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    Philips sells TV business, will have to settle for royalties

    Gadgets Team
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    Philips sells TV business, will have to settle for royalties

    Seems like Philips’ TV making days are over. Chief Executive Officer Frans Van Houten, who took over the reins of the business just at the start of this month has outlined a new plan to try and get the Amsterdam based company back on track after sustaining a large loss of 87 million euros from TVs in the first quarter. Instead, the company will bundle its TVs into a partnership that will be 70 percent owned by Hong-Kong-based TPV Technology Ltd. Philips will retain the rest and will receive royalty payments of at least 50 million euros ($72 million) annually from 2013 onwards.

    The move yielded positive results, with Philips’ stock gaining as much as 55 cents, or 2.6 percent, to 21.64 euros, the most since Jan. 11. The stock, which traded at 21.66 euros, has lost 5.5 percent so far this year, valuing Philips at about 21.36 billion euros.

    Source: Bloomberg

     

    Gmail now lets users make own themes

    Gadgets Team
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    Gmail now lets users make own themes

    Gmail users can now make their own themes for their inboxes. According to Gmail, there had been many requests to make a personalized mail.

    “For a while, you’ve been able to set your own colors, and starting today you can customize your inbox with your own background image too,” software engineer Jiří Semecký said.

    Users would be able to navigate through Gmail customization just by choosing “Create your own theme” on the themes tab. They will be able to select a background image for the main area, footer and background image.

    Although for users who are not familiar with customizing web content it could be a bit complicated as the wrong combinations for background, text and snippet can render it invisible.

     

    source: gmanews.tv

    GfK Asia: Smartphones and TVs – largest and fastest growing segments

    Gadgets Team
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    GfK Asia: Smartphones and TVs – largest and fastest growing segments

    Urbanization and economic recovery in Asia Pacific have been propelling growth of the digital technology industry which achieved a total of USD235 billion last year, according to leading market research company GfK Asia.

    As a special invited guest speaker at the IFA 2011 Global Press Conference held in Alicante, Spain last 15 April, GfK Asia’s Regional Commercial Director presented on the topic: Heralding a New Digital Era in Asia, where he shared interesting insights on the digital technology market. “The technology of mobile communication has come a long way and evolved tremendously so much that today’s consumers are able to perform all sorts of tasks digitally via their smart phones, such as banking, navigation, instant messaging, etc,” commented Mr. Kee. “GfK reports show that people in Asia Pacific has been eagerly adopting this smart phone technology, growing the market size of this industry from 31 million units in 2009 by 216 percent to 67 million units last year. And this year, we are expecting to see further growth in annual unit sales of over 60 percent.”

    Another digital product sector which has been experiencing exponential growth is TV. Rising quantities of the popular LED technology TVs have been snapped up by consumers around the region, driving tremendous unit growth which recorded over 3000 percent in 2010 over the previous year. LCD TVs also grew at a significant 56 percent compared to 2009.

    “Asia’s developing countries present huge opportunities to manufacturers in the TV market. More than half of the entire population’s households in countries such as India, Philippines, and Indonesia are still using the old-fashioned CRT TVs and GfK reports confirm the rising trend of consumers in these markets switching over to the newer type of flat TV,” highlighted Mr. Kee.

    According to GfK retail audit for 2010, more than four in every five sets (83%) of TVs sold in India were still CRTs, whereas in Southeast Asia as a whole, the proportion of CRT TV unit sales stood at 58 percent.

    “Six among 10 of the world’s most populous countries helm from Asia, and backed by the region’s young, rapidly urbanizing population who are possessing increasing spending power, the explosion of a new digital technology era is imminent and round the corner, if not already happening in some of the developed markets,” said Mr Kee. “We confidently predict that the overall industry will continue to grow further by at least another 17 percent to hit US275 billion this year,” he concluded.

    Globe commercially rolls out 4G HSPA+, beats Smart to the punch

    Gadgets Team
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    Globe commercially rolls out 4G HSPA+, beats Smart to the punch

    Globe through their website has just announced their commercial roll out of HSPA+ (or Evolved High-Speed Packet Access), which will complement their existing 4G WiMAX network. What makes this so special? Well, HSPA+ is faster than 3G by large margin, and has theoretical download speeds of 21 Mbps with an option to upgrade that later  to 84 Mbps. That means newer HSPA+ phones will be able to stream internet content faster and better than before. I say newer phones because current HSPA phones are not able to use HSPA+. It then follows that Globe might well be rolling out HSPA+ compliant phones and hardware soon to take advantage of the new technology.

    According to the site, the new network will initially be offered in the metro including the areas of Marikina, Quezon City, Makati, Pasay, Las Pinas, Taguig, with other areas added later. Ernest Cu, President and CEO of Globe Telecom said, “Globe is again pioneering innovation in the Philippines. With the uptake in broadband both on mobile and through other devices, customers want faster broadband in more places. Globe is continuously looking for ways to improve our network infrastructure to meet the demand for quality services. In 2009, we were the first carrier to launch 4G through our WiMax network. Today, we extend our leadership by taking 4G mobile. With our high speed broadband rollout, Globe will continue to lead in customer experience by giving our subscribers better, faster, and more reliable broadband connections on their phone, laptop, PC or tablet.”

    Since Globe now has two of the 4G bases covered (WiMAX, HSPA+) it’ll be interesting to see how Smart will react. It’s not really a secret that Smart may be rolling out their own 4G network soon, as evidenced by the LTE trials that they’ll be offering to visitors in Boracay from April 21 to 24.

     

    Source: Globe

    Petron Lakbay Alalay: Free check-up for a safer trip

    Press Release
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    Petron Lakbay Alalay: Free check-up for a safer trip

    Petron Lakbay Alalay wants to give you a safer trip to your summer destination by offering free service check-ups from mid-March until the end of May.

    The free 15-point service check-up is offered at participating Petron service stations and car care centers nationwide and is part of  Petron’s safety advocacy to help motorists prepare for safe, worry free travel.  The free safety check, which covers tire pressure, oil and radiator water level, and brakes inspection, helps ensure that vehicles are roadworthy and in good running condition.  No purchase is required to avail of these services, which is available to all motorists, absolutely free of charge.

    Petron Lakbay Alalay’s commitment to promoting road safety for everyone is  assured with the assignment of a dedicated mechanic assigned to render the free vehicle check at all participating service stations nationwide.  All you have to do is drive into one of the 118 stations displaying the Petron Lakbay Alalay Free Safety Check streamer.   There are 48 participating stations in Metro Manila, 16 stations in northern Luzon, 10 stations in southern Luzon, 29 stations in the Visayas, and 15 stations in Mindanao.

    In addition to the free safety checks, Petron volunteers and partner expressways will offer emergency roadside assistance in strategically-located Petron stations and base camps inside the major tollways including North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), Star Tollway, and Coastal Road.

    Petron employees and dealers have also signed up for selected “Weekends of Volunteerism” during the summer holidays as their way of  reaching out to Filipino motorists and giving them the Petron service that they deserve.

    Summer road-trippers will be pleasantly surprised with Petron’s promo tie-up with the major tollways, billed as “Tollways Instant Win – Free Bunot”.  Every Sunday until the end of May 2011, customers who fill up with P1,000 worth of any Petron fuel gets a chance to win instant prizes such as Cool Air gum, Tiger biscuits, Magnolia water, Magnolia chocolait, and San Mig coffee.  This promotion is further intensified during Holy Week as it becomes a daily activity in the participating stations.

    Petron Lakbay Alalay is celebrating its silver anniversary this year and is the longest-running motorist assistance program in the country.  Run by Petron employee-volunteers as part of the company’s “volunteerism in action” philosophy, the pioneering public service activity has been replicated by other automotive and oil companies.  The term Lakbay Alalay has, in fact, entered daily terminology as a generic term for various motorist assistance activities offering free mechanical help, communications support, medical services, clean restrooms and other services.  Lakbay Alalay is a registered trademark of Petron Corporation.

     

    Music from all sides with Logitech Laptop Speaker Z305

    Gadgets Team
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    Music from all sides with Logitech Laptop Speaker Z305

    Whether you’re staying in or hitting the beach this summer, you’re sure to have a rockin’ good time with the Logitech Laptop Speaker Z305 – your laptop’s clip-on companion.

    Just clip on this tubular sound system right onto the top screen of your portable PC and enjoy the quality of 360-degree sound that’s rich and clear from any angle. It has a neat built-in compartment to store the USB cord as well as an auxiliary input so that it can also serve as a speaker for your mp3 player. The Logitech Z305 Speaker comes with a carrying case and requires no software to function or an external power supply, making this an audio must-have for anyone who is on-the-go.

    Buy a Bravia, help a nation – Sony’s Bravia for a cause

    Gadgets Team
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    Buy a Bravia, help a nation – Sony’s Bravia for a cause

    It’s been a month since the devastating quake at Japan and the consequent tsunami that followed forever changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, but sadly their ordeal is just beginning. If you’re in the market for a new LCD screen, you might be interested to know that Sony in cooperation with the Philippine Red Cross, is donating Php 100 to the Japan Earthquake Relief operations for each Bravia sold. It’s not a huge amount, but as they say, every little bit helps. Head on over to http://www.sony.com.ph/microsite/AprilNewsletter/BraviaCause.html to see the supersized version of the banner including the terms and conditions.

     

    Flip soon off the racks

    Gadgets Team
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    Flip soon off the racks

    The popular and affordable Flip video camera will soon be discontinued by Cisco Systems. This is in accordance to the overhaul that the company is planning. In recent statements, Cisco Systems CEO- John Chambers said that they are making tough decisions in the wake of recent lapses in execution. “We are making key, targeted moves as we align operations in support of our network-centric platform strategy,” he added.

    Cisco acquired Flip in 2009 for $590 million in order to build strong consumer business. Despite the fact that there was a choice to sell the brand, Cisco remained silent about why they decided to discontinue it rather than putting it up for purchase.

     

    According to market research firm NDP group, over 23% of Flip cameras we’re sold in the United States on the year 2010, more than the selling point of Sony and Eastman Kodak.

    While waiting to clean up inventory, Cisco will cut approximately 550 jobs from its 73,000 when the Flip is discontinued.

    In earlier reports, they said that the company’s focus would merely be on five areas; routing, switching and services; collaboration; data center virtualization; architectures; and video.

    Source: Reuters

    STYLE ORIGIN: CELEBRATING TRUE BEAUTY WITH NIGEL BARKER AND MISS J ALEXANDER

    Gadgets Team
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    STYLE ORIGIN: CELEBRATING TRUE BEAUTY WITH NIGEL BARKER AND MISS J ALEXANDER

    The Ayala Malls continues to provide its customers with innovative entertainment through Style Origin. Presenting a series of lifestyle activities, Filipino shoppers are immersed in contemporary trends for design, beauty, fashion and music as Style Origin encourages personalized creativity and style.

    This April, learn more about fashion fundamentals and style essentials as Style Origin brings back noted fashion photographer and former model Nigel Barker, along with runway coach and model Miss J Alexander to give the Filipino public a glimpse on beauty and fashion trends. Popularly known as judges on the reality TV show America’s Next Top Model, both guests are celebrated for their expertise in the fashion and beauty industry. In Nigel Barker’s book entitled Beauty Equation, he shares the formula for revealing inner beauty and enhancing physical appearance. Going beyond the commercial standards of beauty (Be tall! Be skinny! Have flawless skin!), Nigel reveals that true beauty shines through a summation of good looks and positive character.

    Another famed personality on America’s Next Top Model, J Alexander shares his expertise on fashion and beauty from his experience as a world‐renowned runway coach. Recognized for his coaching abilities, he has worked with major designer brands and modeling agencies some of which include Elite, IMG, Next, Ford, Women, and Marilyn Gautier. Miss J. currently trains their models to walk in designer runway shows for Valentino, Galliano, Bill Blass, Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Nina Ricci, Christian La Croix, Balmain, Baby Phat, and Zac Posen, to name a few.

    Come and discover the meaning of true beauty as the Ayala Malls features Nigel Barker and Miss J. Alexander at the Greenbelt 3 Park on April 14, 6:30pm; at the TriNoma Activity Center on April 15, 6:30pm; and at the Alabang Town Center Activity Center on April 16, 6:00pm.

    Ayala Malls truly goes beyond the standards in giving its shoppers a unique and creative experience with Style Origin.

    Barrel full o’ Nostalgia – play old game and watch titles online

    Gadgets Team
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    Barrel full o’ Nostalgia – play old game and watch titles online

    One of the fondest memories I have of the late 80’s (aside from MC Hammer’s flopping pants) was the Game and Watch. Originally made by Nintendo at the start of the 80’s, it was our generation’s PSP. Sure, it only played one game per device and the graphics were pretty damn laughable by today’s standards, but you wouldn’t believe the amount of schoolyard fights that resulted from not being able to play Donkey Kong Jr. because your doodoohead classmate was stupid enough to have it confiscated…but I digress.

    Now you can relive those days wasted in front of a crappy LCD screen via pica-pic.com, a website created in homage to the forebearers of the modern handheld. The site allows you to play 19 retro handheld consoles, with an additional two more along the way. The site is beautifully made and lovingly crafted, and the games themselves are marvelously recreated, accurate down to the last beep. The controls even move along with each button press, adding to the realism. I have to warn you though, visiting the site will suck out a disproportionate amount of your time, rendering you unproductive for the whole day.

     

    Viewsonic launches tablets and smartphones, penny pinchers rejoice

    Gadgets Team
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    Viewsonic launches tablets and smartphones, penny pinchers rejoice

    It’s shaping up to be a tab-sational first quarter, as another company has unveiled their own take on tablets, with a bit of smartphone savvy thrown in. While you’d normally associate Viewsonic with monitors, the Taiwanese manufacturer is jumping feet first in the tablet and smartphone market with a wide range of products covering both the mid-range Android smartphone market and the 7 and 10 inch tablet space.

    The launch held at the Crowne Plaza in Mandaluyong earlier today, featured the ViewSonic V350, a dual SIM Froyo powered smartphone, the ViewPad 4, a 4.1-inch smartphone with Froyo (upgradable to Gingerbread via OTA), the 7-inch ViewPad 7, and the 10-inch ViewPad 10 and 10s, with the latter having dual-boot capabilities.

     

    Sharp eyed readers might recognize the ViewPad 10s’ uncanny resemblance to another tablet that another manufacturer launched late last year. ViewSonic is aware of the doppelganger, and as a result is pushing hard and fast when it comes to pricing. We don’t have the exact prices of the units as of yet, but rest assured we’ll be updating this post as they come in. In the meantime, enjoy the lovely photos of these tablets that are coming to a store near you.

     

    HP New Consumer PCs finally in the Philippines

    Gadgets Team
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    HP New Consumer PCs finally in the Philippines

    Today HP revealed a redesigned consumer PC portfolio at ‘A New HP World’ with a sleek look and the latest technology to enhance the way consumers connect to the people, entertainment and information that matter to them to pursue and achieve their personal passions

    The redesigned HP Pavilion notebook PC line and new HP TouchSmart610 Consumer PC are built on inspirations from culture, art, fashion and HP‘s MUSE (Materials, Usability, Sensory appeal and Experience) design philosophy. MUSE includes a mix of materials such as metals, alloys and plastics; easy-to-use features for improved usability; a blend of artisan elements for sensory appeal; and intuitive features for streamlined experiences.

    The new HP Pavilion dv series notebook PCs include impressive features such as HP CoolSense Technology, HP TrueVision HD webcam and HP SimplePass. Select models of the HP Pavilion dv series also feature Beats Audio for a powerful audio experience.

    With a sleek, clean appearance, the new HP TouchSmart 610 Consumer PC reclines from upright to almost flat, providing increased comfort for longer-term use and the freedom to position the TouchSmart 610 Consumer PC on a kitchen counter, or anywhere the family gathers.

     

    The new consumer PC portfolio enables users to:

    -Experience music the way artists intended it to be heard with Beats Audio, optimized by onboard quad speakers on HP Pavilion dv6.

    -Enjoy greater comfort with HP CoolSense Technology, designed and engineered for better cooling on HP dv series not ebooks.

    -Amplify visual euphoria with HP TrueVision HD webcam and the optional graphic enhancement of up to 1GB GDDR5 of dedicated video memory on the HP Pavilion dv4.

    -Help protect their personal information and simplify password management, with HP SimplePass on the Pavilion dv6 .

    -Benefit from the increased range of motion on the HP TouchSmart 610 Consumer PC‘s reclining display of up to 60 degrees and forward-tilt of up to five degrees.

    Toshiba outs new Satellites and a Portégé, heats up our summer

    Gadgets Team
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    Toshiba outs new Satellites and a Portégé, heats up our summer

    Tricom Dynamics, the official distributor of Toshiba lappies in this fine land has just outed two new Satellite models, the L700 and the E300, and the Portégé R830 at the Rockwell Grove earlier today. The new notebooks falls under the brand’s Summer Art Collection campaign.  All three notebooks will utilize Intel’s second generation Core i series of processors and will be available in a number of different configurations.

    Versatile wonder – Satellite L700

    The Satellite L700 will be available in several colors and sizes, ranging from the compact L730 with a 13.3-inch diagonal display, the midsized L740 with a 14-inch diagonal display and the buff L750 with a 15.6-inch diagonal display. Each Satellite will be equipped with the latest processors and standard LED-backlit HD Clear SuperView widescreen displays, built-in Webcams, DVD rewritable drives, fast Wireless-N connectivity with Bluetooth 3.0 and USB3.0, up to 4GB of fast DDR3 memory and hard drives of up to 640GB.

    The new L700’s will use Toshiba’s glossy Fusion Finish with the new 3D Dot pattern in 5 distinctive colors – Grace Silver, Precious Black, Modena Red, Luxe White and Modena Brown, the Satellite L700 series also includes premium flat keyboards and wide multi-touch TouchPads. Also, each notebook in this series comes equipped with a separate NVIDIA Graphics Card for enhanced multimedia performance.

    Svelte beauty – Satellite E300

    The Satellite E350 meanwhile, delivers performance in a smaller, thinner notebook. Clocking in at a mere 2.24Kg, the Champagne-colored Satellite E300 features an all-new exclusive design, hallmarked by a lightweight Aluminum cover and sturdy case with an LED-backlit raised tile keyboard and an all-new touch pad design with seamless right and left mouse buttons. The laptop features a 2nd generation Intel Core i5 processor, which provides improved adaptive performance that adds speed when needed as well as built-in visual capabilities for a better entertainment experience. It’s also capable of beaming HD content wirelessly via Next Generation Intel Wireless Display.

    Absolute Mobility – Portégé R830

    If mobility is your priority, then you should be pleased at the Portégé R830. This headturning 13-inch notebook has all the requisite features that a mobile warrior needs – powerful processor, quick boot times and solid construction. In fact, the  the R830 utilizes a honeycomb structure on some parts of the notebook that can withstand a sustained load of 100Kg and a drop height of 76cm, making it highly desirable for the exec on the go.

     

    DNA Foundation Campaign Against Child Sex Slavery: Real Men Don’t Buy Girls

    Gadgets Team
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    DNA Foundation Campaign Against Child Sex Slavery: Real Men Don’t Buy Girls

    Celebrity couple Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, founders of the DNA Foundation just launched their campaign against child sex slavery. The Real Men campaign features many other famous celebrities, including Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper, Jaime Foxx and Isaiah Mustafa, the well-known character from Old Spice ads who all state that real men “don’t buy girls.”

     

    The DNA Foundation’s Facebook page also allows Likers to put their own photo in the video. The Real Men Don’t Buy Girls campaign also will be selling t-shirts on Threadless for the same cause.

    “We want people to understand that slavery is still happening today. The face of slavery may have changed to that of a vulnerable child, but the heinous crime remains the same. Real men don’t buy or sell girls,” explains Ashton Kutcher.

    2nd Petron Sprint 4T Endurance & Economy Run

    Press Release
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    2nd Petron Sprint 4T Endurance & Economy Run

    Best fuel efficiency is 67.14-km per liter

    2nd Petron Sprint 4T Endurance & Economy Run Winners, at the awarding ceremonies held on 06 February 2011, at Prince Hotel, Baguio City. In photo are ATPI president Francis Rivera (extreme left), Petron AVP-marketing Ana Neri (2nd from left), Petron lubricants general manager Conrad Rivera (2nd from right), and ATPI director Hubert Soriano (extreme right).

    With its emphasis on safety and proper adherence to public riding safety rules and regulations, the 2nd Petron Sprint 4T Endurance & Economy Run, held last 05 February 2011, attracted a field of 306 entries in eight classes.

    The most fuel-efficient run was registered by Mark Paul San Pascual, who was able to achieve 67.14-km/li in a Honda Dash 110cc, topping a field of 67 riders in Class 1 (100-115cc).

    Topping the other classes were:  Class 2 (116-125cc) – Jesusa Ramos in a Honda XRM 125cc, with 57.09-km/li; Class 3 (126-150cc) – Glenn Mora in a Yamaha Sniper 135cc, with 61.57-km/li; Class 4 (151-250cc) – Orland Lim in a Bajaj Rouser 200cc, with 51.76-km/li; Class 5 (251-500cc) – Emmanuel Balmes in a Sym Citycom 300cc, with 32.62-km/li; Class 6 (501-750cc) – Jun Santiago in a BMW 650GS 650cc, with 29.16-km/li; Class 7 (751-999cc) – Baltazar Usis in a BMW F800GS 800cc, with 28.64-km/li; and Class 8 (0ver 1000cc) – Joseph Ching in a BMW R1200RT 1200cc, with 25.83-km/li.

    The 2nd Petron Sprint 4T Endurance & Economy Run required competitors to travel a distance of 750-kilometers with the most economical fuel consumption at the most reasonable time.  Taking off from Petron-Diego Silang, the riders proceeded to Valenzuela, Bulacan and took McArthur Highway through the provinces of Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Benguet and Mountain Province.  Nineteen Petron service stations along the route were designated as official filling stations and checkpoints to verify that the participants followed the correct route and prescribed speed.  The final checkpoint was at the Petron service station in Kisad, Baguio City.

    Awarding ceremonies were held on 06 February 2011, at the Prince Hotel in Baguio City.  The top 3 finishers for each class received trophies, cash prizes, Certificates of Accomplishment and t-shirt.  The top 10 finishers in each class received a Petron Sprint 4T vest.

    Petron Sprint 4T motorcycle oil comes in three variants to meet the different performance requirements of four-stroke motorcycles operating under moderate to severe driving conditions.  These are the top-of-the-line Sprint 4T Enduro for the racing experience; Sprint 4T Rider for riding dependability; and Sprint 4T Extra for reliable performance.

    WRU GPS Tracking & Navigation was the event’s official partner for live GPS tracking, and provided large-screen LCD monitors/projectors at the start and finish points.  They also provided live monitoring of the competitors with real-time updates every 3 minutes and public broadcast via the internet on the event website www.sprint4trun.com.

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