What makes a SMART TV
smart? the
Megan & Lauren Young: sweet siblings
Do-It-Yourself Home studio
Young issue
COLLEGE TECH Survival Kit
K-Pop sensation Jay Park
Reviewed: HTC One X • Nokia Lumia 710 • LG Optimus L3 E400 • Divoom iFit-2 • Neo Basic B5126N • Asus N56 • LG 55LM9600 Samsung 55-inch ES8000 • Sony 55HX855 • MiLi Power iBox • Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX100
editor’snote INTEGRATION. CONVERGENCE. INTERACTIVE. CONNECTED. These are some of the buzz words that describe the way technology is reinventing virtually everything in our world. In this issue, we are showcasing the way the TV has evolved from what was disparagingly called the “boob tube” or “chewing gum for the mind” into a smart, multi-featured info-tainment center. We believe the introduction of Smart TVs is just the start of a new trend in smarter, more functional home appliances. More and more, the lines between tech and lifestyle are blurring: now, tech is actually lifestyle.
Maribelle M. Alba
PUBLISHER/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The quintessential gadgets girl who loves all things Mac, red and blingy.
PRESIDENT & CEO CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Maribelle Alba Mika Fernandez-David Amy Christine Giray
SALES MANAGER Marisa Consuelo ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE Carol Agabin PR & EVENTS STAFF Jeffrey Suazo
Mika fernandez-david
ASST. PUBLISHER Loves family, food, photography, travel, gadgets, office equipment, notebooks & pens, the beach, cooking, foreign supermarkets, coffee, crazy friends and food trips in the guise of photoshoots. Not necessarily in that order.
ACCOUNTING MANAGER Tess Pascua ACCOUNTING STAFF Lorie Bernardo ADMINISTRATION STAFF Ramil Almojano Salvador Da, Jr.
LEGAL COUNSEL
Alba Law Office
GADGETS Magazine is published monthly by Great Minds Media Incorporated. Address all correspondence to 9-B Evening News Street, West Triangle, Quezon City. Our telephone numbers are 332-4004, 376-7356 and 514-8321. Our website is: www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph Our email addresses are: editors@gadgetsmagazine.com.ph; gadgetsmagazine@gmail.com
So with this issue, we are tweaking some of our sections to reflect emerging tech trends as well as evolving reader interests. First, we have merged the separate Tech and Lifestyle Parades into just one Parade section, where we give you a quick look at all the eye candy that’s sure to appeal to both the techie and the fashionista alike.
Presy Alba
We have retained and added more pages for Gadgetslab, where we share our in-depth hands-on review of laptops, phones, cameras, music players, headphones, TVs, etc.
John nieves
KC Calpo
Jon Uriarte
Michelle Callanta-Toledo
Benjamin Arnold
Roni Callanta
Patrick Jude Ilagan
MR Gavin
DESINIRA TEH
Christopher Kho
Because even cars are becoming smarter, we’ve also expanded our Mobility section with a focus on the new technologies that are making our vehicles safer, more fuel efficient, and more fun to drive. And since all Filipinos are musicians at heart, we have added a little Music Corner section, which taps into the passion of our resident hip hop artist/producer. Starting with this issue, garage band rockers and aspiring indie artists will be treated to useful information about musical/ audio equipment and how to use these to create their own unique sound. As always, we love what we do, and we love sharing our passion with you. And, keeping in step with the fast pace of technological development, GADGETS will continue to evolve and reinvent itself. So we can help you, our readers, stay connected.
Maribelle M. Alba PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
EDITOR-AT-LARGE Websites, anything and everything Apple, Power Tools and unusual gadgets excite her. She also loves to travel, go on food trips, and try out all the new things.
DIGITAL EDITOR All-around geek and gamer. Loves guns, plays airsoft every weekend and games with Battlefield 3 religiously. Has been called a noob approximately 1 million times.
STAFF WRITER Writer and beat-smith with a geek-like passion for music gear, hip hop culture, and lyricism. If he’s not on stage, he wouldn’t mind being locked in a studio for days on end.
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Besides being the Senior Art Director and a regular staff writer of Gadgets Magazine, he has also been dubbed the resident Sexy Chef of the company—in the sense that he cooks healthy food and not because he is sexy.
ART DIRECTOR He is a shutterbug living in the vast jungles of Manila. When not working he is busy reading books, solving the mysteries of life and fighting zombies.
WE ARE ALSO ON
www.facebook.com/GadgetsMagazine www.twitter.com/GadgetsMagazine www.youtube.com/GadgetsMagazineTV
2
JUNE 2012
GRAPHIC ARTIST Likes art, music, sports, adventure, animals, books, God , food basically almost anything except for cruel people killing the earth and then some. She would love to see an aurora borealis someday.
All unsolicited manuscripts, illustrations and photos submitted must be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope if they are to be returned. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Every care is taken to ensure that the content of Gadgets is fully accurate; however, the publisher and printer assume no responsibility for the effects arising therefrom. Gadgets Magazine is a registered trademark of Great Minds Media Incorporated.
CONTRIBUTOR KC is a freelance writer/editor born, raised and based in Manila. Her tech survival kit article will also come in handy for her; she plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Creative Writing or Journalism when time and finances finally permit.
CONTRIBUTOR Resident MILF and monthly Beautylab guinea pig. Not to be influenced by pop culture, she remains true to her Multiply account and her Nokia N82, much to the chagrin of her colleagues.
CONTRIBUTOR Other than fashion, music, literary writing and pulling out 250k worth of Hermes and Gucci merchandise for work, she is obsessed with pop culture, glamour, 6-inch heels, smoky eyes and false lashes.
STYLIST/CONTRIBUTOR Sports and fashion may be a little impossible to mix, but our resident celeb stylist and sports savvy writer balances both perfectly. She’s the little girl in 5-inch heels on court.
CONTRIBUTOR He eats, sleeps and drinks racing, and will drive the tires off of just about anything with four wheels and a motor.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
contents
Volume 12 Number 10 | june 2012
ON THE COVER: Photograph by Raphael Yu Make-up by Razel “Pong” Niu of MAC Cosmetics Hair by Aries Manal Art Direction by Benjamin Arnold & Michelle Callanta-Toledo Styling by MR Gavin Lauren’s Clothes by Jellybean Megan’s Clothes by Forever21 Shoes by DAS Accessories by Xtremefinds Co.
59
The College Student’s Tech Survival Kit
We give you 6 gadgets that will surely make your life easier on and off the campus.
COVER STORY
62
64 4
JUNE 2012
Goodbye Boob Tube – Hello Smart TV
We enlighten you on the recent incarnation of smart TVs and what exactly makes them so smart.
photo feature
The Sweet Life
The lovable sisters Megan and Lauren Young grace our pages this month as we showcase the latest gadget must-haves. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
contents Volume 12 Number 10 | June 2012
technology Parade
10
New finds
Find out about the latest tech and lifestyle products out in the market today, some of which you might have never heard of.
GadgetsLab
32
Tried & tested, just for you
We go in-depth and unbiased as we give you our expert reviews on the gadgets we’ve tested ourselves.
Mobility
52 54 55
GAMING
48
Street Fight x Tekken
Characters from two of the most iconic fighting games ever made finally clash.
56
Snapshots
49 75
The Photographer’s Equation
London-based photographer David Sheldrick shares with us his wisdom on photography and how to successfully do it for a living.
Everything Apple
Keynote + Remote
Make better presentations with Keynote and use your iPhone or iPad to control it.
Music CORNER
78 82 6
Setting Up A Home Recording Studio
A semi-comprehensive primer on setting up your own recording studio at home.
Featured Artist
Jay Park
We get up close with the Korean musician during his return to Manila. Read about his latest album New Breed.
JUNE 2012
57
The 4th-Generation Honda CR-V
The latest Smart Urban Vehicle from Honda.
The sixth generation of the quintessential BMW has arrived.
The Latest Toyota Camry
A new version of the best selling mid-sized executive vehicle in the Philippines.
All-new Mazdas
Test Drive: Jack of All Trades, the all-new Chevrolet Orlando Introducing the Suzuki Kizashi
Kris Aquino talks about why she fancies the Nokia Lumia.
71 72
Eastwood Richmonde Hotel
Check in and experience luxury at Eastwood City’s gem.
Home
Refrigerator Musthaves How do you choose the right refrigerator?
73 74
Condura Negosyo Refs
We feature some of the latest Philippine-made refrigerators from Condura.
Haier Inspires Filipino Homes
Haier acquires Sanyo’s white goods business and aims to serve the needs of Filipinos.
Suzuki’s new flagship vehicle for the executive car market.
Events
90
Nokia Lumia Smartphones
Mazda introduces the new Mazda3 and the Mazda CX-5.
Bits & Bytes
84
70
LifeStyle Feature
BMW 3-Series
We give you the scoop on the Chevrolet Orlando.
58
Lifestyle
Samsung unpacks the much awaited Galaxy S III smartphone in London; HP launches 80 products from its newly formed Printing and Personal Systems Group in China; Sony launches a fresh line of Bravia TVs.
NewsBits & Bytes
UPDATES ON TECH NEWS
Check out what’s hot off the tech presses.
Wellness
76 77
An Overlooked Health Aspect— Posture
We remind you of the health risks of improper posture and give you something that might help.
yinyang
it’s all about directions
Acheive harmony and balance with these Feng Shui tips.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
parade
the freshest PRODUCTS to hit the market
Asus CG8250 Gaming Desktop
Want an awesome desktop gaming rig but don’t have the tech-confidence to build one? Well, Asus has the answer in their CG8250 gaming desktop. This tower is pre-built by Asus to deliver exceptional performance and can handle all the latest games that come your way. At the heart of the tower is an Intel Core i7-2600 processor (3.4GHz, 8MB L3 cache), 8GB DDR3 memory, 1TB of storage and an NVIDIA GT545 GPU. The CG8250 comes with a 23-inch LED monitor, plus keyboard and mouse, so all you need to do is to provide the games that are going in it.
Php 62,995
Genius ECO-u600 Portable Power Pack Portable Power Charger
It can be a real hassle when you’re on the move and your smartphone or tablet runs out of battery when you need it most. The Genius ECO-u600 Universal Power Pack is a portable power charger that can charge your smartphone or tablet in these situations. It has a 6800mA capacity to ensure that you get a lot of charge while still being small enough to carry around in your pocket. It has an LED indicator to inform you of battery capacity and its two USB 2.0 ports can charge two different gadgets at the same time.
Php 4,490
10
June 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
parade the freshest PRODUCTS to hit the market
Canon Digital IXUS 510 HS Digital Camera
When you absolutely, positively need to share your pictures right away, there’s no better digital camera to pick than Canon’s IXUS 510 HS. This WiFienabled camera allows you to share your photos as soon as you take them with its 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor and 12x optical zoom lens. The IXUS 510 HS is armed with Canon’s powerful Digic 5 image processor that ensures excellent pictures even in low light. The 3.2-inch touchscreen display on the back of the camera helps you navigate through several menus with ease, while the camera’s petite frame (85.8 x 53.5 x 19.8 mm) ensures that it doesn’t take too much space in your bag.
Canon PIXMA MG6270 PRINTER
The Canon PIXMA MG670, like other models in its lineup, offers a solution to people on the go who need to print documents and photos from smartphones and tablets without the hassle of wires. It is equipped with a WiFi feature that allows multiple users to wirelessly print their files. The PIXMA MG6270 is an all-in-one printer combining a color inkjet printer, a copier and a scanner. With its ISO-standard print speed, it can print a 4 x 6 inch borderless photo in 20 seconds. It sports a brilliantly simple Intelligent Touch System operation panel that disappears when not in use. When the power button is touched, the LED-lit buttons appear and only the task-specific buttons needed for the job light up—making operation a breeze.
Canon PowerShot SX260 HS COMPACT CAMERA
The Canon PowerShot SX260 HS might be the ideal travel gadget for both the casual user and some serious photographers. This point-and-shoot camera packs a powerful 20x optical zoom, optical image stabilization, and 25mm wide-angle lens. At its heart is a 12.1 megapixel high-sensitivity CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5 image processor that allows you get that richness in your photos even in low-light conditions. The PowerShot is also capable of recording 1080p full HD videos in stereo. It also has a GPS tracker that records your location at the time a picture is taken. The included artistic effects also definitely add more fun to your vacation.
Canon VIXIA HF M50 FLASH CAMCORDER
The VIXIA HF M50 is an AVCHD flash camcorder with a 32GB built-in memory and SDXC-compatible card slots. It is equipped with an HD CMOS Pro image sensor that, along with built-in iris diaphragm, is capable of creating cinematic scenes and highly expressive videos in 1080p full HD. It also has cinema-looking features included. During shooting, its Intelligent IS makes it easy to capture clear and sharp videos even when on the move. The flash camcorder has built-in WiFi capability, allowing users to send their footage through the internet wherever they can get a connection. You can even upload videos to your iOS device using the free Canon iOS Movie Upload app. That is, if you don’t want to watch your videos on the camcorder’s fold-out 3-inch touch panel LCD. 12
June 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
parade the freshest PRODUCTS to hit the market
BenQ RL2450HT GAMING MONITOR
What’s a better gaming monitor than one that’s been endorsed and partly created by the world’s best gamers? The BenQ RL2450HT gaming monitor has been designed together with a renowned StarCraft II team. Among its features is the all-new Black eQualizer that provides an exceptional level of control and visibility so that dark scenes can be brightened without over-exposing white areas. The monitor allows users to instantly change screen-sizes. It also has an intuitive user-interface with a horizontal slide out menu display for the utmost convenience when changing settings. Its 2ms GTG response time ensures that fast-moving action and dramatic transitions are smoother. These features allow gamers to play their best by providing excellent visibility to react quickly in all situations.
PHP 11,999
BenQ XL2420T & XL2420TX GAMING MONITOR
BenQ’s belief that “gaming is in the details” is manifested in their XL2420T and XL2420TX gaming monitors. Designed by top gamers who know what they want in a gaming monitor, these models feature the all-new Black eQualizer that brightens dark scenes without over-exposing white areas The monitors also come with a specially designed S Switch remote controller with 3 preset buttons that can be customized to quickly change display settings. Players can also instantly switch between screen sizes. The 120Hz refresh rate and 2ms GTG response times ensure that all the in-game details and fast-moving action are rendered smoothly. An exclusive first-personshooter mode further calibrates the monitor for optimal brightness, contrast, color, and sharpness. The XL2420T comes with the NVIDIA 3D LightBoost technology, which claims to brighten the screen up to twice the original for more vivid viewing. The XL2420TX, on the other hand, is embedded with a 3D IR emitter and is equipped with an NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 Glasses Kit to deliver intensive 3D graphics.
XL2420T - PHP 20,999 14
June 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
parade the freshest PRODUCTS to hit the market
HP Envy Spectre XT Ultrabook NOTEBOOK
The HP Envy Spectre XT is a premium ultrabook that definitely mixes performance with stylish portability. It sports an all-metal design but still manages to weigh only 1.39kg. That’s probably because it’s 14.5mm thin. The Envy Spectre XT includes a 13.3-inch HD display with a slim bezel to further add to its elegant design. It’s powered by the latest Intel Core processors to give users the speed that they need. It also has support for an ultrafast mSATA solid state drive and Intel Rapid Start Technology that allows for the quickest possible boot and resume times. In additional to the amazing view of the display, users will also enjoy top quality sound with the included Beats Audio system and its two high-performance speakers.
HP Envy Sleekbook & ULTRABOOK Notebook
There’s notebooks that look nice on the store shelves, and there’s notebooks that you’ll actually buy. The second category is where HP’s recently launched line of notebooks fall under, and possesses a name befitting the moniker. The HP Envy Sleekbook and Ultrabook feature a relatively large 14 and 15.6inch screen and both devices are only 19.8mm thin. Curiously, the 14-inch Envy Sleekbook will either be powered by Intel’s second or third generation of Core i processors and will be branded as an ultrabook, while the bigger, 15.6-inch Envy Sleekbook will carry AMD’s second generation mainstream APU. Both devices will have HDDs rather than SSDs, with the 14-inch version carrying a 500GB HDD and the 15.6-inch version possesing a smaller capacity 320GB HDD. Both devices will be available in 14 and 15.6-inch versions.
HP Elitebook Notebook
There’s a special segment of notebooks aimed at people who absolutely need to have the fastest processors and video cards while still retaining mobility. HP’s Elitebook series of portable workstations are targeted at these individuals. These powerhouses can probably best most typical gaming rigs in raw computing power. The newest entry to that particular product line is HP's 8770w and 8570w. No solid specifications have been announced, teasing us with vague product descriptions like “highest-performing professional graphics and extreme processing power”. Nevertheless, you can expect these monstrous notebooks to sport 17.3- and 15.3-inch displays respectively, as well as carry workstation level graphics and processors, all stuffed in a frame that’s rife with connectors and ports.
16
June 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
parade the freshest PRODUCTS to hit the market
Wi-Tribe Tri-Speed Pure 4G Stick USB Internet Dongle
Fuel that need for speed with Wi-Tribe's Pure 4G prepaid internet stick. Running on Wi-Tribe's pure 4G network, this USB internet dongle promises to deliver a minimum of 56kbps at 99% service reliability within their coverage areas. Billed as a tri-speed device, the Wi-Tribe Pure 4G stick gives users three speed options: (a) 512kbps for light use such as email, online research, social networking and instant messaging; (b) 2mbps for more intensive use including music and short video streaming or file downloading; and (c) 6mbps for extreme use such as music and video streaming, online gaming, fast downloading of large files. The dongle is purely plug and play, and does not require installation or a connection manager. The Wi-Tribe Tri-Speed Pure 4G Stick is your flexible, reliable and fuss-free solution for your mobile surfing needs. Please call 31-tribe or visit wi-tribe.ph for more information.
Php 995 for the stick with 15-day load up to 2mbps
Samsung Galaxy S III Smartphone
Meet the newest star in Samsung’s Galaxy. The latest flagship device in Samsung’s smartphone arsenal, the Galaxy S III is packed with numerous new features and technologies. It is smart enough to know if you’re still reading something on the screen, and won’t dim or turn off the 4.8-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen until you’re done. It’s also able to take verbal instructions and implement them, thus increasing your productivity and making tasks more efficient. The Samsung Galaxy S III is powered by a quad-core Exynos 4212 processor running at 1.4GHz and utilizes Google’s Android 4.0 (ICS) OS. All of this is packed in an elegant and slim 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm body.
18
June 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
parade the freshest PRODUCTS to hit the market
19
June 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
parade the freshest PRODUCTS to hit the market
Sony DSC-WX100 & DSC-W690 DIGITAL CAMERA
Only 17.5mm thick and weighing just 108g, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX100 is the world’s smallest and lightest camera in its class. It packs an 18.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor for highresolution pictures and videos. Its 10x zoom lens is enhanced by Clear Image Zoom for up to 20x zoom without affecting resolution. A 2.7-inch LCD touch-screen as well as some physical controls at the back make for a more efficient photography experience. Casual users will definitely enjoy the included artistic effects such as toy camera, partial color, pop color, HDR painting, miniature, illustration and watercolor. The DSC-W690 is similar in size, being only 17.5mm thick at its slimmest part and weighing 124 g. It sports a 16.1 megapixel Super HAD CCD sensor, a 3-inch LCD touch screen, a 10x optical zoom lens, and is capable of 360 Sweep Panorama. The WX100 is available in black and silver, while the W690 is available in red, black, and silver.
Sony Xperia S Smartphone
The Xperia line is Sony’s first foray into creating its own smartphone brand, after acquiring the shares of longtime partner, Ericsson. The Xperia S is the current flagship device, and features a large 4.3-inch LED display that has a pixel density of 342 ppi—one of the highest in its class. That display is encased in a body that’s both strong and elegant with dimensions of 128 x 64 x 10.6 mm. The Xperia S is powered by Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and has a dualcore, 1.5 GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon processor.
Php 27,990
20
June 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
parade
MiLi Power Matrix PORTABLE CHARGER
the freshest PRODUCTS to hit the market
The MiLi Power Matrix is a dual-purpose portable charger with a 3000mAh battery capable of charging iPhones, iPods, and micro-USB smartphones. It comes with an Apple charging port with a built-in folding stand cover that will serve as a rest for your Apple device while it’s charging. You won’t have to worry about any dangling wires since both its micro USB and standard USB cable are fully integrated—the latter used for charging the Power Matrix. It’s about the size of an iPhone so you can easily keep it in your pocket wherever you go to ensure that your gadgets are alive when you need them the most.
Php 2,650
MiLi Power Prince PORTABLE BATTERY PACK
The MiLi Power Prince universal battery pack is your go-to device for keeping all of your other gadgets alive. It comes with connectors for practically every type of portable device you might have—it has a Nokia tip, a micro USB tip, digital camera tips, a mini USB tip, a Samsung G series tip, a Sony Ericsson tip, and an iPod/ iPhone/iPad tip. It’s about the size of a wallet so you can lug it around and never have to worry about the absence of electrical sockets. Its 5000mAh lithium polymer battery—more stable than its lithium ion relative—is powerful enough to bring several devices back to life.
Php 4,800
MiLi Power Star PORTABLE CHARGER
If you’re looking for a portable charger for your micro USB chargeable devices such as BlackBerrys and smartphones from Samsung and HTC, the MiLi Power Star is perfect for you. It’s incredibly lightweight and portable so that you can easily slip it into your pocket and take it with you wherever you go. Its standard USB connector, which is used for charging the Power Star itself, and its micro USB connector are both integrated into the device and tuck in nicely on the sides so you don’t have to worry about dangling wires. When fully charged, the Power Star offers 2000mAh of power to your smartphones and you’ll know how much juice is left via the LED indicator.
Php 1,795 www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
June 2012
21
parade the freshest PRODUCTS to hit the market
Antec Eleven Hundred GAMING PC ENCLOSURE
The Antec Eleven Hundred gaming series of PC enclosures boasts maximum expandability, cooling, and ease of use. Gamers will love the fact that it supports XL-ATX sized motherboards and four-way GPU configurations—the most expandable of any Antec chassis. It’s got the default 200mm top and 120mm rear fans as well as mounts for up to 7 more fans to keep your components cool while they fire on all cylinders. The enclosure is also easy to use and setup. It has tool-less 5.25” and 3.5” drive bays for hassle-free installation and up to 38mm of cable routing space. The grommet-lined cable routing holes will help you keep things organized while allowing a trouble-free installation of future components. The Eleven Hundred also features removable PSU intake and front air filters for the utmost convenience.
Php 5,750
Acer C120
PORTABLE LED PROJECTOR The Acer C120 ultraportable pico projector fits in the palm of your hand since it measures only 4.72 x 3.23 x 1 inches and weighs a mere 180g. It’s as simple as plug-and-play when used with notebook PCs since no drivers need to be installed and its LED lamp means that it will turn on instantly. It can be powered directly through a laptop’s USB port too, so you don’t need to bring along the AC adapter. You can even plug it via USB 3.0 for a faster display of images at a bright 75 ANSI lumens. Its 1000:1 contrast ratio means that your presentations will be very crisp and clear and it can project from as close as 15.75 inches and as far as 12.14 feet away.
Php 13,900
WD Scorpio Blue 7mm HDD Hard Drive
Tired of that low capacity hard drive in your ultrabook? Western Digital has the solution for your storage related woes: the Scorpio Blue 7mm HDD. Created specifically for the compact form factors of ultrabooks and thin and light notebooks, the Scorpio Blue 7mm HDD gives users additional space in their devices while delivering best-in-class features like low power consumption and remarkable shock tolerance. The Scorpio Blue 7mm HDD comes in two capacities: 320 and 500GB.
Php 4,250 500GB Php 3,300 320GB
22
June 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
parade the freshest PRODUCTS to hit the market
Pacsafe Bags Protect your valuables and assure yourself of a hassle-free summer vacation with Pacsafe bags and accessories, the smartest and most reliable companion on your travels. Pacsafe’s range of travel and urban backpacks, shoulder bags, hip packs, purses and various travel gear have a built-in anti-theft technology that prevents thieves from slashing, snatching and running off with your bag. Pacsafe’s latest edition of bags and travel gear are not only stylish and chic, they are also equipped with Smart Zipper, a unique security feature designed to protect your essentials through theft-proof zipper locks and clips. Even the craftiest and most cunning sticky-fingers will find it difficult to pry open your bags and slither in to fish out your most important stuff like credit cards and mobile phones. Hidden from view, pickpockets will have a hard time figuring out how to open or look for an opening. The Smart Zipper is also smartly attached to clips so if they are pulled, the bag won’t just slide open. So even before the thief finds his way into your bag, you will have alerted yourself or others who might notice him.
SMART ZIPPER SECURITY
Overboard Bags & Cases Protect your gadgets from getting wet with these bags and cases from Overboard. Sporty yet trendy, their array of bags, backpacks and pouches are sure to make your trip to the beach worry-free. Overboard products are made with a unique patented Waterproof Store Rating System gauge that guarantees the safety of your stuff from water-related incidents such as exposure to light rain or splash, or to more extreme water submersion up to a depth of 19 feet. The waterproof seal of Overboard bags and backpacks are so tight that it floats and can handle quick submersions in water. Each Tech pouch has a slide seal system that keeps everything airtight. All cases come with a neck lanyard or shoulder strap, a carabiner clip and moisture-sensitive dessicant sachets. Aside from waterproof gadget pouches, duffels and backpacks, they also have waist packs, waterproof messenger bags, camera bags, bike panniers, laptop sleeves and even map pouches, perfect for those who seek adventure in the hills or high waters.
24
June 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
parade
Divoom iBase-1 SPEAKER DOCK
the freshest PRODUCTS to hit the market
If you have an iPod, iPhone or iPad, you most likely have your personal playlist stored in it. The Divoom iBase-1 speaker dock with its cylindrical platter-like shape easily brings that playlist to life when you dock your Apple device on it. It also doubles as a charging dock when it’s plugged in. Those looking for a personal speaker device for the bedroom or a portable audio system for sharing music with friends on out of town trips would definitely benefit from the iBase-1. It will amplify your music with well-balanced highs, mids and full-bodied lows from its 2.5-inch speakers and 10-watts output power. You can enjoy audio from non-Apple devices using the aux-in socket. The iBase-1 also has a soft glow night light.
Php 2,900
Divoom Iris-05
COMPACT LAPTOP SPEAKERS The Divoom Iris-05 is a compact set of speakers that would go perfectly well with your laptop and connect to it via USB. Put one on each side of your computer and enjoy a rich stereo sound from its 2.25-inch aluminum-cone speakers with a total RMS power of 6-watts. The speakers are equipped with PO-Bass (Passive Oscillation Bass) Technology that delivers enhanced bass. If you don’t want to use it with your laptop, you can always connect it directly to your portable music players instead.
Php 1,350
Divoom BlueTune-2 WIRELESS BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
The Divoom BlueTune-2 is a wireless Bluetooth speaker that is ideal for use with Bluetoothequipped devices such as most mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. It’s range is up to 10 meters in open space, so you’ll be able to wirelessly stream audio from your music players in places like your bedroom, living room, and porch. You’ll no longer have to worry about the hassles of docking your device and connecting your player in order to listen to music. At the same time, you can always connect via wires, if need be, via a line-in jack. On top of the oblong-shaped speaker system are the easily accessible volume control and Bluetooth connect buttons. The BlueTune-2 also has an integrated bass port so you can get that thumping low-end sound.
Php 4,690 www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
June 2012
25
parade the freshest PRODUCTS to hit the market
Sony Bravia HX750 & HX850 Series 3D TV
The Sony Bravia HX750 and HX850 series of internet TVs offer users internet connectivity through its integrated WiFi. Users can access the Sony Entertainment Network and connect to Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and a variety of custom apps. The HX750 series features X-Reality, a single-chip picture engine that delivers an outstanding viewing experience by applying image enhancements to separated parts of the video signal including texture, color, and contrast. The HX850 series, on the other hand, comes with X-Reality Pro, a dual-chip picture engine that optimizes video sources by making use of a large database of signal patterns. The Sony Bravia HX750 and HX850 are great options for those looking to get into the full HD 3D experience. Motionflow XR technology delivers an enhanced sharpness and smoother playback by reducing blur caused by quick camera movements.
Sony LBT-SH2000 MINI HI-FI SYSTEM
The Sony LBT-SH2000 mini hi-fi system is ideal for those who want to throw a big house party. It delivers a really deep bass and a powerful sound through its 38 cm mirror cones and power output of 2,000W RMS. You can connect to it via CD, two built-in USB ports, and four audio input channels, allowing you to play sound from whatever device you might have. The dual USB ports also enable users to copy music between 2 separate players. The mini hi-fi system also has 4 different DJ effects such as flanger, isolator, fader and sound flash, all of which can be applied to the music. You can even use it as speakers for your home theater system.
26
June 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
parade the freshest PRODUCTS to hit the market
Ray-Ban La Boca Collection Eyewear
Ray-Ban introduces four limited edition festive frame designs of the La Boca collection. Part of the Rare Prints Series 6, the La Boca collection features the classic Wayfarer in pop-art eye-candy color block patterns. The La Boca flavors combine fun, individuality, uniqueness, youth, the hip and free-spirited. These limited edition Rare Prints were inspired by the colorful houses of La Boca, one of Buenos Aires’ most colorful and artistic neighborhoods, or barrios as they say in Argentina’s capital. Vicariously stacked one on top of, or after the other, along the famous pedestrian street that is La Caminito (named for a popular tango song), the buildings in the barrio are painted in fabulous rainbow bright colors. So this summer, you’re in for a crazy cool visual treat as Ray-Ban gives you sunglasses that are not only fun to wear but artworks in themselves.
Vibram FiveFingers Bikila & Bikila LS Running Shoes
Probably the most unique running shoe in the market today, Vibram FiveFingers Bikila is the first model designed for a more natural, healthy and efficient forefoot strike. Using patented Vibram TC-1 performance rubber, the Bikila delivers excellent foot feel without compromising abrasion resistance. The Bikila LS for women offers a closed speed lace system to accommodate a wider foot or higher instep. It share the same revolutionary platform as the Bikila to provide superior plating protection and distributes forefoot impact without compromising essential ground impact.
28
June 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
parade
Accutone Gemini IN-EAR HEADPHONES
the freshest PRODUCTS to hit the market
The Accutone Gemini in-ear headphones sport a golden metallic housing and are ideal for audiophiles and musicians. This is because they’ve been engineered by acoustic experts to provide the best possible bass-tuned and noise-isolating listening experience. The speaker chambers deliver firm and rich bass output without compromising any of the mid to high frequencies. A microphone module with volume control and an answer/play button is also included, allowing you to take calls. With 3 sizes of silicone ear buds to choose from, you’ll definitely find the perfect fit. Also included are a cable winder, a leatherette bag and a Nokia phone converter.
Php 3,900
Lenco iPD-4800 DOCKING STATION
It’s not just a docking station for your iPod or iPhone, it’s a clock radio as well. The Lenco iPD-4800 will serve as your bedside companion, waking you up in the morning using its builtin radio as an alarm clock and serving as your speaker system during the rest of the day. It also has snooze control and a sleep timer. Actually, it doesn’t even need to be by your bedside since its speakers are powerful enough to fill up your entire room. A remote control allows you to operate it from a distance. If you don’t have an iPod or iPhone, you can always connect another player to it using the aux-in jack. You can also adjust settings for bass and treble on the unit.
Blaupunkt
Php 5,995
Lenco iPD-3560 DOCKING STATION
Are you looking for that perfect gadget for your room that takes care of a handful of your needs? The Lenco iPD-3560 in its classic black old-school design will serve as your alarm clock, radio and iPod/iPhone speaker dock. It will display the time for you throughout the day or sound an alarm when you want it to. It comes with a set of functions including snooze control and sleep timer. Aside from listening to your iPod or iPhone playlist, you can also tune in to the radio or connect to another audio device using the aux-in. Its FM antenna ensures that you get the best radio signal. You can even adjust the bass and treble to your liking. Basically, there’s a lot to like about it, particularly its remote control so you can operate it from a distance.
Php 7,750 www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
June 2012
29
parade the freshest PRODUCTS to hit the market
MobC Leather Cases Easy Diary For the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 For creative and fun-loving tablet users, the MobC Easy Diary offers bright and inspiring designs. Made of durable polyurethane leather, the hard shell case securely holds your Galaxy Tab. A magnetic clip easily snaps close for convenient protection.
Php 3,300 C-Pocket
For the Samsung Galaxy Note More than a smartphone but not quite a full-fledged tablet, the Galaxy Note has grown in popularity as a multifunction device. MobC, a premium brand from South Korea, is offering custom designed protective case for the Galaxy Note, the C-Pocket. This ultra-slim protective case features a sturdy hard shell back case that holds your device, with a front cover made of rich genuine leather. A soft fiber lining on the inside cover prevents scratches and smudges, and has discrete card slots for your business essentials.
Php 3,500
X-Doria Bag & Cases Classic Business Bag
Smartstyle Case
A new take on the traditional satchel design, the Classic Business Bag from X-Doria takes portability to another level with style that is modern, yet—as the name connotes—classic enough to withstand the trends. This laptop bag securely holds 12” to 14” laptops and has enough room for all other essentials, such as your charging cables, documents, notebooks, and the like. It is perfect for the student, traveling professional, or road warrior. Made of a combination of durable leather and nylon.
A new iPad deserves a spanking new case— especially if it’s THE new iPad. X-Doria revisits basic styling by keeping its new line of cases sleek and simple, beginning with the Smartstyle. The Smartstyle provides optimum protection with its tough, polycarbonate hardshell back case that snugly and securely holds your iPad. The foldable TPU front cover functions just like a Smart Cover, with its magnetic sleep-and-wake feature and the ability to fold back to prop up your iPad for hands-free viewing. The inside is lined with soft fiber to protect your retina screen from scratches and smudges. With the Smartstyle, it’s minimum effort for maximum protection results, all in one slim package.
For the New iPad; also compatible with the iPad2
Fits 12” – 14” laptops
Php 3,400
Translucent Protective Hardshell Case
For MACBOOK PRO
The Apple MacBook is still one of the most coveted notebook computers around. Best loved for its subtly shiny and sleek design, the only way to keep it looking like new is to encase it in an equally stylish case. The X-Doria hardshell casing collection provides the all-around protection for your Macbook, whether it is a Macbook Pro or a Macbook Air. It is made with a polycarbonate material that is tough on impact and guards against scratches. The best part is that the cases come in clean colors that are striking enough to stand out, yet understated enough to be sophisticated.
Php 2,500
Php 2,250 (13”) Php 2,000 (11”) 30
June 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
gadgetslab
44
32
JUNE 2012
tried and tested to find out what’s hot and what’s not
34
Neo Basic B5126N
36
Asus N56
38
Samsung 55-inch ES8000
39
Sony 55HX855
40
LG 55LM9600
42
Nokia Lumia 710
43
LG Optimus L3 E400
45
46
HTC One X 47
Notebook
Notebook
Smart TV
Smart TV
Smart TV
Smartphone
Smartphone
MiLi Power iBox
8000mAh Battery Pack & Protective Case for iPad 2
Divoom iFit-2
Portable Speakers
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX100 digital Camera
Smartphone
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
gadgetslab tried and tested to find out what’s hot and what’s not
Neo Basic B5126N
BUY METER
4.0
/5
Laptop
By Roni Callanta Laptops have been escalating to the level of being the perfect replacement for your entertainment gear. The increasing capabilities and performance level of laptops can virtually eliminate the need for any other multimedia equipment, especially if you are on a tight budget and if you don’t mind carrying the extra weight in your backpack.
Specifications: Physical Dimensions: 340 x 238 x 25.05-33.50 mm Weight: 2.14 kg Screen Size: 14-inch LED Display (1366x768) Memory: 2GB DDR3 CPU and Chipset: Intel Core i3-2332M at 2.20 GHz, 3 MB Cache Ports 3 x USB 2.0 Battery 6-cell Li-ion Wireless Used: LAN 802.11 b/g/n Warranty: 1 year
What’s Hot: • Has good multiprocessing power • Excellent graphics engine
What’s Not: • Bulky • Weak speakers
Bottomline: Despite the relatively weak speakers, if you are someone who uses the laptop as your main media center and who is in need of powerful performance, this laptop should do the job.
While its name reminds you of all of the complexities of Neo from The Matrix, the Basic B5126N’s impressive performance and aesthetic is straightforward and on-point. Its glossy black exterior gets you excited for the endless possibilities discreetly hiding beneath its lid.
keyboard lain across the body, LED lights on the upper left, and power and connectivity buttons on the right. The 1.3 MP webcam is right above the screen, while the touchpad with its multifunction feature is located at the usual lower center and is user friendly for fast navigation.
The very moment you flip its lid, you are greeted with a 14-inch HD/LED display—you can’t help but feel that it means business. Understated and discreet, the B5126N underscores its simplicity with a standard yet massive
This entertainment machine sports an Intel Core i32332M processor at 2.20 GHz, 3 MB Cache, running with a LAN of 10/100/1000 Mbps and Wireless LAN of 802.11 b/g/n, providing you with a wealth of processing and multitasking power.
34
JUNE 2012
Already geared with Windows 7 Home Basic, the B5126N packs a memory of 2GB DDR3 and a hard drive of 640GB. In addition, viewing videos and watching the latest episode of Game of Thrones are more enjoyable because of its Intel HD Graphics 3000. Resolution and capture are impressively presented and it’ll definitely make you want to stay wired to it. Its image quality can certainly rival your standard television set. The beauty of this, though, is you can carry it around. Movie buffs have no problem whether movies are in HD, downloaded or
on DVD. And for the gamers out there, they can lust over this notebook’s power and performance.
struggling to balance enough bass with too much treble. Not exciting news for music heads.
The Basic B5126N also carries Bluetooth 3.0 for faster connectivity and with the battery life at 4 hours (fully-charged), you wouldn’t have to worry about running to your nearest socket. The speakers, however, are not all that great. They surprisingly give out a relatively small sound for such a massive and bulky piece of hardware—giving the user a somewhat tiny sound with speakers
All in all, the Neo Basic B5126N lives up to its marketed capabilities of being a multimedia powerhouse (with headphones for the audio). If you are anything like me or Neo from The Matrix— tethered to the laptop like you mean it—this piece of hardware is a decent device to get your hands on.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
gadgetslab tried and tested to find out what’s hot and what’s not
Get the latest updates in the tech and lifestyle world 24/7 Feed
your #tech #lifestyle cravings while in a world that you can’t help but
playing .
Facebook.com/GadgetsMagazine | Twitter.com/GadgetsMagazine | Youtube.com/GadgetsMagazineTV | GadgetsMagazine.com.ph
THE PHILIPPINES’ FIRST TECH LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
JUNE 2012
35
gadgetslab tried and tested to find out what’s hot and what’s not
Asus N56
BUY METER
4.5
/5
Notebook PC By Jon Uriarte
While Intel brought us their Sandy Bridge chipsets last year, this year they brought us Ivy Bridge. Among the first few laptops that made use of the new chipset was the Asus N56 notebook PC. As we know, however, a laptop is not only judged by how fast its components are, but by the overall experience it provides. Let’s take a closer look at the Asus N56 notebook PC.
Specifications: SCREEN SIZE: 15.6-inch, 1920x1080 resolution display MEMORY: Up to 8GB DDR3 RAM CPU: Ivy Bridge Core i73610QM STORAGE: 750 GB HDD PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS: 379 x 261 x 35 mm, 2.7 kg VIDEO CARD: Nvidia GeForce GT 635M with 2 GB DDR3 VRAM CONNECTIVITY: WiFi, Bluetooth, VGA port, 2 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, HDMI, 3 in 1 card reader BATTERY: 6-cell 5200mAh, 56Whrs OPTICAL DRIVE: DVD, Blu-ray OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows 7 Ultimate, Professional, Home Premium, Home Basic
What’s Hot: • Excellent graphics • Non-glare high definition display with flawless 180 degree viewing angles • Very good and loud sound from its Bang & Olufsen audio system, no external speakers required • Great performance
What’s Not: • Track pad is hard to control • No proper separator for left and right click
Measuring a hefty 379 x 261 x 35 mm in size and 2.7 kg in weight, the Asus N56 sports an aluminum-like top lid with an illuminated Asus logo in the center. Upon opening the laptop, I immediately noted that the design was very reminiscent of the Macbook Pro, with its similar black chiclet style backlit keyboard, power button, silver palm rest area, and black border surrounding the display. The laptop has a base that’s made of a durable black plastic and its overall build quality and design are topnotch. As mentioned earlier, inside the laptop is the Ivy Bridge chipset that provides better power usage, improved graphics, more overclockability, longer battery life, and an overall better performance over its Sandy Bridge predecessor. 36
JUNE 2012
Our review unit came equipped with an Intel Core i7-3610QM processor, an Nvidia GeForce GT 635M with 2 GB DDR3 VRAM for graphics, Windows 7 Professional, and 6GB of RAM. With these specs, I was able to run resourceintensive games (I tested Street Fighter X Tekken) and music production software with all its CPU-draining third-party plug-ins without a glitch. The laptop also comes with a Blu-Ray DVD drive, 4 USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI socket, an HD webcam, a VGA port, standard Bluetooth and Wi-Fi features, a 3-in-1 card reader, and the usual audio jacks. Speaking of audio, the Asus N56’s speakers are located on the perforated area surrounding the top part of the keyboard. Here’s the clincher though—its audio
system is made by Bang & Olufsen, one of the most high-end and reputable audio system manufacturers in the world. When we tried it out, the speakers were able to get really loud and it had a quality that definitely surprised us for a laptop— making it really ideal for multimedia use. The unit even comes with a separate portable Asus subwoofer that you can plug in. I found that it wasn’t very beneficial, however, only increasing the frequency range of the audio output but hardly bringing any additional low-end power to the sound. The bulkiness of the laptop made it more difficult to bring around, but what’s lost in portability is gained in multimedia experience. The Asus N56 packs a beautiful 15.6-inch non-glare high definition 1920 × 1080
resolution display screen that I found to be very pleasingly vivid and bright with a flawless 180-degree viewing angle. Along with the Nvidia graphics, watching movies was exceptionally enjoyable— providing a cinema-like experience but on a smaller screen. Plus, the built-in speakers were loud enough that I didn’t even need to hook up a separate sound system. The laptop’s touchpad is placed slightly to the left instead of dead-center, while its left and right-click buttons unfortunately don’t have any physical separation between them. Feeling a little flimsily-made, the touchpad is the probably the only complaint I had with the laptop, as I found it incredibly hard to control most of the time. The lack of a proper separation
Bottomline: The Asus N56 is a powerful beast offering an outstanding multimedia experience. We highly recommend it; just get a mouse.
between the left and right click was a major nuisance since it would often and erratically be right-clicking when I was left-clicking. Of course, those who plan to use a separate mouse with the laptop should have no problems at all. The Asus N56 notebook PC is one of the more powerful laptops out in the market right now and it has fantastic graphics and an awesome built-in audio system. If you’re looking for a laptop that’s fit for tasks such as gaming, multimedia viewing, and multimedia production, the Asus N56 is a great choice.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
gadgetslab tried and tested to find out what’s hot and what’s not
Samsung 55-inch ES8000
BUY METER
4.5
/5
Smart TV
By John Nieves TVs aren’t just TVs anymore. More and more, manufacturers are looking to make the good ol’ boob tube smarter, with major efforts from LG, Sony and Samsung. Let’s look at Samsung’s ES8000, to see what it is serving up for the high-end market.
Specifications: Technology: Edge lit LED Screen size: 55-inches Picture technologies: Ultra Clear Panel, 800Hz Clear Motion Rate, Ultimate Micro Dimming, Digital Noise Filter, Wide Color Enhancer (Plus) Physical Dimensions: 1230.3 x 761.6 x 210mm (with stand)
What’s Hot: • Voice and gesture control • Access to apps and ability to surf the internet • Streaming content via Vicki Premiere • Excellent picture quality and color reproduction • Slim bezel • Ability to be upgraded every year via the Evolution Kit
What’s Not: • Voice and gesture control are hit or miss • Pricey
Bottomline:
Not unexpectedly, this current flagship HD TV looks amazing. And while the funky looking stand is not to our taste, everything else from the millimeters thin bezel to the tasteful (if distracting) silver trimmings is a pleasure to look at. Naturally, the ES8000 has multiple HDMI and USB ports, so you could plug in all sorts of external audio-video sources. The included active shutter 3D glasses have been significantly redesigned to be lighter and less bulky. They are also very reasonably-priced—a Samsung executive told us that the glasses would retail for around 500 pesos per pair. They are powered by a single battery, but we have no idea how long the battery will last. The “smart” in Samsung’s Smart TV is made possible via a dual-core processor in the TV that runs Samsung’s Smart Hub, a highly modified version of the Android OS. The Smart Hub allows you to use apps, browse the net and connect to various social networks like Facebook 38
JUNE 2012
and Twitter. When Smart Hub is activated, whatever you were watching goes to the upper left side of the screen. Smart Hub has some notable apps, such as those for fitness, kids and games. We saw a video-ondemand app, but sadly it still wasn’t at 100%. Two of the features that Samsung put front and center during the official launch were voice and gesture control, touted to give you control of the TV without touching the remote. During our test, we found that both presented challenges in actual use. Voice control had a few issues, chief of which was the unit’s ability to actually understand us. Our Art Director, who has a bit of an American accent, was with me during the test and the ES8000’s voice recognition software was able to understand us only about 70% of the time. Motion control also presented its own issues. It seemed to work best in a brightly lit room, probably because it is controlled by a TV camera similar to
Microsoft’s Kinect XBOX add-on. It had trouble recognizing our gestures when we sat down and started watching the TV, especially when we tried gesture control to raise the volume or change the channel. Again, we attribute this to the room not being bright enough— unfortunately we don’t think people will want the bother of turning up the lights just to change channels or volume via gesture control. In addition to the regular remote control, Samsung included a second remote for the ES8000, with a built-in touchpad to supplement the smart controls. The touchpad allows you to raise and lower the volume easily, as well as channel surf with ease. The touchpad also allows you to browse through Smart Hub, and provides another microphone to speak into when you’re in the mood to issue voice commands. More peripherals for the ES8000 are forthcoming, which includes a Bluetooth keyboard. We were initially disappointed
to hear that the ES8000 uses an edge-lit LED array (with Micro Dimming Ultimate) instead of a full array with local dimming as offered in another competitive brand. Edge-lit displays have their backlights near the edge of the bezel instead of directly behind the panel. This particular arrangement gives TVs an overall thinner profile but is criticized for reducing picture quality. Samsung’s edge-lit array is paired with Micro Dimming Ultimate picture technology, claimed to enhance picture quality with threefold adjustments—optimization of contrast, colours and details— thus, “offering viewers a rich and delicate viewing pleasure while maximising the potential of the TV.” For our test, we used the Samsung-supplied Blu-ray titles (the Shrek trilogy and some scenes from Monsters vs. Aliens) as well as our own 1080p copy of Ironman II. What instantly impressed were the excellent color reproduction and gradation of the ES8000. Our initial worries about possible
Samsung’s 55-inch ES8000 Smart TV is a sexy and innovative evolution of the lowly boob tube. You won’t regret buying one—that’s assuming it’s in your price range.
inadequate backlight from the edge-lit array were unfounded— the black levels were extremely good. There was also no motion judder or any kind of overdrive trailing (halos moving around fast moving objects), something that older HD TVs are susceptible to. Scenes from Shrek II were fantastically bright and colorful. The climactic battle between Ironman, Warmachine and Whiplash was particularly epic, validating the excellent blacks on the ES8000. Overall, the 55-inch ES8000 Samsung Smart TV is an excellent buy. While there may be some issues with voice and gesture control, these little niggles will likely be fixed by software updates down the line. Moreover, an Evolution Kit feature allows people who have already bought the TV to easily upgrade its functionality, without needing to buy a new set.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
gadgetslab
Sony 55HX855
BUY METER
4.0
/5
Smart TV
By John Nieves
Specifications: Technology: Edge lit LED Screen size: 55-inches Picture technologies: X-Reality PRO picture engine, Motionflow XR 800, Dynamic Edge LED Physical Dimensions: 944 x 623 x 268 mm (with stand)
tried and tested to find out what’s hot and what’s not
All of the major manufacturers have come out with their own interpretation of the smart TV concept, and Japanese manufacturer Sony is no exception. But while competitors have “enhanced” their sets with additional controls and features, Sony is relying on its core competencies—image quality and clarity —to entice potential buyers.
What’s Hot: • Excellent Black Levels • Great image quality • Fantastic color reproduction • Easy to use and setup • Slim bezel
What’s Not: • Doesn’t have as much features as its competitors • Bezel is a bit thick • USB doesn’t support HDDs
Bottomline: The Sony 55HX855 might not sport crazy thin bezels or motion control technologies, but its superb picture quality and deep blacks more than make up for it. It’s also about Php 50,000 cheaper than its rivals.
The 55HX855 is currently Sony’s top-of-the-line TV. Sony’s monolithic design basically means that the 55HX855 looks like a featureless black slab of plastic and glass when it’s turned off. Turn it on, and you’re greeted with a 55-inch edge-lit LED display with local dimming. It hasn’t gone with the thin bezel look of other smart TVs, and retains the brand’s traditional size bezel. You’re pretty much spoiled when it comes to the number of connections on the 55HX855. There are 2 USB ports, 4 HMDI ports, composite and component ports, as well as an Ethernet port. Curiously, while the USB ports on the 55HX855 allows for the connection of USB thumbdrives, it’s not
able to recognize external HDDs. The remote included with the 55HX855 is a bit bare, but very easy to use. Unlike competing products, the 55HX855 eschews alternative control schemes,sticking with the good old fashioned remote to control everything. The user interface is straightforward, and appears as a strip at the bottom of the display when you press the home button. Whatever you were watching goes on the upper left side of the display, while the main options appear as a strip at the bottom. Like its contemporaries, you can download from the internet (for Sony, through the Opera App store) additional apps that increase
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
the functionality of the 55HX855. You download additional apps and games to the TV. You can also stream additional content from YouTube and other content partners via the Sony Entertainment network which, unfortunately has a lackluster offering and lacks premium streaming services. The55HX855 comes with a webcam for connecting to your friends and family through Skype. The 55HX855’s main strength is definitely picture quality. We set-up our Bright View Cinematube HD Streamer along with a collection of HD content which included Avatar and Ironman 2, and did a rough calibration before beginning the test.
Earlier, we mentioned the 55HX855’s edge-lit LED display with local dimming, but we feel that this bears a bit more explanation. Edge-lit displays have their backlights near the edge of the bezel, instead of directly behind the panel. Local dimming means that the LED backlights are capable of dimming independently instead of in large clumps,thus resulting in overall better black levels and color. This combination allows the 55HX855 to deliver excellent color reproduction and very deep blacks. We were genuinely surprised at its ability to pull plasmalevels of even, black shades, especially during the climactic battle between Iron Man and Whiplash near
the end of Ironman 2. Colors were punchy and vibrant during the assault of the humans on the Na’Vi tribe in Avatar. Lest we forget, the 55HX855 is also an excellent 3D TV, and includes two pairs of 3D glasses with your purchase. While the glasses seem a bit chunkier, they conveniently sport internal batteries that can be charged through a USB port. The overall 3D effect was good, with little to no crosstalk. Sure, the Sony 55HX855 isn’t as flashy as its rivals, but its remarkable picture quality and excellent black levels make it a worthy contender.
JUNE 2012
39
gadgetslab tried and tested to find out what’s hot and what’s not
LG 55LM9600
BUY METER
4.0
/5
Smart TV
By John Nieves Today’s TVs aren’t just about being able to deliver HD and 3D content anymore. The field of battle has shifted dramatically to internet connectivity, with the major players offering internet connected models. The LG 55LM9600 is one such model, and is currently LG’s flagship internet connected TV.
Specifications: Technology: NANO FULL LED Screen size: 55-inches Contrast Ratio: Dynamic MCI 1000 Features: Internet connectivity, Four-way magic remote control Connections 4 x HDMI, 3 USB, RF, component, composite
What’s Hot: • Extremely thin bezel • Thin design • Can connect to the internet • Has both wired and wireless connectivity options • Excellent performance
What’s Not: • Some streaming apps are blocked • Social network app feels incomplete and tacked on • Pricey
Bottomline:
Physically, the 55-inch LM9600 is impressive to look at. The panel is a full-array, local dimming LED backlight, which means that the entire LED panel (not just the edges) are illuminated by LED backlights. Thus, the LM9600 has excellent black levels as well as better overall color reproduction compared to edge-lit models. The LM9600 is 19mm thin at its thinnest point, tapering out to an additional 5mm as you go down the unit. As thin as the LM9600 is, you still get a full swath of connectivity options. There are four available HDMI ports on the left side of the TV, as well as three labeled USB ports. The last port at the bottom was made especially for hard disk drives, while the first one on top was created for potential TV app upgrades when they come. All three USB ports can take media from USB thumb drives. Aside from HDMI and USB, all the other input options are present, including composite and component ports, as well as a plug for cable or 40
JUNE 2012
terrestrial TV. The manual controls are located on the back as well, on the right side of the TV. In addition to the regular remote control, the LM9600 also comes with a funky looking secondary remote control tagged as the magic remote. The magic remote works basically like a glorified Wii controller, allowing you to navigate through the My Apps menu easier and facilitating typing on screens that require information inputs. The magic remote is also capable of taking voice commands and interpreting motion gestures. Setting up the LM9600 is pretty straightforward— connect the stand, find a suitable place to put it on, plug in and go. As mentioned earlier, most of the functionality for the LM9600 can only be accessed using an internet connection, which you’ll have to set-up yourself. There are two connectivity options – the Ethernet port at the back of the device, or the built-in WiFi module.
The heart of the device is the LG Smart Menu, which provides functionalities that add to its overall value. For instance: You can log into your social network accounts like Facebook, Twitter and Picasa; view content from portals like LG’s 3D world; or get exclusive access to K-Pop channels and YouTube. You can also theoretically connect to other premium content portals, though that particular feature hits a bit of a wall that I’ll go into depth later. Like most of LG’s other 3D models, the LM9600 relies on passive 3D (polarized technology) rather than the active 3D shutter tech present in competitors’ 3D TVs. Passive 3D glasses have the advantage of being relatively cheap (cheap enough that LG sends 6 pairs per TV) and lightweight, and not requiring batteries or constant charging. The fact that wearing them also doesn’t make you look like a huge dork is also another win in my book. The only disadvantage I can think of is that passive 3D reduces on-screen resolution
by about half, an issue which some people have disputed. Personally, I couldn’t really see a resolution drop when the 3D mode was active. There’s also a 3D depth option on the LM9600, allowing you to set the 3D effect level. The LM9600 performed well during its time with us, which we tested with the Blu-ray player and home entertainment system that LG generously sent along. We had a choice of several movies, both 3D and non-3D, supplemented by our own stash of full HD flicks that we use for testing. Overall the LM9600 had excellent color reproduction and deep blacks as expected, given that the device had local dimming capabilities. One of the main draws of the LM9600 is that you could theoretically access additional content, both 3D and non-3D, from the internet. While true, your choice is limited to LG’s 3D World (which basically serves up bite-sized 3D content for you to enjoy), K-Pop Zone and YouTube.
LG’s 55LM9600 is a fine Smart TV, as long as you’re willing to overlook some of the current limitations of hooking up your TV to the internet.
Other premium channels like Hulu and Netflix are not supported, mostly because of region locks. While the LM9600 allows you to access the net and connect to your social network, the apps themselves need a bit of work. I connected my Facebook account to the device during the test, but found the device’s Facebook functionality pretty bare. I couldn’t see who my friends tagged in their posts (making it look like some of them were greeting themselves a happy birthday), resulting in an incomplete Facebook experience. Overall the LG 55LM9600 is a good TV. It’s hobbled in some respects by its apps and lack of access to premium online services, but for the most part its online component adds quite a bit of value to the package. The 55LM9600 retails for Php 299,990.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
gadgetslab tried and tested to find out what’s hot and what’s not
Nokia Lumia 710
BUY METER
3.5
/5
Smartphone By John Nieves
Everyone knows that Nokia lost its way with Symbian. While companies like Google and Apple pushed the boundaries of smartphone capabilities, Nokia, lacking a vision for the future of its smartphones, tried to keep itself afloat by sticking with Symbian, with disastrous results. Now the company has seen the light, and is bouncing back with brand new smartphones sporting Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango). Its recently released Lumia 710 is one such device, aimed at conquering the mid-end market.
Specifications: Operating System: Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) CPU: 1.4 GHz Scorpion, Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor LCD size: 3.7-inch capacitive screen, 16M colors, 480 x 800 resolution Physical Dimensions: 119 x 62.4 x 12.5 mm Weight: 125.5 g Band: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100
What’s Hot: • Fast, responsive WP7 is easy to use and learn Added Nokia services like Drive, Maps and Music Deep Twitter and Facebook integration
What’s Not: • WP7 apps are priced higher than iOS and Android Killer apps present on Android and iOS not present on WP7 Mediocre battery life
Bottomline: If you’re in the market for a solid, dependable WP7 smartphone, you might want to consider the Lumia 710.
Physically, the Lumia 710 looks like a throwback to the phone designs of old, with its rounded corners and chunky 12.5mm frame. The physical navigation keys employed by the Lumia 710 are a stark contrast to those of its older brother, the Lumia 800, which has capacitative controls integrated onto the display. Other controls include a volume rocker on the right side and a camera shortcut key located just below that. The USB port, power switch and 3.5mm jack are all located on top of the device. 42
JUNE 2012
It uses micro SIMs instead of full sized SIM cards, something that you’ll need to be aware of when you decide to get one. The screen is a 3.7-inch capacitive screen capable of 16M colors with 480 x 800 native resolution. Under the hood, the Lumia 710 runs a single core 1.4 GHz Scorpion, Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor – a bit dated considering the number of dual-core and quad-core smartphones running around. It also packs a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash which
can be accessed even if the device is locked. As already mentioned, the Lumia 710 runs Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) OS, with a few key additions. Nokia enhanced the Windows Phone experience with three key apps—Nokia Drive, Music and Maps. Nokia Music does exactly what it sounds like—a hub for your music and playlists. Nokia Drive is the included navigation app for the Lumia series of phones, for turn-byturn navigation. Nokia Maps is its go-to map application.
Like Android and iOS, WP7 has its own hub for buying and trying apps. While the number of apps available in the Windows Marketplace pales in comparison to what’s available for Android and iOS, the mix of apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace has a good start with well-known apps like YouTube and Angry Birds. Nokia’s Lumia series come with the WP7 Mango update already pre-installed, so you need not be bothered about upgrading it yourself. The Mango update brings a
couple of new features to the fore, including location aware search and voice recognition. Using the Lumia 710 is a bit of a change from the usual fare of smartphones that we get, simply because WP7 isn’t what you’d call an OS that’s widely used at this point. After using so many Android devices, I found the simplicity of the WP7 interface a breath of fresh air, as most of the most commonly used social networking apps like Twitter and Facebook were integrated into the different tiles, eliminating
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
LG Optimus L3 E400 Smartphone By John Nieves
Ultimately, the Nokia Lumia 710 is not a bad smartphone. It’s fast enough for most users, and is capable of going against more established brands and devices in its category. The Nokia Lumia 710 is exclusively available to Smart subscribers via a limited edition Plan 1000 with a monthly amortization of Php 450 for 24 months.
4.0
/5
Specifications: Operating System: Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) CPU: 800 MHz LCD size: 3.2-inch, 240 x 320 resolution 256K capacitive screen Physical Dimensions: 102.6 x 61.6 x 11.7 mm Band: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, HSDPA 900 / 2100
What’s Hot:
Performance for the Lumia 710 is good. And even though the device uses a relatively older processor (the Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor used by the Lumia 710 has been in existence for a while), WP7 is sufficiently optimized so you really don’t notice a lot of slowdown during use. Battery life is about a day – not surprising with its relatively small 1300 mAh battery. Unfortunately, the Achilles heel of the Lumia 710 is the same thing that makes it so desirable: WP7. While WP7 is excellent in its own right, the lack of decently priced apps on the platform is a letdown for potential users who want to migrate to Microsoft’s mobile OS offering. Apps like Instagram and Draw Something still have not managed to make the jump to WP7. Moreover, the steep pricing of apps and games for WP7 is a bit of a turnoff, especially considering the relatively cheap apps available on iOS and Android.
BUY METER
tried and tested to find out what’s hot and what’s not
When Samsung’s Galaxy Y was announced last year, most tech elitists dismissed the potential of the small, relatively inexpensive entry-level Android device. Little did they know that the Galaxy Y would be one of the hottest gadgets during the run-up to the holiday season, with huge demand pushing prices over the suggested retail price. That particular success has been noticed by other manufacturers, LG among them. The result is the Optimus L3, a budget Android device that could give the current king of the budget ‘droid a run for its money.
gadgetslab
the need to open a separate application. Posting a status update to either FB or Twitter is as simple as going to the Me tile (located on the bottom of the live tiles by default) and posting from there. Posting pictures is pretty much the same deal – you can upload the picture you’ve taken to either FB or Twitter (or any other social network you’ve linked to your account) as soon as you press the shutter button, which means far fewer presses on the screen compared to Android.
• Long battery life • Stylish design • Relatively inexpensive
What’s Not: • Low-resolution screen • Small screen makes it hard to type
Bottomline: The LG Optimus L3 E400 is a solid, budget Android device that almost everyone can afford.
The Optimus L3 represents the unified style strategy of LG, and adopts the design sensibilities of higher end Optimus models such as the L5 and the L7. The L3 eschews round corners for a more angular design with a textured back finish, allowing for a better grip on the device. As the Optimus L3 slides neatly into the budget Android category, it is safe to say that you definitely won’t be blown away by its hardware. The Optimus L3 has a 3.2-inch, 240 x 320 resolution 256K capacitive screen paired with an 800 MHz processor and powered with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). LG has provided a 3-megapixel back
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
camera, with no front facing camera. Connectivity-wise, you’re looking at WiFi, 3G and Bluetooth. Like their other devices, LG has implemented a UI overlay on top of Android. Unlike other UI overlays however, LG’s offering isn’t pretty, something that really surprised me in light of the absolutely gorgeous UI on the LG Prada 3.0. There’s nothing outstanding about the hardware. Suffice it to say that the 800 MHz processor on the device is capable of running basic apps and games without issues. However, the newer, more graphically intense games and apps cannot be expected to run quite as
smoothly on the Optimus L3. Performance-wise, the Optimus L3 is good enough. In its stock form with few apps installed, it was able to keep up with my daily grind. Of course, the low resolution screen was a bit of a downer, and made typing a bit of a hassle—but not unusual for a budget Android smartphone. Of course, one of the advantages of having a low-resolution screen and slower processor is that the device consumes far less battery than higher spec devices. With its 1540 mAh battery, the Optimus L3 lasts far longer than most other Android devices. During its time with me, it managed to outlast my HTC Sensation
XE by a good day and a half—definitely a plus in the longevity department. Now to address the question everyone’s asking by now: Should you get this or the Samsung Galaxy Y? To be honest, both budget Android devices are almost similar in both specs and price. Your choice would probably be dictated by three things— availability, bundles and design. The LG Optimus L3 isn’t a bad budget Android smartphone, but it has the misfortune of going against an already established budget device with has a 5-month head start in the market. The LG Optimus L3 retails for a very affordable Php 5,990. JUNE 2012
43
gadgetslab tried and tested to find out what’s hot and what’s not
HTC One X
BUY METER
5.0
/5
Smartphone By John Nieves
HTC’s new One line strategy focuses on only three main devices: the top of the line One X, the mid-market One S, and the entry level One V. Here we review the company’s flagship, the One X.
Specifications: Operating System: Android 4.0 ICS CPU: NVIDIA quad-core Tegra 3 1.5GHz LCD size: 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD2 capacitive touchscreen, display resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels Physical Dimensions: 134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9mm Band: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
What’s Hot: • Solid, unibody polycarbonate housing • Large, 4.7-inch screen protected by Gorilla Glass • Fast Tegra 3 processor • Excellent camera performance in low light • Burst shooting
What’s Not: • Uses microSIM • Non-user replaceable battery
Bottomline: The HTC One X is the best Android phone you can buy right now. Beg, steal or borrow to get one.
Design-wise, this is the first time HTC is using a unibody polycarbonate housing on a flagship device. Its overall design and build quality is outstanding—the phone is solid as a brick without weighing like one (130 g). There’s no skirting around the issue: The One X is huge, at 134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9mm, currently one of biggest phones in the market today. The One X packs a 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD2 capacitive touchscreen, with a display resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. At the bottom of the screen are three navigation keys—back, home and recent apps. The volume rocker is on the right, while the USB/ charging slot is on the left side. On the top lies the power button and 3.5mm jack. The One X has an 8-megapixel camera and a 44
JUNE 2012
1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls and the like. The powerplant of the One X is a quad-core, NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor running at 1.5 GHz. It continues to carry Beats Audio technology, although Beats branded headphones are not part of the package. There’s 32GB of built-in storage plus an additional 25GB of Dropbox cloud storage. The whole experience is powered by Android 4.0 (ICS) with HTC Sense on top. Unlike previous Sense offerings, the One X version is simple and not overly complex. One of the features that stands out in the HTC One X is its 8-megapixel CMOS camera with a backside illuminated sensor for low light performance. It also has a F2.0 aperture, 28mm lens and a dedicated
imaging chip. I was pleasantly surprised at how good the One X camera is. First, it takes pictures quickly, with almost zero shutter lag and minimal focus hunt. It is also able to take pictures continuously— as fast as some point-andshoots—and allows you to choose the one you think is best. Quite bluntly, the One X camera is one of the best I’ve seen this year. As expected, performance on the One X was good. The quad-core Tegra 3 processor definitely comes into play here and, even with multiple apps open, the device never slowed down. The overall user experience is fantastic as you can feel the snappiness in the UI, especially when you’re going through the apps and menu items in the device. No review of the One X
would be complete without the requisite benchmark test: Using AnTuTu, the One X managed to score 10629 points, a few points higher than a similar Tegra 3 powered device, the Asus Transformer Prime. The One X is a phone first and foremost, so all those fancy features are meaningless if you can’t speak to other people or send SMS messages, right? I’m happy to report that the overall call quality of the One X is excellent, with no problems in reception. Calls are clear and crisp. Sending SMS messages and general typing duties are a breeze on the large on-screen keyboard. Battery life is also pretty good, with the unit clocking in about a day and half on a full charge with slightly moderate use (texting,
calling and a few minutes on data). That number is expected to vary, and you’re probably looking at about a day’s worth of battery with heavier use. As lovely as the One X is, it does come with its own share of niggles. The unibody polycarbonate shell means that the battery is non-user replaceable— you will need to take the 1800mAh battery to a service center if you need a replacement. Take note that it uses a microSIM, in case you’re planning on getting this smartphone as an upgrade. HTC has scored a slam dunk with the One X. The fantastically built body, the excellent performance of Tegra 3 and awesome camera all come together in a beautiful package.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
gadgetslab
MiLi Power iBox
BUY METER
8000mAh Battery Pack & Protective Case for iPad 2 By Amy Cristine Giray
/5
Specifications: Input: 5V/2.1A (max) Output: 5V/2.1A Capacity: 8000mAh Self-charging time: 5 hours Powers up to: 10 hours of video, 15 hours of data, 10 hours of music Dimensions: 256 x 196 x 15.2mm
tried and tested to find out what’s hot and what’s not
Steve Jobs created a world of countless possibilities with the iPad. However, even the most powerful tool has its downside and, for the iPad, that would be its power source. Battery Life has always been a particular concern for iPad users, especially those who rely on its use throughout the day.
3.5 What’s Hot:
• Almost doubles battery life • Custom-fit for the iPad 2, allows access to all functions
What’s Not: • Thick and heavy
Bottomline: Ideal for mobile users who need the assurance that their iPad 2 has enough power for extended use.
Thankfully, there are other creative minds in the world apart from Steve Jobs, and they have created a most useful accessory for the iPad. Here, I’d like to introduce you to the the MiLi Power iBox iPad Battery Case which breathes life into your iPad at its dying moments—literally. Designed as a back case custom-fit for the iPad 2, the Power iBox features
Smart Cover integration and allows access to all iPad functionalities. It is made of a glossy plastic material highlighted by a silky smooth silver finish, for protection against bumps and scratches. In addition, a built-in 8000mAh lithium polymer rechargeable battery offers up to 10 hours of video, 15 hours of data viewing and 10 hours of music. It is recharged via a micro USB power port at the
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
bottom, beside an on/off button and four LED power indicators. One issue I had with the Power iBox is its thickness, which adds about half an inch of bulk. I must also mention that it’s heavy, weighing in at over 350g. Sliding my iPad 2 into the case was a bit of a challenge because of its unibody construction. (We tried it with the New iPad, but
the fit wasn’t quite right.) Despite its obvious thickness, the Power iBox is a perfect match for the Apple Smart Cover. It also allows you to retain full functionality for your iPad 2, as there are cut-outs for the camera, the headphone jack and the lock button, plus plastic buttons for the volume control and power switch. The Power iBox should not be your everyday case for
your iPad 2. I believe you will best appreciate this accessory during those important occasions where you need to be assured that your iPad 2 is not going to unexpectedly die on you. Mobile professionals and road warriors who need a dependable power source for extended road trips or long-haul flights should include this in their mustbring list.
JUNE 2012
45
gadgetslab tried and tested to find out what’s hot and what’s not
Divoom iFit-2
BUY METER
3.5
/5
Portable Speakers By Jon Uriarte
With all the portable speakers out in the market, there’s a whole bunch to choose from if you want something to go along with your smartphone or tablet. Some have docks, others are equipped with wireless connectivity, many have a whole lot of extra features and each one comes in a different design. The Divoom iFit-2 is a lot more clear-cut. Let’s take a closer look.
Specifications: Output: 6w Size: L135 x W112 x H66 mm Frequency response: 100Hz - 20kHz Signal-to noise: >85dB Distortion: <0.5% Battery voltage: 3.7v Battery Capacity: 700MAH Battery charging voltage: 5V Power supply: USB powered
What’s Hot: • Chargeable battery makes it completely portable • Resting area for your device
What’s Not: • Won’t charge your device • No actual docking station • No volume control • Lacks bass • Can only be powered via USB or through its chargeable battery
Bottomline: The Divoom iFit-2 is an affordable portable speaker with a display holder for your smartphones and tablets that makes it ideal for watching movies and listening to music wherever you might be.
The first thing you’ll notice about the Divoom iFit-2 is its easel-like front area where you’ll find the rubberized rest for your devices. With that design, you would expect that there would be a dock to charge your devices—unfortunately, it’s really just a display holder. On the plus side, users don’t have to worry about whether their gadget is compatible since the display holder is wide enough to fit pretty much any tablet or smartphone, even if it has a case on it. Using the iFit-2 is pretty straightforward—just connect your device via the 46
JUNE 2012
mini stereo jack and you’re good to go. The speakers are located on the left and right side of the device. Users can then make use of the display holder for their tablet or smartphone so they can just sit back and enjoy a movie or listen to music. Without a docking station, however, it became quite a hassle to have to plug and unplug the mini stereo cable every time I wanted to use the unit. On the rear of the iFit-2 is where you’ll find the on/ off switch, the power light indicator, a mini stereo jack socket, and a mini USB socket. The iFit-2 is heavy
enough and its wide base is equipped with rubberized feet that keep it in place even if you push on your tablet’s touch-screen while it’s rested on the display holder. Now let’s move on to sound quality. The sound is definitely better and more powerful than what your tablet or smartphone is capable of by itself. The iFit-2 is able to get pretty loud and its audio quality is pretty decent for its price range, although I found that it lacked a bit of bass. It doesn’t have a volume control, so if you want to adjust the volume you’ll
have to do that on your connected device.
or only plan to use it for a total of 6 hours during the entire trip.
One plus point for the iFit-2 is its chargeable battery— users can charge it via USB. This feature makes the speakers truly portable, and I found that it lasted a good 6 hours of continuous use. Since the iFit-2 can only be charged via USB, it will need to either be running on battery or connected to your computer or another charging device every time you use it. This makes it not very ideal for out-of-town trips unless you’re also packing your laptop, have a separate portable power bank with a USB connector,
With a price of PHP 1,750, the iFit-2 is a nifty portable speaker system. While it’s pretty basic without too many features, we’d like to think that its intuitive design with its display holder makes up for it, as does its chargeable battery. Those looking for an affordable and portable speaker solution for their tablet or smartphone should definitely look into it.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
Digital Camera By Jon Uriarte
4.5
/5
Specifications: Dimensions: 92.3 x 52.4 x 21.6 Display: 2.7-inch TFT ClearPhoto Weight: 108 g Megapixels: 18.2 Sensor Type: Exmor R CMOS Sensor Battery Type Supported: Lithium N Supported storage: SD, SDHC, SDXC Lens: Sony G 10x optical zoom Ports: micro USB, HDMI
tried and tested to find out what’s hot and what’s not
The compact digital camera industry is highly competitive, with a number of companies offering the world what they believe a point-and-shoot should be. The Cyber-shot brand from Sony has been in the market for a long time, and we can easily recall their older models from five years ago that were equipped with a mere 3-megapixel sensor and hardly any other features. One of Sony’s more up-to-date and affordable releases is the Cyber-shot DSC-WX100, which we’ve had a pleasure to get more acquainted with.
gadgetslab
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX100
BUY METER
What’s Hot: • Great performance in lowlight for photo and video • Excellent hardware controls • Very intuitive and straightforward user interface • Good image quality • Lens focal length can take wide shots • Powerful zoom up to 20x • High speed autofocus • 10 fps burst mode
What’s Not: • No manual adjustment for ISO
Bottomline: The Sony Cyber-shot DSCWX100 is a great example of what an affordable point-andshoot camera should be. It’s equipped with the right type of features for casual users and is very easy to use. We highly recommend it.
A lot of the more recent point-and-shoots feature a touchscreen user interface with all of the camera controls. I’m personally not a fan of that, as I find that set-up to be often cluttered, difficult to navigate, and missing that “real photography feel” of hardware controls. It was a pleasure to discover that the DSC-WX100 doesn’t have a touchscreen. Instead, its controls are fully hardware, including the navigation wheel with a center button that you usually see on higher-end DSLRs along with a number of other controls— namely a menu button, a delete button, the playback button, a movie record button, and a switch to select between photo, panorama, and video modes.
Its hardware controls are incredibly straightforward and intuitive, and that’s also the same news with its user interface. Upon turning on the camera, I immediately knew how to get around and the controls responded very well. Turning the wheel would take me through the different settings available, depending on whatever mode (photo, panorama, or video) I’m in. Setting the timer, changing flash settings, switching to continuous shooting mode (also known as burst mode), and adjusting display settings were all very easy to do with the push-able navigation wheel as well. The camera itself is really light and small. Despite its size, it’s equipped with
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
a protruding Sony Lens G with 10x of optical zoom that reaches 20x with Clear Image Zoom. With its lens focal length of 4.45-44.5mm, the camera can take some pretty wide shots. If that’s not wide enough, then there’s always the panorama mode (which by the way is also capable of shooting in 3D). At the heart of the camera is a massive 18.2-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor that’s capable of AVCHD full HD 1080p video recording. Image quality is very good, as is expected from today’s compact cameras in this price range. Due to the backlit sensor, the camera is able to take pictures and videos in low-light, one of its best points since many
affordable point-and-shoots don’t do too well in those conditions. The exposure value is also adjustable for both photos and videos and there’s a range of white balance settings to choose from. There’s no way to manually adjust the ISO, however, which was a little disappointing. In this aspect, you can only let the camera automatically adjust it for you or choose among the list of scene selections provided—not such a bad thing for casual users. The DSC-WX100’s 2.7-inch screen is excellent and does not get scratched up easily. I must also commend the camera’s autofocus, which is very fast. It is capable of an impressive 10fps in burst mode. The picture effects
included are HDR painting, rich-tone monochrome, miniature, toy camera, pop color, partial color, soft high-key, watercolor, and illustration. It seems like Sony got a lot of things right with this one—its straightforward controls, intuitive user interface, full HD video, lowlight capability, 10 fps burst mode, high speed autofocus, image quality, lens ability, picture effects, and other features make the DSCWX100 a perfect example of what an affordable point-and-shoot camera should be. JUNE 2012
47
gaming
where playing around is a good thing
n e k k e T X r e t h g i F Street
By John Nieves | Publisher: Capcom | Developer: Capcom/Namco
Capcom’s fighting games have always had this love affair with crossovers.The Marvel vs. Capcom series of games is just one of many such successful collaborations, so it came as no surprise when the game company announced their partnership with Namco Bandai to release Street Fighter X Tekken. The premise is straightforward—take the iconic characters of two fighting game franchises and mash ‘em together in a clear-cut, beat-em till they drop fighting game. Because Capcom has taken the lead for this particular game, the gameplay is more attuned to the fast paced (yet highly strategic) style of Street Fighter games. The visuals reflect this—the game retains the general look of the recently released Super Street Fighter IV, so you can expect that unique Yoshinori Ono-era look with heavily stylized character models. Instead of just one character facing off with another, the game utilizes a tag system—which allows you to tag in your partner if your health is low. If your character’s health is depleted, you lose the round, even though your other fighter has health left. The game has a nice, even mix of both franchises, and icons of both games are present—Ryu, Ken and Guile mix it up with Heihachi, Jinand Kazuya. Aside from the tag system, Capcom has also included a unique gem system in place. There are two kinds of gems: boost gems and assist gems.While both help your characters in combat, their combat boosts are very different. Boost gems give you increased power, 48
JUNE 2012
defense and speed during a match, and are activated once certain conditions are met (say, being able to successfully block an attack five times in a row). Assist gems automatically trigger depending on the situation (there’s a gem for auto-blocking attacks, for instance) and use up your precious cross gauge. The addition of gems gives the game another layer of strategy, because you can specify what kind of gems and boosts you want beforehand. While some of the gems look like they’ll unbalance the game at first glance, Capcom has done a good job in implementing balance across the game. There’s no “ultimate” gem combination here because even though they give you additional boosts during the game, they require quite a bit of skill to activate. There’s a bit of online play as well. Our review was done using the PS3 version of the game and, as such, we had to go through Sony’s PSN to be able to play with other players. Online play was fun, and you can even specify if you want to be challenged by players online while playing the single player arcade mode. We’d like to thank Sony Philippines for providing us the with the PS3 and title used for this review. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
digital photography in a snap
snapshots © David Sheldrick DETAILS: NIKON D90, 50mm, f/11.0, 1/200 sec, ISO 100; Model: Chanie Mun; Stylist: Alexandra Greenhill; Makeup Artist: Chloe Han; Hair Stylist: Jun Sung Hong
© David
Sheldrick
N D90, S: NIKO DETAIL 3.0, 1/200 f/1 50mm, odel: 100; M sec, ISO un; Stylist: M Chanie nhill; ra Gree e Alexand Artist: Chlo p u e k ist: Jun Ma l y t S air Han; H g on Sung H
The
s ' r e h p a r g o t Pho n o i t a u Eq By Benjamin Arnold
g ticed or goin o n g in tt e g f usiness o ntly based b e t rr a u c ro r th e h tp u c ra is a tog he photography el-turned-pho f d o o d m rl sy schedule, o ld u o w b r e a a h e T y ts s 1 o 2 h a k , nd outs of Sheldrick h Sheldric a g id s u v o in a h e T D . . th e ty t li m u a o o h ab h re ows this hars sive interview n k lu c , x n e o d n ing relevant— n a y o h L ta it s in w d n e a in z ig a b g it gets Mag knowledge. , about makin is y h h p honored Gad to ra s g a it to v o h gra side of p which added t n e c c the business -a n o d n g in a Lo all while talkin www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
JUNE 2012
49
snapshots digital photography in a snap
S
heldrick learned about photography through trial and error. “When I was about 18, I didn’t go to a university; instead I went and stayed with my parents at some island in the south of Korea. And it was there that I went online staring at other peoples work. [I studied their styles and lighting] and I learned that way. It just grew from there.” “[I decided to make it a career] from the very first shoot I did,” said Sheldrick with a laugh. “I was like ‘This is it. This is it. This is the thing that I am going to do for the rest of my life.’ It was because I’ve been pushed to be a scientist—as I studied biology, chemistry and physics. [But] I have always been an artist. When I picked up the camera, it just became another medium. But it was a medium which had a lot of range. You could play so much with it. It was so technical and yet so conceptual. It’s brilliant. I love it.”
Though he has only been in the business for 3 short years, he has managed to get his work featured in prestigious magazine brands such as ELLE Magazine Vietnam, W Magazine Korea, Harper’s Bazaar Thailand,
eldrick
© David Sh
0, NIKON D9 DETAILS: 1.0, 1/200 105 mm, f/1 de 0; Mo l: sec, ISO 10 ; Stylist: Chanie Mun enhill; Gre Alexandra Artist: Makeup Hair Chloe Han; n Sung Stylist: Ju Hong
Eloquence Magazine and STATUS Magazine. He attributes most of this success to the quality of his work. “[People always ask me] ‘How do I stay in the game?’ I simply say its quality, quality, quality. When I have a concept, I focus entirely on the details of the shoot and I worry about everything else— about being published and making money—after the shoot. Consistent quality will always get you seen and noticed.” “It’s not about the equipment; it’s about loving to shoot. I mean I would go out with my iPhone if it meant I could shoot.” Sheldrick replied with a laugh when asked about beginner equipment. “I have actually shot with my iPhone once. My camera battery ran out [during the latter part of a shoot] so I used my iPhone and got quite a few good shots.” His suggestion for those who are serious about getting into the business is to, “Go for a pro-sumer camera—just underneath the professional level—and prime lenses. They are just magic. I have a Nikon D90, soon to be D800; a 35mm f2, a 50mm f1.4 and a 105mm f2.8 lens and those are all I need.”
Though Sheldrick is a firm believer in talent and quality work, he also believes that these are not enough. “I think talent is only just the start of it. It’s hard work because talent means nothing if you don’t work hard [or know how to work with people.] “I have worked with some really, really fantastic photographers when I was modelling. [A good example is] Josh Olins (the photographer of the United Colors Of Benetton 2011 F/W international campaign). One thing I noticed about him is that his way with people is beyond anyone else I have met. He spends probably 30 seconds to a minute with each person yet everyone he talks to feels like they have been best friends for years. He has a way of making everyone know that they will benefit from the work to be done, thus strengthening the team. It pretty much boils down to your personality. All the great photographers, or at least all the ones I have met, usually have a fantastic personality and they naturally draw people towards them.”
© David Sheldrick DETAILS: NIKON D90, 50mm, f/8.0, 1/200 sec, ISO 100; Model: Chanie Mun; Stylist: Alexandra Greenhill; Makeup Artist: Chloe Han; Hair Stylist: Jun Sung Hong
Once you are confident enough, it is time to get out there and meet people.
great “All the aphers, photogr st all the or at lea ve met, ones I ha ave a usually h fantastic lity...” persona © David Sh eldrick DETAILS: NIKON D 90, 35mm, f/6 .3, 1/200 sec, ISO 100; SHOT FOR : Elle Magazine Vietnam Ju ne 2012; M Bober; Des odel: Kasia igner: A drian Ahn Tuan ; MAKEu aRTIST: Ke iko Nakam P Editor: ura; Thanh Truc Truong
50
JUNE 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
“[For beginners] I suggest to get another photographer friend and just play and have fun. Learn from each other while having fun. Next you should get to know makeup artists, stylists and models and develop your team through them. To have a team where each individual is incredibly talented and are all on the same page, takes time and a lot of effort. You have to work together and most importantly you have to get along, which—I know from experience after working 2 to 3 years together—can be testing. Just grow with the people you know, because everyone just raises themselves up together. Our success and failures are intertwined.” The most important people to know though are those who pay the bills. “Once you have built your network of industry contacts and started getting into the flow of things, you need to know editors and potential clients. They are the most important because they call the shots.” One question which is often left unanswered is when to start charging and how much to charge. When faced with this question, Sheldrick paused to think before answering. “I believe
it is all based on a process of confidence. The way to do it is to first work on delivering your own ideas and translating them into an image. When you are confident in your capabilities, you can start working on other people’s ideas. As you start finding other people who have different concepts from you, you can begin to apply your style to their idea and you see how well you can deliver on that. That is the basis of pleasing a client. Do it for free at first. When you feel that you don’t have enough time to fit clients into your schedule that is when you know it is time to start charging.” Sheldrick’s tip for charging is not to undersell your talent. “Just go for the minimum wage of your country plus additional expenses, for example travel and food. When you feel there are more people coming to you for your services, you can start charging more. Build it up slowly, just add like an extra hundred bucks and keep building it as you get more clients. As soon as the demand for you goes up and you only have a certain amount of time you can give, that’s when you start charging [what you believe to be your market value.] The most difficult step is to start
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
Sheldrick
m, D90, 35m : NIKON ISO 125; DETAILS c, se 0 f/9.0, 1/20 le Magazine : El SHOT FOR 12; Model: June 20 igner: Vietnam ber; Des uP Kasia Bo MAKE ; an hn Tu a; Adrian A Nakamur o ik Ke ng aRTIST: Truc Truo h an Th : Editor © David
Sheldrick
D90, : NIKON DETAILS 0 sec, 10.0, 1/25 Elle 35mm, f/ FOR: T SHO ISO 160; June Vietnam Magazine el: Kasia Bober; d o an; M ; 2012 n Ahn Tu er: Adria Design Keiko T: IS RT a MAKEuP r: Thanh a; Edito Nakamur ng uo Truc Tr
digital photography in a snap
is ike this “I feel l es— iv s Creat a b o j hey r ou things t e l p o e p fore to give seen be .” ’t n e v ha ire them & to insp
snapshots
© David
getting paid, but worry about the expenses once you have established your reputation. Again, quality will get you noticed.” Sacrifices must be made in order to turn your passion into a career. “Realistically speaking photography won’t pay the bills,” admits Sheldrick. “For a lot of people that means getting a part time job and there is nothing dishonorable or disrespectful about that. If anything, it’s the opposite. There is something really respectable about someone who has a part time job so that they could do photography. It is always important to just be making money in any regards in life. It just shows the quality of the person. It shows a certain amount of dedication and work ethic which translates into their photography or any walk of life.” Sheldrick’s parting advice is straight and simple, “Stay humble and work hard and you will go places—in any industry. But it is important in the creative industry to challenge every single rule and challenge every single idea, and actively keep pushing the boundaries and showing people what they haven’t seen before. I feel like this is our job as Creatives— to give people things they haven’t seen before and to inspire them.”
Portrait of David Sheldrick
Check out David Sheldrick’s website at www.davidsheldrick.com for his online portfolio and information on how to contact him.
JUNE 2012
51
mobility
machines that get you places
The 4th-generation Honda CR-V Words by Mika Fernandez-David
Dubbed as the Smart Urban Vehicle, the introduction of the fourth generation CR-V hopes to signal Hondaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resurgence in the Philippine automotive market.
52
JUNE 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
The all-new CR-V features a prominent front fascia with an integrated grille and headlights design, elegant C-pillar window kink, upscale
The top-of-the-line 2.4 EX variant is equipped with the Intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID)—a 5-inch LCD display that shows various information for the driver, with controls conveniently located on the steering wheel. This variant is also equipped with a rear camera that automatically activates when the shift lever is
put in Reverse, with the image shown on the i-MID. Other features exclusive to the 2.4 EX are the sunroof, side mirror-mounted LED turn lights, as well as a hands-free telephone (HFT) function for making calls with a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. All CR-V units currently available are CBUs from Japan. These will be replaced with Thailand-made versions when Honda’s Thailand factories resume production for the Philippine market.
machines that get you places
The current CR-V builds on these qualities while introducing new technology to enhance driving enjoyment and ownership experience. The overall development concept was to create a “Super CRV”, by creating a new synergy that combiness the efficiency of a passenger car, the functionality of a mini-van, and the security of an SUV.
aluminum wheel design, projector-type headlights and distinctive tail lights. Both the 2.0 LX A/T (2WD) and the 2.4 EX A/T (4WD) variants of the all-new CR-V are equipped with the Eco Assist system, which consists of the ECON mode and Eco coaching ambient light, supposedly for more fuel-efficient driving. They are also equipped with the one-pull fold-down rear seats for additional cargo space, as well as cruise control for improved driving convenience.
mobility
First introduced in the Philippines in 1997, the CR-V was among the pioneer models in the compact SUV category, and has remained a favorite among loyal Honda owners through the years. The CR-V drives and rides like a car—and that is undeniably one of its best selling points.
SRP for the 2.0 liter LX AT is Php 1,425,000, while the 2.4 liter EX AT is Php 1,655,000 (additional Php 20,000 for White Orchid Pearl).
Quick Specs: Engine and Transmission: •For 2.4 liter EX AT (4WD) variant: •Type: In-line 4 cylinder DOHC i-VTEC •Max. power: 185 ps @ 7,000 rpm •Max. torque: 22.4 kg-m @ 4,400 rpm •Transmission: 5-speed automatic For 2.0 liter LX AT (2WD) variant: •Type: In-line 4 cylinder SOHC i-VTEC •Max. power: 153 ps @ 6,500 rpm •Max. torque: 19.4 kg-m @ 4,300 rpm •Transmission: 5-speed automatic Exterior: •Daytime running lights (DRL) •Front fog lights •17” aluminum wheels •Sunroof (for 2.4 EX variant only) Safety: •Front SRS airbags (driver & passenger) •Anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) •G-CON body structure •Hill Start Assists (HSA) – for 2.4 EX variant only Exterior Colors: •For 2.4 liter EX AT variant: •White Orchid Pearl (new) •Polished Metal Metallic •Crystal Black Pear •For 2.0 liter LX AT variant: •Twilight Blue (new) •Polished Metal Metallic •Crystal Black Pearl •Taffeta White www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
JUNE 2012
53
mobility machines that get you places
BMW 3-SERIES
The Ultimate Sport Sedan
Words By Belle Alba
“If there is such a thing as a quintessential BMW, it is without doubt the BMW3 Series. The 3 Series is everything a sports sedan should be, and for years it has stood undisputed at the summit of the premium mid-size segment. Since it made its debut in 1975, more than 12 million customers around the world have taken ownership of a BMW 3 Series. Backed up with its impressive heritage, innovations,aesthetics and driving dynamics, we are confident that the Filipino market will greatly welcome the All-New BMW 3 Series just like its predecessors.” So notes Maricar Parco, president of Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the official importer of BMW cars in the Philippines, during the official launch of the sixth generation BMW 3 Series, which is being offered in two variants, the 328i and the 320d. The 328i features a new 2.0-liter petrol engine with TwinPower Turbo technology that sets a new benchmark for driving dynamics and fuel efficiency. It produces a maximum of 245hp and 350Nm of torque, and is fitted exclusively in the Sport Line. The 320d is powered by a high-performance 2.0-liter diesel engine with 184hp and 380Nm of torque, and is offered in the Sport, Luxury and Modern Lines. Both engines are matched with either a six-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed automatic transmission. The BMW 3 Series is offered in 3 lines with distinct character traits. The Sport Line comes with eye-catching exterior features in high-gloss black. Eight heavily contoured black kidney grille slats in a chrome-colored surround give the front end of the car a particularly sporty look. On the Luxury Line, discreet high-gloss chrome elements lend the exterior an elegant and exclusive appeal. The kidney grille has 11 fine chrome slots and chrome trim strips give the front a striking appearance. The Modern Line is characterized by high-class trim elements in satinated aluminum for a more contemporary style. The BMW 320d is priced at Php 3.49-million and the 328i at Php 4.29-million.
BMW
Auto Technology
BMW’s cornerstone EfficientDynamics technology focuses on innovations that significantly reduce fuel consumption and emission levels, while producing outstanding performance. In particular, all 3 Series variants feature the Auto Start Stop function that automatically switches off the engine when the car is at a standstill or in neutral, then restarts as soon as the driver steps on the pedal. Air Curtain technology, which makes its debut in the 3 Series, results in improved air flow around the front wheels. Combined with sophisticated
54
JUNE 2012
chassis technology and high light-alloy content, this delivers sporty handling, high agility and enhanced ride comfort. A high function interface technology, dubbed ConnectedDrive, offers expanded driver assistance and advanced infotainment. Driver assistance systems ensure greater safety and assurance by responding to diverse driving situations, while the infotainment system enables the driver and passengers to make extensive use of music players and Bluetooth functions. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
mobility
The Latest Toyota Camry Words By Jon Uriarte | Photo By Christopher Kho
machines that get you places
Toyota Motor Philippines recently presented the newest iteration of the Toyota Camry which, with its aerodynamic and stylish cutting-edge design, exudes an iconic presence in the local automotive scene. Based on Toyota’s key development concept—“new era sedan”—this premium luxury vehicle balances driving power and comfort along with the freshest interior and exterior features. There’s a reason why the Camry model is the best selling mid-sized executive vehicle in the Philippines. Under the hood is a 3.5-liter V-Type, 6-cylinder, 24-valve dual VVT-i engine that provides a maximum output of 204kW@6,200rpm and a maximum torque of 346Nm@4,700rpm. All variants have a 6-speed sequential transmission with a sequential shift for manual transmission-like aggressiveness. The ride is also fitted with 16-inch front disc brakes, 15-inch rear disc brakes, and redesigned 215/55R 17-inch alloy wheels that further add to its dynamic look.
Ensuring optimal comfort, the new Camry features a 3-zone temperature control system. Its Nano-E technology is an air cleaning system that fills the cabin with refreshing air characterized by a balanced ratio of positive and negative ions. This plasma cluster purifies the air by preventing absorption of mold, fungus, and dust—and since Nano-e are negative ions surrounded by water molecules, they last longer and provide a cleaner air flow.
The new Camry employs a Smart Entry and Start System that makes use of a Smart Key to lock/ unlock the doors and a button to start the engine. The luxurious interior includes a steering wheel made of leather and wood grain material with an incorporated automatic tilt and telescopic system. Further giving the driver full control, the steering wheel is also equipped with buttons for audio, air conditioner and the multi-information (MID) display.
The new Camry also passes the highest standards in safety features. Aside from its antilock braking system and brake assist system, it’s fitted with Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) technology that detects tire slippage in order to automatically stabilize the car on slippery roads. Its Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS) automatically regulates the headlamp beam pattern in response to steering input and driving conditions for superior visibility
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
during nighttime driving. All variants of the Camry have driver and passenger airbags, with the addition of side and curtain-shield airbags for the 3.5Q model. Toyota’s newest ride also has electric retractable outer mirrors that are hydrophilic and feature wide view and reverse link features that allow the driver to see the rear of the vehicle on screen upon shifting into reverse. The new Camry is offered in three variants with the White Pearl version being slightly more expensive: 3.5Q at Php 2,082,000; 3.5Q White Pearl at Php 2,097,000; 2.5V at Php 1,681,000; 2.5V White Pearl at Php 1,696,000; 2.5G at Php 1,451,000; and 2.5G White Pearl at Php 1,466,000. The other shades are silver metallic, beige metallic, gray metallic, medium silver metallic, dark steel mica and attitude black.
JUNE 2012
55
Words by Mika Fernandez-David
machines that get you places
mobility
All-new Mazdas
With global sales of over 2-million units annually, the Mazda3 is considered Mazda’s core model, contributing over a third of global sales. ”We are confident that the all-new Mazda3 will become a popular choice for those looking for a high quality compact car in the market today,” said Janinna Mendoza, marketing director of Mazda Philippines. The fully redesigned and restyled Mazda3 delivers a fresh appearance, unmatched performance and premium refinements to the compact car segment. Subtle yet strategic changes to its front fascia and bumper create a dynamic and emotional design with high functionality. The bold forward protrusion of the lower bumper corners as well as the larger fins under the front bumper have resulted in improved aerodynamics.The new rear bumper design for the hatchback skillfully blends dynamic design and functionality to enhance an impression of wideness and solidness, while contributing to easier loading and unloading. Its entertainment system includes a 6-speaker system with 6-disc CD changer for the 2.0L variant and a single CD system for the 1.6L variant. The interior design skillfully blends stylish and sophisticated elements with highly functional ergonomics that help emphasize its dynamic and sporty nature while strategic updates aim to build on its strengths while further improving ease of use, driver safety and convenience. The new Mazda3 is available nationwide at the suggested retail price of PhP 999,000 for the 1.6LV sedan; PhP 1,099,000 for the 1.6L V hatchback and Php 1,299,000 for the 2.0L R sedan. 56
JUNE 2012
Launched at the same time was the all-new Mazda CX-5 crossover SUV, the first vehicle to adopt the full range of Mazda’s SKYACTIV technology in its new engine, transmission, body and chassis. It offers customers a refined driving experience together with outstanding fuel economy. Fitted with a new-generation SKYACTIV-G 2.0 directinjection petrol engine, the Mazda CX-5 is available with either the SKYACTIV Drive six-speed automatic transmission or the SKYACTIV MT six-speed manual transmission. The Mazda CX-5’s exterior sports a bold styling that expresses the solidity and functionality of an SUV with the vitality and agility that is pure Mazda. For the interior, a driver-oriented cabin with highquality, solid styling reflects the vehicle’s strength and extreme rigidity. This is the first production model to feature signature wings, represented by a line across the bottom of the grille extending to the headlamps. This is an embodiment of the ‘KODO — Soul of Motion’ design theme shared by Mazda concept cars. The Mazda CX-5’s lightweight yet rigid SKYACTIV Body framework is optimized for handling stability, low NVH and superior collision safety performance. Although lightweight, the SKYACTIV Body provides excellent collision safety performance. Front, side and curtain airbags are standard equipment on both variants and the anti-whiplash design of the front seats helps reduce the chance of neck injuries in the event of a rear-end collision.
The CX-5’s 2,700mm wheelbase is one of the longest in the class, allowing both sleek styling and a roomy, comfortable cabin that can comfortably seat 4 adults. It also provides the generous storage capacity demanded of an SUV. The CX5 is equipped with a USB port/ auxiliary jack that makes audio playback from thumb drives or smartphones possible, while Bluetooth connectivity allows for wireless connection with smartphones and other similar devices. The new Mazda CX-5 2.0L FWD is offered at PhP 1,452,000 for the automatic transmission and PhP 1,392,000 for the manual transmission.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
mobility machines that get you places
Test Drive:
Jack of all trades the all-new Chevrolet Orlando Words by Jade Lu | Photos by Christopher Kho
What do you get when you cross an MPV, an SUV, and a sedan? Not a mess, that’s for sure. Instead, what you get is a good combination of style, driving pleasure, and utility. In other words, you get the all-new Chevrolet Orlando. While it’s technically classified as a multi-purpose vehicle, one can’t possibly confine the Orlando to that stereotype. Sure, it may look stubby and boxy from the back, but that’s balanced out by the front fascia—rounded face, big clear head lights, and Chevy’s signature dual-port grill. And though we would typically expect a car like this to sport bigger wheels, the Orlando gets cutie-patootie 16-inch wheels. That doesn’t box this in as a soccer mom car, though, as it shares the same platform as the Cruze. Despite its 2.76 meter wheelbase and 4.65 meter length, weaving through the busy streets of Manila was a breeze. Not quite race track material, but it’s definitely no tank. Plus, its rear view camera and parking sensors came handy due to the small rear window and thick c-pillars. And because it’s just a tad bigger than the Cruze, garage space wouldn’t be much of an issue. Meant to carry seven people—and the Orlando can do that well—expect the ride to be on the stiff side when riding solo. The more passengers (or load) on board, however, the comfier the ride gets. Rounding up the gang for a road trip is starting to sound good www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
right about now, but make sure not to put the tall guys at the back. The Orlando’s “theater style” seating compromised a bit of headroom in the third row, so sitting upright wouldn’t really be an option for the vertically-enhanced. And what powers this heavy-lifter? The same fourcylinder 1.8L DCVVT engine as the Cruze, surprisingly. Yes, 139-horsepower and 176Nm of torque can and will take a group of seven from point A to B; just don’t expect it to do that in record time. ‘Slowly but surely’ is the name of the game. However, one thing that we half-expected (and not in a good way) is the fuel consumption. The big car-little engine combination isn’t quite the ideal setup, so be prepared for only 6 kilometers to the liter when driving around the city in light traffic. A diesel variant would have been nice. To top it off, the Orlando inherited the Cruze’s sluggish transmission and jerks as it switches gears on the sixspeed automatic gearbox. So as the fuel gauge steadily creeps from Full to Empty, one might choose to distract himself by fiddling with
the steering wheel’s buttons and gauges, and the bigger-than-seemingly-necessary center console, which actually opens as a clever storage space for hand-held gadgets and accessories. Smart. Overall, the Orlando is a harmonious fusion of comfort, style and function. This MPV has proven itself to be a fun yet practical family vehicle, albeit its not-sopractical fuel consumption. But if that means using only one car instead of two to transport your pack of seven, then the fuel consumption is justified, isn’t it? The Chevrolet Orlando is currently priced at Php 1,238,888.00, a jump up from its original price since November 2011, but it includes a touch screen infotainment system with navigation, headlight leveling, auto-dimming rear view mirror, rain sensitive windscreen wipers, cruise control, ABS with ESC, Traction Control, and dual front airbags as standard. It’s a good investment, when given some thought, especially for those with bigger families or active lifestyles.
JUNE 2012
57
mobility machines that get you places
Introducing the Suzuki Kizashi Words by Mika Fernandez-David
Japanese car distributor Suzuki Philippines, Inc. has finally introduced the Suzuki Kizashi to our local market, offering luxury specifications and performance-oriented drivability at a competitive price point against other Japanese, American and European performance sedans. The Kizashi represents Suzuki’s first foray into the very competitive executive car market, and replaces the Grand Vitara as the manufacturer’s flagship vehicle. Built at Suzuki’s state-of-the-art Sagara manufacturing facility in Japan, the Kizashi was made to be both an elegant and sporty vehicle. The elegance comes from its elegant styling and features like the keyless entry and push start system, while the sportiness comes from its engine displacement and the superior handling characteristics of its chassis. “The Suzuki Kizashi has proven itself not only in Japan but in both the discriminating markets of the United States and Europe,” said Mr. Shuzo Hoshikura, Suzuki Philippines’ general manager for automobile sales & marketing division. Powered by a 2.4 litre gasoline engine coupled with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with 6-speed manual mode, the Kizashi promises 180-horspower @ 6,000 rpm and 230Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. As expected of this class, the Kizashi comes loaded with safety as well as smart technology. This CBU from Japan comes with an anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and brake assist (BA), a six airbag system, 3-point seatbelts for all 5 passengers, Electronic Stability Program (ESP), as well as Suzuki’s proprietary Total Effective Control Technology (TECT) body to ensure occupant safety in case of a crash. It is also equipped with a keyless entry and start system with Intelligent Key and anti theft alarm; high capacity dual mufflers for silent operation; and an integrated audio system with USB connectivity and 6 speakers. The Kizashi is available in three colors: Snow White Pearl; Super Black Pearl; and Premium Silver Metallic, and can be yours for only Php 1,288,000 with a 3-year or 100,000 kilometer warranty, whichever comes first. At the launch, Suzuki Philippines President Satoshi Uchida ended his opening remarks stating that “the Suzuki Kizashi is a sign for greater things to come from Suzuki.” If he’s right, then the Philippine automotive industry is in for an exciting ride. 58
JUNE 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
features
The College Student’s Tech Survival Kit by KC Calpo | Art by Clarina Mae Gonzales
The day that most incoming college students (and even upperclassmen) dread is finally here: the start of regular classes.You may not look forward to the heavy coursework, daily schedules and deadlines, and countless all-nighters, but the coming semesters do lead to one good thing: new tech toys that can double as school essentials—and whose cost can easily be justified to doubtful/skeptical parents. We’ve got six gadgets that can make your life easier on and off campus, and will do their jobs not just for this year, but hopefully see you through college.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
JUNE 2012
59
features
The New Apple iPad The latest baby from Cupertino doesn’t have to work hard to win you over. It may be a tad thicker and heavier than its predecessor, but this tablet makes up for it by providing a greater feast for the eyes and fingers. Its Retina display boasts of a higher pixel count and greater color saturation while retaining its original size; and the broad selection of apps—both onboard and downloadable through the App Store—will lead to many, many hours spent tapping, pinching and swiping. The New iPad is beautiful on the inside, too: Apple’s dual-core A5X chip, quad-core graphics, 5-MP iSight camera, and Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/4G connectivity will enable you to cross items out of your to-do list in short order. The New iPad hasn’t officially landed on PH shores yet, but there are retailers and online stores that already sell it. Specs: Dual-core Apple A5X chip, 9.7” LED widescreen display with 2048 x 1536 resolution, 5MP rear camera, VGA front camera, 1080p video recording, projected 10-hour battery life, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (with 4G connectivity on other models), 16GB/32GB/64GB storage, 241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4mm, 652g (Wi-Fi model), 662g (Wi-Fi/4G model)
Western Digital My Passport 2TB Years worth of research, projects, notes and papers require ample space, and we’re definitely not talking about hard copy. The Western Digital My Passport external drive will store all your data without any problems, and can probably do it from your first day of classes to submission of graduation requirements. The 2TB variant, the largest for this product line, plays nice with both Windows and Mac systems; works with both USB 3.0 and 2.0 interfaces; and has fast transfer rates plus automatic backup (via WD SmartWare) and security/maintenance tools. And unlike your hefty files, the external hard drive itself is small and light, making for one heck of a contradiction. Specs: USB 3.0/2.0 interface, 5GB/s maximum transfer rate, 2TB storage space, compatible with Windows and Mac systems, WD SmartWare, WD Drive Utilities, WD Security, 111 x 82 x 21mm, 0.23kg
Lenovo IdeaPad U300s These days, most college kids have their own laptops, ready for use within the classroom and outside it. Consider the 13-inch Lenovo IdeaPad U300s, a beautiful ultrabook that can get right down to serious business or party like a rockstar. It may have a thinner frame than the Lenovo ultrabooks that came before it, and have a spec list that can be outdazzled by newcomers, but it can still fight a good fight—and, more importantly, give you more than your money’s worth. Specs: Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, 13.3” HD Glare display with 1366 x 768 resolution, Intel Integrated HD Graphics 3000, 128GB or 256GB SSD, 1.3MP front camera, 4GB DDR3 SDRAM (1333MHz), USB 3.0 interface, HDMI, SRS Premium Surround Sound, Lenovo Anti-Theft Protection and One-Key Rescue, Bluetooth/802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium OS, 324 x 216 x 14.9mm, 1.32kg
60
JUNE 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
features
Samsung Galaxy S III We can’t think of a better way to usher in the new school year than springing for and wielding a brand-new smartphone, especially one that’s as much-awaited as the Samsung Galaxy S III! Besides the bump in specs and its rounded edges, the S III is faster and sports several notable features: S Voice (we’d like to see it get into a catfight with Siri!), Smart Call, Smart Stay, and S Beam. The S III also keeps things going faster with the latest Exynos chipset, and the 4.8” Super AMOLED screen will definitely keep you preoccupied. And oh yeah, we almost forgot: you can do voice calls and send SMS with it, important when scheduling study groups and inuman sessions with blockmates. Then again, with this beauty in your hands, we doubt your friends would want to be away from you for long periods. Specs: Samsung Exynos 4 Quad chipset, quad-core 1.4GHz Cortex-A9 CPU, 4.8” Super AMOLED touchscreen display, Gorilla Glass 2 display protection, 16GB/32GB/64GB internal storage with microSD expansion (up to 64GB), microUSB 2.0, 8MP rear camera with LED flash, 1.9MP front camera, Bluetooth 4.0/Wi-Fi connectivity (with 4G variant), Google Android ICS, 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6mm, 133g
Amazon Kindle It can be tough to choose between Amazon’s six e-book readers, but we chose the US$79 version for two simple reasons: it’s the most affordable model (great for students on a tight budget and/or already have a tablet on hand), and has a feature set that will be maximized by Filipino users. Supplementary (or even primary) schoolbooks/readings and additional research (e.g., newspapers, magazines, and audiobooks) can be bought off Amazon.com and loaded onto your Kindle in minutes. You can also load your documents and .pdf files onto the device for reading and annotation. And if you have an Amazon Prime membership, you can use the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library to access more than 100,000 titles! Specs: 6” E Ink display with 600 x 800 resolution, 2GB internal storage (equivalent to 1,400 e-books), Amazon Cloud Storage, 3 weeks to 1 month of battery life, USB 2.0 interface, Wi-Fi connectivity, Whispersync, 166 x 114 x 8.7mm, 170g
MiPow Power Tube Shake 2600 Gadgets may get more gorgeous, faster and more feature-packed every year (or even every quarter!), but battery life is always a sore spot. Say hello to the MiPow Power Tube Shake 2600, which gives your beloved smartphone and tablet the extra juice it needs—or resurrect it a la Lazarus once it decides to call it quits. Yes, it accommodates many smartphone and tablet brands; besides Apple-branded devices, it can also power up products from brands like HTC, Samsung, Nokia and BlackBerry via universal connectors. Want to know how much juice the Power Tube 2600 has left? Just shake it, and it will change color according to battery level. The only question left to ask is what color you’d want to get it in; you have 10 hues to choose from. Specs: 1A output current, 5V output voltage, 800mA input current, 2600mAh capacity at 3.7V, 500x cycle, 4-hour charging time (DC), 23.5 x 92mm, 148g
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
JUNE 2012
61
coverstory
in-depth TOPICS on all things tech and lifestyle
Goodbye Boob Tube Hello Smart TV By John Nieves | Art by Patrick Jude Ilagan
Technology has a nasty habit of shoving its head into literally every conceivable product known to man. Today we have phones that have more processing power than some lower end notebooks, refrigerators that know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s currently in the freezer, and computers that are almost impossibly thin and light yet have all the features to get us through a busy day. It was only a matter of time, we suppose, before the same kind of technology that goes into your phones and computers finds its way to TVs. Welcome to the era of Smart TVs.
62
JUNE 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
coverstory in-depth TOPICS on all things tech and lifestyle
What is a Smart TV anyway? Very simply, a Smart TV is an internet connected TV that offers additional features like Web 2.0 apps and streaming services. All of these extra connectivity features are integrated into the device. What makes a Smart TV special is that it allows for some really cool features not found in regular TVs. Hi-end Smart TVs typically use the same ARM processors present in smartphones and tablets— Samsung’s high-end ES8000 for example, uses a dual-core processor—and run a highly modified form of Android as its operating system. As a result, these TVs can run apps and widgets that increase functionality beyond the usual fare of shows and movies. Smart TVs are able to connect to the internet, to provide value added services to the consumer. These apps usually vary by manufacturer, but social network apps like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are pretty much standard. Like the Android ecosystem, there’s a large number of apps available (but are largely manufacturer dependent): there are apps for education, additional 3D content, as well as games that are controlled by the remote control (or other input devices). Because of the connected nature of Smart TVs, they’re able to do other cool things too. Since www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
Smart TVs usually hook up to your home’s existing network, you can stream your content library directly to the Smart TV. You don’t need to use a separate device just to play your music and movies—just connect the TV to your network, and away you go. Through internet connectivity, Smart TVs can also be upgraded through firmware updates. Software is continually evolving, and improvements in codes are made by software engineers all the time. Glitches and bugs in a Smart TV can easily be resolved by downloading the necessary update. Samsung has taken this particular concept a bit further through the addition of the “Evolution Kit”, which contains the processor and all the other parts that makes a Smart TV, well, smart. Samsung has made the evolution kit upgradable, which means that while your panel may still stay the same, you can essentially upgrade your TV to the current model (feature-wise anyway) without having to shell out the same amount of money that you initially paid for it. The only problem with Smart TVs? They’re expensive. But like any new technology, their prices should come down once the economies of scale kick in. Two or three years from now, the prices would probably be at the point where even a regular Joe can afford one.
JUNE 2012
63
photofeature
WHEN gorgeous girls MEET High-tech gadgets
Photographed by Raphael Yu; Make-up by Razel “Pong” Niu of MAC Cosmetics; Hair by Aries Manal; Art Direction by Benjamin Arnold & Michelle CallantaToledo; Styling by MR Gavin; Lauren’s clothes by Jellybean; Megan’s clothes by Forever21; Shoes by DAS; Accessories by Xtremefinds Co.; Shot on Location at Stacy’s; Models: BELLI David & Psyche Calypso Callanta
64
JUNE 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
photofeature WHEN gorgeous girls MEET High-tech gadgets
Canon IXUS 510 HS
You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to wait to get home to upload your pictures from your night out with the boys with the Canon IXUS 510 HS. It has a built-in WiFi module that allows you to transfer your pictures directly to your mobile device or tablet, so you can sort and post your pictures without having to go through your PC.
Sweet The
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
Life
Gadgets Magazine shows you just some of the sweeter things in life as lovable and loving sisters Megan and Lauren Young showcase the latest gadget must-haves this June.
JUNE 2012
65
photofeature WHEN gorgeous girls MEET High-tech gadgets
Asus Transformer Pad TF300 What are you getting with this Transformer? Fast and fluid user experience at an affordable price point, a sturdy plastic exterior, fast performance from its NVIDIA quad-core Tegra 3 processor, and the ability to attach the TF300 to a keyboard dock that doubles as an extended battery.
66
JUNE 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
photofeature WHEN gorgeous girls MEET High-tech gadgets
Nokia Lumia 710 Meet the Nokiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lumia 710, an affordable Windows Phone 7.5 powered smartphone thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set to change how you look at things. The Lumia 710 is fast and easy to use, and has a number of improvements by Nokia that give users a leg up in everything they do.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
JUNE 2012
67
photofeature WHEN gorgeous girls MEET High-tech gadgets
Samsung Series 5 Ultra Meet your next ultrabook. The Samsung Series 5 Ultra is one of the best ultrabooks you can own, and comes with a number of technologies that help you get the most out of your time. A fast 20 second boot time ensures you spend more time working and less time waiting for your PC to boot up. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also extremely light and weighs in at less than two kilograms.
68
JUNE 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
Interviewed by Benjamin Arnold
WHEN gorgeous girls MEET High-tech gadgets
Young At Heart
photofeature Sweet siblings Megan and Lauren Young are more than just sugar, spice, and everything nice. From movies to billboards to magazines, they prove that while they may be in the same industry, their apparent playful love for one another transcends the kind of rivalry people would expect from sisters. Gadgets Magazine lets you take a delectable bite out of these “Young” ladies and lets you in on why sisters make the best of friends.
O
n location, the two couldn’t help but express their excitement to be featured on a cover together for the first time. “I think it’s really fun,” said Megan. “Because we always wanted to do a photo shoot together. I mean she would visit me at my shoots, or I would visit her but now we are actually together. We did have a show together before, but they never really had us interact with each other.” “Yeah,” agreed Lauren. “They would have us on different sides of the set. [But working with my sister now,] I guess in a way we can also learn from each other.” “I am also excited to see if Lauren can beat my modeling skills,” added Megan with a laugh. With the two playing around the pastel colored set, they couldn’t help but spill some funny quirks that they noticed about each other. “Megan loves to dance, but she doesn’t show anyone. She dances like a dinosaur,” started Lauren while
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
imitating her sisters dance moves by waving her arms around with claw-like hands similar to the moves of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance video. “Can you not do that?” followed Megan with a laugh. “I really do dance funny. I have two left feet and four arms I guess. I don’t know why it happens. I think it looks good though.” “No, it doesn’t!” Lauren emphasized as the two of them laughed. Lauren, on the other hand, would venture into Megan’s room for various reasons. “She has this thing where even if I am asleep or not home, she would go into my room and look at my stuff or go on my computer and leave me messages like ‘Hi Ate!’” said Megan. “Yeah,” Lauren confirmed. “That is my little routine in the morning. My room is on the 3rd floor with our brother and her room is on the 2nd. Whenever I go downstairs, I would see her room and think to myself, ‘Oh, its Megan’s room.’ Then I would peek inside and
see if I can find something to wear, roam around her room, use her computer or just talk to her if she happens to be there when I walk in.” “We don’t really go out that much anymore,” said Megan. “Not like we used to. Most of our friends are working now and so are we, so mostly we spend time with each other at home. We chill and we bake a lot at home. We do simple stuff.” To pass the time at home, the sisters play around with their favorite gadgets. “Right now, the gadget I use the most would be these really cute Panda speakers,” said Lauren. “It is shaped like a Panda, but it is so small and compact that I can bring it anywhere. It is just so cute and very loud. It is like the size of my fist,” Lauren raises her fit to show us the size. “But when the music plays, the whole house can hear it.” Megan, for her part, leans away from music and is more into videography. “My favorite gadget right now is my Canon 60D. I have
only had it for a couple of months. Because I am a film major, it is something I can use for my short films in class. I also like the fact that I can capture memories with it because I felt like events were wasted before because I didn’t have a camera to document it. But now that I finally got one, I can actually capture it and put it up on my blog, or use it for school. It’s a big necessity for me.” When it comes to sibling rivalry, there is no bad blood between the two. “That is one thing that I am proud of,” said Lauren smugly. “We have never had sibling rivalry and I hope we never get to that point where we are fighting for a project. I don’t want to ruin our relationship over that.” “Yeah,” concluded Megan. “I love my sister so much. I feel that as we get older, we will not be competing against each other, because we each have a different forte. We will be taking different paths so I highly doubt we will be clashing in terms of projects. We are completely different and we want different things.”
JUNE 2012
69
lifestylefeature Kris Aquino Amazed By Nokia Lumia Smartphones Kris Aquino seems to have it all and is not exactly the easiest person to impress. With all her accomplishments, both in her personal life and in her career, it is definitely extraordinary when Kris finds something that excites her and makes her rave about it to her friends. And one of the things that Kris fancies at the moment is the new Nokia Lumia range of smartphones. “It really is amazing and it’s the perfect phone for my lifestyle. I like how it enables me to discover, create and share things with my loved ones everyday,” said Kris Aquino, who has recently been chosen as the ambassador for the new Nokia Lumia phones. As one of the country’s most respected TV and movie personalities whose schedule is almost always packed, it is important that Kris gets to balance work with personal things that she deems important. Packed with exciting and up-to-date features, Nokia Lumia smartphones help her fulfill her duties as a TV host, a movie actress, a brand endorser and a devoted mother. “We all know that Kris is a really tough and amazing lady who deserves an equally amazing and impressive phone. That’s why she’s the perfect person to represent Nokia Lumia,” said Dharmesh Goshalia, Nokia Philippines general manager and head of sales. With Nokia Lumia smartphones, Kris gets to have an amazing every day. These smartphones are powered by Windows, making them easy and convenient to use. They also come with Internet Explorer 9 so Kris can quickly check her email or browse the Internet and keep herself posted on the latest news, be it about the country or about her colleagues in show business. Transferring her contacts from her old smartphone was a breeze with the Contacts Transfer app. What’s more, the Lumia phones are also incorporated with Microsoft Office, which means Kris can access, edit and view documents whenever the need arises. These award-winning phones also have instant access to email and social networks like Facebook and Twitter, providing Kris the luxury to stay in touch with her family and numerous, dedicated fans. She can stay connected with them and share more of herself to them. Since these phones are equipped 70
JUNE 2012
“It really is amazing and it’s the perfect phone for my lifestyle.
I like how it enables me to discover, create and share things with my loved ones everyday”
with world-class Carl Zeiss optics, Kris can capture clear images of her interesting activities and instantly upload them to her social networking accounts for all her supporters to see. The Nokia Lumia smartphones also boasts of signature Nokia experiences like Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive, which gives you free turn-by-turn navigation. There are many apps for download from the Windows Phone Marketplace like MMDA for traffic updates, What’s App for cross-platform chatting with your friends on other smartphone brands, and Sound Hound for instant music search and discovery.
- Kris Aquino
But these Nokia Lumia smartphones are not only amazing on the inside. Just like Kris, they also have a very chic and sleek design. You can choose to standout with a cyan or magenta color or play it safe with a white or black version. Watch out for the new Nokia TVC featuring the amazing combination of Kris Aquino and the new Nokia Lumia Smartphones. Just like Kris, you can also make your every day amazing with the Nokia Lumia smartphones, now available at Nokia Stores and retail outlets nationwide.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
lifestylefeature
EXPERIENCE LUXURY AT EASTWOOD RICHMONDE HOTEL THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE RICHMONDE HOTEL BRAND RISES AT EASTWOOD CITY, THE FIRST URBAN COMMUNITY EAST OF MANILA DEVELOPED BY LEADING REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER MEGAWORLD CORPORATION. Bearing the name of this pioneering live-workplay enclave, Eastwood Richmonde Hotel (ERH) completes the city’s mix of establishments and answers the lodging needs of business and leisure travelers in Quezon City and the neighboring Pasig City and Bonifacio Global City areas.
With the Banquet Kitchen’s team of skilled chefs dishing out delectable fare; the Banquet Service staff attending to the guests every whim; and the Banquet Sales group coordinating and synchronizing the execution of every detail, functions at ERH are guaranteed to be a success.
ERH’s 138 guest rooms are situated from the 29th to the 38th floors, offering a majestic view of the metropolis. Furnished with luxurious modern conveniences and plush old-fashioned comforts, each room and suite is a welcome haven for any world-class traveler.
To fulfill the wellness needs of its guests, ERH has a Fitness Center, complete with a gym, personal trainers, locker rooms, sauna rooms, and a rooftop swimming pool, located at the 39th floor. Offering support to the busy executive is the Business Center that provides secretarial services, plus meeting rooms and private offices for rent.
An assortment of epicurean delights awaits gastronomes at ERH’s food & beverage outlets. All found at the lobby level, these restaurants may be accessed easily by both in-house guests and Eastwood City mall-goers. The hotel’s main dining area is the Eastwood Café, which serves up a menu filled with global cuisine sure to excite every diner’s senses. The Gallery, ERH’s bar lounge, is the ideal setting for an after-work hang-out or nightcap, while enjoying good company, fine drinks, tasty chow and spirited entertainment. Warm and cozy, The Lounge provides guests with a hot spot for casual meetings with business associates or meet ups with personal pals.
But distinguishing itself from the other hotels is the Richmonde spirit embodied in all of ERH’s staff which presents guests with a unique experience that is warm, sincere, comforting, and entirely delightful. Indeed, the “Distinctly Richmonde. Distinctly Personal.” standard and aspiration of the Richmonde brand continues in Eastwood Richmonde Hotel.
Elegant and multi-functional, ERH’s banquet facilities, coupled with the hotel’s central location in the metropolitan area, provide exceptional venue options for corporate events and social affairs. There are six function rooms in all, three of which may be combined to create the Grand Ballroom which has a maximum capacity of 300 persons for a banquet set-up. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
JUNE 2012
71
home
Refrigerator Must-Haves
TECH LIVING AT ITS BEST
Buying a home or kitchen appliance is one serious business. Just like when we buy a mobile phone or personal computer, we should shortlist our choices to those brands that are reputable, reliable, functional and stylish—and then prioritize these according to our budget.
Take for example, refrigerators. This kitchen appliance is truly one thing we can’t live without. But do we really take the time to carefully consider what makes a perfect ref buy? Or do we simply opt for the one that fits the budget for so long as it cools? Here are some selection criteria you may find useful when choosing your next refrigerator:
chiller space. This will save you more frequent trips to the grocery. For storing long, tall items and heavy items, choose a ref that has many storage combinations.
Reputable brand.
Support Philippinemade products. All things being equal, opt for a refrigerator manufactured by a company who understands the Filipino needs more. “Gawa ng Pilipino para sa Pilipino.”
Durable Construction. Ask the sales person if the interior is sealed and made of ABS plastic. This material is non-toxic and is proven to last longer than others. Also, find out where the product is manufactured. Philippine-made refrigerators may be better choices as these are designed to suit local punishing conditions such as weather, usage and load.
Warranty. Check coverage and read the fine lines. If the warranty being offered is valid for business or commercial use, then you are assured of durability and reliability. Parts availability is also important as you don’t want to wait for parts to be shipped from other countries in case of a breakdown. Cooling & Energy Efficiency.
Direct cool refrigerators are more economical to maintain than the no-frost kind. Don’t forget to check the yellow card which bears the energy rating—the higher the EEF, the more energy efficient. Examine what the freezer wall is made of. Aluminum lining aids faster cooling or freezing; cold air stays longer, too, in the event of power failure—ideal for brownouts!
Spacious and Flexible Storage. It would be nice if your ref has a big freezer and 72
JUNE 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
home
Condura recently introduced two all-new lines of refrigerators—the fifth generation Condura Negosyo series and the Negosyo Style series, both designed specifically for those who want to use their refrigerators for business but still have a great-looking home appliance. The Condura Negosyo 5G (fifth generation) Series, and the Negosyo Style Series, the only refrigerators built for business, brandish several upgrades that afford its Pinoy Negosyante owners the opportunity to make and save money. The most spacious in the market, the Condura Negosyo Refrigerators boast of up to three times more freezer space, two times more chiller space and 14 storage combinations! Powered by a negosyo compressor, they are low on electricity consumption. The Condura Negosyo Refrigerators are up to 100% more energy efficient than a no-frost household
TECH LIVING AT ITS BEST
Condura Negosyo Refs refrigerator and they’re the only refrigerator brand with a warranty that is valid for negosyo use, giving priceless peace of mind to business owners. The freezer is equipped with 4D Surround Freeze Technology for faster cooling. It also retains the coldness longer, which comes in handy during brown-outs. Other new features include a bluish-white cabinet interior for a cleaner look, energy-saving LED interior light, and additional ice tray racks and ice buckets. All these can be summed up in 4 M’s–malamig (cool), matibay (durable), malaki (big storage), and matipid (economical). The Condura Negosyo 5G Series comes in single door, two-door and freezer variants, while the allnew Condura Negosyo Style Series offers single door and two-door options in dragon red, pristine white, satin cream, and silver chic colors. Prices start at Php10,995.
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Condura introduced its new logo hailed as an evolutionary design that still keeps its links to its rich heritage by maintaining the strong, bold and modern elements such as the red color scheme and the striped pattern. It’s a new look that’s expected to stand toe-to-toe with the world’s most-loved brands, and at the same time exude fresh appeal for a younger audience and dynamism that would be appreciated by buyers all over the globe. “Because of our focus and specialization, we have successfully edged out our foreign competitors here in the Philippines, so it’s only a matter of time before we can do the same abroad,” asserts Condura president and chief operating officer Ton Concepcion. “In our generation, we can’t just think and confine ourselves within our borders,” he adds. “We must make our brand regional and global. All our Asian neighbors are growing fast, and it’s high time we jump in on the race. After all, we know that we have what it takes to compete globally.”
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
JUNE 2012
73
home
HAIER INSPIRES
TECH LIVING AT ITS BEST
Filipino Homes
Haier Electrical Appliances Philippines Inc., a subsidiary of global home appliance manufacturer Haier Group, signaled its entry into the local market with a grand launch event themed Now Inspiring Filipino Homes.
“..As the No. 1 major appliances brand in the world, we are quite confident in the success of the Filipino market.”
Haier Asia president and Haier Group vice president Du Jungguo also announced Haier’s acquisition of Sanyo’s white goods business, noting that the move was “an important part of Haier’s global growth strategy. The acquisition has laid the foundation for Haier’s strategic development in Japan and Southeast Asia. Our two R&D centers, four manufacturing bases and six localized marketing centers can better cater to the ever-growing and dynamic needs of consumers in the region. As the No. 1 major appliances brand in the world, we are quite confident in the success of the Filipino market.” Under the acquisition agreement, Haier will adopt a dual-brand strategy simultaneously using the “Haier” brand alongside the “SANYO” brand for a specified period of time. Haier will offer a diverse product line-up covering both white and brown goods in the Philippine market. These include: • Refrigerators—French Door, Side by Side, and Top Mount—with LED back light, cooling tower air flow system and inverter technology • Washing Machines—Front Load, Twin Tub and Dryer—known for energy efficiency rating and anti-bacterial treatment features • Air Conditioner—Split Type—with intelligent air flow and negative ion features • Television—LCD and LED—with the latest technology such as energy-saving, 3D and internet, etc. Combining its strengths in innovation, quality and design, Haier hopes to “bring additional high-quality choices to consumers to help them better enjoy their life.” Haier’s factories within the ASEAN region will ensure sufficient and prompt supply of products to meet local demand. Moreover, its strong R&D and marketing capabilities will help Haier to better serve the needs of Filipino consumers.
74
JUNE 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
everythingapple
GADGETS THAT DON’T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE
Confident Presentations with
KEYNOTE + REMOTE By Presy Alba
Steve Jobs is not alone in his aversion to slide presentations. Most of us have attended meetings and conferences where slide presentations made the presenter irrelevant, inept or ineffective. Slide presentations are supposed to be visual aids that help the speaker tell a more compelling story. But the sad fact is that many don’t take the time to study how to use the presentation tools effectively. A number also cannot be bothered to prepare an interesting slideshow. Don’t get me started on poorly prepared presentations with hideous color themes, stretched photos and poorly chosen animation effectS—or we’ll be here forever. Poor presentations always leave a bad impression. Let’s assume, though, that the presentation is perfect and the presenter, well rehearsed. Everything should go smoothly and the speaker should be able to tell his story effectively, right? Not quite. When doing the unfamiliar, things can still go wrong. I once attended a conference where the presenter, with a truly impressive report, lost his audience because of a clicker. He had all the elements of a perfect presentation: it had good content, it was tastefully prepared, and he was well rehearsed. When he arrived at the plenary hall, there were two large screens on the stage where his slideshow would appear as he explained his report. The event organizer handed him a remote clicker with a laser pointer so he could control his presentation and point to elements in his slideshow. At first his presentation went really well but as he got excited about explaining his findings using the www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
laser pointer to highlight items on the screens, he forgot that he was supposed to point the clicker toward the lower right corner of the stage where the laptop was when he needed to move to the next slide. He got flustered and confused. The audience started snickering when they noticed what was going on, and he lost momentum in his presentation. The event organizer eventually saved the day by sitting in front of the presenter’s laptop and manually moving the slides using the keyboard every time he waved the clicker around. In the Apple ecosystem, this embarrassing experience is easily avoided. With a Macbook connected to an LCD projector, Wi-Fi access, an iPhone or an iPad, you can use Keynote and Keynote Remote to make a big and impressive production that will wow your audience in the boardroom or on stage.
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO: 1. Create your Keynote presentation on your MacBook. 2. Make sure that your iPhone or iPad and Macbook are connected through a Wi-Fi network. You can actually use your iPhone as the Wi-Fi router by turning on the Personal Hotspot service in the Systems app. If you’re using an iPad, you will need an external Wi-Fi router—so check if the venue has
one available or bring along a personal wireless router such as the Huawei E5. 3. Turn on Keynote Remote on your iPhone or iPad. On settings, choose portrait and turn on display presenter notes if you want to see your notes under each slide. On Portrait Mode with the presenter’s notes visible only on your iPad or iPhone, you don’t have to memorize your presentation. Since presenter’s notes are not visible to the audience, you can just read through the entire script while impressing the audience with your segues and seamless transitions to the next slide. If you don’t need the presenter notes but would rather see the next slide beside the current slide on your iDevice, set the orientation to landscape. 4. Link Keynote Remote from your iPhone/iPad to your MacBook by entering the 4-digit passcode shown on your iPhone/iPad screen. To do this, open Keynote on your MacBook, click on Keynote on the menu bar, select Preferences, then Remote, check the “Enable iPhone and iPod touch Remotes” box, then click on the name of your iDevice. 5. Now you’re all set. You can control your presentation from your iPhone or iPad while you’re walking around the room without missing a point and impressing everyone with your awesome presentation. JUNE 2012
75
wellness AN OVERLOOKED HEALTH ASPECT—POSTURE CHANGING YOUR LIFESTYLE FOR THE BETTER
By Jon Uriarte
Chiropractors go through a minimum of two years of university study in pre-med sciences followed by four years of full-time chiropractic schooling in order to deal with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system. Their central interest is the relationship between impaired position of the spinal vertebrae and the nerve system and its effect on health, in which posture plays a large role. Proper posture improves our overall health and wellness by giving us less back strain, allowing us to breathe better, and providing us with more confidence in our everyday lives. You wouldn’t want to be hunched over in your old age or suffer from back pain. According to certain statistics, 4 out 5 people will have back pain at some point in their life and 3 out of 10 will suffer from chronic back pain. Indeed, back pain is the number two reason why people go to the doctor and the number five reason that people are hospitalized. The truth is that poor posture puts 40% more pressure on the spine.
into the upright standing position. According to evolution, we’re not really designed to sit down. In fact, before the industrial revolution happened, people spent most of their lives standing up. Nowadays, we spend an average of 9.6 hours a day in our chairs. Most of us work at our desks all day sitting down, we drive to work sitting down, we eat our meals sitting down, we watch TV sitting down, and so on and so forth. If we add it all up, that’s approximately 31 years of our life spent on our butts. Chiropractors say that watching TV in that position for 6 hours every day can shorten our life by 5-10 years. Even though sitting down is inevitable in this day and age, there is still something we can do in order to save our health—we can develop the proper posture. A common myth is that in order to fix our posture while sitting, we must place a pillow behind our back. Although this might help a little bit, we’re not always leaning back in our chairs and it still doesn’t solve the issue of strain inflicted on our pelvic bone when we sit. Having said all of this, chiropractors have found a way to give their patients a better sitting posture. This is done using a medical device that tackles the problem from the ground up—or rather, from the pelvic bone up to the rest of the spine.
When you really think about it, it took human beings hundreds of thousands of years to evolve 76
JUNE 2012
Now available in the Philippines, Backjoy aims to change the way we sit, stand and sleep. Most of the
Posture is one of the most overlooked aspects of our health and wellness.
4 OUT OF 5 P E O P L E
HAVE BACK PAIN AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIFE time, it’s not our fault for having bad posture. It’s really the seat, regardless how comfortable we might think it is, that places strain on our bones and muscles and puts our spine in an unnatural shape for hours. In essence, the BackJoy sitting product is a device that changes the way people sit by shifting the user’s center of gravity to the front of the body, removing harmful pressure from the spine and back area and improving posture. It’s shaped somewhat like a breast-plate and it’s meant to be placed underneath ones’ butt.
The world’s first and only “orthotic” tool for backs, Backjoy works by “floating” the user’s pelvis over either hard or soft sitting surfaces, acting as a natural shock absorber.
The BackJoy Posture+ version of the sitting device sells for Php 2,990. This shifts the pelvis into the neutral position and thus adjusts the spine into the proper “S” shape. This leads to good posture, better blood circulation, and less back pressure. The device can be used virtually anywhere you sit, such as at work or in the car. Although at first glance it might seem like one of those gimmicks often seen on home shopping networks, it’s actually been endorsed by multiple members of the medical community—including neurologists, nurses, and of course chiropractic physicians.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
By Princesse Lim-Fernandez
Contrary to popular belief, you are not doomed forever when the bad stars fly your direction. There are ways to ease the effect of these bad stars and enhance your good luck. Lucky directions depend on the Flying Stars chart of the year. The chart above shows that of the current year, there are 5 lucky stars and 4 unlucky ones. Each direction has a certain cure to enhance luck or ease ill luck. Check the direction of your main door, bedroom, bedroom door, headboard, kitchen and office/work table. If you are affected by any of the unlucky directions below, you may neutralize this by placing the appropriate cure for that specific direction. Let’s start off the year with some good vibes. On the center direction is the Travel Star—everyone who resides on it will get opportunities to travel and/or to migrate. The Sure Win Horse should be placed in this direction. The horse literally means “you win money immediately,” so it promotes monetary gain in the near future. Since the Travel star is in the center of the Feng Shui chart, the horse is considered the superstar of the year’s chart. Having this in the center will enhance your winning prospects and attract money from overseas. Everyone has experienced losing money, whether spending it or just losing it. This 2012 on the Northwest direction is the Robbery star. This direction should be guarded by the right Feng Shui cures to be able to ease its effects. A Hippo guard is a must and very important for this Year of the Water Dragon because the robbery star may affect everyone’s money luck. The Robbery star causes loss of money, money leakage, or just being cheated out of money. This is in the shape of a hippopotamus, also known as the water horse which is the proper element and depiction in reducing the effects of this unlucky star. Another cure/luck item that can be placed on the northwest direction is the crystal money bag charm. Since the Robbery star’s effect is quite strong this year, everyone should pay extra attention to their money luck. Having this moneybag charm will prevent from losing money, getting cheated and money leaking unexpectedly. Made of auspicious www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
NORTH WEST ROBBERY STAR
WEST WEALTH STAR
SOUTH WEST CONFLICT STAR
crystal that promotes fruitfulness, it represents a bag of gold or a treasure bag. The West direction is one of the lucky directions of the 2012 Flying Stars chart. Being in this direction will give people better money luck. To enhance the luck in this direction, one should place a Vivacious Prince of wealth cure. This is a dynamic, young and active wealth master presented in the shape of a child, full of vim, vigor and vitality. Especially appropriate for the current Feng Shui Trend Eight Cycle of 20042024 which is represented by the young generation. Having this Prince in your place helps invite wealth to come actively. South is where the Romance star and Three Killer star is. To enhance the effect of the romance star and ease the effect of the three killers, one should place a Brass Happy Couple on the south direction for faithful and harmonious relationships. Display this symbol of conjugal bliss for the couple to live in harmony. Good also for relationships that may have conflict and are going through some unsteady times. The Sickness & Backstabbing star and 3 killer star is on the North direction, in order to ease its effects one shall put longevity coins in this direction. This set of 8 coins is very strong for counteracting the very strong stars that can harm one’s life. The North East is where the Prosperity star is, one shall put a
NORTH STAR SICKNESS & BACKSTABBING STAR THREE KILLER STAR
NORTH EAST STAR PROSPERITY STAR
EAST PROMOTION & ACADEMIC STAR
CENTER TRAVEL STAR
SOUTH EAST DISASTER STAR TAI SUEY DIRECTION
SOUTH STAR ROMANCE STAR
brass treasure bowl with prosperity egg in this direction. This auspicious bowl combined with special elements and a crystal egg is very appropriate for this year of the water dragon to bring about change for the better and cracking open new beginnings for future luck. This also attracts and enhances growth and productivity. Wealth is on the west direction and the charm to enhance this luck is the vivacious prince of wealth; dynamic, young & active wealth master presented in the shape of a child, full of vim, vigor and vitality. Especially appropriate for the current Feng Shui trend eight cycle which is represented by the young generation. Having this prince in your place helps invite wealth to come actively. On the East is the promotion and the academic star. Wise man walnut should be placed in this direction. This extraordinary depiction of a walnut has engraved upon it he cleverest men. This will give you access to great minds to help tap your creative skills, enhance self-upgrade, increase insight and acumen and keep a clear head for good decision making. Keep with you when you need to be extra sharp. The conflict star is on the South West direction. A Brass harmony turquoise shall be placed in this direction. Since this is a year of a lot of erratic movement and changes, putting this in the “conflict star” will help lessen
conflict, disagreements, criticism, jealousy and rumors. South East carries the disaster star and is also the Tai Suey direction. A brass gong shall be placed this way so all the bad luck can be pushed away or its effects can be minimized.
Feng Shui expert Princesse Lim-Fernandez of Yin and Yang Shop of Harmony at the Mandarin Oriental Manila Hotel was trained under the watchful eyes of two masters—the late Master Paul Lau Tak Lun who established Yin and Yang with her—and Master Joseph Chau Kam Shing of Hong Kong who is now the resident feng shui consultant of the Mandarin Oriental group. She graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in management engineering and now has successful businesses in various industries that are aided and supported by her knowledge of
Feng Shui. Princesse and Master Chau have been vital in the popularity of Mandarin Oriental’s annual Chinese New Year celebrations. Their clients include both corporate and private individuals from all around the world.
MARCH 2012
JUNE 2012
77 77
KNOW YOUR GADGET’S FORTUNE
It’s All About Directions
yinyang
yinyang
musiccorner
the spot for musicians and non musicians alike
SETTING UP A HOME RECORDING STUDIO
By Jon Uriarte | Art By Patrick Jude Ilagan
Over a decade ago, if you aspired to put out your own music, you’d have to be prepared to spend a whole lot of money.You had to either go to a professional recording studio to produce your demo or entire album, or you had to shell out thousands of dollars to put up your own. There was really no way around it if you wanted to get the right sound quality. Nowadays, it’s getting more and more affordable to get that quality in a simple home studio setup. When we say “home studio”, we could be referring to any number of things such as music production, recording, post-production, or any combination of those. For the purpose of this article, we’ll be focusing on recording. Whether you’re looking to record vocals, an acoustic guitar, or an entire band—we’ve got it covered.
Getting Started There are two questions you need to answer at the outset: What do you want to achieve? How much is your budget? Recording an entire band is obviously going to be more costly than recording only vocals and maybe an additional instrument. Getting your room soundproofed and acoustically treated is quite steep but your recordings will sound a lot better. Recording Basics In general, home recording will have a signal chain that looks something like what is shown below. Microphone / Instrument — Preamplifier/ Mixer — Soundcard / Audio Interface — Computer Software 78
JUNE 2012
It’s really quite simple—the microphone picks up the source (whether vocals or an instrument), the signal passes through a preamplifier (or preamp for short), and that signal enters the audio interface or soundcard where it is converted from analog to digital. Keep in mind that most audio interfaces (especially those that connect via USB or Firewire) already have built-in preamps so you can plug in your microphone directly. If you attempt to plug in a microphone straight into a soundcard that doesn’t have a preamp, your signal will be too weak to properly record anything. Instruments with an audio out (such as electric guitars, drum machines, and synthesizer keyboards) can also be plugged into the line in of a preamp or audio interface.
A mixer is like a preamp with multiple inputs and outputs that is able to provide a monitor mix of each of the instruments and microphones that are currently being recorded and even some that aren’t being recorded. Some audio interfaces even have integrated mixers. This might all sound very confusing, but all you need to know is that in addition to the microphone, you need something to boost its signal (preamp) and something to convert it into digital form (analog-todigital converters found in audio interfaces). If you’re using a laptop, you’re pretty much limited to USB or Firewire interfaces since laptops obviously won’t support PCI-based ones. Depending on what you’re trying to record, you should choose your microphone, www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
Signal Chain Wisdom Here’s an important piece of advice—your signal is only as good as your weakest link. This means you shouldn’t splurge most of your money on an expensive microphone and pair it up with a bad audio interface or a mediocre preamp. It’s also not advisable to match a higher-end interface or preamp with a poor microphone. Your microphone is only going to sound as good as your preamp is able to make it sound, and all of that is only going to sound as good as your audio interface’s converters are able to convert that analog audio signal into a digital one. Of course, if you’re planning to upgrade those lower-grade components at a later time, then that’s understandable.
Some microphones are better suited for vocals, others for bass drums, others for snare drums, others for acoustic instruments, others as overhead microphones, others as a microphone for an electric bass amp, and so on and so forth. Depending on what you want to record, you should do some research on what people are saying about particular microphones and how they perform in different recording situations.
Choosing a Microphone There’s an incredibly wide selection of microphones available in the market and you’ll need to choose the right one for the job. There are a whole lot of types and they can be as affordable as Php 2,000 to as pricey as Php 500,000. For this article, we’ll only be including dynamic and condenser microphones—the difference between them being how they pick up sound. Condenser microphones are generally more sensitive, fragile, and require phantom power to work (which should be supplied by your preamp/mixer or interface). They’re good for capturing detail but won’t work too well with super loud sources. Dynamic microphones, on the other hand, are generally not as accurate but are much more rugged and can withstand high sound pressure levels. Since they’re less sensitive, they’ll also pick up less of the room’s sound, which means you may not need to acoustically treat your room unlike with
If you want to record a live band, you could record the entire performance with just one overhead microphone or have a specific microphone for each instrument (which will give you more flexibility in the mixing process). In the end, it’s really up to you. Just make sure that your room is acoustically treated because otherwise it’s not going to sound very good. If it’s not acoustically treated, you might be limited to recording only those instruments that you can plug into the line input of your audio interface. Audio-Technica AT2020 (around Php 7,000) – The Audio-Technica AT2020 is an affordable condenser microphone that is great for vocals and acoustic guitar. Shure SM7b (around Php 18,000) – The Shure SM7b is a large-diaphragm dynamic microphone that is renowned for its use on vocals. The late Michael Jackson used it on his Thriller album.
Rode K2 (around Php 42,000) – The Rode K2 is a tube condenser microphone with a switchable polar pattern, meaning it can capture sound from all directions (omnidirectional), one direction (cardioid), or from the front and back (bi-directional). Because it has a tube, it’s able to give recordings that certain warmth that is highly sought after by recording artists. Choosing an Audio Interface Buying an audio interface or soundcard for your home recording studio is not the same as buying any decent sound card in the market, such as those made for gaming. You need to ensure that what you purchase is made for professional audio. It needs to have good analog-to-digital converters to properly turn your analog audio signals into digital form for use in your recording software. As mentioned earlier, nearly all audio interfaces that connect via USB or Firewire already have built-in preamps. Some higher-end PCI-based audio interfaces also have integrated preamps, but most of them don’t. Be sure to do your research and check whether your computer has the proper socket for the interface you plan to buy. Decent interfaces can be as affordable as Php 7,000 and as expensive as Php 100,000 and you’ll need to know what features you need. First, you’ll need to determine how many instrument and microphone inputs you need. If you’re planning to record a live band, then you’ll probably want an interface with lots of inputs—several for the drums, one
Monitor Speakers placed symmetrically in room Center of the room
60º
Listening Position “Sweet Spot”
“Here’s an important piece of advice—your signal is only as good as your weakest link.” www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
JUNE 2012
79
the spot for musicians and non musicians alike
condenser microphones.
musiccorner
preamp/mixer, and audio interface accordingly.
musiccorner the spot for musicians and non musicians alike
Audio-Technica AT2020
Lexicon IONIX U22
Shure SM7b
Avid Mbox Mini
for each guitar, one for vocals, one for the bass, and one for each of the other additional instruments. Of course, you could always just use one input and record each instrument separately and layer them on top of each other. If you don’t have enough inputs on your audio interface, you can always buy a separate mixer or preamp to get more inputs. Aside from inputs, you should look at the interface’s other features such as number of outputs, number of microphone preamps, amount of gain (meaning how much it can boost all of your signals), whether it comes with effects that you can apply to the incoming signal, and so on. It would be a good idea to do some research on what audio interface has good quality preamps and analog-to-digital (A/D) converters. Lexicon IONIX U22 (Php 15,690) – The Lexicon IONIX U22 is a USB audio interface that provides 2 inputs with microphone preamps, 2 outputs, and can record at professional level 96kHz sample rates and 24-bit resolution. Avid Mbox Mini (Php 28,800) – The Avid Mbox Mini provides professional-grade circuitry and converters, microphone preamps, and support for Pro Tools LE. Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 (Php 36,850) – The Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 is a Firewire audio interface that’s great for recording a full band setup. It comes with 8 high-quality award-winning Focusrite preamps, 20 inputs, 20 outputs, and a suite of Focusrite effect plug-ins. M-Audio Audiophile 2496 (Php 7,250) – The M-Audio 80
JUNE 2012
Focusrite Saffire Pro 40
Rode K2
M-Audio Audiophile 2496
Audiophile 2496 is an audio interface that doesn’t have preamps since it’s just a soundcard without a breakout box. It connects to one of your desktop PC’s PCI slots and offers 24-bit, 96 kHz multitrack recording. E-mu 0404 PCIe (around Php 7,300) – The E-mu 0404 PCIe is compatible with PC only and provides crystal-clear 24-bit, 96kHz analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters for your audio recording and production needs. It’s just a soundcard without a breakout box, so you’ll need to pair it up with a preamp or mixer. Choosing a Preamp / Mixer If you’ve determined that your audio interface has no preamps or you simply need more inputs, then you need to buy a separate preamp or mixer. It will usually connect to your audio interface via 1/4” audio cables, XLR cables, or RCA cables. Some preamps will add coloration to the sound, giving it a unique character. Others will give it more “warmth” while others (especially those in mixers) are more neutral. You’ll need to do some research to find one that has the sound and features you’re looking for. Yamaha MG102c (around Php 5,400) – The Yamaha MG102c mixer gives you a 10-input channel configuration, 4 microphone preamplifiers with phantom power, built-in channel compressors, 3-band EQ, and high pass filters. Grace Design m101 – (around Php 32,000) – The Grace Design m101 is a 1-channel microphone/instrument preamp. You pay a hefty price for just one input, but the
E-mu 0404 PCIe
quality is top-notch. Even if your interface has preamps, they might not be as good as the one found on the m101 so you could always add this to your setup. Monitor Speakers So now you have your home recording setup, but you’ll also need a set of speakers for your studio. It’s highly advisable that you get a pair of monitor speakers. These differ from all other kinds of speakers in the market such as computer speakers and big consumer audio systems because they are specifically made to produce a flat sound response and the correct stereo image field to guide you when mixing and making adjustments to your recordings. Other speaker systems, no matter how expensive or pleasant-sounding they might be, add coloration to the sound—which means you won’t hear the sound exactly as it was recorded. Monitor speakers are meant to have an incredible accuracy that allows you to spot off-tune notes, hear all the nuances in a recording, and construct a proper balance between low, mid, and high frequencies. Active monitors have their own built-in amplifier while passive monitors will need a separate amplifier to drive them. Proper placement of the monitor speakers is also crucial. This involves sitting in the middle position between the two speakers to create an equilateral triangle (as seen on page 79). This middle position is referred to as the “sweet spot” and it lets you hear a true representation of the music so you can make accurate judgments while recording and mixing.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
musiccorner
M-Audio BX5
Yamaha MG102c
Samson Media One 3A (Php 5,190 per pair) – The Samson Media One 3A is an affordable pair of active compact studio monitors. M-Audio BX5-a (Php 20,400.00 per pair) – The M-Audio BX5-a is a highly accurate pair of studio monitors that are perfect for the home recording enthusiast. Headphones Headphones are a must in a recording setup, and you can’t record vocals without them. You’ll need them to hear what you’re recording on (even if it’s just a metronome) without it getting picked up by the microphone. Be sure you choose one that doesn’t leak too much sound outside of the ear cups and can also be used for monitoring and mixing your tracks. Room Treatment Soundproofing your room means cutting down on any noise that leaks into and out of it. Acoustic treatment on the other hand deals with adjusting the acoustic quality of the room so that you hear a more accurate representation of what’s being played in that room. If you’re really serious about your music or you plan to record a band setup, then you should get the proper room treatment. If you’re only recording vocals, though, you can just set up an acoustically treated vocal booth instead. Wires Your signal is only as good as your weakest link and that www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
the spot for musicians and non musicians alike
Samson Media One 3A
TASCAM DP004
Grace Design m101
includes wires as well. You should purchase only the highest quality wires and as much as possible use only XLR cables and balanced 1/4” audio jack cables (also known as TRS cables) in your recording chain. RCA cables and unbalanced 1/4” audio jack cables (also known as TS cables) are fine too if you have no choice, but the smaller 1/8” audio jack cables should be completely avoided unless they’re for headphones. Recording Software If you’re using a computer as your workstation, you’re going to need some recording software. Pro Tools is currently the industry standard, but you’ll need an audio interface or soundcard that supports it. Other great programs are Steinberg Cubase, Apple Logic Studio (Mac only), MOTU Digital Performer (Mac only), and Cakewalk Sonar (PC only). There are also a lot of alternatives, but you should be looking for one that suits your work flow, lets you record multiple audio tracks that come together into a master track, and allows you to use effects and third-party plug-ins. Apart from recording audio, you might also plan on using an external controller to trigger notes in your software. If that’s the case, you’ll want to make sure that it has MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) capabilities. Most audio interfaces come with MIDI inputs and outputs. Digital Multitrack Recorders As discussed earlier, your recorded audio will end with in your computer’s recording software. Well, what if you don’t have a computer or you simply don’t want to use one for recording? If that’s the case, you can
always purchase a digital multitrack recorder. These are similar to those old-school tape recorders back in the day, except that these ones record digitally. Most of them are portable too so you can take them with you and record wherever you go. Many of them have built-in preamps, so you can pretty much just hook up your microphone and start recording instantly. Of course, you’ll be restricted by the capabilities and features of that recorder, unlike recording software that provides you with nearly unlimited possibilities. TASCAM DP004 – (Php 13,980) – The TASCAM DP004 is a 4-track SD recorder with 2 inputs and a headphone output. It’s got microphone preamps so you can plug your microphone directly into the recorder and get a session going. It’s able to record 16-bit, 44.1 kHz audio and comes with a 1GB SD card that’s upgradable to up to 32GB Closing Thoughts Now you’re ready to setup your home recording studio. The quality you’re going to get will be highly dependent on the components you purchase and your recording environment. Audio recording takes up a lot of your computer’s resources so you’ll need to make sure that your computer can handle it. How much money you spend on your home recording studio is up to you. In the world of professional audio, they say you get what you pay for. But when it comes to making music, I’d like to remind all of you that no amount of high-quality recording gear will ever beat a great performance.
JUNE 2012
81
featuredartist
artists and their work
Jay Park Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got the dance moves, the voice, the stage presence and the swag. These are just some of the reasons why Jay Park is our featured artist for this month. By MR Gavin
82
JUNE 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
featuredartist
“If I have a song I can dedicate to the Philippines, it will be “Girlfriend” because Filipinas are some of the most beautiful people in the world.”
artists and their work
Jay Park
New Breed (Special Asia Edition)
Universal Music Group International
New Breed is Jay Park’s first fulllength album after parting ways with his former boy band 2pm. His music is now stronger and more diverse than his previous takes on k-pop. This album is a collaboration with top U.S. producer Rob Knox, rap group Dynamic Duo and other top artists that helped him come up with the freshest sounds in R&B and electronic hip-hop.
New Breed’s intro track is a straightup rap song that gives listeners a taste of Jay Park’s take on rap and hip-hop music while the title track “Know Your Name” is a very funky blend of hip-hop, pop and Euro dance with Jay Park’s trademark catchy chorus that will make you sing it over and over again. Many may know Jay Park from 2PM and the dance group Art of Movement, but after taking a year off, he is back stronger than ever as a solo artist and has matured into an all-around musician.
dance, there’s sad [songs], there’s straight-up hip-hop and straight-up rap. There’s a little bit of everything and I think that’s what sets me apart from other artists.” There might be a language barrier when it comes to understanding K-pop music but there’s definitely an LSS-quality to them. Totaling 15 tracks, New Breed is sure to leave everyone singing along. Or at least, trying.
It was Jay Park’s third outing to the Philippines and with every visit, fans always seem to go into a frenzy. He is now promoting his first full-length album New Breed with his carrier single “Know your Name”. With top US producer Rob Knox and other top artists bringing the freshest R&B and electronic hip-hop sound, New Breed is ready to shake up the music scene. Jay Park’s trademark hardhitting lyrics and the catchy chorus of “Know Your Name” is sure to be one of 2012’s biggest hits.
“If I have a song I can dedicate to the Philippines, it will be “Girlfriend” because Filipinas are some of the most beautiful people in the world” said Park. His charm is undeniably amazing and will leave you with the “Jay Effect”.
“I always take inspiration from everything around me,” Jay Park shares. He wrote eighty percent of the songs in the album, putting together a diverse sound of k-pop, hip-hop and electro-pop. “It’s not just hip-hop, it’s not just R&B, there’s
Jay Park’s love for his fans is obvious. “They placed me here, and I can never be where I am without them.” In 2010, he surprised his fans by posting a cover video of B.o.B’s hit “Nothin’ on You”. This quickly went viral and got more than 2 million
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
hits in the first 24 hours alone. He also has a tattoo at the back of his neck that says Jwalkerz, which is the name of his official fan club. His hard work and dedication were rewarded at the Mashable Awards where he was announced winner of “Best Web Video” category around the world for his rendition of “Nothin’ on You.” During the same awards show, he also finished 2nd runner up in the “Must Follow Personality” category. Jay Park’s first mini album entitled Take a Deeper Look demonstrates a variety of musical genres. He wrote the lyrics for all seven songs and composed six of them. After a mini album and a full-length album, Jay Park is looking into making more music and plans to come out with another mini album by the end of 2012. Jay Park—and his music—is definitely someone to keep an eye out for.
“Girl Friend” is another good track in the album: Its slow hip-hop sound makes it a must play for easy listening. “I Got Your Back” and “Star” are two favorites from this album, with just the right mixture of R&B and hip-hop. “Come on Over” and “Turn Off Your Phone” are the songs that Jay Park describe as his sexy music, with its perfect mix of lyrics, beats and his voice that will make you swoon. Jay Park’s style is so diverse you can get different genres in just one song, just like in “Up and Down” which starts with JP’s and Dok2’s rapping and then goes on to a pop chorus. Also along with the New Breed (Special Asia Edition) CD bundle is Jay Park’s DVD which consists of the music videos of “Know Your Name”, “Girl Friend” and “Star”, in case you want to learn his dance moves and swag style.
JUNE 2012
83
events
SAMSUNG MOBILE UNPACKED 2012 Words By Belle Alba
Imagine this. Two thousand geeks from all over the world converging at a single venue to witness the “unpacking” of a flagship mobile device. While Samsung representatives were tight-lipped and refused to drop even the slightest hint of what was in store, the cyberworld was abuzz with well-founded speculation that the London event would mark the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S III. The program sent to us was sketchy. It gave us the date and time, 6:00 to 9:00 pm on Thursday, 03 May 2012; and the venue, Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre, London. It was lucky that our host, Samsung Philippines’ corporate marketing manager Odette Velarde, opted to take us by cab instead of commuting by tube. We arrived at Earl’s Court early enough to be allowed into the foyer—a good thing as it was drizzling and freezing cold outside. Everyone else had to line up outside and wait until the doors were formally opened for registration. After our names were verified on the guest list, we were handed Media IDs and allowed entry into a blue-lit cocktail area for canapes and drinks. There was another bit of a wait here, before guests were invited to come into the presentation area with a huge projection screen. A few minutes after seven, with a shiver of excitement, the program formally opened to live music by the London Metropolitan Orchestra, while each word flashed on screen: What. do. you. expect. from. the. next. Galaxy? The Samsung Galaxy S III, according to JK Shin, president and head of IT and mobile communications division at Samsung, is “designed to be both effortlessly smart and intuitively simple.” Following Shin’s keynote presentation, Samsung’s VP for European telecommunications operation Jean-Daniel Ayme, and Samsung Mobile Belgium
84
JUNE 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
events
head of marketing Loesje De Vriese gave more detailed demonstrations about the device’s noteworthy features. Perhaps the highlight of the evening was the moment when the large screen slowly lifted up, bathed in surreal blue light and flashing lasers, evoking a Spielberg ET-moment. People crossed over to the next display area as though they were running for the mother ship. Here, Samsung had set up PINs—speciallydesigned kiosk-like structures with demo units of the Galaxy S III and an accessories display case. Apparently, these PINs would be deployed at various indoor and outdoor venues to promote Samsung’s flagship smartphone. Of course, with 2,000 geeks competing to be the first to touch the Galaxy S III, there was quite a crush and some elbowing for position. We were eventually able to get our hands on the star of the night—but sadly, there was little time to do a full exploration. I can hardly wait for the end of May, when the Samsung Galaxy S III is set to land on Philippine shores.
Samsung Galaxy S III
Designed for humans, inspired by nature Designed for humans and inspired by nature, the Galaxy S III is a smartphone that recognizes your voice, understands your intention, and lets you share a moment instantly and easily. More than its hardware, the Galaxy S III shines because of built-in functions designed to make life easier.
Introducing Natural Interaction Smart enough to detect your face, voice and motions, the Galaxy S III adapts to the individual user to provide a more convenient and natural experience. Its ‘Smart stay’ feature recognizes how you are using your phone—reading an e-book or browsing the web for instance—by having the front camera identify your eyes; the phone maintains a bright display for continued viewing pleasure. ‘S Voice’ is an advanced natural language user interface that allows the Galaxy S III to listen and respond to your words. When your phone alarm goes off but you need a little extra rest, just tell the Galaxy S III “snooze.” You can also use S Voice to play your favorite songs, turn the volume up or down, send text messages and emails, organize your schedules, or automatically launch the camera and capture a photo. The Galaxy S III understands your motions to offer maximized usability. If you are messaging someone but decide to call them instead, simply lift your phone to your ear and ‘Direct call’ will dial their number. With ‘Smart alert,’ your phone will vibrate to notify missed statuses when picked up after being idle.
Easy and Instant Sharing The Galaxy S III wants you to share and experience smartphone benefits with family and friends, regardless of where you are. Its new ‘S Beam’ expands upon Android Beam, allowing a
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
1GB movie file to be shared within three minutes and a 10MB music file within two seconds by simply touching another Galaxy S III phone, even without a Wi-Fi or cellular signal. The ‘Buddy photo share’ function also allows photos to be easily and simultaneously shared with all your friends pictured in an image directly from the camera or the photo gallery. With ‘AllShare Cast’, users can wirelessly connect their Galaxy S III to their television to immediately transfer smartphone content onto a larger display. ‘AllShare Play’ can be also used to instantly share any forms of files between Galaxy S III and your tablet, PC, and televisions regardless of the distance between the devices. A ‘Group Cast’ feature allows you to share your screen among multiple friends on the same Wi-Fi network; you can make comments and draw changes at the same time with your co-workers, witnessing realtime sharing on your individual device.
Human-centric Design with Uncompromised Performance The Galaxy S III’s comfortable grip, gentle curves, and organic form deliver a rich human-centric feel and design. With a 4.8” HD Super AMOLED display, the Galaxy S III offers a large and vivid viewing experience. This enhances to HD and 16:9 wider viewing angles. Wi-Fi Channel Bonding doubles the Wi-Fi bandwidth for faster content sharing and connectivity.
features that boost performance and the overall user experience in entirely new ways. ‘Pop up play,’ allows you to play a video anywhere on your screen while simultaneously running other tasks, eliminating the need to close and restart videos when checking new emails or surfing the Web. Its 8MP camera features a zero-lag shutter speed to capture moving objects easily without delay— the image you see is the picture you take. With the ‘Burst shot’ function that instantly captures twenty continuous shots, and the ‘Best photo’ feature that selects the best of eight photographs for you, the Galaxy S III ensures users a more enhanced and memorable camera experience. HD video can be recorded even with the 1.9MP frontfacing camera, which you can use to capture a video of yourself. Improved backside illumination further helps to eliminate blur in photos due to shaking, even under low lights. Mobile payment is also accessible with the device through advanced Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. The gaming experience is enhanced through ‘Game Hub,’ providing access to numerous social games, while ‘Video Hub’ brings users high quality TV and movies. Furthermore, Samsung Music Hub will offer a personal music streaming service. Game Hub, Video Hub and Music Hub will be introduced in select countries initially and soon rolled out to global markets. Available in Pebble Blue and Marble White at launch, Samsung will introduce a variety of additional color options.
The Galaxy S III also sports a range of additional JUNE 2012
85
events
HP GLOBAL INFLUENCER SUMMIT 2012 Shanghai, China Words and photos by Mika Fernandez-David
In a show of force, Hewlett-Packard launched 80 new products from their newly formed Printing and Personal Systems Group (PPSG) in front of more than 500 journalists who converged at the Shanghai Expo Centre for the HP Global Influencer Summit 2012 held in Shanghai,China on May 9-10 2012.
Consumerization of IT HP has realized that the line dividing enterprise and personal computing has been blurred. From CEOs to entry-level employees, end-users are now demanding more from their computers. The key is to strike a balance between great features for the end-user consumer, while still keeping the IT guys happy with the industrialstrength security features. Traditionally known for its enterprise products (read: heavy, boring looking laptops), HP’s new product lines now come with more hip form factors and functionality.
HP’s thin and light collection of Ultrabook systems and Sleekbooks are packed with the latest technologies for both the consumer and the business demands. Style meets function HP employs a Mosaic approach to design by uniting multiple elements into one cohesive product. This design philosophy is summed up in the acronym, MUSE, which stands for Materials, Usability, Sensory and Experience. This translates into devices that have an exceptionally thin feel, products that provide an intuitive experience, designs that work with multiple colors as dictated by the
market, and made of rich, luxurious materials. True to its creations that HP designs are customer driven, the company has many research facilities all over the world, sampling the diverse preferences of the different markets. Certain markets have very distinct regional tastes. For example, the color red is very popular in China and other Asian countries, but not in the US and Europe. HP has discovered that some markets benefit from global designs, while other markets, particularly China, prefer locally-tailored products. This approach, HP calls “relevant innovation”.
Thin and Light portfolio At the forefront of the newly launched products was the second-generation HP ENVY Spectre XT, an ultramobile premium Ultrabook that delivers a superior overall experience with extraordinary design and performance. Ultrabooks need to follow very specific guidelines as dictated by Intel. Sleekbooks, on the other hand, offer more flexibility, while still benefiting from the same form factor and the exclusive HP Innovations for an enhanced experience: the entire line of new HP ENVY notebooks comes with Beats Audio for enhanced audio in a small package; HP CoolSense that automatically adjusts performance and internal fan settings for a cooler PC; HP Imagepad for precise multi-finger touch and 86
JUNE 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
events Stacy Wolff, Vice President for Design, PC Global Business Unit, Hewlett-Packard Company John Solomon, Senior VP & GM, Printing & Personal Systems Group America, Hewlett-Packard Company; James Mouton, Senior VP, Personal Computing Global Business Unit, Hewlett-Packard Company; Anya Ayoung-Chee, Designer; Steve Hoffman, President and Chief of Staff, Printing & Personal Systems, Hewlett-Packard Company
gesture navigation; and the HP TrueVision HD Webcam that produces bright, clean high-def (HD) images. HP means business The core of HP is its enterprise solutions, highlighted by the HP EliteBook Folio 9470m, an Ultrabook that means business with its security features, manageability and reliability. It combines the sleek, lightweight design that users crave with the business features such as legacy ports, and reliability that enterprises require. Different working environments require different hardware, and for serious professionals who use computers in their craft, form factor play a big role in choosing their devices. Special guests, coming from varied design backgrounds with different business requirements showcased perfect examples of how HP business solutions work. Being a film director, Jacob Rosenberg mostly works on location and shared how his team has to be able to edit their footage on the fly. HP EliteBook Mobile Workstations offer the highest-performing professional graphics and extreme processing power and is highly configurable with a 17.3-inch diagonal display. Mobile workstations enable his team to work virtually anywhere, without having to wait to get back to their studios, thus saving valuable time and resources. Ryan Friedlinghaus runs West Coast Customs, a business that blings-up stock vehicles and turns them into unique, www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
one-off automobiles that are built to the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (wild) specifications. While his designers require the processing ability of either a desktop or an All-in-one Workstation, his front office benefits from digital signage, digital displays that can showcase auto designs, as well as retail solutions that can track sales as well as inventory. Finally, Anya Ayoung-Chee, who has her own fashion line which she sells via her website, shared how her business model benefits from HPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quick boot time and ease of use. In her line of business, she requires constant communication with her suppliers and customers from all over the world.
Meg Whitman, Hewlett-Packard CEO, addressing the audience at the closing keynote
Printers Taking the mobile office a notch further, HP launched the first mobile all-in-one printer, the HP Officejet 150 Mobile All-in-One, targeting the professionals who need to do printing, scanning and copying while on the go. While not exactly pocket-sized, it is significantly smaller than any of the mutli-function printers in the market today. For conventional offices, HP introduced several new HP Laserjet and Scanjet printers that would suit any office requiring fast, professional-quality documents, along with the ability to extend the office beyond its physical location, with its internet connectivity.
Margaret Ong, VP, Printing and Personal Systems, SEA, Taiwan and Hong Kong, Hewlett-Packard and Su-yin Yam, Senior Director, Consumer Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, APJ
JUNE 2012
87
events
VIEW TRUE BEAUTY AS SONY LAUNCHES NEW BRAVIA TVS New Models—from Entry-Level to Top-of-The-Line— Keep Consumers Connected & Entertained In life as in art, clarity is needed in order to appreciate an object’s true beauty—to notice its subtle details, observe its different hues and behold its full figure. It is with this philosophy in mind that Sony Philippines launched the new BRAVIA television line-up at the stunning Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa in Cebu City. With the theme White Summer, a nod to the season and the tasteful designs of the BRAVIA series, the event introduced four new models—HX855, HX750, EX650, and BX350/450.The HX855 features Sony’s X-Reality PRO technology for life-like images by highlighting texture, outline and color. “Television consumers have told us that the mix of formats and features often creates confusion,” said Mr. Takao Kuroda, president and managing director of Sony Philippines. “But, we know that the best part of the TV has always been – and will always be – the picture quality. Sony is cutting through that noise to make TV buying easier with model lines that have very clear differences, each designed to deliver the most premium, best-in-class picture ever.”
which reduces blur caused by quick camera movements, enhancing sharpness and creating a smoother viewing experience for fast-paced sports and movie programming, as well as gaming.
Innovations in Picture Quality
Meanwhile, Sony’s exclusive OptiContrast panel elevates the picture to the front surface of the TV and creates a dark background for rich, vibrant, high contrast pictures even in well-lit rooms.
The new BRAVIA models offer many of the unique-toSony technologies and features that consumers have come to expect from a Sony TV, complemented by new enhancements and additional innovations. Foremost among these are the X-Reality PRO and X-Reality digital video processors which enhance picture quality. The dual-chip X-Reality PRO picture engine optimizes video sources by utilizing a vast database of signal patterns and comparing incoming signals with ideal scenes to display unprecedented detail and astonishing color. The single-chip X-Reality engine, on the other hand, separates incoming video into its constituent parts of outline, texture and color/contrast, and then applies image enhancements to deliver its outstanding picture. Apart from these, the new BRAVIA lines incorporate Sony’s newest version of Motionflow XR technology 88
JUNE 2012
Select models also incorporate Dynamic Edge LED with local dimming and deliver a brilliant Full HD (1080p) picture with increased brightness and outstanding contrast, particularly in best-in-class deep blacks.
The Lineup As the BRAVIA’s flagship model, Sony’s HX855 provides vivid, life-like pictures no matter the format—from Full HD Blu-ray to low-resolution web videos. With its increasing number of custom apps built just for it, viewers can explore an abundance of entertainment while maximizing power saving potential through its new eco-friendly features. Design-wise, HX855 carries forward Sony’s distinctive Monolithic design incorporating Gorilla Glass by Corning, allowing for thinner, lighter and stronger screen material. Meanwhile, those hankering for a superb introduction
to the 3D experience should turn to the HX750. Aside from its premium picture quality, it also delivers simple connectivity that opens a variety of entertainment options. Stunningly slender, the HX750 combines contrasting materials including a chrome-polished edge that adds to its high-class appeal. Consumers wishing to step into Internet-connectivity and Edge LED backlighting need not sacrifice picture quality with Sony’s out-of-the-box Wi-Fi-ready EX650. Featuring specially designed dot patterns over its curved surface that protects the bezel from fingerprints, it is the television that responds to a modern family’s growing needs. Lastly, the BX350/450 is the perfect fit for those looking for their first high-definition television. A compact entrylevel LCD model, it is equipped with Clear Resolution Enhancer that takes viewing to a new level of clarity. The BX450-Series HDTV also comes with a USB playback that enables instant sharing of photos, music and videos. “The new BRAVIA series responds to every consumer need—from connoisseurs that demand the highest entertainment experience to those looking for an entrylevel yet quality television,” notes Kuroda. “Each model continues our tradition of bringing trailblazing technology to consumers, allowing them to see the true beauty of whatever it is they are viewing.” www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
events
Pldt Teaches You Life Skills Via TelMeHow
PLDT held an event last April to announce a brand new app that breathes new life to TelPad phone/tablet device – TelMeHow.The new app is an educational tool that gives users with the TelPad access to a large swath of topics that range from photography, cooking, fashion and other topics. Each category has numerous instructional videos and content that gives users a basic working knowledge of each category.
PLDT has tapped a number of well known experts from each field, which include Master Photographer Paul Ticzon. In each topic, the expert gives an easy to understand instruction that any novice user can benefit from. Patrick Tang, VP and Head of Home Marketing for Voice and Microbusiness told us that this is just the beginning of the app. He plans to have a way for people to be able to buy related items at the end of the video (a dress at the end of a fashion instruction for example) via the app. Since not a lot of people have credit cards, the plan is to bill customers using their PLDT account. Initially he says that the app will be free, and will be regularly updated with new content for a different range of topics. Other, more advanced topics will be pay-to-view, though he did not give out a date when this will happen. From what we’ve seen with the app, it seems like an added value proposition for users. The app is easy and simple enough to navigate, and definitely adds to the value of the service. The topics offered were easy to follow and we’re sure that rank novices will appreciate the wealth of knowledge that the app will provide.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
JUNE 2012
89
newsbits&bytes
big news in byte-sized quantities
PLDT AppFarm offers Microsoft Find everything you’re Exchange 2010 looking for at sulit.com.ph PLDT AppFarm’s new cloud solutions suite now features Microsoft Exchange 2010, allowing enterprises to enhance business communications more cost-effectively. Organizations can now easily deploy Microsoft Exchange 2010 through pay-as-you-use software and OPEX-based hardware arrangements of PLDT AppFarm, thus reducing expenses for companies. “Growing and changing business requirements have made it necessary for companies to evaluate their current email platforms, but system upgrades and migration have always been impeded by cost concerns,” said PLDT EVP and head of enterprise and international and carrier business Eric R. Alberto. “Through PLDT AppFarm’s Microsoft Exchange 2010 offering, enterprises now have the opportunity to upgrade their email platforms in a more cost-effective manner. This allows them to enjoy the latest features of the popular
platform and the benefits that come with having a cloud-based email system.” Microsoft Exchange 2010 provides efficient data protection for secure communications through multi-layered anti-spam and anti-virus solutions, which can be integrated, as well as automatic encryption features. Working and collaborating effectively is made even more possible with the Exchange’s Outlook Web App, which delivers a rich, familiar webbased email experience. Built-in integrated email archiving capabilities help simplify the process and save costs on preserving business communications. Companies can now also focus on their core business, with the monitoring and management of the system handled by PLDT AppFarm partner Dimension Data, a world-class specialist IT services and solution provider and Microsoft Partner of The Year in 2011 for Systems Management.
Featuring a comprehensive offering of deals and steals, sulit.com.ph, the Philippines’ number one classified ads website, lets today’s consumers find everything they want and need in just a few clicks, from consumer electronics, travel packages, repairs and maintenance and event services. Sulit.com.ph, however, isn’t just a typical buy and sell portal. With three easy steps namely Hanap, Usap and Deal, sulit.com.ph streamlines and expedites the entire purchase process. The website features a user-friendly messaging system that lets members easily communicate with each other, as well as a community forum where, aside from sharing tips on buying and selling, members can engage in discussions of topics that interest them. With more than four million page views and 450,000 unique visitors daily, sellers are able to grow their business and enter new markets, while being guaranteed good exposure for their advertisements. Members can enjoy free advertising and marketing services with sulit.com.ph making them easily searchable in sites like
Google and Yahoo, to give their products, services, business and brand name instant web presence. They have also introduced a paid virtual currency in the form of Sulit Gold, which may be used to purchase additional features and services that help sellers make the most of their advertising strategies. Winning several prestigious awards such as the Best E-Business Website from the 12th Philippine Web Awards and the Business Excellence Award Special Award from Go Negosyo and BPI Family Savings Bank only drives the Sulit team to keep Filipino buyers and sellers satisfied.
Petron expands Lakbay Alalay into year-round program In line with Petron Corporation’s mission to be the leading provider of total customer solutions in the energy sector, the company is expanding its trademark Lakbay Alalay program into a full-blown, year-round campaign. Now billed as Lakbay Alalay, Kasama Mo Sa Biyahe, the expanded program includes a slate of activities reaching far beyond the traditional motorist assistance services for Holy Week. Through this program, Petron hopes to strengthen the bond of companionship and unity with Filipinos everywhere, not just during the Holy Week but in all aspects of their daily lives. For 2012, the following campaigns have been lined up by Petron:
Lakbay Alalay Biyahe Para Sa Kaligtasan. Participating Petron service stations nationwide offer free vehicle safety checks year-round to help motorists ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy and safe for travel. And, in the event that you encounter difficulties on the road, Petron will be there to extend a helping hand. Given that summer is now starting to be rainy, Petron Lakbay Alalay will be there to remind holiday drivers: “Rain or Shine—Drive Safely!” Lakbay Alalay Biyahe Para Sa Kalusugan. In partnership with the Red Cross, Petron provided medical booths at Petron service stations located within the NLEX, SLEX and Star Tollway during the Holy Week (April 5-9).
90
JUNE 2012
Lakbay Alalay Biyahe Para Sa Turismo. Petron is fully-supporting the Department of Tourism’s efforts to promote the provinces in the country as fun tourist destinations. Star Toll cards have been designed to promote key destinations in the Philippines, while welcome streamers and banners will be greeting visitors to Bulacan, Pampanga, La Union, Pangasinan, Baguio City, Laguna, Batangas, Naga City, Palawan, Cebu and Davao. Lakbay Alalay Biyahe Para Sa Masayang Pagdiriwang. Petron will also be showcasing the calendar of fiestas in the Philippines, in further support of the government’s tourism promotion efforts. Lakbay Alalay Biyahe Para Sa Tahanan. Petron is reaching out to local communities through outreach programs at selected barangays within Metro Manila. During the Community Awareness Symposium, Petron representatives will discuss safety measures for LPGs and lubricants. The Bureau of Fire Protection will also present useful information for avoiding household fires. After the symposium, Petron will conduct LPG leak checks and free change oil for automobiles. Petron Blaze Boosters team members will be on hand for a meet-andgreet. The schedule for the community visits are: March 30-Bgy. Hagonoy, Taguig City; March 30-Bgy. Manggahan, Pasig City; March 31-Bgy. UP Campus, Quezon City; March 31-Bgy. 598, Sta. Mesa, Manila; and April 1-Bgy. Greater Lagro, Quezon City.
Lakbay Alalay Biyahe Para Sa Kalikasan. This component includes barangay clean up drives in selected communities in Metro Manila. In partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), gassing up in Petron will entitle the customer to a free Lakbay Alalay sticker and a seedling to be named after him. Volunteers from Petron and other groups join together for a tree-planting activity in Cebu (May 25), Davao (May 26) and Tanay, Rizal (May 27). A Lakbay Alalay fun run will also be held on June 17, 2012 to boost awareness of clean air.
purchase of fuel entitles the qualified customer to a Super Tsuper Card. At subsequent visits, the customer can earn stamps which can be exchanged for rewards from April 1 to June 30, 2012. One Super stamp may be earned via (a) a minimum single purchase of 25-liters of fuel, or (b) a single purchase of 4-liters gasoline/engine oil or 1-liter motorcycle oil. The rewards offered are: 4 stamps = Magnolia Water; 8 stamps = hand towel; 16 stamps = raincoat; and 20 stamps = notebook / pencil case / school bag. Rewards may be claimed only at the station where the Super Tsuper Card was issued.
Lakbay Alalay Biyahe Para Sa Kaalaman. Petron’s back-to-school program will provide professional drivers an opportunity to redeem useful items for their kids. Targeted at professional drivers of commercial vehicles (jeep, van, FX, multicab, tricycle, solo rider, etc.), a P250-single receipt
Lakbay Alalay Biyahe Para Sa Kabuhayan. To generate the perfect bond between Petron and the youth, Petron will host a job fair for interested participants sometime in August-September 2012.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
newsbits&bytes
More BBM-Connected Photojeepney.com: A click Apps Set to Launch away to make your photo Facebook and Twitter Apps Integrated with BBM Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones (version 3.0) and Twitter for BlackBerry smartphones (version 3.0) now allow users to automatically share their Facebook status or latest Tweet with their BBM friends right from within the app.
“Since we provided developers the means to build BBM connectivity into their apps, we have seen more than 800 hundred new BBM-connected apps come to market, which has been followed by a huge uptake by users – about one of every five apps being downloaded on BlackBerry App World is a BBM-connected app,” said Alec Saunders, VP of developer relations at RIM. “Today we’re excited to announce that RIM has also integrated BBM connectivity into a number of our own popular apps and the BBM-connected revolution continues to grow.”
to do is upload the unedited photo to the website and Photojeepney will take care of the rest. An optional photo switch is bundled with the ID service of Photojeepney. It is a process of transforming your photo into formal business attire with a variety of photo switching templates for males and females, perfect for your resume or visa applications.
BlackBerry Travel Goes Social It is now easier than ever to update those who matter most about your travel plans. The new BlackBerry Travel app (version 2.5) is now BBM-connected, allowing users to share their travel plans and flight changes directly with select BBM contacts or with their entire BBM community. App Sharing Made Simpler With BBM (version 6.2) and BlackBerry App World (version 3.1.2), users can easily update their BBM profile to let their friends know about the great new app they’ve just downloaded on BlackBerry App World. With this updated version of BlackBerry App World, users can also instantly share info about their favorite app or a list of their installed apps with friends using BlackBerry Tag. BBM Made Better In addition to integration with BlackBerry App World, BBM (version 6.2) offers a polished, enhanced and more personal experience. It includes a new selection of animated avatars, a simpler way of updating one’s personal message in their profile, and now allows users to quickly send voice notes.
Photojeepney (www.photojeepney.com) is a one-stop online photo studio/imaging center that can take your favorite photos and turn them into priceless pieces. It is also one of the few online services in the country that offers photo switching and retouching, which means goodbye to those undesirable imperfections on your pictures. All you need
Your happiness guaranteed with Globe With the Globe Guarantee, customers like you will never have to get frustrated, just happy and satisfied. You will never have to suspect that your prepaid load vanished for no reason. You will never have to worry about bill shock and excessive mobile browsing charges. You can easily replace your newly-purchased Globe handyphone should it fall short of your expectations. You get exclusive access to a wide range of customer service channels ready to respond to your queries. And finally, you are empowered to choose from a variety of customizable plans and offers that best fit your needs and budget.
Photojeepney also offers photo graphic arts and other services. Those who want to give a memorable gift might want to commission an oil painting in canvas portrait “hand printed” and rendered from an original photograph. All you need to do is send the photo online to Photojeepney and it will be evaluated for image size, resolution and other details. If the photo passes the standards, Photojeepney will render it into a valuable work of art for a reasonable price. Those who want to bring back the glory and color of their old photos can avail of Photojeepney’s photo restoration and reconstruction from teared, damaged, or partially burned photo prints. Photojeepney offers simple and flat service rates. For more details, visit www.photojeepney.com.
Asiasoft launches LEGENDS in the Philippines Asiasoft Online, the videogame publishing company that brought the successful 2D side-scrolling massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) to the Philippines, has officially launched the MapleSEA LEGENDS patch. The LEGENDS patch is divided into four parts: the prelude, released on April 5, 2012; Cannon Shooter on May 16; Mercedes on May 30, and Demon Slayer in July. The interface changes, classes, and feature updates were formally announced recently.
Globe Prepaid subscribers, for instance, can take advantage of the Globe Prepaid Load Watch, a free and automatic load notification service triggered by specific load usage scenarios and other related transactions that allows prepaid subscribers to get free and automatic real-time load usage updates, so they are always updated of their load balance, therefore eliminating suspected cases of load theft or “nakaw-load”.
Globe has also implemented a phone replacement policy, where postpaid subscribers can get an automatic replacement of any Globeissued handset that manifest factory defects within 7 days from date of purchase.
For Globe Postpaid, service guarantees include the No Bill Shock policy with the implementation of the P999 data bill cap, which assures users that they will never have to pay more than P999 a month even if they go beyond their data subscription. Users simply sign up for a PowerSurf or SuperSurf booster and they can rely on the Php999 bill cap that’s sure to keep them from overspending, no matter how much they surf and browse. That’s a guarantee that Globe is happy to give.
Tattoo subscribers can continue to live without limits, and worries, with the Globe Guarantee. Tattoo@Home users can design their own broadband plans that will fit their internet needs; and even personalize their plans with speed boosters to bump up their speed with an additional 1Mbps at different times of day or night, so they can surf, download and play games whenever the mood strikes them. Tattoo@Home subscribers can also secure their family’s browsing with the Surf Safe package,
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
big news in byte-sized quantities
A series of updates of popular BlackBerry apps will be released over the coming days to make it even easier for users to stay connected with their BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) community. Research In Motion (RIM) announced that Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones, Twitter for BlackBerry smartphones, BlackBerry Travel and BlackBerry App World will now include BBM connectivity, making it even easier for users to stay in touch with their contacts, share experiences and content, and discover new things from their BBM community.
troubles out of the way
which gives them total online protection when they browse internet sites at home for as low as P199 monthly. And finally, all Globe Prepaid, Globe Postpaid, and Tattoo subscribers get 24/7 exclusive access to Talk2Globe customer service channels for all their Globe concerns. Talk2Globe 24/7 is ready to listen and respond to your queries wherever you are and whatever time of the day. Choose from a variety of Talk2Globe options available online, ranging from the Talk2GLOBE Chat feature on the Globe website or Yahoo! Messenger (add Talk2GLOBECHAT as your Yahoo buddy), through e-mail via talk@globetel.com.ph, or through the official Talk2Globe accounts on Facebook and Twitter.
According to the game’s developers, the updates to the game include the launch of three new exciting classes, new 4th potential legendary tier items, quick move system, item re-purchase system and radical skills system. All of the above will also be accompanied by a faster and more intuitive user interface (UI). “The online videogame community constantly changes, but we aim to give our MapleSEA gamers consistency in quality. MapleSEA LEGENDS will cater to the clamor for new challenges in this hugely popular MMORPG. We will continuously strive to give only the best for the Singaporean, Malaysian, and Filipino MapleSEA gamers,” said Sherman Tan, chairman of Asiasoft Online.
JUNE 2012
91
newsbits&bytes big news in byte-sized quantities
Trend Micro joins National Cyber Security Alliance board of directors The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), a nonprofit public-private partnership focused on cybersecurity awareness and education for all digital citizens, today announced that Trend Micro will join the NCSA Board of Directors. Tom Kellermann, U.S. vice president of cybersecurity, will serve as Trend Micro’s representative.
and of the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. campaign, of which they were a founding member,” said Michael Kaiser, executive director of the NCSA. “We welcome Tom Kellermann to the board as an expert in technology and cybersecurity. Trend Micro has been a leader in educating the public about the ways to protect yourself, your family, and your digital assets online, evident through their dedication to the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. campaign and the array of tips, research, and industry reports they produce on cybersecurity and data protection.”
Trend Micro Incorporated, a global cloud security leader, builds on its relationship with NSCA, having served as an original member of the national cyber security awareness campaign STOP. THINK. CONNECT., by becoming a newly appointed board member. This furthers Trend Micro’s commitment to sharing security intelligence to help protect consumers and organizations.
“NCSA has played a critical role in the development and promotion of online safety and security for all digital citizens by forging strategic partnerships with industry leaders, promoting public awareness, and fostering best practices,” said Kellermann. “I am honored to be elected to the NCSA Board, and I look forward to bringing my experience to help achieve their mission in 2012.”
“Trend Micro has been a great supporter of the National Cyber Security Alliance over the years
Trend Micro products are distributed in the Philippines by MSI-ECS.
Intermec releases new products designed to offer superior user experience
Intermec is not a brand name that’s widely recognized by the layman. In fact, save for a few people in the logistics industry, most people won’t even know that the company exists. Yet the products that this particular company make are responsible for a lot of the amenities you enjoy now, from the devices you use to the package that the mailman just dropped off at your door. Intermec is a company that makes products and solutions for logistics and supply chain inventory and tracking, and recently announced new product offerings for the Philippine market.
for labeling applications, PC43d and PC43t for light duty labeling, the PM43 and PM43c industrial mid-range label printers and PR2 and PR3 mobile receipt printers for mobile applications. The new products are aimed at speeding up and simplifying tasks while offering the best-in class performance for the devices. “Intermec is committed to providing fast, flexible solutions that offer mobile field workers the tools they need to transform business operations and reduce infrastructure costs, driving bottom line results,” said Chuck Dourlet, Intermec vice president of printers & media.
Starmobile’s entry signals new wave of launched as mobile innovations AegisLISAn cloud based social media These include the SG20 family of handheld scanners for bar codes, PC23d desktop printer
experience management platform
Starmobile is entering the Philippine market with a range of quality dual SIM mobile phones. Leading the pack is the Jupiter Series with its superior mix of multimedia and productivity features such as TV and Wi-Fi. The Jupiter Q501i equips users with feature-rich capabilities in a sleek white with chrome or black with gunmetal silver finish. For the entertainment-seeker looking for a range of features such as cameras, MP3 players, video players, and access to applications such as Facebook, Starmobile offers the Neptune Series. The best-selling Neptune B501 also comes with a large and clear 2.4” LCD display and mobile TV function. Other choices for the music, camera and video buffs are the Neptune B301 in slim design and the 2.8” touch screenNeptune T501. The Venus Series is the hands down choice for the chic and style savvy. Offered in lustrous hues of pink and purple, the Venus SQ301
92
JUNE 2012
features an eye-catching slide-up design that is smart as much as it is stylish.Starmobile also offers the Mercury Series for the modern user seeking for quality dual SIM mobile phones at a very affordable price. Starmobile offers 12-months warranty on parts and services from the date of purchase, nationwide service centers, and an online tracking system for customer service concerns. Starmobile president Michael Chen shares, “In our years of experience, we have witnessed how Filipinos have developed this personal and intimate connection with their mobile phones. As your partner in jumpstarting dreams and aspirations, Starmobile offers better quality handsets, excellent customer service, and localized content at prices that are well within your reach.” Starmobile dual SIM phones are now available in stores nationwide.
Aegis Limited, a leading outsourcing services provider and part of the $17 billion Essar Group, has launched its comprehensive Social Media Engagement solution, AegisLISAn. AegisLISAn provides Listening, Interacting, Socializing and Aligning capabilities with the online community of a brand via a single solution platform, enabling deeper brand-customer engagement. This intelligence is generated by accessing and analyzing thousands of news, social networking sites, blogs and other user generated content sites of web 2.0 in real-time. It further enables brands to manage interactions with social media users and generate intelligent reports. Aparup Sengupta, managing director and global CEO of Aegis, said, “Digital and Social media are very important parts of the customer experience eco-system and have gained significant customer mindshare in recent times. With AegisLISAn, we have strengthened our basket of solutions for our
clients and made it easier to implement social media strategies.” AegisLISAn is built using four distinct components: 1) Technology: A platform to listen to various popular social networking sites, blogs and discussion forums, respond to them in real time, monitor and audit responses to create deeper engagement; 2) Analytics: The solution provides built-in analytical capabilities to gain insights into the context of conversations and business opportunities that can be discovered. Dashboard and reports are designed around competitive analysis, Twitter, Facebook, volume and sentiment; 3) Execution: Provision to manage consumer engagement with trained specialists engaging end users; and 4) Domain Intelligence: Providing customers with domain understanding and competitive benchmarking to develop and steer your social media strategy.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
newsbits&bytes
From location tracking and carpooling to doing housing chores: Simple ideas become possible businesses at Startup Weekend Manila 2012
big news in byte-sized quantities
The winning team – Kiddle (L-R): Mony Romana, Nicole Policarpio, Karlo Licudine, Welborne Kun Laguin, Nicole Faye Macarasig and Augie Manayan. Most children regard household duties with boredom and disdain. But not if such mundane tasks become fun and interesting. That’s what Kiddle, the grand prize winner at the recently concluded Startup Weekend Manila 2012 aims at—to make daily chores so appealing that children will be inspired to help at home. Kiddle is a web application that allows points to be earned every time a task is completed, allowing kids to collect badges similar to many popular mobile and online games. Credits can be used to buy virtual goods similar to other popular online social games such as Farmville and Pet Society. “Everyone on our team has slogged through the daily chores list as kids and are now experiencing what it is to be on the other side of that list as parents, so we want to offer a more engaging experience doing household chores by introducing game elements. Our primary target are kids age 5-12 and their parents,” according to Kiddle proponents Welborne Laguinday, August
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
Manayan, Juan Karlo Licudine, Nicole Policarpio, Nicole Macarasig and Mony Romana. Kiddle bested 28 other teams which made it to the final round, and came away with the judges’ choice for the top prize. While “gamification” as a concept has been around for a few years, the judges appreciated the clarity of purpose and the simplicity of the execution that the Kiddle team demonstrated in Sunday’s four-minute final demo and pitch presentation. The business model with parents paying was also credible: how many parents already offer incentives to their kids to get them to help around the house? Second place winner, Ridefind.ph, wants to make carpooling safe, comfortable, stress-free and more economical. By posting online where they are going and when they are leaving, both car owners and passengers can easily meet and—recognizing the ever-increasing gas
prices—save on gasoline cost. Traqme, which won third, is a permissionbased android mobile application that gives friends and family your location information – initiated when taking public transport, or when walking alone at night or in unfamiliar places -- using your smartphone’s global positioning system (GPS). It also provides a “panic button” in case of emergency situations. For their clear and practical application, Traqme also won a special prize from Nokia. Fourth placer Sphere is an online graphic novel site patterned after the chooseyour-own-adventure storybooks. This interesting group of artists and technical talent had a slick video with original art and music to cap their Sunday pitch. Special citations were also given to the fun-loving team of SpinMe Buddy (restaurant selection and random decision-maker using an online spinning wheel), Best Ecommerce Award; the
serious Mentors’ Dojo team (connecting mentors with entrepreneurs interested in starting a business), People’s Choice Award; and this Startup Weekend’s altruistic team, 1Share1Life (securing donations from people minus the scam), who won Kickstart’s Build a Better World Award. Prizes included four Blackberry Playbooks; five Nokia phones (including their recently launched Lumia 800); Airphil Express vouchers; HP bags and watches; gift cheques from Zalora and Levi Strauss; and startup office packages from EPremium Solutions. Startup Weekend Manila 2012 is a US format brought to the Philippines by pioneering incubator Kickstart Ventures, Inc., web engineering firms Proudcloud and Dynamic Objx, and innovative educator MINT College, with the support of leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom.
JUNE 2012
93
green
HOW A SCAVENGING COMMUNITY TRANSFORMED ITSELF CARING FOR MOTHER EARTH
By Estan Cabigas
From discarded tarpaulin billboards to world class designer bags, from being dump site scavengers to livelihood earners, and from that small village in Iloilo City to the internationally famed beaches of Boracay Island. This, in a nutshell, is what has been happening to the residents in a small village in Sooc, Arevalo District of that city. And it doesn’t seem to end there as more opportunities continue to come. “Dati po kaming tagapulot ng basura sa tambakan ng Manduriao. Nung ginamit ng gobyerno ang lupa, nawalan na po kami ng tirahan. (We used to be scavengers at the Manduriao dumpsite but we were left homeless when the government used the land we built our house on).” Ms. Herminia Pineda, fondly called Ate Hermie, 59 years old, narrated as she looked back at her family’s travails a couple of years ago. But now, like 66 other families, she’s a proud owner of her own house, living with dignity and making hip products for both local and international tourists. Ate Hermie is just one of the beneficiaries of the PLDT-Smart corporate partnership with the Gawad Kalinga (GK) Foundation. Started in 2004 and with several sites around the country, the GK communities have been thriving. One such site, Sooc, the relocation area of the displaced scavengers was transformed into a GK village in 27 December 2005. Building of houses commenced a month later. Now named the PLDT-Smart Amazing GK Village where Ate Hermie lives. But what is amazing, no pun intended, is that PLDT-Smart wasn’t only content on giving houses. “When we started our partnership with Gawad Kalinga, we gave homes to several families in Sooc but did not stop there. We did not just build homes, we helped them build livelihood,” said Darwin Flores, Smart’s Senior Manager for Community Partnerships.
94
JUNE 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
green
Everything started when Smart launched a tarpaulin recycling program done in partnership with PLDT and Earth Day Network. PLDT and Smart donated the machines and helped fund the training for sewing and Earth Day Network trained the residents how to recycle and sew tarps under proper solid waste management principles and gave them the initial patterns. Some residents were taught to use pulverized tarp materials in making bricks and even the kids were trained to make artistic decorative and useful sculptures made of clay. In 2009, the livelihood advocacy of Talk ‘N Text “Tipid Sulit Pinas” was launched. This generated funds for a specific purpose—to create a replicable model that will provide sustainable livelihood for communities nationwide. Smart in partnership with Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) brought its livelihood programs to the next level—from a small business involving a handful of residents to a community social enterprise, bringing in more partners to share their expertise and elevate the skills of the community.
From small Sooc to cosmopolitan Boracay www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
After more trainings were conducted by the PBSP, the largest corporate-led social development foundation in the Philippines and with the entry of renowned international lifestyle fashion designer and social entrepreneur PJ Arañador, an Iloilo native too, and GKonomics, a Gawad Kalinga partner in social enterprise development, Project Zero was born with the aim “of creating livelihood projects through innovative design and product development with a market in mind.” From creating simple products made of tarpaulin, we are glad that PJ Arañador came and helped us train the community in crafting more marketable, quality products,” Flores added. “It also helped that PJ is a designer and social entrepreneur with an environmental conscience because that’s what Smart is pushing for—a sustainable livelihood that’s both pro-planet and pro-people.” With Smart’s used and discarded billboard and banner tarpaulins as base material shipped from all over the country to two warehouses in Iloilo City, residents were taught how to sew and make different kinds of bags and crafts, thus
CARING FOR MOTHER EARTH
PROJECT ZERO
augmenting their income. Using zero electricity, they recycle and create green products by hand, producing pieces with zero carbon-emission. The process also produces zero waste as all tarp cuttings are used. The endeavor has become a community industry as different people take charge in the inventory, washing, cutting, weaving and sewing aspects. With PJ’s experience, hands on training and perseverance in pushing for horizontal product diversification that is, generating new products from the same base material has actually paid off. From the resolve and determination of the Sooc GK community and its partners have come high quality, high fashion but functional bags and similar products that are current with today’s design trends and lifestyle. From knapsacks to pouches, evening handbags to clutches, these are just a few of an extensive lineup of products now under PJ’s fashion brand, Nautilus. Soon, these items will also be available in Gawad Kalinga’s GKonomics showroom across the country.
It was already past 6 PM and the day was quickly giving way to dusk. At Boracay’s popular landmark, D’Mall, where PJ Arañador has his own lifestyle shop catering to tourists, small groups of people have gathered. Infront was a short stage. Within minutes, young and beautiful models were walking on the short ramp holding on to the different types of bags made by the Sooc GK village. “We are so happy. It was a dream come true for us! Not only were we able to come here for the first time in Boracay, we were doubly proud of seeing the products that we made ourselves being sold to tourists,” Ate Hermie exclaimed. From trash to trendy bags and from scavengers to livelihood earners, the PLDT-Smart Amazing GK Village residents have really come a long way with a bright future.
JUNE 2012
95
links Technology ACCUTONE
Astrovision / Astroplus, A.Shop, iStudio, Power Mac Center, Rustan’s Department Store http://www.gadgeteeronline. multiply.com
ASUS TECHNOLOGY PHILIPPINES INC. Hanston Bldg., Ortigas Center, Pasig City Tel. 634 0309 http://ph.asus.com
AOC, NEO, HITACHI Glee Electronics, Inc. Unit 203 2/F Taipan Place Bldg., F. Ortigas Jr. Avenue Ortigas Center, Pasig City Tel. 633 4533
BACK JOY
YOUR GADGET’S DIRECTORY
HEWLETT-PACKARD PHILIPPINES CORP. 37/F Robinsons Summit Center 6783 Ayala Ave., Makati City Tel. 888 5900
HTC SiSPH Technologies, Inc. Suite 3003, 30th flr. Atlanta Center, 31 Annapolis St., Greenhills, San Juan City Tel. 728 3388
LENCO Ambassador Appliances, Astrovision / Astroplus, iStudio http://www.gadgeteeronline. multiply.com
LG ELECTRONICS PHILIPPINES INC.
Primer Group of Companies Tel. 303 1234
No. 15 F. Legaspi St., Maybunga, Pasig City Tel. 641 4181
BENQ-SIEMENS
NOKIA (PHILIPPINES), INC.
Stockland Worldwide Images Studio, Inc. 2/F Corinthian Plaza 121 Paseo de Roxas, Legaspi Village, Makati Tel. 812 7791
BLAUPUNKT
40/F Philamlife Tower, 8767 Paseo de Roxas, Makati Tel. 886 1234
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS PHILIPPINES CORP.
Ambassador Appliances, Astrovision / Astroplus, A.Shop, iStudio http://www.gadgeteeronline. multiply.com
7/F Hanjinphil Bldg. 1128 University Parkway, North Bonifacio Global City Taguig City Tel. 1 800 SAMSUNG
CANON MARKETING (PHILIPPINES), INC.
SONY PHILIPPINES INC.
7/F Commerce & Industry Plaza, Campus cor. Park Ave., McKinley Hills Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City Tel. 884 9090
DIVOOM, MILI
11th Floor Marajo Tower #312 26th Street West cor 4th Avenue Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Tel. 860 3333
HOME
LIFESTYLE
Conception Durables 308 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City Tel. 812 6751
Samsung Store in Greenhills and in selected gadget stores. Cel. (917) 575 4812 http://www. gadgeteeronline. multiply.com
CONDURA
HAIER 3/F Solid House Building 2285 Chino Roces Ave. Ext., Makati City Tel. 894 3314
MOBILITY BMW (ASIAN CAR MAKERS CORPORATION) 28/F Pacific Star Bldg. Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City Tel. 403 6461
HONDA CARS PHILS., INC. 105 South Main Avenue Laguna Technopark Sta. Rosa, Laguna Tel. 857 7200
MAZDA PHILIPPINES Ford Group Philippines FGP Bldg. #1 American Road Greenfield Automotive Park SEZ Santa Rosa, Laguna Tel. (049) 541 5000
MOBC
OVERBOARD Facebook: Overboard-Philippines Tel. 563 3077 elitesportsgear@yahoo.com http://www.overboard.com
PACSAFE United Limsun International Trading Corporation 103B Jose Abad Santos St., Little Baguio, San Juan Tel. 470 1127
RAYBAN PHILIPPINES Eventscape Manila Unit 4B Valdelcon Building, No.20 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air, Makati City Tel. 897 2472
VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS Mall outlets and sports shops. http://www.vibramfivefingers.ph
X-DORIA http://www.x-doria.com
SUZUKI PHILIPPINES INC. Danny Floro Street Bagong Ilog Pasig City Tel. 671 9724
TOYOTA MOTOR PHILIPPINES 31/F GT Tower International 6813 Ayala Avenue corner HV dela Costa St. Makati City, Metro Manila Tel. 858 8200
Apple Resellers, Ambassador Appliances, Astrovision / Astroplus, Rustan’s Department Store, SM Appliance Center http://www.gadgeteeronline. multiply.com
96
JUNE 2012
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph