Dell Latitude 2100 gets optional touchscreen

There were earlier reports of this new 10.1″ netbook from Dell some time last month but based on email sent in by their PR firm, the Dell Latitude 2100 could be available in the Philippines anytime soon.
The Latitude 2100 is designed to be rugged and for student use. That built-in shoulder strap is a little bit odd though.
Dell Latitude 2100 specs:
Intel Atom N270
1GB RAM (up to 2GB)
10.1″ LED display screen, 1024×576 pixels (optional touch screen)
Intel 945GSE chipset
80GB to 250GB or 16GB SSD
WiFi 802.11g (802.11n option)
Gigabit Ethernet
3 and 6-cell battery options
SD/ MMC card reader
webcam (optional)
external DVD+/-RW (optional

Samsung Omnia HD i8910 unboxed!

This one arrived yesterday — a Samsung Omnia HD i8910 with a really huge and impressive 3.7″ display screen. Check out some unboxing photos after the jump (as well as side by side comparison with the iPhone 3G).

HTC outs 3rd Android Phone: HTC Hero

HTC just announced its 3rd Google Android phone, the HTC Hero, but instead of using the usual Android interface, HTC built its own Sense UI.
The large 3.2″ HVGA display (320×480 pixels) has multi-touch input and handwriting recognition.
HTC Hero specs
Qualcomm MSM 7200A 528 MHz processor
288 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM
up to 16GB via microSD
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, HSUPA 2.0 Mbps
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
3.5 mm audio jack
5 MP autofocus camera (2592×1944 pixels)
GPS with A-GPS support
Digital compass
Android OS version 1.5

Samsung i8000 Omnia II gets official

While we’re waiting for the Omnia HD to become available in the Philippines, Samsung has once again announced another upcoming Omnia smartphone. The Samsung i8000 Omnia II is the real successor to the Omnia series.
GSM Arena has a preview here but see list below for a run-down of the specs of the new Omnia II.
3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen (480×800 pixels)
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
800 MHz CPU
8GB or 16GB storage memory
microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional with custom TouchWiz 2.0 UI
5 MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash (video at 720×480 @ 30fps)
WiFi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth with A2DP
GPS receiver with A-GPS
That’s a very large screen, large storage capacity (48GB total) and a high-capacity battery (1500 mAh) in one device. One thing that could be a bit disappointing is that it will come with Windows Mobile 6.1 instead of the newer 6.5 version.

22″ Averatec All-in-One PC

An 18.4″ Averatec All-in-One PC first came out sometime in December last year for about Php30k. This time around, it’s 22″ wide with a sleeker design.
Unlike its smaller version, the 22″ model has all the peripherals tucked at the back of the LCD monitor.
Averatec 22″ All-in-One PC Specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz
3GB DDR2 RAM
320GB HDD
DVD-RW Drive
NVidia GeForce 8400 256MB
WiFi 802.11 b/g
Gigabit LAN
1.3MP webcam
Wireless keyboard and mouse
These are being Sold at PC Broker for Php49,900.

Samsung 23-inch P2370 LCD Monitor

LCD monitors are getting bigger, slimmer and prettier. Just take a look at this new 23″ Samsung SyncMaster P2370 which offers full HD 1080p resolution.
A good combination of design and performance. I already have two 22″ Samsung monitors for my desktop PC and the P2370 is almost 50% slimmer than the rest (it’s very light for its size too).
This 23″ LCD monitor sits on a hard plastic wine-glass style stand and although it fits right well, the sheer size of the monitor dwarfs the stem of stand. This is the only LCD monitor I’ve tried that has a power adapter (much like the ones that came with laptops).
Dynamic contrast ratio peaks at a high 50,000:1 and response time is very fast at 2ms. The 1920 x 1080 full high definition resolution delivers nice, sharp colors. However, the video port at the back only supports a DVI connection. Good thing it comes with a DVI-to-DVI and DVI-to-VGA cables. Sells for Php13,998 in stores.

Nokia 5530 XpressMusic: Cheap as Predicted

As speculated last May, Nokia announced a cheaper version of their popular Nokia 5800XM this week — the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic is now much cheaper by shedding off some key features.
Everybody’s quite familiar with what the 6-month old Nokia 5800 so a better perspective of the new Nokia 5530 XpressMusic is to list what it doesn’t have that merits it a significant price downgrade compared to its older sibling.
What’s Missing?
No 3G/HSDPA. The Nokia 5530 is missing 3G connectivity and only allows for a slow EDGE connection.
No GPS. Though not really a huge deal, GPS is becoming a staple in most phones. The other recent XpressMusic phones have it — 5730XM, 5330XM and 5800XM.
Of course, you still get the full touchscreen, a 4GB storage via microSD, FM, Bluetooth, and 3.15 MP Carl Zeiss optics camera and WiFi. The only upgrade I was able to see where the 5530XM ruled over the 5800XM is the CPU speed — up from 369 MHz to an ARM 11 434 MHz processor.
I’m not sure whether the lack of 3G is a good trade-off over WiFi. Personally, I’d rather have 3G/HSDPA than WiFi as 90% of my mobile internet usage is via 3G. Expect the phone to be under Php15,000 when it arrives in the Philippines sometime before end of September.

Lenovo IdeaCentre C300 with Atom

If you liked the look of the Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 All-in-One PC but found the Php60k price tag a little too high for your budget, you might want to check out the Atom-powered IdeaCentre C300.
The Lenovo IdeaCentre C300 is basically an all-in-one nettop PC with a 20″ LCD display (16:9 aspect ratio), 1GB to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, 160GB to 640GB of HDD, a 1.3MP webcam, and a card reader. WiFi 802.11 abg is optional.
It’s powered by an older 1.6GHz Intel Atom 230 CPU. Lenovo Philippines hasn’t provided me with the suggested retail price yet as they say this model isn’t readily available locally. Will post an update here once I get those figures (I’m hoping it will be in the vicinity of Php30k since Gizmodo puts it at $450).

Globe WiMax expands to Visayas, Mindanao

Last Thursday, Globe Telecom and Intel Philippines officially announced the formal launching of WiMax in the Philippines.

Although the Globe WiMax has been in service for several months now, Globe also revealed that they have expanded down south.

As of the first week of June 2009, Globe WiMax is also available in the following areas:

Select Areas in NCR
South Luzon (Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Quezon)
Cebu Province
Bacolod
Dumaguete
Silay City
Cagayan de Oro City
By end of 2009, Globe expects to cover these areas as well:

Rest of NCR, Rizal
Benguet, Nueva Ecija
Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan
Bataan
Bohol, Iloilo, Leyte
Guimaras, Capiz
Negros Island
Zamboanga
Compostela Valley
Agusan Province
Lanao, Surigao

LG LH70 42″ HDTV + Blu-ray Theater System

This is by far the biggest and longest unboxing I’ve ever done. Took me over 2 and a half hours to carefully unbox and setup this theater system — a 42″ LG LH70 Full HD TV (LG Scarlet) and a 5.1-channel Blu-ray Receiver System (HB954TB).
The new LG Scarlet (model LH70) was unveiled last June 3 with sizes ranging from 32″ to 47″ and above. The test LCD TV I have here is 42″ and only 1.56 inch thick on the side, the thinnest of all LG TVs ever.
Specifications
Perfect Slim 39.7mm
TruMotion 120Hz
Full HD (1920 x 1080)
Picture Wizard
AV Mode
24p Real Cinema (24p 5:5 pull down)
Expert Mode
Bluetooth
DivX
USB 2.0
HDMI ports
Intelligent Sensor II
Smart Energy Saving Plus
Clear Voice II
Invisible Speaker
The Scarlet LH70 has a starting price of Php49,990 for the 32″ and Php89,990 for the 42″.
Along with the TV, this home heather system is also called Scarlet so i guess they’re a combo. A 5-speaker and 1 sub-woofer system with a Blu-ray player. Comes with a built-in iPod dock, 2 HDMI input and 1 HDMI out, USB with a total power output of 1,000 watts.
The LG Blu-ray Home Theater System (HB954TB) retails for about Php69,990.

Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 All-in-One PC

Launched last May 20, the Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 is an all-in-one desktop PC. This is probably the largest and most powerful media center and all-in-one PC I’ve ever seen.
21.5″ Full HD (1920×1080) 16:9 widescreenIntel Core2 Duo T6600 2.2GHz2GB DDR3 SDRAM (up to 4GB DDR3) 640GB SATA HDDBlu-ray Disc/DVD-RW DriveATI Radeon HD 3650 256MB (up to 512MB, discrete)Dolby Home Theater surround sound2.1 speaker system with bass sub woofer6-in-1 card reader6 USB 2.0 portsIEEE 1394a FireWire portHDTV - Hybrid Analog DVB-T PCIe miniCard A316Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000Wireless LAN 802.11abgnIntegrated Bluetooth 2.11.3 Megapixel with built-in analog mic
Comes with a wireless keyboard and mouse. There is an optional 4-in-1 Remote Control that functions as a VOIP handset, an air mouse, media center remote and motion drive stick (like the Wii).

LG KM900 Arena unboxed!

Announced last February during the World Mobile Congress 2009, the LG KM900 Arena will finally be available locally this month. Just got a unit and been testing it out for a review. For the meantime, here are some unboxing photos.
If you liked the LG Cookie, the LG Arena is something to consider with all the connectivity and multimedia features tucked in it.
LG KM900 Arena specs:
3-inch (480×800 pixel) display screen8GB internal memory + 32GB via microSD (40GB max)3G/HSDPA, up to 7.2 MbpsWiFi 802.11b/g5 MP (2592х1944 pixels) cameraSchneider-Kreuznach optics, autofocus and LED flashVideo capture at 720×480 @30fps, QVGA time-lapse and slow-motion recordingFront-facing camera for 3G videocallsBuilt-in GPS with A-GPS supportFM Radio and FM TransmitterBluetooth 2.0 with A2DPS-Class Touch UI with Multi-TouchAccelerometer SensorProximity SensorTV-out3.5mm audio jack



The LG Arena should be out within the month and will have a suggested retail price of Php24,990. Watch out for the full review next week.

Apple announces iPhone 3G S

At the WWDC today, Apple announced their 3rd generation phone — the iPhone 3GS.
Here are some of the major addition and improvements over the iPhone 3G.
HSDPA up to 7.2Mbps
3 megapixel camera, autofocus and 30fps video recording
longer battery life (up to 5 hours 3G talk time, 9 hours of WiFi, and 10 hours on video playback)
built-in Digital Compass
Voice Control
Apple didn’t categorically say this but they must have also put in a faster processor that effectively speeds up the applications to twice that of the iPhone 3G. The old iPhone 3G also had 3 hours talk time and 6 hours on WiFi so battery life has been improved by 40-50% longer.
16GB iPhone 3GS - $199 on AT&T with new subscription ($599 on pre-paid)
32GB iPhone 3GS - $299 on AT&T with new subscription ($699 on pre-paid)
So if you’re wondering what will the prices look like when it hits Globe Telecom - my guess is that it will be the same as the one when the iPhone 3G was first launched in the Philippines (Php34,000 to Php39,000-ish).
MMS and tethering will also be supported by selected telcos and Globe is on that list (as shown in the presentation).
The new iPhone 3GS will be available on June 19, 2009 (okay, this will surely drown-out the buzz on the release of the Nokia N97 the week after).

Toshiba NB200 spotted, priced

Seen last week at the eHub store in Park Square 1 is the newer 10″ netbook from Toshiba, the NB200.
The design reminiscent of the HP Mini 2140 although a bit glossy/shiny on some parts (esp. at the rims of the display) with aluminum construction. Has a chiclet keyboard that is almost full-sized and spaced apart really well.
Although the specs are just similar to the standard ones (Atom N280, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD, WiFi, XP) on most netbooks, the retail price of Php29,990 isn’t.
Toshiba claims that the 6-cell battery could last 9 long hours, much like the Asus EeePC 1000HE.

Tetris: Most Popular Time Waster of the 90s

Tetris is probably the most popular game in the 90s — and you wouldn’t believe it has been 25 years since it was invented (designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in June 6, 1984).
Back then, everyone was playing Tetris from my 60-year old grandmother to my 6 year-old cousins. Tetris was so simple yet so addictive. The game was everywhere, from Gameboy to PC, and those cheap handheld versions that feature 300-in-1 ways to play Tetris (was it a knockoff called Bricks or Brick Games?).
And up to today, the game is still alive and being played by many. Will all the technology in gaming that we have lately, I think Tetris can still be re-invented (most probably for the Nintendo Wii).
Anybody played any Tetris lately?

Sony Walkman W202 Review

The Sony Walkman W202 was first spotted last February during their Summer 2009 launch. They sent in a unit for me to try out. Check out the review after the jump.
The design and construction alone of this wearable Walkman gives a good hint that it’s made for the gym and the outdoors. The rubber cord wraps around the back of your head and hooks over the ears while the in-ear earphones snugs really well that no amount of physical movement could possibly break it loose (unless somebody yanks it off).
The earphones though looked like some Bluetooth headset at first glance so it might solicit some mixed reactions. If that’s not much of an issue, the Walkman is pretty comfortable to use.
There are only a few essential controls found on the left ear piece — two small buttons for volume control, a switch for shuffling songs and a jog dial to control music playback. The jog dial also serves as a play/pause button as well as control for the Zappin feature (a music browsing feature that plays about 5 or 15 seconds of the most familiar track of the song).
There’s a magnet strip at the end of the earpieces that snaps them together. Snapping them off turns on the device and putting them back turns the Walkman off. A tiny blue LED light indicates that the device is operating and another LED strip for battery status.
The Walkman also comes with this cradle that serves as a USB charging station and song transfer. It has a quick-charge feature that gives you 90-minutes of playback with just 3 minutes of charge time. Battery life is just over 10 hours on my test by Sony claims it can do 12 hours on a full charge.
The Content Transfer app allows for drag and drop transfer from WMP11 or iTunes for MP3, WMA and AAC file formats. Settings also allows for automatic sync of songs from iTunes to the device. However, the review unit I had only has 2GB of storage so if you have a large music collection, you need to have a song selection in a separate folder for synching.
Sound quality of the Walkman is great. The low and high ranges are pretty clear and cranking up the volume to the highest setting doesn’t produce any noticeable distortion. The bass is not too strong but just enough and the volume levels are adequate (from 0 to 30 on the controls). There’s no noise-cancelling function but since the earphones are in-ear, a significant amount of ambient noise is filtered out.
I was actually hoping it would have Bluetooth so that I could stream music from other devices into it. That would have also solved the lack of storage capacity of this model.
The Sony Walkman W202 might not be one music player for regular use and I don’t think it will replace an iPod and earphone combo for most people. However, it might appeal to some specific crowd that’s looking for a light (35 grams) and comfy alternative during workout or some outdoor activities. I’d personally consider this a secondary music player that I might only use in the gym.

Fujitsu M2010 Mini-Notebook

Just like HP, Fujitsu doesn’t want to call their mini-notebook a netbook. So, aside from the 8.9-inch Amilo Mini UI 3520 that came out last year, Fujitsu has yet another 10″ model called M2010 mini-notebook.
And like the Amilo Mini, I don’t think we’ll ever get to see and buy this one locally (unless you get them from Singapore or HK).
Intel Atom Processor N27010.1″ display screen (1024×576)1 GB DDR2 533 MHz memory160 GB HDDwebcam10/100 LANAtheros 802.11b/g WiFiBluetooth3-cell Lithium ion battery
Memory can be upgraded to 2GB and there’s also higher capacity battery for upgrades. The netbook will come pre-installed with Windows XP.
But, at the price of $449, I don’t we’d miss this one not being available in the Philippines.

PLDT Call All extends Wireless Landline

Last Tuesday, PLDT also launched their PLDT Call All bundle — a wireless landline extension where subscribers can call anywhere in the Philippines. This promo is available to existing PLDT residential landline subscribers for an additional fixed monthly charge of Php250.
The bundle adds a PLDT Landline Plus (PLP) SIM card which can be used with any openline handset and serves as an extension of the fixed landline. What makes the PLDT Call All promo more expansive is that the mobile phone with the PLP SIM-card can be taken anywhere in the Philippines and still be able to call any landline number in its local area.
So if you have a fixed landline in Metro Manila (02), you can apply for an extension Call All SIM and carry it around in your mobile phone as a wireless landline. You can bring the mobile phone to Zamboanga or Iloilo and still be able to call any number in Metro Manila for free (and at the same time, be able to receive calls from landline with area code 02).
Globe launched their Duo service last month for an additional Php399/month but only allows for mobile calls as long as the phone is within the Metro Manila area. In essence, the PLDT Call All has much wider coverage.
However, Digitel complained to the NTC that the PLDT Call All promo violates the rules on interconnection of local exchange carriers (LECs). That means, if you make wireless landline calls outside of the local area your number is assigned, that is already an NDD and is subject to toll charges.
This could mean PLDT might be forced by the NTC to retract this service or restrict it to its local calling area (similar to Globe Duo). This rule is being enforced so that it will not compete with existing cellular service.

Nokia N97 Pre-Order, Php40K Price Tag?

The Nokia N97 is coming out this June and you have the chance to pre-order this smartphone today and get it on launch day.
What’s conspicuously missing in the pre-order page here is the suggested retail price.
If we follow the earlier announced price in Europe of €550, it may end up somewhere in the Php40k range after tariffs and VAT.
Considering that the Nokia N96 had an SRP of Php37,850 and the Nokia E90 costs about Php35,500, that figure isn’t far off.
Any takers?

Samsung Star S5233 Review

After trying out the Samsung Star (S5233) for over a week, I must say that this entry-level full touchscreen phone from Samsung comes as a contender in that category.
The first time I powered up the phone and saw the UI, it reminded me of the Android OS. Samsung’s TouchWiz UI is fast, responsive and pretty slick.

The screen is a full 3 inches with a resolution of 240×400 pixels. The display is bright and crisp while the haptic feedback of the touchscreen can be adjusted for sensitivity (1 as subtle to 5 as shaky). This gives you the ability to choose how much response/feedback you feel whenever you touch the screen.

While using your fingers to navigate the touchscreen is quite easy, the Samsung Star comes with an aluminum stylus which is retractable to different 3 lengths (much like an umbrella stick). The stylus is primarily for handwriting recognition. There’s an option for alphanumeric, small qwerty and full qwerty as input method while the accelerometer provides automatic re-orientation of the display screen depending on the position of the phone.
The phone runs a number of standard widgets for photos, music, clock, calendar, etc. on the left side of the screen that you can drag and drop into the home screen for easy access. The home screen is also extended to 2 more screens just by swiping your finger sideways (there are 3 small dots that indicates which screen you are in). This is one feature from Adroid I like since it gives an impression that you have a larger virtual screen to work on (I’m tempted to call it extended desktop).
At the bottom of the screen are 3 physical buttons — two for making/dropping calls and a center button that functions as cancel/back button. While the phoe is just 12mm thick, the phone feels thicker than it seems although you get a good hold of it with one hand.
The speakers in the front is loud and crisp at low volume (probably due tot he DNSe) but doesn’t have enough bass. The camera at the back is 3.15MP (2048×1536 pixels) but no autofocus so captured images aren’t even decent enough to post here.
If you’re looking for connectivity options, the Samsung Star might not be for you — no WiFi, no 3G (just GPRS/EDGE), no GPS – just Bluetooth with A2DP. This is an entry-level touchscreen phone that retails for Php10,490 (some stores sell it for Php9,999).

Globe Duo now available on Prepaid

As expected, Globe Telecom is finally offering their Duo service to prepaid subscribers. The catch though is that you need to get a new Duo Special SIM Pack which costs Php45 (old prepaid SIM not supported).
Starting June 5, 2009, the Duo Prepaid service may be availed from Globe Business Centers and partner retailers in Metro Manila. In Cebu, it’s been available since May 25.
The Duo rates for prepaid is higher compared to the postpaid service: Php125 for 5 days and Php350 for 14 days. To activate your DUo SIM pack, just text “DUO MM 125″ or “DUO MM 350″ and send to 8888.
Upon activation, the respective amounts (Php125 or Php350) will be deducted from the prepaid load and the subscriber gets a DUO landline number.
For prepaid users, the subscription must remain active in order for you to retain your Duo number. After 30 days of non-subscription, your Duo service will expire and the number will be de-activated/re-claimed. You will be assigned a new Duo number if you re-activate later on.

Acer Aspire Timeline notebook lasts for 8 hours

This was launched sometime last month but I only had several close encounters with it lately. The Acer Timeline notebook boasts of up to 8 hours battery life and sports a nice slim design (slimmer than most netbooks).
Most of the Acer notebooks I’ve seen around are ugly and bulky but the Acer Timeline series changed that impression. And they’re very light too.
The Timeline has 3 models although I’ve only seen two — the 13.3″ and 14″ models with a resolution of 1366×768 pixels running GMA 4500MHD.
In order for the notebooks to squeeze out 8 hours of battery life, they had to use low-powered CPUs — an Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 (1.4GHz, 10watts TDP) and a Core 2 Solo SU3500 (1.4GHz, 5.5watts TDP) then couple that with 3GB of DDR3 1066MHz RAM. Storage options at 250GB and 320GB on each.
The 13.3″ Acer Timeline costs more at around Php45,000 while the 14″ has a retail price of Php39,990. And oh, did I mention it’s WiMax-ready, has WiFi 802.11n and has options for 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 5.7 Mbps HSUPA (for 3G models)?
When I asked the guys at ElectroWorld why the smaller 13″ model is more expensive, one of them said “the smaller they are, the more expensive they become”. I should have said “Have you seen the Acer Aspire One” but didn’t bother to argue anymore.

Project Natal on the XBox 360

Is this even real? Microsoft did it once again with Project Natal on the XBox 360. You have to watch this presentation they did over at the E3 Conference.
Project Natal for the Microsoft XBox 360 does away with the remote control and allows human players to use their body to interact with the game.
Project Milo is an interactive platform with this virtual kid called Milo that interacts with people and seamlessly merges the real and virtual world.
Really cool, huh?
When this comes out, I’m getting an XBox 360.

Samsung WB500 and ST50 Digital Cameras

Samsung sent in a couple of their newer still digital camera for review. One of them is the WB500 that has a 24mm ultrawide angle lens with 10x optical zoom.
The 10.2 megapixel WB500 reminds me of the Lumix LX3 and those big bold lenses you seldom see in compact cameras.

Microsoft's BING search engine

Microsoft may have found the right formula for their search service. Their Bing search engine gives some pretty promising results.

Microsoft have had many attempts at making search right and while Bing is fairly new, it’s noticeably better than its previous iterations. It loads fast and results are fairly relevant (although much fewer results compared to Google and Yahoo).



They will still be hard-pressed to cut a sizable amount of user searches but at least Bing doesn’t turn off people away like the Live search used to.

Better late than never.