Lady Gaga Concert at the SM Mall of Asia Arena saw over 500 checked-in to the place last night.

photo credit @skushno

The concert was sponsored by Smart and the Super Swarm campaign was also done in collaboration with FourSquare. Smart also ran a FourSquare promo where everyone can claim a custom Smart Live More badge whenever they check-in between 6pm to 2am the following day.

To make the campaign more enticing, Smart is raffling off two Samsung Galaxy Nexus to all those who checked-in during the period.

The Super Swarm mark was breached within 15 minutes of the event and at around 7pm to 8pm, they broke the Super Duper Swarm mark with around 600 concurrent check-ins.

Note: Smart allowed jumpers to check-in so the 600+ indicated here does not really reflect the number of FourSquare users who attended the concert. If only Lady Gaga could have tweeted about it, I think they could have gotten way, way more.

The Smart Live More badge is the very first custom FourSquare badge in the Philippines. See our related story about this here.

Asus Padfone coming; hitting the Php40k mark

yuga — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:09:37 GMT

While Computex 2012 is still two weeks away, we’re definitely looking forward to get a hold of the Asus Padfone that was showcased from last year’s event. It’s already being sold in Taiwan and might soon hit store shelves in the Philippines as well.

The Padfone took its inspiration in the Asus Transformer line (we bought each of those two models and liked them a lot) and pushed the design further to incorporate a smartphone as the core device that powers the tablet.

SO what you get for the whole package is the 4.3-inch Super AMOLED smartphone, a 10.1-inch shell tablet, a full-qwerty keyboard dock and a stylus headset.

Asus Padfone specs:
4.3″ Super AMOLED display @ 540×960 pixels
Gorilla Glass
Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 8260A dual-core 1.5GHz
Adreno 225 GPU
1GB RAM
16GB, 32GB and 64GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
HSPA+ 42Mbps
8MP autofocus camera, LED flash, f/2.2
GPS w/ aGPS support
1520mAh Li-Ion battery
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
128 x 65.4 x 9.2mm

PadFone Station
10.1-inches, WXGA 1280×800, TFT with capacitive multi-touch panel
Corning Gorilla Glass with HCLR Film
273 x 176.9 x 13.55 mm (WxDxH)
24.4 Whr/6600 mAh Lithium

Estimated retail price of the Asus Padfone will depend which components you get but for starters, the Padfone and tablet will set you back around Php35k while the whole set which includes the keyboard dock and the stylus headset can go for as much as Php40k. Of course you can still buy them separately. These are Taiwan street prices though so the Philippine price could either be lower or higher than that.

We’ll just have to wait and see once it hits the Philippines by 3rd quarter of this year.

Smart dumps $75k for a Live More FourSquare Badge

yuga — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:17:11 GMT

Smart is said to be the first in the Philippines to get a Partner Badge from FourSquare. The exclusive badge, the Smart Live More, will make its debut during the Lady Gaga Concert at the SM Mall of Asia Arena tonight and tomorrow.

Customized FourSquare badges are rare and the company charges a minimum of $25,000 a month for its use (there’s a 3-month commitment). If that is the case, Smart may have paid at least $75,000 just to get this Live More badge (around Php3.15 million).

FourSquare users will be able to check-in at the Lady Gaga concert starting from 6pm to 2am the following day. Fortunately, anyone from anywhere can still check-in and actually get the badge once it reaches the SuperSwarm or 250 check-ins (jumpers are referred to FourSquare users that check-in to places despite not being present in those locations).

The Live More badge looks like the one shown above.

The Php3.15 million investment for a custom FourSquare badge is the first time we’ve heard a local entity has made and its a pretty expensive badge if we may say so. According to reports from ClickZ and Mashable, FourSquare has increased their paid badges from $10,000 a month in 2011 to $25,000 a month.

According to FourSquare “Partner Badges are the only offering that have a fee attached. Badge ideas are first subject to our product team’s approval to ensure that the campaign makes sense for your brand and ours, that this is a behavior that is unique and hasn’t yet been rewarded within foursquare already, and that there is a cohesive story and unlock requirements.”

If a badge concept is approved, it usually take 6-8 weeks from that point until the campaign is ready to be launched.

FourSquare offers up to 5 custom badges inclusive of this rate so we might see more badges from Smart in the coming months.

source: AboutFourSquare, Mashable & ClickZ

LG Optimus L7 in the flesh, first impressions

yuga — Mon, 21 May 2012 05:05:50 GMT

Together with the Optimus 3D Max that we received last week, we also got a demo unit of the upcoming LG Optimus L7 that runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Check out our unboxing photos and first impressions after the break.

The Optimus L7 was first announced during the Mobile World Congress back in February along with the Optimus L3 (see review here) and the Optimus L5.

The handset reminds us of the LG Prada 3.0 we reviewed earlier although we noticed the specifications aren’t as impressive as the latter.

We reckon the Optimus L7 can be categorized somewhere in the mid-range of LG’s line-up, akin to the Optimus Black of last year (or probably a more affordable version of the LG Prada 3.0).

The most noticeable changes or updates on this model is the Android 4.0.3 ICS out-of-the-box, a higher capacity battery and inclusion of an NFC chip.

LG Optimus L7 P705 specs:
4.3″ IPS LCD @ 480×800 pixels, 240ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass
Qualcomm MSM7227A Snapdragon 1GHz Cortex-A5
Adreno 220 GPU
512MB RAM
4GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD
HSPA+ 21Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi Direct, DLNA
Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP
NFC-enabled
GPS w/ aGPS support
5MP autofocus camera w/ LED flash
VGA front-facing camera
FM Radio tuner
1700mAh Li-Ion battery
Android 4.0.3 ICS
125.5 x 67 x 8.7mm
122grams

What disappointed us a bit is that while taking photos (images looked good), we discovered the rear camera can only take VGA (640×480 pixels) videos and not even 720p.

While the hardware isn’t that impressive, we’re hoping LG Mobile Philippines will position this handset in the more affordable range.

Given that the Optimus L3 retailed for only Php5,990 when it came out last month, we are optimistic that LG might be able to offer the Optimus L7 in the price range of around Php12k to Php15k. If that’s the case, then the Optimus L7, with its large 4.3-inch screen and ICS, can have a really good fighting chance in that price category.

Check out more of our unboxing photos below:

Check back after a week or two for the full review, and hopefully, a final retail price.

Window (Yuandao) N90 Fast Tab Android ICS Tablet

yuga — Sun, 20 May 2012 18:26:35 GMT

In the past months we’ve covered a handful of affordable tablets from China. It came in different shapes and sizes and in all honesty they were pretty decently speced as well considering their price. Another Chinese manufactured tablet has recently landed in our doorsteps with the name Window N90 or YuanDao N90.

The Window N90 comes in a fairly simple box. It comes with a charger, two USB cables one is short and one is more lengthy and a pair of headsets. The short microUSB cable terminates into a female USB 2.0. The tablet runs ICS out of the box which is a common thing nowadays.

This tablet features the same screen size as the iPad. Its 9.7” IPS Capacitive Screen has a pretty decent screen resolution at 1024×768 which has a pixel density of 162ppi. This translates to an above average display quality and view angle. Along with the screen the front also features a 2MP camera.

At the top if one is holding the tablet horizontally, the one of three Sleep/Wake buttons on the tablet along with the volume rocker. On its left side (while on the same orientation) is the second sleep/wake button but this one also acts as the Power button. Also on the left side is the 3.5mm audio port.

On its right side, the last of three sleep/wake buttons along with handful of ports. The tablet has 2 microUSB ports, a microSD slot and charging port.

On the same side, the 2 speakers and small reset hole can be found.

The rear 2MP snapper alongside the tablets logo and the ports’ label can be found at back of the tablet. We’re not completely sure about the make of the back panel. But it really doesn’t look or feel cheap.

Here’s a quick rundown of the Window N90’s specs:

9.7” IPS LCD capacitive display @ 1024×768, 162ppi
1GHz Cortex A8 RockChip RK2918 processor
1GB RAM
GC800 Graphics Engine GPU
8GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD card
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi hotspot
2MP rear camera
2MP front-facing camera
Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich
8,000mAh (2 x 4000mAh) Li-Ion battery
244 x 189 x 9.6mm
607g

Apart from the screen size and resolution, there are other similarities with the N90 and iPad 2 in terms of form factor. Of the two, the N90 is almost a millimeter thicker at 9.6mm compared to the iPad 2’s 8.8mm.

The Chinese tablet is also a bit heftier at 630g than the Cupertino tablet which only weighs 607g. Unlike the iPad 2’s tapered body, the Windows N90 has a more squared body with the sides reinforced with plastic bezel that shields the tablet against occasional bumps.

The Window N90 Fast Tab sells for Php11,450 over at Widget City (see listing here).

Teardown the ThinkPad: ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook

Ronnie Bulaong — Sun, 20 May 2012 18:05:46 GMT

The other day, we attended a Lenovo event called “Teardown the ThinkPad”. Members of the press, media and bloggers witnessed how the machine was torn down in to bite-sized pieces and saw the parts that make this business notebook one of the most durable if not the most durable PC in the world. Catch our video presentation of the ThinkPad after the break.

For almost two decades Lenovo’s ThinkPad has certainly established itself as a one of the beloved business notebooks of professionals all around the world. It is known by businessmen and women for its durability and reliability. For IT professionals it is regarded as one of the most secure and easy-to-manage PC. Now the ThinkPad is about to embark on yet again another transformation to further enhance its capabilities while maintaining the features that it has been known for.

Lenovo have worked hand-in-hand with Intel to bring a more practical solution to keep the laptop and the data inside safe as well as bringing the ThinkPad up to speed with the current technology needs. The new ThinkPad will be equipped with Intel Ivy Bridge processor integrated with vPRO technology. Having worked closely with various antivirus companies, Intel has also brought a number of optimization that enables the new ThinkPad, as well as other notebooks that has the same chip, to not only be lightning fast but also secured in the process.

One of the key features of the vPRO technology is that it provides protection against identity and account information theft. Instead of solely relying on the antivirus installed on the computer and the firewall setup by the IT, Intel has embedded this anti-theft technology in the Ivy Bridge processors. As a result, new ThinkPad on-the-go users will have a peace of mind that their information is secured wherever they go.

It’s also worth mentioning that Lenovo has also added a couple of hardware enhancement on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon’s hardware to make it tougher and sleeker. Following the current trend, the new ThinkPad has Carbon fiber for a shell, hence the Carbon in its name. This not only adds durability but also cuts the weight down to 2.87 pounds, beating the 13” MacBook Air (2.96lbs) by a hair. The lightweight profile is complemented by ThinkPad’s slim design which is only measured at 16.5mm thick. The 14” screen boasts a higher resolution at 1600×900 pixels. It also has backlit keyboard perfect for working in dim environment. Just like its predecessor, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon also has the fast charge technology that charges to 80% in under 30minutes.

But don’t be fooled by its thin and lightweight profile as this business laptop can handle a beating if needed to thanks to its Carbon fiber body. The laptop is also spill-resistant as demonstrated by Lu Yan, Senior Vice-President of Lenovo’s Think Product Group in this short clip.

Although product pricing and availability is still untold, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is certainly a worthy ultrabook to consider and should give its prospective buyers a bang for their buck.

LG Optimus 3D Max in the flesh, take two for LG

yuga — Sun, 20 May 2012 09:47:53 GMT

LG is back with another 3D-capable smartphone, the Optimus 3D Max. This is not the first time LG came out with a phone sporting a stereoscopic camera (they had the Optimus 3D last year) but looks like this second incarnation wants to take another shot at 3D images again.

The LG Optimus 3D Max comes with a 4.3-inch 3D LCD display that’s protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 2, a dual-core TI OMAP processor (1.2GHz Cortex-A9), PowerVR SGX540 and 1GB of RAM.

That’s basically the same chip they used on the Optimus 3D and they just doubled the RAM. It’s now also thinner than its predecessor (9.6mm vs. 11.9mm) and lighter (148 grams vs 168 grams).

The rest seems to be the same — exactly same display, 8GB internal storage and dual 5MP cameras. The NFC chip is new though but it doesn’t have the LG Tag+ with it so we may not be able to test that part.

Check out our unboxing photos below:

We’re still taking our time and doing a lot of testing to focus on the 3D features of this smartphone as it is supposed to be its main selling point.

We got the demo unit from LG Philippines last week but we’re not yet told when this will be launched/released in the country and how much it will sell for. Our hunch is sometime in the 1st or 2nd week of June. Check back with us once we’re done with the full review in a week or two.

Contest: Make me a cool Sun BB Plan 600 Poster!

yuga — Sat, 19 May 2012 13:23:54 GMT

Sun Cellular is introducing a new BlackBerry Plan 600 with flexible options and we wanted to share this news to all our readers by running a contest. Check out below how you can win a BlackBerry handset from Sun.

So the Sun BB Pan 600 comes in 3 profiles — Call & Text Unlimited, Text Unlimited, and Fully Consumable. You can learn more about it here.

The official web poster is this one.

What we’re thinking is asking our readers here to contribute a poster for this BlackBerry Plan. We have two categories — Traditional Poster and Digital Poster.

Traditional Poster. This entry must be hand-made, using any available raw materials to create a canvass. Use any material you want or is available to you — paint, oil, crayons, spray paint, along with tarp, cloth, wall, cardboard, sticks, stones, etc.

Digital Poster. Using any image editing software like Photoshop or Illustrator to create a digital canvass.

For the Traditional Poster, take a photo or video of your finish artwork and upload a copy of it on the web (Flickr, Facebook, Picasa, YouTube etc.).

For the Digital Poster, upload a copy of it (JPEG, BMP, etc) on any photo sharing site.

Leave a comment below with a link to your entry. You can make as many entries as you want. Just be creative and make it unique.

For the others, you can join the mini-giveaway using RaffleCopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Our Prizes.

1 BlackBerry Curve 8520 for the Traditional Poster
1 BlackBerry Curve 8520 for the Digital Poster
10 minor prizes for the RaffleCopter (10 BlackBerry Shirts and 10 BlackBerry Pins)

Judging.

YugaTech and Sun Cellular with pick the winners or the poster art based on originality, creativity and adherence to the theme.

Contest starts now until June 8, 2012. We’ll judge the entries and hopefully announce it the following week.

Sony Xperia Sola Review

Ronnie Bulaong — Sat, 19 May 2012 11:52:43 GMT

Now that you’ve seen our first impression of the Xperia Sola and how it’s somehow different from its siblings, let’s delve deeper and uncover its other features. Catch our unboxing and full review after the break.

The handset comes in a small square box. It comes with a pair of NFC Smart Tags, a headset, charger and a USB Cable.

The Xperia Sola has a 3.7” TFT LCD Screen that has an unusual resolution of 854×480. This resolution is a bit higher than what we typically see from other smartphones. By having a slightly smaller screen and a bit higher resolution, the Xperia Sola was able to achieve a somewhat higher pixel density of 265ppi. But apart from that, Xperia handsets are equipped with Sony Mobile Bravia Engine technology for a crisper and more vibrant display. The screen should be able to give its users a pretty decent viewing experience.

However the screen doesn’t really offer much of a viewing angle which is often the case for devices with LCD screen. Outdoors, the screen is able to provide average sunlight legibility.

The sound quality out of this handset is actually pretty good compared to most smartphones of the same price range. This is attributed to the xLOUD sound technology applied to it and its Xperia siblings. Although the sound isn’t that loud especially when listening through the loudspeaker, but it is still enough for comfortable listening and audible calls.

This handset has DIVX support out of the box. I was able to play an AVI clip using the phone’s default video player. It’s something to have support for AVI files from the get go but playing it properly with little or no lag is something else. Watching a movie using the Xperia Sola was a delight. Thanks to its processor (which will be discussed later), there was no lag and no delays between sound and movement while I was watching a film.

Along with its smooth movie implementation, the movie watching is furthermore enhanced with the handset’s Sony Mobile Bravia Engine and xLOUD sound technology. The result is an outstanding viewing experience which few phones in the same price bracket can rival.

The Xperia Sola sports a NovaThor U8500 1GHz dual-core processor. This is the same processor used on the Xperia P and U. This processor was developed by STMicroelectronics and Sony’s previous partner Ericsson. If anything, we think that this is the Xperia Sola’s (as well as its siblings) strongest selling point. This chip may also be attributed for the handset’s affordable price as it’s also an SOC (System-on-chip), meaning it offers most if not all the essential smartphone’s features.

The SOC is becoming trend for processors nowadays. This is good news for consumers because we can expect better performance from devices in the future and not having to worry about the price.

We’ve done our usual synthetic performance benchmarking (AnTuTu, Quadrant Standard and NenaMark 2) with the Xperia Sola and it has scored pretty well on those tests. Here are the screenshots of how the handset fared on those tests.

The Xperia Sola got a pretty good score of 2,266 on Quadrant Standard and a very decent 5,352 on Antutu Benchmark. Nenamark 2 placed the graphics performance of the Sola at around 28fps.

In terms of usability, the handset was able to handle almost everything that we’ve thrown at it. The TimeScape UI was smooth with no lags. Apps that we’ve installed ran effortlessly and we didn’t encounter app crashing while using the handset. The phone remained responsive even though our SNS and email was running at the background almost.

The only part where we noticed a bit of a hiccup is on the browser. The browser takes some time to respond to even the most basic task like scrolling. But other than that, the Xperia Sola with its dual core processor works like a charm.

As we’ve mentioned on our first impression, the Xperia Sola comes preinstalled with Gingerbread. Although most of the recently released devices already have ICS out of the box, this shouldn’t be a deal breaker as Sony confirmed that an ICS update should be rolled out within this quarter.

But even if it didn’t come in the said time (which is usually the case for ICS updates), it wouldn’t be that much of an issue as this phone, along with its NXT siblings, relies heavily on its TimeScape UI for the most part.

Other than the usual features and optimizations that ICS brings to the table, we believe that there won’t be any easily noticeable change on how the phone looks and operates. Case of the statement is the recent ICS update on the Galaxy Note that, just like the NXT handsets to its TimeScape UI, also relies greatly on its TouchWiz UI.

Typing is relatively easy on the Xperia Sola. The keys are well-spaced and are responsive. Typing can be quite tricky though if you have a slightly bigger finger and is using the portrait mode but should be just fine when on landscape.

Taking photos and recording video is not the Sola’s strongest feature. Although the handset’s 5MP camera is capable of shooting pretty decent stills, it does require a couple of retakes in order to get a good shot. Not really ideal for most shooting situations. This is mainly because of its poor focusing capabilities.

Another thing to be blamed for this is the physical shutter key on the right side of the phone. We’re not sure if this is isolated to this unit only, but it’s really challenging to press that key. We didn’t have problems with the half-press, unlike with other phones, but what we are having difficulty with is capturing a picture after the half-press.

We initially thought that it may be the casing that causes this, but even after removing the casing we are still faced with the same issue. Here are some pictures taken using the Xperia Sola.

The Xperia Sola is capable of shooting 720p clips. But just like taking pictures, the autofocusing difficulty is also evident on this sample video that we’ve capture using the Xperia Sola.

One of the key features (accoding to Sony) of this device is its browser, more specifically its “Floating Touch” functionality. We’ve tried this feature several times but we’re still startled with its practical use. We hope to see more practical use and availability on other native apps in the future. Nevertheless, a pretty neat feature.

One thing that slipped our mind when we do the Xperia S review was the Smart Tags which is one of the key selling points of the NXT lineup. For the uninitiated, the Smart Tags are small NFC accessories that can be programmed to activate/deactivate some of the phones features and apps by just tapping the phone to it. It’s basically an easier and more practical way of managing how the device operates in certain situations.

A 1320mAh battery capacity may sound too lacking for a dual core handset. We don’t blame you, we also thought of the same thing when we first saw it. But we had a change of hearts after spending almost a week with the device. The phone (not the battery) exceeded our earlier presumptions about its battery life. We were blown away with how power-efficient the dual-core NovaThor U8500 is. But as good as the processor is, there’s not much a user can do about the low battery capacity but keep a charger handy. Attached are the screenshots of how the battery fared during our time with the phone.

Here’s the screenshot taken after playing two movies which are almost 2 hours a piece w/ 3G connection and Wi-Fi hotspot left on. Beside it is the screenshot taken after a day of moderate usage with 3G Connection and SNS running on the background the entire time.

In summary, the Xperia Sola has its fair share of pros and cons but as we always say, it boils down to how you plan to use the device. Some of the probable deal breakers in this unit are the lack of secondary camera, poor rear camera performance and its battery capacity. Even though the processor can compensate for the low battery capacity, it would’ve been better if the phone is equipped with a battery with larger capacity. At least 1500mAh is what we have in mind. We’re a bit tossed up with its design, so we’ll just leave that you to judge.

Sony Xperia Sola MT27i specs:
3.7-inch display @ 480×854 pixels, 265 ppi
NovaThor U8500 1.0GHz dual-core
512MB RAM
8GB internal storage (5GB usable)
up to 32GB via microSD card
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, WiFi hotspot
Bluetooth 2.1 w/ EDR
NFC
5MP rear autofocus camera with LED flash
720p video recording
FM radio tuner
GPS with aGPS support
Android 2.3 Gingerbread
1320mAH Li-Ion battery
116 x 59 x 9.9mm
107 grams

On the positive side, the Xperia Sola is a perfect music and movie companion. The sound was great thanks to its xLOUD Technology. The Sony Bravia Mobile Engine really helped the handset to produce crisp and detailed display. Although a bigger screen would’ve made viewing experience even better, we think that the 3.7” should suffice in most cases.

In addition to that, the unit is also equipped with a pretty decent processor that is not only snappy but also power-efficient to make up for the low battery capacity.

In our opinion, the Xperia Sola is a worthy purchase for its Php16,990 (Php15,800 at WidgetCity here) price tag. Not bad of a price for a decent dual-core handset.

Disclosure: Widget City provided for the review unit in this article. They are also a display banner advertiser on this site.

Smile Jamaica earphones from the House of Marley

Ronnie Bulaong — Sat, 19 May 2012 02:17:12 GMT

One of the House of Marley products that are already available in the market today is the Smile Jamaica in-ear monitor. Check out our unboxing and review after the jump.

There’s a reason why we don’t see much of Bob Marley products in the market (here and abroad), it’s because of the gravity that comes along with carrying that name. The product’s quality as well as the brand behind it should be at the same echelon as the late reggae icon.

It’s also equally important that the products embody Bob Marley’s principles and ideologies and that is spreading the love and giving back to nature. The House of Marley and their products have this feel that is uniquely Rasta. And we’re not just talking about the color and design; we mean the entire thing from the materials used, to how it sounds and how the company consciously looks after our planet and the people in it. The Smile Jamaica earphone is no exception to that.

The Smile Jamaica comes in a colorful small box made with recycled materials. The well-designed box is filled with the product’s features and what the House of Marley stands for. Flipping the flap in the front will reveal the earphones and its carrying pouch which also made of sustainable material (Hemp and Fabric). The earphone also comes with additional two pairs of silicon ear buds.

As a testament to the brand’s commitment to bring durable and eco-friendly products, the materials used in this compact earphone are either recycled and/or sustainable but remains a high level of rigidity that can handle the usual wear and tear of daily use.

The base of the earphone that houses its 8mm moving driver and Neodymium magnet is made of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified Sapele and Beech wood. This means that the wood used in this earphone came from a forest that is being replenished. The steel ring that completes the monitor’s housing is made of recyclable aluminum. The strain relief on each of the earphone’s base as well as the one 3.5mm jack is made of recycled plastic.

The phone has a 52” woven fabric cord which in my opinion is more durable than rubber cord. Due to the nature of the cord, users are less likely to deal with untangling it after keeping. In addition, the fabric cord also lessens the static electricity, thus aiding the earphone to provide a much clearer sound. The braided cord terminates to a right-angled 3.5mm gold-plated audio jack.

The Smile Jamaica comes in four color variants, Curry (Yellow-tipped), Fire (Red-tipped), Lily (Pink-tipped) and Rasta (Blue-tipped). Besides the replaceable silicon tips, there’s also a slight difference in the coloring of the base, aluminum ring and strain relief for each variant.

The sound quality out of the Smile Jamaica earphone is just plain amazing. Thanks to its 8mm, 16-Ohms dynamic driver this earphone can provide an outstanding listening experience. Made with reggae in mind, this earphone has the best bass response I’ve heard from an earphone on the same price range. You’d only not hear the bass; you’d feel it thumping on your ear canals.

But reggae isn’t just about bass, there are actually more instruments on a reggae song than most song genres. That’s why, the House of Marley also paid the same amount of attention to the highs and mids as they did on the bass. The mids are clearly reproduced and are not attenuated and the Highs are crisp with no trace of sibilance. Unlike other bass-centered monitors, the Smile Jamaica’s bass output is punchy enough to deliver deep and full lows but isn’t too strong that it compromises the other sounds.

The Smile Jamaica also has a very decent soundstage so listeners can hear all the instruments but is a bit lacking on depth (space between instruments) which is typical for IEMs (In-ear Monitors). One of the advantages of being an in-ear monitor is that it can provide a very decent noise-isolation for a better listening experience and minimal sound leak.

Smile Jamaica specs:
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20+KHz
8mm driver
3.5mm gold-plated connector
4-feet tangle-free, braided cord
3 silicone tips
FSC Certified Wood Housing
Aluminum Front Housing
Recycled Plastic Train-Relief
Cotton Carry Bag

Just to reiterate what I just said earlier, the Smile Jamaica IEM is the best earphones that I’ve used in its price bracket. The sound quality was so good that it can even rival that of those more pricey IEMs. With its superior sound reproduction, it’s almost illegal for these earphones to be sold with Php1,399 price tag. The only thing that I didn’t like about it is that it’s too colorful and that it doesn’t really suits me. But other than that, just pair the Smile Jamaica earphones to a decent PMP or any good sounding device and it will definitely give you a run for your money.

Disclosure: The folks from the House of Marley gave these earphones to the author for free. They also sent out another set of earphones as a token over the week-end. – Yuga

HTC One V Hands-On: A Second Encounter

Louie Diangson — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:45:25 GMT

HTC launched two devices for their One series of smartphones last month, namely the One X and the One V. While the high end One X boasts with more powerful specs and a higher price tag, the One V is more of a modest type. Check out our second encounter with the HTC One V below.

First thing you’ll notice about the HTC One V is its design reminiscent of the HTC Legend. It inherited the trademark “chin” that kinda reminds me of Johnny Bravo.

Three capacitive buttons are located at the bottom of the display. No front-facing camera. On the right side is the volume rocker and on the left is the microUSB port.

Turn it on its back and you’ll find the 5 megapixel camera and flash on top, down below is the speaker. The body is made of plastic but with a matte metal finish giving the One V with a professional look.

The phone runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich clothed with HTC Sense UI version 4.0. It has Dropbox and SkyDrive integration and comes with HTC’s own app store called the HTC Hub. The audio is powered by Beats technology so you can expect quality sound coming from this smartphone.

Preliminary benchmark test using Quadrant Standard shows the One V scoring (1776) better than the Nexus S but falls a few hundred points short of the Galaxy Nexus.

The hardware configuration of the One V looks pretty decent and with ICS pre-installed right out of the box, it’s an appealing set up.

HTC One V specs:
3.7” WVGA LCD Display @ 480×800 pixels, 252ppi
1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor
512MB RAM
4GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD card
HSDPA up to 14.4Mbps
Bluetooth 4.0
5MP autofocus rear camera
720p video recording
GPS w/ aGPS support
1500mAh Li-Polymer battery
Android 4.0 ICS
120.3 x 59.7 x 9.2 mm

The presence of that chin really reminds us of the HTC Hero and the HTC Legend during the first years of HTC doing Android handsets.

The One V has a suggested retail price of Php15,990. Watch out for our full review in a week.

Subscribers complain about annoying Globe iToolbar

yuga — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:46:07 GMT

We received several emails today about the newly implemented Globe iToolbar. The iToolbar appears when you’re using mobile internet or tethering your device to a phone on the Globe network.

A few readers pointed out to us that this new implementation is automatically inserted by Globe to any website that your browse on the net.

The Globe iToolbar is an expandable toolbar within your phone’s browser that gives you quick and easy access to Globe services, Internet search, and your favorite Internet sites.

Globe’s reason behind the introduction of this toolbar is “to make your Mobile Internet experience much more convenient. You can now enjoy quick and easy access to your favorite Globe and Internet services.“.

As of May 2012, Globe Postpaid, Globe Prepaid, and TM subscribers with the following devices can see the Globe iToolbar:

iPhone 3G running iOS5 or higher using the native browser
iPhone 3GSrunning iOS5 or higher using the native browser
iPhone 4running iOS5 or higher using the native browser
iPhone 4Srunning iOS5 or higher using the native browser
Sony Ericsson LT15i Xperia Arc using Android 2.3 or higher using the native browser
Samsung GT-S5570 Galaxy Mini using Android 2.3 or higher using the native browser

The biggest complaint we are getting from Globe subscribers is that there’s no way to remove this toolbar. This has apparently distracted a lot of subscribers and ruined the user experience especially on mobile devices with very limited screen real estate.

As of this time, there is no way for subscribers to remove the Globe iToolbar. We’re getting comments from Globe regarding this issue.

Update: Globe says they are aware of the reactions of subscribers and looking into the next steps to address this issue.

Update 2: Looks like Globe Telecom has decided to drop the iToolbar on their mobile internet. We’re getting reports people are no longer seeing the Globe iToolbar when using their Globe mobile internet.

Update 3: Talked to a Globe exec who told me they already scrapped the whole idea of the iToolbar.

Hat tip Marc Obaldo, Ernesto Pacheco.

Infinity Blade Dungeons Gameplay Footage

Louie Diangson — Fri, 18 May 2012 06:33:04 GMT

Infinity Blade and Infinity Blade 2 have become widely successful that it earned the respect of gamers everywhere and solidified the iPad as a gaming device to reckon with. Epic Games is not resting on its laurels with their plan to release Infinity Blade Dungeons.

Infinity Blade Dungeons lets go of the closer point of view when it comes to battles in favor of a Diablo-style overhead view. Check out the gameplay footage below care and watch out for the hammer that puts Thor’s to shame.

Unlike the first two Infinity Blade games, Dungeons is not being developed by Chair. Instead, Epic hired a team of Gears of War veterans to do the job. So you can just imagine the quality of gameplay and graphics that will surely be taken advantage of by the new iPad.

So far no announcement has been made about the release date but it will be launched in the App Store within this year.
Official Trailer:

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