Windows Phone 7 Tweetup Party (with XBOX and Kinect!)
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 31st, 2011
Dear Internet friends,
Please come. No need to explain. =)
When: 9:30PM Friday, February 4 2011
Where: Digital Walker Eastwood Mall
Spread the word. Use #wp7party as the Twitter hashtag.
Breach is out! USD $11.00 only on Steam
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 29th, 2011Breach is a bit left of center from traditional FPS games because it combines 3rd person cover (ala Gears of War) and contextual environment destruction (ala Bad Company 2). The destruction part is rather interesting as ammo types have different effects on the environment.
Multiplayer only.
BUY NOW: http://store.steampowered.com/app/72300/
Destroy Almost Anything: Welcome to the world’s most destructible battlefield, filled with all sorts of nasty new tactics to use against your opponents.
Active Cover: Attach to cover instantly with the push of a button and then use cover to gain advantages against opponents — even while your cover is being destroyed.
Unique Real-life Spy Equipment: Use real-life spy gadgets, like a Sonic Imager that lets you see what’s on the other side of a wall and a Sniper Detector that finds campers lying in wait for you.
Lots of Variety: Includes five levels, five game types, 23 unlockable weapons, 13 perks, plus dozens of attachments and gadgets.
Hard Core Mode: For those who like to play the way real operatives train, Hard Core Mode, the Sole Survivor game type, and the highly destructible battlefield create one of the most realistic military experiences in gaming.
Dedicated Server: Host your own dedicated servers if you’d like, complete with remote administration.
My telco issued WP7 device is not SIM locked
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 29th, 2011I heard from a source within the industry that WP7 devices in Asia are not SIM locked. This seems to be a standards thing but I couldn’t find anything on the Internet to back the claims. It’s not a controversy. That’s really just how it’s supposed to be. Since I was the first person to source a device from a telco I decided to test it out.
Validated. My SMART-issued device is still an open line. Here it is working on a Globe SIM which I borrowed:
I’m not familiar with the treaties that make this phenomenon possible (these are for WP7 phones sold in Asia only) but this is definitely a good thing for both Microsoft and SMART if this is consistent across the board. The benefits to Microsoft are obvious. But it is also beneficial to SMART because:
- SMART subscribers can still get this phone at a good retention price (got mine at PHP 5,750 compared to the almost PHP 30k you have to shell out for brand new). It’s not like they’re going to switch once they get the phone.
- I honestly find SMART’s data consistent and fast compared to any of the other two telcos. So for me, nothing changes.
- You have the option of using a foreign SIM card when roaming to another country as opposed to being tied to roaming rates. This is actually great for me because I have a collection of SIM cards from all the countries I visit.
Fun times. If you have a WP7 device, I urge you to try this experiment to further validate the claim.
Photo c/o Nina Fuentes
HTC Mozart: How to set up your Windows Phone 7 device
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 25th, 2011
EDIT: I heard from someone in the industry that Windows Phone 7 devices issued in Asia are not SIM locked. So I tested it. It’s true: a telco issued WP7 device is “open line” and not locked to a provider (i.e. you can stick a SUN Cellular SIM into the SMART-issued WP7 device and it will run just fine). This is actually very interesting news.
It’s been almost a week with the HTC Mozart, the very first Windows Phone 7 in the country. Unlike others who have appropriated their WP7 devices outside the telcos, this is actually the very first official release in the country. If you open the battery, there’s a SMART Communications sticker pasted onto the circuit board. I purchased the phone under my retention plan with SMART under my regular plan 2500 but had to shell out a bit of cash (with a discount). Apparently I am the first customer in the country who has availed of this via retention. Total cash out: PHP 5750.00 not bad considering the unit costs about PHP 30,000.00. Well, that’s the price you pay for being an “early adopter.” I’m sure in the coming months we will see much cheaper handsets in the same way Android phones are releasing units at a 10k price point.
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OK this time we’re giving away a BlackBerry Curve 9300 3G from Research in Motion
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 25th, 2011
This week, we’re giving away a BlackBerry Curve 9300 3G from RIM courtesy of Arel of Virtusio PR and RIM 
. I understand a number of other blogs gave the same prize during the holidays. Well, if you still haven’t won a RIM device, this is your last chance! But this time let’s make this the easiest contest ever. No need for graphic design skills. No need for Anglo-Saxon poetic magic.
All you need to win this contest is a FACE!
Yes, a FACE!
That’s the prize, sirs and maams. It’s sealed. I’m not opening the box because I want YOU to be the first one to open it.
RULES:
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This was by far the toughest contest series I’ve ever judged. Thanks to EVERYONE who submitted. And the winner is…
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 25th, 2011Hi guys! Sorry if I’m only announcing this now. I was out the whole day yesterday with 3/4 of the entries done. Commercial muna: if you watch a lot of television, I’m appearing in a segment for Born to Be Wild at 11:30PM tomorrow (Wednesday) hosted by Kiko on GMA7. It’s a short feature on marine conservation photography with two other members of an underwater photography club called NUDI.
OK on to the contest! Here are some of the entries that stood out because of creativity:
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AQUA OBSCURA at La Regalade
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 21st, 2011
Might I suggest a nice date place for you and your special someone? There’s a three star Michelin chef that runs the kitchen at La Regalade along Pasay Road, Makati. It’s a French Bistro. Good food. Serious wine. It’s also an art gallery. And between now and March 2, I will help provide the eye candy for your romantic evening with an underwater photo exhibit.
From left to right: myself, Jan Acosta, Marie Lat, Wowie Wong, Joshua Castro, Jules Terrado
Together with five other friends who shoot underwater, we’ve set up a 6-man exhibit titled “Aqua Obscura.” Opening night was a huge success with one of my photos being reserved for purchase. If you’re craving for French cuisine or just want to chill over a bottle of wine, I invite you drop by and have a look at the exhibit. It’s up till the 2nd of March.
In this issue of Dispatch Magazine
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 17th, 2011
The next time you step into R.O.X. at Bonifacio High Street, do check out the newly reformatted Dispatch Magazine with Toby Martin as EIC. It’s now smaller and thus easier to bring around. Just in time for Sinulog, this issue of Dispatch is all about Cebu in the Visayas. In this issue, I have a three-page guide on SCUBA Diving in some of the best sites in Cebu with photos by Jan Acosta.
I’m also quite proud to be a contributor for a magazine that has partnered with National Geographic Channel for producing content about the Philippines. Check it out! There’s lot of really good stuff on Cebu written by veterans such as Chip Childers, Sandy Kiamko and Mona Polo.
Our final winner for the Nokia X3 Contest!
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 17th, 2011Hi guys. Did a read through of your entries lat night till this morning. Just one question? What’s with all the Benjamin Button references all of a sudden? =)
Not the winners, but they were funny:
This one was actually funny for a mystery entry from drix:
can someone tell me the tagalog term for TOOTHPASTE?it bothers me.
And OK … harhar
Hoping to win. Next day I check the website and won the Nokia X3. with no comment at all.
And to the one who submitted this entry, naughty boy!
The lady in their logo signals me to keep my mouth shut
And the winner for this entry is “Third.”
A man is looking for a new car. He checked the trunk and bought it.
Very simple. It caught my eye and the rest followed. On behalf of Nokia, thanks to everyone who joined this series. It was really fun!
Sirs and Maams, we’re giving away an ACER Ferrari One 200 this week
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 17th, 2011
EDIT: People asked why no video entries. Well I don’t want video to compete with photo. I’ll see if we can do video for another round =)
OK kids, let’s go. This is definitely a prize we’re not planning to give away to charity. Say hello to ACER’s Ferrari One 200. It’s one of those rare machines that run on an AMD Processor which means that you’re getting a great gaming rig at an insanely affordable price. ACER is launching this beast of a machine this month. Just look at it! SRP PHP39,990.00
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And our second winner is…
Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 15th, 2011Happy weekend! OK so here we go — I LOLED at most of the entries till about 2:00AM and decided to call it a night before I did a last glance this morning. Great entries — especially the cheezy ones (paging entries of ‘Shiela’)!
Also, sayang ang entry ni Third — he has something going, but I felt it wasn’t witty enough (and perhaps too long). But good job pa rin!:
Search. Add. Confirm. Poke. Poke. Poke. They changed relationship status. Engaged. Married. Guy forgot to send gifts on Farmville. Single.
Anyway, this was fun guys! Time to announce the winner! Congratulations to TheGreatMorinda for her short but sweet entry:
They had a baby. They got married. They fell in love.
This is a good pambawi as TheGreatMorinda almost made it in the last contest and appears to have fans among the other contestants.
Congratulations to everyone who joined! Enjoy the payday weekend!
