Remember that Eee Pad Slider SL101 we lovingly caressed back in Asus’ offices last August? Well, the local launch of that cool little tablet is set for the 27th of this month, which will hopefully coincide with its retail availability.
If you’ve forgetten what the Eee Pad Slider SL101 brings to the Android tablet party, you can always check out our first impressions here. We’ll try to give you guys a blow by blow of the event via our Facebook and Twitter feeds come the 27th.
A lot of you might have seen that your Facebook interface looks a wee bit different than you remember it a couple of days ago. Well, you ain’t seen nothing yet. There’s a lot of changes a-coming to Facebook which was unveiled during the company’s f8 developer conference in San Francisco, CA, and the company’s looking to change the social landscape. Well, again, we mean.
First off, is the unveiling and eventual roll-out of Facebook Timeline. In a nutshell, it’s a summary of your life (on Facebook) laid bare for other people to see, with an emphasis on the highlights of your life (landed a new job, got a new car, got married, etc.). It’ll replace your standard Facebook profile (also known as the page strangers see when they first check you out) once the kinks are worked out. We think it’s pretty interesting, but again there’s that concern of privacy, specifically for the pictures and other things that are in your profile. Since a lot of these things are filled in automatically by Facebook, how does the service know what’s appropriate, or more importantly, what highlight of your life is important to you?
Another major unveil during f8 is the deep integration of apps into your profile, which is being touted by the company as a new way for users to share content without overwhelming their friends with information. Central to this whole theme is the ticker bar on the right of your Facebook account (which a lot of us lovingly refer to as the stalker bar). Social apps allow users to share information directly onto that bar without flooding your stream with inconsequential babble. If one of your friends start listening to a band they like through Spotify for example, it’ll show up on your ticker. If you’d like to listen in to the artist your friend likes, you just need to click on their link. The whole concept is better explained through the video below.
Yahoo is getting into the action too, with the release of their Yahoo News Feature. The premise is simple – you’re now able to see what stories your friends have been reading on their site, which makes it easier for you to discover new things through your friends. From what we’re seeing, Facebook is moving away from active sharing (pushing links and likes and whatever) into more passive sharing (checking out your friend’s activity streams via sites like Yahoo). We’re liking what we’re seeing now, though it does make the likelihood of cyber-stalking a terrifying reality. We’ll just have to see how it all pans out.
Bottomline here is: Facebook is changing. It seems that the social network giant is no longer interested in getting more subscribers (it has plenty of those) nor increasing it’s page views. From what we’re seeing, it’s now more interested in making every minutiae of your life easier to share and to be discovered by your friends, and that’s not a bad thing. Do you like the direction the company is taking? Share your thoughts in the comments.
(Want to see check out the Facebook Timeline? TechCrunch has created an easy to use guide located here.)
Seems like Apple’s lawyers are busy these days, what with all the patent suits and injuctions and whatnot with Samsung, HTC and Motorola. Well, now you can add Taiwanese chipmaker VIA Technologies to that list too, as they recently filed suit against Apple for allegedly infringing on its patents with their i-series of devices. The complaint says that Apple infringe on three patents that “generally provides efficient loading of data in the microprocessors and efficient conversion and transfer of data in the microprocessors.” VIA wants the courts to ban Apple from making or importing the infringing products and award damages to them. How this affects the ongoing dynamics of the patent wars is uncertain, but one thing is for sure – Apple’s lawyers sure are happy.
Source: PC Mag
HP’s had a rough couple of months as of late, and the board has decided that a change of leadership in order. That means Léo Apotheker, the man that steered HP’s course for a year is out, replaced by industry veteran Meg Whitman. Whitman is no stranger to challenges, as she was the driving force behind eBay’s growth to what it is today, so it’d be interesting to see what she has in store to right the course HP has taken that has seen their stock dip 47%. Unfortunately, there are no signs of reversing webOS’ fate nor the decision of possibly spinning off the PC business as of now, but that may change in the near future as she gets her house on order.
Source: New York Times, HP
After a long wait and much hype, Nikon finally joins the mirrorless game and unveils to the world their two new compact interchangeable lens systems, the J1 and V1.
The two mirrorless cameras have similar specifications: a 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor with a crop factor of 2.7x (dubbed the CX-format with a size of 13.2mmx8.8mm), a 3-inch LCD screen, 1080/30p/60i HD video, 10fps burst shooting, simultaneous video/still capture, 73-point hybrid AF and can shoot at 12-bit RAW files.
The V1 is marketed as the higher-end system, which features a magnesium alloy body with a 1.4M dot electronic viewfinder, 921k dot TFT LCD display, a mechanical shutter and a flash sync speed of 1/250th of a second. It also has a hotshoe/”multi-accessory port” for an external flash or GPS module.
The J1 is their more basic model which is equipped with an electronic shutter to keep its price lower. It has no electronic viewfinder, no hotshoe (but there is a pop up flash) and the LCD display’s resolution is lower at 460k dots. It will come in five colors: white, pink, red, silver, black.
The two cameras will also have a brand new mount, called the Nikon 1 lens mount. Four brand new lenses were launched for use with the J1 and V1:
Don’t despair for there is a FT1 mount adapter which allows you to fasten any F-mount lens on the J1 and V1, or any subsequent 1-series system.
Both cameras will be available October 20th and will come equipped with the 10-30mm zoom lens. The J1 will cost $649 (approx. Php 28,500) and the V1 will cost $899 (approx. Php 39,400).
After all the hype though, I’m personally not quite sure if Nikon’s mirrorless camera is lives up to it. The fact that it has a smaller sensor than its four thirds competitors should definitely be one of your considerations if you’re deciding on a compact camera. It will be interesting to see how Canon plans to up the ante however.
Have a hankering for Sony gadgets and are near SM MOA? Well, you’re in luck. Sony recently opened their sixth concept store at the Cyberzone in SM’s MOA. Located at unit NP202 (right above McDonald’s) the new concept store brings to consumers all of Sony’s latest product offerings which include different VAIO, Alpha and Walkman models.
“The opening of the new VAIO store is part of our expansion initiative to bring top-of-the-line consumer technology products to more ubanites. SM MOA is a strategic location due its bustling retail landscape featuring diverse offerings. We are very thrilled to be present in this retail mecca and showcase our products,” says Twinkle Rafael, Director for Retail Management, Sony Philippines.
[album: https://gadgetsmagazine.com.ph/wp-content/plugins/dm-albums/dm-albums.php?currdir=/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/[email protected]/Sony Store/]
Mark the date folks: Oct 4, 2011 (Oct 5 for us peeps living on the other side of the world). That’s when Apple’s next big event is taking place where rumors say Tim Cook, the newly appointed CEO of Apple will be unveiling the iPhone 5. This will be the first time that Cook will be leading the charge and presenting the product to the world, a job that was previously handled by Steve Jobs. Will he be as entertaining as good ol’ Steve when he presents the newest iteration of the iPhone? Well, there’s only one way to find out.
Source: All Things D
My father once told me that I had already paid my debt to society when I decided to work as a Kindergarten teacher immediately after my college graduation. And even after working several years here at Gadgets Magazine, the type of fulfillment of having been a part of my students’ lives, imparting knowledge and skills to them (and vice versa), remains overwhelming beyond comparison.
Now you can honor your favorite teacher as Synergeia Foundation invites both children and adults alike to participate in a community walk to honor all teachers entitled This One’s For You to be held on October 1, 2011 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) starting at 1:00 p.m.
Activities include arts and crafts, Jeepney ni Jan-Jan games, computer games, photo booths, storytelling, costumes, book and story readings, among other events. These will be followed by a community walk from CCP Eskinita to Folk Arts, PICC, Star City, CCP Ramp and back to CCP Eskinita, with the accompaniment of Escola de Samba. A special program, as well as raffle draws and awarding of prizes for teachers will highlight the day’s dedication.
To register, download the registration form at www.synergeia.org.ph. For more details, contact the foundation through email ([email protected] and [email protected]), telephone numbers 898-2913, 898-2617, or SMS message (0920-9061148).
Registration fee is P500.00 (alumni) and P50.00 for students with valid IDs. Registration for teachers is free. Proceeds will go to a Teacher’s Fund that will support the professional development of teachers.
This project is co-organized and supported by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Museo Pambata Foundation, Inc., Globe Telecommunications and SMART Communications, Inc.
Leave it to Samsung to make a huge statement when launching products. Samsung launched their Series 3 notebook amid delicious, delicious chocolate at an event held yesterday at the Chocolate Fire cafe in Makati. The new notebook (305U1A) is touted by the Korean electronics giant as an affordable yet stylish must have for the discerning consumer.
Powered by AMD’s Brazos platform (dual core E-450 1.65 Ghz) the 305U1A has enough computing power to satisfy most people’s needs. Weighing at just 1.21 kilos and available in 5 stylish designs, the 305U1A definitely hits the right spot when it comes to style and affordability. It’ll have a sticker price of Php 23,900 and is now available at most reputable computer stores in the metro.
Specs:
[album: https://gadgetsmagazine.com.ph/wp-content/plugins/dm-albums/dm-albums.php?currdir=/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/[email protected]/Samsung Chocolate Fire/]
Around 30-something technology enthusiasts, software developers and IT educators gathered at the ELearning Center in Zamboanga City on September 17 to celebrate this year’s Software Freedom Day with the theme “Open Source gives me the freedom to choose the best option.” Software Freedom Day is globally celebrated every 3rd Saturday of September, and this year, 439 different venues worldwide celebrated to promote open source technologies and methodologies to the public.
The day kicked off with the showing of short animation films Big Buck Bunny made in Blender and Sita Sings the Blues a story about Free Culture Movement (but not Free Software). Both of the films are creative commons share-alike licensed. Blender is a free and open source animation tool that has started gaining ground and attention these past few years. The day’s activities were streamed live at ustream.tv, so that others who were not able to join the other SFD parties in other venues can view our event online.
The program started with an introduction by ELearning Center’s Yolynne Medina, followed by FOSS advocacy videos sent by Meric Mara and his team from sfd.ph and recorded videos by successful IT practitioners who have specialized in different open source tools, who shared their experience, activities and words of wisdom — namely Paolo Falcone (Quezon City), Brent Paderanga-Lipke (New York City), Dax Solomon Umaming (Baguio City), Dean Mikhail Berris (California, USA), Joset Anthony Zamora (Pasig City) and Jerome Locson (Cebu City).
Local developers and practitioners who were present during the event to deliver their talk live were; Gener Cerna of Ateneo de Zamboanga University (Moodle Administrator and contributor), Rizalino Reyes of Pilar College(Network Administrator’s Open Source tools) , Lenfree Yeung of NCC Field Office (Social Engineering and Hacking), Grace Sojor of COMTECH Institute (Qt programming and cross platform development) and Erwin Olario who shared his Open Source GIS expertise.
To further enthuse the participants with the spirit of FOSS, free CDs of FOSS softwares were distributed such as Ubuntu 11.04 given by Canonical and Netbeans by Oracle. Raffle winners also won SFD shirts from Software freedom day organizers , pens from Oracle and ELearning Centre, Gadgets Magazines and all the participants were given certificate of participation.
The event was organized by ELearning Centre, an IT training provider in the city and sponsored by ZamboTimes.com and Gadgets Magazine.
Fruit Bubbalicious. That’s the first thing that crossed my mind when I first beheld the pink Sony VAIO C. It looked like something Katy Perry and the rest of the “California Girls” would use and bring along (though it’s not exactly portable) as they set forth to Candyland. It’s definitely one ultra-feminine color for a notebook. But don’t worry guys, the Sony VAIO C also comes in a very neutral and masculine black and white (15.5-inch versions and comes with the option for a screen that can handle 1080p high-definition entertainment) as well as green and orange for the more effeminate.
The VAIO C Series also sports a rubber, machine-washable keyboard cover as well as a transparent overlay that scatter light all over the edges of the notebook and round the touchpad to create a rather subtle glow, which does prove somewhat useful for those who enjoy working in the dark. Of course, that’s a pretty cool feature to have for an entry-level machine. The form/fashion factor is definitely there despite its plastic-ky feel.
For connectivity, you’ve got a Gigabit Ethernet port, VGA and HDMI for video, and both USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports for data on the left. A memory card reader and physical wireless switch is in the front, while headphone and microphone jacks, twin USB 2.0 ports and a DVD writer are on the right.
Now despite its “hey look at me, look at me” design, the C series has an impressive “inside” as well thanks to a dual-core i5, which runs at 2.3GHz but can manage up to 2.9HGz with Intel’s Turbo Boost. It also has 320GB of storage and 4GB RAM alongside the bundled Windows 7 Home Premium.
This laptop is really easy to use, especially if you’re the type who doesn’t ask way too much from it, save for a bit of speed when loading and logging onto the “cloud.” And you can’t really use it for too long without being near a power socket. On mere standby, the VAIO C only lasts about 4 hours. But it does have some other cool features such as the integrated HD webcam with a Sony Exmor sensor for good low-light performance. The systems also include Sony’s VAIO, Assist, and Web buttons that launch Sony’s Media Gallery and VAIO Care software and enable users to access the Web without waiting for a full Windows boot. It also has its own Imagination Studio Suite 2 VAIO Edition for editing, managing, and enhancing photos, videos, music, and more. And the systems can be used with Sony’s Remove keyboard technology so the notebooks can be used to drive other Sony devices like PlayStation 3 consoles or Bravia Internet-connected TVs.
All in all, I found the Sony VAIO C rather befitting of my more lively character. Even the rubber keyboard (which some may find uncomfortable to use) was something I found to be quirky and comfy. It may not be for everyone (design-wise) but hey, if you want to add a little more color into your technology, the Sony VAIO C series will do the job.
What’s Hot:
Both Fun and neutral colors to choose from
Rubber keyboard cover and backlit keyboard
What’s Not:
Short battery life
Not that portable
Buy Meter: 8
Bottomline:
Want something that will brighten your day (and night)? Give the Sony VAIO C series a go and make a shining statement.
SPECS:
Screen Size 14-inch, 1366 x 768 glossy screen, Radeon HD 6470M Graphics
Memory 4GB RAM, 320GB 5200rpm HDD
CPU and chipset Intel Core i5-241M
Wireless used Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g/n, BlueTooth
Weight 2.45 kg
OS Windows 7 Home Premium
Warranty 2 years
Price Php 69,999
Wishing you were on Google’s newest social network but don’t know anyone who’s willing to fork out invites? Fret not, because Google is finally ending its open beta after 90 days of field trials and officially opening the doors to anyone who wants to join the + party. A number of different improvements have been implemented during the beta period, including the ability to join Hangouts from your Android and iOS phone. If you want to know the whole slew of improvements and new features added to the service, you can go over to their official blog and read every detail. Alternatively if you’re still one of the few people not on Google+, you can head here and sign up for an account.
Source: Official Google Blog
Artefact, a Seattle based design firm, has created a concept design that could very well change the image of the printer.
The company has previously contributed to the BlackBerry Playbook, and what followed soon after was a re-imagining of the printer’s long, unchanged profile. Even though additions such as Wi-Fi or even memory card slots have now been coming out, the peripheral’s overall design has remained the same.
Artefact’s conept design is called SWYP (See What You Print), and it features a touch screen interface that allows you to edit, scale and preview the page before printing. Devices are proposed to connect wirelessly, and SWYP is able to upload images directly to the web.
Some unique features include a “Peek Inside” function, which fades away the interface and lets users see inside the printer to determine information such as ink level, etc.
Artefact’s prototype design is non-functioning, but the company is challenging manufacturer’s to consider drastically improving the printer’s design. With their recent work on the Playbook and the Sonos CR200 controller, it wouldn’t be surprising if the SWYP’s design gets picked up, although I hope they improve the name.
Would you want a printer like this?
![Top mobile threats by Symantec [INFOGRAPHIC]](https://gadgetsmagazine.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Top-Threats-Targeting-Mobile-Devices1.jpg "Top mobile threats by Symantec [INFOGRAPHIC]")
If you think surfing the web on your smartphone is safer than doing it on your PC, you’re wrong. Symantec has just released a handy infographic highlighting the different threats that’s been targeting smartphones lately, and it ain’t pretty. Malware is on the rise, as well as socially engineered attacks with no sign of tapering off soon. We’ve included the text that accompanied the infographic so you can better grasp the dangers that are targeting your smartphone.
(Disclosure: The unit that we used for this review was obtained through winning the raffle on the night the device was launched)
The local tablet market is definitely picking up, as Lenovo has officially thrown their hat into thering with the IdeaPad K1. While they have a lot of ground to cover being about 3 months late to the Honeycomb Tablet party, they’re coming out strong with the K1. Currently being priced at Php 24,900 for the 32GB version, the K1 has the most bang for the buck storage-wise.
We’ll be honest with you, aside from the external form factor and difference in memory and softwareoverlays, current generation Honeycomb tablets are near identical to each other. The IdeaPad K1 isno exception to this – it’s powered by the same NVIDIA made, Tegra 2 processor that powers the Asus Transformer TF101, Acer’s Iconia A500 and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1. Like its other competitors, the K1 uses a 10.1-inch capacitive screen, has a 5 megapixel camera on the back and 2 megapixel camera on the front, and uses Honeycomb 3.1 as its OS.
The overall build quality was good, with no obvious creaks anywhere on the device. There’s a navigation/home button on the right side of the device that’s there to supposedly help you navigate, but it doesn’t really work as well as it was intended.
On the left side of the K1 lie the volume rocker, power button and the hardware orientation lock. That last bit is a nice touch, and we think that a hardware orientation lock of some sort should be a mandatory feature on all Honeycomb tablets from here on out.
The mini-HDMI port, data port (which also doubles as the charging plug) and 3.5mm audio jack are all located on the bottom of the device.
One of the first things we noticed when we first picked up the device was how heavy it was – it’sdefinitely heavier than the iPad 2, clocking in at .7 kilos (1.65 lbs) which is definitely something to be concerned about when you’re planning to use it for extended periods of time.
Being a late entry to the tablet game, Lenovo has had plenty of time to actually get some sort of UI overlay/interface going in the K1 instead of the stock Honeycomb experience that ships with their other competitors. Most notable of which is the five-way app launcher in the middle of the homescreen. By default it’s configured for watching movies, listening to audio, reading e-books (via Zinio, though there’s a Kindle app bundled as well) checking email and going online.
Further software customization includes the quick launch button at the bottom of the screen that allowsyou to quickly access and launch apps wherever you are, and Lenovo’s own app shop where you can buy apps for the device. There are also a couple of pre-installed apps in the device which, depending onwhich side of the fence you lean could be considered a nice bonus or just worthless bloatware.
The app shop for Lenovo isn’t your typical Android Market experience (though there is the standardAndroid Market app if you so choose) in that it’s mostly a curated app shop that’s saddled with mostly paid apps. The apps listed looks good enough for the most part, and we imagine that it’s a good fit forpeople who don’t want to wade through the Android Market trying to look for an app that’s actually,you know, good.
Another app that ships with the K1 is their Social Touch app, which is basically their version of a socialnetwork aggregator, with a few extras built-in like email and calendar functionality built-in.
To get a semblance of what the K1 is capable of when it comes to number crunching, we downloadedand installed Quadrant Standard, a benchmarking tool that we used in our other reviews. It managed to nab a score of 1,643, which was pretty good, though that performance didn’t translate that much to better performance. Battery life was an advertised 10 hours on a single charge, but during our loop test with a video clip running on repeat with WiFi on, the K1 managed to last about 8 hours and 48 minutes, which was definitely far from the performance from the gold standard in Honeycomb tablets, the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
One issue that we need to mention is that the IdeaPad K1 initially suffered from a wake from sleep problem when we got it. To put it simply, the device would not wake from sleep after its screen timed out no matter how many times we press the power button, forcing us to restart the device each time we wanted to use it again. And we’re not alone – there’s a couple of people already complaining at Lenovo’s official forums about the issue. We did manage to find a fix for it by updating the firmware manually(and then performing a factory reset of the unit), though it baffles us why the firmware update didn’t prompt us automatically.
Probably the biggest draw for the K1 is its price – it’s currently being sold for Php 24,900 for the 32GB version, which undercuts the prices of its competitors by a fair amount (if you compare it to their 32GB offerings).
So again, the question now is, is the IdeaPad K1 worth the money it’s asking for? Normally we’d say yes, but until the software issues are sorted out, we’d have to hold out on a solid recommendation for now. If you do still decide to grab one, try to get that update right away to save yourself a bit of grief.
What’s Hot:
Solid build quality
Curated appstore via Lenovo’s App shop
Excellent value for the price
Good performance
What’s Not:
Initial refusal to wake from sleep issues, can only be fixed through firmware update
Heavy
Battery life isn’t as good as other devices
Bottomline:
Once you get past the software issues, Lenovo’s IdeaPad K1 is a good tablet to consider if you’re in themarket for a Honeycomb device.
Buymeter: 8.4
Tech Specs: