Remembering 2010: Marking 102 Dives with video

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at December 28th, 2010

Probably the best investment I made this year was for a decent underwater video camera. I accumulated over 42GB worth of raw underwater footage and I must say that documenting my dives is easily the most rewarding experience this year, perhaps ever! As a volunteer for WWF Philippines I also donate all my videos to their coral triangle efforts.

So here they are, my top diving vids for 2010:

*Viewing advice*
Watching all of these videos could take a while. If you have time to spare, do grab a bag of chips and a drink. Enjoy!
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Finally, it’s complete: Sea & Sea DSLR housing with single YS-110 strobe

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at December 22nd, 2010

Procured from parts found all over, I finally completed my first professional housing set up. I’d like to send out thanks to Wowie Wong, Jan Acosta and Jovic Santos for giving really good buying advice (and in Wowie and Jovic’s case … parts!).
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UPDATED ON MECHANICS: HOLIDAY GADGET SWARM WEEK IV: Samsung Galaxy 5 Contest

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at December 13th, 2010

UPDATE: After deliberation and popular request, we’re now opening the contest to a nationwide audience, instead of just Metro Manila.

I’d like to thank Samsung for their generosity in extending their sponsorship. When I approached them many weeks ago they agreed to cover the prize for one week. Because they love you all, they asked if they could sponsor a second week. Luckily I was going to break the contest into two waves — the next one starting next year. Oh well! More prizes! =)

As for last week’s contest I will announce it sometime this week. Dami kasi.

Affordable Galaxy 5 is affordable! Even if you don’t win this week’s contest, the Samsung Galaxy 5 makes for a worthy choice to spend your Christmas bonus on. It’s just slightly above PHP 10,000.00! You get a robust v2.1 operating system and an affordable phone from a brand you can trust.

Network 2.5G : 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
3G (HSDPA 7.2 Mbps) : 900/2100 MHz
OS Android 2.1
Display 2.8” QVGA TFT LCD (C-type)
Camera 2MP FF w/o LED Flash
Video MPEG4, H.263, H.264
Audio MP3, ACC, ACC+, Eacc+
FM Radio, 3.5mm Ear jack

Value-added Features Integrated Messaging ‘Social Hub’
Google Mobile Service
Android Market™ for more applications and content
Augmented Reality with Layar Reality Browser
Touch Wiz 3.0 User interface, A-GPS
Connectivity Bluetooth v2.1, USB v2.0 (Full-Speed), Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, All Share
Memory 170MB, MicroSD (1GB included, up to 16GB)
Size: 56 x 108 x 12.3 mm, 102 g
Battery: 1200mAh
Talk Time: 570 Min (2G)/ 380 Min (3G)
Stand-by Time: 520 Hr (2G)/ 370 Hr (3G)
Price: PHP 10,980

CONTEST TIME!

It’s the Korean invasion and Samsung was ahead of it all! Before KPOP. Before Station 168. Before Starcraft. For this week’s contest I am giving more importance to creativity than to confining you to rules. I want you to:

1. Submit something. Anything. But it has to exemplify how the Korean influence has invaded your life. It can be an essay, a photo, a video. Anything. Just put the link in the comments section. Remember, TURNING KOREAN. Leave it in the comments section. It’s the usual drill.

2. Remember, the more bibo, the better. So yeah, dapat talaga kinarir.

3. Contest starts now till Saturday, 18th of December 11:59PM. This contest is open to people within Metro Manila only nationwide! This is not a raffle. It is a talent show. You can submit as many entries as you want.

N.B. Joining this week’s contest allows Samsung to add your info to their database for upcoming promos and announcements for 2011.

Two weeks with the Medal of Honor Reboot

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at November 10th, 2010

I’m not sure what was more annoying — getting spammed with cheap knife kills in Modern Warfare 2 or getting one-shotted with semi-auto sniper rifles in Medal of Honor.

But nonetheless, EA’s latest shooter has gotten me hooked. OK a bit of perspective — I’ve been playing the MoH series since Allied Assault in 2002. This really upped the bar of first person gaming with its cinematic rendition of the Omaha beach landing. At that time, a game that could live up to the experience of Saving Private Ryan was an A-OK in my book. Then came the rest of the series — Spearhead, Pacific Assault, Airborne … and parallel this was Activision releasing the Call of Duty franchise. And thus was planted the seeds of competition. With two successful releases of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2, EA was left with a reboot of their Medal of Honor franchise. Playing the patriot card, they decided to develop a Medal of Honor reboot according to a real world coordinated assault on the terrains of Afghanistan against the Taliban forces.

Medal of Honor’s single player is your typical run off the mill military shooter, with the Tier 1 boys fighting in the mountains of Afghanistan. You take on the role as several operatives from the army and special operations divisions, notably as ‘Rabbit’ who belongs to Tier 1 as a frontline sniper and infiltrations specialist. I was particularly surprised that the story arc, presented from different points of view of the assaulting forces, was well stitched, giving the overall impression that yeah, this is military stuff and we’re working with clockwork precision. I was afraid that it would be a Modern Warfare 2 ripoff, DICE’sDanger Close’s accurate portrayal of the real war on Afghanistan from the accounts of soldiers had its own merit.

Of course, military shooters are bought for its replay value. Apart from a Tier 1 mode that allows you to complete the game scenarios in record time and win medals, the multiplayer skirmishes is still at the heart and soul of Medal of Honor. Medal of Honor takes the fast paced arcade action of MW2 with a more simplified class system and vehicle-enabled combat from the Battlefield franchise. The result is a series of 10 minute skirmishes to attack and defend objectives, control point domination, and team death match games for quick fix in-and-out play. The leveling system is pretty much run off the mill allowing new loadout for weapons such as gun barrel customization and targeting mechanisms. A rally point system from kills also allows offensive and defensive assists for your team. If you accumulate 50 points without dying, you can choose to either call in a mortar strike or engage a UAV in the playing field to track enemies. At higher levels, you can equip your teammates with flak vests and ammo upgrades.

Medal of Honor is currently my source of 10-minute escapes from reality. The game runs smoothly on my MacBook Pro amazingly (with Windows 7 Ultimate on BootCamp) and still looks great on a GeForce 320M graphic card. It’s a no-regret buy for less that PHP 1,500.00.

I guess the real question is, how does it compare to Call of Duty: Black Ops?

Played with the Galaxy Tab. Pretty neat!

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at October 23rd, 2010

Side by side is the Samsung Galaxy S with the Galaxy Tab. I own the former. Having played with the Tab for roughly an hour, I can say that the Tab is exactly like the Galaxy S sans the Super AMOLED screen. I now understand why this Android tablet is a viable competitor to the iPad despite being smaller in dimensions. Not only is it more pocketable, it also comes with a camera. Really — it’s a huge Galaxy S. That’s that.

For me, it’s really simple: If the Philippine Android Marketplace had access to paid apps, it would strengthen the resolve to commit to this platform. Right now it’s pretty much a static marketplace for good freebies.

Above is the UNO Magazine blog with a YouTube video playing: the Galaxy Tab supports flash. The iPad doesn’t. This may be a huge deal for a lot of consumers who want to play Farmville on their slates.

Out soon. Wait for it.

“Jayvee, you’re the first person outside Microsoft Philippines to see this”

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at October 16th, 2010

EDIT: My friend Johnny Benitez from Microsoft has also posted his first impressions on Facebook.

Before I continue let me just say that I haven’t felt the adrenaline of chancing upon a gadget like this since the early 2000′s. Back then when it was a battle between Palm and Windows Mobile, I’d have Elbert Cuenca calling us to hurry over to Microwarehouse to see a then flagship m515 in the flesh, complete with blurry photos. I had been working on getting this scoop for a while and finally, effort paid off.

This is an industry exclusive. I’m apparently the first person outside Microsoft Philippines to be able to hold the new HTC Mozart, the first Windows Phone 7 device launching before the holidays. Thinking of an iPhone for Christmas? Hold your horses first.

Above: The new events calendar is color coded to match different synched accounts (via email including Google Calendar, Microsoft Exchange Server) and yeah even Facebook Events … all color coded baby.

Here’s what you need to know:
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So I woke up this morning and …

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at October 15th, 2010

… BOOM. There’s been a twisted takeover on the blog.

I feel really good partnering with McDonald’s for this type of execution. Ads are ads but when the entire brand takes over your template, that’s something completely unexpected and eye catching. Fun!

Well, as you can obviously see, the good news is that Twister Fries is back! You can check out their FaceBook page at Facebook.com/McDo.PH and of course their online delivery if you want Twister Fries delivered to your office right now!

Hey Magel, does this ACER review even count?!

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at October 7th, 2010

So about two weeks ago I was like:

And then Magel of Strategic Edge (Intel’s PR) put me first on the list for a really big ass ACER gaming laptop. INTEL Core i7. Lots of RAM. Radeon card. All that. Oh and it was so big, that, if you knew Magel personally, the box covered half her body. Imagine her carrying that. Oh, here’s her Facebook for reference.

Being first on the list has its perks.

She’s referring to me and Rico (who just picked up the laptop today).

You know what, reviewing really nice products makes you forget your JOB. The laptop arrived about the same time Civilization V for the PC came out (SEE ABOVE PHOTO). I had just bought the game as stock had just arrived in Datablitz (thanks for the heads up, Ms. Orpha) and met up with her to pick up the unit. Henceforth, I have been unavailable for everything else. Not even for an ACER event.

Wait I was there for WordCamp. Here’s a photo of Matt Mullenweg inside my car.

Hence we are confronted with a moral conundrum: Does missing an event because your were testing their product count as positive product engagement?! We will never know because everyone would rather discuss the RH Bill.

DUDE IT’S HUGE. I’m not kidding. That’s my 13 inch MacBook Pro on top of it.

And there are the specs. It’s OK! Comes with Blu-ray! Lots of gaming! Lots of power!

OK on a more serious note, I must say that I came to an epiphany after getting to play with this laptop. Since it’s huge, it comes with built in arm rests and that matters a LOT for someone who uses the computer everyday. You see, lately I’ve been experiencing numbness in my left pinky due to Guyon’s Canal and lo and behold, working with a big laptop makes working gaming less painful. Serious!

The price of your health: PHP 115,000.00

OK at least we learned something today! I love you, ACER! I love you, INTEL!

Do you like this Pawikan? If so, wwwf.org.ph/donate

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at October 6th, 2010

My friend Andrian Lee runs the backend for the WWF’s donations. For those of you thinking that donations can only be done via credit card, you will be surprised to know that they also accept deductions from your Bancnet ATM, a more viable option since not everybody has a credit card. You can opt to do a monthly recurring donation (you can specify the amount) OR you can do a one time donation.

Donors do get special benefits — passes to film showings sponsored by the WWF, first dibs to events such as cleanup dives, coastal cleanups and the like.

If you think this Pawikan is cute, why not donate a few pesos or so every month? If you don’t donate, you’re probably an evil person with no friends. This Pawikan will also die. By your hands.

Donate now at http://wwf.org/donate.

Solenn Heussaff for UNO Magazine October ’10

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at October 5th, 2010

From the four corners of our magazine, we are very happy to present Solenn Heussaff. Video shot by Juan Caguicla and edited by Jason Tan. Music by Caliph8.

The Much Awaited Nokia N8

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at September 22nd, 2010

I almost forgot I had photos of the new Nokia N8. Nikka from Nokia allowed me to take photos over a lunch meeting last week. This isn’t the final Symbian^3 software build yet but as much as hardware is concerned, this is how it really looks.

It’s slick. It’s light. It feels great to hold. Reminds me of my MacBook Pro actually as this phone boasts some sort of unibody design because you can’t remove the battery — so that’s one thing you should take into consideration when this phone hits the market. There’s a slight bump at the back of the unit where the camera is located. Some may think that this doesn’t help the design at all but I’m loving it as it can double as a space ship toy for when I’m bored.

Here’s a video demo showing off what’s new with Symbian^3. I can’t give a very objective hands on of the software as I have not immersed myself into the experience.

Pricing to follow.