Thursday, August 30, 2012

Alcatel will have an Amazing Sale starting tomorrow

Alcatel Mobile Philippines will be having a half-month long sale of their mobile phones, including their line of Android phones.

Alcatel Philippines Amazing Sale

The sale, which will start tomorrow, August 31, will give you the chance to get one of their offerings at a few hundred or thousand pesos off. A total of 12 mobile phones will be available during that period and they are the ff.:
Alcatel Onetouch 306
Alcatel Onetouch 217D
Alcatel Onetouch 595D
Alcatel Onetouch 813D
Alcatel Onetouch 906 Blaze
Alcatel Onetouch 918N Glory
Alcatel Onetouch 918N Glory X
Alcatel Onetouch 916D Spark FB
Alcatel Onetouch 990 Blaze
Alcatel Onetouch 985N Blaze
Alcatel Onetouch 991D Inspire
Alcatel Onetouch 995 Sapphire

The sale will happen at all Alcatel Kiosks as well as several other retail stores. Full list below:
Twinline FairviewCyberwidget Centerpoint
Cyberwidget Mall of Asia
Trinity Session Road
Hello Mall of Asia
Hello SM North
Hello Bicutan
Hello Makati
Hello Festival Mall
Hello San Lazaro
Hello SM Megamall
Hello Centerpoint
Technomobile Marikina
Technomobile Sta Mesa
Technomobile Taytay
Technomobile Fairiew
Graphics
Perfecom
YTelcom
Tekpone
Aerophone
Cellplus Fonshop
Gizmo
RC Goldline
Comworks
Presnet

Click the photo above to see the full details. You might as well follow them on Twitter or like their Facebook page while you’re at it.

Samsung outs ATIV S Windows Phone 8 device

Samsung announced the first Windows Phone 8 device ever at IFA 2012, the Samsung ATIV S, which runs on Windows Phone 8.

Samsung ATIV S Philippines

The ATIV S is definitely a head-turner device in terms of aesthetics. It has a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED screen sandwiched in a Gorilla Glass 2 display. It packs a dual-core (probably Snapdragon S4) processor at 1.5GHz, a gigabyte of RAM, an 8 Megapixels camera on the back and a 1.9 Megapixel one on the front. For storage, there’s two options – the 16GB variant and the 32GB one. There’s also a microSD card slot for an even more storage expansion in case you need more. And most of all, a 2,300 mAh battery capacity. All that in an 8.7mm brushed aluminum package!

Enjoy more photos below courtesy of the Windows Team Blog.

Samsung ATIV S Philippines 2

Samsung ATIV S Philippines 3

Samsung ATIV S Philippines 4

Samsung ATIV S Philippines 5

Microsoft setting up Xbox Live services for the Philippines

Microsoft seems to be gearing up for an expansion of it’s Xbox Live entertainment services as the launch of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 nears.

Xbox Philippines

A rather blank homepage is already live at the company’s servers but the contents are not yet there and some links are broken. The lack of Xbox Live services in the country has been faced with complaints as some Windows Phone customers who have their Windows Live IDs registered in the country are not able to purchase Xbox Live games at the Marketplace, but this could change soon.

Microsoft is expected to unveil the Windows Phone 8 features this September and some OEMs have already committed to the new iteration of the Redmond-based software company, among them are Nokia, Samsung, HTC, and ZTE.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

PLDT expands Fibr coverage

PLDT announced that it has expanded the coverage of its fiber optic internet service which is under the brand name Fibr.

Not the PLDT Fibr modem.

Previously only available at Forbes Park, Northeast Greenhills, Palms Pointe, Urdaneta, Valle Verde 1-6, and Wack-Wack, the ultra-fast internet internet is now also at Acropolis (Libis), Alabang 400, Alabang Hills, Ayala Heights, Arcadia Village, Ayala Alabang Village (FDC2), Capitol 8 Subdivision, Corinthians Garden, Dasmariñas Village, Don Antonio Heights, East Greenhills, Greenmeadows Subdivision, Kasiyahan Homes, La Vista, Lexington Garden Village, Loyola Grand Villas, Magallanes Village, Mahogany Place III, McKinley Hills, Montgomery Place, North Greenhills (Mandaluyong), Pacific Malayan Village, Southbay, St. Ignatius Subdivision, Tierra Pura (Quezon City), Urdaneta, West Greenhills, Ayala Southvale Phase 1 & 2, Greenview Executive Homes 1 & 2, Varsity Hills.

Fibr is available in three plans; the 8Mbps plan for P3,500/month, 15 Mbps for P5,500/month, and the mother of all Internets, the 100Mbps plan for a mind-boggling P20,000/month.

For a comparison, in the US, Verizon charges $69.99 (~P3,000) per month for it's 15Mbps FiOS internet and just $209.99 (~P9,000) for the mother of mother of all Internets 300Mbps FiOS internet. Meanwhile in the UK, British Telecommunications (BT) charges a measly £26/month (~P2,000) for its 76Mbps Infinity 2 service and £35/month (~P2,500) for it's 100Mbps Infinity service.

If you happen to live at one of those subdivisions of the rich, hop over to PLDT's website and check out Fibr.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Leaked NTT DoCoMo roadmap suggests more than one Nexus devices are coming

A leaked roadmap of Japan’s NTT DoCoMo suggests that there may be many Nexus devices this year as Google celebrates the 5th year of its Android operating system.

NTT DoCoMo Xi LTE Lineup

The three devices – a Sony Xperia Nexus (SO-04E), an LG Optimus Nexus (L-08E), and finally, a Samsung GALAXY Nexus II (SC-02E) – will all reportedly run on the carrier’s Xi LTE network. Since Smart’s new 4G LTE network operates on the same 2100MHz Band 1 as NTT’s, I somehow expect that there’s a chance that at least one of those Nexuses will make its way in the country too.

Several other Xi LTE devices are also included in the roadmap. Hit up the source link and check it out.

Source: Android Noodles
Via: Xperia Blog

Smart 4G LTE now commercially available in the Philippines

Smart Communications Inc. has launched the first 4G LTE network in the Philippines yesterday, which makes the country one of the few that offers LTE service.

Smart 4G LTE - Smart and PLDT Executives

We already know all of the details of Smart’s initial LTE plans even before the launch yesterday but Smart has one surprise that will delight the early adopters – unlimited LTE data until October 25, 2012 for P3,500 monthly. After that date, subscribers who will exceed their 10GB data allocation will be charged a P450/GB overage fee. They can also choose to purchase additional data at the my.Smart online portal. Smart has added two new Always On data packs, the 5GB pack for P1,999 and the 10GB pack for P3,499. The device will be the Huawei E392 dongle.

Smart is working with Japan’s NTT DoCoMo to bring more devices in the future including mobile phones and pocket routers. The two shares the same 2100MHz LTE frequency, so the move is very logical.

As for the locations covered by LTE, Smart will be putting up specially-marked LTE signs at key places around Metro Manila just so you can easily know. Visit Smart’s website to check the full list of LTE coverage.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Apple TV now officially being sold in the Philippines, iTunes Gift Cards Soon?

A little more than a month after Apple opened it’s iTunes Store here in the Philippines, they are coming up again this time, with the release of Apple TV.

Apple TV Philippines

The Apple TV, which appeared as early as August 14, sells for P4,990 at the Apple Online Store and ships in 3-5 business days and as usual, you get free shipping for orders over P3,000.

Apple TV Philippines Product Shot

Another thing that I noticed new to the online store is that you can now receive SMS notifications for your item when in transit. Simply include your phone number when checking out to receive notifications. SMS notifications will be sent between 8 AM to 9 PM

Apple Store Philippines Text Notifications

Lastly, there’s a rumor that Apple will soon sell iTunes Gift Cards for use in the Philippine iTunes Store. If this would turn out to be true, then it’s another plus for Apple as more people would now be able to purchase content at iTunes because as everyone knows, signing up for a credit card is a pain.

When asked for a comment, however, Apple simply replied…

“Apple does not comment on rumour or speculation.”

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Smart 4G LTE to launch on August 25! Plan Pricing, Locations and more!

EXCLUSIVE!

This just in! Smart Communications Inc. will finally commercially launch their 4G LTE network on August 25. And guess what, we already have the details for that.

Smart 4G LTE Launch Exclusive

Smart will initially offer the same Huawei E392 USB LTE stick for free at P3,500 a month. We are not yet sure if that monthly plan has a set data limit or is unlimited.

Smart 4G LTE Plan 3500 MisterJonjon.com

Another thing is that their LTE service will be initially available here at Metro Manila only at the following locations:
Taguig - The Fort
Makati City - Salcedo and Legaspi Village
Quezon City - Cubao, UP Diliman, ADMU
Pasig City - Ortigas
Mandaluyong
San Juan
Pasay City - SM Mall of Asia
Manila - Binondo
Muntinlupa – Alabang

Smart will flip the switch of a total of 49 LTE base stations at launch.

Smart 4G LTE Cell Sites MisterJonjon.com

More details soon!

UPDATE: And, it’s official. Smart will only have one LTE data plan at launch, the 10GB monthly plan priced at P3,500.

UPDATE 2: Smart Communications just issued the full press release.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

How to protect your iOS devices from theft

Are you a person who always forgot where did you put a thing, say your phone? If you just nodded, then read on. I will teach you how to protect your iOS devices from the prickly hands of others.

Find My iPhone

You might be already familiar with the icon above. Yes, that’s Find My iPhone. First thing you’ll do is to set-up Find My iPhone on your device using iCloud. After that, you’re done! NOT. Pick-pockets and thieves could simply disable the Find My iPhone service on your device to prevent you from locating it. What should I do? Well, you will have to use Restrictions. Follow the steps below, assuming that you’re done setting up Find My iPhone.

NOTE: Instructions posted here is based on an iPod touch running iOS 6.
1. Go to Settings, General, Restrictions. You will be asked to set a Restrictions Passcode for the first time.

2012-08-13T22-52-17_1

2. Under Allow Changes, tap Accounts.

2012-08-13T22-52-17_2

3. Tap Don’t Allow Changes.

2012-08-13T22-52-17_3

And just like that, the iCloud, Accounts (under Mail, Contacts, Calendars), Messages, FaceTime, iTunes & App Stores, Photo Stream (under Photos & Camera), Twitter, Facebook, as well as the Find My iPhone (under Privacy, Location Services) settings will become disabled and greyed out. You and anyone will not be able to change any of those settings unless you select Allow Changes again under Restrictions.

2012-08-13T22-52-17_5

2012-08-13T22-52-17_6

By the way, speaking of Photo Stream – you may want to turn on Photo Streams before turning on the restrictions. Who knows, if a thief snagged your device and took self-photos, you will be able to see his or her face!

2012-08-13T22-52-17_4

While the last will be probably be useful for iPhones and iPads with a cellular data connection, you may just forget about setting a passcode lock on your iPod touch and/or iPad with a Wi-Fi only connection so just in case, the thief will have a chance to find a wireless network and connect to it thus allowing your to still locate them.

UPDATE: I forgot one thing. If you have a jailbroken device then you’re in for this. Open Cydia, and search for ResetAllKiller tweak. That will basically grey out and disable the Reset All Settings buttons on the Settings. This will make it a little bit hard for the part of the thief to completely wipe your device and prevent you from tracking it. Here it is in action.

2012-08-14T00-23-38_0

Now the last thing to do is set-up iCloud on your Macs or PCs. You may also bookmark iCloud.com on your web browser for easy use.

Friday, August 10, 2012

4 Business Tools to Check Out if You're Looking for Ways to Save




Nowadays, businesses are looking for ways to cut down on costs every step of the way. Given the economic uncertainty and the very competitive market landscape, that doesn't come as a surprise. And if you're a business owner looking to be successful on the cost containment front, it pays to check out the following tools:

1. Bitrix24.com

For a lot of businesses, CRMs and intranets allow for effective communication and overall productivity in the workplace. And if you're thinking these tools are too heavy on the cost side, you may be right, but only if you're looking on the wrong side.

Bitrix24.com is a social communications and collaboration application that's 100% free for small businesses consisting of a total of 12 members. Essentially, Bitrix24 merges all of your separate work applications into an all-in-one solution - CRM for monitoring of sales and transactions, live streaming, intranet, file and document sharing, calendar and activity planner, workforce monitoring and more. Bitrix24 is cloud-based and therefore requires no installation. It can also be accessed anywhere you are and anytime you need to via your PC's web browser or your smartphone. For larger companies, a monthly subscription of $99 is available for an unlimited number of users.

2. PickyDomains.com

Some people have a knack for names. Others, unfortunately, don't. If you're a business owner, you know that the name you choose for your business, product or service plays a very important role in your branding and advertising endeavors. And if you happen to not have the talent for naming things, you become target market for a branding agency's services. But be warned, these agencies charge too high a price for the help they're willing to extend.

PickyDomains.com, in the naming business since 2007, is a crowdsourcing platform that assists individuals and businesses in coming up with catchy, relevant, easy-to-pronounce and catchy business/product names, slogans and website domains. PickyDomains now has over 50,000 registered contributors hailing from different regions of the globe. To start receiving recommendations from this diverse group of creative people, simply register with the site and become a client, make a $50 deposit for a name or domain (slogans are priced at $75) and specify your guidelines. If none of the hundreds, if not thousands, of suggestions pitched is to your liking, at the click of a button, you get a refund.

3. Comindware.com

Automation in business is a process that allows for minimization of expenses, restructuring of available resources and streamlining of workflows, which is why business process automation, or BPA, is the norm among majority of businesses nowadays.

Comindware.com is a breakthrough automation and collaboration solution especially created for cross-functional work organizations. With Comindware Tracker's ultra-flexible ElasticData technology, you get to formalize workflow processes, and if warranted, change them later without disrupting current operations. With Workflow Builder, a simplification feature that eliminates the need for previous IT or designing experience, you get to visually design and edit workflows by simply dragging and dropping items in your user interface, and in a matter of minutes, your new workflow is ready for implementation with just a single click. Comindware Tracker comes free with Comindware Task Management, a system that, among others, takes full control of scattered tasks across spreadsheets and inboxes. Comindware offers a free 30-day trial for unlimited users. And when you're finally ready to implement the Comindware automation system in your business, Comindware also offers discount packages depending on the number of software licenses you intend to purchase.

4. JetRadar.com

Sometimes, business calls for travel, frequent or otherwise. And if you're determined to cut down on costs, flying to your destination via tickets on promo is the best way to go. But due to the stiff competition in the airline industry nowadays, airlines are confining their best offers into their own sites, prompting deal seekers to go from one site to another to find the cheapest possible tickets.

JetRadar.com is a metasearch application that methodically sifts through 700+ individual airlines and hundreds of travel sites for the cheapest airfare promos available, and makes the data it collects readily accessible in a single location. With JetRadar, not only are you guaranteed the most value for your money, you also save on time and effort to find the best airfare deals.

*Sponsored article.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 to roll-out globally this month (update)

Samsung has finally announced the launch of it’s newest member of the GALAXY Note lineup, the Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1. Along with the announcement comes a couple of revisions of its specifications.

Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 Philippines

The biggest change that the GALAXY Note 10.1 got is maybe the upgrade of it’s processor to a 1.4 GHz quad-core one from the previous dual-core version. Its RAM was doubled, now at 2 GB. They also added a digitizer to the display to accommodate the inclusion of the S Pen. Its camera also got upgrade from 3 Megapixels to 5 Megapixels now, although the front-facing camera got downgraded to 1.9 Megapixel. Samsung also added a Multi-Window feature which, you guessed it, will allow users to view two applications side-by-side so they can be even more productive.

The Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 is already available in the US, the UK, Germany, and Korea and it should be available at even more countries this month. It will come in three variants – a Wi-Fi-only version and Wi-Fi + 3G (HSPA+) this month, and a Wi-Fi + LTE that’s to follow up later this year. Samsung has not yet disclosed the final retail pricing when it launches here in the Philippines, but I estimate it to sell at about P27,990 for the Wi-Fi-only variant and P32,990 for the Wi-Fi + 3G (HSPA+) model.

UPDATE: Seems we got it right. The Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 will be out in the Philippines on September 1 and will be priced at P32,990 for the Wi-Fi + 3G (HSPA+) model.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Nokia 110 out now in the Philippines

Nokia Philippines just announced the availability of the Nokia 110 in the country.

Nokia 110 Philippines

The Nokia Asha 110 is created to cater to young, urban consumers who finds a way to connect to the Internet affordably. It is a dual-SIM device that features Nokia’s Easy Swap technology that lets you switch SIM cards easily without them having to turn off the phone.

The Nokia Asha 110 is also loaded with the Nokia Browser that saves data as you browse the web. Built-in Facebook and Twitter are there to support your basic social needs. A VGA camera and MP3 player is present too, backed with a microSD card slot that can support up to 32GB of memory.

Nokia 110 Features and Specifications
1.8-inch LCD screen with 160x128 (QVGA) resolution
VGA fixed-focus camera
Dual SIM
GPRS/EDGE - 900/1800
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
FM Radio
microSD card slot up to 32 GB
1020 mAh battery capacity (790 hours standby time)
Nokia S40 OS

The Nokia 110 retails for P2,190 and comes in black, magenta, lime green, and cyan.