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    Canon joins the Manila Zoo in celebrating its 52nd anniversary

    Gadgets Team
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    Canon joins the Manila Zoo in celebrating its 52nd anniversary
    Mali says internet, you so wacky

    The Manila Zoo has recently been in the news as of late, with reports alleging the sad, sorry state of the Manila tourist spot. Thankfully, none of the rumors are true, and as we saw earlier today the animals are happy, content and definitely not starving nor unhappy at their living arrangements. Canon intends to keep it that way, and has hosted a succession of photography activities at the Manila Zoo to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of the iconic attraction.

    “We are one with all Filipinos in celebrating the founding of the Manila Zoo. Through photography, we hope that they will better appreciate the wildlife inside Manila’s oldest zoo,” says Alang Chng, president and CEO of Canon Marketing Philippines Inc.

    Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim was present during today’s festivities, and loudly proclaimed that despite calls and offers to relocate the zoo to other places to give way for modern development projects, the zoo will never close or go away as long as he’s the mayor of Manila.

    CMPI opened the newly rebuilt Nipa Hut to all visitors which whill now be called Canon ImageNation Centre and will be the site of upcoming zoo activities and future Canon PhotoSkwela sessions. CMPI has been supporting the zoo over the past years to improve the facilities and improving animal awareness for the citizens in Metro Manila.

    Moleskine: from notebooks to reading glasses

    Gadgets Team
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    Moleskine: from notebooks to reading glasses

    The legendary notebook of artists, writers, intellectuals and travelers, Moleskine has broadened its horizons beyond its pages and released a collection of accessories suitable for the aforementioned types or those who simply enjoy quality and the classic forms (and just like to read and write like I do).

    The Moleskine New Collections focus on writing, travelling, and reading. Though this collection includes bags, cases, writing tools and small electronics made by Giulio Iacchetti and retain the same simple aesthetic as that of the Moleskine notebooks, one piece I am personally interested in are the Moleskine Black Reading Glasses. Measuring 5.25 x 1.125 inches (13.34 x 2.86 cm) and weighing only 2oz (0.1lbs), the lightweight rectangular acetate frames give you comfort and versatility as the symmetrical design allows you to wear the glasses however way you put them on. Spring hinges give it a perfect fit while the lenses are plastic, scratch-resistant, distortion-free and come in a variety of focal lengths. So whether you’re into paperback novels or e-books, this lovely pair will make the joys of reading more comfy and definitely, more fashionable.

    Available in black and transparent and are sold online for $49.95. Case sold separately.

     

    Source: Moleskine

    Summer NAMM 2011 highlights

    Gadgets Team
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    Summer NAMM 2011 highlights

    The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) holds regular trade shows which showcase new and upcoming music products. Having recently concluded their Summer show this year in the US, a few products caught this author’s eye that local musicians might be particularly drawn to. While the local availability and price for most of these new toys are still pending, here are some of the new products you might want to watch out for:

     

    IK Multimedia iRig MIDI

    IoS MIDI Interface

    • Standard Core MIDI interface connects any MIDI hardware device to Core MIDI-compatible apps
    • 3 MIDI ports: IN/OUT/THRU
    • Micro USB port can charge the iOS device while in use

    http://www.ikmultimedia.com/irigmidi/features/

     

     

    NUMARK MIXDECK EXPRESS

    All-Inclusive DJ System

    • 2 CD decks + 3-Channel mixer integrated into a single unit
    • 2 USB ports for external hard drives
    • built-in audio interface
    • Control MIDI software, with no timecode needed, via USB
    • balanced XLR outs, two 1/4″ balanced mic inputs and 1/8″ and 1/4″ headphone output
    • comes with Native Instruments Traktor LE (Europe and Asia)

    http://www.numark.com/mixdeckexpress

     

    AKAI EIEPRO

    USB Audio/MIDI Interface

    • 4-ins/4-outs,  XLR~1/4″ combo jacks +  Mic/Line/Guitar switches
    • 24-bit resolution, sample rates from 44.1kHz until 96kHz
    • 3 USB inputs allow it to function as a hub for MIDI controllers/hard drives
    • nickel plated inputs, VU meters, aluminum casing

    http://www.akaipro.com/en/index.php

     

    PRESONUS AUDIOBOX VSL-SERIES

    Rack-Mountable USB interface


    • USB 2.0 interface
    • high-headroom, Class A XMAX preamps, 114dB dynamic range
    • MIDI I/O, zero-latency mixing
    • includes dynamics processing and EQ of StudioLive series mixers with super low latency
    • Fat Channel compression, limiting, 3-band semi parametric EQ, HP filter, etc
    • reverb and delay effects with dedicated busses
    • 3 models : 22VSL ($199/Php 8480), 44VSL ($299/Php 12,700), 1818 VSL ($499/Php 21,300)

    http://www.presonus.com/

     

    VOX AC15C2 ‘Twin’

    Valve Amp, AC Custom series

    • 2-channel, 15 -watt combo
    • Two 12-inch Celestion Greenback speakers
    • larger spring reverb tank
    • three 12AX7 dual triode vacuum tubes (pre-amp)
    • two EL84 pentode tubes (power)
    • optional VFS2 footswitch

    Available in November (US), SRP: $1100 (approx: Php 47,000)

    http://www.voxamps.com/products/

     

    Macbooks can be hacked….through their batteries?

    Gadgets Team
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    0
    Macbooks can be hacked….through their batteries?

    Yeah, you read that right. A security researcher by the name of Charlie Miller has managed to hack batteries belonging to Apple’s Macbook line of notebooks and has uncovered a potential vector for malware and viruses that hasn’t been approached before. “These batteries just aren’t designed with the idea that people will mess with them,” Miller says. “What I’m showing is that it’s possible to use them to do something really bad.”

    Modern notebook batteries aren’t in the same league with batteries you buy for your flashlight at the store – they usually have a microcontroller embedded in them that monitors the charge level of the unit, allowing the operating system and the hardware to know when to stop charging once it’s full. Miller discovered that the chips that come with both Macbooks and Macbook Airs ship with default passwords on them, which potentially could allow anyone who know the default passwords to infiltrate and re-purpose them for nefarious purposes, including bricking your battery on purpose, making it overheat till it caused a fire and more. It would even be possible to put in malware, and you’d probably wouldn’t even know if you were infected. Even if you did, it (the malware) would be extremely difficult to remove. “You could put a whole hard drive in, reinstall the software, flash the BIOS, and every time it would reattack and screw you over. There would be no way to eradicate or detect it other than removing the battery,” Miller says.

    For his part, Miller’s already contacted Apple and Texas Instruments about the potential vulnerability, and is releasing a fix for the issue code named “Caulkgun” at the Black Hat security conference in August. Caulkgun changes a users’ battery firmware’s passwords to a random string so that would be attackers won’t be able to compromise your system that way.

    Source: Forbes

    Research team concludes that 3D hurts your eyes

    Gadgets Team
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    Research team concludes that 3D hurts your eyes

    For the people whose eyes hurt while watching the latest summer blockbuster on 3D screens – it’s not just you. A research team at the University of California, Berkeley has concluded that viewing content on a stereo 3D display hurts both your eyes and brain. Author Martin S. Banks writes that “when watching stereo 3D displays, the eyes must focus — that is, accommodate — to the distance of the screen because that’s where the light comes from. At the same time, the eyes must converge to the distance of the stereo content, which may be in front of or behind the screen.” Banks, who is also a professor of optometry and vision science, wrote the entry on a Journal of Vision article: The Zone of Comfort: Predicting Visual Discomfort with Stereo Displays. Additionally, content viewed from short distances (like 3D monitors and soon, 3D mobile phones and tablets) is more uncomfortable the stereo content is placed in front of the screen.

    Source: Tech Crunch

    HP outs anorexic HP x2301 Micro Thin LED monitor

    Gadgets Team
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    HP outs anorexic HP x2301 Micro Thin LED monitor

    Aside from making notebooks, printers, tablets and phones, HP’s also been known for releasing a monitor or two to the general public. The totally anorexic HP x2301 takes being skinny to extremes, being only 8.9mm thick. It boasts full HD resolution (1920x1080p) and superb 8,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. It features a translucent aquamarine base, brushed anodized aluminum accents and micro-slim design, taking the artof display into a new level. While we’re not sure how much this baby is going to set you back when you do decide to grab one yourself, we’re already readying our wallet.

     

    Play the records on your wall… on your wall.

    Gadgets Team
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    0
    Play the records on your wall… on your wall.

    There’s nothing like going analogue and oldschool. So what if you can experience all of those “oldies but goodies” while saving on desk space? Ionaudio introduces the VERTICAL VINYL wall-mountable turntable, the turntable that lets you play your records sideways.

    Using the built-in speaker with volume control, you can now listen and play any record. Just choose between 33 or 45 RPM platter speeds with the 45 adaptor included. VERTICAL VINYL is also battery powered so you don’t have to worry about those ugly wires cluttering your wall. You can also play it on your tabletop. But then it wouldn’t be as cool now, would it?

     

    KEY FEATURES:

    • Wall-mounted turntable plays records vertically
    • Onboard speakers with volume control
    • 33/45 RPM with 45 adaptor
    • Battery powered for no wires when mounted
    • Ideal where space is limited
    • Optional AC adaptor available separately

    INCLUDES

    • Vertical Vinyl Turntable
    • (4) AA Batteries
    • Quickstart Guide
    • Safety/Warranty manual
    • 45 adapter

    Source: ionaudio

     

    Week in Review: July 18 – 22

    Gadgets Team
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    Week in Review: July 18 – 22

    The previous week was a doozy, and if you haven’t read the latest news and some of the reviews that graced our pages don’t fret – we’re looking back at the most important stories that you might have missed.

    Reviews:


    Acer Iconia Tab A500

    HTC ChaCha

    Sony VAIO F

    News:

    Toshiba releases TECRA R840 series, promises mobility without compromise

    Product Highlight: Western Digital My Book Studio Edition II

    Apple NEWs: OSX Lion available, MacBook Air updates and more

    The biggest fake of all – counterfeit Apple store in Kunming, China

    HP joins hands with BSP to stop counterfeits

    Globe powers 2011 SME Summit

     

    Globe launches first Tatt Awards

    Press Release
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    Globe launches first Tatt Awards

    There’s no stopping the increasing pervasiveness of social media in the Philippines. With over 25-Million internet users—and counting, one study even shows that 95% of online Pinoys actively tweet, Facebook, plurk and blog, giving more credence to the Philippines being called the Social Networking capital of the world.

    Globe has come up with the first Tatt Awards to give due recognition to the growing power and influence of this medium and to people who have used the digital space to inspire, spur change and make a difference. Powered by Globe Tattoo, the Tatt Awards was launched at the posh Opus Club in Resorts World Manila to coincide with the 2nd annual Social Media Day.

    “Tattoo is about making your mark and your own personal definition of greatness.  The Tatt Awards is our venue to recognize those individuals that through their passion and individuality have created a space that is truly theirs, but sincerely shared with others,” said Dong Ronquillo, Head of Nomadic Broadband Business of Globe Telecom.

    The Tatt Awards has ten categories:

    • The One, the most influential trendsetter that shaped opinion, moved people and prompted action;
    • Ballbreaker, a blogger or a Twitter user who started a debate, sparked conversations or a revolution of opinions with just one hard-hitting post;
    • Stylisimo, a person that not only reviewed fashion but also set a trend one that everyone followed;
    • Indie Rocker, a musical band or indie artist who fought hard to claim their space in the hearts of the Filipino audience via webtime;
    • Wordslayer, a blogger whose mastery of words showed wit, humor and grit to the Philippine blogosphere;
    • Artiste, an inspiring person whose fiery passion for creating visual art through original graphic design, animation or photography has caught fire in the Philippine online art scene;
    • Tech Junkie, a blogger, podcaster or Twitter user who shares access to the latest in trends and the fast pace world of e-knowledge;
    • #Thought-Mover, a Twitter user who sparked a fire in the Philippine Twittersphere with one unique hashtag;
    • Video Slinger, an individual or group who shook the Pinoy web space with though-provoking or entertaining video; and
    • The Advocate, a person or a group of individuals who worked to improve the state of a societal cause in the Philippines through social media.

    Winners will receive a whopping P100,000 in cash and premium broadband products from Tattoo, and will be decided by public voting and a panel of judges christened The Tatt Council. Members of The Tatt Council include Dong Ronquillo; award-winning journalist Maria Ressa; Rock Ed Philippines founder Gang Badoy; popular lifestyle blogger and entrepreneur Cecile Zamora-Van Straten; tech blogger and Tattoo ambassador Rico Mossesgeld; director and video blogger Kring Elenzano; Radio DJ Chico Garcia and Hans Roxas-Chua, President of the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP).

    Online nominations were accepted until July 14, 2011 via the Tattoo portal www.tattoo.globe.com.ph/tattawards. Finalists will be announced on August 10, at which point the online voting will begin and run until August 24. The Tatt Awards Night will be on August 27.

    Everyone’s Vision Petron: Lakbay Pinoy Petron Student Art Competition deadline

    Press Release
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    2
    Everyone’s Vision Petron: Lakbay Pinoy Petron Student Art Competition deadline

    Submission for entries to Everyone’s Vision Petron, a national student art competition, is set for Monday, 25 July 2011.

    Themed Lakbay Pinoy —Journeys to Remember, Pathways to Rediscover, this year’s competition focuses on life journeys expressed symbolically by roads, highways and byways. It can be a mountain path representing a journey to success, or a zigzag lane symbolizing seasons of change. It can be a forest trail sparking childhood memories, or a nostalgic route conjuring reminiscences of student life.

    Everyone’s Vision Petron is open to all talented students enrolled in a regular university or college course, or in tutorial and photography classes. Student artists may compete in three categories: Painting (oil and water-based media), photography, and t-shirt design.

    In the painting category, six Grand Prize winners will each receive P50,000; for the colored photography category, six Grand Prize winners will each receive P30,000; and in the t-shirt design category, three Grand Prize winners will each receive P30,000. All Grand Prize winners will also receive a trophies and plaques made by National Artist Napoleon V. Abueva. All Runners-up will get trophies.

    Entries may be submitted to the Secretariat Office (c/o Studio 5 Designs, 28 Paseo de Roxas cor Jupiter St, Bel-Air Village, Makati City, telephone 02-8909318).

    Leaked Battlefield 3 gameplay videos confirms it is awesome

    Gadgets Team
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    Leaked Battlefield 3 gameplay videos confirms it is awesome

    We previously gave you guys a few deets on DICE’s upcoming multiplayer bonanza/relationship ender Battlefield 3 including the release date and some of the classes and gameplay elements. Of course, a lot of those were based on tiny tidbits of information gleaned from other sites and the short multiplayer trailer that was shown in E3. But thankfully a few enterprising individuals have managed to get their hands on (probably) pre-alpha software of the upcoming title and uploaded lengthy multiplayer gameplay videos on YouTube, and we like what we see. The new Frostbite engine delivers extremely pretty visuals, and the destructible environments add a nice dimension to the frenetic combat. There’s definitely a bit of lag in some portions of the video, but that’s probably from either the video capture software they’re using, or the alpha (read: not retail) code that they’re playing with.  But enough talking – you’re probably raring to see the videos already. We’ve embedded the videos below.

    Source: UsamaFTW YouTube Channel

    Google tells you when your PC is infected by malware

    Gadgets Team
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    Google tells you when your PC is infected by malware

    Proving once again why they’re a spectacularly awesome company, Google now tells its users if their PCs are currently hosting malware. The malware alert appears as a yellow stripe on the top of their web search results when Google determines that your PC is sending questionable traffic.  Google security engineer Damian Menscher said in the Google Online Security Blog that “recently, we found some unusual search traffic while performing routine maintenance on one of our data centers. After collaborating with security engineers at several companies that were sending this modified traffic, we determined that the computers exhibiting this behavior were infected with a particular strain of malicious software, or malware.”

    Aside from notifying people that their PCs are infected, Google also provides a link on how to fix the issues in your PC. While this shouldn’t be considered as a replacement for traditional anti-virus software, it’s a nice gesture nonetheless from the search giant. Unfortunately, the pessimist in us sees the potential abuse this particular functionality opens up for virus and malware writers, as there are already malicious code writers that use the old “your computer may be infected” trick to get you to install their software on your PC. As always, be vigilant on the things you click and download online.

    Source: Google Security Blog

     

    Lenovo jumps on tablet bandwagon with IdeaPad Tablet K1, P1 and ThinkPad tablet

    Gadgets Team
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    Lenovo jumps on tablet bandwagon with IdeaPad Tablet K1, P1 and ThinkPad tablet

    Ideapad K1

    Lenovo’s jumping in on the tablet gravy train with three new offerings – the IdeaPad Tablet K1, P1 and ThinkPad branded tablet for business. While the IdeaPad P1 is your regular Windows on tablet deal, the IdeaPad K1 and ThinkPad tablet will be powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 superchip. Both will be using Google’s already prolific Android Honeycomb 3.1 The ThinkPad tablet intrigues us the most, simply because it’s the first time we’ve seen Honeycomb put on a suit and be made to work in a corporate setting. Lenovo says that it’ll still be able to keep data safe with layered data security, and that “the device is easily supported by IT managers thanks to a suite of business partner solutions that include anti-theft software and the ability to disable the tablet if the device is lost or stolen with Computrace.” That’s going be easier said than done we suppose, especially since malware for the platform is exponentially rising. Future owners of the ThinkPad tablet will have the option to buy a digitizer pen and a ThinkPad quality Keyboard Folio Case with optical TrackPoint for the days they yearn for a keyboard.

     

    ThinkPad Tablet

    The 32GB model IdeaPad Tablet K1 is priced at $479, and can be ordered in the U.S. starting July 20, 2011, amd will be generally available worldwide during the third quarter 2011. The 16GB ThinkPad Tablet is priced at $479 without the digitizer pen, and at $509 including the digitizer pen, for Wi-Fi models. There is also an optional keyboard portfolio carrying case available for $99. Lenovo is also promising a 3G version of the ThinkPad Tablet after launch. The IdeaPad Tablet P1 will be available in the fourth quarter 2011.

     

    Samsung attempts to give compact cameras shallower DoF

    Gadgets Team
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    Samsung attempts to give compact cameras shallower DoF

    If Samsung’s compact point-and-shoots survive the tumultuous market these next few  years, they might gain a shallower depth of field.

    The company recently filed an ambitious patent which theoretically equips dual lenses onto their compact cameras. The main lens will proceed with normal image capturing, and the second lens will calculate the area distance around the image. The camera will then proceed to combine the data from both lenses to configure depth and consequently apply the synthesized bokeh.

    While it sounds like a very ingenious concept, DSLR users shouldn’t expect the same blur offered by fast lenses, although it is a great feature to apply on a point-and-shoot. With the continual rise of the micro-four-thirds line however, it will be interesting to see if the smaller compacts will still be around once this patent is materialized.

     

    Source: PopPhoto

    Review: Acer Iconia Tab A500

    Gadgets Team
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    3
    Review: Acer Iconia Tab A500

    The tablets just keep on coming. Not to be outdone by their Taiwanese competitor, Acer has released their take on the Google’s tablet OS – the Iconia Tab A500. Hardware-wise, it’s near identical to the Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 in the bits that count – namely the dual-core NVIDIA Tegra processor that powers everything – so it’ll be interesting to see what the A500 brings to the table.

    First impressions are everything, and boy does the A500 bring out the big guns immediately. The A500’s back is treated with a nice, brushed aluminum finish, and the overall design evokes images of sleek, solid machines.

    The left side of the device houses the power button, headphone jack and a mini HDMI port, while the right side contains the charging, micro USB and USB port. The top of the device contains the volume rocker and orientation lock and a small flap that protects a microSD slot. There’s a docking connector on the bottom of the device, so it’s not hard to picture the A500 having a keyboard dock in the near future. The screen is 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 TFT LCD deal. On paper the display seems inferior to similarly sized IPS displays, but in practice that wasn’t the case.

    The A500 has a 5-megapixel camera at the back and a smaller front facing camera on the front. Unlike other tablets, the A500 has very nice speakers on the back that actually belt out sharable sound. The whole thing weighs in at about 730g, which is a bit on the heavy side, considering the iPad 2 only weighs in at 601g.

    Like its contemporaries, the A500 is powered by Android Honeycomb, Google’s tablet OS. The device we got for review had the newer, 3.1 update which meant that it could take some USB devices without issues, like USB controllers. Providing all the number crunching muscle is a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 1Ghz processor.

    There’s not a lot about Honeycomb that we haven’t covered in our previous review, so we’re not going to delve on it too much. Suffice to say that using the A500’s doesn’t veer too far off of the stock Honeycomb experience. Acer’s included an app that takes advantage of their clear.fi experience, which is basically a fancy way of sharing digital content through similarly enabled devices.

    Battery life was good – the A500 managed to survive a weekend with occasional trips to Google and YouTube without much trouble. Heavier use (longer browsing, videos, music and gaming) made the A500 tap out from a full charge in about 7 hours.

    The biggest weakness of the A500 is something that Acer has no control of – software. A few months ago when we reviewed its competitor, the Asus Transformer, we said that one of our main concerns were the scarcity of apps in the Android Market specifically made for Honeycomb. A few months on and that particular complaint is still valid – I mean, there isn’t even a native Honeycomb app for Facebook. If you want to use this device to access Facebook, you’d have to go through the browser first.

    As nice as the A500 is, there are chinks in the design – a firm squeeze reveals some slight creaks, and its weight makes it uncomfortable to use when lying down, as it constantly threatens to fall on your face lest you drop your guard. The display, as good as it is, is a natural magnet for greasy fingerprints, so you may want to keep a handkerchief in the A500’s carrying case.

    So is the Iconia Tab A500 worth it? Yes – as long as you’re willing to accept some of the relatively minor faults in the product, and Honeycomb’s underwhelming app selection. At Php 21,900, its price definitely makes it a solid contender in the fast growing local tablet market.

     

    What’s Hot:

    Orientation switch

    Very competitively priced

    Good screen

    clear.fi makes sharing between Acer products easier

     

    What’s Not:

    Some slight creaks

    Heavy

    Screen is prone to glare

     

    Bottomline:

    Yes it does have some flaws, but at the price Acer is asking for it, it’s definitely a tablet that you should seriously consider.

     

    Buymeter: 8.6

     

    Tech Specs:

    • Display
    • 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 TFT LCD
    • Operating System
    • Android Honeycomb, 3.1
    • Processor
    • 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 Dual Core processor, Tegra 2 chipset
    • Physical Dimensions
    • 260 x 177 x 13.3 mm
    • Weight
    • 730 g

     

     

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