Globe rolls out prepaid LTE SIM cards

Hello to all my readers. I’ve been quite busy in the past few months and didn’t post anything new since September. But there’s this news that I think is worth posting.

So, Globe just announced that prepaid LTE SIM cards are now (finally) available. And we’re not talking about the Tattoo Prepaid LTE SIM cards that were out since September 2012 – what they have now is the LTE SIM cards for Globe Prepaid accounts.

The Globe Prepaid LTE SIM cards will come in dual-cut (mini and micro) and nano sizes. The dual-cut ones cost P40 while the nano ones are P75. For those who don’t want to let go of their phone numbers, you can have your SIM replaced with an LTE one at Globe Stores.

You’d need a Globe Prepaid LTE SIM card if you have an LTE device such as an iPhone (5/5c/5s/6/6 Plus), Samsung Galaxy (S5/S4) or other smartphones that support LTE.

For more info, check out their website.

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Nokia Lumia 530 Dual SIM lands for P4,990

Nokia’s (now Microsoft Mobile) most affordable Windows Phone device to date, the Lumia 530 Dual SIM, has been released in the Philippines. The Lumia 530 features a 4-inch LCD display, 4Gb storage, a 5-megapixel camera, and comes with the latest features of the Windows Phone 8.1 and Lumia Cyan such as the Word Flow keyboard and Action Center.

If you think the internal memory is a little low, fret not. You can insert a microSD card (up to 128Gb) and install apps from the Windows Store right there.

“With high end apps, features and exceptional build quality at an amazing price, the Lumia 530 DS sets the benchmark for affordable smartphones,” said Karel Holub, General Manager, Philippines, Microsoft Mobile Devices Sales. ”The Lumia 530 DS demonstrates our focus on welcoming more people to the Windows Phone ecosystem with amazing devices that light up Microsoft’s digital work and life experiences. By building on the momentum of the successful Lumia 520, the Lumia 530 DS will help us deliver an uncompromised smartphone experience to more customers than ever before.”

The Nokia Lumia 530 Dual SIM will be available in orange, green, grey, and white. It will retail for P4,990.

Nokia Lumia 530 Features and Specifications
4-inch LCD display with FWVGA (854x480) resolution @ 246ppi
1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 quad-core processor
512Mb RAM
4Gb internal storage, up to 128Gb microSD card slot
5-megapixel camera
3G/HSPA+ (21Mbps) - 900/2100MHz
2G - 850/900/1800/1900MHz
Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Dual SIM
1430mAh battery capacity
Windows Phone 8.1 OS with Lumia Cyan update

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Samsung announces the Galaxy Note Edge

Samsung has just revealed the Galaxy Note Edge at the IFA 2014 in Berlin. The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge features a curved edge screen that was demoed by the Korean company in the past.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge Features and Specifications
5.6-inch Quad HD (2560x1440) Super AMOLED display
2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor
3GB RAM
32/64GB internal memory
Up to 64GB microSD card slot
16-megapixel main camera with Smart OIS
3.7-megapixel front-facing camera with f1.9 aperture
4G LTE Category 6 connectivity (300/50Mbps)
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
USB 2.0
3000mAh battery with Quick Charge 2.0
Android 4.4.4 KitKat

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Samsung’s first metal smartphone is arriving in the Philippines

The first Samsung smartphone to pack a metal body is soon arriving in the Philippines. We recently spotted the Samsung Galaxy Alpha with model number SM-G850F over SamMobile’s firmware listing website.

According to the initial firmware available, it is possible that the Galaxy Alpha will only be available unlocked at retail stores.

The Samsung Galaxy Alpha was announced in August, and is the first Galaxy smartphone to sport a metal body. It features a 4.7-inch HD Super AMOLED display, a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16 or 32GB of internal storage, and a 1860mAh battery. There is no microSD card slot available, unfortunately. It runs the latest Android 4.4.4 KitKat OS.

The Galaxy Alpha supports Category 6 LTE connections, which has a spec of up to 300Mbps. That makes it one of the first LTE-Advanced smartphones to be launched in the Philippines when it hits the shelves.

Source: SamMobile

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Digital technologies for education highlight DigiTech Manila confab

The first ever DigiTech Manila Conference and Expo, slated on Sept. 19 and 20, at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City, will feature the various facets in digital technology for children, schools, libraries, and for the ICT industry. Digital learning enthusiasts are invited to take advantage and update themselves on gadgets, high-tech services, and new developments that will give new perspectives on how people generally learn, teach, and live in this modern day.

DigiTech is highlighted by two conferences: the National Conference on Technology in Education, and PEPCon: The 1^st Philippine Educational Publisher’s Congress.  Both events will gather digital technology leaders, experts and practitioners in education, as well as provide a venue for school administrators, educators, teachers, students, librarians, publishers, researchers, content providers, software and hardware suppliers, app and web developers to interact, discuss and work together to promote current informative, innovative and creative teaching and learning technologies.

Speakers at the two conferences include former Education Undersecretary Dr. Isagani Cruz; professor, columnist, and author Dr. Queena Lee-Chua; Supreme Court library director Milagros Santos-Ong; associate professor and principal of the University of the Philippines Cebu High School, Dr. Aurelio Vilbar; Brian Aljer Coballes of the Ateneo de Manila High School-Educational Media Center, Victoria Tinio of Fit-Ed, Mylene Abiva of Felta Multi-Media, Inc., Dexter Andrada, chief technopreneur of Mite Asia, Apple Distinguished educator Galvin Ngo; Jansen Mayor of Millenium Challenge Account-Philippines, Jose Ma. Policarpio of Digilearn Multimedia, UP professor Dr. Milagros Laurel, Ireneo Demecias Jr of Ayala Foundation’s Text to Teach, DIgi Ann C. Castillo of World Vision; and Tan Lee Hong of Cengage Learning Asia Pte. Ltd.

DigiTech Manila Conference and Expo is part of the biggest and longest running book fair in the country, the Manila International Book Fair, set on Sept. 17 to 21. Another event taking place is the Best of Anime where otakus, Japanophiles, and cosplayers gather for two days to experience otaku culture.  For details, call 896-0661 or 896-0682, or e-mail info@primetradeasia.com.

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Xiaomi to sell Mi 5200mAh and 10400mAh power banks on August 29

Xiaomi, the Chinese tech company that makes and sells affordable smartphones and other devices at affordable prices, will soon make their popular Mi power banks available in the Philippines.

The Mi power banks, which comes in 5200mAh and 10400mAh variants, comes with high-quality battery cells either from LG or Samsung. The sleek power banks sports an aluminum casing making them look sleek and minimalistic.

The company promises 2.5x full charges for the Mi 3, 4.5x on the iPhone 5s, and 1.5x on the iPad mini. On the other hand, the 5200mAh variant can full charge a Mi 3 a single time, or charge an iPhone 5s up to two times. The Mi batteries is equipped with Texas Instruments chips which protects it from overcharging, short-circuits, overvoltages, and overcurrents.

The kicker here is that the 10400mAh and 5200mAh Mi power banks will only set you back P645 and P445 respectively. You can purchase your own Mi power bank from Lazada. Click here to buy the 10400mAh variant or here for the 5200mAh variant. These will go on sale at exactly 12 noon on August 29.

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Google Play carrier billing comes to Globe

At the first day of Globe Telecom’s Digital Lifestyle Expo at the SM Megamall, the company announced that carrier billing for the Google Play Store is finally coming. With carrier billing, anyone using an Android smartphone on Globe will now be able to buy apps, games, and even rent or purchase movies and have it paid thru their plan or deducted from their prepaid credits – no more credit, debit, or prepaid cards needed. Getting more in-game coins on various titles is now also possible.

Globe’s Peter Bithos says this feature has been in the works for quite some time now. A hint of what’s coming appeared early last year on the Play Store, only to leave users waiting.

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Of restrictions and competition

Ever wonder why telecom services in the Philippines are shitty? Look no further. Here's the only answer, straight from the horse's mouth.

The 2015 AEC does not pose a threat to the Philippine telco industry.

"The effect on telco is minimal because it is regulated. It would require licenses, and entry to this market will require partnerships," Cu said. "So we expect very little, immediate impact on us," he added.

What Mr. Ernest Cu is trying to say is that the odds of us having a new telecom company in the country is low. Because first, our economy is restricted – you can thank the 60-40 rule in our Constitution for this. If and when a foreign telecom company decides to enter the Philippines, it will have to look for a local company to partner with. And what, whom with? PLDT? Globe? Then there's our bureaucratic, red-tape-ridden government.

In other words, the lesser the competition in an industry, the lesser the chance the companies will improve because they have no 'incentives' to do so. Oh, and the telecom industry won't have much competition unless the administration amends the economic provisions in the Constitution.

So, there.

Reference: GMA News Online

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Beyond the Box slashes P4,000 off the Retina iPad mini price

Apple fans, look right here. If you’re in the market for a brand new iPad mini with Retina display, you better get one from Beyond the Box. Right now, until September 15, you can get as much as P4,000 off the price on the WiFi plus Cellular model. If the price off isn’t enough, they’re throwing in a free accessory as well for every purchase.

Urbanears Plattan (valued at P2,950)
Urbanears Medis (valued at P2,450)
Aiaiai Tracks (valued at P2,450)
Native Union Monocle (valued at P1,750)
SwitchEasy Cover Buddy for iPad mini (valued at P795)
Tech21 Impact Shield for iPad mini (valued at P1.400)

iPad mini with Retina display (16GB) – P23,990
iPad mini with Retina display (32GB) – P28,990
iPad mini with Retina display (64GB) – P32,990
iPad mini with Retina display (128GB) – P37,990

If you want to know more about this promo, visit Beyond the Box.

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iPhone 6 cases are already available in the Philippines

Just one of the many signs that Apple’s next smartphone, the iPhone 6, is already around the corner is this case that’s already available in Manila. The case seems to be for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 model as it’s only a tad bigger than the iPhone 5s.

The case is remarkable slimmer, and bears the same rounded edges found on the iPod touch and iPad. The lock button has been moved to the right side so as to not make it hard for users to reach the button when locking and unlocking the phone. The bottom has lost the symmetrical pair of speaker grilles.

If all of the leaks turn out to be true, then we might see a very slim, and bigger iPhone this September 9.

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Globe is now unlocking out-of-contract iPhones

Good news to owners of Globe-issued iPhones. Globe is now offering official iPhone unlocks for eligible customers. Unlocking an iPhone allows the user to use a SIM card from another network and could be particularly useful if travelling abroad, or if the user decides to give or sell the device.

To be eligible, the device must be out of contract and that you still have an active account with Globe. The account owner where the device was originally tagged must be the one who initiate an unlock request.

Customers who need to unlock their iPhone should get in touch with Globe thru their hotline (730-1000 or 211) or live chat representatives. If eligible, a customer will be given a reference number for the unlock request and will have to wait for 5 days. Samsung devices are also supported.

We were not immediately able to verify if prepaid iPhone and Samsung devices purchased from Globe can be unlocked as well. We’ll post an update if we get more info.

Source: Globe Community Forums

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Samsung Galaxy K Zoom lands for P24,990

It’s not the Galaxy S5 Zoom. It seems as if Samsung doesn’t want to pollute the name of their flagship smartphone. And so they called the successor to the Galaxy S4 Zoom the Galaxy K Zoom.

The Samsung Galaxy K Zoom follows the same principle as its predecessor. It’s a smartphone with a bulging camera sensor at the back, which makes it a viable replacement for point-and-shoots. It sports a 20.7MP BSI CMOS sensor with Xenon flash, optical image stabilization (OIS) and, as you would expect, a 10X optical zoom. The Korean manufacturer has managed to cram all that in a 16.6mm body.

The K Zoom’s camera can now do focus (AF) and exposure (AE) separation, a feature that allows its user to focus and expose an image on different subjects. There’s also a Pro Suggest mode which offers different live ‘films’ which are quite like photo filters.

Some of the features from the Galaxy S5 also made their way to the K Zoom. Among those is the S Health Lite application for fitness and health tracking and the Ultra Power Saving Mode which lets you get the most out of your remaining battery juice.

The Samsung Galaxy K Zoom with LTE capability is already available in the Philippines for P24,990.

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Initial Impressions: Xiaomi Mi 3

Bang for your Buck is an understatement

Xiaomi has finally reached Philippine shores and it’s leading with its best foot forward – the Mi 3 smartphone. The flagship has been welcomed with much gusto – selling a whopping 3,000 units within just two hours during its debut flash sale at Lazada Philippines last 26 June.

After playing around with it for a few days, I got a first-hand take on why it has been selling like pancakes not just in the Philippines, but also in other Asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia.
I’ll start off by saying how hard it is to believe that Xiaomi has been able to bring the price of the Mi 3 to a jaw-dropping P10,599 considering its impressive spec sheet on par with today’s popular flagships. And if the flash sales are any indication, its rivals should start paying attention.

The Xiaomi Mi 3 greets you with 5-inch full HD 1080p IPS LCD screen with a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch. The color reproduction is fairly neutral but can be tweaked in the settings menu. However, the phone is on the tall side. The Xiaomi logo is embedded behind the screen on the top left corner.

At a mere 8.1mm, the Mi 3 a fairly thin device as thick as a Samsung Galaxy S5 but not as thin the 7.6 mm iPhone 5s. It’s not feather-light, weighing in at 145g, but the added heft gives it a more premium feel.

Also giving it a premium look is its faux aluminum body which bloggers globally have mistaken to be actual metal. The design is reminiscent of the boxy Nokia Lumia series smartphones. It comes in two colors - metallic grey and black - but the former will be the only variant that will be introduced in the Philippines initially.

On top of the Mi 3 is a SIM tray slot that accommodates old-fashioned standard SIM card, since it comes from China where the form factor is still use. The phone does not come with an adapter out of the box so be sure to have one if you're switching from a micro- or nano-SIM.

The only physical buttons on the device are its volume rocker and the power button on the right hand side of the device in that order. The home, back and menu buttons are all capacitive.

At the bottom is a standard micro-USB port and speaker grills that seem to have been meticulously drilled. The Mi 3 has a matte finish all throughout, making it especially friendly to users with greasy hands.

The back of the phone is fairly plain where you’ll find an f2.2 13-megapixel rear camera with dual-LED flash. The back cover can’t be removed, making its 3050mAh battery non-user replaceable.  Also absent is a memory slot, leaving user stuck with 16 gigabytes worth of onboard memory. A 64 gig model does exist but has yet to be offered in the country.

Xiaomi Mi 3 Specifications and Features
5-inch full HD 1080p IPS LCD display
2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
Adreno 330 GPU
2GB DDR3 RAM
16GB internal storage
13MP f/2.2 main camera; 2MP front facing camera
3050mAh battery
WiFi
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC
DC-HSPA+ up to 42Mbps

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Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM goes on sale

Android-powered Nokia XL now also available at retail stores.

Microsoft Mobile’s (formerly Nokia) first Windows Phone 8.1-powered smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM, is now finally on sale in the Philippines. It was officially launched in the country a couple weeks ago. Featuring a dual SIM capability, a first in a Windows Phone handset, the Lumia 630 caters to people who need to maintain to phone lines for different reasons. Such feature was only found in Nokia’s feature phones before, and it’s good to at last see it on Microsoft’s platform.

Aside from being dual SIM-friendly, the Lumia 630 also sports a 4.5-inch FWVGA (854x480) display with on-screen navigation keys, another first for both the platform and phone maker. Under the hood, there’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core CPU, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of storage which you can expand by another 128GB with a microSD, a 1800mAh battery, and 3G support for both SIM cards. There’s a 5-megapixel shooter at the back, while there’s nothing at the front.

The Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM will come in green, orange, yellow, white, or black and will retail for P7,990.

The Android-running Nokia XL has just been also made available today. It features a large 5-inch display albeit with a low WVGA (800x480) resolution, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core CPU, 768MB of RAM, 4GB of storage which is expandable with another 32GB thru microSD, a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, and 2000mAh battery. It retails for P8,990.

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Samsung’s curved ultra high-definition (UHD) TV arrives in the Philippines

“This year will be a big year for entertainment”, says Chung Lyong Lee, Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation (SEPCO) President and Managing Director. The leader in innovation and design once again outdoes itself in its latest TV model release: World’s First Curved Ultra High-Definition (UHD) TV.  This newest lineup from Samsung is geared towards fulfilling the needs and desires of Filipino viewers.

The Samsung Curved UHD TV boasts of crisp picture quality, 4x more powerful that of a FHD screen, and a change in perspective that makes images appear larger and true-to-life. As compared to flat screen TVs, this special screen allows for a more realistic viewing experience even from different angles—ensuring that everyone gets the best seat in the house. The combination of the curved screen and Samsung Proprietary Auto Depth Enhancer UHD technology automatically adjusts contrast for a greater sense of depth and gives a 3D-like effect without requiring glasses. Imagine seeing images coming to life right in front of you in spectacular color, clarity and detail that only Samsung can give. Amazing, isn’t it? Even the color is further enhanced using the PurColor technology that reproduces color for even more detailed expression.

In addition to this, Samsung makes sure that the usage is a breeze with its user-friendly operating system! This Curved UHD TV is easy, fast, and fun to use with its multi-link screen feature that allows dual screens to process separate tasks that operate alongside each other. Side-by-side enjoyment of multiple entertainment portals (think comparing the trailer on YouTube.com vis-à-vis its original cut on Bluray) is now made possible by Samsung’s innovative TV line. Users need not to worry about cutting down on speed performance thanks to the upgraded Quad Core processor, the Quad Core Plus, which delivers quicker loading and navigation through tasks and commands. Browse through the panels for apps, multimedia content, NewsOn features and more with the swift speed of the Samsung SMART TV. The Curved UHD SMART TV is available in 78-inches, 65-inches, and 55-inches in all Samsung outlets nationwide.

2014 Product Lineup: Built for the Philippine Market
Aside from the curved UHD TV, Samsung has tailored this year’s product lineup with the Philippine market in mind. Some of the features worth highlighting on are the internet capability of the TVs, perfect for our social media and internet-savvy Filipino users, and the Family TV feature, that lets family members maximize the Samsung experience with Screen Capture and Sound capture to instantly catalogue their favorite moments on screen for personal viewing in the future. Plus, all these saved images and information are automatically saved in your USB for easy storage and access. What a great convenience! There’s also, Soccer Mode, designed specifically for a more enjoyable sports-watching experience with optimized picture and sound quality. Soccer fans can now zoom in, auto and manual highlight, and record moments throughout the game for a more interactive and closer look at their favorite sport. And for those hungry for local content, there is Clickplay, (the only Philippine Video-On-Demand App with Hollywood content,) and NewsOn page powered by Yahoo PH.

Samsung’s new audio products keep Life and Design in tune
Completing this immersive experience is the ultra-slim HW-H600 SoundStand, which is a complete audio system that can be wirelessly connected to your SMART TV for the full effects of surround sound television enjoyment. It’s sleek, low-profile design is fit for small spaces around your home, such as the bedroom, and is powered by Multi-Direction technology that creates richer sound and high quality acoustics. The HW-H600 can easily be paired with 32” up to 55” Samsung SMART TVs.

Samsung continues to set the bar in innovation worldwide, combining ground-breaking features with unmatched performance and design to create products that match and anticipate consumers’ needs and desires.  Come and see Samsung’s newest lineup of products at your nearest appliance store.

Samsung’s curved UHD TVs bears a price tag of P300,000 to P500,000 while the flat UHD variants range from P150,000 to P400,000.

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Globe to offer 15GB of data for P2,499 on new GoSurf plans; P2 per MB overage

Starting next week, Globe will replace its PowerSurf postpaid and prepaid data plans with the new GoSurf data plans. This comes after their fair usage policy generated negative reactions from their subscribers, mostly from those who are on contracts.

The previously-unlimited P999 monthly plan will now only give you 5GB of data, with a P2 per-MB overage charge when you exceed of allocation. Those wanting to get more amount of data may get the pricier 10GB plan at P1,799, or the 15GB plan at P2,499. Below is the table for the complete matrix of the new GoSurf plans.

Price	Data Allowance	Anti-Bill Shock Cap
P99	100MB	P1,500
P299	700MB	P1,500
P499	1.5GB	P1,500
P799	3GB	P1,500
P999	5GB	P1,500
P1,799	10GB	P3,000
P2,499	15GB	P3,000

As you may have expected, when it comes to this type of data plan with a per-MB overage charge, Globe will implement anti-bill shock measures as well. Plans P999 and below will have an amount cap of P1,500 while Plans P1,799 and P2,499 have an amount cap of P3,000. These measures are there to prevent subscribers from racking up huge amount of bills from excessive data usage. Lastly, GoSurf plans, being a volume-based plan, are exempt from the fair usage policy also known as FUP.

The GoSurf data plans will be available for prepaid and postpaid starting April 13. Registration is done by texting GOSURFxxx (e.g. GOSURF999) to 8888.

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Samsung Galaxy S5 arriving on April 11 for P34,990; also coming to Smart and Globe

If there’s one smartphone manufacturer who’s a master in releasing flagship devices globally in one fell swoop, it would be Samsung. Almost every year since the Galaxy S3, the Korean company has been announcing and shipping their flagship smartphone in span of weeks across many countries all at the same time. The Galaxy S5 is no exception.

Come April 11, the Samsung Galaxy S5 will be released and made available at retail stores in the Philippines for P34,990. In addition to being available unlocked, the Galaxy S5 will be offered by carriers Smart and Globe on their postpaid plans.

Smart is offering the Galaxy S5 at Plan 999 with P800 monthly payment for a total of P1,799 a month for 24 months. That comes with unlimited LTE data, 9 minutes, and 99 texts to all networks. You can also get it at Unlimited Data Plan 2000 for free on a 30-month contract, which includes 150 minutes and 200 texts to all networks.

The Galaxy S5 is also available on Globe for P1,699 a month at Plan 999 with P600 monthly payment and comes with 5GB of LTE data, 5 minutes, and 100 texts to all networks. It’s also offered for P1,799 a month at Plan 1299 with P500 month payment which comes with 25 minutes, 500 texts to all networks, and the same amount of LTE data.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 sports a couple of new features that you may like. Among those is the upgraded 16-megapixel camera which can now focus at a subject in just 0.3 seconds. It now also has an advanced HDR that makes photos under conditions with intense lighting more natural, such as when you’re taking a photo of the horizon with the sky. It now also does ‘bokeh’ shots with the Selective Focus feature.

Another interesting and useful (hopefully) thing on the Galaxy S5 is the Download Booster. What it does is it combines your Wi-Fi and LTE connection, if present, so you can get faster download speeds on your phone. Of course, this would depend on how fast your carrier’s LTE network and the active Wi-Fi network is.

The Galaxy S5 comes with a built-in heart rate sensor, located below the main camera. This would be helpful if you want to quickly check your heart rate (in bpm) say after a quick run. You can access it within the improved S Health application, which can now track your steps taken with a pedometer.

Samsung also made the Galaxy S5 more life-proof. It now carries an IP67-certification, which means it can resist water and dust under certain conditions. Yes, it also means the microUSB port is covered. And perhaps the most interesting feature of the Galaxy S5 is the Ultra Power Saving Mode. With that turned on, the phone can last up to 12.5 days. That’s quite a feat considering we’re talking about a smartphone. How can they do that? It turns off most of the unnecessary features and makes the display black-and-white only to conserve power. Also, as long as the Ultra Power Save Mode is active, you will be limited to some stock apps only such as phone, messaging, browser, calculator, etc.

 

Samsung Galaxy S5 Specifications and Features
5.1-inch full HD (1920x1080) Super AMOLED display @ 432ppi
2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor
2GB RAM
16/32GB internal storage with microSD card slot up to 128GB
16-megapixel main camera, 2-megapixel front camera
IP67 water and dust resistant
LTE Category 4
Bluetooth 4 LE
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO
USB 3
NFC
Infrared remote
Fingerprint Sensor
Heart rate sensor
2800mAh battery
Android 4.4.2 KitKat OS

So, that’s the Samsung Galaxy S5 ladies and gents. Again, it will be released in the Philippines on April 11 for P34,990. As of now, only the black and white colors will be available at launch.

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Nokia X meets Pinoys at X Races

Thousands of excited Nokia fans together with intrigued mobile phone users took the fastlane to Android apps as they joined “Nokia X Races”, the public launch of the new Nokia X, last March 29 at the SM By the Bay. Attendees both young and old experienced the power of Nokia X, and saw how the best of Nokia, Microsoft, and Android came together in the awesome device. They also got their hearts racing with eXhilaratingly fun activities, special offers and freebies, and a show hosted by Nikki Gil and John Prats that included rocking performances by guest performers including Rocksteddy.
 
“Nokia X Races” was a festival of eXceptional and eXciting activities that highlighted the many facets of the new Nokia X. Throughout the day, guests enjoyed the experiential Nokia X demo area; games such as Speed Stack, Giant XOX, and The X Illusion; and food kiosks - all while hanging out with some guest celebrities. To axcelerate their Nokia X adventure, guests also participated in activities, such as Rock Wall Climbing, Inflatable Obstacle Course, and the crowd favorite, Kart Racing.
 
Nokia kept their fans’ hearts pumping by holding various contests like the most creative “X-ed” face selfie, offering special deals when you purchase a Nokia X, and giving away eXciting prizes).

Karel Holub, general manager of Nokia Philippines says, “We are very happy with the turnout of the people here at “Nokia X Races” as we launch to the general public our affordable smartphone that provides the great Nokia and Microsoft experiences while running your favorite Android apps.” After pieces of news came out about the phone reportedly being sold out in China, Karel adds “we are truly happy about the reception and interest that we are getting. Since the Philippines is one of the first countries to launch it, we at Nokia are very eXcited for all the Pinoys who can easily get the Nokia X experience at a very affordable price.”
 
Nokia X is the perfect introduction to the world of Android apps, coupled with signature Nokia experiences, and the most popular Microsoft services. It features Nokia’s renowned quality and design, with a fresh, tile-based user interface inspired by its Lumia family. It comes with Fastlane, a screen that lets people switch between their favorite apps more smoothly. People can access curated, over 200 thousand, quality-tested apps from Nokia Store, more than a dozen third-party app stores and by sideloading.
 
Nokia X is now available in bright green, bright red, black, and white for SRP of Php 5,990.

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Snapdragon 800-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab PRO 8.4 launches for P18,990

Galaxy Note PRO 12.2 for P36,990…

Are 8-inch tablets your thing? If so, check this one out from Samsung. It’s their new Galaxy Tab PRO 8.4 — an 8.4-inch tablet powered by the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor — that was launched yesterday in the Philippines.

The Galaxy Tab PRO 8.4 sports a 2560x1600 (WQXGA) high-resolution display that is just so crystal-clear. In fact, it is one of the tablets that sport a pixel density of 359ppi. Underneath, the Tab PRO 8.4 packs a 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage along with a microSD card slot that can hold another 64GB, WiFi 802.11ac, an 8-megapixel autofocus main camera, a 2-megapixel front shooter, and a 4800mAh battery. It runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat.

Samsung Galaxy Tab PRO 8.4 Specifications and Features
8.4-inch 2560x1600 (WQXGA) Super Clear LCD display
2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
8-megapixel autofocus camera
2-megapixel front-facing camera
1080p full HD recording @ 60fps
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.0
USB 2
GPS
GLONASS
4800mAh battery
Android 4.4.2 KitKat OS

In addition to the Tab PRO 8.4, the bigger Galaxy Note PRO 12.2 tablet had also made its way to the Philippines. It is the first (as far as I know) 12-inch tablet by the Korean manufacturer, almost on the laptop/ultra-portables territory. It boasts of a 12.2-inch Super Clear LCD display of the same resolution, hence at a lower density of 247ppi, 3GB of RAM, dual-band WiFi ac, microUSB 3, and a huge 9500mAh battery.

Just like the Tab PRO 8.4, it runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat, has the same set of 8-megapixel main and  2-megapixel front-facing cameras, and 16GB of storage with microSD slot. It does, however, run on a different chipset, the Exynos 5420 with an octa-core processor.

Samsung Galaxy Note PRO 12.2 Specifications and Features
12.2-inch 2560x1600 (WQXGA) Super Clear LCD display
1.9GHz Quad + 1.3GHz Quad Exynos 5420 processor
3GB RAM
16GB internal storage
8-megapixel autofocus camera
2-megapixel front-facing camera
1080p full HD recording @ 60fps
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.0
USB 3
GPS
GLONASS
9500mAh battery
Android 4.4.2 KitKat OS

Samsung:

The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO (12.2) come equipped with a variety of productivity tools to help users to manage both their personal and professional lives.

Multi Window enables users to split the screen up into four different windows and an innovative, Virtual Keyboard provides them with enough space to type comfortably, leveraging haptic feedback to produce a more realistic typing experience.

The Samsung S Pen included with the Galaxy NotePRO delivers a more responsive, productive and overall efficient tablet experience with access to features such as Action Memo, Scrapbook, Screen Write and S Finder. In addition, Pen Window enables users to simply draw a window of any size on the screen, and instantly access unique in-application features such as YouTube or a calculator.

Users can easily access and control their home or office PC directly through their Galaxy NotePRO or TabPRO with Remote PC in order to seamlessly edit and save files remotely.

The Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO also come pre-loaded with Cisco WebEx Meetings platform, the industry’s leading web conferencing solution that provides users with an easy way to meet with anyone, anywhere. And now for the first time on Android tablets, users can share anything on their screen as well as starting a WebEx meeting from contact list.Samsung e-Meeting provides collaboration capabilities by giving users the ability to share content during a meeting without having to access a central server or network.

The Samsung Galaxy Note PRO 12.2 is now available at retail stores for P36,990 while the Galaxy Tab PRO 8.4 will be available in the coming weeks at the price of P18,990.

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Coca-Cola brings Spotify to the Philippines (updated)

UPDATE: An earlier version of this article stated that Spotify Premium costs P129 a month. We got that information from Spotify’s website, but we were told that it is apparently just a placeholder. The pricing for Spotify Premium hasn’t been announced as of yet. We regret the error.

After years of waiting, Spotify is finally expanding into the Philippines today by letting people preview the service thru a partnership with Coca-Cola. That brings the Sweden-based company’s music streaming service to a total of 56 countries globally.

In the country, Spotify will have two plans for its users: a free plan that lets you stream an unlimited amount of music with audio ads inserted every few songs or so, and a premium account that gets rid of the ads in addition to allowing you to download and store music offline.

Spotify’s first foray in Asia began with their launch in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. The company has around 24 million monthly active users, 6 million of those are paying users. They currently have more than 20 million songs in their catalogue and that number are continuing to grow by 20,000 every day. They have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and more.

To get a Spotify invite, click here.

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The first Android phone by Nokia, the Nokia X, goes on sale in the Philippines

Fifteen days. That’s the number of days Nokia took to bring their first ever Android smartphone in the Philippines from the global announcement. You read that right, the Nokia X is now available in the country!

You may be wondering, what’s Nokia X? It is technically the first smartphone by the Finnish company to run on Android — Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean to be exact. It has a heavily customized skin which is a mix of the tiles from their Lumia line of Windows Phone handsets as well as the fast lane taken from their Asha devices. On some places it even looks like the N9.

The Nokia X comes with their suite of HERE mapping applications such as HERE Drive which offers turn-by-turn navigations with voice guidance in English and Tagalog (among others), some Microsoft services like Outlook, OneDrive (previously SkyDrive), and Skype.

As you may have already guessed, the Nokia X doesn’t come with any Google services or applications. So you wouldn’t be able to download apps from the Play Store out-of-the-box. I say out-of-the-box because you can put Google apps on the Nokia X if you want to (may void warranty, do at your own risk).

Specs? It has a 4-inch WVGA (800x480) LCD screen, a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage which you can expand by using a microSD card up to 32GB, a 3-megapixel camera, a 1500mAh battery, and your usual connectivity options such as 3G and Wi-Fi. The Nokia X is a dual-SIM phone, so you can use your Globe and Smart SIM cards at the same time.

The Nokia X is already available for a couple of days already and it retails for P5,990. The price is not that bad considering you know you’d get a smartphone from a brand known for providing excellent build quality and support. It is available in green, red, black, and white.

I’ll be coming up with a review of the Nokia X next week.

Disclosure: Nokia gave us a unit of Nokia X.

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Price of fast home internet in the Philippines is going down

The beginning of 2014 has been through a rocky start — at least on the side of the networks. Globe started to strictly enforce its fair-use policy for mobile data connections which garnered a lot of mixed, mostly negative reactions from their subscribers. They should work that out.

Anyway, the main reason I wrote this post is to share an interesting development on home broadband. A couple of years ago, PLDT and Globe introduced fiber connections to the market. Fiber used to cost a lot of money back then. A 100-megabit connection came at P20,000 a month — PLDT still charges the same today. Fast forward to present day and it’s already down to P11,999 on Globe. I know, still a bit expensive. But that’s a huge difference!

Hopefully Globe will expand its fiber coverage so they can get this kind of fast home internet to everyone and PLDT will follow their new pricing.

See it for yourself. Head over here to check Globe’s Tattoo Platinum Plans and here for PLDT’s Fibr Plans.

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Here’s how you clear App Store update history on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

If for some reason you want to get rid of the App Store update history on your iOS device, read on. Apple didn’t include a way to easily clear that list out by default, and I’ve never seen anyone share a way how to do that either, even thru a workaround.

So let me share you a one-step procedure on how to do just that. Simply go to Settings, then General, and then Date & Time on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and set the date 10 days forward. If today is January 12, set it to January 22. Open App Store and head to the Updates sectioin. Voila, the history are gone! Don’t forget to revert the date back.

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