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    HP launches ENVY Sleekbook series of ultrabooks

    There’s ultrabooks that looks nice on the store shelves, and there’s ultrabooks thay you’ll actually buy.  The second category is where HP’s recently launched line of ultrabooks fall under, and possesses a name befitting the moniker. The Sleekbook features a relatively large 14- and 15.6-inch screen and both devices are only 19.8mm thin.

    Curiously, the 14-inch version will either be powered by Intel’s second or third generation of Core i processors while the bigger, 15.6-inch version will supposedly carry AMD’s second generation mainstream APU. Both devices will have HDDs rather than SSDs, with the 14-inch version carrying a 500GB HDD while the 15.6-inch version possesing a smaller capacity, 320GB HDD. The HP ENVY Sleekbook with 14-inch display size is expected to be available in the United States on May 9 with a starting price of $699.99. The HP 15.6-inch Sleekbook is expected to be available in the United States on June 20 with a starting price of $599.99. No word on availability in the Philippines yet.

    Globe announces ITXTALL30 text promo

    Globe’s rolling out a new text promo for the summer. Dubbed, ITXTALL30, the new text promo allows users to send a combination of 100 local texts to Globe, TM, Smart, Sun, Talk N Text, or Red Mobile, or international texts to 54 destinations worldwide. Globe claims that the new promo is the lowest in the market, and is available for only Php 30 valid for 1 day, which works out to about P0.30 per text message.

    To register, prepaid subscribers can text ITXTALL30 and send to 8888, or dial *143#, choose All-Time Fave Promos and then select International Call and Text Promos. To avail of the discounted rate, subscribers should follow the standard text format for local text messages (09XX-XXXXXXX or +639XX-XXXXXXX) and international text messages (00<country code><mobile number> or +<country code><mobile number>).

    There’s a lot of overseas destinations covered, which include the following countries: Afghanistan, Alaska, American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Grenada, Guam, Guinea, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Montserrat, Northern Marianas Islands, Pakistan, Palestine, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sint Maarten, South Korea, Syria, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, UAE, USA (Main), and Yemen.

     

    New malware accuses users of violating IP, downloading illegal porn, extorts money

    In the world of malware, ransomware is the worst and nastiest kind of bug known to man. For those not in the loop, ransomware basically does what it sounds like – it holds your PC ransom (usually by hiding your files in encrypted folders) until you give in to their demands, much like a kidnapper would in real life. There’s been several cases of this kind of virus floating around the net, but the one spotted by Roman Hussy from abuse.ch certainly takes the cake as far as deviousness is concerned.

    The malware locks your PC and displays the image above though there’s slight variations to the theme, with different images used for different countries targeted ( U.K., Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France and the Netherlands). The gist of the malware is that it basically accuses the user of violating IP rights, saying that protected material was found in the infected PC and that the PC has been locked to prevent further damage. “To unlock your computer and to avoid other legal consequences, you are obligated to pay a release fee of £50 (Php 3,386),” the sign says.

    The malware then tells users to pay the release fee using Paysafecard, a prepaid payment card that’s offered in European countries and some parts of the US, and even gives instructions on how to get a Paysafecard if users don’t have one. Roman has noted that he has already seen an earlier version of this particular malware, this time accusing infected PCs of downloading illegal pornographic material on their PCs. Hussy says that users get infected by visiting infected websites with the  Blackhole exploit kit. The kit tries a number of exploits on a PC and when one is successful, it downloads itself into the victim’s PC.

    Aside from extorting money from users, the malware also contains a component called Aldi Bot, which steals personal and financial information as well as conduct DoS (denial of service attacks) on websites. As of writing, Hussy says that only 4 of the 42 security products on VirusTotal can detect the malware.

    Source: abuse.ch

    Android powered tablets were the most popular in developing ASEAN nations last year

    Seems that Google has more reasons to celebrate, as GfK Asia has announced that Android powered tablets are apparently the device of choice for developing ASEAN nations (which includes us). The report states that most tablets bought last year in countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam were powered by Android OS. Two out of three tablets purchased in the region were powered by Android, and the research firm expects this upward trend to continue this year. In fact, in the first two months of the year Android powered tablets have already managed to rack up 243 million dollars in sales, further climbing in its volume by 70%. Manufacturers managed to sell 1,038,000 Android OS powered tablets last year.

    “Due to the open source nature of the Android OS, tablets running on this system are generally priced lower than those running on other OS and its greater affordability encourages mass consumer adoption which in turn accelerates further development of its ecosystem.” explained Gerard Tan, Account Director for Digital Technology at GfK Asia. “The combined muscles of numerous manufacturers have helped proliferate adoption of Android OS in SEA. This is a compelling factor for developers to create more applications to cater to market needs, leading to the tightening of gaps between Android and the reigning market leader,” said Mr. Tan. “Moreover, the good transparency of the Android OS also bodes well in the business vertical industry, whereby specialized applications can be developed and implemented to improve a company’s productivity. As long as Google continues fine-tuning and improving its Android ecosystem, this OS is here to stay for the long haul,” he concluded.

    .

    Nielsen: Android is the OS of choice for US smartphone owners

    While Apple might be raking in cash by the truckload, research firm Nielsen has found that Google’s Android OS is still the top choice of smartphone buyers in the US. In a survey done last March, the research firm has found that a majority of phone owners in the US (50.4%) have smartphones and of those, 48.5% use Android. Apple’s iOS comes in second at around 32.0%, with RIM at 11.6%. What’s surprising is that if we’re interpreting this right, Microsoft’s long obsolete Windows Mobile OS accounts for more users at 4.1% than it’s current generation OS, Windows Phone which sits at a paltry 1.7%. The report also said that there’s slightly more female owners of smartphones compared to men (50.9% compared to 50.1%) and that Asian Americans lead smartphone adoption with 67.3 percent using a smartphone as their primary mobile handset.

    Source: Nielsen

    Haier Electrical Appliances inspires Filipino Homes

     

    Haier Electrical Appliances Philippines Inc., a subsidiary of Global home appliance manufacturer Haier Group, officially announced the start of its operations at a press conference held at the Marriott Hotel in Paranaque City. Following the press conference, the grand launch event of Haier, themed “Now Inspiring Filipino Homes,” provided a first glimpse of Haier’s product lineup for the Filipino market to the over 300 distributors, dealers and media in attendance.

    “Acquiring the white goods business of SANYO is an important part of Haier’s global growth strategy. The acquisition has laid the foundation for Haier’s strategic development in Japan and Southeast Asia. Our two R&D centers, four manufacturing bases and six localized marketing centers can better cater to the ever-growing and dynamic needs of consumers in the region. As the No. 1 major appliances brand in the world, we are quite confident in the success of the Filipino market.” said Du Jingguo, Vice President of Haier Group and President of Haier Asia.

    The creation of Haier Electrical Appliances Phils., Inc. forms part of the completion of Haier Group’s acquisition of SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.’s washing machine, refrigerator and white goods sales businesses in Japan and select Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam over a month ago. Under the acquisition agreement, Haier’s dual-brand strategy is now in full operation across these markets. Locally, Haier Electrical Appliances Phils., Inc. will use the “Haier” brand and simultaneously use the “SANYO” brand in this market for a specified period of time.

    Haier will offer a diverse product line-up covering both white and brown goods in the Philippines market. These include the French Door, Side by Side, and Top Mount refrigerators, with features like LED back light, cooling tower air flow system and inverter technology; the Front Load, Twin Tub and Dryer washing machines known for energy efficiency rating and anti-bacterial treatment features; the Split-Type air conditioner, with the intelligent airflow and negative ion features and LED and LCD TV with the latest technology including energy saving, 3D and internet, etc.

    Combining Haier’s strengths in innovation, quality and design, the Group’s Vice President hopes that Haier can “bring additional high-quality choices to consumers in these markets to help them better enjoy their life.” Haier’s factories within the ASEAN region will ensure sufficient and prompt supply of products to meet local demand. Moreover, its strong R&D and marketing capabilities will help Haier to better serve the needs of Filipino consumers.

    “Through the transfer of our washing machine and consumer refrigerator businesses to the Haier Group, we will expand the businesses of Haier and SANYO brands, and capture a larger market share with our products. We have been able to retain employees who were already engaged in the business to maintain continuity, and ensure even higher quality service standards for our consumers in the Philippines,” added Mr. Hirota, President of Haier Electrical Appliances Phils., Inc. (HPI).

    Review: HTC One X

    While HTC did well enough at the start of 2011, the Taiwanese company took a bit of a pounding at the tail end of the same year. Some analysts attributed the loss to the company releasing too many phones aimed at too many markets. This year, HTC has bounced back to the fore with a new device strategy culminating in the One line which focuses on only three main devices: the top of the line One X, the mid-market One S, and the entry level One V. The subject of today’s review is their flagship smartphone, the One X.

    The HTC One X is a departure of sorts for the company design-wise, as it’s the first time I’ve ever seen HTC use a unibody polycarbonate body on a flagship device.

    Not that that’s a bad thing – the overall design and build quality on the One X is very, very good – the phone is solid as a brick without weighing like one (130 g).

    Comparison shot with the HTC Sensation XE

    There’s no skirting around the issue – the One X is huge. At 134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9mm, it’s one of the biggest phones available right now, save for Samsung’s Galaxy Note. The One X packs a 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD2 capacitive touchscreen, with a display resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. While I’ve been spoiled by Samsung’s Super AMOLED displays, I’ve got to say that the screen of the One X is one of the prettiest I’ve seen so far (though I admit I might be saying the same thing once I get my eyes on the Samsung Galaxy S III’s display). The bottom of the screen holds the three navigation keys – back, home and recent apps.

    The right of the device holds the volume rocker, while the USB slot (which doubles as a charging slot) sits on the left side. On the top lies the power and 3.5mm jack. The One X has an 8-megapixel camera that I’ll go into depth a bit later. There’s also a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front for video calls and the like.

    As impressive as the overall look of the device is, things just get better when you dive under the hood. The powerplant of the One X is a quad-core, NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor running at 1.5 GHz. There’s still Beats Audio technology in the HTC One X, though you won’t find Beats branded headphones this time around. There’s 32GB of storage on tap, with an additional 25GB of cloud storage courtesy of Dropbox. The whole experience is powered by Android 4.0 (ICS) with HTC’s special sauce on top, dubbed Sense. Contrary to the companies’ previous Sense offerings, the one that ships with the One X is simple and not overly complex, a far cry from what the bloated, battery draining mess Sense has become on their other, earlier smartphones not running ICS.

    One of the features that HTC is proud of in the One X is its camera.  The camera present on the One X has an 8-megapixel CMOS camera with a backside illuminated sensor which aids in low light performance, as well as having a F2.0 aperture, 28mm lens and a dedicated imaging chip. We were pleasantly surprised at how good the camera was because to be honest, I’ve pretty much given up on the cameras attached to smartphones nowadays. That’s not the case with the One X for a variety of reasons. For one, the One X takes pictures quickly, and exhibits almost zero shutter lag and minimal focus hunt. Another nice thing about the One X is that it’s able to take pictures continuously – as fast as some point-and-shoots – and allows you to choose the one you think is best (or just save them all for posterity). To put it bluntly – the camera one the One X is one of the best I’ve seen so far this year.

     (Click on the pictures below for the original image size)

    Performance on the One X was unsurprisingly good. During the time the One X was with me it never hanged nor had problems with any of the apps I ran on it. The quad-core Tegra 3 processor definitely comes into play here, and even with multiple apps open the device never did slowdown.

    The overall feel of the device when using it is fantastic as you can feel the snappiness in the UI, especially when you’re going through the apps and menu items in the device.

    Of course, no review of the One X would be complete without the requisite benchmark test, so here it is: using AnTuTu, the One X managed to score 10629 points, which is a few points higher than a similar, Tegra 3 powered device, the Asus Transformer Prime.

    The One X is a phone first and foremost, so all those fancy features wouldn’t mean diddly squat if you couldn’t speak to other people or send SMS messages, right? Well, I’m happy to report that the overall call quality of the One X is fantastic, with no problems in reception whatsoever. Calls are clear and crisp, with no problems in both outgoing and incoming calls. Sending SMS messages and general typing duties are a breeze to accomplish using the large on-screen keyboard of the One X, as even people with big digits (that includes yours truly) won’t have a problem typing on the large screen.

    Battery life is also pretty good, with the unit clocking in about a day and half on single charge with slightly moderate use (texting, calling and a few minutes on data). Of course, that number will vary depending on your use, and you’re probably looking at about a day’s worth of battery with heavier use.

    Of course, as lovely as the One X is, it does come with its own share of niggles. The unibody polycarbonate shell means that the battery is non-user replaceable, so if ever the 1800 mAh battery does decide to die on you, you will have to take it to a service center to have it replaced. Also, the HTC One X uses a microSIM, something that you need to be aware of if you’re planning to get the device as an upgrade.

    HTC has scored a slam dunk with the One X. The fantastically built body, the excellent performance of Tegra 3 and awesome camera all come together in a package that’s simply beautiful. To put it in simpler words: the HTC One X is currently the Android smartphone to beat. HTC has gotten its groove back.

     

    What’s Hot:

     

    Solid, unibody polycarbonate body

    Large, 4.7-inch screen protected by Gorilla Glass

    Fast, Tegra 3 processor

    Excellent camera performance in low light

    Burst shooting

     

    What’s Not:

    Uses microSIM

    Non-user replaceable battery

     

    Bottomline:

     

    The HTC One X is the best Android phone you can buy right now. Beg, steal or borrow to get one.

     

    Buymeter: 5/5

     

    Tech Specs:

    • Operating System: Android 4.0 ICS
    • CPU: NVIDIA quad-core Tegra 3 1.5GHz
    • LCD size: 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD2 capacitive touchscreen, display resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels
    • Physical Dimensions: 134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9mm
    • Band: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100

     

    Review: Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

    By Steven Vea

    Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1’s exterior is very sleek, albeit very similar to it’s more popular fruity counterpart. Its overall design is very minimal and when held in its prescribed horizontal/landscape orientation, the 2-megapixel camera is all that is visible.

    On the sides of the unit you will find the speakers which have been craftily designed as to be almost indiscernible. At the bottom, you will find the port to connect the USB/charger cable. On the top of the tablet, the buttons for power and volume, 3.5mm audio jack and slot for a SIM card can be found. Unfortunately, the 10.1 cannot make phone calls and is restricted to text messaging and 3G only.

    Once the Galaxy Tab is up and running, it is hard to resist toying with it without any technical oversight. The display is crisp, vivid and well illuminated which makes it quite pleasurable to use. Some users might find the extra large widgets shocking it at first, but since the 10.1 runs on Android 3.1 Honeycomb, widgets can be resized and arranged to your preferred taste.

    At the very bottom of the screen on the right hand side are the familiar info data (time, WiFi signal and battery life indicators). When touched, a menu will appear in which you can customize the Tab’s settings. On the left hand side, you will find the main navigation buttons (Back, Home, Running Applications, and Screenshot). Opening the Running Applications displays a graphic menu on the left hand side which shows all the open applications. It would have been nice to be able to shut them down from there as well, but this is possible via another shortcut bar that can be accessed by an subtle arrow on the bottom-center of the screen.

    The button to access the apps is a little difficult to spot in the beginning, but it’s located on the upper right hand side, next to a + button which launches an organizer for your homescreen. Opening the Apps will launch a graphic menu.

    The first app I launched was the already installed eBook reader, seeing that tablets initially cater to that specific need. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 came with two free eBooks (at least in our review unit): The Marvelous Land of Oz and A Christmas Carol.

    It was fun to read The Marvelous World of Oz because you could actually “turn” the pages, and the graphics were fluid and smooth. Several tools were available such as a highlighter and pen so that you could make notes on the digital “pages.” The Galaxy Tab 10.1’s weight does become a factor after some time however, and wrist fatigue made it necessary to place the unit down on the table. So despite this tablet’s thin and light form factor, it still isn’t suitable for prolonged one-hand usage.

    Upon opening the web browser, a notification appeared asking to download the Google Circles app. After agreeing to the request, setting it up was easy.  Once the Gmail account is synchronized, everything flowed smoothly. In tandem with Google, this author’s Facebook account was also synced to the Social Hub app, which provided a quick and intuitive way to view new posts. All Facebook events appeared in Samsung’s Calendar app as well, which makes this tablet a great way to organize.

    However, I did experience recurring “Force Close” messages. These notifications needed some investigating, so I mustered the courage to run a number of apps simultaneously. Launching the Gallery, camera, Angry Birds, YouTube App, eBook Reader and six other tabs on the web browser did not only cause the “Force Close” pop-up to appear. Rather, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 froze and required a complete reboot.

    It was now time to run the benchmark test, and it seemed that installing Advanced Task Killer was necessary, so that unnecessary apps/processes could be shut down. Two consecutive benchmarks tests were done using Quadrant Standard. In both benchmarks, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes out on top, with the Nexus One coming in second.

    A third benchmark test was supposed to follow, but unfortunately, the “Force Close” notification surfaced once again. Apparently, after some extensive research, there are other testers/users experiencing this issue, which seems to be recurring in Samsung’s tablets especially when multi-tasking. Whether this is a hardware-based issue or Honeycomb cannot be confirmed, but both consumers and Samsung should be aware of this.

    Fortunately, in the span of time that I was able to test it, the hard reboot only occurred once, but it can be assumed that if you don’t effectively manage your running apps with this tablet, it might be a frequent problem. Although the Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes with its own Task Manager, it is highly suggested that you avail of Advanced Task Killer (or something similar) from the Android Market.

    Specifications
    SCREEN: 10.1’ display @ 1280×800 WXGA screen
    OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 3.1 Honeycomb
    CPU & CHIPSET: Dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor; ULP GeForce GPU, NVidia Tegra 2 chipset
    MEMORY: 1GB RAM; 16GB/32GB/64GB internal storage
    CAMERA: 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash (rear); 2 megapixel front-facing camera
    CONNECTIVITY: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0; 3G, HSDPA, HSUPA, GPS w/ aGPS

    What’s Hot:
     • Excellent display
    • Responsive touchscreen

    What’s Not:
     • “Force close” notifications

    Bottomline:
    The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is an excellent device and should be at the top of your list if you’re looking for an Android tablet.

    Buy Meter: 9.0

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

    FBI looking to get backdoor access to Facebook, Google and other social networks

    It’s even easier than ever to keep off grid, as it’s now perfectly possible to fly under the radar and still keep the lines of communication open to the people you need to communicate with, which isn’t always a good thing (bad guys do this all the time). That’s probably the reason why the feds are asking social networks like Facebook and Google+ to provide them backdoor access through a proposed amendment to the 1994-era Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). The amendment would allow the feds access to not only Facebook and Google+, but other communication based websites with large userbases. The move is obviously not welcomed by a privacy advocates, which include the Electronic Freedom Foundation.

    Source: CNET

    Wicked Laser’s LaserSaber lets you re-enact scenes from Star Wars, free the galaxy from oppression

    Managed to pick up Wicked Laser’s eye blindingly powerful S3 Krypton series of lasers (you know, the one that’s visible even from outer space) and don’t know what to do it? Well, how about plugging in their LaserSaber attachment that makes it into a light saber of sorts. Yes, for only $100 (assuming you already have an S3 laser) you can buy the machined aluminum LaserSaber attachment and start practicing your saber skills. The LaserSaber attachment features an ultra smooth magnetic gravity system that can power up and power down the saber easily and smoothly.

    Source: Wicked Lasers

    Samsung beefs up software arsenal, starts hiring outside talent

    Samsung has always been a firm believer in keeping everything in-house. But even juggernauts like Samsung need help in the fast evolving world of technology. That’s why the Korean company is now seeking to acquire top notch tech talent, as well as embracing acquisitions to shore up their pool of engineers and innovations to keep up with rivals like Apple. In light of this, the company has begun hiring foreign software engineers, with a large number of those hires hailing from India.

    In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the president of Samsung ‘s mobile business, J.K. Shin said that “The technology industry is growing very quickly and it is too much of a burden to try to do everything in-house. There are many qualified workers from India that are very skilled in software. And there are small companies that we can acquire that have good research and development capabilities.”

    Samsung sees the future of their mobile success in software, not hardware. Younghee Lee, senior vice president of sales and marketing said that while Samsung will continue to work with Android, their company’s strategy is to work with multiple software platforms, and to continue investing in Bada. Bada is Samsung’s own OS offering, and though the company has implemented the OS in several of its phones, the OS is nowhere near Android in terms of popularity and appeal.

    Source: Wall Street Journal

    Draw Something’s appeal is fading, Zynga left with 200 million bag

    It seems like the owners of OMGPOP had the right idea in selling their game company to Zynga when it did as there have been numerous reports that have said that the popularity of their hit game, Draw Something, is quickly fading. Business Insider did a check on the active users playing the social game and have found that the number of active players are quickly diminishing, and has dropped from a peak of 15 million down to only 10 million.

    Zynga’s purchase of the company for 200 million seemed like a good idea back then, but with the popularity of the game largely diminished, Zynga may be regretting it’s purchase. Comparisons to another casual runaway hit, Angry Birds, is not unheard of but unlike Draw Something, Angry Birds has managed to keep on the top of the downloads chart by offering new levels and content, something that Draw Something has failed to do so far.

    Source: Atlantic Wire

    Android malware uses drive-by downloads to infect devices

    If there ever was a reason to not set your Android device to accept programs from unknown sources, here it is. The H Open is reporting that malware writers have hacked several websites with the intention of delivering malware packages to Android devices that visit the pages. The malware has been dubbed NotCompatible by Lookout Security and embeds itself in the bottom of the webpage as an iframe. When an Android user arrives at the page, a file called update.apk starts downloading automatically.

    Here’s the catch though – the file is only offered up for installation if the user of the Android device has his/her “Unknown Sources” setting in the system preferences enabled. Otherwise, the installation would be blocked. The malware seems to be simple TCP relay/proxy which could be used to access private networks, which could be used to infiltrate private networks like those used in businesses and such.

    Source:  H Open

    LG releases Optimus L7 in Europe this May, landing in other countries soon

    LG’s just announced that the Optimus L3’s big brother, the Optimus L7, is hitting European markets this May and will be made available to Asian markets soon after. The Optimus L7 is LG’s top-of-the-line Android smartphone for its L family of devices, and sports a 4.3-inch screen, Cortex A5 1GHz processor, 5-megapixel camera, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and a relatively large 1,700mAh battery.

    [album: https://gadgetsmagazine.com.ph/wp-content/plugins/dm-albums/dm-albums.php?currdir=/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/[email protected]/Optimus L7/]