While it may be cold and damp and the weather erratic, Gadgets Magazine keeps things cool for those laid-back, uber-chill rainy days with the latest tech and lifestyle offerings this side of the planet. Join pretty young thing Jessie Mendiola as she gives you a fresh aesthetic on some of today’s must-have gadgets and very colorful ensembles to brighten the gray days ahead.
Keep cool this July and grab a copy of Gadgets Magazine out now.
Last night we pimped a cool browser add-on called Google+Facebook that promised that you’ll be able to see your Facebook stream inside your Google+ account. Well, we’ve gotten word that it might be malware, according to reddit user RogueDarkJedi who mucked around in the code. He notes that “This addon acts like malware and the service is a security vulnerability waiting to happen.” Specifically, the code itself breaks a couple of established coding norms, including several privacy no-nos. “Your FB data does go through their service. They don’t have a privacy policy or a terms of service (which is surprising considering they’ve been around for a couple of months). This should be a red flag.”
For their part, Crossrider CEO Koby Menachemi jumped in and addressed the situation, and basically says that the app is safe. RougeDarkJedi still disagrees, so we guess it’s up to the user to make the choice of using the add-on. For users who did install but want to take it out here are the instructions:
FIREFOX:
Uninstall the add-on via the Firefox add-ons manager.
Go to about:config.
Reset all the values in about: config for the following:
CHROME:
Go to tools.
Select extensions.
Select Google+Facebook and hit uninstall.
IE9
Press alt, select tools.
Click on manage extensions.
Find Google+Facebook and press disable.
Via: Technograph
Source: Reddit
Originally only available in classic black and white, Lomograpy’s Sprocket Rocket now has four new neon colors: bright yellow, orange, green and blue.
For those that aren’t entirely familiar with sprocket-hole photography, this is an art form which includes the small rectangular holes normally found on the outer edges of film. These holes are what ensure that the film moves smoothly from its canister and within the camera.
The Sprocket Rocket, helps its users achieve this type of photography, with the help of a 30mm wide lens. The camera also features the ability to capture multiple exposures via its intuitive scrolling knobs.
To see sample images of their new colors, either click the photo or the link below:
Retail price is approximately Php 6086
It’s probably safe to say that a majority of you that are joining Google’s latest stab at social networking already have Facebook accounts. Until most of your friends make that leap into the arms of the crew at Mountain View, you’ll may still want to cling onto your Facebook account. Browser add-on Google+Facebook made by dev Crossrider solves the issue of having to constantly tab in and out of your two social networking accounts by allowing you to see your Facebook stream in your Google+ account. The add-on is available for Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer. You can get the add-on in their site below.
Source: Google+Facebook
We all know we’re being tracked by different websites and services to deliver ads and get customer data, but almost no one knows to what extent. The Collusion Firefox add-on shows you exactly how many advertising sites track your browsing behavior across the web, and to be perfectly honest it’s both fascinating and worrying at the same time. The add-on allows you to visualize the legitimate sites (represented by grey circles) and tracking ones (red circles), with arrows signifying the direction of traffic. A jump from IMDB to the New York Times yields a total of five sites that get information from your cookies, and that’s just the beginning. After a few more jumps, screen is a jumbled mass of circles, with a majority of them being red. The end of the demonstration (if you don’t have Firefox installed and are viewing it through Google Chrome) shows you how to protect yourself from these sites by using TrackerBlock.
Source: Collusion
With photography having extended itself beyond the ordinary camera, other devices have taken on more and more photo-taking capabilities, redefining the term “all-in-one” and giving way to other forms of photography.
This one is for the mobile phone photographers who want to take their art to the next level. The iPhone SLR Mount from Photojojo may just be what you need to give your iPhone Instagram photos that edge over other cameraphone pictures. Just mount your Canon or Nikon SLR lenses onto your iPhone 4 using the case-adapter and you’ve got one powerful 5-megapixel camera in your hands. You can also tie a camera strap onto it so you can hang this quirky cameraphone around your neck like most SLR users do.
Who knows? You might just become the next real professional mobile phone photographer.
Alright, we know you’re busy beavers and don’t have the time to check all of the happenings in the tech world, so we’re doing you a favor – we’re revisiting some of more important stories that hit our page this week so you can catch up on the latest tech news that’s hitting the streets.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
NEWS:
Canon’s thinking of going mirrorless
Olive launches cheap, dual-sim WiFi phone
While we here at Gadgets are guilty of having stacks and stacks of PC games in our closets collecting dust, we don’t even come in the same league as PlayStation collecting’s community member Ahans76. He has every single NTSC PS2 game ever made, in mint condition and still sealed in its original box. His collection of 1800 PS2 games is probably the only one in the world today, and all the games in his PS2 collection are all first run and limited editions, meaning no second editions or re-releases. Coming up with the monetary value of his whole collection is difficult, but it’s probably safe to say it’s in the thousands of dollars.
Source: PlayStation Collecting
LG’s Optimus Black is a fantastic Android phone that has it all: good looks, solid feature set and a price that’s not going to burn holes in your bank account. It’s a mid-end phone that looks, feels and performs like a flagship smartphone. It’s not perfect though, and only a not-so small detail keeps me from recommending it to everyone. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
The Optimus Black has a very clean exterior design and shuns physical buttons like the plague. Aside from the requisite power button that rests on the top of the device and the volume rocker and G key (more on this later) on the left side, every input key is of the touch sensitive variety.
The charging/USB slot sits on top (which you can close when not in use), along with the 3.5mm jack. One of the main features of the Optimus Black that LG has been touting is the NOVA display that’s on it – a 700 nit, 4-inch IPS deal that has a resolution of 480×800 pixels. If you don’t speak fluent geek, IPS stands for in-plane switching technology; a kind of LCD tech that allows for better colors overall and greatly reduces color distortion and contrast loss when viewed at an angle. The high nit rating also means that the Optimus Black is still readable even under direct sunlight, something AMOLED screens and the like usually can’t do.
The Optimus Black is a dainty little thing, clocking in at 122x64x9.2mm. The back of the device has angled surfaces on both sides, with a single speaker near the bottom of the device. The overall weight of the Optimus Black is about 109g, which to be honest is a bit too light for me. While the Optimus Black has excellent construction all around with nary a creak to be found, the mostly plastic construction plus its light weight makes it feel a bit cheaper than it actually is. Of course, your mileage may vary, and I know there are a lot of people that see this as a plus.
That’s not the only hardware trick it has on its sleeves – the Optimus Black also carries a 1 GHz Cortex-A8 processor and PowerVR SGX530 GPU, which means it has enough horses under the hood to handle moderately intense number crunching and graphics work. Imaging is done by way of a 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 resolution camera with LED flash. There’s also a secondary camera located on the front of the device.
On paper, the Optimus Black looks like the ideal smartphone for power users. Well, not exactly. Unlike recently released smartphones, the Optimus Black uses Android 2.2 Froyo as its OS, not the newer 2.3 Gingerbread version. This might have been forgivable omission four months ago, but not in the current market where even entry level devices sport Gingerbread from the get-go. There might still be hope though, as LG might push an OTA (over the air) update for it, though there’s no word of that happening as of yet.
To its credit, the Android build that ships with the Optimus Black is extremely stable, and I didn’t experience any major software crash while using it. And while the processor included in the Optimus Black isn’t a dual-core affair like its bigger sibling the Optimus 2X, it was still able to keep up with all the apps I installed in the device.
The G key stands for Gesture key, and in theory it allows you to utilize the accelerometer on the device to switch screens and quickly access the camera by tilting the phone and shaking it twice, respectively. While the switch functionality worked well, the camera wouldn’t turn on no matter how much I shook the device.
As usual, I installed Android benchmark tool AnTuTu to be able to gauge the number crunching abilities of the Optimus Black. Unsurprisingly, AnTuTu gave back a figure of 2576, which according to AnTuTu, was a score slightly below the HTC Desire HD and above the Nexus One.
Battery life is pretty good, and unlike some of the phones I reviewed before, the Optimus Black was able to survive more than a day away from the socket. Calls also came in loud and clear, with no distortion whatsoever.
So is the LG-P970 Optimus Black worth a purchase? Despite the limitations brought on by its slightly dated OS, the Optimus Black still brings a lot of features to the table. It’s certainly worthy of the Php 19,900 price tag attached to it.
What’s Hot:
NOVA display is bright and readable even under the sun
Easy to use and operate
Light and thin
What’s Not:
Runs on Android 2.2
Bottomline:
While somewhat hobbled by an older version of Android, the LG-P970 Optimus Black is still worth a look if you’re in the market for a mid-end smartphone.
Buymeter: 8.4
TECH SPECS:
Operating System
Android 2.2
CPU
1 GHz Cortex-A8 processor, PowerVR SGX530 GPU, TI OMAP 3630 chipset
LCD size
4-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 480×800 pixels
Physical Dimensions
122x64x9.2mm
Weight
109g
Band
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100
In a report that should surprise absolutely no one, China is apparently throttling Google+ so bad that it’s unusable to locals. Ren Media reports (and we’ve confirmed through our own tests) that China’s infamous Great Firewall has slammed the brakes on Google’s newest social networking site before it even gains traction. For the uninformed, China frowns upon Western social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, and makes them unavailable to users without the use of software to go around their firewall. Seems like the big red is continuing that tradition, and while one can argue that they’re not outright blocking it (the tests via just-ping shows that Google+ can still be accessed) the mere fact that the site runs so slow is tantamount to it.
Source: Ren Media
The way that we acquire our news today has changed vastly over a short period of time. Everything is instant, as we now have a multitude of methods to receive immediate updates. In fact, we are all now able to receive reports as they actually happen.
Now that obtaining instant updates is yesterday’s news, what comes into play now is the manner and format in which we acquire our information. This is where PressReader rises on a pedestal: by providing its users full digital replicas of print newspapers, retaining the traditional feel of leafing through paper pages that many of us have grown accustomed to, and actually prefer.
This author was able to test PressReader on both an Android smartphone and an iPad, but this review will only focus on the latter.
Installation
Installing the app is hassle free – users may visit PressReader’s official webpage and choose their operating system or they may also opt to acquire it directly through iTunes or the Android Market.
Once installed, browsing through the PressReader store reveals the numerous subscriptions available from various countries. At the time this article was written, the available subscriptions listed under the Philippines are: The Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Manila Times, The International Herald Tribune, Sun Star Cebu and Uno Magazine. Simply select the edition you wish to subscribe to, and the app will ask if you would like to automatically receive new updates.
Once subscribed, acquiring your daily digital “newspaper” is as easy as opening the app and watching a progress bar appear, indicating that the current edition is downloading. Depending on your internet speed, this shouldn’t take any longer than brewing a cup of fresh coffee.
Features
Now, while conclusions are usually reserved until the end of an article, this reviewer cannot contain himself.
PressReader is brilliant, convenient and utterly addicting. It is perhaps the best method of consuming news in a digital format, especially for those who prefer the layout of traditional newspapers.
One of the obvious advantages would be the ability to zoom in to specific articles and magnify text and photos, which will appeal to those who struggle with the minuscule font size on print newspapers. With the PressReader app installed on your iPad, those with inhibited eyesight can finally put their magnifying glass away.
Another great feature is the ability to select the specific page you wish to view, which is done by way of a scroll bar/browser. Once a page is selected, simply touching on an article’s title (which PressReader conveniently highlights), will automatically zoom in to fit it to the iPad’s screen.
Double-tapping on an article will open a pop-up window, allowing a further magnified view in a format similar to an RSS feed. This window also reveals an additional option to “listen” to the news via an automated vocal recording. This reviewer found it rather impressive, regardless of the fact that slight mispronunciations of local places and names would sometimes occur, which is quite understandable. Nevertheless, it’s quite remarkable and offers the ability to multi-task while still “reading” the news, which is perfect for those who don’t seem to have enough time in a day.
PressReader should also find a following among travelers, as users can get themselves up to date on the political and social climate of the country they are about to arrive in. Additionally, the app further allows its users to keep up with their local newspapers back home as well. So whether you are a frequent flyer or a tourist embarking on an adventure, PressReader is an extremely valuable app to have.
Conclusion
Having been able to use PressReader these last few months has been absolutely amazing. It provides all the essential features, offers numerous subscriptions, and is refreshingly easy to use. It is perfect for old souls who prefer the feel of paper crumple and wrinkle between their fingertips, as this app provides a great transition into the digital realm of obtaining news.
In short, PressReader is not just an amazing app – it might quite possibly be the news app to get.
Earlier this week we posted the rumor that Facebook and Skype would be teaming up to provide its users video chat capabilities.
That rumor proved to be true. In fact, the service is available to try right now.
Users simply have to undergo a one-time setup that is quick and easy. After the setup is completed, you simply click on the video chat icon on your friend’s profile or in the chat window.
So, if you’re tired of expressing yourself with emoticons and indiscernible lingo, perhaps you need to give Facebook’s video chat a try.
Fame. Success. Popularity. All of these may bring worlds upon worlds of joy and happiness. But the humanity in us knows that these same things don’t mean much unless you can use them for that “good cause” or “greater good”. That’s why many noteworthy celebrities and leaders in the worlds of fashion, film, television, music and sport take their status, influence and “star-powers” in the endeavor to raise funds for charitable projects worldwide, thus helping better the lives of their fellowmen.
Now, no effort is too small when it comes to seeing the bigger picture to alleviate poverty, conserve the environment, and protect the rights of children (to name a few causes). That’s why these celebrities along with Whatever It Takes have specially designed iPad and iPhone cases that aim to raise funds in order to achieve these goals. So far, these celebrity-designed cases have raised over 4 million dollars.
Tough shields for the iPhone include designs from the bands Greenday and Coldplay, award-winning actresses Penelope Cruz and Charlize Theron, singers Katy Perry and Eminem, and designers Donna Karan and Giorgio Armani. Premium leather cases for the iPad include designs from Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani, and Vivienne Westwood.
Source: Whatever It Takes
If there’s one thing people will always need, it’s storage. Aside from providing people reliable and cost effective storage options for your devices, SanDisk is giving its customers something extra via their back to school promo. Here’s how it works: if you purchase a SanDisk flash drive (4GB, 8GB, 16GB or 32GB) from May 23 to July 23 in a participating dealer store, you get to pick a prize from the SanDisk bowl. The prizes up for grabs are foldable fans, caps, sports bottles and tote bags. The contest is only applicable for genuine SanDisk USBs with warranty stickers. So what are waiting for? Grab a SanDisk flash drive now.
Here’s the list of the participating dealers:
SM NORTH
Dynamic PC
ThinkPC
Villman
Gigahertz
Asianic
Silicon Valley
Accent Micro
PC Live
Electroworld
Complink
SM Megamall
PCworx
Villman
Asianic
Gigahertz
Silicon Valley
Accent Micro
PC Live
Electroworld
Complink
PC Express
Gilmore
ThinkPC
Pcworx 2nd flr
Pcworx 3rd flr
PC Hub
PC Hub – EDGE
Gaisano Interpace ( inside IT Center)
Gaisano Interpace (outside IT center, beside PCX)
PC Options
PC Quarters
PC Corner IT Center
Dynamic PC
Foxcom
Vivocom (Machine and Computerworld)
PC Express
VMALL
Gigahertz
Digital Hub
Acenet Vmall
Abacus
Dynamic PC
PC Express
If you haven’t gotten an invite to the hottest social network in the web, now is the time to grab one. Engineering Director of Google+, Dave Besbris recently posted that they’re allowing invites again, but with a caveat – they’ll still be throttle invites, so that their system can slowly adapt to the incoming crowd of people without crashing everything. So if you guys want in, ask the people you know that’s already on for an invite. While you’re waiting for your invite, check out our first impressions of Google+.
Source: Android Central
