Mitch (@mpadua) from SMART’s Netphone team posted an updated version of the SmartNet app running on a Samsung Galaxy Note side by side the HTC Desire S. The new version adds support for the really big 5.3″ screen and as you can see, the widget is really elegant and does not take up the entire width of the screen. The Internet icon has also changed.
We’re expecting to see an APK of the app’s latest version soon.
EDIT II: Want to see the Galaxy Note UNDERWATER? Check it out.
EDIT: Hands on with the Galaxy Note here.
I have a conspiracy theory about the worldwide consumer IT industry. Every year, all the manufacturers (except Apple — coz they’re not fun) add 1 inch to the screens of their smartphones to make consumers look more and more ridiculous when using these devices.
OK, but no, that’s probably too far from the truth but you have to admit that on paper, having a device that has 5.3″ of screen real estate can barely be called a phone anymore. In theory it all sounds bizarre, but this is one of those times where actually holding the device gives you that “aha!” moment. In short: The Samsung Galaxy Note works.
Top: Side by side with the Samsung Galaxy S II (4.3″ screen vs 5.3″ screen on the Note)
Read on for more photos and comparison.
Photo: Taking Marlon Rivera “off the hook” in post-event cocktails
I do my best to try something new every year, even if it’s just a one-off or a thing that eventually turns into a hobby. Well, I’d say this year I found myself in another comfortable position wearing the hat of an events host. The past two weeks had me hosting two gigs for Samsung. They were both selling events for their Samsung Smart TV line done at the Tower Club in Manila and at the Maya Bar in Cebu City. Manila had me in tandem with (the multitalented) Marlon Rivera, designer and director for Ang Babae sa Septic Tank. Marlon helped me demonstrate the Skype calling features present in their 55″ and 60″ models (the 40″ model also has it).
Cebu had me paired up with the charming Lani Osmena and we went through the main features including Search, Apps, and Social TV (access to Facebook and Twitter while watching your shows), and yes, Skype. It was great taking a non-geek approach to technology, something that I’ve always tried to be consistent in with my writing on this blog. I guess the biggest complement I’ve ever received is that the way I speak and the way I write seem to be fairly consistent and I do seem to project similar auras whether I’m writing or speaking. And I think that’s a good thing. Thanks!
I went about both events wearing two hats on “stage” — that of the host and the “demo guy” going through all the pertinent features for 15 minutes, answering questions and chit-chatting with people who had questions in between. It was these in-betweens that were more fun as I got to dialogue with Marlon and Chef Chris of Panizza fame (he provided the food for the night at the Tower Club) in Manila and Lani and some new friends in Cebu.
I’m really happy to have taken the stage for Samsung and even more satisfied that they were able to sell more than a dozen of these next generation TV’s. More than 3 million pesos worth of sales in two nights — congratulations Samsung! =)
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The 60″ Samsung TV retails for PHP 319,000.00. That night, there was an exclusive discount (it rounded off to something like PHP 280,000 cash) + freebies. Get this. If you bought that night, not only do you get the TV, but a second 27″ LED, a Samsung Galaxy Tab WiFi, the BT remote keyboard, 3D glasses, HD webcam, the 3D Blu-ray player and the Samsung Blu-pass card for rentals.
TL;DR: For the price of one Blu-ray disc a year, Samsung lets you rent unlimited Blu-ray titles delivered to your home.
UPDATE: Added screenshots of the web-based Blu-ray browser and a walkthrough of how to get your discs.
Wow. Apparently, Samsung sees the HDTV industry the same way most consumers do. Everyone is buying really nice televisions but nobody is watching Blu-ray movies because they’re just too damn expensive. So what Samsung did was create a Blu-ray rental service to cater to all their customers who bought one of their Blu-ray players or flat panel TV’s (with a Blu-ray package). If you bought one before August 15, sorry but you can’t avail of this service (FFFUUUUUUU!!!!).
The service is called Blupass and it isn’t for sale. It’s a value added Blu-ray and 3D disc rental service which you get after you purchase a player or TV-with-player bundle after August 15 2011. The service basically creates a community around Samsung’s cinephiles (which by the way is extremely brilliant) allowing them to rent from all 500++ titles available in the Philippines.
Pricing after the jump.
Above: Jan in his complete pro UW setup
The Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands. The irony is that a lot of the action happens in the city Manila. In its odd state, you would think that for a country that is surrounded by water, we would have at our disposal a stable of underwater cameras or housings with underwater cases for sale in most gadget stores. Sadly this is not the (underwater) case. **Pun Intended**
If you take a look at the UW housing landscape in the Philippines, save for a dedicated store that deals with UW housings, it is quite rare to find manufacturers outfitting underwater cases for cameras. The reason isn’t so much as lack of demand, but warranty. It is very hard to put a warranty tag on a decent acrylic housing that can be submersed at depths of 100+ ft. Not that it would flood. But the risks may be bad for business.
Nonetheless, bringing down a camera to the underwater depths has its rewards. I for one have been diving for more than 2 years, shooting amateur UW video for a little more than a year, and indulging myself in underwater photography for a little over six months.