Gadgets Magazine | The Philippines' First Tech-Lifestyle Magazine

All-new Ford Focus debuting at the Bangkok Motor Show

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22 Mar 2012

All-new Ford Focus debuting at the Bangkok Motor Show

The all-new Ford Focus is the next of eight all-new global One Ford vehicles to be introduced in ASEAN by mid-decade and is set to make its debut at the Bangkok International Motor Show next week. After hearing that it’s equipped with more affordable smart technologies and features than ever seen in this division, we’re definitely excited to see it for ourselves.

The all-new Ford Focus will take center stage along with Ford’s comprehensive line-up of vehicles, which will include the class-leading Ford Fiesta and the most awaited all-new Ford Ranger.

The motor show will be from March 28 to April 8, 2012 at Impact, Muang Thong Thani, and Gadgets will be there to cover the event so stay tuned for our more in-depth coverage!

Angry Birds Space officially launched, available for iOS, Android and PC

Gadgets Team

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22 Mar 2012

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Angry Birds Space officially launched, available for iOS, Android and PC

Rovio’s official follow-up to the much loved bird-throwing simulation has finally arrived! What are we talking about? Angry Birds Space of course! The new game features new birds with superpowers, levels and devious puzzles that’ll leave you scratching your head for hours on end. The addition of zero gravity levels allows players to pull-off trick gravity shots to take down the evil pigs. Interested? The game is now available for iOS here for $0.99 bucks, with an HD version retailing for $2.99. The Android Play version of the game is free to download, and is supported via ads. Unfortunately, we’ve yet to see the listing for the PC and MAC version of the game. Check out the gameplay video below, about 3:00 in the video.

Huawei Honor outed in the Philippines, 1.4GHz single core processor, long battery life

Gadgets Team

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22 Mar 2012

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Huawei Honor outed in the Philippines, 1.4GHz single core processor, long battery life

Huawei has officially launched the Honor here in the Philippines at an intimate media gathering earlier today. The Honor is a smartphone aimed at the mid-end crowd, and sports a 4-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen, a single core 1.4GHz Scorpion processor and ships with Android Gingerbread with a promised ICS upgrade in Q2.

What really sets the Honor apart from the multitude of other smartphones currently out in the market though, is its long battery life – the Honor has a large battery for a smartphone of its size (1930 mAh) which combined with the proprietary software optimization that the company has put in place in the device, gives it excellent battery endurance.

How long? The company claims that it can go for about 3 weeks on standby and has about 9 hours of talk time, 6 hours of non-stop gaming and 8 hours of web surfing. The Honor also comes with web storage via the company’s own solution, and gives users about 16GB of free cloud storage. The Honor will retail for Php 14,000. We’ll be testing their battery life claims as soon as we get a demo unit.

HP announces “organizational realignment”, combines Personal Systems Group and Imaging and Printing Group

Technology

Gadgets Team

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22 Mar 2012

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HP announces “organizational realignment”, combines Personal Systems Group and Imaging and Printing Group

HP’s consumer efforts has always been divided between the PSG (Personal Systems Group) and the IPG (Imaging and Printing Group). No longer. HP has just announced that it is performing an organizational realignment “to improve performance and drive profitable growth across the entire HP portfolio.” Both groups are now being merged into one, dubbed the Printing and Personal Systems Group, which will be led by longtime HP veteran Todd Bradley, who has served as the executive VP of PSG since 2005. On the other side of the coin, executive vice president of IPG Vyomesh Joshi will be retiring after 31 years with the company. Under his leadership, HP’s IPG has grown revenue from $19 billion to $26 billion, and doubled its operating profit to approximately $4 billion. This new realignment poses a variety of questions for the local HP Philippine folks (especially when it comes to who is leading who) which we will try to sort out later. Stay tuned for updates.

Source: HP

Nokia: Apple’s user interface on the iPhone is “poorly designed” and convoluted

Technology

Gadgets Team

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21 Mar 2012

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Nokia: Apple’s user interface on the iPhone is “poorly designed” and convoluted

Nokia has come out swinging against Apple, with Nokia’s design boss Marko Ahtisaari saying in an interview with Finnish newspaper Kauppalehti that Apple’s user interface on the iPhone is “poorly designed” and convoluted adding that “the road from the kitchen into the dining room is always through the front door.” The veteran Nokia exec goes on to say describe mobile OS ke Symbian and Android as dollhouses, with furniture that users can arrange according to their will. Marko also said that the company is building a new smartphone that will make the iPhone and other devices currently out in the market look dated. The new device will reportedly usher in a new user experience, and supposedly allows users to interact with it without even bending over to look at the screen. While no more details is available about how the Finnish manufacturer wants to do this, a recent patent may serve some insight on their general thought process. The patent is for a tattoo-like haptic communication system that vibrates every time you get alerts.

Source: Kauppalehti

Free apps drain your battery faster

Technology

Gadgets Team

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21 Mar 2012

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Noticing your smartphone gets drained faster than usual? One study says that it might be because of all the free apps that are installed in your device. A study says that up to 75% of energy used by a free app is used to serve you free ads or sending user data, with one app having the potential to drain your battery in just 90 minutes. The usage statistic was uncovered by Abhinav Pathak, a computer scientist at Purdue University, Indiana after developing software that tracks the energy usage of an app.

He, along with his other colleagues used the app tracking software on three popular free apps: Angry Birds, Free Chess and NYTimes and found that only 10 to 30 percent of the power used powers the core function of the app, with the rest going to sending user information such as location to serve you localized ads. The tests were conducted via 3G, and some apps left the 3G connection open for up to 10 seconds after downloading information from the net. This phenomenon is dubbed as the “3G tail”, which Pathak says consumes up to a quarter of the app’s total energy consumption.

Source: BBC

Tests confirm new iPad reaches 116 degrees when running games

Technology

Gadgets Team

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21 Mar 2012

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Do you find the new iPad uncomfortably warm during your long gaming sessions? It’s not your imagination. Consumer Report testers have found that the new iPad reaches about 116 degrees Fahrenheit (about 46 degrees Celsius) when running action games, most notably Infinity Blade II. The temperature reading was done using a thermal camera and was taken after 45 minutes of uninterrupted gaming with Infinity Blade II, while propped up on an iPad Smart cover. When compared to the iPad 2, the new iPad was hotter by about 13 degrees Fahrenheit (which is about 10.5 degrees Celsius). Consumer Report also noted that the 4G connection was not turned on during the temperature reading, which we gather would have added quite a bit more heat to the whole shebang.

Source: Consumer Reports

Sony Philippines unveils NEX-7 camera

Gadgets Team

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21 Mar 2012

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Sony Philippines recently launched the NEX-7 compact interchangeable lens camera among others as part of the company’s Summer is ON 2012 campaign. Following the NEX-3, NEX-5, NEX-5N, Sony achieves an upgrade in its NEX line with this new release that features better controls and than its predecessors along with some other very pleasant improvements.

In addition to the rear dial and the three soft keys from the previous models, the NEX-7 adds two new programmable dials on the top plate as well as a button beside the shutter for cycling through the camera’s functions. In manual mode, you get one dial dedicated to each of the main exposure parameters such as shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, which is an incredible upgrade in the functionality of the interface. Like the other cameras in the NEX line, the NEX-7 also has a tilt-able rear LCD.

The NEX-7 packs a 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor, which is the same one seen on the Sony SLT-A77, and allows for true 1080p60 video recording. Despite its compact body, it now also has an electronic viewfinder that was nowhere to be found on the earlier NEX cameras. Another improvement is the quicker shutter lag of just 20ms from the previous 100ms, while its Carl Zeiss branded E 24mm F1.8 lens is also nice, as it supposedly offers the same field of view as a 35mm lens on full frame.

At first impression, the NEX-7 seems to have the right upgrades to appeal to more serious photographers, and it’s already available in the Philippines this month at a standard retail price of Php 59,999.

Now you can channel ABSOLUT creativity

Apps

Gadgets Team

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21 Mar 2012

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ABSOLUT Vodka prides itself as a distinct brand due to its unparalleled identity. It managed to captivate the public by utilizing evocative art in their advertising campaigns. Part of this incredible legacy are renowned artists such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, and latterly, Ellen von Unwerth and Spike Jonze. The brand has continuously collaborated with artists from different disciplines to come up with original interpretations that highlight the unique ABSOLUT Vodka bottle shape. In line with this celebrated tradition, ABSOLUT launched a movement: ABSOLUT BLANK.

First launched live in the UK in 2011, the on-going global campaign seeks to establish ABSOLUT as a catalyst for contemporary, leading-edge creativity. ABSOLUT once again enlisted a new generation of artists from various fields to come up with their own interpretation that uses the ABSOLUT bottle shape as a blank canvas.

The brand fostered greater participation of the public by coming up with an ABSOLUT BLANK app for the iPhone that uses interactive visual and auditory responses that registers on the device. With this, ABSOLUT BLANK has reached more audiences as the collection of submitted original ABSOLUT BLANK artworks is continuously growing.

Here in the Philippines, ABSOLUT BLANK was launched last 5 March 2012, at White Space in Makati City. Friends of ABSOLUT Vodka from the media, the arts, advertising, and selected patrons and celebrities all gathered to witness the creative collaboration of emerging local artists namely: textile and fabric artist, Carlo Villafuerte; two artists specializing in paint & mixed media, Rocky Cajigan, and Piaget Martelino; mixed media artist who specializes in pop & punk imagery, Mark Tandoyog; a sculptor who uses found objects, Rommel Pidazo; and the mosaic art group, The Mighty Bhutens, composed of Kabunyan de Guia, Guiller Guillac, and Oliver Olivete. The evening was highlighted by a live art collaboration. From a blank canvas, the ABSOLUT bottle shape transformed into an exquisite piece of art created by the amazing integration of the different items used.

ABSOLUT BLANK is brought to you by Pernod Ricard Philippines, Inc., the exclusive importer and distributor of ABSOLUT Vodka.

Review: SAMSUNG PL210

GadgetsLab

Gadgets Team

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21 Mar 2012

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By M.R. Gavin

Samsung has always churned out impressive cameras, whether in a phone, point-and shoots or even DSLRs. Photos come out clear and crisp; it’s as if there is a Photoshop application inside the camera.

The PL210 is no exception to the great camera lines that Samsung has launched for gadgeteers. If you want a compact camera that has DSLR features, this one is for you. Its 14.2-megapixel resolution and 27mm wide angle and 10-times optical zoom make it perfect for outdoor photos.

We all know how shaky our hands can be and this usually ruins the shot. The PL210 offers a Dual Image Stabilization feature that comes combined with Optical Image Stabilization, giving users sharper images no matter how you take your photo. I’ve tried using this in low light and even while on zoom, the anti-shake feature still works.

I always complained about my past digital cameras have really small screens as it makes it difficult to see if the photos were fine or blurred. The PL210 has a 3-inch display that has environmental illumination technology that adjusts LCD brightness for good viewing even under the sun. Its 720p HD video recording capability captures 30 frames per second and allows a really long record time. You could also use the zoom function even while recording a video.

Users could also put special effects on their photos using the Magic Frame feature, although there are not much templates to choose from. Customers, however, may still opt to use another feature that adds different effects to your images, such as those you can find in entry-level DSLRs like Vignette, Half-Tone Dotto, Vivid and Soft Focus.

Like most cameras, this Samsung has a Smart Face Recognition feature that can detect as many as 20 faces, making them clearer and more detailed. It also has a range of shooting modes. This can also be your ultimate on-the-go media tool because it can record conversation for up to 10 hours.

My only issue here is that shutter lag is a bit long. For an impatient user, this could be a downer. Also, the default high-resolution file size mode can create a bit of a problem, especially when you need to send the files electronically. Users might need to shrink or resize the files for easy uploading,

Samsung probably has the most value-for-money camera products in the market today and the PL210 is no exception. It can be a point-and-shoot substitute for those bulky SLR cameras.

Specifications:
Megapixel Count: 14.5 Mega pixel
Zoom and Optics: 1.0X ~ 5.0X(Optical x Digital : 50.0X), Play mode : 1.0X ~ 13.5X
Physical Dimensions: 100.4 x 58.5 x 19.7mm
Weight: 148g
Memory Media: Micro SD

What’s Hot:
• SLR-like photo quality (14.5mp)
• Pocket size
• A range of shooting modes

What’s Not:
• Lagging after shots
• Hard to press navigation buttons

Bottomline:

The Samsung PL210 is your ultimate substitute to a DSLR camera

Buy Meter: 8.5

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

Sony Philippines unveils new range of Cyber-shot cameras

Gadgets Team

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21 Mar 2012

0

Sony Philippines unveils new range of Cyber-shot cameras

Sony Philippines recently launched their new range of Cyber-shot digital cameras as part of the company’s Summer is ON 2012 campaign. With these new models, Sony continues to deliver cutting-edge technology and has achieved slimmer designs, bigger zooms, and improved image and movie quality.

The DSC-HX20V is a compact camera with a 20x zoom lens and an 18.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, making it perfect for taking vivid blur-free pictures and full HD movies at any distance. It also includes a GPS log that can track the location of where your photos are taken. The device is partially constructed from recycled materials that showcase world-leading heat resistance and durability. The HX20V is available in black and brown.

The DSC-H90 features a 16x optical zoom, a 16.1 megapixel Super HAD CCD sensor, and is capable of virtually any wide range or telephoto shot as well as 360 Sweep Panorama. This camera is ideal for easy shooting wherever you are, as its Intelligent Auto is capable of recognizing up to 33 scenes. The H90 is only available in black.

The DSC-WX100 is the world’s smallest and lightest camera in its class at 17.5mm thick, and it packs a 10x zoom lens and an 18.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor. It’s further enhanced by Clear Image Zoom for up to 20x zoom without affecting the resolution, while delivering low noise and a quick autofocus every time you take a shot. The WX100 is available in black and silver.

The DSC-W690 is similar to the DSC-WX100 in size, being only 17.5mm thick at its slimmest part. It packs a 16.1 megapixel Super HAD CCD sensor, a 10x optical zoom lens, and is capable of 360 Sweep Panorama. The W690 is available in red, black, and silver.

The DSC-TX20 combines incredible durability and performance in a stylishly slim design. It’s waterproof, dustproof, shock and low temperature resistant, and is capable of full HD movies through its 16.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor. The TX20 is available in blue, pink, and black.

All of the aforementioned cameras pack a BIONZ imaging processor and sport a 7.5cm TFT LCD on the rear, except for the WX100, which has a slightly smaller screen at 6.7cm. If you’re looking for something even more affordable than these for the summer vacation, Sony has also released the following models: DSC-W630, DSC-W620, DSC-W610, and S5000.

The new Cyber-shots from Sony will be available in the Philippines starting April 2012.

Epson strengthens digital textile printing presence

Technology

Gadgets Team

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20 Mar 2012

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Epson strengthens digital textile printing presence

Global Imaging Innovation expert Seiko Epson Corporation (SEC) — through subsidiary company Epson Italia S.p.A. — will take on a 50% share in textile printing leader For.Tex S.R.L. of Como,Italy. The acquisition strengthens Epson’s efforts to establish itself in the digital textile printing market.

Located in the heart of the Italian textile industry, For.Tex specializes in sales of textile printing inks, manufacturing and sales of treatment agents used in the textile printing processes, and digital textile printing chemical consulting. The Italian company has worked closely with Epson since 2003, when Epson entered the market by jointly developing the Mona Lisa digital textile printer with Robustelli of Italy.

By working closely together and leveraging their strengths, the two companies plan to help customers improve the quality of their products and the efficiency of their work processes.

Textile printing is shifting rapidly from analog to digital, with the latter forecasted to grow by 400% between 2010 and 2015. Epson will take on a 50% share of For.Tex with the aim of further cementing its presence in the textile printing market. The investment will bring together Epson’s core inkjet printing technology and global sales and service network with For.Tex’s expertise in textile printing marketing, consulting, and printing processes. With the ultimate aim of expanding the market for digital textile printing, the companies’ goal is to work together to create superior products with new textiles, colors and patterns, and provide proposals and services that will illustrate to customers the advantages of digital textile printing.

“We are delighted to announce this agreement with For.Tex,” said Minoru Usui, President of Seiko Epson Corporation. “It is another example of how Epson is seeking to leverage its core Micro Piezo technology to provide enhanced value to new customers in fields as diverse as proofing, signage, commercial photography, production and industry. Both Epson and For.Tex are leaders in their respective fields, and this tie-up provides a superb opportunity to expand the market for digital textile printing.”

Sony Philippines unveils Walkman Z Series powered by Android

Gadgets Team

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20 Mar 2012

0

Sony Philippines unveils Walkman Z Series powered by Android

Sony Philippines launched the Walkman Z series recently as part of the company’s Summer is ON 2012 campaign. Advertised as “For Music Lovers, By Music Lovers” the NWZ-Z1000 series is the first ever Walkman powered on Android so there’s certainly a lot to be excited about.

The new Walkman runs on Android 2.3 with a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor that allows users to do so much more than just listen to music. They can now download and use apps, browse the web, and watch movies, while Its Wi-Fi capability means users can share their content wirelessly and it connects to other DLNA-enabled devices. The device can also be linked directly to a TV for big-sized high definition videos via the micro HDMI output.

The Z series offers one of the best in-ear experiences due to its full range of 5 Clear Audio Technologies—S-Master MX that greatly reduces noise and distortion levels, Clear Bass, Clear Stereo, DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine), and EX headphones. The new Walkman also features a W.Button that allows users to launch the W.Control app for an intuitive way of exploring through their music collections.

The NWZ-Z1000 series features an ergonomic body design at 70.5 x 134 x 11mm in size and 156g in weight. It packs a 4.3” display, a built-in speaker, GPS receiver, accelerometer, and magnetometer, and Bluetooth connectivity. Lastly, its battery life lasts for about 20 hours during music playback and about 5 hours during video playback, while being able to fully recharge in about 5 hours.

The Sony Walkman Z series will be available in the Philippines starting April 2012.

Sony Philippines unveils new Handycams

Gadgets Team

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20 Mar 2012

1

Sony Philippines launched a variety of new Handycam camcorders recently as part of their Summer is ON 2012 campaign. They showcased 2 camcorders under the “DCR” model name, which are SD Handycams; and 4 camcorders under the “HDR” model name, which are HD Handycams. Seeing as how the summer vacation is here, you might want to snatch one of these for yourself, and there’s certainly one that will suit your needs.

The Handycam HDR-TD20VE is dubbed the world’s smallest and lightest 3D Handycam. A follow-up to last year’s Double Full HD 3D camcorder, this new release is around two-thirds the size of its predecessor and is capable of capturing 3D video in 1920×1080 full HD to be enjoyed on a 3D TV with active shutter glasses. It features dual Sony G lenses, BIONZ image processors, and a 3.5″ Xtra Fine 3D LCD with TruBlack Technology.

The Handycam HDR-XR260 is an entry mid-range AVCHD HDD camcorder with 160GB of memory and a 30x optical zoom lens with up to 55x extended zoom through its 29.8mm wide angle Sony G lens. It packs an Exmos R CMOS sensor and a 3.0” Clear Photo LCD along with a bunch of other in-camera features. This particular model, however, has some that the others do not have, namely GPS and Golf Shot in addition to more scene modes.

The Handycam HDR-PJ200 packs pretty much the same in-camera features as the aforementioned model (without the GPS and Golf Shot), and has a built-in projector. This allows users to project content from compatible devices such as the Sony Playstation, Walkman, home theater system, portable DVD player, cell phone, and tablet among others. It has an Exmor R CMOS sensor, a 2.7” Clear Photo LCD touch panel and a 25x optical zoom lens with up to 30x extended zoom.

The Handycam HDR-CX210 includes the same in-camera features, lens capabilities, and screen as the HD-PJ200 without the built-in projector. Also with an Exmor R CMOS sensor, it comes with 8GB of memory.

The Handycam DCR-SR21 is an SD HDD camcorder with 80GB of memory, making it ideal for uninterrupted filming without the hassles of having to change memory cards or empty out the storage before re-use. It comes with 57x optical zoom lens with up to 67x extended zoom.

The Handycam DCR-PJ5 is similar to the DCR-SR21 in specs minus a couple of in-camera features, but is slightly lighter in weight and includes a built-in projector.

Humble Bundle for Android part deux

Gadgets Team

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20 Mar 2012

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Everyone’s favorite pay-what-you-want indie game bundle is back, and now it’s serving another helping of awesome indie Android games. The premise is simple – you set the price you want to grab four great games: Zen Bound 2, Canabalt, Cogs, andAvadon: The Black Fortress (tablets only) – with a fifth game (Swords & Soldiers) being thrown-in if you beat the minimum price (which at the time of writing, was $6.20). You also get to choose how your contribution is split among the developers, charity and the Humble Bundle organization itself. Interested? You know you are. Head on over to the official website here.