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    RIM to cut 5,000 jobs, delays BlackBerry 10 until 2013

    Gadgets Team
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    RIM to cut 5,000 jobs, delays BlackBerry 10 until 2013

    Research In Motion (RIM) has been struggling in the mobile phone market and the company has recently announced that it will be cutting 5,000 jobs. Not just that, there’s also bad news for BlackBerry fans—the BlackBerry 10 will be delayed until the first quarter of 2013.

    The company has supposedly reported a much bigger expected loss than analysts had initially forecast. They’ve scaled back from 10 manufacturing sites to 3 and expect to incur about $350 million in costs for restructuring. With regards to the BlackBerry 10, they’ve made progress on its key features but have had trouble integrating them while the related code for the platform is taking longer than expected.

    On the bright side, this means that they’re not compromising the quality and reliability of the platform by delivering it before it’s ready. Reports state that the company is confident that the first BlackBerry 10 releases will be ground-breaking next-generation smartphones.

    Source: allthingsd.com

     

    iTunes reportedly set to undergo major overhaul

    Gadgets Team
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    iTunes reportedly set to undergo major overhaul

    Bloomberg reports that Apple is planning a total revamp of iTunes by the end of the year. This is reportedly going to be one of its biggest changes since its 2003 debut. According to Bloomberg’s sources, Apple plans to integrate iCloud into iTunes to give you easier access to your music, videos and apps on all your Apple devices. Incorporating iCloud will also allow users to easily manage and organize their music library. Another modification that is reportedly in the works is the integration of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to allow users to share music with their friends using iTunes. Since iTunes is now available in the country, we will also be experiencing this major overhaul of the world’s largest music store.

     

    Review: Noontec Gigalink N5

    Gadgets Team
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    1
    Review: Noontec Gigalink N5

    [This review originally appeared in the December 2011 issue of Gadgets Magazine]

    By: Steven Vea

    Cloud storage is definitely the next big trend, not just because it offers an easy way to manage files, but because it lets you maximize the potential of your mobile device. The Noontec Gigalink N5 offers just that—at an extremely affordable price.

    Out of the box, the N5 is coated with a white glossy finish that will easily blend in with any Apple-based setup. It looks great and its interface adopts a very classic and minimalist design. The front of the unit only has a tiny LED light to indicate power and on the right side you’ll find the air/cooling vent. Peering at the rear reveals the N5’s LAN port, USB 2.0 port, reset button, power button and the input for the power adapter. Other than that, there is nothing else on the exterior of this media player, which is actually great, design-wise.

    When it comes to build quality, I must admit that it leaves more to be desired. It feels lightweight and might not survive a face-to-face meeting with the floor. But you won’t accidentally knock the N5 onto the ground if it’s resting on a flat surface, since it is propped up by slip-resistant rubber stands that keep it firmly in place. Additionally, I did personally find the N5 was a little too big for my liking, considering that with a very minimalist design, a few millimeters could have been shaved off its dimensions.

    The Noontec Gigalink N5 is packaged with only a power adapter, LAN cable and four screws which secure the 3.5-inch SATA desktop drive. Installing the hard drive is relatively easy (it supports up to 3TB), but does require you to unscrew the bottom plate in order to place the drive inside. But since we have opposable thumbs, this job is very easy and shouldn’t take more than five minutes. Also worthy of note is the lack of accessories/components, which does well to foreshadow the N5’s very simple setup time.

    So what does the Noontec N5 offer you? It acts a Network Attached Storage (NAS) and a cloud server to provide a central place in your home where multiple users can access all your stored media, whether its family photos, downloaded movies, or music libraries. You can also enable it to download torrents (which I’m sure many Filipinos will appreciate), and it has the ability to automatically download for you even if your PC is turned off, effectively saving power and shaving off numbers on your electric bill. Another great thing about the N5 is that if you don’t want to use it as a NAS, you can use it as a Direct-Attached Storage (DAS) aka external hard drive via USB.

    Setting up the Noontec Gigalink N5 is quite easy (in fact, it pretty much sets itself up), requiring very little action on your part, which is great. However, a few users might not like the seemingly outdated interface of the WebDav app that you install on your mobile device. The great thing is that it supports Android and iOS, allowing you to access files stored on the N5 anywhere you are with virtually any device, and up to 4 users can access it at any given time. Moreover, it also works across platforms, whether it’s Windows, OS or Linux/Unix.

    The N5 is surprisingly versatile and reliable. Although at times it can be a bit sluggish, the lags are not noticeable enough for you to get frustrated with. I admit I initially had my doubts in the beginning, because of the extremely affordable price that the Noontec Gigalink N5 is offered at, but it’s a remarkably efficient NAS media center that definitely gives more value than it financially costs.

    In the end, if you’re looking for way for your family to share files at home, or if you simply want your own form of personal cloud storage, then the Noontec Gigalink N5 is a great buy.

    What’s hot
    – attractive retail price
    -simple design
    -can be used as a DAS

    What’s not
    -WebDAV interface
    -build quality

    Buy Meter: 8.5

    Bottomline:
    The Noontec Gigalink N5 is an affordable and efficient NAS media center that should find its way into your home.

    SPECIFICATIONS:
    10Mbps/100Mbps/1000Mbps Auto-adjust LAN
    Supports up to 3TB
    Supports PPPoE and DDNS
    Supports SAMBA, FTP (up to 16 users)
    Built-in BT client
    Built in media server
    Supports Windows, Mac OS, Linux
    Can be used as a DAS

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Starmobile launches new campaign and smartphone priced at only Php 3,290

    Gadgets Team
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    Starmobile launches new campaign and smartphone priced at only Php 3,290

    Starmobile is a local maker of dual SIM mobile phones that recognizes how being able to stay connected is no longer a luxury but a necessity in this day and age, even for the most price-conscious Filipino. In fact, many of us find it hard to live without mobile Internet and so we opt to buy a smartphone, only to find out how pricey they can be. The good news—just today, Starmobile launched the “Starmobile Shows Us How To Be Happy” campaign as well as the new affordable FeatureSmart T601i smartphone.

    The local company aims to make all Filipino dreamers happy by providing incredibly affordable feature phones and smartphones. The FeatureSmart T601i is a dual SIM smartphone that costs a mere Php 3,290 and offers its users nearly everything they might need from a mobile device in addition to basic call and text functions. This includes internet connectivity, mobile TV, multimedia, camera, social media apps, and a whole lot more. It’s equipped with a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen and runs Opera Mobile.

     

     

     

    HTC One S now in the Philippines, priced at Php 26,990 [UPDATE] Local versions have S3, not S4 processor

    Gadgets Team
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    10
    HTC One S now in the Philippines, priced at Php 26,990 [UPDATE] Local versions have S3, not S4 processor

    Before we get carried away with the Desire C and Desire V, let’s not forget that the star of today’s HTC launch was the middle child of the HTC One family, the One S. The HTC One S is armed with a 4.3-inch, Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen and is equipped with a Qualcomm MSM8260A Snapdragon, dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait processor with an Adreno 225 1.7GHz Snapdragon S3 processor, which means the Philippines is one of the countries which got the S3 version of the HTC One S, the HTC One S C2.

    The device has an internal storage of 16GB, and is blessed with 1GB of RAM. The device is running Android 4.0 ICS, with HTC’s Sense 4 UI layered on top. There’s an 8-megapixel camera on the back with an LED flash.

    The outside finish of the One S is pretty good, and has been treated with a new manufacturing finish called microarc oxidaton that gives the metal unibody design a tough, ceramic like finish that’s pretty close to the one on the One X. The One S is also possibly one of the thinnest smartphones currently out in the market, and measures at a absolutely skinny 7.8mm thin. The One S will be priced at Php 26,990, and should be heading to stores either today or tomorrow.

    UPDATE: Reader Robin Lim wanted a clarification if the device that’s shipping to the Philippines will be running Qualcomm’s newest S4 Krait processor or the older S3 Scorpion chip that’s on the HTC One S C2 version that’s been showing up on the European markets lately. HTC’s PR rep has assured us that the One S hitting our shores will be powered by Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon S4 chip.

    UPDATE 2: After checking out stores ourselves, we found out that all signs point to a 1.7GHz version of the One S is in circulation in the country. We’ve updated the story and have officially sent out messages to HTC, we’ll update it again once we get their official word. We’ve also asked HTC to comment on the comment thread below.

    UPDATE 3: It’s official folks. We’re getting the S3 version of the One S, which is a shame, as we had high hopes for the S4 equipped S4 version. HTC has officially issued this statement through their PR firm (emphasis theirs):

    “The HTC One S available in the Philippines has the Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 1.7 GHz processor, NOT a Snapdragon S4 1.5 GHz as stated in the official press release issued last June 28 and 29. We apologize for the error. HTC strives to give only the most accurate information and will provide immediate updates concerning changes that may affect its valued customers.”

     

     

    Polaroid introduces Z2300 instant digital camera

    Gadgets Team
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    1
    Polaroid introduces Z2300 instant digital camera

    Good news for Polaroid lovers—the company has recently introduced the Z2300 instant digital camera at the CEA Line Show in New York. It has an integrated printer that can produce 2×3-inch full color prints in under a minute with no shaking required. The camera uses ink-free Zero Ink (ZINK) thermal printing technology that makes use of heat to activate cyan, yellow, and magenta dye crystals inside the ZINK paper. Due to the paper’s protective polymer outer coating, the produced photos are UV resistant, moisture resistant, smudge-proof, and long lasting.

    The Polaroid Z2300 is a 10-megapixel camera with a 3-inch LCD display. It comes with 32 GB of internal storage and 4 GB of external storage upgradeable up to 32 GB. The camera can even capture HD video, which is why the company has included a built-in speaker for playback.

    The Z2300 comes in black or white and will begin shipping in August 2012, priced at US $160. The 50-sheet packs of 2×3-inch ZINK paper retail for $24.99, while the 30-sheet packs retail for $14.99.

     

    Google Glass. You don’t need it, you WANT it.

    Ren Alcantara
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    0
    Google Glass. You don’t need it, you WANT it.

    Google just did an official show-and-tell for their latest magical product, Glass. It’s part Flip camera, part Dragon Ball, and all awesome. Google has a way of doing things in a uniquely Google way, and this Glass is no different. As of the moment, the exact, everyday applications aren’t really that clear, but it does open the door for Augmented Reality applications, and all sorts of avenues for tech that we really only ever got to read about in Sci-Fi novels. While live hangouts in mid-flight are cool, we’re holding on to our USD 1,500 until  we get a better idea about what else we can do with Glass. That being said, we want it anyway. Watch the awesome demo HERE.

    HTC Desire C official: 3.5-inch display, Android 4.0 ICS on-board, priced at Php 10,990

    Gadgets Team
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    1
    HTC Desire C official: 3.5-inch display, Android 4.0 ICS on-board, priced at Php 10,990

    The HTC Desire C, once code-named the HTC Golf, is now officially in the Philippines. We’ve talked about this particular product before, but for the people who are not in the mood to backread, let us lay down the specs for you: this is HTC’s lowest end Android smartphone, and sports a 3.5-inch display 600MHz processor paired with 512MB of RAM, a 5-megapixel, non-autofocus camera. It also has Beats Audio on board.

    This is possibly the lowest priced Android smartphone that the company has produced, which is priced at Php 10,990.

    It’s physically tiny, with our HTC Sensation XE dwarfing it when put side to side, which might be a plus to others while being a negative to some. The build quality is alright (this is a HTC after all), and the weight is definitely right for a device its size. Will HTC’s name and ICS be enough to combat other, cheaper, similarly sized Android devices in our market today?

    HTC Desire V official: dual-sim, 4-inch WVGA display, 1GHz Qualcomm processor, priced at Php 16,990

    Gadgets Team
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    1
    HTC Desire V official: dual-sim, 4-inch WVGA display, 1GHz Qualcomm processor, priced at Php 16,990

    We knew that the HTC One S and Desire C was coming to our shores, but one smartphone that we weren’t prepared for was Desire V. This particular smartphone stands out because it’s probably the first HTC smartphone that has dual-sim capabilities.

    The Desire V sports a 4-inch WVGA screen and has taken some of the design cues from the Taiwanese company’s high-end HTC One X smartphone – chief of which is the curved glass design. This particular device is powered by a single core, 1GHz Qualcomm processor, and sports 512MB of memory – not a lot, but enough to get things done.

    The camera on the back is a 5-megapixel autofocus capable deal with LED flash, and it also sports Beats Audio technology. It’s also going to come out of the gate sporting Android 4.0 (ICS), and HTC is extending the same free 25GB Dropbox storage to future owners of the Desire V. The device will come in two colors – Stealth Black and Polar White, and is priced at Php 16,990. It should be hitting stores today.

    Spotify launches Artist Apps

    Gadgets Team
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    0
    Spotify launches Artist Apps

    Spotify has just rolled out a number of artist-centered apps that enable music fans to have a deeper connection with their favorite artists by giving them access to exclusive audio, personal stories, favorite music, and lots of special content.

    For those who aren’t familiar with Spotify, it’s basically a music streaming service that houses millions of tracks. It has social media integration, so it lets you share music with your friends and discover what they’re listening to. You can use Spotify on your desktop and your mobile devices.

    Spotify still isn’t available in the Philippines yet, but we’d just like to share this awesome update they made that shows how online tech brings artists closer to their fans.

    Quincy Jones, Tiesto, Rancid and Disturbed are the first artist apps launched by Spotify. From the initial roster of artists mentioned, we could tell that Spotify is set to come up with a wide range of artist apps that cater to all kinds of genres.

    The Quincy Jones app, dubbed as The Stories Behind the Music, features exclusive audio and artwork from the legendary hitmaker himself. Tiesto’s Club Life app includes a single of the week, an album of the month, a festival of the month, and a chart of all the hottest dance tracks.
 The Rancid app features the band’s top picks, straight from their own playlists. Frontman Tim Armstrong is also set to share his musical insights and inspiration. Metalheads will also have their share of fun and exclusive content with the Disturbed app, where the members of the band will share their favorite tunes and recount the past, present and future of rock and heavy metal.

    These are just the first of several artists who are lined up to release their own Spotify apps in the coming weeks and months. Hopefully, Spotify would be available soon in the country so we could have a dose of these awesome Artist Apps.

    Image Sources: Here and here.

    Android 4.1 Jelly Bean official: offline voice dictation, smarter search, Siri-like voice recognition, actionable notifications

    Gadgets Team
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    0
    Android 4.1 Jelly Bean official: offline voice dictation, smarter search, Siri-like voice recognition, actionable notifications

    It’s no secret that most Android versions don’t really last that long, and that particular truth has been proven once again during Google’s I/O earlier today. The company has detailed quite a bit of improvement for the next version, named Jelly Bean (Android 4.1), so let’s get right to changes, shall we?

    The company has labored to make the newest version the fastest and smoothest version of the OS, and have created Project Butter to do just that. The entire OS now merrily chugs away at 60 fps, and now supports triple buffering and runs the display, GPU and CPU in parallel which translates into a better, smoother experience when using a 4.1 powered device. Small improvements like the CPU ramping up the clock speed as soon as you touch the device contribute to a better, smoother user experience all around.

    The homescreen has been tweaked as well, and users now don’t have to play hide and seek with their apps and widgets on their homescreen as Jelly Bean brings auto-resizing widgets to the fore. Simply drag and drop a widget into the home screen and all the icons, apps and other widgets conform around it. Widgets can also now be flicked off the screen with a simple swipe of the button – no need to root around for a recycling bin.

    One fantastic addition now is offline voice input. Before it was only possible to do voice dictation when you had a data connection – that’s not the case now. You can now do accurate, voice dictation even when your device is in airplane mode – meaning no data connection – which increase the appeal of the dictation tool immensely.

    Possibly the highlight of Jelly Bean is the new notification system. Instead of just alerting you of a system event – a text, Facebook message or email, for example – and launching the app, the notification system now allows you to answer notifications right from the window, saving you a lot of time and possibly battery life. You can send canned text messages or make up your own when someone texts you through the notification bar, comment or +1 on a Google+ post – all without opening the app involved.

    There’s also better voice search in Jelly Bean, and the newly revamped app has a brand new UI and recognizes voice queries. Obvious comparisons to Siri can’t be avoided, of course, and from the presentation we saw during the event, we put the new voice search function at par or even slightly better than Siri.

    Google’s new search function also takes cues from your previous searches, preferences and history with their service to tweak the results of your search, and is now smart enough to know where you are and take that information in context when answering queries – like the location of the nearest bus stop, the bus schedule, what time the next bus will arrive, etc.

    Android 4.1 Jelly Bean will roll out to the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and Xoom devices mid July.

    Google Nexus 7 official, made by Asus: 7-inch screen, NVIDIA Tegra 3, priced at $199

    Gadgets Team
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    7
    Google Nexus 7 official, made by Asus: 7-inch screen, NVIDIA Tegra 3, priced at $199

    It’s finally official! The Google Nexus 7 has been announced at Google I/O today. The Nexus 7 is a 7-inch tablet has a Tegra 3 chipset with a quadcore CPU, 12 core GPU, and has a native display of 1280×800. Google has pegged the battery life of the Nexus 7 at 9 hours of HD video playback, and boasts 300 hours of standby time. It only weighs at 340 grams, so it means that it’s not going to be a problem when it comes to carrying it. Asus has been pegged by the search company to make the Nexus 7, and Asus head honcho Jonney Shih was present during the event today. It will be powered by the recently announced Android Jellybean (Android 4.1).

    The tablet is tied in closely with Google Play, and leverages on the new improvements on Google Play, which includes the ability to buy and rent TV shows, as well as premium magazine titles. The Nexus 7 also has a powerful recommendation app that allows you to discover titles and content that you’re interested in. The app is promised to work better through time, as it learns what you like and what you don’t over time.

    Google also demoed the gaming chops of the Nexus 7, running games like Horn and Dead Trigger which looked fantastic, with plenty of visual effects all around.

    Of course, the question now is how much will this cost? The price of the device has been made official at $199 which is roughly 8756 pesos, with a $25 credit for Google Play purchases and other content like the movie Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the book Bourne Dominion, and different magazine titles being thrown in for buyers. The Google Nexus 7 will be available in the US, Canada, Australia, with orders shipping out in mid July. Other countries will follow.

    Apple finally launches iTunes in the Philippines, you can now buy songs and rent movies using your locally issued credit card

    Gadgets Team
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    0
    Apple finally launches iTunes in the Philippines, you can now buy songs and rent movies using your locally issued credit card

    After a long wait, Apple has finally seen the light and has now officially launched iTunes in the Philippines and in 12 other territories today. What that means, dear reader, is that you can now purchase songs, episodes and apps through the Apple iTunes store using your locally issued credit card – no more having to go through countless unnecessary hoops to legally purchase content for your Apple slate or smartphone. We’re not the only country feeling the Apple love – users from Hongkong, Singapore and Taiwan (among others) can now also buy content through the store using locally issued cards. Now you’ll have to excuse us – we feel a Police Academy marathon coming in our iPads.

     

    Sony teases hi-def wearable camera, will go up against Contour and GoPro

    Gadgets Team
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    0
    Sony teases hi-def wearable camera, will go up against Contour and GoPro

    It seems like Sony wants some of that wearable, rugged, hi-definition dollars that Contour and GoPro has been raking in lately, and has teased their own answer via their official blog. The company says that the new camera will be tiny and lightweight, and have their SteadyShot image stabilization technology, Exmor R CMOS image sensor, and an ultra-wide angle Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. Sony promises that the new camera will also have ruggedized and waterproof housings to accompany it, so you won’t have to worry about it breaking or getting wet.

    Source: Sony

    Licensed Portal Turret replica heading to stores soon, is dying to meet you

    Gadgets Team
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    Licensed Portal Turret replica heading to stores soon, is dying to meet you

    Sure there’s been Portal Turret replicas made before, but Valve hasn’t really given its official nod to a mass produced replica – until now. Gaming Heads has been given the official license to make the cute, lovable and lethal Turrets from the two Portal games – making it one of the must-have items for any true fan. The replicas are all made from the in-game 3D files and is cast in high quality poly-stone, which is then finished and painted by hand by their artisians. There will be two versions of this replica available – a standard, static one and a limited edition exclusive version that has a motion sensor at the front of the statue which controls the light in the eye and includes a sound module that plays in-game Turret activation, search, auto search, disabled and tipped over sounds and voice samples. 750 pieces of the standard, non-awesome version will be sold, and only 350  exclusive will be made available. Hit up the link below to get yours.

    [album: https://gadgetsmagazine.com.ph/wp-content/plugins/dm-albums/dm-albums.php?currdir=/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/[email protected]/Samsung Galaxy Player /]

    Source: Gaming Heads

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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