The Samsung Galaxy S III Mini: Does Size Matter?

Does Size Matter? This was the first question that we needed to answer as we step forth towards the venue of the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini.

Tweeting #SamsungSIIIMini all the throughout the night just to get a chance to win a brand new Samsung S3 Mini but to no avail, yet we were entertained by the debate happening before us as some DJs tried to score points as they battle to earn the votes of the audience answering "YES" or "NO" in order to get a final win.

Small is in. Samsung launches the GALAXY S III Mini, a miniature version of the Samsung Galaxy S III that provides users with the same powerful performance and function at a new sense of form and style.

The S III Mini shares the core essence and same philosophy that Samsung has for its GALAXY line that is, “designed for humans.”  It also boasts an organic design inspired by nature, which provides the perfect grip and ergonomic handling.  It also comes with a nature-themed user interface and sounds that match its outer design.

The phone’s sleek design does not limit its function as users enjoy movies, photos and web browsing in crystal clear display even in the brightest environment with the S III Mini’s 4.0” WVGA Super-AMOLED display.

Like a race car, size does not limit this phone’s power.  Equipped with a dual-core processor, Samsung features are enjoyed seamlessly, such as the Pop-up Play function, allowing users to do two things at once effortlessly.  Running on the latest Android OS, Jelly Bean, the S III Mini provides super smooth graphics and transitions as well as access to the new Google services such as Google Now.

It also has the same intelligent features in Galaxy S III, which are: Smart Stay (which detects if the user is looking at the display and keeps the display from timing out until the user looks away), Smart Alert (which detects when a user returns to the phone and gives him a brief vibrating nudge to inform about missed calls, calendar events, and new messages) and Direct call (which allows a user to make a call simply by lifting the phone to his or her ear while writing or reading a message or while specific contact details are brought up to the display).

The S III Mini’s users can enjoy various Samsung hub services and advanced messaging service called Ch@tON, as shared by all Samsung Mobile users.

In today’s mobile market, developers and designers are moving towards making mobile phones bigger, wider, and longer.  Once again, Samsung sets its own trend by launching the Galaxy S III Mini, a smartphone that mixes performance and sleekness.  

The Samsung GALAXY S III Mini retails at PHP 14,990, and is available in your nearest Samsung Store.  The GALAXY S III Mini comes in four colors; Marble White, Pebble Blue, Garnet Red and Titanium Gray.

The Samsung Galaxy SIII Mini will be offered free through Globe’s exclusive customizable plans: Globe My Super Plan 999 which comes with P900 Consumable, 50MB data and two call and text freebies* which you can change monthly. Subscribers may also opt for the unlimited data version through the Globe My Super Plan Unli Surf Combo 999 which comes with Unlimited Data and one call and text freebie* which you can also change monthly.

For more information, log on to www.samsung.com/PH or visit our page at www.facebook.com/SamsungPH

 

HTC Unveils Microsoft's New flagship Windows Phone

The HTC launch at the Jump Experience Center at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City recently unveiled Microsoft's new flagship Windows Phone, the Windows Phone 8X by HTC, to the local market, available exclusively through carrier Smart Communications.

Powered by a Qualcomm S4 1.5GHz dual core processor and 1 gigabyte of RAM, the 8X sports a 4.3-inch, 341 pixels-per-inch (ppi) screen covered with scratchproof Gorilla Glass 2 inside a three-dimensional, pure unibody design, with a color scheme based on Windows Phone Live Tiles.

But only the California Blue and Graphite Black variants will be bundled with Smart's Unlidata Plan 2000, available to subscribers now for a 30-month holding period.

Apart from unlimited data and Internet surfing, the plan also gives subscribers 150 free minutes of local calls and 200 free messages a month.

"We are glad to partner with Smart Communications in order to bring the Windows Phone 8X by HTC experience to even more people", said Richard Javier, HTC Philippines country manager.

The bundled data plan will let the users fully realize the potential and lifestyle benefits of the Windows 8 OS.

Other features of the 8X include an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2.1-megapixel front camera that are both equipped with HTC's ImageChip and wide angle lenses, allowing users to fit four people or more in a frame.

It also boasts of 1080p video capture, which users can store in the build-in 16 gigabytes of storage or the 25 GB of space on Dropbox and app built into HTC Sense free for two years only.

Beats Audio with an internal amplifier is another premium feature, along with HTC's own Sense user interface and HTC Hub where users can gather their favorite online information.

Its radios are quad-band on both GSM and HSPA, assuring fast connection speeds, and the phone is capable of NFC (Near Field Communication).

A 3.5-mm stereo audio jack comes standard for users to enjoy their favorite music and videos with the 8X's 720p HD resolution screen.  Bluetooth 3.1, WiFi and a micro USB port improve its connectivity options, and an 1800mAh lithium-ion battery powers everything.

Other features include the 8X's Attentive Home settings, a photo enhancer, an all-in-one converter, and even a flashlight with three brightness levels.

If buyers want the other colors ” Flame Red and Limelight Yellow” in the 8X product line, they'll have to shell out P26,490 at their local phone vendor for one.

Javier said HTC sold 25-percent more phones in 2012 over the previous year, and hopes the 8X will raise that number further this year.

Aspire All-In-One PCs : Bringing a Big Bang to the New Year

The holiday break is over and the working world is now picking up pace. You dread having to go back to your office and face tons of work again. But don’t fret. Enjoy the brand new year looking forward to a new life—and bring bang to the New Year by having the latest Acer Aspire ZS600 all-in-one PC in your home for the whole family to enjoy.

Watch action-packed movies with your family. Download the latest movies you missed and gather your family members in the entertainment room during one lazy weekend. With a bowl of microwave popcorn or leftover ham, drown yourself in the majestic Hollywood orchestra music and virtual surround sound effects coming out of your PC’s Dolby Home Theater surround speakers. The ZS600 also has a 23-inch full HD LED-backlit LCD for ultimate viewing enjoyment without straining your eyes.

The monitor can be tilted up to 20 degrees so you can enjoy watching your favorite TV shows or movies in comfortable angles. And, being wall mountable gives you the most of HDTV viewing right in your wall. The hybrid TV tuner supports global analog systems and digital formats DVB-T and ATSC, or if you have an external player or want to stream your downloaded video to a larger screen, the Z series has HDMI input and output ports.

The PC also comes with its own Super Multi-DVD reader so you can launch your DVD movies immediately. Okay, your movie is now beginning. As they say, sit back, relax and watch the movie.

Chat with friends you didn’t get to meet during the holiday break. The Aspire ZS600’s aluminum-framed integrated full HD 2MP webcam, microphone and high-definition speakers enable you to communicate clearly with relatives and friends from even across the globe. Now is the perfect time to catch up on experiences and adventures you’ve had during the past months, as if like talking to them face-to-face.

With Bluetooth 4.0, you can share files and photos with your friends easily and connect to other Bluetooth devices faster. The Aspire Z has Intel’s 3^rd-Generation Core I family of processors, and includes NVIDIA GeForce graphics support for the ZS600 and Z3770 models. Surf the Internet, do “Skype”or chat two times faster than conventional speeds. It can also transfer data to external devices ten times faster than the previous version of all-in-one PCs, thus, making it compatible with many new devices in the market.

When wired via DSL, the PC provides high-speed connectivity with Gigabit Ethernet, and also supports 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, perfect for households with wireless networks set up.

Play the latest games with your kids, nephews and nieces. If you have geeky relatives, this is the time to show them you weren’t born yesterday.Playing games will be doubly awesome with the ZS600’s faster performance courtesy of Intel Core i3-3220 processor and crisp graphics made possible by NVIDIA GT620 GeForce graphics technology.

The wireless keyboard and mouse provides more freedom to the player. You and your playmates can move around in excitement while your cursors point to their targets without hassle. The PC can also be packed with other exclusive wireless accessories that match the device’s design, or you can even connect other HD media devices as well.

Moreover, the Aspire Z series is already Windows 8-enabled and supports AcerCloud and also USB power-off charging. As a nice touch, you can even place the Aspire ZS600 in any corner of your house or room for comfort and convenience because of its slim side adumbration design.

Indeed, the Aspire Z series is a full HD home media center that the whole family can use for whatever A/V or social networking activities you prefer. Let it bring the first burst of excitement into this brand new year for you and your family.

See more of this product at www.acer.com.ph. Follow Acer Philippines on Facebook and Twitter.  Shop for Acer products online at acer.multiply.com.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini Launched in the Philippines

The Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini has just been launched last January 23, 2013 at the URBN Bar and Kitchen in Bonifacio Global City.

The specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini were slightly trimmed down but they still pack quite a punch. The device boasts of a dual-core processor, 1GB RAM,  Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC (Near Field Communications).


Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini Specifications:

• 1GHz dual-core CPU
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB and16GB storage, expandable via microSD up to 32GB
• 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED Display, 480 x 800 pixels, ~233 ppi
• 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus and LED Flash
• VGA front-facing camera
• WiFi a/b/g/n, GPS/GLONASS
• NFC, Bluetooth 4.0(LE)
• Accelerometer, Digital compass, Proximity, Gyro
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• 1,500 mAh battery

Here are some photos we took during the launch:

Unbound : An Australian Philippine Exchange

Starting January 23 at the Yuchengco Museum, Ground Floor RCBC Plaza Bldg, corner Ayala Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenues, Makati

Using the airport as a metaphor for that unbound zone of intersection between coming and going, ideas of home and away, familiarity and fusion, this definition explores contemporary definitions, of cultural exchange between the Philippines and Australia through the activity of the these six artists. Unbouand is presented by the Australian embassy with the Yuchengcho Museum as part of the Celebrate Australia.

The Poet Speaks Brouht to You by the Chamber Music Festival 2013

Manila Chamber Orchestra Foundation and Ayala Museum present Chamber Music Festival 2013

"The Poet Speaks"

A romantic evening of art songs and opera arias that depicts the various aspects of LOVE
with Arthur Espiritu, tenor, and Najib Ismail on piano.

February 6, 2013

7PM
Ayala Museum

Php 600 Regular Admission
Php 480 Senior Citizens | Php 300 Students

For the benefit of Unang Hakbang Foundation for the empowerment
of street children and kids from poor communities.

Call 757-7117 to 21 for inquiries

IGDA Manila Holds Manila Game Jam 2013

On January 25 to 27, the International Game Developers Association – Manila Chapter (IGDA Manila) presents Manila Game Jam 2013 (MGJ2013), the biggest annual game-making event in the country. As part of the worldwide Global Game Jam, students, professional and hobbyist game developers will create games in just 48 hours, with the top games being awarded honors and special prizes.

MGJ2013 is the 4th game jam organized by IGDA Manila. Last year's game jam had more than 150 participants forming teams and producing more than 30 games.

WD Expands Its SMB Storage Product Portfolio With Arkeia Software Solutions

WD, a Western Digital company, announced an expansion of its product portfolio addressing small- and medium-sized businesses with the addition of network backup software and appliances from Arkeia Software, Inc., a privately held data protection company based in Carlsbad, Calif., recently acquired by WD. WD also announced that the Arkeia Network Backup version 10.0 software, for which a release candidate was delivered in Dec. 2012, becomes generally available (http://www.arkeia.com/new-in-v100) today.

“Arkeia’s products expand WD’s growing product portfolio of solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses,” said Jim Welsh, executive vice president and general manager of WD’s Branded and CE products. “SMB organizations are managing ever-growing volumes of critical business data, which need to be stored, shared and secured. Our easy-to-manage small storage server, WD Sentinel™ DX4000, provides backup and storage centralization capabilities for small businesses and workgroups, while Arkeia’s network backup software provides a more feature-rich data-protection solution for larger SMB customers.”

Arkeia’s software, appliances and virtual appliances back up data to disk, tape and cloud storage. The company’s patented Progressive Deduplication™ technology speeds hybrid-cloud backup by reducing the bandwidth necessary to replicate backup sets over wide area networks. Arkeia sells its products worldwide through resellers and managed service providers.

    

The acquisition was completed through a merger transaction, encompassing all of the employees, technology and products of Arkeia. Arkeia will be integrated into WD’s Branded Products SMB unit and the products initially will retain the Arkeia name. WD will support all Arkeia customers on current maintenance and plans to retain both Arkeia’s software and appliance product lines. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“Joining WD gives the Arkeia team a great opportunity to accelerate adoption of Arkeia’s innovative technologies and products,” said Bill Evans, senior director of worldwide software marketing at WD and former CEO of Arkeia Software. “The Arkeia team is delighted to be a part of WD. WD has chosen an ideal moment to invest in this critical product category as backup-to-disk solutions accelerate their displacement of backup-to-tape. WD’s financial strength, engineering excellence and organizational discipline will take Arkeia’s products and customers to the next level.”

Arkeia Network Backup v10.0 General Availability

Arkeia Network Backup v10.0 enables hybrid cloud backups by allowing administrators to combine physical media and Internet transport to replicate backup sets to or from remote cloud storage. Leveraging Arkeia’s advanced Progressive Deduplication technology; Arkeia Network Backup v10.0 permits SMB organizations to protect large data volumes in the cloud without incurring high monthly bandwidth charges. By allowing large backup sets to be moved on physical media and small backup sets to be sent over the wire, Arkeia makes it practical to replicate backup sets from a LAN to remote cloud storage for an inexpensive, tape-free alternative to off-site backup and recovery. More information can be found at: www.wd.com and www.arkeia.com.