Samsung SMART TV Buying Guide: Difference between the 1st and 2nd Generation

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at May 21st, 2012

I own two first generation Samsung SMART TV’s. They’re exactly alike. I’m describing the mid-range 40″ LED model that comes with built-in Internet capability (there’s a more affordable version that doesn’t come with Internet). It has all the bells and whistles of a modern day flat screen LED TV including 4 HDMI ports and one USB port, being 3D-ready, with Ethernet port (for wired Internet), 1080p + up-scaling and all that. I own two because one was a wedding present.

In the past 2 months, Samsung had given me a very in-depth look at the new line of SMART TV’s for 2012. And deep inside I felt really bad about the current one I have in the living room for a number of reasons. The following is a comparison between the 2011 SMART TV and the 2012 SMART TV line for those who are interested to invest in a unit. But before that, some notes:
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So Kris Aquino endorses Nokia Lumia

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at May 14th, 2012

When smartphones were not yet that “smart” Kris Aquino had already been using a Nokia (circa N95 days), which she would place on the coffee table during her talk shows. Back then, she wasn’t a real endorser but Nokia did take notice of this and voila, she’s now the new Nokia Lumia endorser!

The story above comes from Nikka Abes of Nokia Philippines.

Although the ad only shows the Lumia 610, 710 and 800, she is also the endorser of the flagship Lumia 900 which will be officially launched next week.

So my question to you is .. how do you feel about Kris Aquino being their new endorser?

To a number of IT folks, the idea may be unsettling as she’s obviously not tech-oriented but given Nokia and Microsoft’s strategy to push Windows Phone and the Lumia as devices for the highly untapped feature-phone oriented consumers, then the endorsement is spot on. If you’re already a heavy iOS user, you definitely won’t make the switch. Windows Phone is aimed towards non-smartphone users, so the advertorial is apt.

Ascension: Storm of Souls Released for iOS

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at May 11th, 2012

For fans of Ascension, this needs no explanation. But for the uninitiated, Ascension is one of the world’s most popular deck building games created by by Justin Gary and the third expansion second expansion is due out as an in-app purchase, estimated to launch next week.

If you’re looking for a new game for your iPad or iPhone that can be enjoyed competitively or casually, Ascension would be one of my top recommendations for a number of reasons: if you were a fan of Magic the Gathering, do know that pro-tour players led by Justin Gary developed Ascension as a more cost-effective alternative because you don’t shell out money for individual cards. Everything is bought in a sealed deck and you know exactly what cards you’re getting.

Casually, Ascension on the iOS platform is well-made and intuitive. If you’re coming from the left into this genre, the tutorial can get you learned and competitive in minutes. The app has dropped price from USD $4.99 to USD $0.99 so that’s more than enough reason to grab a copy. The first expansion, Ascension: Return of the Fallen can be bought via an in-app purchase as well. Storm of Souls will follow the same in-app format.

Download Links:

Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer USD $0.99

Both Ascension: Return of the Fallen and Storm of Souls are available as in-app purchases. For current Ascension owners, there is an update available on the App Store that allows you to purchase the expansion and adds a number of little features to the core game.

Wise words from my idol, James Cameron

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at April 28th, 2012

Road Test: PowerBag — A bag that charges your gadgets on the go!

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at April 17th, 2012

Them: “Is everyone ready?”
Me: “Wait lang guys, I have to finish charging my bag!”

Spent a couple of days in Beijing, China and for the most part I was outdoors walking the length of the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, being un-forbidden in the Forbidden City and making our way to the Emperor’s Summer Palace. That was the perfect opportunity to road test the PowerBag, the latest geeky configuration of a backpack. It’s a charger and a backpack at the same time.

Removable battery

Wall socket

PowerBag charger and cables

There’s a whole line of bags + chargers available but this one in particular was co-designed by ful and comes in three colors. There’s nothing complex about the bag’s design: it’s water resistant and comes with two storage areas for (1) clothes and other personal effects and (2) your gadgets. Gadgets would include tablets, phones and laptops.

The front storage comes with a neoprene pouch that houses the lithium-ion battery. The battery itself is removable and comes in 3000mAh and 6000mAh variants. To get a sense of how much juice that’s worth, a 3000mAh battery can get about 15 hours of additional life on an iPhone 4s. From the battery pack, three sets of cords seam through the bag and go into the side pocket. These cords are for Apple, mini USB and micro USB (for Android and Blackberry). if you have bigger things to charge, like tablets, you can always pull the cord from the side pocket into the main storage so you can charge an iPad or a Galaxy Tab on the go.

To know how much juice the bag has left, the front comes with LED lights that indicate how much charge the battery pack has. Charging the bag is easy. It comes with a wall charger which you plug into a removable cap near the battery.

I brought the PowerBag everywhere we toured save for the Night Market because it was really near the hotel. If you aren’t a geek cowboy and don’t bring along an extension cord, the PowerBag can also serve as precisely that — an extension cord for charging.

The PowerBag will be available soon in the Philippines. First stores to have stocks will be Mobile 1 Rockwell and Ansons Emporium. Follow them on Facebook.

Pricing: PHP 6,990.00 – PHP 7,490.00

Highlights
Removable Battery
Water resistant
Comfortable for the long haul
Plenty compartments
Additional USB slot inside main storage for more devices

Lenovo A335: Dual SIM, Custom Background Sounds for PHP 2,490.00

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 5th, 2012

Let’s go on low gear for a bit and talk about feature phones. The Lenovo A335 is a feature phone (OMG it’s not a smartphone!) that carries dual SIM features, camera, MP3 player and a 1700mAh battery that will last you more than 2 days.

But its best feature is the customized ambient sounds that is built into the phone. When you’re talking to someone, you can .. well.. fabricate your whereabouts. From being in transit on the MRT to being on a bike or a restaurant. And you can even add your own. Like .. if you’re talking to your loved one, have the sound of wedding bells in the background! O diba!
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P50.00 a day can get you a Netbook and Home Internet

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at February 14th, 2012

Yesterday we asked you how far your P50.00 a day could go. We mostly talked about apps you can download from the iTunes store but really, an app is an app … is an app! So the word’s out today. The PLDT-Smart group have released a new home office promo which sounds mighty attractive: for PHP 50.00 a day you can get WiMax in your home plus a Neo Netbook.

Here are the plans:

PHP 999 Canopy / Wimax + PHP 500 = Php 1,499 / mo for a Neo Netbook
PHP 999 Canopy / Wimax + PHP 800 = Php 1,799 / mo for an Acer Netbook

For more details you can follow @PLDThome on Twitter and check out their unlimited Internet + Netbook bundle.

This is a steal if you’re really on a budget but need to get a home workstation going as soon as possible. We have no word about the exact model of the netbooks but I will surmise that it is probably one of these. I have had the opportunity to review Neo-branded netbooks and generally speaking, they perform at par with other brands. You also get that added patriotic flag for choosing Pinoy-made!

Do yourself a favor: if you think this this promo is epic, do inquire first about the signal strength in your area. At everything constant, the 2Mbps signal is pretty stable and enough to get you through all your Internet needs.

N.B. PLDT is an advertiser on this blog.

This is the reason why we should demand more from Hollywood

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 24th, 2012

‘Archetype’ is a labor of love directed by Aaron Sim. It was created with a budget of USD $0.00. Maybe he’s exaggerating, but what this technology revolution did for social media, it’s doing its magic to the film industry.

No wonder there is a lot of worry in Hollywood. And I’m not referring to the actual cost to produce things nowadays. It’s merely the fact that Hollywood — and other big businesses have been built under a pretense of an enduring industrial age.

They never saw this revolution coming. And it’s the same reason why we should demand more from Hollywood. Because they need to change too.

Jollibee brings NFC technology to their stores with the ‘happyplus’ Card

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 17th, 2012

I laud Jollibee for being the first retailer pushing for fast adoption of NFC technology in the Philippines.

Geeky Explanation: (warning, nosebleed)
NFC stands for “Near Field Communication” and is a prevalent piece of technology similar to Bluetooth or QR codes and is based on the current RFID technology. The difference is that the “near field” in NFC means that as soon as you point your device (in this case a card) to the kiosk sensor within 4 centimeters, the “tag” is recorded. The not-so-recent Android 2.3 Gingerbread upgrade enables NFC for several of their models like the Samsung Galaxy S II.

Non-Geeky Explanation:
Your mobile phone (or any device with NFC) is now a debit card.

The HappyPlus Card seems to be Jollibee’s way to condition the minds of Filipinos to adopt NFC as a part of their daily lives. This is a bridge. It is no secret that the final product will be to use NFC-enabled smartphones (many Android devices already have it built in but aren’t being used by Pinoys) but the cards are a good way of pushing the market to familiarize with this tech. Essentially, it’s something Filipinos have been doing for a while, claiming rewards points with their load, using Passa Load services, etc. Jollibee’s move makes sense as they already have staked their claim in a mobile app for smartphones (aka Netphone).

The service will be available starting January 23 2012. The card itself will cost PHP 100.00 and will enable rewards points to accumulate. You can use the points to purchase from Jollibee, Chowking, Red Ribbon, Greenwich and soon, Mang Inasal. In essence, NFC eventually replaces the CBTL Swirl Cards and SM Advantage cards we have come to love.

Current Phones that support NFC:

Android
Nexus S
Google Nexus S 4G
Samsung Galaxy S II (not all versions)
Samsung Galaxy Note (not all versions)
Galaxy Nexus

Meego
Nokia N9

BlackBerry
Blackberry Bold 9790
BlackBerry Bold 9990/9930
BlackBerry Torch 9810/9860
Blackberry Curve 9350/9360/9370

The iPhone does not officially support NFC technology.

2012 is the year NFC will be introduced and will grow. Smart has started pushing it as well for bazaar entrances. You can use your smartphone (w/ NFC) to enter bazaars. Who knows what’s next? Concert tickets? MRT tickets? Endless!

How to make your own “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” Meme

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at January 7th, 2012

Hot Air Balloon Festival, Clark Pampanga (Every February of the year)

UPDATE VI: The DOT linked back to my tutorial from their official website!

UPDATE V: Lester Bambico has programmed and uploaded an “It’s More Fun” app into the Android Marketplace. More details here (with screenshots!)

UPDATE IV: Looks like some of my work is featured in SPOT.PH. Three of them. Including the tutorial.

UPDATE III: Someone made a DOT Philippines now has an official “More Fun” maker over the weekend. You can visit the site at http://www.morefunmaker.com/. It allows you to upload a photo, add a caption and choose whether to place it on top or at the bottom of the image. If you’re not comfortable using Photoshop or any other photo editing tool, this is the easiest way to get your “More Fun” meme out!

UPDATE II: The amazing Arnold Gamboa (@arnoldgamboa on Twitter) used his coding skills to build a living Twitter wall where you can view the crowd-made “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” photos. Nice one! The site is: http://www.itsmorefuninthephilippinespics.com/. To be included here, all you need to do is Tweet your photo + include the #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines hashtag. The site grabs photos every 5 minutes.

UPDATE: Added an extra step to focus on SEO for image search and added more examples below. Enjoy!

It’s More Fun in the Philippines. You know the new DOT online campaign works because it really gets netizens involved. Most are using the hashtag (#ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines) but others are getting their creative juices flowing and making their own DOT-inspired images based on their personal experiences around the 7,000++ islands.

Now I’m pretty sure BBDO Guerrero will provide an easy to use web tool where anyone can upload photos and add text from the new It’s More Fun in the Philippines site. But in the meantime, here’s one way you can create your own “Philipp-FUN” memes.

Are you ready? Let’s go!
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EastWest Bank wants you to win a BlackBerry Torch (and more!)

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at November 11th, 2011

You know, it’s OK to admit that your wallet seems to empty itself during the holiday gift giving routine. It’s the same story every Christmas — that I either decide to buy bulk gifts for all my friends (i.e. my blog themed cupcakes from way back) or individual gifts for people who are really memorable to me during the year. Now it’s usually the former, but one thing that I always had a hard time doing was budget my expenses. Well. Because even if let’s say I set a budget of PHP3,000-PHP5,000 for gifts (excluding family) I find out at the end of my shopping spree that I’ve emptied my wallet! I think “sales” are a consumer trap, especially if you’re into gadgets.
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