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    Studies say surfing the web at work increases your productivity

    Gadgets Team
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    Studies say surfing the web at work increases your productivity

    We’re almost always online here at Gadgets Magazine, but not all companies enjoy such lax internet restrictions like us. Some places restrict access to the internet to only a couple of productivity sites or more often than not, bans the use of the internet completely. Well, it seems that restricting web access is counterproductive – a study done by Don J.Q. Chen and Vivien K.G Lim of the National University of Singapore entitled “Impact of Cyberloafing on Psychological Engagement” says that web browsing refreshes tired workers and improves productivity.

    Here’s how they did it: they formed three groups which basically did the same thing, which was to highlight all the letter e’s in a particular article. The two groups – rest-break and web-browse – would then take a break after 20 minutes of doing the task, with the rest-break group being able to do anything they wished except browse the web and the web-browse group, obviously browse any website they wanted. The last group (control) was assigned to another simple task after the first.

    The researchers observed that the people who browsed the web were significantly more productive and effective at the tasks than those in the other two groups and reported lower levels of mental exhaustion, boredom and higher levels of engagement.

    So the next time your boss cites you for browsing the web at work, you can always say it’s making you more productive – just don’t blame us when he doesn’t see it your way.

    Source: Wall Street Journal

    PLDT partners with Microsoft and Dimension Data to launch private cloud computing solutions

    Gadgets Team
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    PLDT partners with Microsoft and Dimension Data to launch private cloud computing solutions

    One of the biggest problems that businesses face is creating and managing their IT infrastructure. Solutions and applications like Microsoft Exchange for enterprise-level applications require large amounts of capital to implement, not to mention any Microsoft Exchange Monitoring one might need to maintain this network. In businesses that already have programs like Microsoft Exchange for example, 60% of them use the older version, with the cost of licenses being the main hurdle. But what if businesses could turn these capital expenditures to operating expenditures, allowing them to expand their software capabilities without shelling out ridiculous amounts of money building their infrastructure?

    PLDT, together with Microsoft and Dimension Data has the answer under the PLDT AppFarm Private Cloud Services portfolio. The service includes Microsoft’s productivity and infrastructure software offerings which include the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, Microsoft Sharepoint Server 2010, Microsoft Lync Server 2010 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V. Under the three-way agreement, PLDT will carry and distribute Microsoft applications under a service provider licensing agreement (SPLA) while Dimension Data will provide the necessary infrastructure and technical support for all projects using its “Onecloud” framework.

    The service model is based on a “Private-Cloud” approach, where businesses can fully outsource end-to-end implementation of their chosen Microsoft solutions on a turn-key arrangement, all the whil ensuring complete data security and maintaining full control of the system, with the infrastructure residing at their own premises.

     

    Andy Warhol houses (and protects) your Apple

    Gadgets Team
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    Andy Warhol houses (and protects) your Apple

    Maybe it’s because I just finished watching “Exit Through the Gift Shop” or maybe it’s because of the big Andy Warhol-inspired portrait of myself hanging on the wall. But if I did decide to spend on a cover for any of my Apple devices, the Andy Warhol protective cases would make a great first choice. Classic, iconic, and definitely commemorative of our time, these cases are in a complete league of their own, thus need no immediate replacing with the newer (and probably less cooler) designs.

    Designs include drawing and film images of Elvis, the banana, Warhol’s telephone, and the Empire State Building and begin at almost $40.

     

    Source: Trendhunter

     

    ASRock releases Gen3 and Fatal1ty branded motherboards

    Gadgets Team
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    ASRock releases Gen3 and Fatal1ty branded motherboards

    ASRock’s made a big push today at the recently concluded Philippine leg of their Fatal1ty Global tour held in the EDSA Shangri-La with the release of their Gen3 motherboard series, which included the Fatal1ty branded version that’s going to be marketed towards competitive gamers.

    The company is particularly proud of the new tech in the boards which they say will be the first such board to work with PCI Express 3.0 specification, offering more bandwidth to enable faster communication between components inside a system.

    Also present during the event was Jonathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, who has collaborated with ASRock to release motherboards aimed at competitive gamers.

    His Fatal1ty line of boards which include the Fatal1ty Z68 Professional Gen3 and the Fatal1ty 990FX Professional have all the bells and whistles that you’d expect from a high-end, gaming board which include hi-end components and construction.

    Noteworthy features of the new boards include XFast Lan, which ASRock helps in reducing latency in games by prioritizing gaming traffic, XFast USB which boosts the access speeds for USB and NVIDIA’s NF200 chip which generates more PCI-E lanes for SLI and CrossFireX setups. Unfortunately, there’s no word on pricing and availability yet.

     

     

    Razer says PC gaming is not dead, something big coming on August 26

    Gadgets Team
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    Razer says PC gaming is not dead, something big coming on August 26

    Razer, the go-to brand for PC gaming enthusiasts is up to something big. The gaming brand took out an ad in the Wall Street Journal to address an open letter to Microsoft’s Xbox, Sony’s Playstation and Nintendo’s Wii consoles that PC gaming is not dead. The letter addresses the perception that the PC gaming scene is dead or dying (it’s not) and states that “are more than 300 million PC gamers worldwide and this legion is growing every day” and that come August 26 “we(they) will seek to end the silence and bring a new age of openness and innovation to all gaming.” What that means exactly is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s for sure – we’ll be eagerly anticipating the announcement on the anointed date. Want to know more? You can go to www.pcgamingisnotdead.com.


    iTunes 10.4.1 is released

    Gadgets Team
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    iTunes 10.4.1 is released

    The most recent update to Apple’s media software has just been released, which has been modified for better integration with the new OS X Lion.

    One of its most notable enhancements is the full-screen compatibility with the new operating system, and the rest addresses prevailing problems in the software.

    iTunes 10.4.1 provides a number of improvements, including:

    • Fixes a problem where the media keys on some third-party keyboards work inconsistently with iTunes
    • Addresses issues with adding artwork to songs and videos
    • Resolves an issue which may cause iTunes to become unresponsive when purchasing an HD movie
    • Fixes a problem where iTunes may take longer than expected to open after waking your Mac from sleep
    • Addresses issues with VoiceOver support

     

    If iTunes is your media management program of choice, either head on over to HERE to get the update or you  may do it from within the software itself.

    Who’s suing who – an easy to understand graphic of the current patent war [INFOGRAPHIC]

    Gadgets Team
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    Who’s suing who – an easy to understand graphic of the current patent war [INFOGRAPHIC]

    So Google bought Motorola Mobility a couple of days ago. While Motorola has a lot of things going for it, a lot of people agree that one of the main reasons why El Googs bought it was Motorola’s burgeoning patent warchest – 17,000 patents and counting, which pretty much means that they now have enough ammunition to fight back patent litigation. That’s a good thing, as patents are now being used to pummel rivals into submission, something that Apple has done repeatedly to their competitors over the years. That’s not to say other companies are faultless – figuring out who’s suing who in this suit-happy world has become a challenge even for people who cover the technology beat. To understand the current patent war, the folks at Reuters have compiled this nice infographic to make it all easier to understand.

    Source: Reuters

    Critteroos App makes learning about animals more entertaining

    Gadgets Team
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    Critteroos App makes learning about animals more entertaining

    You may not know this but my first job immediately after I graduated from college was a teaching position at a local private school, and as part of my application, I had to read a children’s story (with as much gusto and pep as most Kindergarten teachers do). I chose The Little Red Hen because I figured I could show off my “animal sounds” while giving a lesson on proper work ethics and personal initiative. Of course, I’d be embarrassed to do anything like that now. Good thing technology has a way of not only saving you from making funny farmyard animal noises, it allows children to learn about them more efficiently.

    Critteroos, a new app for iPad and iPhone uses stock images of animals and gives them life through an interactive game. Designer Clement Mok uses the CMCD Visual Symbols library to create an imaginative series of iPad education software. From learning the different animal sounds, to mix-and-match animal top/bottom halves to animal image and name pairing, children have a more entertaining way to develop their memory and vocabulary skills. But not to stunt creativity, kids can also let their imaginations run wild by creating “Critteroos” or mismatched animals for their own personal amusement which can then be saved to the iPhoto library.

    Critteroos sells for $2 on iTunes

    27,000 Koreans suing Apple for privacy violations

    Gadgets Team
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    27,000 Koreans suing Apple for privacy violations

    Remember the whole tracking bruhaha that Apple was involved a few months ago? Well, 27,000 Koreans still do, and now they’re suing the electronics giant for compensation and are asking for about $932 apiece. While the amount of damage that the suit could do financially isn’t all that bad (which comes out to about $25 million plus change) considering that the company has more money than the US government, the case might set a precedent and encourage more people to take legal action against Apple which will definitely hurt the company in the long run.

    Source: PC World

    Win an iPad 2 in Trend Micro Philippines’ Contest on Facebook

    Gadgets Team
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    Win an iPad 2 in Trend Micro Philippines’ Contest on Facebook

    Trend Micro, one of the leading providers of cloud-based security, is holding a contest on Facebook with an iPad 2 as its grand prize.

    The best part about the contest is that its free and simple to join. If you’re above 17 years old, you simply have to “Like” the Trend Micro Pilipinas page on Facebook, fill up the registration form, and hope for the best (or rather the iPad 2). Referring the page to your friends gives you more chances of winning. (update 8/24/11: Facebook Mobile not supported)

    The contest runs from August 19, 2011 – September 16, 2011.

    Mobile Malware: What you need to know [INFOGRAPHIC]

    Gadgets Team
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    Mobile Malware: What you need to know [INFOGRAPHIC]

    Smartphones are fast becoming the dominant device for communication these days, and it’s not surprising that it’s experiencing the same kind of attention from malware and virus writers as PCs and notebooks have in the past. Many users are blithely unaware of the dangers of malicious software and code. To give you a crash course on the harmful things that’s floating around in the web, we found this particularly handy infographic detailing what you need to know and what you need to do to protect your smartphone and yourself from the creepy-crawlies on the web. Also, if anyone knows who wrote this, please do tell us so we can credit him/her properly. (click on the link above to see the full infographic)

    Gainward announces worldwide overclocking competition

    Gadgets Team
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    Gainward announces worldwide overclocking competition

    Do you have what it takes to take your Gainward GPU to the next level? If you think you can overclock your Gainward video card like a boss, then prove it. Gainward has just announced the the worldwide overclocking competition which will run from the 29th of Aug to the 26th of Sep 2011. The contest is open to all comers with a Gainward GPU and own 3DMark 11. Up for grabs are Gainward video cards from their Phantom series, hi-end PSUs, coolers, SSD drives and wads of cash. Interested? Then hit up this link to find out the official rules and contest specifics.

    The week in review: August 15 – 19

    Gadgets Team
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    The week in review: August 15 – 19

    Last week was a crazy one for the tech world. If you don’t want to be left out of the geek talk this coming week, it’d be best to check the links below of the hot stories you might’ve missed.

    Reviews

    Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 GT-P7500

    Sparkle Calibre X560 Ti

    Panasonic Lumix GF3

    News

    Optimus 3D teased, coming “soon”

    Google buys Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion

    Telebabad Retro: Moshi Moshi POP Phone

    “Get inside the Ferrari” with Kaspersky

    Razer outs Battlefield 3 skinned BlackWidow Ultimate, Imperator, Scarab and Onza peripherals

    HP selling off PC business, going the way of IBM

    RIP, webOS – we hardly knew you

    Globe unveils customizable broadband plan, Tattoo@Home

    Razer unveils first discrete 7.1 surround sound headset

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Samsung Home Appliances: Beautiful form, smart functionality

    Gadgets Team
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    Samsung Home Appliances: Beautiful form, smart functionality

    Now, your home appliances can blend beautifully into the luxurious aesthetic of your home. With premium products from Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation (SEPCO), you get both high-quality function and form and perhaps, even a smart piece of art.

    The Samsung Scout Washing Machine brings more power and greater washing performance with its energy-saving Eco Bubble Technology. The Eco Bubble Technology allows consumers to save up to 70% on energy. Its sleek and classy diamond drum provides greater fabric care as smaller water exit holes lessen the chance of delicate clothing snagging into them. The Samsung Scout Washing Machine is truly an amazing and durable washer-dryer combo as it comes with a Quiet Drive Motor that greatly reduces vibrations and noise.

    Carefully balancing beauty and utility value, the Samsung Rose Air Conditioner takes its inspiration from the elegance of a rose. With its exclusive design, this air conditioner comes with Twin Cooling Fans and Virus Doctor Technology, making for perfect air filtration that will cool an entire house quickly with purified breezes. The Samsung Rose Air Conditioner works wonders for the environment as its Inverter Technology allows it to save more energy.

    Designed and crafted by Italian jewelry designer Massimo Zucchi, the premium edition Samsung Jewel Refrigerator brings out the ultimate luxury in digital home appliances. Eye-catching and dazzling with its elegant Champagne Handle, Bid Printing, and Jewel Lightning effects, this side-by-side refrigerator is equipped with a Digital Inverter Compressor and a Twin Cooling system, keeping food inside fresh far longer while saving energy costs at the same time.

    Razer outs Battlefield 3 skinned BlackWidow Ultimate, Imperator, Scarab and Onza peripherals

    Gadgets Team
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    1
    Razer outs Battlefield 3 skinned BlackWidow Ultimate, Imperator, Scarab and Onza peripherals

    With the amount of news and teasers for DICE’s upcoming multiplayer bonanza/relationship ender Battlefield 3, we’re honestly getting sick and tired of the game . We’re only joking of course, and to whet your appetite (and make you want the game more) Razer is releasing their Blackwidow Ultimate mechanical keyboard, Imperator gaming mouse, Scarab gaming mat and Onza Tournament Edition Xbox 360 controller in Battlefield 3 livery.

    The prolific peripheral manufacturer is also coming out with a Battlefield 3 silicone protection case for the iPhone 4, and a Battlefield 3 Razer Messenger Bag to stuff all your gear in. While we’re all waiting for October 25 to roll on through, you can check this drool inducing, YouTube clip of vehicle combat in the game. You can visit Razer’s page here to know more.

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