Official Speedtest.net app finally comes to Windows Phone

Another useful and handy app lands in the Windows Phone land, this time it’s the Speedtest.net app by Ookla.

Speedtest.net is the online tool many people uses to measure their Internet connection bandwidth. It could be for reporting purposes so they can determine if their ISPs delivers the right speed they are promised. It is also available on iOS and Android.

The Speedtest.net app for Windows Phone is different from its two other counterparts. The user interface is different and is still beautiful. It has two live tile sizes which displays your recent tests right on your Start screen.

Use Speedtest.net for easy, one-tap connection testing in under 30 seconds—accurate anywhere thanks to our global network.

Millions of users have made Speedtest.net the #1 app for testing internet speeds, and it’s trusted by the professionals like Anandtech, Engadget, and the BBC and New York Times!

- Discover your Download, Upload, and Ping
- Real-time graphs show connection consistency

  

Now get Speedtesting! Get the Speedtest.net app on the Windows Phone Store.

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Samsung GALAXY S III mini arriving January 26

The smaller and younger sibling of the Samsung GALAXY S III, aptly named the GALAXY S III mini, is set to arrive in the Philippines on January 26.

The Samsung GALAXY S III mini is a stripped-down version of the GALAXY S III. It has a smaller 4-inch screen with 800x480 resolution and a Super AMOLED panel. It has a 5 Megapixels main camera with auto-focus and LED flash, and a VGA snapper on the front.

There are two options for the internal memory on the GALAXY S III mini, 8 and 16 gigabytes, but we are not sure which one Samsung is going to offer in the local market. It is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM.

For connectivity, it includes the normal stuffs. Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and 3G data which can handle speeds of up to 14.4Mbps, depending on your network. To top it off, the GALAXY S III mini has a 1500mAh battery.

Samsung GALAXY S III mini Specifications and Features
4-inch Super AMOLED display with 800x480 (WVGA) resolution
5 Megapixels autofocus camera with LED flash
VGA front camera
8/16GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB using microSD card
1 GB RAM
1GHz dual-core CPU
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC
GPS / GLONASS
Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Gyroscope
GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
3G/HSPA (900, 1900, 2100 MHz) 
1,500mAh battery capacity
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS

Samsung will start selling the GALAXY S III mini in the Philippines on January 26 for P14,990 — but, they are going to slash it by P2,000 in the first day. If you’re not able to afford a GALAXY S III but still want to own a piece of Samsung’s GALAXY, I think this the way to go for you.

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Nokia: Launch of Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 in the Philippines delayed

Remember when Nokia said that they will be releasing the Lumia 920 in the Philippines this January? Well, guess what? That statement is now not effective.

Nokia Philippines says the launch is “now expected to commence a little later” than they had hoped. The Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 is now anticipated to arrived '”the latter part of 2013”, which likely means sometime in March.

Nokia cites the reason for the delay is that “it is sometimes necessary to revise delivery schedules based on global product availability.” It looks like they are prioritizing other countries which has bigger demands on the two devices and that the supply is not enough.

They also said that the Lumia 620 will be launched in Q1 2013.

Source: Nokia

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Rumor: Nexus 4 production halted by LG, successor likely to launch next month

Rumor has it that LG has halted the production of the just-launched Nexus 4, the flagship smartphone of Google under its Nexus brand of devices. International Business Times quotes LG Senior Vice President James Fisher as saying that the Nexus 4 is just "the first of many" Nexus products the company is working on, which hints LG and Google might be already working on the successor of the Nexus 4.

Fisher further added that "at Mobile World Congress next month and throughout the year, you'll see us bring to market more tier-one premium handsets in various screen sizes." The successor of the Nexus 4 is expected to launch along Google’s next version of Android, the Key Lime Pie.

If that is the case, well I feel sorry for the early adopters of the Nexus 4, and even more for the ones whose orders are only about to ship.

Source: International Business Times

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Facebook’s Pages Manager app now out for Android

If you happen to be managing a Facebook page, then we have a good news for you. Facebook recently released the Pages Manager app for Android, which should come really useful for page managers out there.

Facebook Pages Manager allows you to post status updates, share photos, and respond to your users’ posts and comments on the go. It also allows you to read and send messages if you have it enabled on your page.

And what would be an official Facebook without notifications support? Yup, you can check your pages’ new notifications too. Lastly, you can check the insights and analytics for every post you’ve made on your page. The app supports multiple pages management.

You can get the Facebook Pages Manager app from the Google Play Store.

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ASUS announces the VivoTab Smart tablet

ASUS today announced their new tablet, the VivoTab Smart running Windows 8. It has the full PC experience unlike other tablets, which means you can run your existing software on this device. It is powered by a dual-core Intel Atom Z2760 processor. The screen measures 10.1-inch IPS panel with a 1366x768 HD resolution.

The Vivo Tab Smart can be attached to an option keyboard, called the TranSleeve Keyboard which also doubles as a stand and protective cover when not in use. It has an 8-Megapixels camera on the back which can do 1080p full HD video recording. On the front there is a 2-Megapixels shooter for video calling and other uses. The WI-Fi only model has a 9.5-hour battery life, while the Wi-Fi + LTE model only has 8-hours.

ASUS VivoTab Smart Specifications and Features
10.1-inch (1366 x 768) display
Intel® Atom™ Z2760 dual-core processor
2GB RAM
64GB onboard storage
802.11 b/g/n
265.5 x 171 x 9.7mm
580g
9.5 hours of battery life (8.5 hours for Wi-Fi + LTE model)

The ASUS VivoTab Smart will be available here in the Philippines this Q1 2013. It will come in white and black and will retail for P25,995.

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Sony Xperia Z and Xperia ZL becomes official

Sony Mobile finally unveiled their flagship smartphone for 2013, or the first half I think, the Xperia Z. The Xperia Z is a splendid smartphone by Sony, with it’s body beautifully sandwiched by two slabs of glass on the front and back. A 5-inch 1080p full HD screen makes this thing imaginably large by the number. Its display is packed with 443 pixels per inch, so we expect things on it to look really crisp.

The camera of the Xperia Z is a 13 Megapixels one with their new Exmor RS™ sensor which Sony say should allow for clear and quality photos under low-light conditions. It can also capture HDR video.

It is also IP55 and IP57-certified which means it can resist dust and water. Sony equipped the Xperia Z with the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor and coupled it with 2GB of RAM. As for the battery life, they added a new feature called Battery Stamina which, when activated, will improve standby times by up to 4 times.

It also supports LTE, particularly the bands 1, 3, and 5 which local carriers use.

Sony Xperia Z Specifications and Features
5-inch TFT HD Reality display with 1920x1080 full HD resolution
Sony Mobile Bravia Engine 2
13 Megapixels autofocus camera with LED flash, Exmor RS sensor
2.1 megapixel front camera
1080p video recording
16GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB using microSD card
2 GB RAM
1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core CPU
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
3G/HSPA+ (850, 900, 2100 MHz)
LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20)
2,330mAh battery capacity
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS (upgrade to 4.2 after release)

The Sony Xperia Z will be released this Q1 2013 globally. They will also release a slightly different variant of it, the Xperia ZL in some countries that will not get the Xperia Z. The Xperia ZL offers a smaller form-factor and design but still retains the same specs.

The Sony Xperia Z and Xperia ZL will launch on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and will be upgraded to 4.2 shortly after launch.

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Apple App Store surpasses 40 billion downloads

Apple has announced that the App Store has topped 40 billion downloads today. They also say that in December alone, users have made 2 billion installs in the App Store. The number excludes re-installs and app updates.

The App Store is now home to some 775,000 apps for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. 300,000 apps alone are designed for the large iPad display. Apple has also stated that they have paid out over 7 billion dollars to the developers.

“It has been an incredible year for the iOS developer community,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “Developers have made over seven billion dollars on the App Store, and we continue to invest in providing them with the best ecosystem so they can create the most innovative apps in the world.”

Apple last announced in June 2012 that the App Store saw 30 billion downloads.

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NVIDIA announces Tegra 4 processor

NVIDIA today bared their latest generation mobile processor, the Tegra 4. The company dubs it as the ‘world’s fastest mobile processor’, and that’s due to the ARM A15 chipsets with four cores. The Tegra 4 has retained the same 4-plus-1 processor design as on the previous Tegra 3 which is supposed to improve battery life. The company claims it uses 45% less power than its predecessor and can have up to 14 hours of HD video playback time on phones.

The graphics performance of the Tegra 4 has significantly improved as it now has 72 GPU cores, as opposed on the Tegra 3 which only had 12. NVIDIA says this will pave way for more realistic game experiences and high-resolution displays, like 1080p, which is expected to be included in a number of devices soon.

Tegra 4 will now also finally support LTE through an extra (read: not integrated) chipset, the Icera® i500. The Tegra 3 did not support LTE at the time, and a number of device manufacturers was forced to opt for the competing chipsets like that of Qualcomm’s just to bring their devices to many American carriers. NVIDIA says it is 40% less than the size of conventional modems and has 4 times more processor power.

It will also have a new feature which is what they call the Computational Photography Architecture. It will allow for almost-real-time HDR photo and video processing, by combining the powers of the GPU and CPU. It will also support 4K ultra-high definition video playback — that’s a 3140x2160 resolution out there.

As of now, there’s only two devices that has been announced to run on Tegra 4, Vizio’s 10-inch and 7-inch stock Android 4.2 Jelly Bean tablets.

NVIDIA Introduces World's Fastest Mobile Processor

Sunday, January 6, 2013
CES -- NVIDIA today introduced NVIDIA® Tegra® 4, the world's fastest mobile processor, with record-setting performance and battery life to flawlessly power smartphones and tablets, gaming devices, auto infotainment and navigation systems, and PCs.

Tegra 4 offers exceptional graphics processing, with lightning-fast web browsing, stunning visuals and new camera capabilities through computational photography.

Previously codenamed "Wayne," Tegra 4 features 72 custom NVIDIA GeForce™ GPU cores -- or six times the GPU horsepower of Tegra 3 -- which deliver more realistic gaming experiences and higher resolution displays. It includes the first quad-core application of ARM's most advanced CPU core, the Cortex-A15, which delivers 2.6x faster web browsing and breakthrough performance for apps.

Tegra 4 also enables worldwide 4G LTE voice and data support through an optional chipset, the fifth-generation NVIDIA Icera® i500 processor. More efficient and 40 percent the size of conventional modems, i500 delivers four times the processing capability of its predecessor.

"Tegra 4 provides enormous processing power and efficiency to power smartphones and tablets, gaming devices, auto systems and PCs," said Phil Carmack, senior vice president of the Tegra business at NVIDIA. "Its new capabilities, particularly in the area of computational photography, will help improve a whole range of existing products and lead to the creation of exciting new ones."

Computational Photography Capability
Among the Tegra 4 processor's breakthroughs is its Computational Photography Architecture, which automatically delivers high dynamic range (HDR) photos and video by fusing together the processing power of the GPU, CPU and the camera's image-signal processor.

Its HDR capability captures images, including those taken with a flash, the way they are seen by the human eye -- with detail in both bright and dark areas.

Unprecedented Power Efficiency
Designed for maximum energy efficiency, Tegra 4 includes a second-generation battery saver core for low power during standard use, and PRISM 2 Display technology to reduce backlight power while delivering superior visuals.

Tegra 4 consumes up to 45 percent less power than its predecessor, Tegra 3, in common use cases. And it enables up to 14 hours of HD video playback on phones.

Tegra 4 Key Features
GeForce GPU with 72 custom cores
Quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 CPU, plus a 2nd Generation Battery Saver Core
Computational Photography Architecture
LTE capability with optional Icera i500 chipset
4K ultra-high-def video support

About NVIDIA
NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) awakened the world to computer graphics when it invented the GPU in 1999. Today, its processors power a broad range of products from smartphones to supercomputers. NVIDIA's mobile processors are used in cell phones, tablets and auto infotainment systems. PC gamers rely on GPUs to enjoy spectacularly immersive worlds. Professionals use them to create 3D graphics and visual effects in movies and to design everything from golf clubs to jumbo jets. And researchers utilize GPUs to advance the frontiers of science with high performance computing. The company has more than 5,000 patents issued, allowed or filed, including ones covering ideas essential to modern computing. For more information, see www.nvidia.com.

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How to access Google Maps on Windows Phone in 2 steps

Many technology publications on the Internet are abuzz with the recent news about Google blocking Windows Phone users from accessing its Maps service. The search giant was quoted saying the following statement.

The mobile web version of Google Maps is optimized for WebKit browsers such as Chrome and Safari. However, since Internet Explorer is not a WebKit browser, Windows Phone devices are not able to access Google Maps for the mobile web.

While it is true that Google Maps on the mobile web is optimized for WebKit-based browsers, the part that says Windows Phone users are not able to use it due to the different engine it uses is just a blatant lie. Google Maps has always worked on Windows Phone even before, albeit not as smooth as on the other browsers. It’s just Google blocking the access by redirecting Windows Phone users who go to maps.google.com to their homepage.

In fact, you can still access Google Maps on your Windows Phone’s browser, just don’t expect an excellent an aesthetic interface as Google seemed to made it look awful (it didn’t look this way before). So how? Simple. Go to Google.com, search for a place and put the phrase ‘Google Maps’ on the end of the keyword, just like ‘Manhattan Google Maps’. Now click the first link to maps.google.com, and it will take you to the right place. See the image below.

This just proves that Google Maps does work in Windows Phone and that they’re the only ones who say otherwise.

By the way, if you want a decent Google Maps app on your phone, you can use gMaps (free, pro), a nice alternative to the mobile web version.

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HTC teases release of 5-inch 1080p Butterfly in the Philippines

Want to experience 1080p goodness in your handheld mobile device? Well, train your eyes now to appreciate the pixel-packed screen of the HTC Butterfly, also know as the international version of the Droid DNA for Verizon in the US, as it is finally set to reach the Philippine shores.

How’d we know? HTC Philippines posted the above photo on their Facebook page yesterday, implying that they will officially release the 5-incher in the country soon. Info circulating around says it will be sometime this January.

HTC Butterfly X920D Specifications and Features
5-inch Super LCD 3 display with 1920x1080 full HD resolution
Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2
8 Megapixels autofocus camera with LED flash, and BSI sensor
F2.0 aperture and 28mm lens
2.1 megapixel front camera
16GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB using microSD card
2 GB RAM
1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 Pro quad-core CPU
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
3G/HSPA+ (850, 2100 MHz)
Beats Audio™
2,020mAh battery capacity
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS

We have asked HTC for more info about the release date and the pricing as well.

Source: HTC Philippines

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Is this the Samsung GALAXY S IV?

The guys at SamMobile claims they received the press render of Samsung’s upcoming flagship, the GALAXY S IV. The design looks similar to that of the Note II, albeit a little taller. The bezel are also thinner on the sides, and the home button is gone.

The GALAXY S IV is supposed to have a 5-inch 1080p full HD screen, an Exynos 5450 processor, 2GB of RAM, 13 Megapixels camera, and will ship with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.

If this is real, what I can say is it’s too early as the GALAXY S III was just announced back in May. Or perhaps, this is one of their upcoming Tizen devices. What do you think?

Source: SamMobile

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Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean update now available for Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1

Samsung started to roll-out the Premium Suite upgrade for the Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1, which now includes Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean and a host of new and improved features.

The biggest change this update brought to the Note 10.1 is the improved multi-window functionality. In this update, Samsung made it possible for any developer to add multi-window capability in their apps. You can now freely resize any open window, ‘pin’ it so it is always visible, and switch between the cascade or dual views.

Samsung incorporated the features which were previously only available on the Note II, such as the Air View, Quick Command, Easy Clip, and Photo Note, all of which are a very welcome addition to the Note 10.1 since it has a bigger screen that users can use for those said features.

The other changes made include the ability to send handwritten notes via email. You can now also jot down your notes and tasks in a more personal and traditional way on the improved S Planner app.

The S Note app saw some more comical effects & new templates like the Sketch Effect for various photo effects and image filters with Color Picker, you can pick any color you want directly from any images and draw with it.

Moreover, Google’s Project Butter gave the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 a huge performance boost. Gone are the minor lags and stutters that I saw on Ice Cream Sandwich which is the OS it was running on when it originally launched.

If you’re an owner of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, you may now check for the update on Samsung Kies or just do it right on your device, just go to Settings > About and tap Software update. The update weighs a little hefty at around 420Mb.

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Nexus 4 now available for P24,990; LG Optimus G to follow this Q1 2013 (update)

We just heard from the folks at LG Philippines that the Google Nexus 4, made by them of course, is now already available at stores for P24,990. The Nexus 4 is Google’s newest Nexus-branded device for 2012. It packs a 4.7-inch HD screen, a quad-core Qualcomm S4 Pro processor, 8 Megapixels camera, and has Android 4.2 Jelly Bean on board.

LG Nexus 4 E960 Specifications and Features
4.7-inch IPS display with 1280x768 (WXGA) resolution
Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2
8 Megapixels main camera, 1.3 Megapixel front
8GB or 16GB internal memory
2 GB RAM
Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 Pro CPU
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth
NFC
GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
3G/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz)
Wireless charging
SlimPort HDMI
Barometer
Compass
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS

The stores that are selling official Nexus 4 stocks are very limited to the following: Widget City, MemoXpress (Greater Manila Area), Aerophone (Visayas), Wiltelcom (Mindanao) and in all LG Mobile Concept Stores and kiosks.

The LG Optimus G, on the other hand, is coming soon this Q1 2013, according to LG. The Optimus G shares some specs with the Nexus 4, the only major difference is that it runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich.

UPDATE: Widget City has let us know that they will be stocking Nexus 4 units with official warranty from LG Philippines for P21,890. It will be available starting January 4.

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Sony’s full HD flagship, the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL shows its glory in a leaked press shot (update)

The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2013 is only just one more week away from now. As it has always been, the leaks are now starting to, well, leak out.

One of the anticipated devices to be unveiled is Sony Mobile’s flagship for this year, which is said to pack a full HD 1080p screen, is the Xperia Z. It will join the likes of the HTC Droid DNA in the elusive 1080p club.

The other details that are available for now include Android Jelly Bean as it’s OS, a quad-core processor, and a 13 Megapixels camera. The remaining specs of the device remain unknown. But guess what? We’re only 7 days away from it’s official unveiling. So stay tuned!

UPDATE: Engadget has published a fresh pair of press shots for the Xperia Z and its twin, the Xperia ZL. The latter one is quite a looker due to the thinner bezel at the top and bottom.

Source: UnwiredView

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