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Sony Ericsson dropping featurephones in 2012, going all-in with smartphones

Technology

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14 Oct 2011

Sony Ericsson has decided to drop all non-smartphone products in its lineup, and come next year will only be making and selling Android powered devices. The decision comes after the company posted a break-even third quarter, which was an improvement over the company’s net income loss of 50m euros ($68.8m, £45.7m) in the previous quarter. The company blamed the drop in profits on lower demand of their less advanced products, saying that 80% of the devices they sold were Android-powered devices. “We will continue to invest in the smartphone market, shifting the entire portfolio to smartphones during 2012,” said President and Chief Executive, Bert Nordberg.

Source: BBC

Review: Asus Eee Pad Slider SL101

GadgetsLab

Gadgets Team

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14 Oct 2011

2

After being teased mercilessly and getting early hands on look on the Asus’ Eee Pad Slider SL101, we finally managed to grab ourselves a device for review. Does the addition of a non-removable keyboard add to the appeal, or is it a bulky accessory that tablets don’t need? Read on.

One of the biggest strengths of the original TF101 was its ability to take on an add-on keyboard that essentially made it into an impromptu netbook when users wanted it to. The SL101 is simply takes that concept a step further by adding a non-removable, full QWERTY keyboard on the bottom that’s accessible by a sliding mechanism (thus the name of the device). The SL101 sports a 10.1-inch LED Backlight WXGA screen and like the TF101, doesn’t have much in the way of physical buttons when the keyboard is underneath. The physical keys that are present have been relocated to accommodate the keyboard. The volume controls, for instance, have been moved to the bottom of the device (when you’re holding it in portrait mode) along with the power key, microSD slot and oddly enough, a reset button. The top of the device holds a single USB port and a 3.5mm jack for audio.

Accessing the keyboard is a bit tricky the first few times you do it, as you’ll need to lift the top of the screen (when oriented in landscape mode) near the front facing camera to reveal the keyboard and lock the screen in place. The screen locks in a 45 degree angle, giving you a better view of the screen while you type on the keyboard.

The keyboard is, understandably, a little cramped, and does get a bit of getting used to. The keys are island-type ones and unfortunately doesn’t have enough travel to type on comfortably for long periods of time. Of course, the addition of a keyboard underneath makes the SL101 a lot thicker than the device that came before it – measuring in at 273 x 180.3 x 17.3 mm and tips the scales at a portly 960 grams.

Hardware-wise the SL101 doesn’t sport anything that we haven’t seen before – it’s powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, has 1GB of memory, a 5 megapixel camera on the rear and a 1.2 megapixel on the front. Admittedly, it’s now powered by Android Honeycomb 3.2 instead of the 3.0 version that was on the TF101 that we reviewed back in June, which now allows the SL101 to take simple devices like USB mice and keyboard attachments, USB sticks and external hard drives.

We’re not going to dwell into the whole UI experience, suffice to say that what’s on tap is stock Honeycomb. If you’re interested to see how that feels, you can go check out our TF101 review here. The SL101 performs well for the most part, and is able to run everything that the TF101 can which is unsurprising, because the two share pretty much the same hardware. No, what we’re going to talk about is what the integrated sliding keyboard brings to the mix – and that can be summed up in one word: utility.

See, while the TF101 had the ability to take a keyboard, it wasn’t convenient to always do so. Attaching the keyboard onto the TF101 meant that you’d still be bringing an equivalent of a netbook along with you, and you’d still have to take the darn thing off when you just wanted to use it as a tablet, which takes a bit of fiddling and a whole lot of hassle. With the SL101, you just slide the keyboard out of sight, and you can use it as a tablet again.

Unfortunately, the addition of a keyboard doesn’t give users better battery life – unlike the detachable keyboard of the TF101 which also doubled as an additional battery. The SL101 managed about 7.7 hours on battery, a little less than the TF101.

Of course, the addition of the keyboard changes the tablet dynamics a bit. While it’s still pretty portable, it’s not AS portable as the TF101 (it’s not going to fit into any envelopes soon, that’s for sure). The heavier overall weight means that you’ll start to feel its weight sooner when you’re reading e-books and whatnot.

Another small niggle is that the SL101 does not have a hardware orientation lock, which, to be honest, annoys me to no end. You can lock the orientation of the device through the OS, but that’s not as convenient as flicking a switch on the side of the device.

The question now is this: why should you get the SL101 over the TF101, or really, any other tablet in the market? Well, for one thing, the keyboard adds a nice layer of convenience when you’re just randomly surfing the web, and no matter what anybody tells you, typing using touchscreens suck. It also props up the tablet to the optimal viewing position which makes it easier to watch movies without having to hold it on your lap, or on the table.

The Asus Eee Pad Slider SL101 retails for Php 26,995 for the 16GB version.

What’s Hot:

Integrated keyboard

Responsive

Deploying the keyboard props up the device, making it easier to watch movies

Takes USB devices like external HDDs, mice, keyboards and other peripherals without issues

What’s Not:

Heavier than your typical tablet

Still no hardware orientation lock

Bottomline:

The Eee Pad Slider SL101 is a great device for people who are looking to get into tablets but are not ready to trade in their physical keyboards for virtual ones.

Buymeter: 8.7

Tech Specs:

Operating System: Android Honeycomb 3.2
CPU: NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor, 1GHz
LCD size: 10.1-inch LED Backlight WXGA (1280×800)
Physical Dimensions: 273 x 180.3 x 17.3 mm
Weight: 960 g
Internal memory: 16GB, expandable via microSD

Review: BlackBerry Torch 9860

GadgetsLab

Gadgets Team

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14 Oct 2011

0

After the release of the original Torch (which had a touchscreen and a sliding keypad underneath) it made sense for the RIM to finally release their own full touchscreen offering, the BlackBerry Torch 9860. The question now is this: does the BlackBerry Torch 9860 have enough features and appeal to break it out of the BlackBerry niche?

The Torch 9860 sports a large 3.7-inch 800 x 480 display, which is possibly the biggest screen the company has ever put on a device. The exterior of the 9860 eschews the boxy, corporate design of the previous BlackBerries and embraces the curved styling of its competitors. The 9860 has some serious curves, and as a result you get a better grip around it. Below the screen sits five buttons – call, menu, select (which also doubles as the optical trackpad), return and end.

On the right side of the 9860 sits the volume rocker, camera shortcut key and the 3.5mm jack. You unlock the device through the small unlock button on top, and charge it through the micro-USB slot on the left. There’s a 5 megapixel camera at the back, and a smaller, front facing camera near the top of the LCD.

Unlike other higher end smartphones currently out in the market, the BlackBerry Torch 9860 is powered by a single core 1.2GHz processor that coincidentally also powers the company’s other high-end device, the Bold 9900. While it might look on paper that the BlackBerry Torch 9860 might be lacking in the number crunching department, it’s OS (simply named BlackBerry OS 7) is utilitarian enough in a sense that it doesn’t have flashy visual effects (or gimmicky features) that require loads of processing power. Additional hardware include the requisite Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 2.5 GB storage, 768 MB RAM, GPS and so on.

For the most part, BlackBerry OS 7 is pretty easy to use, especially since this is the first time I’ve actually managed to handle and review a BlackBerry device. You drag the menu bar up if you want to see your apps, settings and other accouterments, which you can actually sort via favorites, frequent and so on. A press of the BlackBerry icon lets you manage the panels and gives you other options when you’re in an application. The device lent to me had various apps pre-installed on it (Facebook, Twitter, the ever important BlackBerry messenger and so on) and you can always find more from BlackBerrie’s App World.

The 9860’s build quality is good, and the device had that nice, premium feel all over. The screen was responsive enough, and BlackBerry OS 7 was pretty straightforward to use that I never really felt lost when I was using the device. My initial worries about the single core processor was soon laid to rest – apps and different functions opened speedily enough, and though the 9860 stumbled a bit when it came to opening and displaying sites with extremely rich media, it managed to get by.

Probably my biggest complaint with it is ironically, one of the device’s supposed strengths – messaging. Don’t get me wrong, the 9860 is completely capable of sending out SMS, email and going on BlackBerry Messenger, but the on-screen keyboard is annoyingly small, and hard to use, especially to someone with big digits. RIM obviously wanted to stay true to the traditional layout of the physical BlackBerry keyboard that’s present on their other devices, but it seems that particular layout doesn’t quite fly with a touchscreen. Typing messages (especially with the device on portrait mode) is a chore, and god help you if you’re trying to compose a long reply. In contrast, virtual keyboards on WP7 and Android devices are much easier to type on.

You’d think that a premium-ish device like the Torch 9860 would at least have some kind of screen protection for the LCD, like Gorilla Glass protection or something. Unfortunately, that’s not an option with the Torch 9860, and the result is a scratched up screen. The demo unit lent to me spent a majority of its time with other phones (a low-end Nokia) and came out scratched after a couple of days. Compare this to other smartphones with Gorilla Glass protection that shared pocket space with keys, coins and other accouterments, and you’ll see why manufacturers need to have some level of screen protection for their products, especially all-touch devices.

And while you can get additional apps from the BlackBerry App World, the selection is pretty thin. If you’re the sort that likes a lot of variety and a large selection of apps, then you might be disappointed by the offerings in BlackBerry’s App World.

Call quality was excellent, and the 9860 did not have any trouble finding and holding a signal when calling, which obviously resulted in no drop calls and excellent call quality. Battery life was good, and unlike other smartphones in its class, the 9860 was able to retain a charge after a day and a half of moderate use – texting, calling, internet and the like.

It’s tough to recommend the Torch 9860 to non-BlackBerry users. It has a great screen, loads of connectivity and multiple messaging options, and the new BlackBerry OS 7 feels tight and focused, without any kind of gimmicks slowing it down. On the other hand, the hard to use virtual keyboard, dearth of apps and annoyingly easily scratched touchscreen mar the overall experience of using the device. While it might be a no-brainer upgrade for existing BlackBerry users, it might not impress the folks who are looking for their first touchscreen smartphone.

What’s Hot:

Solid construction

Easy to use

BlackBerry OS 7 is tight and focused, easy enough to pick up for new users

Responsive

Long battery life

What’s Not:

Virtual keyboard is frustratingly difficult to use

Not a lot of apps available

LCD is prone to scratches

Bottomline:

While the BlackBerry Torch 9860 is definitely a viable upgrade for existing BlackBerry device users, first time smartphone users may not find it to their liking.

Buymeter: 7.9

Technical Specifications:

Operating System: BlackBerry OS 7
CPU: 1.2 GHz processor
LCD size: 3.7-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen
Physical Dimensions: 120 x 62 x 11.5 mm
Weight: 135 g
Band: HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 / 800, GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
Internal memory: 2.5 GB storage, expandable up to 32GB

Get the Marvel universe in the palm of your hands

Apps

Gadgets Team

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14 Oct 2011

1

Get the Marvel universe in the palm of your hands

I collected the cards, I encased the holograms, I watched the series on TV as a child, but when it came to Marvel comics, the only one that really stuck was the DC versus Marvel issue. I was only 11 when I had first read the comic book and only last year when I bought the actual graphic novel collection for my husband. Now, you don’t need to download PDF files on your computer and “attempt” to print them (like what I did before I learned there was already a novel I could purchase).

The Marvel Comics App now allows you to download your favorite comics onto your smartphones so you can get your Wolverine, Phoenix, and the entire Uncanny X-men fix on the go. With over 1400 issues, you’re sure to know everything there is to know about the entire Marvel universe in the palm of your hand. (Then again, there’s reallifesuperheroes.com if you want a more real life application)

The Marvel Comics App is available for iOS, Android, PSP and iPads.

Source: Marvel

Cartridge World Philippines supports COTY-PH

Press Release

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14 Oct 2011

1

Cartridge World Philippines supports COTY-PH

CAGI_CartridgeWorld_ — Cartridge World Philippines signs up as COTY-PH sponsor. Officers of the Car Awards Group Inc. (CAGI) recently inked a sponsorship agreement with Cartridge World Philippines for the latter's support in the 2011-2012 Car of the Year-Philippines. In photo are (L-R): CAGI director Bess Zamora, CAGI president Ferman Lao, Cartridge World Philippines chair & CEO Babylyn Decena-Niewfield, and CAGI director Andy Sevilla.

Cartridge World Philippines has signed up to support the 2011-2012 Car of the Year-Philippines (COTY-PH)

The global ink and toner experts, Cartridge World Philippines counts car dealers and manufacturers among its client base. According to its chair & CEO Babylyn Decena-Newfield, an avowed car enthusiast: “We want to be part of the industry in our own little way by partnering with CAGI. Our products and services may not be aligned with the industry, but complements the idea behind the value of approved and quality products.”

By offering remanufactured and refilled ink and laser toner cartridges, Cartridge World Philippines also believes it is reducing waste and helping protect the environment.

Now considered the world leader in inkjet and cartridge refilling, Cartridge World started in Australia in 1997 and currently has about 1,800 branches in 53 countries. In the Philippines, the franchise has 7 outlets—Pasay Road, Shaw Boulevard, Quezon Avenue, Acropolis, Sucat, Biñan—and one in Cebu opening very soon.

The Car Awards Group Inc. (CAGI) is an award-giving body composed of motoring journalists. Every year since 2004, CAGI invites automotive manufacturers and distributors to submit their new vehicle models for technical and qualitative testing. Test results are summarized and subjected to external audit. Awards are given in various categories, with the most prestigious award being the Car of the Year Award.

Fire in the hole: Sony recalls 1.6 million Bravias because of fire risk

Gadgets Team

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13 Oct 2011

2

Are you a Sony Bravia owner? If so, listen up. The electronics giant is recalling 1.6 million Bravia TV sets because of a faulty component that may cause them to melt or catch fire. The component, which is located in the backlight systems of the TV which could melt the top of the TV and in extreme cases, make the whole unit catch fire. The recall comes after a customer noticed fire and smoke coming from their TV, said Yuki Shima, a Tokyo-based spokeswoman for Sony. While the devices included in the recall are 40-inch models mainly sold in China, Europe, the Americas, Middle East and Europe, it doesn’t hurt to check your Bravia set is included in the recall. The affected models are:

KDL-40D3400
KDL-40D3500
KDL-40D3550
KDL-40D3660
KDL-40V3000
KDL-40W3000
KDL-40X3000
KDL-40X3500

If your Bravia TV set is included in the recall, it’s best to call the Sony service center near you to get it fixed, though Shima has said that the company won’t be issuing refunds or replacement TVs.

UPDATE: Sony Philippines have reached out to us about this particular story. Erica dela Cruz, Assistant Manager for Brand Activations Management, clarified that there will be no recall of the said BRAVIA models but is taking all necessary steps to ensure that the units sold in the Philippines are safe and reliable, and that owners of the said BRAVIA models can call Sony Philippines Customer Service thru 878-7600 to avail of the free inspection. If a faulty component is found, Sony will replace the part free of charge. Additionally, owners of these TV models are advised to immediately turn off their television, pull out the plug and cease using the TV unit and immediately call Sony’s Customer Service if they notice any abnormality such as unusual noise, unusual smell or smoking. We’ve included their entire reply in italics below.

Sony Philippines is committed to customer safety, product reliability and quality control. In lieu of reports from Japan that there are rare cases of overheating involving specific models of 40” BRAVIA LCD TVs, which were mostly released between 2007 to 2008, due to a damaged component and could possibly melt a part of the TV’s cabinet ceiling, Sony Philippines is offering free inspection of these BRAVIA models. The models involved are: KDL-40W3000, KDL-40W3100, KDL-40W3500, KDL-40X3100, KDL-40XBR, KLV-40W300A, KLV-40X300A, KLV-40X350A. The said models were mostly released between 2007 and 2008. Sony Philippines clarified that there will be no recall of the said BRAVIA models but is taking all necessary steps to ensure that the units sold in the Philippines are safe and reliable. Owners of the said BRAVIA models can call Sony Philippines Customer Service thru 878-7600 to avail of the free inspection. When a request is made, Sony’s service representative will promptly visit and check the TV, and will replace the part at no charge if a damaged component is found. Owners of these TV models are advised to immediately turn off their television, pull out the plug and cease using the TV unit and immediately call Sony’s Customer Service if they notice any abnormality such as unusual noise, unusual smell or smoking.

Sony Philippines wishes to clarify that there would be no recall of the BRAVIA models involved in the reports of rare cases of overheating in Japan due to a damaged component. Sony Philippines is offering free inspection of these specific models to ensure customer safety, product reliability and quality control. Owners of the said models can call Sony’s Customer Service thru 878-7600 and a Sony representative will promptly respond and the damaged component will be replaced if found.

Source: Bloomberg

Neo is having a massive clearance sale, up to 50% off on notebooks and netbooks

Archives

Gadgets Team

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13 Oct 2011

1

Neo is having a massive clearance sale, up to 50% off on notebooks and netbooks

NEO, our friendly local notebook brand is having a massive, massive warehouse sale. How massive? Well, how’s a notebook for Php 15,000 sound? You better hurry though – the sale is only up till tomorrow, but then again, it’s payday tomorrow, and what better way to reward yourself after a long week’s grind than with a brand spanking new NEO notebook? If you’re interested in grabbing a new notebook, head on over to King’s Court Building in Chino Roces Makati tomorrow. You can get a biggified version of that banner by going here.

Soak, Dye in Light: a new way to watercolor

Archives

Gadgets Team

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13 Oct 2011

0

Soak, Dye in Light: a new way to watercolor

New media brings about a new way to recreate traditional art. “Soak” by creative computing group Everyware has developed a way to simulate watercolor using a blank spandex canvas. Once you touch the material, the canvas immediately begins to fill with color which becomes “soaked” in virtual dyes and patterns. This simulated watercolor uses GPU accelerated cellular automata and is a modern reminiscent way of the art of tie-dye. For many fashion designers, this could prove to be one useful technology when mixing colors in fabrics.

SOAK from everyware.kr on Vimeo.

Dying fabric is a time-honored tradition of humankind. Local materials such as herbs, flowers, rocks, juice of animals or shells have been used through the dying process. Especially in Korea, people have deep affection toward the unique colors and textures of fabric dyed with traditional materials. Now in the age of new media, we tried a whole new way of coloring fabrics with the essential materials of new media, ‘light’ and ‘interactivity’. Also, as a meta-creative interactive installation, ‘Soak’ can be expanded for creating garments with personalized patterns or textile productions using today’s digital fabric printing technologies.

Source: PSFK

Smart outs Tap Share program, country’s first moble NFC service

Gadgets Team

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13 Oct 2011

2

Smart outs Tap Share program, country’s first moble NFC service

Got a Nokia C7 smartphone and are a subscriber of Smart? Good news for you then – you’ll now be able to use your C7’s NFC technology via Smart’s Tap Share program. The initiative allows C7 usersto get prepaid updates and download mobile content like news, games and music via tapping their device on specially-marked posters in selected Smart Wireless Centers and Smart Stores nationwide.

“With Tap Share, Smart is once again pioneering innovation in the Philippines,” said Smart Chief Wireless Advisor Orlando B. Vea. This contactless technology offers our users a hassle-free and safe means of availing of products—they no longer need to memorize lengthy keywords, codes, and URLs to enjoy a service,” he said.

To enjoy Tap Share, existing Nokia C7 users can update their phone software by going to their phone’s update menu or by connecting their phone to their PC via Nokia PC Suite (standard data rates apply). They can also visit the nearest Nokia Care Center to have their phone software updated for free.

While the service is just available on the Nokia C7 for now, it paves the way for other NFC equipped devices down the line. Just think about it – you’ll soon be able to pay for groceries and other purchases via tapping your device on the store counter, without bringing out cash or credit cards.

YouTube makes local debut, partners with local content providers

Gadgets Team

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13 Oct 2011

0

YouTube makes local debut, partners with local content providers

It’s no secret that Filipinos love YouTube – we’re one of the biggest consumers of online video and we upload a fair share of videos for the world to see. That same voraciousness for online video has also helped a couple of our own to be discovered, with folks like Arnel Pineda and Charise Pempengco. So it’s no surprise then that Google has decided to create a localized YouTube Philippines site that delivers local flavor straight to your PC.

YouTube has forged partnership agreements with top Filipino media companies including ABS-CBN, GMA Network Inc., and TV5 that’ll bring their content to the local YouTube site. Additionally partners such as VIVA Records, PinoyTuner, Vicor Records, Star Records and Oak3 will also bring their content to the YouTube masses.

Probably the biggest news here is that local content providers, from the biggest media companies to the guy in his basement with a guitar and a dream will now be eligible for payment from ad revenue, with the content provider getting the majority of the earnings. Google still gets a piece of the pie however, though the percentage is unknown – they didn’t really give a percentage of the split.

The YouTube partner program will now also be open to local content creators, so people who regularly create original, high-quality content can now monetize their work. Content creators will be able to apply to the program by going to this link.

We spoke with Howie Severino, of GMA Netowrks Inc. about what this means for their content. He was extremely pleased with the partnership, saying that “it gives us new avenues to grow our brand and monetize our content.” He also said that the partnership allows GMA to leverage YouTube’s powerful content identifying algorithims, which gives them a powerful tool to use against people who infringe on their intellectual property. That doesn’t mean that they’ll take the ban hammer to everyone who uploads content from their networks. Howie sees these fans as partners in spreading their brand – the only thing that’ll change is that GMA, not the uploaders of the copyrighted videos, will be earning ad revenue, though the network still has the option of taking down their content from unauthorized users.

Sneak Peek: Insane DeBlurring feature that may appear in the next Photoshop

Gadgets Team

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13 Oct 2011

0

Sneak Peek: Insane DeBlurring feature that may appear in the next Photoshop

Adobe seems to have cooked up something big, and may very well change the future of photography and post processing images.

This sneak peek video was shot during the Adobe Max 2011 held in Los Angeles, and is a demonstration of Adobe’s new DeBlurring capabilities. Whether it is to appear in the next update of Photoshop is still unconfirmed. However, if you imagine that the audience is comprised of both media, photographers, graphic artists etc., their reaction alone to the DeBlurring demonstration speaks volumes. I mean after all, when was the last time you heard a unanimous response of amazement from an audience that is often very critical?

Ironically, the video below of the demonstration could definitely use Adobe’s DeBlurring algorithm. Whatever Adobe’s got under their sleeves, is definitely something to watch out for.

UPDATE 10/19/2011 Adobe’s official video of the demo:

ECS challenges overclockers to strut their stuff

Archives

Gadgets Team

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12 Oct 2011

0

ECS challenges overclockers to strut their stuff

So you’ve been overclocking all your life, have you? Think you got what it takes to smoke the competition, do you? Well, now’s the time to put up or shut up, as ECS has announced that their overclocking competition, aptly named ECS Overclock Shootout, is now open to the public. From now till November 6th, you have a chance to win some hardcore swag from ECS which include an A990 FXM-A, ECS GeForce GTX560 and other goodies. Anyone can join using any kind of hardware, though the stuff you use must be commercially available, with the highest overall 3DMark11 score using the performance preset taking the prize each week of the contest. If you’re up to the challenge, you can go to this link to find out more.

Source: ECS

Asus outs Zenbook Ultrabook, currently the thinnest notebook on the market

Archives

Gadgets Team

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12 Oct 2011

6

Asus outs Zenbook Ultrabook, currently the thinnest notebook on the market

Well, it’s official – the UX series of extremely thin notebooks we saw back in June in COMPUTEX (which are now classed as Ultrabooks) are here, under the guise of Zenbooks, Asus’ branding for the recently emerged Ultrabook category. It’s still as beautiful as when we first saw it many moons ago, sporting a nice silver exterior panel (which we’ll guess is aluminum) with a concentric circle design that refracts a halo of light when you look at it.

Asus claims that this is the thinnest Ultrabook currently on the market, being only 9mm at its thickest point (beating Acer’s S3 by 4mm). Internally, these bad boys are packing SATA III SSDs for storage, 4GB of RAM, USB 3.0 and will carry a selection of Intel’s Core i5 and i7 processors.

There will be two variants of the Zenbooks available – a small, 11-inch model and a 13-inch deal, weighing in at 2.4 lbs and 2.9 lbs respectively. Both devices are will be available in the US starting Oct 12 with prices starting at about $999. While there’s no word on local availability yet, we have a good feeling that this little beauty will be heading to our shores real soon. Stay tuned.

FOTON’s Big Show gives you even bigger deals

Archives

Gadgets Team

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12 Oct 2011

0

FOTON Motor Philippines (FMP) is set to stage its biggest celebration to date. Join FOTON’s Big Show: The New Energy of Business, a trade-in and exhibit to be held on October 20 to 23, 2011 at the PICC Forum 2, Pasay City. The event will also host the FOTON Palitan Fest 2―a trade-in event wherein guests can exchange their old vehicles for a brand new FOTON!

Featuring an easy, systematic process, the FOTON Palitan Fest 2 enables participants to complete the trade-in requirements, all in one day! Representatives from major banks and buy-and-sell firms will be present at the event to assist clients with their trade-in and bank financing applications. Within minutes, clients can get their old vehicles appraised, have their papers processed, and then drive home with their new FOTON.

On top of that, guests can also avail of huge discounts offered exclusively at the event! FMP makes this event even bigger with the grand unveiling of the brand’s new heavy equipment and construction machineries. Do not miss this exclusive exhibition featuring FOTON wheel loaders, excavators, backhoe loaders, rollers, and forklifts! Landing the spotlight, too, are FOTON’s well-known pick-ups, vans, and trucks. With this extensive new line-up, small businesses and multinational companies alike are guaranteed to find a perfect FOTON for their business.

Other surprises await everyone at the FOTON’s Big Show, kicking-off with a stunning opening celebration. Share with the excitement as FOTON welcomes this new chapter of growth as it unveils its new brand identity! The event will also be joined in by distinguished guests and the country’s top talents, making it a truly special event.

Log on to www.foton.com.ph or call 459-2121 (Metro Manila) or 1-80010-36FOTON (provincial toll-free) or +63 922 8017217/ +63 949 1622111 to find out more.

iTunes 10.5 update includes iTunes in the Cloud

Gadgets Team

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12 Oct 2011

0

iTunes 10.5 update includes iTunes in the Cloud

Apple has released iTunes 10.5, and while it may seem like an ordinary update, the big news is the introduction of iTunes in the Cloud, which automatically downloads your previous purchases across virtually any of your devices.

This is a potential game changer for Apple’s cloud-based service, as it now allows you to access your music library anywhere, providing that the device you’re using has iTunes installed. You can also choose between having Apple update your library automatically, or you can go through it song-by-song if you want. Additional features include WiFi syncing across iOS devices, and a new feature called iTunes Match, which isn’t quite ready yet but should be available soon.

If you already have iTunes, simply go to Apple Software Update and it will take care of the rest. If this is your first time, head on over to the iTunes page.