Are you using Mobile Internet on your phone? Did you notice the letter G below the browser of your phone? Don’t worry, it isn’t a malware or something that can harm your smartphone. It’s a new service from Globe that allows you to check out your remaining load balance and the MB left from your PowerSurf Plan. But that’s not all, because this service offers some perks too. Check it out after the break.
You don’t need to worry about anything because the Globe Mobile Toolbar is free of charge and you don’t need to download anything on your phone to have it. It will just appear in your phone’s default browser when you connect to the internet using Globe. For first-time users, they’ll show you an introduction on what’s inside the Globe Mobile Toolbar. The Globe Mobile toolbar features M.Globe, the mobile portal of Globe that allows you to check your Facebook, Email and Twitter for free. There’s also Shop in the toolbar that gives you access to exclusive Globe promos and offers. Lastly, the Support menu gives you easy access to talk2Globe via chat or twitter.
But my favorite feature of the Globe Mobile Toolbar is the Data Usage Gauge. Why? Because I can surf and at the same time know how much data I can still consume. This eases the worry out of me of going over my MB allowance without me knowing. Whenever I have a small data left, I just register for another PowerSurf promo before it runs out.
As a tech blogger, I really find this useful because I can surf and blog worry-free now that I know how much data I have.
Who doesn’t love sales, promos and great discounts? All of us loves that, right? But it seems that not all of us are happy with the recent promo of Smart. You might heard of Freedom day sale of SMART in where you can get iPhone 4s for less than PHP11,000. They also announce that they’ll be selling some Samsung products like the Galaxy Tab and the Samsung Galaxy S2 at a very very low price. That’s very catchy right? But it seems that the Freedom Day sale turned out to be a pandemonium at SMART Stores. Check out why after the break Smart announced the promo days before our independence day and they offered a lot of products with a discounted price but unfortunately it didn’t turned out well. here are some of the complaints in the internet.
NO RESERVATIONS daw. such a fake promotion. – Portgas Dace (Philmug)
One person posted in their fb page that while on line.. a smart rep confirmed that their out of stocks already because most of it are reserved a day before. Tsk tsk! – Ann jersey (Philmug)
AFAIK, Smart (or should I say Smart’s employees) are known to hoard units even before they release it officially. I remember years back, a new handset (pre-iPhone days, Nokia pa ata yun) is set to be released. But come promo/release day, no or very limited handset to give, kasi inubos na daw ng mga “empleyado at kamag-anak nila a day before” Same, same pa rin pala. – achtungbaby (Philmug) Hay kamote. Pity those who painstakingly waited in line, to end up empty handed. Waste of time and effort. Independence Day Sale: More Fun in the Philippines!
Way to go Smart! – Blackharlequin (Philmug)
I also talked to two people (They didn’t want to mention their name here) who went to Smart Robinsons Galleria and they describe the event in one word. Chaos. They said that they just wasted their time and money for that. I really don’t know what happened inside the SMART stores but base on the comments and the reactions of consumers, I think there was a complete utterly chaos and disappointments in this.
I always praised Asus for having a lot of innovative ideas and products. One of those products is the Asus Padfone. The Asus Padfone Infinity is the 3rd generation of its Phone-tablet hybrid. For those of who you who aren’t familiar what is so special about the Asus Padfone Infinity. Well, this smartphone could transform into a tablet in a flash. No, you don’t need the superhero to do that but you could dock the smartphone into the tablet dock which makes the smartphone into a tablet. So what’s the advantage of having this? First, you could only have your files on one device which will be convenient for you guys and then there’s the mobile data for your smartphone that you could also use for your tablet dock. So what’s inside the Asus Padfone Infinity? Check it out after the break.
The Asus Padfone Infinity has the innovative features that you can’t see on other phones but despite that, the phone still packs the 2013 flagship specs that you’ve been looking for. Yes, the specifications is still awesome. The Asus Padfone 3 packs 5″ 1080p Super IPS+ LCD, Snapdragon 600 processor, 13 Megapixel Camera, 32 GB Storage, LTE and so much more. If you want to check out the full specifications of the Asus Padfone Infinity, check it out at Widget City. The Asus Padfone Infinity with no tablet dock is available at Widget City for PHP28,990 while you’ll have to cash out additional P9,000 for that tablet dock if you want one.
Oh lookie guys! Another Samsung Galaxy S4 Variant! Yes, this is the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom. And you can guess it from the name that the phone would have an astounding camera. I know what you’re thinking guys, The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom’s Android OS and a good camera would be a nice Instagram or Vine machine. But you should be aware that despite having the Galaxy S4 monicker, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom’s specifications isn’t as good as the original Samsung Galaxy S4. Actually, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom’s has a very similar specifications to the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. The Zoom only has a 4.3″ qHD screen and a Dual-Core processor. It’s really disappointing that they included the “Galaxy S4” in its name. They should’ve just used Samsung Galaxy Zoom instead of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom since this device is a “Camera first, smartphone second”. Check out the phone’s specifications after the break.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom Specifications
125.5 x 63.5 x 15.4 mm, 208g
4.3 inch qHD sAMOLED (960×540) screen
1.5GHz Dual-Core Processor
1.5 GB RAM
8 GB Internal Memory with MicroSD Card Slot
16 Megapixel Rear Camera
x10 Optical Zoom and enhanced SMART Modes,
OIS
24-240mm, F3.1-F6.3
ISO: Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
Continuous Shot: 4fps MAX with AF
Format: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WBMP, BMP, AGIF
Xenon Flash
SMART Mode, Expert Mode(P/S/M/C), My Mode
1.9 Megapixel Front Camera
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC
WiFi a/b/g/n
LTE
2,330mAh Battery
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom Price in the Philippines
The SRP of the phone wasn’t announced but I guess this camera smartphone hybrid will be pegged at P25,000. (That’s my guess estimate!)
Some people said that the Quad-core devices aren’t for everybody. Cherry Mobile prove them wrong with their Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0. Yes, it does have a Quad-core processor and a very affordable price. The price of the phone isn’t even that close to the P10K mark. Awesome right? Gotta love the goodness of a Quad-core processor. I’ve been using the phone for some time now and yes, I can say that I really enjoy using the phone. Why don’t you check out my review after the break?
What’s inside the box?
HARDWARE
The phone looks really good aesthetically. I thought that the phone would pack an aluminium design on the sides but it was just just plastic. The body is purely made up of plastic. Nonetheless, it looks great on the phone. The phone makes me think of the iPhone because of that side accents. I also notice that the top and bottom of the phone sports a curve design. It isn’t really an issue for me but I notice that the phone is quite tall for a 4.5-incher. It isn’t that bad since you’ll hold the phone on the sides and not on top and bottom. I already expected that since the phone got a qHD resolution. Well, I really prefer having a taller display than a wider one. For a qHD resolution, I think the phone’s display is acceptable. The colors weren’t washed-out and the sunlight legibilty was good. The display is actually quite nice.
I really like the back cover of the Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0. It is glossy and It makes the phone look more premium. Sometimes, I even use the back cover as my mirror. LOL. The back cover is also finger-smudge attractive. But I really like the simple and neat look of the back cover. The power button on the top of the phone is kinda shallow which is somehow annoying for me. I also didn’t like that they choose the 4 Android buttons — home, menu, back and search instead of 3 Android buttons. I find it time consuming whenever I want to multi-task because I have to hold the home button whenever I’m switching to other apps.
You’ll get the things that you want from this phone except NFC. There’s the HSDPA, Bluetooth and WiFi. No issues about it. And just like the others, there’s only 1 sim slot that supports HSDPA while the other one is just GSM. I got no issues with the connectivities too. Inside the Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 is a 4 GB storage but I can only use around 1.5 GB ofit so I really suggest that you get your own MicroSD card for your phone. The Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 got a 1600mAh. You might be turned off with the numbers but it performed well than I expected. The Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 survived a day at school at me on average use. It immediately ran out of juice after our gruesome and 14 hours of bloodbath (I mean classes at school LOL!). Not bad for a smartphone with a specifications like this. The sound quality of the phone isn’t that bad. It performed well but I expected it to be louder.
CAMERA
The Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 got a measly 5 megapixel camera. It’s not really that bad but I was expecting that the phone would at least have an 8 megapixel camera. I used the phone for some time and I notice the camera app took some time before it captures a photo. Check out the photos that I took using the Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0:
While here’s a sample video that I took using the Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0. It’s saved as .3gp. Yep, the phone can only record 720p videos and not 1080p despite having a quad-core processor. The video quality of the recording isn’t that great too. Well, at least you could use Instagram and vine on this one. Check out the sample HD Video below:
SOFTWARE
This is probably the part of the review that y’all have been waiting for. The Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 is running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and there are a little bit of customizations on the phone. It’s not that heavy but you’ll notice that some of the icons were changed. The lock screen also has the shortcuts to dialer, messaging and camera. Thanks to the Qualcomm Quad-Core processor, the smartphone was so snappy and yes, its performance is comparable to the other flagship smartphones.
The Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 got a score of 10518 in Antutu. Most quad-core phones reach that score on Antutu. And yes, you could play demanding games on this phone. The processor can handle that. The phone might have a Qualcomm Quad-Core processor but that does not mean the phone has the same performance of the Quad-Core processor of the Sony Xperia Z or the Asus Padfone 2. This one is the much affordable Quad-Core processor of Qualcomm but still, the Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 didn’t fail to impress me in terms of performance. The smartphone really shines in terms of performance. This phone is very snappy in apps and the Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 can play most of the demanding games to date.
VERDICT
The Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 isn’t the best smartphone around but it is certainly one of the most powerful in the local mobile industry. I really like the looks of the phone. I’m just not used to using the 4 Android button layout of the phone. The camera is a bit of disappointment too but it would already suffice for your Vine and Instagram needs. But in terms of performance, the phone packs the speed and the performance that you need, playing games on the phone would also be a breeze. The Cherry Mobile Flame 2.0 is now available with a SRP of P6,999. Check it out at the nearest Cherry Mobile Store and kiosks.
This the moment that you’ve been waiting for Playstation fans. After the announcement of the Playstation 4, they finally revealed the console and the price of the next generation console. If you can still remember, the Playstation 4 was announced a few months ago and they just revealed the redesigned controller and not the console itself. The design of the Playstation 3 is back to its boxy design compared to the curvy Playstation 3. I noticed that they still want it as an upright device. But of course, the Playstation 4 isn’t complete without the games. Check out some of the games and accessories that will be in the Playstation 4 after the break.
The Playstation Eye will be optional to the device so you’ll have to cash out some more for that. Some of the known games that will surely come to Playstation 4 are Diablo 3, Grand Theft Auto V, Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Hearts 3, and Metal Gear Solid V. Compared to Microsoft’s Xbox One, The Playstation 4 doesn’t have online restrictions and this one has a much affordable price at $399. If you’ll ask me which one between the Xbox One and the Playstation 4 should I choose, I’ll place my bucks on the Playstation 4 because this one doesn’t have an online requirement and this one has a much affordable price. The new features of the Xbox One are mostly focus on entertainment hub for the US market while PS4 focuses on games.
Just as expected, Apple will announce the new generation of iOS today at WWDC. So what’s exciting about the new iOS? Well, the new iOS 7 packs a flatter with gradient designs that looks cleaner and sleeker. They decided to ditched the skeuomorphism design of the former iOS in favor of a flatter and more modern design. But that’s not all because the new iOS 7 will also have a new features like the control center that gives you a quick access to controls and apps that you need to adjust. Want to know more about the next iOS7? Check it out after the break.
There’s a new and redesigned Notification center too that gives you a more detailed and precise notifications. Multi-tasking on the device is now much easier and smarter because the new multi-tasking shows you the thumbnail of every app that is opened and Swiping it up will close the app. The new iOS7 will also feature AirDrop. AirDrop will use your Bluetooth and WiFi and it allows you to share photos, contacts and videos in an instant. It’s easy as 1-2-3.
Actually there are many new features on the new iOS 7. I actually like the new features of the iOS7, I think Apple is going to the right direction this time. iOS7 will arrive this fall (Around September!) and it will be available on iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPad 2, iPad mini, iPad Retina, and the new iPod touch. If you want to know more about the new iOS7, check it out here
You probably know NEO because of their affordable laptops from. They have the affordable basic laptops up to the the full featured gaming laptops in the market right now. And they are aiming again on the rising popularity of the Android tablet market with the announcement of the Neo OmniPad. Just like their laptops, the NEO Omnipad packs a very affordable price. The NEO Omnipad will have a 7″ screen and a dual-core processor and it is running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Yeah, I know that’s the boring specifications of a tablet. But did you know that the NEO Omnipad packs a 3G, Dual-Sim and a TV Function. Interesting right? Check out the tablet and its price after the break.
NEO OmniPad Specifications
7-inch IPS Display 1024 x 600
Dual-Core 1.2 GHz Processor
1 GB RAM
8 GB Internal Storage with MicroSD Card slot
2 Megapixel Rear Camera and VGA Front Camera
Bluetooth
WiFi
3G
3600mAh Battery
Dual-Sim
Mobile TV
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
I’m not sure what’s the exact processor of this tablet but let’s hope that it would be powerful and yet, a power saver. Yeah, that 3600mAh battery could be a little small for the tablet. Let’s hope that we could review this tablet very soon.
NEO OmniPad Price in the Philippines The SRP of the tablet is P6,999. With Free car charger, car holder and pouch.
Looks like my dream phone is here. If you’re happy with the features of the Samsung Galaxy S4 then better be excited for its brother, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active because the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active will feature an IP67 certification. In simple English, the IP67 Certification means that the phone is water and dust resistant. The Samsung Galaxy S4 active protects against water damage for up to 30 minutes of submergence at a depth of one meter But hold your horses guys because the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active doesn’t have the same specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S4. The rugged brother would have a downgraded camera and screen but the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active would pack a TFT LCD that supports Glove touch. It would be very useful to us whenever we’re on the go like when we’re biking. The 8 Megapixel camera of the phone also supports aqua modeto increase visual quality and clarity for enhanced underwater images and video. Yeah, maybe you could use the phone even underwater. Oh and there’s the removable back cover with a removable battery too. Man, I would love to have this phone.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Specifications
139.7 x 71.3 x 9.1 mm, 151g
5.0” Full HD TFT LCD with Glove Touch
Snapdragon 600 1.9GHz Quad-Core Processor
2 GB RAM
16 GB Internal with MicroSD up to 64 GB
8 Megapixel Rear Camera with LED Flash and 2 MP front
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC
WiFi ac
LTE
2600mAh Battery
Colors: Orange, Teal and Black
IP 67 Dust and Water resistant
S Features
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Price in the Philippines The SRP of the phone wasn’t announced but I guess that phone will have a SRP of P32,000 in the Philippines
Well well well. Look who’s back? Our favorite game on our phone and desktops has its comeback. Whether you’re over 50 or below 10, almost all of us got addicted to Plants Vs. Zombies. And this time, Popcap has now announced that they’ll be launching Plants Vs. Zombies 2: It’s about time on July 18 and it will be exclusive to iOS devices. No word regarding Android and other devices. One thing that I’m very excited about this is that the game will be available for free. Yes, for FREE. But of course, that means that there would be an in-app purchases. There are no gaming demo yet but I’m pretty sure that there would be something related to time travel. Oh and of course, Crazy Dave would be back. Check out the trailer after the break.
