“Working with the staff of Gadgets Magazine is marvelous!! And I really use “IS” because I’m sure the next covergirls will feel the same too! I enjoyed each layout not only because the concept was great but because I saw some gadgets in each peg that I actually want to buy now. I usually have fun in pictorials and I love looking at the pictures being taken of me and I must say, this has been one of the fastest I’ve done! The entire idea of representing Gadgets this month is awesome.” ~ Bela Padilla
There’s a lot of talk living in a “post-pc” era, but recent numbers pulled by analysts IDC say otherwise, at least locally. The research firm has recorded PC shipments of just under 465,000 is the 2Q of 2011, the highest so far for the Philippines. Of that number, 190,000 units sold were desktops and 274,000 were portables. One of the biggest drivers of sales for the PC segment has been the entry level 14-inch market, which IDC notes that most major vendors managed to invigorate with a comprehensive line-up catered to our traditionally “price-sensitive” sensibilities. As a result, the PC market increasedby 10% sequentially and 30% year-on-year (YoY).
The spread of large, affordable notebooks means that demand for netbooks is waning. “Discerning home users are now willing tospend on larger form factors, which provide more bang for the buck”, says Ng Juan Jin, Market Analyst for Personal Systems Research at IDC ASEAN. The IDC report says that even when netbook prices has hit an all time low, people are still buying larger form factors, mainly because the the specs and functionality of mininotebooks have stagnated. 13-inch and above notebooks have enjoyed a growth of 35% quarter-over-quarter increase while mininotebooks declined 8%. Jin adds, “With the rise of the media –tablets and smartphones, competition in the secondary IT device is heating up and this is also affecting the demand of mininotebooks.”
We’ve been waiting for Asus to launch their UX series of ultrabooks that we saw back in June in COMPUTEX, and it seems the wait is almost over – in the US at least. The UX microsite that just went up a couple of hours ago pegs the official unveil for the company’s ultrabook offering(s) on Oct. 11 in NYC, promising that “good things comes to those who wait” and proclaims that the “real ultrabook is arriving soon,” probably a jab at the other announced ultrabooks by competing companies. Hopefully the Taiwanese company is going to send that little gorgeous number we saw back in COMPUTEX to our shores right after its official unveil in the Big Apple.
Globe Telecom brings the most affordable Android phone to the country with the CloudFone Ice, an Android handset that’s easy on the pocket, enabling a wide range of users to experience the benefits of mobile web powered by a stronger Globe network. CloudFone Ice showcases a 3.2” full touchscreen display (320×480 pixels) running on Android 2.1 and has Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 3G/HSDPA, Bluetooth, GPS, FM Radio and 3.15MP camera with up to 32GB storage via microSD card. The CloudFone Ice is available for only P4,990 for a prepaid kit or for FREE at My Super Plan 499 for postpaid subscribers.
“The CloudFone Ice is another revolutionary offer from Globe. At a price that’s so easy on the wallets of our Filipino mobile phone users, this is indeed one great deal to respond to the increasing demand for more affordable smartphones,” said Joanna Africa, Head of Globe Portfolio Management. “Gone are the days when mobile access to various sources of information and entertainment via the World Wide Web is only limited to the more expensive smartphones. With the CloudFone Ice, users can access Facebook, Twitter, Google, and their favorite e-mail and chat sites in a snap without having to spend too much.”
CloudFone Ice enables users to create, edit and open document, spreadsheet and presentations as well as take and edit photos in various camera effects. A built-in video player and music player also allow access to a wide range of video file types and songs. A multitude of applications also include mobile games, currency converter, language translator, and maps. The device also comes with Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Scientific Calculator and Periodic Table. Social networking users can also rely on the CloudFone Ice for easy and convenient access to Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and their respective instant messenger (Y!M, MSN) accounts.
To fully enjoy the mobile web and maximize the features of CloudFone Ice, Globe subscribers can register to PowerSurf 15, an hour of consumable mobile Internet valid for 1 day and available for P15 for prepaid users, or PowerSurf 99, a postpaid plan offering 50MB of consumable mobile Internet valid for 30 days for postpaid users. Text POWERSURF15 (for prepaid) or POWERSURF 99 (for postpaid) to 8888 to register. For other PowerSurf services, text POWERSURF INFO to 8888.
Alright, we gave you a sneak peek of the new BlackBerry devices when they launched in the US a couple of weeks back, and now the devices are now on our shores. Sort of. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 will be RIM’s flagship device, and is packed with BlackBerry OS 7, 2.8-inch multi-touch display, 1.2 GHz processor, 8 GB of on-board memory and surprisingly, NFC – the same tech that Google is using for its Google Wallet program. The Bold 9900 is also the only device that was announced tonight that has a firm launch date and a price – Oct. 7 and 31,690, respectively.
The two other devices, The Torch 9860 and Curve 9360 currently don’t have a firm release date and price, though RIM promises to have the information for both soon. The Torch 9860 sports the same 1.2 GHz processor as the 9900, has a 3.7-inch, high resolution touch display powered by Liquid Graphics technology, and has 4GB of on-board memory.
Finally, their value-minded device, the Curve 9360, sports a 800MHz processor, 2.4-inch screen and 512MB of on-board memory. All of the new smartphones will be sporting BlackBerry OS 7, which is being touted by the Canadian company as being faster than their previous offerings. The new devices will also strengthen RIM’s positioning locally – RIM says that the Curve 8520 is the no. 1 smartphone in the Philippines from Jan to July,according to research firm GFK, which is a feat we’re sure they’ll be trying their hardest to match with the new devices.
We’ll get comprehensive reviews as soon as we get the devices.
Speaking of toast, if you’re the sort that’s bent on conquering the universe every day, you’ll need something to go with your Dark Side roast coffee when you start your day. Enter Think Geek’s Dark Vader Bread Imprinting toaster – the perfect toaster for the Sith in you. Because nothing says pure evil than the Sith Lord’s face imprinted in your toast every morning, preferably with a smidgen of butter on top. Sadly, it’s only available in ThinkGeek’s store in the US, but we’re sure a couple of you are imaginative enough to get that awesome kitchen implement across the ocean.
Nothing wakes a person up sweeter than the scent of breakfast being prepared to welcome you to another glorious day, despite even the heavy rains and the bleak look of outside. And what better way to keep this calming, bright and sunny smell all throughout the morning and all the way to work than to carry around your very own Toast Air Freshener.
The Toast Air Freshener takes one of breakfasts more delightful scents, the smell of steamy warm toast and is featured as two slices of bread that just popped out of your vintage toaster. As the toast is only 3 ¼ – inches tall (string for hanging is also included), it would be best to keep it hanging in your car so you can bring the delightful, homey smell with you all the way to work. (Not advisable to wear around your neck though.)
Of course, we’re not too big on toast as a typical Filipino breakfast staple although perhaps a pandesal air freshener would be more befitting.
People, let’s get this straight right now. Facebook will NOT be charging you a single cent for the changes in your profile. It’s a completely untrue rumor that’s currently making the rounds in Facebook and has no basis in truth. Besides, it’s not like the social networking giant needs your money – it’s currently projected to rake in 4.27 billion dollars in 2011, so it doesn’t make sense to start charging people now. It even says so on Facebook’s front page, in impossible-to-miss-font-and-color combination: Facebook is free and will always be free.
Here is an example of the post:
“FACEBOOK JUST RELEASED THEIR PRICE GRID FOR MEMBERSHIP. $9.99 PER MONTH FOR GOLD MEMBER SERVICES, $6.99 PER MONTH FOR SILVER MEMBER SERVICES, $3.99 PER MONTH FOR BRONZE MEMBER SERVICES, FREE IF YOU COPY AND PASTE THIS MESSAGE BEFORE MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. WHEN YOU SIGN ON TOMORROW MORNING YOU WILL BE PROMPTED FOR PAYMENT INFO…IT IS OFFICIAL IT WAS EVEN ON THE NEWS. FACEBOOK WILL START CHARGING DUE TO THE NEW PROFILE CHANGES”
Samsung has got to be pleased with themselves, as their vaunted flagship device, the Galaxy S II has reached 10 million in global channel sales. That sales figure is doubly more impressive when you consider that Samsung was only halfway through that goal at 5 million sales.
“Since its launch in late April 2011, the GALAXY S II has seen continued sales success, demonstrating Samsung’s industry-leading capabilities in – and commitment to – the smartphone market” said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business.
“In just five months the GALAXY S II has seen tremendous growth, reflecting its tremendous popularity with customers around the world, who in selecting the GALAXY S II as their device of choice have driven the device’s strong market position globally.”
If you want to see what the fuss is all about, you can read our review of the Galaxy S II here.
That’s according to study done by Analysts Gartner, which projects that the firm from Cupertino will get at least 73.4% of the global tablet sales this year and a majority of the market till 2014. Android based tablets meanwhile, will only account for 17.3% of sales for 2011.
Gartner VP Carolina Milanesi states that this “is because Apple delivers a superior and unified user experience across its hardware, software and services. Unless competitors can respond with a similar approach, challenges to Apple’s position will be minimal. Apple had the foresight to create this market and in doing that planned for it as far as component supplies such as memory and screen. This allowed Apple to bring the iPad out at a very competitive price and no compromise in experience among the different models that offer storage and connectivity options.”
If what Gartner projects is true, then the Android tablet platform has a lot of catching up to do. Thankfully, the firm projects that Android will be able to even up the numbers a bit come 2015, with sales of 116 million to Apple’s 148. Milanesi adds, “so far, Android’s appeal in the tablet market has been constrained by high prices, weak user interface and limited tablet applications. Google will address the fragmentation of Android across smartphone and tablet form factors within the next Android release, known as ‘Ice Cream Sandwich,’ which we expect to see in the fourth quarter of 2011. Android can count on strong support from key OEMs, has a sizeable developer community, and its smartphones application ecosystem is second only to Apple’s.”
After getting their products banned in Germany, Samsung is fighting back in the EU. The battleground this time is the Netherlands, where the Korean company is looking to ban sales of all Apple products that uses 3G technology. Samsung’s patent lawsuit covers four patents which are currently being used by iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad 1, and iPad 2. Samsung wants a ban on the import and sale on the infringing products, and wants Apple to recall all infringing devices in stock from its “professional customers,” including electronics stores like Media Markt, where Apple has set up a shop-in-a-shop business.
It’s a well known fact that processors have to compromise when it comes to performance and battery life – simply put, you can’t have one without sacrificing the other. Well, NVIDIA is taking a novel approach at solving that whole performance VS. battery life conundrum in their new Kal-El quad-core processor by introducing a fifth core they’ve dubbed the companion core. This companion core runs on a lower frequency and operates at exceptionally low power, users do web reading, music playback and video playback. As users open more computationally intense tasks, Kal-El disables its companion core and turns on its four performance cores, one at a time, as the work load increases. If you want to find out the nitty-gritty technical details, you can check the whitepapers yourself here and here.
Shown in the photo during the recent MOA-signing ceremony (from left to right) are: Elmer M. Malolos, Smart Load and Financial Services Head and Joseph Chan, CEO of AsiaPay.
Who needs a wallet when you’ve got a phone?
AsiaPay, the leading provider of secure electronic payment solutions in and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), now enable Smart Money account holders to pay for their online purchases through merchants of PesoPay – AsiaPay’s online payment service in the Philippines.
Smart Money is the world’s first reloadable cash payment card linked to a mobile phone.
“We are excited to partner with Smart in offering additional payment options to merchants and in providing secure online payment support to Smart Money users. We are committed to providing innovative and effective solutions to the industry, and the extension from online to mobile payments is a key focus for AsiaPay. This latest partnership and offering strengthens our position as one of Asia’s leading payment service providers offering total payment solutions to our clients,” says Joseph Chan, CEO of AsiaPay.
AsiaPay’s wide network of merchant partners, extensive experience in electronic payments, and comprehensive fraud management system with real-time fraud potential transaction screening easily complement Smart Money’s unique lock / unlock feature that enables any Smart Money account holder to authorize online purchases and addresses the security concerns of online shoppers as it requires account holders to input a Personal Identification Number (PIN) via a Smart mobile phone to signify that an online purchase transaction has been authorized. This gives Smart Money users even more control over their accounts, and protection from fraudulent online transactions.
Remember that Eee Pad Slider SL101 we lovingly caressed back in Asus’ offices last August? Well, the local launch of that cool little tablet is set for the 27th of this month, which will hopefully coincide with its retail availability.
If you’ve forgetten what the Eee Pad Slider SL101 brings to the Android tablet party, you can always check out our first impressions here. We’ll try to give you guys a blow by blow of the event via our Facebook and Twitter feeds come the 27th.
A lot of you might have seen that your Facebook interface looks a wee bit different than you remember it a couple of days ago. Well, you ain’t seen nothing yet. There’s a lot of changes a-coming to Facebook which was unveiled during the company’s f8 developer conference in San Francisco, CA, and the company’s looking to change the social landscape. Well, again, we mean.
First off, is the unveiling and eventual roll-out of Facebook Timeline. In a nutshell, it’s a summary of your life (on Facebook) laid bare for other people to see, with an emphasis on the highlights of your life (landed a new job, got a new car, got married, etc.). It’ll replace your standard Facebook profile (also known as the page strangers see when they first check you out) once the kinks are worked out. We think it’s pretty interesting, but again there’s that concern of privacy, specifically for the pictures and other things that are in your profile. Since a lot of these things are filled in automatically by Facebook, how does the service know what’s appropriate, or more importantly, what highlight of your life is important to you?
Another major unveil during f8 is the deep integration of apps into your profile, which is being touted by the company as a new way for users to share content without overwhelming their friends with information. Central to this whole theme is the ticker bar on the right of your Facebook account (which a lot of us lovingly refer to as the stalker bar). Social apps allow users to share information directly onto that bar without flooding your stream with inconsequential babble. If one of your friends start listening to a band they like through Spotify for example, it’ll show up on your ticker. If you’d like to listen in to the artist your friend likes, you just need to click on their link. The whole concept is better explained through the video below.
Yahoo is getting into the action too, with the release of their Yahoo News Feature. The premise is simple – you’re now able to see what stories your friends have been reading on their site, which makes it easier for you to discover new things through your friends. From what we’re seeing, Facebook is moving away from active sharing (pushing links and likes and whatever) into more passive sharing (checking out your friend’s activity streams via sites like Yahoo). We’re liking what we’re seeing now, though it does make the likelihood of cyber-stalking a terrifying reality. We’ll just have to see how it all pans out.
Bottomline here is: Facebook is changing. It seems that the social network giant is no longer interested in getting more subscribers (it has plenty of those) nor increasing it’s page views. From what we’re seeing, it’s now more interested in making every minutiae of your life easier to share and to be discovered by your friends, and that’s not a bad thing. Do you like the direction the company is taking? Share your thoughts in the comments.
(Want to see check out the Facebook Timeline? TechCrunch has created an easy to use guide located here.)
