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    Facebook Messenger for Android updated

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    For those of you Android users green with envy over the recent iOS Facebook update, here’s a spot of good news: Facebook Messenger has updated their Android app. It now includes Emoji support, better profile incorporation, and a whole bevy of other miscellaneous bug fixes that give a better messaging experience. While it isn’t the Facebook app update many of us were expecting, every new piece of code that makes the social experience more fun is a great thing in our book, so all you Android users, go and head over to this LINK to get your copy now.

    Kiddie vitamins just became more fun

    Kids these days are really lucky. There is just so much technology that makes things bigger, better, brighter, and yes, easier and more convenient.

    There was a time when kiddie vitamins only either came in syrup or tablet form, and I remember being chased around the house every single time I had to take my daily dose (or any meds in general). Syrup based meds were the worst for me because there was just no escaping the taste of the thick liquid.

    Recognizing the need to intersperse health in a fun, engaging way, Unilab, the Philippines’ leading health and wellness company, has come up with an exciting new product that allows children to have fun and enjoy while keeping them safe and healthy – VitaPops!

    “We, at Unilab, are excited to introduce this vitamin that will definitely make taking Vitamin C a fun, memorable experience. VitaPops is the first & only pop rocks Vitamin C in the country,” shared VitaPops Product Manager Joseph Aruta. “Aside from its unique format, VitaPops comes in a single-dose sachet making it more convenient for moms and kids to bring around, has 1/5 the sugar content compared to your regular vitamins and is formulated with Sodium Ascorbate making it tummy-friendly. With VitaPops, we hope to give moms & kids a healthy yet fun compromise.”

    Celebrity moms Daphne Osena-Paez and Donita Rose are the brand’s newest endorsers and together with licensed educator and pediatrician, Dr. Liz Inciong, they led the discussion with follow moms at the launch held today at Active Fun, Bonifacio Global City.

    “I like giving VitaPops to my children but what’s more amazing is how my kids love it! They immediately liked it the moment they first tried it. They like it so much that they immediately told their friends about it,” shared Daphne.

    “VitaPops is the most fun and exciting Vitamin C in the market because it comes in pop-rocks format — it fizzles and pops inside the mouth. This makes taking Vitamin C an experience that kids will enjoy, while ensuring that they remain healthy as it boosts their immune system,” said Donita.

    VitaPops is available in all leading drugstores nationwide. It costs PHP10 / sachet. VitaPops can be taken once or twice a day, or as directed by your pediatrician.

    Pictures for HTC’s upcoming Proto smartphone leaked, suspiciously looks like their Desire V

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    HTC Proto

    The Verge has leaked pictures of HTC’s up-and-coming Proto smartphone, and we have to say, it really, really looks like their recently released, dual-sim device, the Desire V. The Proto is supposedly comes with a 4-inch screen, a WVGA display, 5-megapixel camera, and 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor.

    Desire V. Notice the camera module.

    Aside from the processor, the spec list mirrors what the Desire V has and has exactly the same design as the V, down to its distinctive camera module, which might mean that the Proto is a single SIM version of the Desire V. If that’s the case, we welcome the move – we lauded the Desire V’s overall design aesthetics as it didn’t really feel like a cheap, dual-sim device, though we criticized it for its poor performance because of the older, single core processor. With the Proto, HTC will be sticking with the Desire V’s strengths and addressing its weaknesses. We’ll know soon enough if this is all true once the company unveils it next week in Berlin during IFA.

    Source: The Verge

    Study says mobile users only use less than 2GB of data, unlimited plans a waste

    A study that’s sure to cause a stir in the mobile community has just hit the web, saying that most users use less than 2GB of data a month. The study was conducted by research firm NPD and was done on mostly Android devices via an app installed on willing volunteers’ smartphones. About 1,000 respondents from multiple networks in the US (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon) were included in the test and the results are overwhelming: most users don’t even hit 2GB in a single month, which means that unlimited data plans are more or less a waste, if you think about it. Of course, this particular study was done in the US, so this doesn’t automatically apply to users in the Philippines. Then again, you guys might want to keep track of how much mobile data you use, and see if you go over 2GB in a month.

    Source: Tech News Daily

    Smart’s LTE service officially launched, unlimited data for early adopters till October 25, 2012

    Well, here we are at Smart’s official launch of their LTE service, and frankly there’s not a lot of new news to tell you guys. We’ve already covered a heck of a lot of material for Smart’s launch at our previous LTE coverage. What we did learn was that if you get the LTE service now, you’re in for a treat – Smart is lifting the data cap for new subscribers until October 25, so essentially if you sign up now, you’ll be enjoying blistering speeds without data caps. Once October 25 rolls around though, you will have to abide by Smart’s 10GB per month rule. Go over that cap, and you’ll be charged Php 450 per 1GB. Smart has also said that they’ve expanded their LTE sites all over the metro to accommodate the commercial launch. During our beta test of the device, we were told that there were more or less 20 LTE sites scattered around the metro. This time around, Smart said that there’s around 24 LTE sites in Makati alone, which means that the telco has significantly expanded their LTE reach in time for their roll-out. Smart has included a handy map for users to see where the closest LTE site is to their vicinity. You can check it out here.

    On the device front, Smart will initially be offering the LTE dongle for now, with an expected roll-out of the Pocket WiFi device next month. Unfortunately Smart was a bit vague on when exactly their LTE phones would land – it seems that LTE mobile phones are in high demand, and it will be a while before the telco gets their hand on LTE mobile devices for their LTE service. Rumors are that they’ll be able to get some on October at the earliest, but that’s currently unconfirmed. We’ve asked Smart for another go-around with their LTE service to see how much it’s improved after the beta and we’ll update you guys once we have more.

    1-0, Apple.

    In the case that has been viewed by the tech public as a clash of epic proportions, Apple has come out on top. The jury responsible for passing a verdict on the case has found that Apple did indeed have first dibs on certain design aspects that Samsung was using. The total bill for the Korean tech giant? over 1 Billion US Dollars. Yes. With a “B.” This included patents for the “Pinch to zoom” feature, “tap to zoom” and “bounce back scrolling.” Adding salt to the wound, the courts also rules that Apple had not infringed on any of Samsung’s patents, and so the Korean manufacturer doesn’t get a single cent back. Samsung’s side has urged people not to see this ruling as a “as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer.” We, as a nation have recently been flooded with plagiarism news, so share your thoughts. Whose side are you on?

     

    (image via http://www.dailytrendzz.com)

    Qualcomm powering next LG smartphone, will use Snapdragon S4 Pro

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    Qualcomm has slipped and has announced that they will be providing chips for LG’s next generation smartphone that’s slated to be released within this year. There’s no firm product name yet, but there’s rumors swirling ’round the web that this particular smartphone will be dubbed as the LG Optimus G. This smartphone will use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro platform, and the company says the phone itself will get a release in Korea first in September before being rolled out in the global market right after. We’re hoping to get official word when the actual product will launch (and what it’ll be called) and you can be sure we’ll be on top of that story as soon as it breaks.

    Source: Anandtech

    Microsoft Philippines appoints first female Managing Director

    Okay, okay, so we kind of lied about the Microsoft Logo being the only Microsoft related news today. Surely you’ll all forgive us for that little fib, especially when you hear about this: Microsoft Philippines has appointed Karrie Ilagan as the first female Managing Director ever. Miss Ilagan will be promoted from her current Enterprise Sales Director role and will drive strategic partnerships and alliancesin the Philippines and grow the sales and marketing operations for Microsoft in the country.

    “I believe that there are still a large number of Filipino companies that can achieve global competitiveness by enhancing their IT capabilities that are focused on empowering people. The latest data from World Economic Forum ranks Philippines 75thglobally in terms of national competitiveness.I’m certain that with the right combinationof technology, education and appropriate government initiatives, Microsoft Philippines can make a valuable contribution to the development of the country,” said Ilagan.

     

    Angry Birds visit Mars in new game update

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    Coming hot in the heels of Curiosity’s landing on the red planet is a timely update from Rovio for their highly acclaimed Angry Birds. Rovio has once again teamed up with the crew from NASA, and this time around the Pigs are looking for eggs on Mars. The new update gives players access to 20 new levels set in the red planet. Players can expect, fire, brimstone and other awesome explody-bits, with an added bonus once players find all the hidden rovers in the game. Grab it now from the Google Play store.

    Source: Google Play

    Toshiba Portege Z930: First impressions

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    Toshiba’s Z930 has just arrived at the office, and we’re here to give you our first impressions, before we go and do a full-on review. Out of the box, the first thing we noticed was the weight, or rather, the lack of it. It’s the lightest laptop I have ever had the pleasure of handling. Even now, there is a feeling of disbelief that I get whenever I pick the thing up. It feels like an empty shell. It’s a very fetching shade of “Business Grey and looks all business.” A quick tap of the power button, and the slim little ultrabook comes to life. Boot time is well under the 20-second mark from a cold start.

    The keys are nice and large, with pretty good travel for such a light device. To keep weight down, most of the laptop is plastic, so it does feel a little bendy and delicate. I am a little worried as to how it may fare in transit. The flex on the screen is a little worrying. It does have a magnesium frame, so it should do fine. Toshiba has always had a very solid track record with their devices, so I am willing to suspend judgement until i get some more time with the thing.

    I’ll be working hard, putting the Z930 through its paces, so hang on and wait for the full lab in our October issue.

    Facebook 5.0 for iOS is better, faster, stronger

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    We’ve had the Facebook app on our smartphones and tablets for quite some time, and updating it has just become second nature, just as every developer who has made an app for smartphones and tablets would know. But the latest update for Facebook for iOS is unique. According to the Facebook blog, “We’ve rebuilt the app from the ground up, so now the app opens much faster and your news feed and notifications load right when you open Facebook.”

    Do you get tired of swiping down every time you want to update your News Feed? There’s a banner at the top that shows the amount of new stories that have been posted to your News Feed, and you can just tap on your device to read them. Have you finished reading all the new things on your feed? Just tap again to go back to your News Feed. Opening and closing photos is now a lot easier too. “Tap on any photo and it opens right away. Pull down to close it with a single swipe.”

    “To solve (the constant evolution of the app), we came up with a different plan to let you use the newest features without requiring you to update the entire app: a ‘fallback’ renderer. When the news feed team designs a new type of story, Facebook for iOS downloads something it doesn’t quite understand. When we detect this, we use a ‘fallback’ renderer to show the pertinent information in the new story in a format the app already understands. In the meantime, we create a new custom renderer and have it ready for our next app update,” the Facebook development team said.

    Samsung Wireless Audio with Dock now available in the Philippines

    DA-E750

    Samsung Philippines has finally made their premium Wireless Audio with Dock line available to the Philippine market.

    DA-E650

    Composed of the top of the line DA-E750, the mid-range DA-E650 and the entry level DA-E550 and DA-E570, this line is the first in its class to come with a dual docking system that supports both the high-end Samsung Galaxy devices (S2, S3, Galaxy Note) and Apple iOS devices. Alternatively, users also have the option of connecting wirelessly via AllShare for Samsung products, AirPlay for iOS devices and Bluetooth for any Bluetooth enabled devices including laptops.

    DA-E570

    The DA-E750’s vacuum tube combined with the digital amplifier provides a warmer, more natural sound compared to conventional audio systems that use transistors while reducing unnecessary, harsh distortions. Its 2.1 channel system has a built-in subwoofer as well as Glass fiber+Phase Plug Type speaker that can produce 100 watts of crystal-clear sound with enhanced bass for a quality music experience.  The DA-E750 retails for PHP 29,990.00.

    DA-E550

    As of press time, Samsung has already began rolling out the audio docks to their dealers and is already available at the newly opened Samsung Concept Store in Robinsons Magnolia.

    Globe 4G LTE: Coming to you this September

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    In a move sure to please countless of Globe subscribers all over the country, the communications giant has just announced the imminent launch of their own 4g LTE service. Peter Bithos, Senior Adviser for Customer Business explains: “By September this year, it’s all systems go to launch the 4G LTE network of Globe… [We] will offer 4G LTE on a full range of mobile phones by the fourth quarter of this year.”

    This news comes in the middle of their current modernization program which aims to provide a more solid backbone for the increased number of mobile data users the LTE rollout will bring. Globe has laid an additional 12,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable to enable 4G LTE activation for majority of its cell sites and allow for the deployment of super fast mobile data speeds. The modernization will also ensure that Globe will be able to offer a constant, contiguous connection wherever subscribers go. The service will initially be available in key Makati residential and commercial areas. They also assure that the service will very rapidly be available throughout the metro and then the rest of the Philippines.

    As of this writing, Globe execs have not released word regarding pricing, but we should have all the details in a few short weeks.

    Watch Matchbox Twenty’s new music video in 360 degrees!

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    Shot with GoPano Plus, the band’s new interactive music video, She’s So Mean, actually gives you a 360 degree view of the Rob Thomas and the gang performing the song.

    “We wanted to take a different approach for a behind-the-video piece,” Atlantic Records digital marketer Thanh Nguyen tells Mashable. “GoPano’s technology allows users to immerse themselves into the content and gives them a sense of control in regards to viewership.”

    To switch viewing angles, all you have to do is click and move your mouse around the video. Go ahead and try it out HERE!

    If you want to view and create videos like She’s So Mean, you can head on over to the App Store and get the GoPano app on your iPhone.

    Source: Mashable

    Image Source: Here.