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    Jaguar XKR-S launched

    Press Release
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    Jaguar XKR-S launched

    Gadgets was invited to the exclusive launch of the Jaguar XKR-S at Resorts World last September 27, and it proved to be one sexy car. Present at the launch were Jaguar Cars Philippines’ President Wellington Soong, his son Mark who is also Jaguar’s Executive Director, car enthusiasts and other media personalities.

    Said to be the most powerful and fastest series production sports car Jaguar has ever built, the XKR-S is fitted with an uprated supercharged AJ-V8 Gen III direct-injection engine that produces 550PS and 680Nm of torque and has a top speed of 300km/h. The XKR-S can go from Zero-to-sixty miles per hour just 4.2 seconds, while only emitting less than 300c/km of CO2.

    For more information about the vehicle, please visit the Jaguar Lifestyle Centre at the G/F ENZO Building, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue.

    Cubify lets you customize your own 3D Android figure

    Gadgets Team
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    Cubify lets you customize your own 3D Android figure

    Want to express your undying love for Google’s ‘droid mascot but don’t want the same old boring green colorscheme? Well, fret not – Cubify has got your back. Cubify is a service that allows you to customize your own 3D Android figure, then print it out, confident in the knowledge that no one has the same ‘droid as yours. You can add a multitude of hats, accessories and even change the default color scheme to something else if you wish, then for a fee (depends on the size of the figure, biggest one is 3.5-inches and cost $39.99) your dream ‘droid becomes a reality and gets shipped to your door. Hey, now one said being different was cheap, right?

    Source: Cubify

    Hard drive difficulties over, shipments rebound to record level in 2012

    Gadgets Team
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    Seems like the storage sector has managed to overcome the difficulties that they encountered a year after devastating floods hit their manufacturing facilities in Thailand. IHS iSuppli is saying that global hard disk drive (HDD) industry has fully recovered, with shipments to the computer market expected to hit a record level this year, driven by consumer demand by the upcoming Windows 8 OS launch and the enterprise market. Just how much HDDs are the manufacturers looking to sell? Well, IHS iSupply predicts that they will be shipping 524.0 million units at the close of 2012, which is up 4.3 percent from 502.5 million units last year. “HDD shipments for computers will overcome a sluggish third quarter to reach record levels in 2012,” said Fang Zhang, analyst for storage systems at IHS. “The yearly rise in HDD shipments is the result of greater demand from the consumer and enterprise PC segments, both of which continue to clamor for disk space in order to hold storage-intensive media like music, videos and other forms of social media content. As downloadable media content becomes more readily accessible and affordable, so will the quest for storage space continue in order to satisfy unremitting demand. Meanwhile, the HDD industry has completely resolved disruptions to its HDD manufacturing and component supply caused by the Thailand disaster that struck one year ago.”

    Source: IHS iSuppli 

    HTC One X+ leaked again, minor spec bump, same overall look

    Gadgets Team
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    HTC One X+ leaked again, minor spec bump, same overall look

    Looks like the initial leak of the HTC One X+ was spot on, as the device was leaked again earlier this week. There’s more information available this time, as well as a photo of the new device and an official looking handout that contains the complete spec sheet of the One X+. The One X+ will use a Tegra 3+ AP36 with a 1.6GHz clock speed (or, in single-core mode, up to 1.7GHz) processor, paired with 1GB of RAM and 32GB of ROM. As expected, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean will be onboard when the One X+ launches though users who were expecting a battery bump will be bummed to know that the One X+ will still have the same 1800mAh battery as the original.

    Source: GSM Arena, Pocket Lint

    Tim Cook apologizes for buggy iOS 6 maps, asks you to use alternatives while they fix it

    Gadgets Team
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    Tim Cook apologizes for buggy iOS 6 maps, asks you to use alternatives while they fix it

    After all that hullabaloo with the problems of the default maps app on iOS 6, Tim Cook, Apple CEO has come out and apologized for the company’s shortcomings. On a statement released on the official Apple site, the Apple CEO said that they are “extremely sorry” for the frustration and the problems that the maps app caused, and they are doing everything they can to make things better. He then says that while the company is improving the maps app, customers should check out alternatives from the app store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use the browser versions of the navigation offerings from Nokia and Google. This apology is a great step forward for Apple because they’re taking responsibility for the failed app. Hopefully they fix the issue and give iOS 6 users the mapping application that they truly deserve. We’ve included the entire text of the apology below.

    To our customers,
    At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.

    We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.

    There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you.

    While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app.

    Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard.

    Tim Cook
    Apple’s CEO

    Source: Apple

    UAAP leads in viewership, gate attendance, and online engagement

    Gadgets Team
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    UAAP leads in viewership, gate attendance, and online engagement

    According to a nationwide survey by Kantar Media, the UAAP basketball games on Studio 23 enjoy an average viewership of 124,690, which is more than twice the average viewership of NCAA. The survey also shows UAAP’s dominance in ratings when the two leagues had 16 simultaneous telecasts of games.

    The UAAP also enjoys great game-attendance figures in two of the biggest stadiums in Metro Manila—the SMART-Araneta Coliseum and the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena. In fact, one of the most attended games was the second round meeting between the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the UST Growling Tigers, which was attended by nearly 17,000 fans.

    Aside from television ratings and gate attendance, the UAAP also continues to lead in terms of online engagement. UAAP fans everywhere have been very active in posting game updates, promos and conversations on Facebook, Twitter, and message boards like www.pinoyexchange.com. In addition, page views of www.uaapsports.studio23.tv spiked to 461,000 during Jeron Teng, Chris Javier, and RR Garcia’s buzzer beaters in one weekend. Live streaming also spiked to 13,736 online viewers per game during the UAAP Cheerdance Competition last Saturday.

    “The UAAP has the right mix of drama, action, and history that is so appealing to the Filipino audience. But the league will not survive if fans stop going to games to watch their teams live, or if they do not open their televisions to catch the telecast. The success of UAAP is because of them,” says Studio 23 head March Ventosa.

    Ventosa also shares that they expect the ratings to further increase as UAAP’s senior men’s basketball division enters the semifinal round (the “Final Four” round). Currently, the UAAP Final Four consists of the Ateneo Blue Eagles, the UST Growling Tigers, the National University Bulldogs, and the De La Salle University Green Archers.

    You can watch the Final Four games in HD on Balls (SkyCable Channel 167) or at http://uaapsports.studio23.tv. For blow-by-blow game updates, head on over to Twitter and follow @UAAPSportsTV.

    Ericsson ConsumerLab shares consumer insights on smartphone and tablet usage in PH

    Gadgets Team
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    Ericsson ConsumerLab shares consumer insights on smartphone and tablet usage in PH

    Earlier today, ConsumerLab South East Asia and Oceania Afrizal Abdul Rahim, and President and Country Manager of Ericsson Philippines Elie Hanna shared with us the results of the worldwide study on mobile communications conducted by Ericsson ConsumerLab.

    According to ConsumerLab’s analysis in the Philippines, smartphone and tablet penetration are forecast to increase by 6% and 7%, respectively, by the end of the year. “The numbers look promising in the Philippines, and they can only get better,” said Rahim.

    Country Manager of Ericsson Philippines, Elie Hanna

    ConsumerLab conducted face-to-face interviews with 500 respondents of ages 16-60 in Metro Manila. The predictions of future markets are based on the consumers’ expressed interests.

    According to the research, among the emerging ICT sector in Southeast Asia—which includes the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam—the Philippines has the highest percentage of smartphone penetration with 29%. The study predicts that it can even increase to up to 35% despite the current dominance of the use of non-smartphones (55%) in the country.

    ConsumerLab South East Asia and Oceania, Afrizal Abdul Rahim

    ConsumerLab reports that the top three factors that drive consumers in the Philippines to purchase and use smartphones are the following:

    1. The desire to upgrade one’s current device
    2. Internet connectivity
    3. Mobility

    Another key factor, according to the research results, is the affordability of a smartphone as compared to a laptop or a tablet.

    Internet browsing, social networking, and instant messaging are reported to be the top three mobile phone activities next to voice calls and SMS.

    In terms of tablet penetration, the Philippines holds the greatest current market in the said sector with 6%, and is also forecast to increase by 7% by end 2012. The key drivers for tablet purchase and usage in the country are:

    1. Internet connectivity
    2. Access to features and apps
    3. Gaming

    Interestingly, peer pressure is also a key factor in purchasing and using a tablet. 21% of the respondents say that they buy and use tablets because “everyone else has one.”

    Additionally, Rahim shared some app usage figures in the country. The ConsumerLab study shows that the top three classifications of apps that are downloaded in the Philippines are gaming, TV/video, and entertainment. It’s also interesting to note that gaming apps are very dominant in the Philippine market.

    Even if worldwide smartphone usage is forecast to outnumber PC usage by 2017, PCs still dominate in terms of data consumption. This, accordingly, poses a challenge to telecommunications companies offering data packages for mobile devices. Rahim claims that, based on the results, the data packages in the country must be relevant, flexible, easy to use, and affordable.

    Rahim stresses that in the Philippines, prepaid users outnumber postpaid users because prepaid packages are more affordable than postpaid packages and are given more publicity. He claims that one solution to encourage more people to use mobile data is to offer more innovative and flexible mobile data packages that cater to the Filipinos’ prepaid lifestyle just to attract more subscribers. “You have to introduce smaller packages to cater to the different needs of the consumers,” said Rahim.

    LG Optimus Vu II official: 5-inch, 4:3 aspect ratio display, 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor, 2GB of RAM

    Gadgets Team
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    LG Optimus Vu II official: 5-inch, 4:3 aspect ratio display, 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor, 2GB of RAM

    LG’s weird 4:3 aspect ratio’d smartphone, the Optimus Vu has just been made obsolete by a newer, fancier version, aplty named the Optimus Vu II. The newer device retains the odd aspect ratio of the original, and adds a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor, which is more than likely Qualcomm’s latest and greatest, the S4. Users will also be looking at 2GB of memory to go along with that mobile processor, as well as support for 4G. Like the previous device, the Optimus Vu II will be running Android, but it’s not yet clear if it’ll be running Android 4.0 or 4.1. One of the accessories that will be offered with the Optimus Vu II is a wireless charging pad, so it’s not clear if the device supports wireless charging out of the box or if it’s going to be offered through the accessory. No price or availability has been set yet.

    Intel reveals Clovertrail Reference tablet, promises 10 hours of Windows 8 use, 3 weeks of stand-by

    Gadgets Team
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    Intel reveals Clovertrail Reference tablet, promises 10 hours of Windows 8 use, 3 weeks of stand-by

    Intel has just revealed their Windows 8 reference tablet to the world. This time around, this reference design uses Intel’s newly announced dual-core Atom Z2760 processor, aka Clover Trail. Of particular note is Intel’s claim that their 1.8GHz chip with Imagination SGX545 graphics delivers the best Windows 8 experience in the tablet without sacrificing compatibility and support for traditional apps and peripherals. That particular statement is no doubt addressed to ARM-based tablets that’s not compatible with existing x86 software and hardware. Intel has promised that Clover Trail tablets will be extremely portable and will be under 1.5 pounds in weight, and will only be 8.5mm thick. Most importantly, the new tablet design will be extremely power efficient – Intel promises 10 hours of useful battery life, and 3 weeks worth of standby time.

    Source: Engadget

    Globe officially launches LTE service Tattoo Black, prices start at Php 1799 [UPDATE]

    Gadgets Team
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    Globe officially launches LTE service Tattoo Black, prices start at Php 1799 [UPDATE]

    Globe’s LTE service, Tattoo Black, has officially been launched as of tonight. The plans are still the same when they announced it a couple of weeks ago – plan Php 1799 nabs you the Huawei LTE USB stick – also used by Smart’s LTE service – that nabs you up to 28 Mbps speeds. Pony up Php 2499 and you get the Tattoo Elite which gives you up to 42 Mbps a month. Tattoo Elite subscribers will also get a dedicated hotline for customer issues, priority handling in stores and a Globe personal relationship manager, complimentary tickets to Tattoo events and a 24/7 concierge service.  Unlike Smart’s initial offer, Globe is not placing a data cap on their LTE service which means it’s unlimited data until January 31 2013.

    Smart LTE

    We did a Speedtest on Globe’s LTE service, and it seems that their service is faster than Smart’s offering, at least for our location (Greenbelt 5, near Felix).

    Globe’s LTE

    Smart was able to log a speed of 24.24 Mbps, while Globe was able to log speeds of 59.07 Mbps. Like we said earlier, both Globe and Smart’s LTE sticks were provided by Huawei, and were both identical. Unlike Smart though, Globe’s initial roll-out of their LTE service will be around Makati at first, with other locations added gradually as the service matures. No timetable has yet been set, so if you’re looking to get Globe’s LTE service, you better live in or around the Makati area. You can still use it without LTE we suspect, and just like Smart’s service, it’ll just downgrade your speeds down to HSPA or HSPA+. We’ll be asking Globe for a demo stick so we can verify the speeds ourselves. Looks like we have an LTE competition on our hands, folks.

    [UPDATE #1] Globe’s Tattoo Black Elite Plan (Php 2499) users will get a 15GB cap per month after January 31, 2013. Regular Tattoo Black users will be getting 12GB caps after January 31, 2013.

    Google Street View now lets you see underwater panoramic images

    Gadgets Team
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    Google Street View now lets you see underwater panoramic images

    Google Maps continues to add more cool places to see on Street View, and—just recently—they have decided to include incredible underwater shots for you to explore. If you key in the location of the Great Barrier Reef on Google Maps, for example, the application now allows you to dive into the depths of the ocean and discover what lies beneath.

    Google has teamed up with The Caitlin Seaview Survey—a major scientific study of reefs around the world—to take photos underwater. Using a special camera called the Seaview SVII, the team was able to shoot 360-degree panoramic images of marine topology and sea life.

    Currently, the team has photographed only the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the depths of Maui, Hawaii, and our very own Apo Island.

    Check it out for yourself, here!

    New lens could make smartphones as thin as a credit card

    Gadgets Team
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    New lens could make smartphones as thin as a credit card

    Smartphones as thin as a credit card? Sounds unlikely right now, as most smartphones are still a few millimeters thick (for example, the iPhone 5 is 7.6 mm thick). However, scientists say that over 1,500 of these lenses can fit within the thickness of a human hair (25.4 micrometers thick, around 0.0254 mm), which makes you wonder how much thinner smartphones will be getting in the years ahead.

    The lenses used to focus light in eyeglasses, microscopes and other products use the same basic technology dating back to the late 13th century, when spectacles were invented in Europe. However, existing lenses are not thin or flat enough to remove the various distortions that prevent the creation of the sharpest image possible. Solutions to correct those distortions are often complicated, such as adding multiple lenses that increase the weight and space that a device takes up. Federico Capasso and his colleagues sought to make a superthin and flat lens that would solve this problem, which could drastically reduce the weight and thickness of devices with lenses.

    This new superthin lens has a resolving power that actually approaches the theoretical limits set by the laws of optics. The lens surface is patterned with tiny metallic stripes which bend light differently as one moves away from the center, causing the beam to sharply focus without distorting the images. The current version of the lens works at a specific design wavelength, but the scientists say it can be redesigned for use with broad-band light.

    Although this is just in the experimental stages, it is interesting to keep tabs on, especially as smartphones and tablets compete to get thinner and thinner than their previous editions.

    Anonymous hits 7 government websites: Twitter reactions

    Gadgets Team
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    Anonymous hits 7 government websites: Twitter reactions

    If you haven’t heard, hacker collective anonymous has just hit and defaced 7 government websites in a span of hours (and as of writing, the story is still developing) to protest the recently passed Anti-Cybercrime law. We were curious what the normal citizenry thought about the attacks, so we took to Twitter to check out people’s sentiments. Surprisingly, a lot of Pinoy netizens are for Anonymous, and feel that the group is fighting on their behalf for the freedom of expression. Here’s what the crowd has had to say about Anon’s antics so far:

     

     

     

     

    What are your thoughts on Anon’s actions against our government?

    Anonymous hits Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas and MWSS website, not pleased with Anti-Cybercrime law [UPDATE: new websites added]

    Gadgets Team
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    Anonymous hits Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas and MWSS website, not pleased with Anti-Cybercrime law [UPDATE: new websites added]

    There’s a lot of negative reactions to the recently passed Anti-Cybercrime law, and the citizenry has expressed their outrage through social networks and private blogs about the implications of said law. Some netizens however, are expressing their anger through different means – the Philippine wing of the hacker collective Anonymous has just brought down and defaced not one, but two government websites (as of press time): Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewage Systems (MWSS). The hackers are particularly angry at the libel clause included in the bill, which infringes on free speech online. Here’s the full text of their statement:

    The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 is the most notorious act ever witnessed in the cyber-history of the Philippines, and the language of the bill is cunningly designed to make you think it only applies to individuals who are deep in cyber-technology and doesn’t apply to everyone, but some part of the bill basically says it can imprison anyone who commits libel either by written messages, comments, blogs, or posts in sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or any other comment-spaces of other social media in the Internet.

    New technologies give us new opportunities to connect with a lot of people not only in this country but all over the world. They can also provide us with a medium through which our political, public and even private views can have an immediate and direct impact on individuals, communities and even countries. It is just so disappointing that our government, in adopting our 80-year-old antiquated libel laws to the Cybercrime Law, again seems to have retarded our march with the rest of the world with respect to giving full force to the people’s freedom of expression. We ask for a revision of the said bill for the betterment of the Filipino denizens.

    If you remember, the MWSS website was hacked earlier this month by the same group which wanted to expose the corruption in the said government sector. Seems like the webmasters of both government sites will be in for a rough night.

    [UPDATE #1] And another one bites the dust. The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines has also been hacked and replaced by the image you see on the BSP and MWSS websites. (Via Neil Ross Goco)

    [UPDATE #2] And another one is hit. This time it’s the Pilipinas Anti-Piracy Team.

     [UPDATE #3] The DOH’s Anti-Smoking website has also been taken down.

    [UPDATE #4] The Institute for Development and Econometric Analysis (IDEA) is also down for the count.


    [UPDATE #5] The DENR website for Region 3 has also been hit. Anon has been busy tonight, we see.

    Google Play hits 25 billion app download milestone

    Gadgets Team
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    Google Play hits 25 billion app download milestone

    While Google’s Play Store hasn’t had the same numbers as Apple’s offering, it’s steadily growing. The Android one-stop-shop has celebrated an important milestone today, and has managed to reach 25 billion app downloads. That number is set to increase even further, as the company is going to be offering massive discounts on selected content on Google Play in the next five days which include games, music, books and more. Jamie Rosenberg, Director, Digital Content said in an official blog post that “you’ll be able to choose from a collection of apps from some of the world’s top developers including Gameloft, Electronic Arts, Rovio, runtastic, Full Fat and more. And all for just 25 cents. We’ll also be offering some special collections like 25 movies you must own, 25 banned books, 25 albums that changed the world and our 25 top selling magazines, all at special prices. Visit Google Play a little later today to check them out.” It’s best that you keep your eye on the Google Play store for the next five days – you never know what they’ll be offering for you.

    Source: Google

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