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    Review: Samsung ST700 digital camera

    Gadgets Team
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    Review: Samsung ST700 digital camera

     

    A few months ago, my purse was stolen while I was at an anniversary party for one popular semi-underground indie bar. Now I didn’t mind that my wallet or even my banged up 3-year old phone with all of my contacts was in that purse. What hurt the most was to lose the camera my husband had given me two Christmases ago: a Samsung IT100. He’d gotten it for me after he learned that it was a camera I really enjoyed using (after having reviewed it earlier that year). Not only did I love that camera, my own sisters loved it too that they decided to make me the “official photographer” of all our nights-out. My one sister was so envious; she went off and bought herself a Samsung TL205.

    So when I was given the chance to review the Samsung ST700, I was absolutely excited to see what it could do. Being pleased with the results and performance of my last camera, I immediately (and perhaps, haphazardly) had high hopes for this model.

    Now you couldn’t exactly hold that against me especially once you open the box and see this incredibly chic and shiny camera sitting in it. As it is a DualView camera, the camera face is a mirror—one clear enough for you to check your own makeup with—and where you can find a 1.8-inch front LCD screen and comes with a 5x optical zoom lens starting at 26mm equivalent and a 16-megapixel sensor. At the back is a 3-inch LCD touchscreen with one home button at the bottom right-hand corner. On top is your Playback button, Power button, shutter with zoom, and F.LCD button to activate the front LCD for more accurate self-portraits. Hidden behind a right-hand side compartment is a USB slot for the charger and the AV as well as a slot for an HDMI cable. The bottom latch is for the lithium-ion battery and the 4GB microSD card (which the camera already comes with).

    But that’s as far as it goes when it comes to anything external. Everything else you can find inside the 3-inch LCD touchscreen. Press the Home button and you’ll find an array of features and functions, separated into four pages, if you will, which you slide to the left. The first page includes: Smart Auto, Program, Smart Movie, Self Shot, Children, Pose Guide, Album and Settings. The second page: Jump Shot, Movie, Scene, Vignetting, Beauty Shot, Magic Frame, Photo Editor, Photo Filter. The third: Movie Filter, Night, Palette Effect, Close Up, Simple Shot, DUAL IS, Slide Show, Voice Recorder. On the fourth is Magazine View.

    All these can be activated with just one touch. And with all of these intuitive features to fiddle with, you’re sure to be entertained and amused with all the kinds of shots you can take and how you want to present them. Of course, I went straight for the Beauty Shot function to see how Samsung could’ve possibly improved this God-send of a technology. Now if my old camera just had one setting for the Beauty Shot, this model allows you to adjust the Face Tone (brightness) and the Face Retouch (blur and “smoothness”), though I suggest you just keep both settings on high for quick and painless photo-editing results.

    Now I do have to admit that despite the intuitive interface and the pictures that came with each function (so you know what does what), I did have trouble getting around the camera via the touchscreen. I guess you can say that I’m not used to having to press and drag a screen using a significant amount of pressure. So maneuvering isn’t as quick as I’d like. But nevertheless, the Samsung ST700 can be an awesome digital camera to own, if you don’t mind man-handling it a little.

     

    Specifications:

    Megapixel count: 16-megapixels

    Zoom and optics: 5x zoom; optical x digital: 25x

    Physical Dimension: 99 x 55 x 20 mm

    Weight: 121g (without battery and memory card)

    Estimated battery life: Approx. 180 shots

    Memory used/internal capacity: External memory: Micro SD Card (up to 4GB) Micro SDHC (up to 8GB)

     

    What’s Hot:

    • DualView camera

    • Chic design

     

    What’s Not:

    • Touchscreen not as tactile

    • Lackluster functions and results

     

    Buy Meter: 7.9

     

    Bottomline:

    For those who want amazing and accurate self-portraits as well as a break from your run-of-the-mill photo, the Samsung ST700 is your camera of choice.

    Survey says: people prefer a Windows tablet

    Gadgets Team
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    Survey says: people prefer a Windows tablet

    A survey conducted by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has revealed that a majority of consumers would surprisingly prefer to purchase a Windows tablet, despite Apple’s apparent domination in the market.

    It’s not just BCG that reports this surprising result. Sarah Rotman Epps, a researcher for the independent research company Forrester, says that “Only 9% of consumers considering buying a tablet actively prefer an Android tablet — compared with 16% who prefer iOS and 46% who prefer Windows.”

    However, we must consider that these surveys were conducted before the untimely demise of Steve Jobs. What is apparent is that Apple will be in a delicate push-and-pull stage, and it will be interesting to see how things unfold, especially with Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) gearing up for release.

    Moreover, while the survey above only reflects the wants of consumers in the US and China, do you think a majority of Filipinos would also prefer a tablet running Windows? I don’t know about you, but I’m eagerly awaiting the release of Windows 8 on tablets, which is slated to come soon. In the meantime, you can check out John’s hands on preview of the dev’s build.

    Show your evil side with PowerColor’s Devil 13 6970 videocard, tail and horns not included

    Gadgets Team
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    Show your evil side with PowerColor’s Devil 13 6970 videocard, tail and horns not included

    Any PC gamer worth his salt knows that October signifies the start of the flood of AAA titles for the holiday season. Instead of wondering if your aged rig can handle all the sweet, sweet games coming (Battlefield 3, Batman Arkham City, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim) you can, you know, make sure. And what better way to make sure that you’ll be ready for the glut of games that are rampaging your way than scoring yourself PowerColor’s Devil 13 branded 6970. With a default clock speed of 880MHz and 1375MHz memory speed means that it’s ready and able to tackle your games right out of the box. Need more performance quick? No problem – a quick flick of the OC switch cranks up the performance by 10%. If you’re the type of person that still needs more performance, you can easily and safely overclock this bad boy via voltage measurement points to monitor the GPU voltage by using multimeters. There’s no word on how much this bad boy will be and when it’ll be available, but you can be sure the answers for both will be “expensive” and “soon”.

     

    Smart plans to launch Rocket WiFi Plus, spreads HSPA+ love around

    Gadgets Team
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    Smart plans to launch Rocket WiFi Plus, spreads HSPA+ love around

    Love Smart’s Rocket HSPA+ USB stick but want to spread the high-speed love around? Don’t worry, you’ll be able to do that soon. Smart has announced that it’ll be releasing the Rocket WiFi Plus soon. allowing users to share their speedy connections to different devices like smartphones and tablets. The new entry into Smart’s HSPA+ capable line promises even faster speeds than the initial Rocket USB stick – according to Smart Broadband Internet and Data Services Head Gio Bacareza,“If you thought the 12Mbps Rocket Plug-It was already ahead of its time, the Rocket WiFi Plus will blast you off even farther into the future. The Rocket WiFi Plus can reach a ‘conservative’ 20Mbps on our 42Mbps network.”

    Smart has started to take pre-orders for the Rocket WiFi Plus, with units retailing for P6,495 a pop which comes with 180MB preload. The Rocket WiFi is available exclusively in prepaid and uses the same P200/180 MB pricing scheme as that of the Rocket Plug It. If you want to preorder yours, you can go to www.smart.com.ph/bro.

    Sony looks to take over mobile business, buying out Ericsson?

    Gadgets Team
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    Sony looks to take over mobile business, buying out Ericsson?

    Sony Ericsson isn’t doing well in the smartphone industry globally, and though it’s managed to find a hit once in a while, it seems that’s not enough for Sony. The Wall Street Journal reports that Sony is looking to buy out Ericsson’s part in the partnership. For those who don’t know, the brand is a 50-50 partnership between Sony and Ericsson, and has been so for ten years. The move may have been triggered by the launch of Sony’s Android tablets under the Sony name and not Sony Ericsson. If the deal does go through, Sony will have a better chance of integrating its mobile services for smartphones, tablets and handheld gaming devices, and maybe, just maybe, it’ll have a shot competing with fair footing with the other Android heavyweights.

    Source: WSJ

    Cybercriminals remember Steve Jobs….through scamming in his memory

    Gadgets Team
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    Cybercriminals remember Steve Jobs….through scamming in his memory

    Whenever a big story or scandal hits the front pages of websites everywhere, you can be sure that cybercriminals find a way to use it to their advantage. Case in point: Steve Jobs’ death. Trend Micro has given us a head’s up of a new scam that’s currently hitting Facebook, with the premise of giving participants a free iPad courtesy of Apple in Job’s memory.

    According to Trend Micro, the scam works by asking users to share the page in order to be eligible. After the user follows the instructions, he is directed to an ad site, while in the background, the link is posted on their Facebook wall. A message then appears with the message that the offer is not available in the user’s area, with the user being shown advertisements instead. While the hapless user is trying to figure out what happened, the scammers are now a wee bit richer, thanks to the users who further spread the message through their account, and the ad revenue generated from the ads.

    “ As dubious as the offer sounds, it seems like some users are falling for the scheme. Here in TrendLabs we are seeing increasing number of posts bearing the website’s URL,” Marco deLa Vega, Trend Micro, Threats Researcher.

    “The deaths of known persons have become staple topics of social engineering schemes for the past years. Just a couple of months ago, we saw scams that took advantage of the death of singer Amy Winehouse, as well as rumors about the death of Lady Gaga.  We are strongly advising users not to click on posts like these if they see them on their Facebook newsfeeds. We also suggest users to educate those who have been tricked to stop the spread of such scams,” Dela Vega added.

    The lesson here is this: if it sounds too good to be true, then it’s probably a scam.

    Print more with less with the Canon Pixma E500

    Gadgets Team
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    Print more with less with the Canon Pixma E500

    It’s an open secret that companies that make and sell printers don’t make money off of the printers themselves – no, the real cash is in the inks that you use. Unfortunately, printer inks are pretty damn expensive – some have even said that it costs twice as much as human blood. It’s no surprise though, that a lot of pinoys go down the remanufactured or the CIS (continuous ink system) route in an effort to spare themselves from the bite of high printer ink prices. Well, Canon has heard your cries for lower prices for their inks and have released the Pixma E500 – an affordable multi-function printer that uses affordable inks.

    The Pixma E500 is your typical multi-function printer styled in a nice, gloss black finish. The real draw of the E500, like we mentioned before, is the price of its inks – Php 595 for black and 695 for color which Canon says should last you up to 1,200 pages (for the set). The E500 also has a couple of other nice features – PC-less photo enhancement via the Auto Photo Fix II, filter effects and D.C.G. processing technology.

    Probably the real question here is if the Pixma E500 will be able to compete with its other low-ink cost competitors – HP has already had a couple of printers that uses low cost ink (and several models are able to take XL tanks) and EPSON has recently announced their own ink-tank printers (in an effort to compete with CIS systems that utilize their hardware, no doubt) that offer ridiculously low cost per page. Canon, for their part, is confident that the Pixma E500 will be able to stand out in the market, simply because the printer doesn’t just deliver low cost prints – the E500 is also capable of delivering top quality photo prints, something that other low cost printers typically struggle at.

    To entice users to buy the E500, Canon is giving away a Rudy Project watch and a running armband that’s collectively worth Php 4,300

    The new Canon Pixma E500 will retail for Php 4,495.

    Experience Xperia at the Sony Ericsson 3D Expo

    Gadgets Team
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    Experience Xperia at the Sony Ericsson 3D Expo

    Sony Ericsson unveiled two new Android models, Sony Ericsson Xperia ray and Xperia active, at the Sony Ericsson 3D Expo in SM North EDSA Cyberzone earlier today. They will be showcasing their new Android smartphones in the three-day Sony Ericsson 3D Expo (October 7-9).

    “By working closely with Sony to incorporate Sony technology innovations into mobile, we are best equipped to provide a superior experience of Android.  We’re aiming for the lead position in the Android arena and with products such as Xperia ray, Xperia active and Xperia PLAY, we are moving closer,” said Dennis Manzano, Sony Ericsson General Manager.

    The first of these smartphones with 3D image capture is the Xperia ray, an elegant smartphone with a side profile of only 9.4mm and a 3.3-inch touchscreen.  The Xperia ray’s body is based on a genuine aluminum frame, visible on each side of the display. The front face is made of clear black scratch resistant glass with integrated touch keys.  It also packs an 8.1-megapixel camera with Exmor R for mobile and the Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine, as well as a front-facing camera for self-portraits and video chats.  The Xperia ray also represents power and speed, and has a battery similar in size to larger smartphones.

    The Sony Ericsson Xperia active aims for consumers with a fit and active lifestyle, being dust-proof, scratch-resistant and water resistant.  The smartphone also incorporates wet finger tracking, ensuring great performance even when the phone or the user’s fingers are wet.  The Xperia active comes with sports apps such as iMapMyFitness plus built-in GPS, barometer and compass functionality.  With a 3-inch screen and running the latest Android platform for smartphones (Gingerbread 2.3), the phone features Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine, a 5-megapixel camera with HD video functionality, and a powerful 1Ghz processor.

    Both smartphones carry Facebook inside Xperia, which makes Facebook immediately accessible to one’s picture gallery, music player, phonebook and calendar; and the Sony Ericsson exclusive Timescape application, which brings all communication with one contact, whether email, SMS or calls, into one place.  Another new Sony feature available in both handsets is xLOUD, a feature that enhances and improves volume in the loudspeaker during playback.

    The Sony Ericsson 3D Expo will travel to other SM Cyberzones including SM Baguio (November 18-20) and SM Marikina (December 9-11).  More locations are to be announced soon.  For more details, visit the Sony Ericsson Concept Shops.  Join the Sony Ericsson PH community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sonyericsson.ph.

     

    Gadgets Magazine breaks boundaries this October

    Gadgets Team
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    Gadgets Magazine breaks boundaries this October

    Keep in touch, stay connected, whenever, and just about wherever. And you don’t need to be latched to a wire to do so. That’s why Gadgets Magazine focuses on the wonderful world of wireless communications and solutions where life is made easier and simpler and you are given more freedom and less limitations. Young beauty Bela Padilla also helps us introduce today’s latest gadgets as she gets ready on a carefree night out on the town.

    So what are you waiting for? Grab your copy now!

     

    Cisco refreshes E-series of routers, are still drop dead sexy

    Gadgets Team
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    Cisco refreshes E-series of routers, are still drop dead sexy

    After sexy-fying their Linksys E series of routers back in May, Cisco has launched a refresh of the drop-dead gorgeous gateways of the internets.

    The new products keep the sleek, beautiful lines of the previous devices, while receiving a speed upgrade of 450 Mbps, 3 x 3 spatial stream configuration for better coverage, external power amplifiers for better signal strength and virtual USB tech for printers, storage media and other devices on the network.

    Also launched were the WES610N Dual-Band Wireless N Entertainment Bridge which basically adds WiFi functionality to wired devices like network streamers, PCs and TVs, and the Linksys RE1000 Wireless-N Range Extender, which pretty much does what it’s name suggests – extend your router’s range to eliminate WiFi dead spots in your home.

    The new routers and products ships with Cisco’s Connect Software, which allows even the most clueless of computer users to set-up and secure their home wireless network without calling in an IT guy or equivalent. The software also adds additional functionality which includes parental controls, a guest network for visitors (to isolate them from your home network), measure broadband speed and so on.

    The new E series of routers start at Php 2,895 for the basic E1200-N up to Php 8,595 for the top of the line Linksys E4200.

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

     

    The Story Behind the Iconic Image of Steve Jobs

    Gadgets Team
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    The Story Behind the Iconic Image of Steve Jobs

    The story behind this now iconic photograph of Steve Jobs, captures the essence of who he was.

    Jobs’ intense temperament was no secret to the world, and this did not exactly make him the ideal subject for photographers. Then again, you can’t expect a brilliant visionary to simply sit down and be directed by somebody else.

    An eye-opening article published in PDN Pulse details various photographers’ experiences with Steve as their subject.

    Shot in 2008 by the legendary Albert Watson, the now iconic photograph was captured using a 4×5 Horseman large format film camera. Watson recalls Jobs initial reaction upon entering the room:

    “[Jobs] said, ‘Wow, you’re shooting film.”

    “[Watson] said, ‘I don’t feel like digital is quite here yet.’ And he said, ‘I agree,’ then he turned and looked at me and said, ‘But we’ll get there.’”

    What make this photograph compelling is that you can’t help but wonder about the endless possibilities of greatness brewing inside his mind. In order to capture this raw charisma, Watson told Jobs: ‘[T]hink about the next project you have on the table,’ and “instances where people have challenged [you]”.

     
     
     
    To read the entire article, hop on over to PDN Pulse.
     

    LG Optimus 3D finally launched, deets and price inside

    Gadgets Team
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    LG Optimus 3D finally launched, deets and price inside

    After relentless months of continuous teasing, LG’s Optimus 3D, the company’s first 3D smartphone has finally landed locally. The Optimus 3D still sports a large, 4.3-inch 3D LCD touchscreen, a dual-core, 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 processor, 8GB of storage and comes with a 3D capable 5 megapixel camera for taking 3D photos and videos (though you’re limited to 720P for 3D videos, 1080P for good ol’ 2D).

    In line with their partnership with Gameloft, the Optimus 3D will also ship with a 10 3D games, including Asphalt 6: Adrenaline, N.O.V.A. — Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance and Let’s Golf! 2. Users will be able to play 3 games on the device immediately, with the other 7 being available as a free download.

    Sadly, the Optimus 3D will initially sport Froyo (Android 2.2) when it hits stores, but will be eligible for a Gingerbread update (and hopefully, Ice Cream Sandwich). The device is also able to output 3D to capable TV sets. The 3D effect doesn’t require glasses, and for the most part does its job well. The question remains though if the draw of 3D is going to be enough for people to drop the required Php 29,999 on the device.

    Nano architecture gives you your own modern space

    Gadgets Team
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    Nano architecture gives you your own modern space

    My demography professor made it very clear to me as we studied human population and growth, is that as we continue to multiply and grow in number along with our unlimited wants and needs, the fact remains that our resources remain limited. And one resource people may underestimate what for all the wasted of land used for parking lots, is that of space.

    Nano House: Innovations for Smaller Dwellings by Phyllis Richardson features a variety of alternative shelters that are more ecological, flexible, and efficient while infusing a modern sense of style and comfort. Forty small-scale habitats in the book showcase innovative solutions for houses where space is at a premium and nature as well as surroundings is preserved.

    One example is the Soe Ker Tie House, designed specifically for disasters with its easy-to-assemble above ground structure. Something many of our own fellow flood victims might want to consider. Or even those who want to migrate to our congested cities.

     

    Source: Coolhunting

    Epson announces two new printer series with extremely low costs per page

    Gadgets Team
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    1
    Epson announces two new printer series with extremely low costs per page

    Epson has unveiled two brand new printer series aimed to bring about maximum efficiency in both productivity and cost. Targeted at small and medium workspaces, the L-series is the world’s 1st genuine ink tank printers, while the K series is the world’s only mono inkjet printers that rivals and even surpasses the efficiency and cost cutting of laser printers.

    The L-series is the “world’s first genuine ink tank printers” and consists of the L100, L200 and L800, which are touted to have the lowest cost per page (CPP) in today’s market. The L100 and L200 are four-ink color printers, and out of the box, they are able to print up to 4000 monochrome pages with a CPP of only Php 0.06, and 6500 color pages at Php 0.12 a page. The L800, which is a dedicated six-ink photo printer, can print up to 1,800 4R size photos at only Php 1.67 per 4R print before requiring a refill.

    The L-Series features Fast Ink Top-up (FIT) technology that is comprised of three carefully engineered components: ink tanks, special ink tubes and a choke valve to ensure easy refilling and transportation of the printers. The L-Series connects via USB 2.0, and is only compatible with Windows XP/XP Professinal X64/Vista and 7. It is not compatible with Macs.

    For those that only need to print black and white documents, the Epson K-series offers the quality and efficiency of a laser printer in their dedicated monochrome inkjet printers. This particular line consists of the K100 (monochrome inkjet printer), K200 (All-in-One monochrome printer) and the K300 (all-in-one monochrome printer with automatic document feeder).

    The printers are said to have a mere Php 0.45 cost per page which is 70% lower than laser printers in a similar price range. In its default mode, the K-series printers are able to print at speeds of 16 pages per minute (PPM) and can reach as high as 37 PPM in draft mode, which is useful in times of urgency.

    They are equipped with Epson’s DURABrite Ultra pigment ink, which is resistant to water, smudges and fading. They are also able to print on photo paper and various other media. To top it all off, it has a built-in Ethernet for easy network sharing and consumes 70% less power than laser printers. The K-Series is compatible with Windows XP/XP Professinal X64/Vista and 7. It is also compatible with Mac OS 1.4.11 and later.

    Suggested Retail Prices:
    L100 – Php 7,800
    L200 – Php 9,360
    L800 – Php 13,800
    K100 – Php 6,195
    K200 – Php 8,495
    K300 – Php 9,495
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