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Apple receives patent for MacBook Air, lining up ultrabooks in their crosshairs?

Technology

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17 Feb 2012

Apple receives patent for MacBook Air, lining up ultrabooks in their crosshairs?

Watch out ultrabook makers (and Intel too): Apple has just been awarded 19 patents, with one of them being the patent on the design of the MacBook Air. Patent No. D654,072 refers to the “ornamental design of an electronic device”, with none other than dearly departed Steve Jobs listed as an inventor. With the awarding of the said patent to Apple, the Cupertino company now has the legal ammunition to start going after similar thin and light designs, which by the way, describes ultrabooks down to a T. The question now is this: is Apple willing to go after ultrabook manufacturers which at current count, includes industry heavyweights like Toshiba, Acer, Asus, HP and Lenovo? More importantly, are they willing to risk a souring of their relationship to Intel for the sake of protecting their IP? Maybe, maybe not. We’re pretty sure Apple isn’t THAT crazy (Intel supplies the chips for their notebooks) though one can argue that Samsung was one of their bossom buddies once upon a time, supplying them with chips for their smartphones and look how that turned out.

Source: Mashable

Asus unveils factory overclocked 7970’s, will make your wallet quietly weep

Gadgets Team

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17 Feb 2012

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Asus unveils factory overclocked 7970’s, will make your wallet quietly weep

It was only a matter of time before manufacturers started making and shipping non-reference models of the AMD Radeon 7970. Asus just informed us that their own interpretations of AMD’s latest and greatest GPU is ready, in the form of the HD7970-DC2T-3GD5 and the HD7970-DC2-3GD5. Aside from slight differences in engine clock and memory clock, the two are nearly identical, featuring numerous heatpipes for better thermal performance, factory overclock out of the box, and liberally sprinkled with exclusive Asus technologies, which include 12-phase Super Alloy Power technology for better overclocking. Of course the lot of you already know that these things won’t come cheap, and you’re right – expect the HD7970-DC2T-3GD5 to retail for Php 29,930, while the HD7970-DC2-3GD5 will carry a sticker price of Php 29,380.

Newest Max Payne 3 trailer has us wishing it was May 15 already

Archives

Gadgets Team

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17 Feb 2012

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Newest Max Payne 3 trailer has us wishing it was May 15 already

Any self-respecting gamer who group up in 2000 would remember Max Payne – that smooth, slow narrating cop who always had a knack for slipping into a gunfight (or two). Now he’s back in his third outing – older, somewhat wiser, and definitely balder. The latest trailer from Rockstar games confirms that while Max had put on a bit of weight, he’s still the badass that we know and love. The trailer also lays down the rough premise of the game – a millionaire’s trophy wife has been kidnapped, and it’s up to Max to get her back. The game currently has a release date of May 15, and you can bet your sweet little tushie that we’ll be coming up with a review as soon as we get our copy. For now, you can watch the latest trailer below.

Intel supposedly delaying Ivy Bridge shipments to partners

Archives

Gadgets Team

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17 Feb 2012

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Intel supposedly delaying Ivy Bridge shipments to partners

If you’ve held off on buying a notebook the past couple of months, waiting for Intel to drop their new, next generation Core processors codenamed Ivy Bridge, you’re going to be waiting for quite a bit longer. According to a report at DigiTimes, Intel has supposedly notified its partners that it’s postponing mass shipments of its Ivy Bridge chips because of a number of factors. While the chip manufacturer will still announce and ship a small number of chips, mass quantities of the Ivy Bridge won’t be sent until June. The report cites the troubles of manufacturers “digesting” current generation Sandybridge chips because of the weak global economy, a problem Intel is also supposedly having.

Source: DigiTimes

Apple wants to sue Kodak, doesn’t care if its bankrupt

Technology

Gadgets Team

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16 Feb 2012

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Apple wants to sue Kodak, doesn’t care if its bankrupt

We’ve been used to Apple suing everyone else, but when we heard that the company was asking permission from bankruptcy judge to sue the beleaguered imaging company, we just had to stop and say “whaaaaaaat” altogether. Apparently Apple wants to sue Kodak in two fronts: one with a patent infringement lawsuit in a Manhattan district court and another in the International Trade Commission. The subject of the suit according to the report in Bloomberg, covers technologies used in printers, digital cameras and digital picture frames.

If Apple’s suit goes through and Kodak is forced to stop making the supposedly infringing products, then that would be end of the imaging company, as the subject of the suit is the same core technologies that Kodak elected to hold on after being forced to shutter its camera business.

Source: Bloomberg

All-new Japan-made Civic launched at Honda Mania

Mika Fernandez-David

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16 Feb 2012

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All-new Japan-made Civic launched at Honda Mania

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. signaled it is ready to once again make its mark on the Philippine automotive market with the launch of the all-new Honda Civic and the opening of “Honda Mania,” an exhibit and test drive event held at the Bonifacio Global City.

From the outside, the much-awaited upgrade may seem like just a bigger version of the Honda City — but wait ’til you see the gadgets and gizmos installed in this CBU from Japan.

“During the development of the model, emphasis was placed on Fun-to-Drive and Fuel Efficient performance, Clean and Energetic styling, and Smart Technology interface.

Increase in body rigidity, reduction in weight, revised suspension settings, added insulation and other improvements increase the Fun-to-Drive experience of the all-new Civic. To help the driver achieve better fuel economy, the Eco Assist technology was applied, which is also found in Honda’s hybrid models. The Eco Assist technology consists of the ECON mode and the Eco coaching ambient meter. Engaging the ECON mode controls the engine, drive-by-wire, transmission, and air-conditioner to further improve the already outstanding fuel efficiency of the all-new Civic. The Eco coaching ambient meter guides the driver to become more fuel-efficient by measuring throttle input and displaying a blue light in the instrument panel when driving aggressively and a green light when driving in a fuel-efficient manner.

The exterior of the all-new Civic shows a powerful and clear styling of the unique and dynamic mono-form body. On the other hand, the interior features Honda’s first 5-inch color LCD intelligent multi-information display, or i-MID. This smart interface has instantly understandable information display and intuitive and easy-to-operate controls at the steering wheel. The i-MID menu shows audio and fuel consumption information and also allows the driver to customize the vehicle light settings. “

Initially available in the 1.8 liter EXI variant, the all-new Honda Civic comes in Urban Titanium, Taffeta White, Carnelain Red, and Crystal Black with a price tag of Php 1.074 million.

Honda Mania starts today (February 16) and will run ‘til Sunday, 19 February. Visitors will be able to see and test-drive the new Honda Civic along with the rest of the Honda product line-up including the Honda City, the Jazz Special Edition, and the Accord.

Quick specs:

Variant:

• 1.8 EXI

Engine and Transmission:

• 1.8-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder

• Maximum power: 141 ps @ 6,500 rpm

• Maximum torque: 17.7 kg-m @ 4,300 rpm

• 5-speed automatic transmission

Exterior:

• Projector-type halogen headlights

• Front fog lights

• 16” alloy wheels

• Door mirror-mounted side turn lights

• Rear reverse camera (displayed in the i-MID screen)

Interior:

• Integrated audio system with CD/MP3/WMA player; USB connectivity and Auxiliary In

• 6 speakers (including tweeters)

• Steering wheel controls (for i-MID and audio system)

• Cruise controls (steering wheel mounted)

• Bluetooth Hands Free Telephone Function (steering wheel integrated)

• 60:40 split-folding rear seats

• Manually adjustable headlight leveling switch

• Leather steering wheel

• Beige interior fabric

Safety:

• G-CON (G-Force Control) collision safety technology

• Dual SRS airbags

• ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD)

• Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)

Exterior Colors:

• Carnelian Red (new)

• Urban Titanium

• Taffeta White

• Crystal Black

Suggested Retail Price (SRP):

• Php 1,074,000

Sony Ericsson officially kaput, reborn as Sony Mobile Communications AB

Technology

Gadgets Team

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16 Feb 2012

0

At long last, it’s finally over. After buying out partner Ericsson in the 50/50 joint venture that resulted in Sony Ericsson brand, Sony is now reporting that their acquisition is finally complete. In line with the acquisition, Sony is renaming the company to Sony Mobile Communications AB later this month, and we’re pretty sure we’ll be seeing a lot of product launches in line with the company’s new strategy with the new moniker. Question is, what’ll happen to the Sony Ericsson employees here in the Philippines? Will they get merged with Sony Philippines? We’ll get back to you as soon as we get more details.

Source: Mainichi Daily News

BlackBerry’s rewarding your creativity by giving away smartphones

Gadgets Team

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16 Feb 2012

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BlackBerry’s rewarding your creativity by giving away smartphones

Want a BlackBerry but don’t have the monies for it? Well, you’ll be happy to know that BlackBerry is conducting two promotions where you have the chance to win your very own BlackBerry smartphone. The first one is through the BBMPhotoMe event that’s happening over their Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/BlackBerryPH) running from February 15 – 28, 2012. Here’s what you have to do:

Visit the contest tab and upload an original photo of yourself with the BBM speech bubble, demonstrating the contest theme “Show How BBMLets You Express Yourself.”
Rally your friends and make them like your photo during the two week voting period from February 29 to March 11, 2012.

Each photo will be judged according to following four criteria: Online Votes 20%, Creativity: 30%; Originality: 30% and Relevancy to the Theme 20%. The prizes are:

1^st Place Prize (1 winner). A BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone
2^nd Place Prize (3 winners). A BlackBerry Curve 9300 smartphone
3^rd Place Prize (2 winners). A BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone

The second contest is the Dare To Do More: The Ultimate BBM Challenge happening at Trinoma this coming February 18 at the Activity center. There will be a BBM tournament from 1-4pm. Prove you’re good enough, and you’ll be able to advance to the finals from 6-8pm, which will pit your BBM skills with trailblazers and a mystery celebrity BBM user.

NComputing brings simple, powerful virtualization tools to Philippine public schools

Gadgets Team

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16 Feb 2012

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NComputing brings simple, powerful virtualization tools to Philippine public schools

Computer literacy is sadly one thing that our country is struggling at. Deploying and maintaining PC’s across thousands of public schools gets costly, and the money simply isn’t there. Enter NComputing, a company that’s making it possible for schools on tight budgets to be able to have PCs for each child without breaking the bank. They’re able to do this via the magic of virtualization. The premise is that a normal PC has vast number-crunching abilities that a typical user doesn’t utilize all the time. By sharing the computer’s resources via their NComputing access device, NComputing allows multiple students to be able to learn and use a PC while only needing 1 powerful PC to power it all. Each access device has their own connection for a monitor, keyboard and mouse, and since these devices rely on a central PC to work, upgrade costs are largely minimized as schools only need to upgrade one device. NComputing’s device is so affordable that the company has announced that 3,077 Philippine schools have adopted the solution, which allows anyone to learn computer skills necessary to function in society today.

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

Give your kids their daily dose of exercise with the iBounce Kids Trampoline

Archives

Gadgets Team

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16 Feb 2012

0

Give your kids their daily dose of exercise with the iBounce Kids Trampoline

Afraid your kids aren’t getting enough exercise as they sit glued to your tablet playing all the pre-loaded games you put to keep them preoccupied? Now you can give them something a little healthier that’ll exercise more than just their fingers. With the JumpSport iBounce Kids Trampoline, iBounce Tablet Mount , and the RompyRoo DVD, kids can move with the story and jump along with RompyRoo. This allows kids an interface to play along with as they engage in physical activity. It’s fun, safe, and will give your young-uns all the energy and exercise they need to get them through the day (and hopefully wear them out for that good night’s sleep).

The B&O Beolit 12 is the portable audio system to have

Gadgets Team

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16 Feb 2012

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Bang & Olufsen has been around since 1925 making TV sets, audio products, and telephones, so it’s surely a company that knows what it’s doing when it comes to designing those type of gadgets. One of their recent releases is the Beolit 12 audio system, the design of which is reminiscent of B&O’s early radio days. The device is beautifully crafted and compact, featuring a simple set of touch controls on the top. Users can plug in their iPods, iPads, mp3 players, laptops, or other music devices all via USB and instantly enjoy stunning sound playback.

Measuring 9.1 inches wide, 7.4 inches tall, and 5.2 inches deep, don’t let its size fool you because this thing is very powerful and capable of filling up a living room half the size of a basketball court with well-defined bass and musical clarity loud enough for house parties. It’s shaped like a lunchbox or a small picnic basket, and rightly so because this audio system is also perfect for outdoor get-togethers with friends due to its portability and built-in WiFi. This allows the use of Apple’s AirPlay technology, which lets users take turns in streaming music wirelessly from their respective music players. Weighing about 6 pounds, the unit provides 8-hours of battery life (or 4-hours if you’re using Airplay) and will cost you around USD $799 (approximately Php 33,500).

Watch out for our full review on the Beolit 12 in our upcoming issues this year, or visit http://www.bang-olufsen.com/beolit-press for more information.

PlayBook 2.0 update sneak peek

Gadgets Team

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15 Feb 2012

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RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook hasn’t had an easy life. Even though it had impressive hardware for its time, it’s always been hobbled by the incomplete features of the PlayBook OS. RIM has been promising to deliver the PlayBook 2.0 update later this month, and invited us to a media briefing of what we could expect when it finally lands before the end of February. Let’s dive in, shall we?

The first and most important change that’s coming for the PlayBook is the addition of a native email client for the device. Previously, the only way you could get email off of the PlayBook was if you a) went through the web client of the email service of your choice (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) or if you sync the device using BlackBerry bridge to a BlackBerry phone. With the PlayBook 2.0 update, users will be able to finally use a native email client that syncs with not only your email but also other services like LinkedIn, Twitter and the like.

Another feature that was missing from the initial release of the PlayBook was a native calendar and contacts app. That’s also coming with PlayBook 2.0, which now allows you to use the device as a proper productivity tool. Another nice touch feature with the new update is the ability to control the PlayBook via a BlackBerry phone running BlackBerry OS 6 above. Users will now be able to use their phones to open pages, type text and even click through presentations when their BlackBerry phone is connected to the PlayBook via BlackBerry Bridge.

The most important news during the event was the fact that developers will now be able to port their Android applications to thePlayBook via BlackBerry App World. Before everyone starts celebrating, it’s important to note that the job of porting apps to the PlayBook is up to the developer, not BlackBerry. So if the developer of your favorite game/app isn’t interested in porting their game to App World, tough cookies.

The biggest question now is, can the PlayBook stand toe to toe with the other tablets in the market now? Sure, as long as RIM prices it correctly. While it has solid hardware specs, the device is getting pretty long in the tooth. Should you buy it now, even though there’s a large number of devices floating around the market? Maybe. We’ll give you a solid answer once we get the update for our own PlayBook, which is scheduled to hit sometime this month – sadly, we weren’t able to get a specific date, aside from a cryptic “soon” from the RIM folks.

GoPad: for people in motion

Archives

Gadgets Team

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15 Feb 2012

0

They say it’s better (and healthier) to stand rather than to sit when you’re working at your desk. That’s why there are many “elevated” desks that solve the problems that occur after sitting hunched over ogling at your computer for way too long. And in this age of tablets, it’s no different. But if standing is a better way to stay fit, then walking around will give you double the benefit.

In comes the GoPad, an iPad accessory designed for tablet users. It’s a two-piece kit that has a harness and a stand allowing you take your pad comfortably wherever you go. Just strap it around your neck and adjust your tablet down to where your waist is. It will keep your pad safe and secure, better than those slippery digits. And though it won’t block your view, just make sure you look up every once in awhile so you don’t bump into anything when you’re walking WHILE using your tablet.

Drive: Nissan Navara TechXtreme

Gadgets Team

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15 Feb 2012

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Pickups aren’t the first thing that comes to your mind when people talk about hi-tech vehicles. Why should it? They’re basically beasts of burden, utilitarian vehicles that you pile stuff on when said stuff doesn’t fit the trunk or backseat of your car. It came as a surprise then when I learned that Nissan decided to come out with a new version of the Navara, tricked out with an entertainment system that most tech heads would lust for. And being a self-confessed lover of all things tech (I write for a tech mag after all), it was love at first sight.

Let’s get this little tidbit out of the way first: aside from the hi-end entertainment system, the Navara TechXtreme is basically the same 2.5L 4-cylinder CRDI six speed manual transmission model that came out last year. There haven’t been a lot of changes externally or internally, save for new carpeting and a host of minor things.

While the Navara TechXtreme doesn’t have anything new to offer mechanically speaking, the integrated entertainment and information system simply just blew me away. The heart of the system is a 6.5-inch touchscreen display that serves as the information hub.

Aside from the central screen, there are also 7-inch dual-headrest mounted displays that Nissan says come standard in this particular model, which is a first for vehicles in its class.

Below the main display sits two USB slots and an iPod cable. The left USB slot (with the power button) is the built-in internal Wi-Fi router for the Navara, while the right USB slot is used to connect USB thumb drives, hard-disks and smartphones to stream content to the entertainment system. Incidentally, the Navara TechXtreme is the first vehicle I’ve come across with that has an internal Wi-Fi router built-in, which came in handy during long trips and in traffic.

Speaking of traffic, the Navara TechXtreme is completely capable of steering you around the worst of it, thanks to its GPS navigation system. Aside from being extremely easy to use, the navigation system was also remarkably complete, with literally hundreds of POIs (points of interests) visible on screen even in new-ish roads and highways.

There’s also a multitude of connectivity options to hook up tablets, smartphones and iPhones. There’s a dedicated iPod cable to hook up your iPhone/iPad/iPod to the entertainment system which then transfers control of your device to it, allowing your passengers (and you, if you’re parked somewhere) to enjoy the music and videos in your personal library. If you’re not using an iOS device, you’re not out of luck – you can still enjoy your tunes via Bluetooth, which incidentally also transfers your phone calls directly to the entertainment system – which is handy when you’re absolutely need to talk with clients and whatnot while driving. Finally, a USB slot allows you to plug-in external storage devices (which also work with some smartphones) that let you enjoy your music and videos on the go. Incidentally, if you play a movie file from any device, it gets shared on the two smaller displays mounted on the headrests too.

I’ve briefly touched on the internal Wi-Fi router before, but it bears going into in detail. Basically, the router allows you to get internet connectivity via a broadband stick connected through the left side USB port. All of the current USB broadband sticks are supported no matter what the plan, whether they come from Smart, Globe or Sun. After plugging in the USB broadband stick, you’ll have to configure the router via its web-based interface. From there you’ll be able to set the APN (which is important if you want your stick to work), SSID, wireless security settings and a bunch of other things. Bottomline here is that the built-in internal router has all the bases covered.

All of these things would be for naught if the Navara TechXtreme wasn’t pleasurable to drive. Thankfully, the pick-up is just the opposite – driving it down the streets of Makati was a pleasure in itself, and it had enough grunt from its 2.5L CRDI engine to power the vehicle through most driving situations. Add to that the Navara’s unique 6-speed transmission, then you have a pick-up that has plenty of power and is economical to drive.

The Nissan Navara TechXtreme is priced at Php 1.438 million for the 6-speed manual transmission model and Php 1.498 million for the 5-speed automatic transmission model.

New app removes random strangers from photos

Gadgets Team

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15 Feb 2012

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A Swedish photography company called Scalado has developed an app for mobile devices that effectively removes wandering bystanders from photos. When taking pictures in public places, we often have to worry about waiting until the coast is clear from other passers-by who might be caught in the background. This new app called “Remove”, initially takes a burst of shots in succession to determine which subjects are moving and which ones are stationary. Then immediately after the picture is taken, you can simply select what moving objects (or people for that matter) should be removed from the photo, and the rest of the background is automatically filled out for you.

However, if a particular person is staying still, then there’s really no way to remove him or her. Still, this app is quite useful in most situations to eliminate those dreaded “photo bombs” than can ruin what would have been a perfect picture. It’s also a fun tool for taking shots in crowded areas and then making it look as if the place was empty. Cars on the road are moving objects too, so it only makes sense that this app would also work in that regard. Still in its prototype stage, the app’s full version should be up for demonstration at the end of the month.

For more information about this app, or to see it in action for yourself, you can check out this site http://www.scalado.com/display/en/Remove and watch the video.