Introducing the HUAWEI Ascend W1, Windows Phone 8 for only PHP 8,990

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at April 22nd, 2013

Whoa! Windows Phone 8 for less that P10,000? Nice! Last week, Microsoft Philippines together with HUAWEI unveiled a sub-10k smartphone running on the latest Windows Phone 8 operating system. Historically, there have been other Windows Phone devices that have been released for less than P10,000 yet cannot be upgraded to the latest OS.

Here are the specs:

480 x 800 pixels, 4.0 inches
5 MP, 2592х1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Qualcomm MSM8230 Snapdragon
Dual-core 1.2 GHz Krait with Adreno 305 GPU
microSD expansion up to 32 GB
Internal 4GB storage with 512MB RAM

Ascend W1 Huawei's First Windows Phone 8 Smartphone Now Out at P8990_12April2013 (6)

BoostCase for iPhone 5 starts at PHP 3,250 for 1500mAh

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at April 20th, 2013

For fans of BoostCase, the wait is finally over. It’s thinner and more stylish than the previous BoostCase for the iPhone 4/4s and will be available starting Wednesday, April 24 2013. The stores that will be carrying it include: Beyond the Box, Digital Hub and Digital Walker Branches.

Boostcase Hybrid 1500 mAh – SRP P 3,250
Boostcase Hybrid 2200 mAh – SRP P 3,950

OtterBox Armor Series for iPhone 5 costs PHP 4,900.00

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at April 17th, 2013

For adventure junkies and mobile warriors alike, there’s no denying that the iPhone 5 has become prevalent in this day and age. With several ruggedized and waterproof housing solutions for the iPhone such as the LifeProof, Seashell and Patima, none is considered more popular than OtterBox. This is a look into the weatherproof Armor Series case for the iPhone 5. Can you take this underwater? Yes, up to 6 feet so it’s great for snorkeling and the swimming pool.
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An hour with the Samsung Note 8

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at April 16th, 2013

The Samsung Note 8 retails at PHP 23,990.00 for the 3G version. The LTE version is not available in the Philippines. If you are looking for a deal, the Note 8 is available for free on PLAN 1699 on SUN Cellular and it comes with a FREE Samsung Galaxy S3 mini smartphone!

I got to sit down at a quaint dinner as the reps from Samsung ran me through their new baby, the Samsung Note 8. It’s quite obvious where Samsung gets their inspiration (having been an Apple OEM) and as a market leader and Android poster boy in the smartphone and tablet segment, competition with Apple is stiff. The Samsung Note 8 borrows much from two predecessors — the love child between the Tab 10.1 and the Galaxy Note producing an offspring that’s wee-in between the size of both devices and retaining the S-pen. In a nutshell, the Note 8 is an enlarged Note II (or a smaller Tab 10.1).
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BRAVEN BRV-1 weatherproof wireless speakers + charger goes for PHP 7,450.00

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at April 15th, 2013

BRAVEN. I love this word. This is because it sounds like one of my favorite descriptors in the English language — the adjective ‘brazen’ which meant ‘without fear or shame.’ And perhaps this descriptor is apt as a brand name for hands down, the most impressive rugged portable speaker system I have encountered.

Many brands take portability to the next level by displaying a line of speakers that’s centered more on portability than function and with this norm dominating the ‘casual’ speaker scene, this is something completely different. The BRAVEN’s BRV-1 is king of the hill of portable speakers: rugged, light, wireless, splash-proof and wow, the sound (WOW!). I was completely blown away when I first turned it on in my living room: 6 watts of booming audio filled the space. None of that rickety audio that seems like it’s coming out of a tin can: Full bass, full mids and great highs. The BRV-1 is about the size of a DSLR (body only) giving it enough oomph for the bass to tremble.
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NEXT-GEN Tubbataha Ranger Station currently being funded for construction

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at April 9th, 2013

From the Facebook page of WWF CEO Lory Tan:

WWF Philippines has launched a capital campaign to raise P40M in order to build a new Tubbataha Ranger Station. They do so much for us. The least we can do is to give them the best facilities we can offer to help them do their job. Lafarge Philippines has committed to supply all the cement needed for this laudable, all-Filipino project.

One of the highlights of the Tubbataha Reef 25th Anniversary celebration was the unveiling of a 100% Filipino funded project, which was the construction of a “real deal” Ranger Station that would have proper capabilities to deal with imminent threats (such as another ‘Guardian’ incident that occurred just this week by a Chinese fishing vessel).

As you can see, the new Ranger Station spells ‘gwapo’ futuristic utilizing solar panels and modern day equipment + countermeasures to deal with illegal poaching of our marine life.

If you are interested to participate in the fundraising, check out wwf.org.ph.

My green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) photo featured at the Tubbataha Reef 25th Anniversary Exhibit

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at April 9th, 2013

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Tubbataha Reef’s declaration as a world heritage site. I consider myself proud and honored to be one of the contributing underwater photographers participating in a roving photo exhibit around Ayala Malls.

Above is my photo of the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) taken during my 2011 Tubbataha charter trip on board the HCA. I would like to thank WWF Philippines and the Tubbataha Management Office for this honor.

Tubbataha Reef 25th Anniversary Photo Exhibit Album

The Tubbataha Reefs is considered one of the best dive sites in the world, and is one of the most biologically rich and diverse areas within the Coral Triangle, Earth’s epicenter of marine life.

With the support of Canon Marketing (Philippines), Inc. and the Ayala Malls, WWF-Philippines and the Tubbataha Management Office formally opened the exhibit on Monday at the New Glorietta Activity Center.The exhibit will continue to run from April 10 to 13, at the Ground Level of Glorietta 3.

Through the photo exhibit, WWF and TMO aim to promote the Tubbataha experience and highlight the importance of protecting our Tubbataha Reefs and help raise funds to build a new Tubbataha Ranger Station, which will better protect this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

**MIND BLOWN** Toys that come to life with your iPad: Hot Wheels, DC Universe, WWE, Monster High, etc

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 31st, 2013

You know, every time I walk into Datablitz these days I get more and more tempted to pick up a copy of Skylanders. If you go there often, every branch has a store display of ‘Skylanders’ action figures that are not only toys — but are also integral to the Skylanders video game. When you place an action figure onto a “Portal of Power” (which is simply a Bluetooth enabled NFC device) the character comes to life inside the game. So not only do you get a new character to play with in Skylanders, you also get a collectible toy.
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Chikka is still around, and going strong after 10 years!

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 29th, 2013

Trading jokes and getting into never-ending kulitan. Quoting songs and exchanging pick-up lines. Sharing comments about the weather or passing around traffic updates. Asking obvious questions or giving practical answers. There are millions of stories we share everyday plus the countless ‘good mornings’ and ‘goodnights.’ That’s what’s unique about us, Filipinos; we always have something to say and we always find the right words to utter –to a friend you hangout with almost everyday, to your family whom you only see in reunions, to someone special you can’t get enough of, or even to the stranger you met on the street. We always have reasons for small talk. And for more than 12 years, we are happy that Chikka has been part of the lives of millions; bringing Filipinos from different parts of the world together. Small talk, after all, is the nature of the messages that Chikka sends every day. So here’s to many more small talks and to those special moments when small talk says it all.

OK but seriously know, before the trendy word “startup” a small company known as Chikka was one of the more visible tech startups of the past decade. They’re more known for the Chikka app that everyone used when the lifeblood of SMS was too expensive. Today, Chikka has realized the startup dream, having been bought out by SMART Communications several years ago.

Check the multiplatform Chikka app on Android, iOS, Facebook, Windows and Google Chrome extension.

Bioshock Infinite Philippines Price Guide!

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 25th, 2013

Bioshock Infinite is out tomorrow, March 26 2013 for the Philippine market. Take this post as a PSA on the costs. There are three editions available — Standard, Premium and Songbird.

Premium edition includes the Murder of Crows Keychain, Handyman game resin-cast figurine, lithograph print and art book as well as the exclusive in-game gear. The Songbird collection comes with a rare 9.5 inch statue of the Songbird.

“We are very excited with our latest FPS offering,” said Ron Aquino, GM of X-Play. “This game definitely offers a refreshing breadth of features that players look for in an FPS game that they cannot find in other titles.”

BIOSHOCK INFINITE PRICE GUIDE

PC Version
Standard Php 1,895
Premium Php 3,295
Songbird Php 6,495

PS3 Version
Standard Php 2,295
Premium Php 3,350
Songbird Php 6,495

XBOX 360 Version
Standard Php 2,095
Premium Php 3,350
Songbird Php 6,495

You can pre-order in the following stores:

• A-Deals (online website- https://www.a-deals.com/home)
• Achieve
• Brochiere
• Netopia
• Game Extreme
• Gameline/GameGizmo/Teke
• iTech

Note from the distributor:

Each pre-ordered copy entitles players to a FREE soundtrack and gear DLC—all they have to do is provide their contact information to any of the listed retailers, and a DLC code will be sent back via SMS or e-mail. Pre-order offer expires midnight of March 27, 2013.

Sari.PH is changing lives by bringing the sari-sari store online

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at March 22nd, 2013

First off, I love their logo. There’s nothing more epic than nanay doing a power uppercut with her Sari-enabled smartphone. In the digital industry, it is rare to find individuals who can look beyond merely building campaigns for brands. I’ve always championed the fact that (almost) anything you do in the digital landscape should not be campaign-focused but rather platform-focused. Analogy: Would you rather be the guy who puts money into Facebook to launch your time-bound campaign or the guy who actually runs Facebook, where all of the conversation and conversion happens?
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