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    Ford Cainta Opens as Philippines’ First Brand@ Retail 2 Dealership

    Ford, in a continuing effort to provide the best all-around service to its customers, has just this week opened its newest branch, located in Cainta, Rizal. This marks the first of 12 new Ford dealerships the company will open over the next half-year, as well as the first Philippine dealership to sport the new Brand@Retail 2 image. This image focuses on greater comfort and convenience for prospective buyers, by giving them much more room to look around, easier access to dealership services, and a more intimate venue to conduct business with the retailer. It also makes the Ford dealerships greener and more environmentally sustainable through the use of more natural lighting, low-power LED illumination and many water-saving measures.

    “We are very proud to open the doors of Ford Cainta and showcase Ford’s new brand and retail image. We are excited to be a partner of Ford’s growing presence in the Philippines and look forward to bringing Ford vehicles and quality service to even more customers,” said Edmund Yee, dealer principal, Ford Cainta.

    Ford Cainta is be the first of a dozen new dealerships in the country, which will increase the Ford nationwide network to 35 dealerships in the next six months.

    “With this next phase of expansion across key locations in the Philippines, we look forward to being even more accessible to our customers and offer them our class-leading Ford vehicles and convenient customer service offerings,” added Krieger.

    Accidental email causes Google to lose US$22 billion in value

    Some of us may know the feeling of sending an email or a text message to the wrong person or at the wrong time—and like any action, it has a consequence. However big or small those consequences are, it wasn’t as big of a consequence as this one, which cost Google US$22 billion in value. The email to the US stock market authorities revealed that the company’s latest quarterly results were far below Wall Street’s demanding expectations. The stock tumbled 9% before trading Google shares was suspended, and when it resumed, it recovered slightly to go down 8%.

    The inadvertent—and clearly unfinished—financial release began with the words “PENDING LARRY QUOTE”—referring to the company’s chief executive, Larry Page, whose job, normally, would be to put the best gloss on the financial figures. Compounding the situation was the fact that Google’s figures missed expected profits and a showed a big slowdown in revenue growth for its main search engine advertising business. The company had little choice but to suspend trading in its nosediving shares.

    However, that doesn’t mean Google is necessarily done for—far from it, in fact. According to Clark Fredericksen, vice-president of eMarketer, which tracks the online advertising business, “Despite the setback, I feel that Google is in a strong position because of its underlying strength.”

    “The company now holds the largest more revenue than any other company in the US search, display and mobile advertising markets, respectively–and the company’s market share in each category is expected to grow in the coming years. Particularly in the mobile arena, Google holds a commanding lead over all other players, taking home more than half of all US mobile ad revenues. The nearest competitor, Pandora, takes home less than 10% of the market,” Fredericksen continued.

    This year has been quite tough for tech giants, with Facebook’s IPO falling flat and Apple’s iPhone 5’s Map application coming under heavy criticism for its poor design.

    Samsung will start selling the Galaxy Note II tomorrow, will be offering people up to 50% in trade-in discounts

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    So you’ve seen our review of the Samsung Galaxy Note II and want one for yourself. We won’t blame you – it’s an awesome piece of technology that’s definitely on top of our wishlists this year. But you look at your bank account and you weep – you don’t have enough cash for the Php 32,990 sticker price that Samsung is asking for it. Cue the violins.

    Or not. Turns out that Samsung Philippines are staffed by awesome folks, and are offering a trade-in discount to new Galaxy Note II buyers that go to the Galaxy Studio at the SM Mall of Asia Atrium on October 20-21. Specifically, Samsung will be offering discounts to new buyers when they trade-in their smartphones to get the Galaxy Note II to the tune of up to 50% off. Of course, not all smartphone models are going to get that magical 50% discount, but it never hurts to try right? Again, the event will be held at the Galaxy Studio at the SM Mall of Asia Atrium on Oct. 20 to 21 (that’s tomorrow folks).

    Ph Cinema techs up with TIKTIK

    While this piece of news isn’t entirely tech, it’s a great for the local film scene. TIKTIK, the first full-length Pinoy movie shot entirely on green screen, has raked in about 11 Million Pesos on its opening day. Granted, this is a little way off from the sizable 80 Million Peso budget they used to create the movie, but it’s a great, strong start. It beat out international films, and left all lines packed at cinemas where it opened. Critics have praised the film, hailing the dark, comedic execution of the film, as well as the quality of the CG graphics in the movie. It’s great to know that the local movies still very dynamic, and directors are forging new paths in filmmaking. The movie, written and directed by Erik Matti, and brought to life by Reality Entertainment and AgosDos Pictures hit cinemas on the 17 of October.

    If you haven’t seen it yet, you can catch the trailer HERE.

    LG Philippines launching the Optimus Vu on Nov. 7

    We’ve been hearing that LG Philippines would be launching the 4:3 aspect ratio’d Optimus Vu in the Philippines. We finally got that confirmation in an emailed invite from their local PR firm that they would be launching the device on Nov. 7. If you need a primer on what the Optimus Vu is, you can head here to read up on the specs. We’re not sure if there’s still a huge demand for their unique device, seeing as the company basically pushed it into obsolescence by announcing its follow-up, the Optimus Vu II a couple of months ago. Nevertheless, you can be sure that we’ll be there to cover the event and give you guys the lowdown on the unique device.

    Hyundai POP Art Contest: Vote for your favorites!

    The Hyundai POP Art Contest—Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc.’s (HARI) effort to promote Filipino talent and artistry—has reached over 500 qualified entries, which means that if you want to help your favorite entries to stand out and win, voting for them is a must!

    The official voting period runs from October 16 to October 28 at the Hyundai POP Art app on Facebook. You can vote for as many entries as you like, but only one vote per entry is allowed daily.

    Here’s an added treat, just because you chose to support your top picks: fifty lucky voters will win exclusive Hyundai merchandise!

    The 12 grand prize winners, on the other hand, will receive a cash prize of PHP 50,000 each and a chance for their artwork to be part of HARI’s 2013 Hyundai Calendar and limited edition merchandise. Voting comprises 20% of the final judging criteria.

    We recently announced that our resident graphic artist, JP Pining, has joined the competition, and we’d appreciate it if you’d help him out by voting for his entry by clicking THIS LINK. We just can’t wait for our office merienda spree.

    Social and mobile cybercrime escalates, says 2012 Norton Cybercrime Report

    Norton Country Sales Manager in the Philippines, Jason Mok, shared the findings and insights in the 2012 Norton Cybercrime Report, which tackles the trends in Internet crime, how these crimes affect consumers, and the security measures one takes to keep their devices and personal information safe. Key findings include that there is an increase in instances of cybercrime committed via social networking sites and in mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones.

    The report shows that new forms of cybercrime have flourished over the year. In fact, one in five online adults have been a victim of either social or mobile cybercrime. Examples of which are account hacking, fake links, fraud text messages, and theft of information.

    Mok says that there are ways to prevent cyber criminals from hacking your system. He stresses that one of the most important things is to have a strong password, which consists of a clever combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. 27% of online adults report having been notified to change their password for a compromised account. It’s a very simple preventive measure, yet the report shows that 40% still do not use complex passwords for their accounts and devices, thus allowing cyber criminals access to personal information, bank statements, contacts, and files.

    Other ways to ensure Internet security is to install a comprehensive security software suite and to check for the padlock symbol on one’s browser before entering personal information on websites, adds Mok.

    The report also shows that global consumer cybercrime in 2012 has accounted for approximately $110 billion dollars. This year, there have been approximately 556 million people who have been victims of cybercrime. This shows a major increase as compared to last year’s report, which, according to Mok, showed that there were 430 million victims. On a daily basis, there are 1.5 million victims, and for every second, 18 people are being victimized.

    The Norton Cybercrime Report is performed annually to raise awareness of cybercrime among the consumers. “Public apathy is a disease as well, so we have to make people aware that cybercrime is very real,” says Mok. The report was based on a study that was conducted among individuals of ages 18-64 in 24 countries, with a total of 13,018 respondents.

    The full-blown presentation of the global results can be found here.

    Trade in your old cameras and get as much as PHP 12,000 off on a Sony Handycam

    Sony has announced that they’ll be offering big discounts on four Sony Handycam models this month, which can be availed if you trade in your old cameras at selected Sony outlets.

    From October 19-27, you can drop off any digital or analog video/compact camera—whether it’s working or non-working—of any brand at a Sony drop-off point. After dropping off your camera, claim your voucher and trade it in for a Sony Handycam, getting as much as PHP 12,000 off on your new camera. The available models and their corresponding discount rates are as follows:

    The drop-off points are at the VAIO store in SM Megamall, Sony Center Park Square, Sony Center TriNoma, Sony Center Filinvest, or at any of the following service centers:

    For more information, you can visit  www.sony.com.ph/tradein.

    Sony Philippines says it’ll sell the Xperia Tablet S in the Philippines, will be arriving late December or early January

    Sony Philippines has just said that they’ll be selling their own Android tablet, the updated Xperia Tablet S, in the country later this year or early next year. This is welcome news as the company has decided to hold off on selling the device when it first came around last year, probably because they felt that the local market wasn’t mature enough to support this particular product. It seems that the market has improved considerably, unfortunately we still don’t know how much this particular tablet will retail for when it drops. Sony Philippines is targeting a late 2012 or early 2013 release, which means that it may drop during December or January. No price yet unfortunately, and Sony is still looking at the correct pricing for this particular product.

    Meet the Sony Xperia miro

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    Still here at the Sony event, and we have another treat for you—a peek at the Sony Xperia miro!

    The miro runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and has 4GB RAM and 2.2GB ROM that’s expendable via microSD. It wields a 3.5-inch display with a 320 x 480 resolution, and has both front and rear cameras. The front camera hosts a 5-megapixel sensor.

    It’s packed with xLOUD audio technology and the Walkman app for your music listening pleasure, plus Facebook inside Xperia that gives you instant access to Facebook without having to constantly login.

    The Xperia miro will cost PHP 9,990 when it hits the market, which is expected to happen within the year.

    Eyes-on Sony’s first 4K TV in the Philippines, the KD-84X9000

    Further establishing that 4K is the new HD, Sony Philippines have announced their first ever 4K TV in the Philippines, the Bravia KD-84X9000. At around 84-inches, this is one of their biggest HD TVs yet. Like it says in the tin, the KD-84X9000 is capable of resolutions up to 3840×2160 pixels, which puts it in direct competition with Toshiba’s RZ-1. As is the custom with top-tier HD TVs, the KD-84X9000 is a 3D capable device, and uses 3D glasses, unlike the glasses-less RZ-1. One thing that we did notice with the KD-84X9000 is that it uses passive 3D technology, which is a departure from Sony’s bulky active shutter glasses. Personally, we like the new technology because it allows users to wear light, stylish 3D glasses – a start departure from the bulky, unsightly designs that active shutter based glasses required.

    So, the big question is: how much? Well, the KD-84X9000 will retail for a cool Php 1.2 million. Yes, that’s million, with an M – which puts it firmly out of the reach of normal, working Joes like you and I.

     

    Sony Xperia V in the flesh, we got pics!

    Remember Sony’s Xperia V that was announced back in IFA? Well, y’all be glad to know that it has managed to find its way to our shores. Sony didn’t officially launch it per se, but hey, if it’s here, it’s here, right? As expected, Sony’s soon to become mid-end device feels exquisite to the touch, and is extremely responsive, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Krait dual-core processor embedded in the device.

     

    Sony’s rep told me that the new processor is roughly equivalent to other quad-core processors out in the market *cough*Tegra 3*cough* without the usual hit in battery life that these processors bring. The 4.3-inch display is hella sharp, and like we mentioned before, is extremely responsive. As for price and availability..well, we hope you’re sitting down. Sony says that this device will be available early next year, which means that if you really, really want it, you’ll have to exercise some of that EQ and hold off buying anything this Christmas.

     

     

    HTC’s phablet is the J Butterfly, first ever 5-inch smartphone with 1080p resolution

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    Rumors of HTC’s own oversized smartphone (oft categorized as phablet) has been swirling ’round the net for a couple of months now, but it looks like the Taiwanese company has officially outed their own phablet offering in the form of the HTC J Butterfly that’s destined for the Japanese market. This particular smartphone holds the title of the first ever 5-inch smartphone with a 1080p capable display, which is achieved using a Super LCD 3 panel made by Sharp. That’s right folks – you’re getting a pixel density of 440ppi, which is the highest we’ve ever seen on a device of this size. There’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro, quad-core processor under the hood of the J Butterfly running at 1.5GHz, which is paired with 2GB of RAM. Connectivity-wise, you’re looking at 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 (LE), NFC, LTE and CDMA/GSM/UMTS/GPRS, which means that this is a truly global device that should work wherever it goes. Oh, did we mention that it’s also water resistant, and has a rating of IPX5. Naturally, everything will be powered by Android 4.1. Now all we need is the price and availability – one thing is for sure, we’re salivating at the opportunity to paw this thing.

     

    Apple sends out invites for October 23 event, says “it’s got a little more to show us”

    Seems like the rumors of the October 23 event for the Apple iPad Mini was spot on, as journalists in the US have been receiving invites from Apple for an event on that date, promising “we’ve got a little more to show you”. If that’s not a direct reference to an iPad Mini launch, we don’t know what is. Meanwhile, 9to5 Mac has gotten its hands on a list of iPad Mini SKUs which hint at a number of different capacities for the new device, as well as circumstantial evidence that there will be SKUs of the device that will have the new lightning connectors built in. We’ll know more on the 23rd, we guess.

    Source: 9To5Mac, The Loop

    Microsoft finally announces Surface tablet pricing, starts at $499

    When Microsoft unveiled the Surface tablet a few months ago, the tech hivemind all wanted to know how much the company would sell their first attempt at a Microsoft branded tablet. Well, seems like the folks at Redmond have broken their silence, and have announced the pricing SKUs for the RT versions of the tablet, which is their attempt to take the tablet market away from Apple. The base model of the surface that’s equipped with 32GB of storage will retail for $499 (about Php 20571 without taxes) without the smart cover/keyboard. If you want that touch cover, you will need to fork over $599 for it. For people who fancy the 64GB version, it seems that Microsoft will only be selling it with the touch cover which will set you back a cool $699. While we secretly wanted the devices to breach the $400 barrier, the current pricing SKU of Microsoft puts them on par with Apple’s offering. The only thing left now is to get our hands on one.