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    Intel announces plans to join the mobile market

    Gadgets Team
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    Intel announces plans to join the mobile market

    Intel is once again set on becoming a major player in the mobile chip market, after a “failed partnership” with Nokia.  CEO Paul Otellini has revitalized the company’s interest earlier this week by announcing to the press that consumers should expect smartphones powered by Intel within the first part of next year.

    Their purported entry is codenamed Medfield, a 32-nanometer platform based on the low power Atom processor. While there is no official announcement yet on which smartphone manufacturers will house the chip, Intel claims that “premiere-brand vendors” will be equipping it.

    While some of us might agree that mobile smartphones are the future, several doubts will obviously arise on whether or not Intel can successfully integrate within this particular sector of the tech market.  The company already dominates the PC/laptop niche with few, if any, competitors, but in terms of mobile processors, some analysts claim that Intel’s experience and capabilities might not be as advanced.

    Furthermore, if Intel does eventually release a smartphone powered by their processor (after two years of unrealized claims), will it be able to stand out significantly in a market that is already dominated by seasoned smartphone chip manufacturers and suppliers such as Nvidia and Qualcomm?  This remains to be seen.

     

    Source: CNET

    World Racers: A new Facebook game developed in the Philippines by Filipinos

    Gadgets Team
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    World Racers: A new Facebook game developed in the Philippines by Filipinos

    Online games have become more and more interactive, now with the participation of more than just the players. Even fans can join in on the excitement and what better medium to get these fans going is via Facebook. And who better to utilize this than our very own local developers who understand that we just can’t get enough of anything online, be it gaming or sheer entertainment.

    Inkstone Inc. introduces a new Facebook game developed in the Philippines by Filipinos.  World Racers is the first game from the Makati-based game studio and promises to introduce a new gaming genre based on the concept of Social Broadcasting.  Launching first in the Philippines the game studio hopes to capture the attention of Facebook users in the 7th largest Facebook market in the world and in the key gaming city of Makati.

    Makati is listed as the number one Facebook gaming city for game developer LOLapps with a player count of over 178,000.  Inkstone hopes to capture the attention of these players with the World Racers game, a free to play game that allows players to team up with a friend and enter a virtual race around the world.

    The game introduces the concept of Social Broadcasting to Facebook gaming.  Social Broadcasting is entertainment that combines user generated content with social networking in the form of a game.  In the case of World Racers, players generate videos from their game play that they share with other Facebook users.  These Facebook users become fans of the players and can affect the outcome of the Race by supporting their favorite teams with in-game cash and even penalize opposing teams with time penalties.

     

    World Racers Tournament

    As part of the launch of World Racers, Inkstone Inc. will be hosting the World Racers Philippine Tournament exclusive to the residents of the Philippines.  The tagline of the tournament is “Win Prizes, Get Famous” referring to the cash and gift items awaiting the top teams as well as the social aspect of fans supporting their favorite teams.  Prizes for the top teams include gifts from World Racers launch partners local companies Neo Computer and Bo’s Coffee.

    The tournament will commence in June with the current deadline for registrations set on May 29.

    Netflix is the largest source of internet traffic in the US

    Gadgets Team
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    Netflix is the largest source of internet traffic in the US

    They say content is king, and it seems that it presides in a kingdom known as Netflix, in the US at least. The latest report on Global Internet Phenomena for spring 2011 from Sandvine has fingered the video-on-demand service in the US as the biggest source of consumer bandwidth in the US, accounting for 29.7 percent of peak download network traffic in the US. This ties in nicely with what Cisco executives has told us earlier today about the growth of video traffic. Still that’s a large chunk of bandwidth, and Sandvine (the company that conducted the study) concludes that “Real-Time Entertainment” sites like Netflix will grow up to 55% in traffic this year.

    Via: Engadget

    Source: Sandvine

    Why you should be excited with Cisco’s Videoscape

    Gadgets Team
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    Why you should be excited with Cisco’s Videoscape

    There’s a lot of ways I can explain how potentially awesome and game-changing Cisco’s Videoscape, a solution that integrates multiple entertainment sources with social media, is. Instead, I’m going to link a video of what it’ll all look like when it’s implemented.

    Impressed yet? I was.

    So what is it exactly? To put it in their words, it’s a “new solution that allows service providers to provide an immersive television experience platform by combining entertainment from multiple sources with social media, communications and mobility.” A lot of the stuff is done on the back end, and when it’s implemented successfully, all the customer sees is a set top box. It marries content on the web, content providers (Movie Studios, TV Networks, etc.) and delivers neatly to your home, in your TV, smartphone, tablet and PC.

    Wait, doesn’t Google have that with their Google TV initiative?

    That’s what I initially thought too, until their execs started breaking things down for me. Google TV only covers one end of the spectrum, mainly the consumer space. They still rely on the traditional ISP backbone that your computer uses to access the internet, and it’s currently limited to the TV for the meantime. And while one can argue that there are a lot of things to see on the web, it’s all fragmented – you got your YouTube and hundreds of other clones, Video-on-Demand sites like NetFlix, all requiring their own account information, their own player, their own site. What Cisco’s Videoscape solution is promising is bringing all of this into one interface, and into multiple devices. Service providers are now able to reign in all of this content and will be able to make it easy on the consumer to search, view and publish their content.

    But it was all worth it, we guess?

    So what? I can always download and view videos online for myself, I don’t need all of this. I have all the bandwidth that I need.

    See, this is where it gets iffy. You might deny it, but the days of unlimited data will soon be over. The explosion of the internet and the amount of data and bandwidth it consumes is making life hard for Telcos like Smart and Globe. One of the main reasons that they’re pushing for online data caps is that they can’t handle the load that’s being demanded of their networks, especially when it comes to video. Don’t believe me? Well, did you know that 60% of the world’s data traffic is video? And that by 2014, Cisco projects that 91% of the consumer’s IP traffic will be video?

    What does this have to do with Cisco’s Videoscape technology?

    Everything actually. These Telcos are already competing with social networks like Facebook and Twitter for their basic bread and butter service: SMS. With decreasing income from their traditional revenue stream, Telcos are going to be forced to start imposing stricter data caps to control their cost. What Cisco’s Videoscape technology allows them to do is be able to control, and more importantly monetize the content that’s going into people’s homes by delivering effective, targeted ads. Think about it: you’re a PLDT customer, and you’re signed up for a service that uses Cisco’s Videoscape technology.  You also happen to be an avid biker. You’re watching an episode of your favorite sitcom, and an ad appears about a sale on bikes and bike parts. You click on the ad and you’re instantly taken to the relevant web page of the ad, complete with purchase information and address where you can see their showroom.  This kind of targeted ad placement has long been the pipe dream of advertisers and agencies around the world, and now there’s infrastructure in place to make it happen. It allows Telcos to monetize the data they’re sending out, giving them more of an incentive to expand their networks and increase capacity. These services also make data caps more palatable – Telcos can implement unlimited data consumption if users go through their portal to consume content for example. And since a majority of that will be video, users can potentially get by with small data allotments.

    I’m sold. When can I get this?

    Well, since Cisco only provides the backbone, it’s all up to the Telcos and other service providers if they want in on it. But from what I could gather from the smiles and *nudge, nudge* of the Cisco Execs present during the press briefing earlier today, I’m confident to say that we’ll be seeing something exciting in the coming months.

     

    Meet the world’s smallest 3-D printer

    Gadgets Team
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    Meet the world’s smallest 3-D printer

    3-D printing has been in existence for quite some time, but until recently, these machines have been behemoths that occupy a large amount of space and cost a ridiculous amount of money.  However, that might all be in the past.

    Meet the world’s smallest 3-D printer, a device that has been designed and forged by engineers from the Vienna Institute of Technology. It is advertised as being “no bigger than a carton of milk” and weighs approximately 3.3 pounds.

    The 3-D printer works by utilizing a unique synthetic resin that is shaped and solidified by lasers, and it is purportedly capable of creating very intricate objects with precise designs.

    Not only is lightweight, but it is relatively inexpensive, which could mean that 3-D printers might find a place in people’s households and could be as mundane as any other domestic appliance in the near future.

    The applications of personally owning a 3-D printer can be left to your imagination, but some uses could include forging a lost shirt button to molding a small statue. Although there is still no definite decision on whether the university is going to mass-produce the device, there might be several issues that need to be ironed out first, such as the potential illegal reproduction of certain items.

     

    Source: PopSci

    Globe unveils search for innovative mobile applications

    Gadgets Team
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    Globe unveils search for innovative mobile applications

    Globe lets you get creative and personal with its latest search to find the best and perhaps the most entertaining or even socially-relevant application our local developers can imagine. And what better way to showcase the innovative skills of our homegrown than through the development of a type of art, if I may, that a lot of consumers can actually use and enjoy.

    Globe Telecom recently launched MobApp Hunt 2011, a program for Filipino developers to showcase their creativity in building mobile applications for Android, BlackBerry and iPhone devices. The program aims to recognize and reward local talent in building innovative mobile applications that build on top of network services like mobile broadband, short messaging, voice and location based services

    MobApp Hunt 2011 is being spearheaded by Globe Labs – created in 2008 to expose the company and its partners to emerging technology and innovations as well as identify and develop unique applications that can be commercially introduced in the fixed and wireless consumer market. It aims to usher in the latest information and communication technologies at the earliest market-relevant time to consumers.

    “Through MobApp Hunt 2011, we are creating a venue to develop and commercialize the ingenuous creations of our mobile developers, as well as provide them tools to hone their talents further,” said Blue de Venecia, Head of Globe Labs. “Globe Labs has always been at the forefront of extending support to Filipino innovations especially in the field of information and communications technology. With MobApp Hunt 2011, we will continue to engage our mobile developers by giving them opportunities to showcase their innovations both here and abroad.”

    MobApp Hunt 2011 is open to all individuals and companies registered with the Globe Labs Developer Community. Registration can be done online via the Globe Labs Developer Portal at www.globelabs.com.ph where proposal forms can be downloaded. Participants can be individuals or teams, where teams can have a maximum number of 5 members. Submission of proposals is slated until May 23, 2011.

    Announcement of accepted proposals will be on June 6, 2011. Successful developers will have six weeks to create their applications. Participants will also get the chance to attend various trainings, and technical and user interface workshops to help them improve and enhance their creations.

    Successful developers will get the chance to have their apps published on myGlobe Free Apps or iTunes (for iOS apps) and receive Php50,000 as reward for each app published.

    MobApp Hunt was successfully introduced to the developer community last year with the primary goal of tapping the skills and talents of Filipino developers in the different mobile platforms such as Android, BlackBerry, iOS, MIDP2.0 and Symbian/QT.

    For inquiries, visit www.globelabs.com.ph/pages/mobapphunt.aspx.

    99% of Android devices at risk of being attacked

    Gadgets Team
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    99% of Android devices at risk of being attacked

    Own an Android device? Okay, listen up. Seems like the Wunderkind of the OS world that could do no wrong has a fatal flaw. Researchers from Germany’s University of Ulm has found that it’s extremely easy to attack and gain valuable data from Android devices like calendars, contacts and other goodies. The vulnerability comes from implementation of an authentication protocol known as ClientLogin which is present in Android versions 2.3.3 and below. The researchers said that “We wanted to know if it is really possible to launch an impersonation attack against Google services and started our own analysis. The short answer is: Yes, it is possible, and it is quite easy to do so. Further, the attack is not limited to Google Calendar and Contacts, but is theoretically feasible with all Google services using the ClientLogin authentication protocol for access to its data APIs.” Yikes. How can you protect yourself? Well, it seems that this particular exploit is only possible through unsecured wireless hotspots, so if you’re able to stay clear of those it won’t be a problem. Google is aware of the issue and is trying to locate a fix.

    Via: The Guardian

    Source: Institute of Media Informatics

     

    Microsoft to buy Nokia?

    Gadgets Team
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    Microsoft to buy Nokia?

    As is the way of the world, the big fish feed on the little fish for nourishment. And this fact of life can also be seen in many bigger companies who bid for smaller companies and change the game altogether. The latest rumor going around is (big fish) Microsoft who is rumored to buy (little fish) Nokia, maker of mobile handsets.

    Russian blogger Eldar Mutazin is said to be behind the rumor and may just know what he’s talking about as he once suggested that there were talks last year between Nokia and Microsoft over Windows Phone. He also forecast that Nokia would be changing its Ovi online store (which was just announced is now called Nokia Services). He shares that next week, Nokia will begin talks about the sales of the unit to Microsoft. The deal could close before the end of 2011. “Both companies are in a big hurry,” he writes (in Russian).

    What will this mean if ever this rumor proves true?

    Personally, I’m just happy I was able to purchase a new N82 battery for my extra, battery-less N82 phone. It’s been out of commission and I haven’t been able to come up with decent mobile films.

     

    Source: The Guardian

    Samsung makes a 10.1-inch, 2560×1600 pixel display, makes us wish it was here now

    Gadgets Team
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    Samsung makes a 10.1-inch, 2560×1600 pixel display, makes us wish it was here now

    One of the main things that people need to understand is that LCDs aren’t created equal. Sure, most displays that go on gadgets and other devices like tablets and smartphones may be the same size, but that doesn’t mean they are all the same quality. A good rule of thumb is that the higher the display resolution, the better and sharper the images are going be. Going by that logic, Samsung is shaping to blow the competition out of the water with their recently unveiled 10.1-inch, 2560×1600 display that’s just begging to be put in tablets. Samsung seems to have solved the power issues that comes with a screen this large and this sharp. The screen is unfortunately just a proof of concept at this point, but it’s not at all unreasonable to expect it in upcoming products of the Korean giant.

    Source: Geek

    SeaGate announces Wi-Fi enabled GoFlex HDD

    Gadgets Team
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    SeaGate announces Wi-Fi enabled GoFlex HDD

    Without a doubt, the issue of memory and mobility is always a concern whenever we purchase new gadgets.   However, this qualm might soon be resolved.

    Meet the GoFlex Satellite, the first battery-powered external hard drive that connects wirelessly to any Wi-Fi enabled device. With this HDD in your backpack or purse, you now have an additional 500GB of extra storage to complement your beloved tablet and/or your much-loved smartphone.

    What are the benefits of this ultraportable wireless drive?  According to Seagate, you no longer have to spend that extra money on more memory for your existing device or when purchasing a new one.  Instead, you can opt to acquire the GoFlex Satellite to complement any of your memory woes, allowing you to bring your media library with you wherever you may go.

    Not only does it look sleek, but the GoFlex Satellite’s battery life is quite amazing as well, with 5 hours of continuous playback and standby time of more than a day.  As if that weren’t enough, it will also come equipped with Seagate’s Media Sync software and GoFlex Media app which will aid users in transferring their media files.

    Set to be released in the U.S. by July this year, we should expect this handy HDD to reach the Philippines soon after.

     

    Source: Maximum PC

    Nokia taking down Ovi, becomes Nokia Services

    Gadgets Team
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    Nokia taking down Ovi, becomes Nokia Services

    The transition to a new and better Nokia is continuing, as Nokia is doing away with the Ovi, the quintessential brand for Nokia’s internet services will now become Nokia services. There’s no cataclysmic disruption of services that is planned however, and Nokia has stated on their Nokia Conversations blog that each of the services under the Ovi umbrella will simply be rebranded as Nokia, with no planned disruption to the service roadmaps.

    Nokia’s EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, Jerri DeVard explains the change. “We have made the decision to change our service branding from Ovi to Nokia. By centralizing our services identity under one brand, not two, we will reinforce the powerful master brand of Nokia and unify our brand architecture – while continuing to deliver compelling opportunities and experiences for partners and consumers alike.”

    The transition will begin in begin in July this year, and the company is targeting the shift to be finished in 2012.

    Source: Nokia Conversations

    Lime Wire settles case at $105 million

    Gadgets Team
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    Lime Wire settles case at $105 million

    Lime Wire has finally settled its long standing lawsuit with the recording industry as Mark Gorton, the software-network’s creator, agreed to pay $105 million for willful copyright infringement.  The conclusion of this drawn-out case has several implications with regards to piracy and the future of music on the web.

    During the trial, the issue of unbundled music arose, with some record labels claiming that since fewer consumers are buying full length albums in lieu of obtaining a few choice tracks, the music industry is finding it difficult to financially “recover”. On the other hand, spokespersons for other labels claim that if consumers are able to obtain only the songs they want, it would foster a greater sense of satisfaction and eventually lead to more purchases and greater profit for record companies. While these views are simply opinions that aren’t backed by facts, it appears as if consumers benefit more from unbundled music, regardless of the debate.

    Furthermore, the conclusion of Lime Wire’s trial can also impact the issues concerning the legality of Google’s upcoming online music storage cloud, Google Music (Beta). The haze that surrounds the legitimacy of this service has the recording industry, lawmakers and consumers scrambling on how to define the legal parameters of purchasing and sharing music over the web.

    Of course, this is still without mentioning the fact that there are various peer-to-peer resources online that provide consumers access to obtain music and other forms of media “illegally”. However, without any solid factual evidence on how piracy directly affects the music industry, consumers and record companies alike will simply have to accept the fact that music is meant to be shared, whether through “legal” means or not.

     

     

    Source: CNet

     

     

    To read a re-cap of the Lime Wire trail, visit C-Net’s coverage here.

    NVIDIA CEO isn’t happy with Android tablet sales

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    NVIDIA CEO isn’t happy with Android tablet sales

    While there’s certainly a lot more choices nowadays when it comes to Android Honeycomb tablets, NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang isn’t happy with the state of the Google OS powered devices. According to a CNET interview, he says that the disappointing sales of Android tablets: “it’s a point of sales problem. It’s an expertise at retail problem. It’s a marketing problem to consumers. It is a price point problem.” NVIDIA has a lot of interest seeing the platform succeed, as most (if not all) current Android tablets are powered by their Tegra 2 processor and more Android tablets spell more demand for their procies. He also states that OEMs should push WiFi only baseline configs, not models with 3G as these are usually more expensive. “The baseline configuration included 3G when it shouldn’t have. Tablets should have a Wi-Fi configuration and be more affordable. And those are the ones that were selling more rapidly than the 3G and fully configured ones.”

    Source: CNET

    GADGETSLAB: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55

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    GADGETSLAB: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55

    As cameras become more and more advanced, their usual capabilities become higher and higher. One camera is the Sony Cyber-shot H55, which is a whopping 14-megapixel s with 10x Optical Zoom and Optical SteadyShot image stabilization so you get less shake while shooting HD videos and if you want to take those faraway landscapes. There’s also a large 3-inch LCD display built into one very compact body. It measures 103 x 58 x 29, weighs about 200g with battery and card, and comes in either black or silver. Other features include Sweep Panorama, 720p HD movie recording, Face Detection/Smile Shutter and Intelligent Auto mode for fuss-free shooting in any situation.

    The design itself looks like it’s made for heavy-duty shooting as it isn’t exactly the slimmest or the lightest camera in the market. But with the features it comes with, a little meat isn’t all that bad.

    Handling the camera may feel a bit different at first especially if you’re used to those super-slim cameras that only take about a couple of fingers of strength. However, the H55 does shine in its simplistic form with easy-to-read and maneuver buttons and functions. It has a curved right hand front for your forefingers and an indented thumb groove along the back of the camera for better grip. It also comes with a camera strap for added security.

    The H55’s top panel is decorated with the on/off button, shutter release wrapped around with the zoom collar and a 7-position mode dial—movie, sweep panorama, manual, program auto, intelligent auto, easy and scene modes. Beside the LCD screen on the lower right hand side is a playback button, conventional four-way control pad which activates the screen display, flash, timer, and smile detection, menu and delete buttons. The rechargeable battery and card compartments are located on the bottom of the camera and share one door. The black review unit I had already came with a 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo but it can also use SD/SDHC, memory stick duo and pro hg duo. The USB port is located just beside aforementioned door while the cable that connects to this port has a standard USB plug, composite video and stereo audio connectors so you can connect to a computer or a standard definition TV.

    Once I was familiar with the H55’s nooks and crannies (and my hand familiar with the weight), shooting with it was as easy as Sunday morning. I mean, everything you need to know is already indicated for you in any one of the illustrated functions and buttons. You just need to fiddle with it a bit to figure out the sub-menus. I did, however, have a bit of trouble with the mode dial as my finger would sometimes accidentally switch the mode while I was taking a picture or it would turn by itself while it was in my bag. Now the other functions may already be familiar to anyone who’s seen or owns a digital camera but Sony’s Intelligent Auto Adjustment was one feature I’d only encountered with this model. Basically, as it is aptly named, it adjusts the kind of setting the picture you’re taking may need. If there’s a lot of light, then it will act as if you had put it in auto mode. But if take a picture in low light using this mode, it will take two pictures for you with just one click—one with the flash and one without. It’ll also indicate on the screen once dual shot is complete.

    But one feature that I particularly like on the H55 is the Sweep Panorama mode. Though there’s nothing new about capturing panoramic images, the H55 does away with the complications of stitching and basically just acts like shooting a short video clip as you pan the camera. It comes in two available sizes, standard, 4912 x 1080 pixels and wide, 7152 x 1080 pixels. Not only is it easy to use, the results are really great. You don’t even have to be all that careful and slow. Just make sure you don’t have any moving subjects to avoid blur.

     

    What’s Hot:

    Intelligent Auto Adjustment

    Sweep panorama mode

    Battery Life

     

    What’s Not:

    Shutter and dial mode are too close to one another

    Heavy

     

    Buy meter: 8

     

    Bottomline: If you want a sturdy, powerful camera that’s easy to use, the Sony Cyber-shot H55 makes a great option.

     

    SPECIFICATIONS:

    Megapixel count  14-megapixels

    Zoom and optics  10x optical zoom

    Physical Dimension  103 x 58 x 29

    Weight  170g (without battery)

    Estimated battery life  Approx. 300 shots

    Memory used/internal capacity  SD/SDHC, Memory Stick Duo, Pro Duo and Pro HG Duo

    Google’s I/O keynotes now available for viewing in YouTube

    Gadgets Team
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    Google’s I/O keynotes now available for viewing in YouTube

    Google’s I/O Conference that recently took place in San Francisco, CA is a meeting of all things Google related. It’s usually where major announcements are..well, announced, and this year’s I/O is no exception. Google has unveiled the next version of Android (Ice Cream Sandwich) among other goodies. Since most of us are a thousand miles away from the event, and too poor/unemployed/cheap to shell out the dough to go there, Google has seen fit to share with the world both of the keynotes that occurred during the two day event via YouTube. You can view both below, or visit them in their respective YouTube channel.

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