We’ve just gotten word from local distributor MSI-ECS that they’re hosting a massive, massive sale on from September 13 – 16 at their main office in Libis. The huge sale promises discounts as big as 80%(!) on everything from notebooks, netbooks, desktops, monitors, printers, laptop bags and accessories, hard drives, mouse, speakers, cameras and tablets. Since MSI-ECS distributes a literal ton of brands, it’s more than likely you’ll see products from Samsung, Lenovo, Dell, HP, Acer, Sony, Buffalo, Apple, Microsoft, Belkin, Ozaki and Imation on sale. Interested? You better be. You can check out what they’re offering for sale by downloading the price list off of their Facebook account here. MSI-ECS is located at Topy II Bldg., #3 Economia St., Bagumbayan, Libis, Quezon City.
Spotted: Honeycomb running on HTC Flyer
We loved almost everything about HTC’s entry into the tablet race except for one thing: it didn’t use Honeycomb. Well, if you own a flyer and want to have a taste of sweet Honeycomb on your device, then MoDaCo has got your back. Paul O’Brien over at MoDaCo has managed to grab himself a leaked ROM of the Honeycomb update for HTC’s tablet, and has successfully wrangled it into his own Flyer. As predicted, HTC has injected their own overlay into the Honeycomb experience which gives users added functionality over the stock version of Honeycomb. Unfortunately, the instructions to get it running on your own unit are fairly complex, but if you think you’re ready for it, you can head on to their website and try it for yourself.
Source: MoDaCo
Pinoy_Blogfest 2.2 is going to Davao
After the successful Pinoy_Blogfest 2.0 held in TriNoma last August 5, and the recently concluded regional forum held in the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City, Gadgets Magazine, will be bring their show to Davao City. This will be held from 8:00 am to 12:00 nn on Monday, 12 September 2011, at J301, Jubilee Hall, Ateneo de Davao University, Davao City.
Carrying on the theme Social Media as a Change Agent, the program for the regional forum will consist of the following topics and resource persons:
Social Media as a Change Agent by Gadgets publisher Maribelle Alba gives an overview of the development and evolution of social media as a platform for human interaction.
Keeping Safe in the Digital World by gadgetsmagazine.com.ph online editor John Nieves provides pointers on how to avoid the pitfalls of identity theft, spamming and other cybercrimes.
Purchasing Power: Making that Gadget Purchase Count by Gadgets Magazine associate editor Michelle Toledo discusses basic tips on how to assess if a gadget offers value-for-money.
Pinoy_Blogfest presentor Coca-Cola will also showcase their global Live Positively advocacy, and how this is translated into specific programs and projects that benefit local communities.
Pinoy_Blogfest 2.2 is presented by Gadgets Magazine in partnership with the Ateneo de Davao University. For more information you may email blogfest [at] gadgetsmagazine.com.ph.
September “keeps tabs” on the freshest gadgets to date
Perhaps Love really is sweeter the second time around. That’s why Gadgets Magazine gives tribute and heralds today’s latest and trendiest tablets, or the “newly popular” gadget, in our September issue. Check out all of the wonderful things your tablet can do for you and why it is truly a multifunctional tool. And aside from serving you up with the latest gadgets and test results in our Gadgetslab, we also give you 2 of today’s hottest young stars, Erich Gonzales and Enchong Dee, coupled into one hot “newly popularized” show.
So don’t wait. Get your copy now!
Honda Issues a Recall of Selected Models
Honda Motor Co., Ltd announced a voluntary recall for some Honda Jazz, City, CR-V models to “replace the power window master switch assembly” with countermeasure parts.
This recall to install the safety measure applies only to specific models of Honda’s automobiles:
- JAZZ (Yr. ’05-’07)
- CITY (Yr. ’06-’08)
- CR-V (Yr. ’05-06)
If you own a model that falls within this category, you may call your respective dealer to check if you’re included in the recall, since only a certain number of models are affected. However, official letters from Honda will be sent out starting today (Sept 06 2011) to affected owners.You may also call the Honda Hotline at 1-800-1000-Honda (46632) or (02) 857-7240 and you can visit Honda’s website.
The good news is that the replacement of these parts can be performed at any of Honda’s 28 authorized dealers and 3 service centers nationwide. Customers do not have to pay, and the service will conveniently only take half an hour.
Here’s a more detailed description from Honda on what needs to be replaced:
The silicon component commonly found in air fresheners or automotive cleaning agents, etc. enters into the power window master switch. This accelerates wear in the contact area and over time, wear particles accumulate between the power source and ground of the unit switch. The resin material of the unit switch is then heated and carbonized. This may cause smoke and in worst case, partial burning of the window switch cover.
Have no fear, as no unfortunate accidents and mishaps have yet been reported. But if you own one of these Honda vehicles, you may want to check if you’re included in the recall. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Parallels Desktop Upgrades to Version 7
If you haven’t heard of Parallels Desktop yet, this is the perfect time to tune in, as they have recently announced that an update will be available within the week. Version 7 is set to be released on September 6, and boasts several new features and some impressive enhancements.
In the simplest terms, the program lets you “run Windows on your Mac” without needing to reboot, providing a intuitive and seamless integration between the two platforms. This gives you the advantage of using all those Windows-only programs that you already own or would like to have, and it also serves as a great transition for PC users who have just plunged into the world of Apple’s computers.
Parallels Desktop 7 has several new features, such as support for Lion, but its improvements over its predecessor is what grabs my attention. Apparently, there is 45% increase in graphics performance (now up to 1GB of vRAM), enhanced startup and resume of Windows, and quicker file transfer speed. Compatibility with iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch has also been improved.
Parallels Desktop 7 will be available for download and retail on September 6 2011. It is priced at $79.99 (Php 3,377) with a student version at $39.99 (Php 1,688). To learn more, go here.
Kaspersky Labs: A New Trojan is Targeting Mobile Devices
Kasperky Labs reports that a new version of the PC-based ZeuS Trojan is out and about, which is primarily targeting Android devices. This new malware is actually a revamped version of the ZitMo Trojan, which has infected the Symbian, Android, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry operating systems.
This updated ZitMo Trojan has the ability to steal mobile transaction authentication (mTAN) codes, which are essentially the single-use passwords sent by banks via SMS to execute remote transactions. Kaspersky says that users who have been hit by both the ZeuS and Zitmo Trojan are especially vulnerable, because syncing data between their mobile device and their computers provides a greater vantage point for cybercriminals.
Aside from bank accounts, cybercriminals apparently like to travel. Kaspersky reports that one of the latest phishing trends is the theft of frequent flyer miles. The stolen credits are used to buy tickets or as currency to trade with other cybercriminals for other illicit items/services.
In short, always exercise caution when downloading and installing apps on your mobile devices.
For more information, visit Kaspersky Labs
Google honors Freddie Mercury with awesome tribute
If you haven’t noticed, Google is a bit different today. The search company has decided to honor Queen front man/sex symbol/rock legend Freddie Mercury’s birthday by creating an awesome tribute to his accomplishments via Google Doodles on Google today. If you haven’t seen it, head on to it right now, click on the play button, and get ready for about two minute’s worth of awesome.
Don’t be sad. Be “anti-S.A.D.” with PWCTU fun run for clean living
I used to think that exercising a modest amount of happy intemperance was normal for any young adult. But after having a child of my own, I think that perhaps the best gift you can give your child (aside from formal education) is the value of temperance and clean living. The Philippine Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (PWCTU), an organization of civic-minded women, has set to bestow upon us just that with its benefit fun run entitled “BE GLAD…YOU’RE ANTI S.A.D (Smoking, Alcoholism, Drugs) A FUN RUN FOR TEMPERANCE AND CLEAN LIVING” on September 10, 2011 (Saturday), 5:00 a.m. at the Quezon Memorial Circle, QC. This event is in coordination with the QC Local Government thru the Office of Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte. This also marks its National Temperance Week as mandated by the Presidential Proclamation 225, as well as to celebrate the association’s 82nd Foundation Day.
PWCTU has been spreading the word against cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, ingestion of narcotics and other illegal substances and their ill effects through seminars, open fora, oratorical contests and distribution of leaflets and other materials, in and out of Metro Manila. It had partnered with government agencies like the DOH, DOJ, NBI, DepEd/ City Schools, Dangerous Drugs Board, PDEA, DWSD and PNP in these endeavors. Other goals include the battle against concomitant vices of pornography and (now) cybersex.
PWCTU has seriously endeavored to inculcate in everybody’s mind and heart the biblical injunction “Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in you?… Therefore glorify God in your body”. And in the nation as well. Its world motto – “For God, Home and even land”- says it all.
About the Fun Run – race categories are 3 laps (7.5K); 2 laps (5K); 1 lap (2.5K) and a Fun Walk. Winners for the 3-2-1 Lap race categories will win cash prizes and medals. Registration fee at P350 and P300 only with singlet. Registration sites at Chris Sports in SM North Annex, SM Fairview, Ever Gotesco Grand Central & Ever Gotesco Commonwealth; Second Wind at 44 Malingap St. Teachers Village * Metro Walk, Ortigas Depot. For more inquiries, please call 4906512 or cell 09152903601/ 09398151258/09335433811. Partners of the events are BusinessWorld, DILG, Dangerous Drugs Board, San Miguel Corporation, Phil Christian University, Insular Life, Unilab, Magic 89.9, Benecure Water Station, Artesgraphics and Creativemediamax.
Ultrabooks: what they are, and who has ’em
Anyone who’s been following the techno-sphere as religiously as us might have probably encountered the newest buzzword in the industry: the ultrabook. With different companies coming out with their own model of the ultrabook, we thought it’d be nice to explain what it is exactly.
The ultrabook is term that chip manufacturer Intel coined for an emerging niche of products that are exceptionally thin and light while retaining mainstream-like functionality and excellent battery life. It’s like ultra-light notebooks of yore, we guess, without the crippled performance that those units usually give.
Basically, think of ultrabooks as Window-fied MacBook Airs.
And there’s a bunch of ultrabooks coming your way once the holiday season rolls around. There’s the Asus UX21 (which we spotted back in COMPUTEX) that’ll be sporting a Core i3, i5 or i7 processor, Lenovo’s IdeaPad U300s, Acer’s Aspire A3 and Toshiba’s PORTÉGÉ Z830.
Canon wants you to fulfill your indie movie dreams with the Vixia line of camcorders
Canon just informed us that they’ve launched new models for their VIXIA line of camcorders. The new FS400, HF R20 and HF M40 combine powerful specs with simple and easy to use controls. You can expect a DIGIC DV II processor, a Canon Video Lens and a powerful magnification with up to 41x Advanced Zoom for the FS400. The HF R20 meanwhile,offers full HD 1920 x 1080 video, a 1/4.85-inch 3.28-megapixel HD CMOS sensor and a third-generation DIGIC DV III processor. Finally, the HF M40 offers a 1/3-inch, 2.37 megapixel HD CMOS Pro Image Sensor and an improved internal microphone.
Review: WD Scorpio Blue 1TB
Notebooks don’t have the roomiest of drives. The most space you can expect out of a HDD of a standard notebook is 320GB – 500GB if you’re lucky. That’s the main reason many notebook owners spring for an external HDD to store their data – their notebooks simply don’t have enough room. Well, there’s another solution to your space woes – the Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD10JPVT 1TB drive. This little 2.5-inch drive has enough space for a majority of data while giving you decent performance.
One of the reasons why you don’t see notebooks sporting 1TB hard drives is because of height. Early 1TB 2.5-inch drives had a 12.5mm height requirement, which meant early drives couldn’t fit in standard notebooks which could only accommodate 9.5mm drives. The Scorpio Blue manages to pull this off through the use of two 500GB platters under the hood of the drive. Other features include shock resistance (which is important for mobile drives) and decreased power consumption (the Scorpio Blue pulls in 1.4 watts during active use).
Of course, the WD10JPVT doesn’t have it all. It has a 5400 RPM spindle speed and 8MB cache, which is the typical specs of hard drives in its class. If you’re looking for fast drive for your notebook, this ain’t it. But again, storage is one of the main concerns of mobile users, not speed.
Nevertheless, we would be remiss if we didn’t at least paint a picture of how the WD10JPVT performs. We used two programs to gauge the performance of the WD10JPVT – CrystalDiskMark 3.0.1 and HD Tune Pro 4.61.
Under HD Tune Pro 4.61, we get an average transfer rate of 85.3 MB/s, with a peak of 112.1 MB/s.
For CrystalDiskMark 3.0.1, it was pretty much the same – 112.8 MB/s read, 110 MB/s write. Judging from those numbers, the WD10JPVT had pretty respectable performance, especially considering this is a 5400 RPM drive. We also didn’t notice increased noise during testing, which again is a plus for a mobile drive.
Of course, that amount of storage doesn’t come cheap. If you’re set on buying one for your notebook, expect to shell out Php 5,995.
What’s Hot:
Respectable performance
1TB of available space
Quiet
What’s Not:
Not as fast as 7200 RPM drives
Pricey
Bottomline:
The WD Digital Scorpio Blue WD10JPVT 1TB is a good upgrade for people who crave more storage in their notebooks – as long as you can afford the Php 5,995 sticker price.
Buymeter: 8.5
Samsung partners with Intel and MeeGo for Sing-to-win promo
Samsung, MeeGo and Intel has partnered up to deliver a new promo that’s sure to endear them to musically-inclined pinoys. The Sing-to-win promo gives regular folks a chance to be discovered on YouTube (like Charice and Arnel Pineda) and win a Samsung N100 netbook. Interested? The rules are pretty simple. You just need to catch the Sing to Win roadshow in SM Baguio from Sept. 1-7; SM Pampanga, Sept. 15-21, and; SM North Edsa, Sept. 29 to Oct. 5, 2011, and choose a song and perform it at the Intel-Samsung booth. Then, at the end of the song, say why or how the PC has/will change your life. Jazz it up some more by editing the video using Intel-powered computers on site, and then upload it to Youtube. The video that has the most number of likes receives a Samsung N100 netbook.
Also in part of the Sing to Win contest, Samsung is giving away exciting freebies for every purchase of Samsung mobile PCs. There’s a free Meego netbook sleeve for every purchase of N100; a Samsung E1080 handset for the Samsung NC110 series, NP300, and RV420 series, and; a Samsung ML-2525 printer for RC418 and RC420 series. This promo is valid in all of the participating IT shops on the following dates – August 22 to September 21, 2011 at SM Naga, September 1 -30 at SM Baguio, September 15 to October 14 at SM Pampanga, and October 1 to 31 at SM North EDSA. Customers just need to present a photocopy of any valid ID and sales invoice to the designated redemption areas to redeem their free items.