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Lenovo launches Back to School bundle promo

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27 May 2013

Lenovo launches Back to School bundle promo

Lenovo Philippines is offering a Back to School bundle promo so that students can acquire their popular, powerful yet affordable range of PCs. Lenovo IdeaPad PCs are designed for every student—for those who are constantly on the go to those who need top-of-the-line specs for their needs.

“Our back-to-school promotion aims to equip students with gadgets and gears that will help them thrive in their personal and academic endeavours. Our laptops have multimedia features and high-speed processing and connectivity capabilities to support the multi-faceted needs of this generation’s students. We hope our PCs will fire up their creativity in doing schoolwork, while also help them remain connected and enjoy the other activities they do on their computers. Our Back to School bundle will offer accessories and other tech gadgets that will enhance their PC experience and enrich their student lives,” said Vicky Agorrilla, Country General Manager of Lenovo Philippines.

Customers who purchase the IdeaPad Y480, Y580, Y500 and Z470 laptops from participating outlets will also receive an MTV Samsonite 15” backpacks. Those who buy the IdeaPad Z400 and G470 will also receive MO620 speakers, a Lenovo P720 headset, and the Lenovo N3903A mouse. Those who buy the G480 notebooks will receive Sanuk gift vouchers.

The IdeaPad Y480, Y580 and Y500 are ideal for the student who also plays games on a regular basis. These 15.6-inch (14-inch for the Y480) laptops boast 2.3 GHz Core i7-3610QM processors and an NVIDIA GT 750M (Y500), GTX 660M (Y580) or Intel HD 4000 graphics (Y480) cards. All three models also have Dolby Home Theater v4 software, a built-in Blu-ray player, and numerous other features, so whether at work or at play, the student-gamer can make both enjoyable experiences.

Burning the midnight oil? Is that paper due in four hours and you still haven’t started? The IdeaPad Z400 and Z470 might be what you’re looking for. Both models are 14 inches, can support 1080p resolution, have enhanced display quality, a built-in Blu-ray player, and a full-sized backlit keyboard to help you stay up at night so you can also get an A on that paper despite being under pressure by the demands of your school workload.

Let’s say you like being involved at school—you’re involved in school orgs or maybe you’re a student-athlete—you might want to consider the IdeaPad S300, S400 or S405. These 14-inch laptops (13.3-inch for the S300) support 1366×768 screen resolutions, come equipped with Intel Ivy Bridge and AMD Trinity processors, and a battery life of up to five hours to complement these students’ on-the-go lifestyles.

You have a reputation for looking good—and in turn, you want to have your gadgets look good as well. The IdeaPad G470 and G480 are 14-inch laptops that have Intel and AMD processors, along with the brand new Windows 8 OS and HD LED displays to show off what you’re doing. The G470 and G480 serves most school needs while still looking stylish, so you can get your work done and look good doing it as well.

The Back to School promo runs from April 17 to June 15, 2013 at select Lenovo outlets nationwide.

MSI-ECS named Distro of the year for FY2012

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Ren Alcantara

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26 May 2013

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MSI-ECS named Distro of the year for FY2012

msi — (L-R) Kriz Delloro, TIER 1 channel account manager, EMC Philippines; Judge Dignos, channel sales executive, EMC, MSI-ECS; Jeffrey Saavedra, product support supervisor, MSI-ECS, who was also named as the Support Engineer of the Year; Lex Napiza, product support engineer, MSI-ECS; Nicky Francisco, Distributor channel account manager, EMC Philippines; Jimmy Go, president and CEO, MSI-ECS; Svet Paner, AVP Sales and Marketing for Technology – Enterprise Group, MSI-ECS; Coco Aguilar, product manager, EMC, MSI-ECS; Bea Cabiluna, channel sales executive, EMC, MSI-ECS; Maybel Estipular, assistant manager Product Support and MIS, MSI-ECS; Tom Pascual, AVP Product Support and MIS, MSI-ECS; and Ronnie Latinazo, country manager, EMC Philippines.

At the recent EMC 2013 Grand Prix Gala Night-Partner Kick-Off, MSI-ECS, one of the leading ICT distributors in the Philippines, recently took home the country bagged the EMC Distributor of the Year Award for 2012. This annual gathering of the EMC distributors and partners seeks to recognize companies and individuals who have made a substantial contribution to supporting the EMC business locally.

Dell’s focus on Enterprise gives customers the power to do more

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Ren Alcantara

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26 May 2013

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Dell’s focus on Enterprise gives customers the power to do more

During the past four years, Dell has invested in more than USD 4 Billion to deliver high-performing end-to-end solutions to better support the ever-changing needs of its consumers. Dell’s drive to deliver results, create competitive advantage and and expand their opportunities is driven by investments in the data center, security services and software.

“Today, Dell is better positioned than ever before to deliver innovative, end-to-end solutions,” said Sumir Bhatia, Enterprise Solutions director for South Asia, Dell. “We’re investing to help our customers be successful and secure in a world being transformed by the forces of cloud, big data and mobility.”

Dell has increased customer agility, at the same time, lowering costs, by leveraging the advantages of the Cloud. Cloud Computing shows enormous promise to make organizations highly agile, adaptive and opportunistic. Dell offers customers “Open, Secure Enterprise-class Cloud” that helps optimize IT agility, reduce cost, improve speed to market and provide solutions for a mobile workforce.

Dell increases productivity by enabling the next generation workforce to work securely from anywhere, any time. Dell also has a focus on allowing companies to effectively use and analyze Big Data. Customers increasingly want their data when they want it, where they want it and how they want it.

Data protection is another focus of the company. Data Protection means maintaining access to key data and applications as this becomes increasingly critical to assuring business continuity for customers of all sizes. It is anticipated that the Asia-Pacific Managed Security Services market will continue to grow from 28% to 33% annually through 2015. Dell recognizes that securing company data is critical to the survival of any business and that one size does not fit all. Dell has been making thoughtful investments in key capabilities and assets such as SonicWALL and SecureWorks to provide customers with industry leading security solutions.

“Dell’s business strategy focuses on our customers’ needs. Our priority is to help our customers drive business outcomes and create competitive advantage through innovative and practical solutions,” said Bhatia. “We remain committed to expanding our offerings beyond PCs to include end-to-end IT solutions from device to the datacenter to the cloud and continue with our acquisitions strategy.”

Samsung Galaxy S4: A quick camera update

GadgetsLab

Ren Alcantara

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26 May 2013

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Samsung Galaxy S4: A quick camera update

We know one of the most amazing things about the Samsung Galaxy S4 is the camera. After having used it for a few weeks now, and having come off of other devices whose cameras have been deemed above average, I can say, with all honesty, that the S4 camera is exactly what people say it is: nothing short of spectacular.

The 13-megapixel main snapper on the Samsung Galaxy S4 is sharp as all heck. In dim, diffused light, indoors, the camera does a really good job. Detail comes out extremely well anyway. You can almost taste this heart-stopper. (Pardon the photo, but something like this can’t not be shared.) Until you zoom in really close, you almost can’t tell that it was taken with a mere phone camera.

Outdoor shots in bright lighting come out even better. The bright blue sky and the glittery bronze of General MacArthur come out perfectly (if a little under-saturated), though some grain is visible in the more uniform color of the sky. Again, only when zoomed in do you really see the slight fuzziness belying the shot as having been taken with a mobile phone.

This shot was taken in almost pitch-blackness, with no other light but the built-in flash on the S4. When viewed in a reasonable size, the photo is wonderfully crisp. It’s performance in darkness with the flash is again, startling. For any use short of professional print, the S4 camera is more than sufficient.

One of my favorite shots from a recent out-of-town trip, this was taken in the mid-morning, while the sun was hidden behind clouds. you can again see just how sharp the edges on the clouds appear, though detail on the dog is a little lost due to exposure compensation on the camera. The shot is a little less saturated than I would have liked, but a quick tweak in post should handle it. For quick snapshots, it should do more than well enough.

So far, I’m extremely pleased with the performance of the S4 camera. More than once, I have resorted to the S4 instead of going with a dedicated snapper. We’re doing a full review on the S4 in the June issue, so if you’re on the fence about going with the latest from the Korean giant, Grab a copy as soon as they hit the shelves!

Smart continues postpaid growth in Q1 2013

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Ren Alcantara

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26 May 2013

0

Smart continues its march forward in the local wireless race. The telco grew its postpaid subscriber base by 24% in the first quarter of 2013 versus the same period last year. This gets them a step further in this very hotly contested segment of local telecommunications.

To push this lead even firther, Smart will be offering a whole new set of postpaid deals called Flexibundles, allowing subscribers more control of their cellular spending through a simple set of steps.

“These Flexibundles give Smart Postpaid subscribers greater control over their plans, enabling them to design their plans to suit their specific needs. And they can do this in a way that is easy to understand and simple to use,” said Orlando B. Vea, co-founder and Chief Wireless Advisor of Smart.

Options include unlimited SMS and call combos, tri- and all-net packages, volume-based data plans and other options. To avail of the packets, Postpaid subscribers need only register via SMS. These buckets are available to users of all Smart All-In plans, Unlimited Data Plans, iPhone Plans, Unli Postpaid, Plan 349, Freedom Plan, and the Family Circle Plans.

“We are keen to keep growing our postpaid business because this is how we can help unlock the potential of mobile data and make it more relevant and more beneficial to our subscribers,” Vea added.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rooftop Run available on iOS

Apps

Gadgets Team

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24 May 2013

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rooftop Run available on iOS

Are you a fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Nickelodeon has launched the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rooftop Run app, the network’s first worldwide mobile app available in more than 150 countries and eight languages. You can join Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo in this endless runner ninja combat game, where players run, jump and fight their way across the rooftops of New York in an attempt to save the city from the invading Kraang and ultimate destruction. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rooftop Run features full 3D characters and environments based on the CG-animated series.

In this app, players assume the role of their favorite Turtle as they outrun the Kraang’s tractor beam, battling enemies with Ninjutsu combat along the way. As enemies are defeated, players earn coins that can be redeemed for awesome power ups, weapons and gear. Collecting energy orbs fills the player’s Energy Meter and keeps the Kraang away. Once the Energy Meter is filled, players enter “Turtle Time,” a special combat mode where game play is zoomed in and slowed down, and players must tap in rapid succession, striking multiple enemies simultaneously in a thrilling fight sequence to increase coin collection.

To enhance game play experience, players can visit the Turtle Lair to unlock characters, purchase power ups and upgrade their Turtle’s weapons and gear. Enhancements can be purchase using game coins or an iTunes account. New gear influences coin collection rates, energy meter drainage and refills, builds players’ resistance to certain obstacles and enables them to fast-forward to any section of the game already played, gaining additional coins.

You can battle enemies from the Foot Clan, Kraang, and Dimension X, activate Turtle Time to fight up close in a slow-motion combat sequence, outfit the Turtles in exclusive cyber and stealth gear, upgrade with weapons, gadgets and boosts like the Laser bot and Turtle Saver, Unlock and play as the Turtles’ formidable canine foe Dog Pound, earn rewards from the Pizz Time mini-game and participate in epic boss battles.

The app is available for US$1.99 (PHP 82). For more details about the app, you can visit http://www.tmntrooftoprun.com.

WatchGuard adds new products to Smart Firewall line-up

Technology News

Gadgets Team

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23 May 2013

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WatchGuard adds new products to Smart Firewall line-up

Citing recently reported cyber-attacks in the Philippines, WatchGuard Technologies Asia Pacific Vice President Scott Robertson expressed that there is a greater need to adapt consolidated network security technologies to counter increasing blended threats, and that WatchGuard’s family of Smart Firewalls are shoe-fit for the country’s network security needs, particularly with the launch of its new products that address enterprise and wireless security demands.

WatchGuard adds seven new models to its line of Extensible Threat Management (XTM) products. The new enterprise-class XTM products—primarily suited to headquarters, data centers and managed security services—are the 1520, 1525, 2520 models. WatchGuard also provides small and medium-sized businesses with the XTM 800 series of products.

These new XTM models, as WatchGuard claims, are the fastest one-rack-unit next-generation firewalls for enterprise network and data centers. The XTM 2520, for instance, operates at a firewall throughput of 35Gbps and up t 15Gbps of IPS.

Features include dynamic routing, wide area network (WAN) failover, server load balancing, and link aggregation. The new products also carry Fireware XTM 11.7, which enhances URL filtering database from Websense, WatchGuard’s strategic partner, Android and iOS VPN applications, and support for IPv6 and L2TP VPN. They are also equipped with RapidDeploy, WatchGuard’s configuration utility, to allow customers to preconfigure XTM devices for branch offices, eliminating the need for their IT security professionals to actually be at the deployment site for installation. Policy grouping, which allows administrators to create custom tags and filters for firewall policies to further simplify management and maintenance in larger environments, has also been added.

Additionally, the new WatchGuard XTM 800, 1500, and 2500 series appliances pack the latest Intel Xeon multi-core processors and QuickAssist technologies to achieve topnotch performance in speed and security.

WatchGuard also extends its enterprise-strength network security services to wireless networks with the launch of its two new wireless access points aimed at protecting mobile devices connected to wireless networks of enterprises and small-to-medium businesses.

With the new wireless access points—the AP100 (USD 400) and the AP200 (USD 525)—WatchGuard customers can apply XTM security features such as IPS, application control, WebBlocker, and spamBlocker, to WLAN traffic.

When asked whether the new wireless access points can also be used to support the security of public wireless networks used by shopping malls—a widespread development in the Philippines—Robertson remarked that he sees providing malls, as well as their customers, with better wireless network security as an area of interest and opportunity for WatchGuard.

“What we’re offering is also a solution for shopping malls, large department stores, large convenient stores, and other similar businesses,” said Robertson. “When connecting to the wireless network of a shopping mall, you need to know that your mobile device isn’t downloading viruses that will then go attacking someone else’s device. You need to be assured that whatever you’re connecting to is not malicious or has harmful content.”

“It’s not really specific to the size of the organization,” Robertson explained. “Almost all businesses today have a need for wireless connectivity, whether it be for their own internal stuff or even for guests coming into the reception area who want to get wireless access. It doesn’t need to be an enterprise, despite them having a greater need for it. Our solutions suit other businesses as well. “

Robertson claims that one of the benefits of using consolidated security systems for businesses in the Philippines—apart from being protected by a higher level of security—is having lower cost in terms of hardware, OS licensing, maintenance and training.

WatchGuard is distributed by Transition Systems Philippines Pte Ltd, Inc. (TSPI).

Buy movie tickets for only PHP 80 this weekend, May 23-26

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Gadgets Team

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23 May 2013

0

Buy movie tickets for only PHP 80 this weekend, May 23-26

Take your family out for an Epic Weekend at the movies with this exclusive offer from iGrab. Pay only PHP80 each for movie tickets at Newport Cinemas 2, 3 and 4, all day from May 23 to 26 only. You can buy cinema vouchers at www.igrab.ph, or from the iGrab booth at The Plaza, 2F Newport Mall.

Resorts World Manila Employees may purchase up to four (4) vouchers. Just present your employee ID at the iGrab booth. We are also encouraging everyone to invite friends and family to sign up on iGrab and be a Resorts World Manila member so they can avail of this offer. Tickets are limited, so buy your tickets now.

Get up to 70% off on premium Sony items at the ‘Big Thanks, Big Deals’ sale!

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Gadgets Team

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23 May 2013

2

Get up to 70% off on premium Sony items at the ‘Big Thanks, Big Deals’ sale!

As a big ‘thank you’ to their loyal customers, Sony Philippines will be holding the “Big Thanks, Big Deals!” sale from May 31 to June 2, 2013 at the Trinoma Main Activity Center.

Get up to 70% off on a multitude of Sony consumer electronics products—everything ranging from its entertainment line-up (Bravia TVs, Home Theaters, DVD/Blu-ray players), to Xperia mobile phones, VAIO laptops, digital imaging products (Alpha, Cyber-shot, Handycam), and personal audio products (Walkman, MDR headphones).

Owners of Sony Alpha cameras will also be able to avail of free main body cleaning services, ‘while you wait’ services, and discounts on labor and parts, and media conversion.

To top it off, Sony will set up interactive booths to allow mall-goers to play exciting games and win premium Sony products.

Admission is absolutely free. See you there, gadgeteers!

Intel launches low-power, high-performance Silvermont architecture

Technology News

Gadgets Team

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23 May 2013

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Intel launches low-power, high-performance Silvermont architecture

Intel Corporation recently announced their brand new, low-power, high performance microarchitecture named Silvermont. This technology is aimed at low-power requirements in market segments ranging from smartphones to data centers. Silvermont will be the foundation for a range of products that are coming out on the market later this year, and will be manufactured using the company’s 22 nm Tri-Gate system on a chip (SoC) manufacturing process, which brings significant performance increases and improved energy efficiency.

“Silvermont is a leap forward and an entirely new technology foundation for the future that will address a broad range of products and market segments,” said Dadi Perlmutter, Intel executive vice president and chief product officer. “Early sampling of our 22nm SoCs, including ‘Bay Trail’ and ‘Avoton’, is already garnering positive feedback from our customers. Going forward, we will accelerate future generations of this low-power microarchitecture on a yearly cadence.”

The Silvermont microarchitecture delivers industry-leading performance-per-watt efficiency and brings increased support for a wider dynamic range. The microarchitecture also scales up (and down) seamlessly in performance and power efficiency, and on a variety of standard metrics, Silvermont performs three times better or consumes five times less power over the current-generation Intel Atom processor core.

Silvermont’s 22 nm SoC process uses 3D Tri-Gate transistors, which gives it additional features, such as a new out-of-order execution engine that enables best-in-class, single-threaded performance; new multi-core and system fabric architectures that are scalable up to eight cores and enables greater performance for a higher bandwidth, lower latency and more efficient out-of-order support for a more balanced and responsive system; new technologies bringing enhanced performance, virtualization and security management capabilities to support a wide range of products, such as PCS, laptops, smartphones and tablets, along with 64-bit support; enhanced power management capabilities including a new intelligent burst technology; low-power C states and a wider dynamic range of operations taking advantage of Intel’s 3D transistors along with Intel Burst Technology 2.0 support for single and multi-core which offer great responsiveness scaled for power efficiency.

“Through our design and process technology co-optimization we exceeded our goals for Silvermont,”said Belli Kuttanna, Intel Fellow and chief architect. “By taking advantage of our strengths in microarchitecture development and leading-edge process technology, we delivered a technology package that enables significantly improved performance and power efficiency—all while delivering higher frequencies. We’re proud of this accomplishment and believe that Silvermont will offer a strong and flexible foundation for a range of new, low-power Intel SoCs.”

Silvermont will serve as the foundation for Intel’s 22 nm products that are expected to go to market later this year, such as its quad-core “Bay Trail” SoC, which is scheduled for release in the 2013 holiday season, specifically for tablets. “Bay Trail” doubles the computing performance capability of Intel’s current-generation tablet offering. “Bay Trail” will also be used with entry laptop and desktop computers.

“Merrifield” is also scheduled for the 2013 holiday season, and will offer increased performance and battery life over current-generation products and brings support for context-aware and personal services, ultra-fast connections for Web streaming, and increased data, device and privacy protection.

“Avoton” will enable industry-leading energy efficiency and performance-per-watt for microservers, storage and scale out workloads in data centers. “Avoton” is Intel’s second-generation Intel Atom processor SoC to provide full server product capabilities that customers require. “Rangeley” is aimed at network and communication infrastructure, specifically for entry-level to mid-range routers, switches and security appliance. Both “Avoton” and “Rangeley” are scheduled for the second half of 2013.

In concurrence with Silvermont, Intel is also developing its 22 nm Haswell microarchitecture for Intel Core processors to enable full-PC performance at lower power levels for innovative two-in-one form factors and other mobile devices that will be available this year. Intel will also refresh its line of Intel Xeon processor families across the data center on 22 nm technology that will deliver more power efficiency and other features. “By taking advantage of both the Silvermont and Haswell microarchitectures, Intel is well positioned to enable great products and experiences across the full spectrum of computing,” Perlmutter said.

For more information, you can visit newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com.

Microsoft reveals the new Xbox, the Xbox One

Gadgets Team

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22 May 2013

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Microsoft reveals the new Xbox, the Xbox One

Most companies that produce gaming consoles tend to show off their hardware at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), which usually takes place in June, but Microsoft has jumped the gun and revealed their new console, the Xbox One, at an event at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Most companies that make gaming consoles tend to release a new console on average of every five to six years. The Xbox 360 was released in 2005, almost eight years ago, so it is a little behind the curve.

The look

At first glance, the Xbox One looks large and boxy, which bucks the current trend of constantly making our gadgets smaller and thinner. According to people I’ve talked to regarding the Xbox One, it looked like “a VHS player” and “a piece of AV equipment” and drew comparisons to the gadgets of yesteryear, which many of our older readers (or those who collect old gadgets) will remember. Of course, as I mentioned before on this blog, many gaming consoles have “fat” and “thin” versions, with the “fat” version generally coming first, so a thin version might come in the future as technology advances.

The specs

Since the tech world pits business vs. business just like any other industry out there, there is always some sort of battle going on in the tech world. In the 1980s, it was VHS vs. Betamax. In the 1990s, it was Sony vs. Nintendo. In the 2000s, it was Sony vs. Microsoft. However, one battle that has always been happening (at least in the minds of gamers) is the console vs. the PC. Specs-wise, PCs have been trumping their console counterparts for almost two decades, namely because PCs receive upgrades more quickly. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the games are better, however, and consoles have been racing quickly to keep pace with their PC counterparts.

The Xbox One, however, has caught up to their PC competitors, at least specs-wise: we’re looking at an octo-core (that’s eight cores) AMD CPU, 8 GB of RAM, and 500 GB of HDD space. There is also a 40mm system on a chip (SoC) that will combine the CPU and GPU onto a single chip. For connectivity options, there are two USB 3.0 ports (which can also be used to expand storage), HDMI in/out, an Ethernet port, and Wi-Fi Direct. Microsoft has also promised a new OS for the Xbox One, fusing together elements of Xbox and Windows. According to Microsoft, the Xbox One will have a fusion Xbox, a kernel of Windows (possibly something like Windows RT), and a multitasking interface so that you can switch from task to task.

NVIDIA has also announced support for the console with its PhysX and APEX software development kits. PhysX and APEX software are responsible for creating game environments and game physics. “We are excited to extend our PhysX and APEX technologies to Microsoft’s Xbox One console,” said Mike Skolones, product manager for the PhysX SDK at NVIDIA. “We look forward to the Xbox developer community taking advantage of PhysX and APEX along with Xbox One’s processing power, programmability and next-generation features to design cutting-edge games that deliver an unparalleled and ultra-realistic experience.”

The features

As their predecessor has done, the Xbox One will also link TV, games and entertainment in one. However, you will also be able to do it through voice commands—for example, you can turn on the Xbox One just by saying “Xbox, on.” Microsoft stated during the event, “You’re going to have a relationship with your TV.” But how will this relationship work out? Chances are that it will use gesture controls, which are already included in other gadgets in a limited capacity. It was mentioned that there will also be partnerships with ISPs and even cable companies. You can also use voice commands to order movie tickets, talk to your friends and family on Skype, or, for the sports fans out there, even manage your fantasy sports teams. According to CNET, it’s Siri meets Google, which, if implemented properly, could be one of the most revolutionary things to happen on a home console system since the Nintendo Wii’s motion control.

A new Kinect will also come with the Xbox One. It will have a 1080p camera, Skype connectivity, and Microsoft even claims that it can read your heartbeat. You can even connect controllers to the new Kinect, which would have functionality similar to that of PlayStation Move.

The controller has even gotten a redesign, with the Home button being moved up to the top of the controller, and you can even program the trigger buttons, much like you program the hotkeys on PC games. In addition, the SmartGlass experience will center on Xbox One, and will work with a variety of phones and tablets, implying that you can use your smartphone or tablet as a controller or even a screen. The Wi-Fi Direct on the Xbox One will allow Bluetooth-like direct communication between external devices, which could come in handy for other future peripherals as well. Like the Wii U, second screens will be a major method of interacting with the Xbox One, but not many details were given at the reveal of the Xbox One, so we might have to wait until E3 (or later) to find out how this will work on the console.

According to Microsoft, “Xbox is going to be the next water cooler.” That means that it could blend social elements into the TV. To that end, Microsoft is developing TV shows and original programming for the Xbox One. This could mean that Microsoft is making a greater leap into original programming, mirroring Netflix. Film director Steven Spielberg also announced that a TV series based on Halo is in the works. The National Football League (NFL) also demonstrated some level of interaction with fantasy stats and Skyping with NFL broadcasts.

One of the major things that will be missing from the Xbox One is that it will not be backwards compatible with the Xbox 360. Although pitched as an “all-in-one” device due to its many features, many consoles have also gotten the “all-in-one” tag, so we’ll have to see how the Xbox One distinguishes itself from their competition.

Going online

Xbox Live will also be upgraded—according to Microsoft, there will be over 300,000 servers running Xbox Live, which could imply the days of lagging out in Call of Duty or all those disconnects could be over. This could also mean that you could do other tasks such as web browsing or watching a movie while you’re waiting for your team to form in games. Microsoft has also discussed the usage of cloud services, such as user-based cloud game saves, uploaded game recording, and cloud-processing-enhanced games, although it is not clear how those will play out yet.

The games

Are you up to your ears in prequels, sequels, threequels, reboots, and so on? There’s a lot of them in the gaming world today, but Microsoft has planned at least eight new franchises for the Xbox One. The games that were previewed on the Xbox One included some sports games (EA Sports’ FIFA 14 and NBA Live 14) and a brand new game, Quantum Break, which could signal that with the birth of the Xbox One would also include the birth of new and original games.

Availability

Microsoft said that the console will definitely come out in 2013, but there is no price point or specific date yet, which might be revealed at E3. We will update you on this as more information becomes available.

Sources: CNET (photos also courtesy of CNET), Geek.com

Samsung Smart App Challenge 2013 announced

Apps

Gadgets Team

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22 May 2013

0

Samsung Smart App Challenge 2013 announced

Samsung recently launched a global app competition, dubbed as the Samsung Smart App Challenge 2013, with the objective of finding new and interesting apps that utilize group communication functionality, like the Group Play feature found in the Samsung Galaxy S 4.

The competition is open to all mobile application developers across the globe. Interested developers must sign up directly on the competition’s official website (www.smartappchallenge.com) and register their apps from June 20 until August 31. According to Samsung, all app entries must leverage Samsung Chord SDK, which allows developers to easily build content-sharing apps. Chord supports Samsung devices running Android 4.0 or later.

Samsung will select ten (10) winners, who will each be rewarded with a USD 800,000 cash prize, along with “promotional benefits” through the company’s global channels. The set of winners will be given the chance to pitch their apps to Samsung Venture Investment.

“With Samsung Smart App Challenge 2013, Samsung is going to boost mobile ecosystem,” said Won-Pyo Hong, President and Head of Samsung Electronics Media Solution Center. “At Samsung we will continue to encourage mobile developers to develop new and innovative applications with newly-launched features of GALAXY series. The Samsung Smart App Challenge will greatly enhance application choices for GALAXY S4 so users can enjoy a valuable experience.”

For more information on how to join the Samsung Smart App Challenge 2013, you can visit the official website at www.smartappchallenge.com.

Flickr updates: What you need to know

Apps

Gadgets Team

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22 May 2013

0

I’ve been a Flickr free user for quite a few years now, and while I’m particularly fond of its interface, one of the things that was frustrating was the 200-photo limit. Whenever I wanted to add new photos to my stream, I had to delete some of the old ones. Fortunately, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer announced that they have breathed a new life into Flickr by giving it a new look and giving free users a major storage upgrade.

With the new Flickr look, the Photostream now features the entirety of a user’s uploaded photos streamlined on the page in a grid-type layout. The new layout also includes a cover photo and three tabs to give users access to their Photostream, sets, and favorites.

Flickr now gives free users the capacity to upload 1TB worth of photos, with the maximum file size of each photo being 200MB. Free users can create collections, post to up to 60 groups, and upload Full HD videos of up to 1GB and three minutes of playback each.

While Mayer stated that they have decided to drop the Flickr Pro service, existing Pro accounts get unlimited storage, meaning they can exceed the 1TB limit. Pro accounts are given the option to switch to a free account until August 20, 2013. For those who want to continue their ad-free experience, Flickr says that users are given the option to pay USD 49.99 a year just to eliminate ads.

“Flickr was once awesome, and it languished. Now we want it to be awesome again,” said Mayer during the press conference earlier this week.

What do you think of the Flickr update? Speak out in the comment section below!

HTC Officially launches The One

Archives

Ren Alcantara

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21 May 2013

0

Hey everyone! We’re at the HTC One launch today, and we’ve got the latest about the Android phone HTc hopes will rule them all.

The wait was long, but it was worth it. HTC Philippines has made the HTC One available to local consumers. The One is constructed with a gorgeous zero-gap aluminum body, and Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2, with the beautiful HTC Sense overlay. HTC’s newest flagship is poised to take the Android world by storm with class-leading features such as a Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor runing at a zippy 1.7GHz, 2GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. It has a gorgeous 4.7 inch Full HD screen with a crisp 469 DPI resolution and Full 1080p HD compatibility.

The LTE-capable HTC One brings stellar audio to the table, thanks to advanced Boomsound technology, front-facing speakers and a built-in amplifier with Beats Audio and Studio-quality playback. It comes with an HDR microphone for superb audio capture quality, whether for Full-HD video recording, or voice. HTCs ultra-pixel camera and the dedicated HTC image chip plus a huge imaging sensor and an f2.0 aperture give the One amazing photo capturing capability, while HTC Zoe makes sure you can edit and share the perfect photo, even if you didn’t get to capture the perfect moment.

HTC has redesigned the home screen to feature Blinkfeed, HTC’s way of giving you the latest news without having to open an app. It condenses all your social media updates, aggregates entertainment and lifestyle updates and photos in a single, beautiful screen.

The HTC One is available now, for php 32,990 at HTC concept stores and authorized retailers nationwide.

Isuzu Philippines Corporation continues sales growth through April, posting a 7.9 percent increase from March

Gadgets Team

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21 May 2013

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Isuzu Philippines Corporation continues sales growth through April, posting a 7.9 percent increase from March

Isuzu Philippines Corporation’s (IPC) bestselling model, the Crosswind AUV, powered the brand’s sales throughout the month of April and the first four months of 2013.

According to the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers Association, the Isuzu Crosswind AUV led IPC’s tally in April with 628 units sold, a 22.7 percent rise from March, when they sold 512 units. Along with the Isuzu Alterra SUV and the D-MAX pickup, the company sold 882 of their AUV, SUV and pickup vehicle units in April, a 13.2 percent rise from March, when they sold 779 units. IPC sold 1,059 units overall in April, which was a 7.6 percent increase over its 984 units sold in March.

The Crosswind is one of the vehicles responsible for IPC’s performance. The Crosswind sold 2,146 units through the first four months of 2013, which is a 16.3 percent growth over the same period in 2012, when IPC sold 1,846 units of the Crosswind. Overall, IPC sold 3,793 units over the first four months of 2013, a 5.9 percent increase over the 3,582 vehicles they sold during the same period in 2012. The result also put the Crosswind in second place in the AUV segment in April, as well as in the first four months of the year.

“Once again, figures clearly show that the Isuzu Crosswind is well received in the market, and this is due to its numerous traits that perfectly respond to Filipinos’ family and business requirements,” said IPC President Nobuo Izumina. “The periodic upgrades that this vehicle continuously receives ensure it remains the ideal AUV choice in the country.”

IPC’s Category III light-duty trucks are also responsible for IPC’s growing sales. IPC sold 487 units from January to April 2013, an 18.5 percent increase from January to April 2012, when they sold 411 units. IPC’s medium and heavy-duty trucks posted a 50 percent leap from the same period last year. They sold 240 units from January to April 2013, compared to 140 units in 2012. IPC’s sales increases also reflect the growth of the local automotive industry, which sold 56,590 units from January to April 2013, a 26 percent increase from the 44,912 units in 2012.

“Both the domestic vehicle sector’s and IPC’s gains in 2013 can be attributed to the strength of the Philippine economy, which is recently evidenced by—among other factors—record highs in the stock market and the numerous credit rating upgrades from international financial institutions,” Izumina said.