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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