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    HTC Sensation XE and Sensation XL set to launch locally on Nov. 11, we’ll be there

    Gadgets Team
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    HTC Sensation XE and Sensation XL set to launch locally on Nov. 11, we’ll be there

    We knew it wouldn’t take long for HTC to send the Sensation XE and XL to our shores, and it seems that the local arm of the Taiwanese company is set to unleash these massive bad boys on Nov. 11. We’ve already seen the impressive specs of these two Beats-toting smartphones so all that’s left now is to find out how much these things will retail for. We’ll be present at the unveil that’s going to be happening at the posh Republiq Club on Friday, Nov. 11 to give you guys the lowdown on the two devices, as well as relevant pricing information and how Smart is bundling it with their plans. Don’t forget to stay tuned to our Twitter and Facebook pages to catch the blow by blow.

     

    New software can read texts and emails from your smartphone’s screen

    Gadgets Team
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    1
    New software can read texts and emails from your smartphone’s screen

    It used to be that ne’er-do-wells had to hack or intercept your phone’s data to be able to read sensitive communication like passwords and emails, but would you believe us if we told you that there’s now software that can actually read the screen of your device from up to 60 meters away? That’s the whole purpose of iSpy, a program that’s able to read  and identify text typed on a touchscreen from video footage of the screen or, using powerful optics, from the reflection off the device off glass. Computer vision researcher Jan-Michael Frahm at University of North Carolina says that “we can be in the second floor of a building and read a phone on the ground,” which honestly makes us all the more paranoid.

    The system works by taking advantage of magnified keys which aids in typing in touchscreen devices like Android smartphones and iPhones. According to a report at New Scientist the program ‘analyses video footage and identifies the letters based on the bubble locations on screen,’ and has a 90% accuracy, says Frahm. The program is pretty damn effective too – one test involved a colleague of theirs typing away at a bus stop from the researcher’s building, surrounded by other users tapping away on their devices. To capture passwords, the software simply collects letters and does not perform any word recognition.

    Fortunately, snoopers of this nature are still far and few in-between, though the truly paranoid can opt to turn off their magnified keys at the expense misspells and typos.

    Via: New Scientist

    Source: iSpy

     

    ASUS Transformer Prime benchmarks leaked before launch, twice as powerful as original

    Gadgets Team
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    ASUS Transformer Prime benchmarks leaked before launch, twice as powerful as original


    We’ve heard that the ASUS Transformer Prime, the Taiwanese company’s successor to the original Transformer would be launching Nov. 9 and that it would pack a beefier, better and faster processor. Just how much better the new quad-core processor is anyone’s guess, but if the recently released benchmarks to AnTuTu are to be believed, it’s possibly twice as powerful as the original Transformer. Some sharp-eyed guys at tech2 have stumbled into synthetic benchmark scores of the device which has apparently breached the 10K score barrier, making it the fastest tablet that’s currently in the market, at least as far as benchmarks are concerned. Hopefully the company stays true to the leaked Nov. 9 launch date of this puppy, which is only a few days away.

    Source: Tech2

    Boracay celebrates gains in beach management program

    Press Release
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    Boracay celebrates gains in beach management program

    The Boracay Beach Management Program (BBMP), a multi-sectoral initiative for the protection, sustainability and enhancement of the island’s coastal and marine resources, celebrated its first anniversary last 24 September 2011, with an impressive list of accomplishments in seven priority areas.

    Following a comprehensive strategy, Malay Mayor John P. Yap recognized the importance of dynamic public-private partnership in achieving tangible improvements after just one year of program implementation.  The Boracay Beach Management Council (BBMC) rallied under the call to action, “Para Sa Boracay Ako! For Boracay I Will…”, and reported the following achievements:

    Local Governance.  With strong leadership and political will, Malay Mayor John P. Yap has pushed for the implementation of the BBMP priority programs. Visitors and residents are reminded to observe municipal ordinances against littering, smoking, extracting sand and pebbles, etc.

    Coastal Resources. Regular beach and underwater clean-up drives have been performed by various volunteer groups. Coastal nurseries supply new corals that are transplanted in degraded reef areas.  Artificial reef domes, deployed in strategic areas, have encouraged the reemergence of new coral species and provide excellent breeding grounds for many fish varieties.  Mangrove growth has been closely monitored.

    Watershed. A comprehensive reforestation plan for 260-hectares is in place.  For 2011, the target is to reforest 63-hectares with 30,000 seedlings produced from the seedling nursery. During the anniversary celebrations, Mayor Yap launched the Adopt-A-Tree program and distributed some 3,000 seedlings to Boracay students and foresters to be planted in their backyards and school grounds.

    Water and Waste Water.  Access to potable water has reached 96% of households, and the sewage treatment plant has been upgraded for environmentally compliant waste water effluent quality.

    Solid Waste. New equipment and upgraded facilities have made garbage collection and processing more effective.

    Hazard Protection.  A Philippine National Red Cross office is now present in Boracay, and emergency response capabilities have been enhanced with trained personnel, new sea patrol craft and upgraded communications equipment.

    Information, Education & Communication.  The “For Boracay I Will” advocacy generated public awareness and cooperation from various stakeholders, and is now ready to reach out to a wider audience with an expanded campaign themed “Sali Ako Dyan!”  For greater social media visibility, a FaceBook page “For Boracay I Will” welcomes posts from the public about their happy memories of Boracay and how to preserve this island paradise for future generations.

    With its previous experience in the United Nations Development Programme’s Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) framework, Petron played a key role in facilitating the formation of the BBMP.  Starting out with a handful of members from the local government units, national government agencies, community organizations, youth groups and the private sector, the Boracay Beach Management Council (BBMC) now counts about 30 proponents.

    These include:  The Municipality of Malay, Aklan; San Miguel Corporation; Petron Corporation; Petron Foundation Inc.; Provincial Government of Aklan; Department of Environment & Natural Resources; Boracay Foundation Inc.; Akelco Boracay; Aklan Provincial Tourism Council; Barangays Balabag, Caticlan, Kabulihan, Manoc-Manoc & Yapak; Boracay Association of Sucba Diving Schools; Boracay Island Hopping Association; Boracay Island Water Company; Boracay Island Special Fire Protection Unit; Boracay Land Transportation Multi-Purpose Cooperative; Boracay Solid Waste Management Team; Boracay Special Tourist Police Office; Boracay Yuppies; Coast Guard Detachment-Boracay; Department of Tourism-Boracay; Islander Boracay; Kiwanis Club of Boracay; Lifeguard Boracay; Malay Auxiliary Police; Malay Farm-C; Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PCCI)-Boracay; Rotary Club of Boracay; YES FM 91.1; 605th MARPSTA (Maritime Police); and 61st 1B 31D PA Task Force Boracay.

    Samsung releases variable LCD MV800 Mirror Pop camera

    Gadgets Team
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    Samsung releases variable LCD MV800 Mirror Pop camera

    Samsung isn’t afraid to experiment when it comes to cameras, even though some of their ideas don’t sell that well. Camwhores and self portrait aficionados were truly overwhelmed when the Korean electronics giant released the original 2View line of cameras (which had a small LCD in front to help facilitate self shots and portraits for FB) and we’re happy to say that the company is continuing that line with the MV800 Mirror Pop digital camera. While it looks like your typical camera, the MV800 puts a clever twist that increases its functionality and makes it the camera of choice for self-shot addicts.

    That particular twist is that the MV800’s 3-inch touchscreen has the ability to flips 180 degrees up towards the subject, allowing you to take self-portraits and profile pictures with ease. It also makes the MV800 extremely versatile when it comes to shot framing, as anyone with an DSLR with a vari-angle screen will tell you. Since the screen covers the shutter when it’s completely rotated up, Samsung has placed a secondary shutter at the back that works exactly the same way – half press to focus, press firmly to shoot.

    The MV800 also has a couple of other tricks up its sleeve, which mainly consists of different shooting modes like PIP, Funny Face (allows you to morph pictures without a PC, good for a laugh), Live Panorama and a number of creative filters (Sepia, etc.). This 16-megapixel camera is also capable of 5x optical zoom, takes microSD cards and will retail for Php 14,990.

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

     

     

    Sony makes you hold up your arms for prizes, chance at $10,000 prize

    Gadgets Team
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    1
    Sony makes you hold up your arms for prizes, chance at $10,000 prize

    We’ve heard of unusual contests, but this just takes the cake. Sony is currently running a contest to pimp their latest game, Uncharted 3, which involves you grabbing a ring and holding your arm up longer than anyone else. We wish we were making this stuff up, but sadly we’re not – the whole point of the contest is to see who can hold up their arms for the longest time. Seems like Sony’s giving out prizes for peeps who’re destined to become butlers, with the company shelling out $500 for the person who managed to hold their arms up longest for a day, and $10,000 big ones for the person who has the longest time overall. You’ll also be able to grab different weapon and clothing unlocks of the multiplayer version of the game depending on how long you’ve held out your arm. The contest is only open to US residents though, but if you want to prove you got arm hanging skills, you can go to the official site here.

    Western Digital unveils new WD TV Live and My Passport Studio

    Gadgets Team
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    0
    Western Digital unveils new WD TV Live and My Passport Studio

    Western Digital continues to impress us with an array of useful devices that could very well be classified as necessities in the home of the future. Meet the WDTV Live and the My Passport Studio, which just might be your next best friend.

    After releasing the My Book Live, which allows smartphone and tablet users to access their files anywhere in the world, Western Digital follows up with the introduction of the new WDTV Live, a Wi-Fi enabled streaming media player that can turn any television into an Internet TV.

    All you need to to is connect the WD TV Live to the web using your existing home network either via Ethernet or wirelessly, and once it latches on, you have access to the web. Once connected, the user interface provides several apps, games and services such as YouTube, Facebook, Picasa Web Albums and Dailymotion. Moreover, while WD provides a user friendly physical remote control, what’s even better is that you can use your tablet or smartphone as a remote as well.

    The WDTV Live is a DLNA-certified device, which means it can communicate and share with other compatible devices. If you want to enjoy your media files, you can also access them via the traditional built-in USB port, or you can pick up a My Book Live and stream your media wirelessly from there too.


    Wait, we’re not done yet. WD also unveiled the new My Passport Studio, which has been designed specifically for Macs and Apple Time Machine. It features a sleek all-metal design, with capacities ranging from 500GB to 1TB.

    What makes the n My Passport Studio great is that not only can it connect via USB 2.0,b ut it features two FireWire 800 ports that allow you to daisy-chain up to 5 My Passport Studios together, which can provide a maximum of 5TB of storage. While in daisy chain mode, you can still access the drives indvidually as well assign them their own passwords for protection.

     

    Suggest Retail Prices:

    WDTV Live –  Php 5,490

    My Passport Studio
    500GB – Php 5,435 
    750GB – Php 6279
    1TB – Php 7237

     

    BlackBerry Curve 9360 gets priced, yours at Php 16,990

    Gadgets Team
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    0
    BlackBerry Curve 9360 gets priced, yours at Php 16,990

    Well, it took longer than we thought, but the BlackBerry Curve 9360 finally has an official price tag attached to it. RIM’s latest Curve sporting  BlackBerry OS 7, 800MHz processor, 2.4-inch screen and 512MB of on-board memory can now be yours at Php 16,990 through carriers and authorized retail channels. So, will you get yours today?

    Samsung Galaxy Note becomes official – 5.3-inch monster screen, available in mid-November

    Gadgets Team
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    1
    Samsung Galaxy Note becomes official – 5.3-inch monster screen, available in mid-November

    Just when we thought that 4.3-inch screens were stretching the limits of what could fit in our hands, Samsung comes out with their Galaxy Note, a truly massive smartphone/tablet hybrid that dwarfs everything before it. The Galaxy Note is equipped with a mammoth 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED display, a high-resolution smart screen that provides an extremely vivid and best-in-class viewing experience. The screen is paired with an advanced pen-input technology, called the S Pen, which does exactly what a pen does and gives users an alternative input method to do accurate sketching and artwork, as well as write notes and other documents naturally via handwriting recognition tech. 

    Powering this monster is a dual-core 1.4GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor with a Mali-400MP GPU. The device will ship with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) but we have no doubt that it’ll probably get an ICS updated in the future (considering that Samsung made the first ICS device ever, the Galaxy Nexus). The Galaxy Note is able to hop onto the web using Wi-Fi and 3G (HSPA+) and has an 8 megapixel camera in the back for those moments you want to treasure. No word on the price yet, but Samsung tells us that the Galaxy Note should be hitting the streets come mid-November.

     

    WD My Book Live: your own personal cloud storage

    Gadgets Team
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    3
    WD My Book Live: your own personal cloud storage

    How would you like to access your files anywhere in the world without carrying around an external hard drive? Well, that’s exactly what Western Digital offers with the new My Book Live – your own personal cloud storage.

    All you have to do is simply set up the My Book Live in your home network (compatible with both Mac and PC), and once its hooked up to your wirless router, you can now access your files on any iOS or Android device anywhere in the world via the free WD2GO app. The best part is that there’s no monthly fees for this personal cloud space. All you pay for is the initial purchase of the My Book Live itself, with capacities ranging from 1TB-3TB.

    So if you’re on vacation and want to view photos you have stored on your My Book Live back home, you can do so with ease.  Additionally, if you have a Wi-Fi enabled or DLNA-certified TV or media player, you can enjoy your media wherever you are. And you’ll never have to worry about forgetting to bring a vital document or file to a business meeting or presentation. Oh, and don’t worry about security, for you can password protect the My Book Live, which features the same encryption standard used in banks.

    The applications of the My Book Live are limitless, and it might possibly be the product that introduces the next generation of storing and accessing digital files. You can practically say goodbye to carrying around a bulky external drive,for as long as you have Internet connectivity, you’re all set. With the My Book Live acting as your own personal cloud storage, being on-the-go just got better.

    The My Book Live is available locally. Suggested Retail Prices:

    My Book Live: 
    1TB – Php 6,990
    2TB – Php 8,290
    3TB – Php10,590

    The WD2GO app is free, but you can avail of the WD2GO Pro for USD 2.99 (Php 43)

    Set your charging time with the Dialug

    Gadgets Team
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    0
    Set your charging time with the Dialug

    I know there’s that rule about over-charging your gadgets or draining the battery first before you charge (or NOT draining the battery before you charge) lest you want to shorten the lifespan of their batteries. Personally, I have a habit of just leaving my gadgets plugged until I’m ready to use them (or more often than not, when I remember to unplug them). Now you can be reminded not to overcharge you gadgets with the Dialug.

    The Dialug is a plug that turns (like a dial) and becomes a timer of sorts. Just turn it counter-clockwise to power sign to set for regular use and clockwise to set timer for gadgets that need only limited time of power. Designed by DanBee Lee, JangSoo Kim, KyoYeon Kim & WooRi Kim, the Dialug is an iF concept design entry and an eco-friendly solution to accidental waste of electricity.

     

    Source: Trendhunter

    First impressions: ASUS Zenbook

    Gadgets Team
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    5
    First impressions: ASUS Zenbook

    When ASUS decided to launch its newest, most incredible ultrabook in one of the most serene and eco-friendly destinations in the Philippines, we knew that this was going to have to live up to its name and the reputation attached to it. The ASUS Zenbook is a whole new breed of notebook, if you will, which “encourages people to seek greater meaning in their interactions with technology, rather than simply offer new gadgets.” Though while the sudden downpour in El Nido, Palawan somewhat dampened what would have been a Zen-like experience for any tourist, the ASUS Zenbook (both the UX21 and the UX31), upon seeing its “incredible” design, gave us all the feeling that this is exactly how a very tranquil and “Zen” ultrabook  should look like.

    Of course, the Zenbook isn’t all looks and goes beyond what most people would think an “ultrabook” is: slim with very slim-pickings. But there is also no denying that the Zenbook’s design and exterior play a major role in its appeal.

    The 13.3-inch UX31 with a 9mm thickness at the back (3mm in the front)

     

    Its sandblasted aluminum finish gives the Zenbook a luxurious design reminiscent of how a luxury watch is designed, with the same circular patterns.

     

    The generously spaced keys make for an elegant and comfortable keyboard and complement the Zenbook’s overall sleek finish.

     

    But don’t let its ultra-sleek, ultra-chic looks fool you into thinking that this incredibly slim and light ultrabook is going to give you slim pickings. From its brief debut before our very eyes, there are already some things even a girl like me is incredibly excited about. Aside from the way it looks (and yes, it looks rather reminiscent of another popular ultrabook but alas, this one runs on Windows thank the heavens), the Zenbook (upon opening and coming from sleep mode), turns on in just two seconds and can last about 2 weeks in sleep. The Bang & Olufsen ICEpower SonicMaster it uses isn’t stingy on sound either. And the fact that they both run on the 2nd generation Core processors just goes to show that you CAN once again “believe in love at first sight” especially when you’ve got something as incredible as the Zenbook keeping you feeling Zen both inside and out.

    The UX31 retails at Php 59,995 while the Ux21 retails at Php 53,995. Both will be available the last week of November.

     

    Is the Transformer Prime launching on Nov. 9?

    Gadgets Team
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    2
    Is the Transformer Prime launching on Nov. 9?

    We’re all excited about ASUS’ soon to be released tablet, the Transformer Prime. Who wouldn’t be, right? With dimensions that’ll rival their Zenbook and an insanely powerful processor behind it, it may turn out to be one of their finest products yet. So yeah, we were pretty darn stoked when we heard that the Prime might be officially launched on November 9, which is only a few days away (6 days to be exact) if the folks at NetbookNews.de are to be believed. Some of ASUS’ internal slides have seen the light of day, and point to a November 9 launch. In addition, the leaked slides hint two more major launches in the first quarter of 2012, one of which would most definitely be the Padfone. We’re still not sure what the other one is, but who knows, we may get a confirmation in the next few days.

    Via: Phandroid

    Source: NetbookNews.de

    Globe adds free music to their mobile web portal, free tunes for everyone

    Gadgets Team
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    Globe adds free music to their mobile web portal, free tunes for everyone

    Love mobile music but don’t have the cash to drop on an expensive player? Well, Globe’s got your back, and has added a whole bunch of popular hits on their m.globe mobile portal that you can listen to and download directly to your phone. You’ll now be able to enjoy music from Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, Eminem, Demi Lovato, LMFAO, Kelly Clarkson, American Idol finalists, and many other chart-topping artists right on your mobile phone. You’ll be able to do this for free till November 12, 2011 by logging on to their site using your mobile device at http://m.globe.com.ph/freesongs or by texting M.GLOBE to 2910. Take note that downloading songs is free but access to external sites is subject to internet charges unless registered to a mobile browsing promo.

    Apple confirms that iOS 5 bugs are draining iPhone batteries faster than normal

    Gadgets Team
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    1
    Apple confirms that iOS 5 bugs are draining iPhone batteries faster than normal

    We’ve been hearing a fair number of grumblings on the web about users experiencing less than stellar battery life with the iPhone 4S and other iPhones that have been updated to iOS 5, and it seems that Apple has officially acknowledged that the issue exists. All Things D reports that Apple has sent official word on the issue, saying that “A small number of customers have reported lower than expected battery life on iOS 5 devices. We have found a few bugs that are affecting battery life and we will release a software update to address those in a few weeks.” There are some fixes being suggested by users (which include turning off notifications and other things) unfortunately, there’s currently no known workaround available for users who are experiencing the battery problems, which means they’ll have to wait until Apple sends the firmware update for them to enjoy their iPhones they were intended.

    Source: All Things D

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