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ASRock 8 Series Motherboard Launched

Jam Ancheta
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ASRock 8 Series Motherboard Launched
Water flowing on the ASRock 8 Series Motherboard while running Windows

Want to buy a new rig for your gaming needs? Then better check out the newest motherboards from ASRock 8 Series. These motherboards already supports the latest generation of Intel processors. Yep, those are the Haswell processors of Intel. Haswell processors are known for having the biggest Gen-over-Gen Improvement in Energy Efficiency. That’s right folks, having a better performance doesn’t mean you need to have a larger electricity bill. Hehe. So what about the Motherboard? Let’s check out the new features of the ASRock Series 8 after the break.


One of my favorite feature of the ASRock 8 Series Motherboard is ASRock Home Cloud. Basically, that feature allows you to turn on your computer and even control it using your mobile device. It would be very useful especially when you want to check out something from your desktop computer. Audiophiles would love the ASRock 8 Series Motherboards because it has purity sound that brings you a much clearer and crisper sound.

ASRock 8 Series Motherboards
If you are living in a flood-prone area, you don’t have to worry anymore because these ASRock 8 Series Motherboards are Waterproof by Conformal Coating. Actually, they demoed us an ASRock 8 Series Motherboard with water flowing on it but it still manage to run and play videos. Here’s the proof:

So why don’t you check out your nearest computer stores and be sure to get the ASRock Series 8 motherboards for your gaming rig.

Moga Pro Hands-on

Jam Ancheta
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Moga Pro Hands-on

Android is a very flexible operating system. We can see Android on our Smartphones, tablets, Cameras, TVs and even on our cars. Our Android devices has also turned into a portable gaming console thanks to the Play Store. Actually, there are a lot of console quality games for our Android devices but of course, you won’t have that feel of playing on a console because of the lack of hardware buttons on your Android. Thankfully, there’s the Moga Pro. Moga Pro is a console-style controller built for Android. Why don’t you check out the Moga Pro after the break


The first time I held the Moga Pro, I already felt that the grip on this controller was great. The rubber finish was a really nice addition on the controller but I feel that it may torn off if you won’t took care of the Moga Pro. I was also surprised with the light weight design of the Moga Pro, I didn’t expect that the Moga Pro would weigh like that.

The button layout of the Moga Pro is almost similar to the one on the Xbox. The shoulder and trigger buttons are really nice to press and I didn’t had any problems with it. The full-size analogs were really great and I had fun using it and navigating with it. The action buttons and the D-pad was great too. Another thing, when it’s too dark you don’t have to worry about those buttons, there’s a backlight that you could turn on manually for the action buttons. A pretty nice feature for a gamepad. But of course, that would result into a shorter battery life. Speaking of battery, the Moga Pro doesn’t need a AAA or AA battery. All you need is a Micro-USB cord and a power source.

The special feature of the Moga Pro that you can’t find on any other gamepads is the Moga Arm. The Moga Arm allows you to clip your smartphone on the Moga Pro. But of course, not all devices would fit in the gamepad. The largest device that we were able to clip in is the Sony Xperia Z Ultra which is quite large already. Don’t worry about scratches because there’s a rubber on the clip that serves as the cushion for your smartphone. Don’t frown tablet gamers because there’s an included tablet stand on the Moga Pro. Too bad, you can’t clip your tablet on the controller.

The Moga Pro comes in two modes. The “A” Mode works only on games designed specifically for Moga. You could check out the full list of Moga optimized games on the Moga Pivot app for Android. While the “B” mode uses the Bluetooth HID profile. To make it easy for you, the emulators and most games that aren’t Moga optimized used this one.

Pairing the Moga Pro on your smartphone isn’t that hard, all you need is a bluetooth on your device and the Moga Pivot app which is now available on the Play store. It took me some time before it connects to the device. Very annoying. Check out my short hands-on of the Moga Pro (using one hand!) below:


Overall, I really like the Moga Pro, it’s really rare to see a gamepad made specifically for Android. Actually, I’m planning to get one for my emulators. The Moga Pro is now available at Widget City for P3,500.

Momax iPower Go 8800 mAh Review

Jam Ancheta
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Momax iPower Go 8800 mAh Review

Smartphones these days would really require you to have a charger or a power bank. Why? Because most of the smartphones that we have right now doesn’t last up to a day. Actually, if your 3G is always on. I bet you always have a charger on your bag or your smartphone’s juice isn’t enough for the day. That’s what the Power banks are for. Thankfully, I got a Momax iPower Go 8800 mAh. It’s a young-looking power bank but it has some big serious juices inside. Why don’t you check out my review after the break.

The Momax iPower Go 8800 mAh comes in a very simple, small and neat package. The package has the power bank, manuals, and 2 USB to Micro-USB. One is a longer cord while the other is just a short one. Both of them are white so if you’re not very mindful of these cords then expect those dirts will stick in it.

The Momax iPower Go 8800 mAh has a stylish and young-looking design. It looks like a mini suitcase because of those embossed stripes. The Momax iPower Go 8800 mAh feels young too because of its vivid color. The case is made out of plastic but I can feel that it’s solid and pretty sturdy. It would have been better if they choose an Aluminum body but of course, that would make the power bank heavier and more expensive. I doubt that it will be comfortable on your pocket. It is best to just put it in your bag.

The sides of the power bank feels like it is made up of rubber. It’s actually solid and not that soft and I’m very confident that the Power bank won’t slip easily on your hand. The Momax iPower Go 8800 mAh has 4 LED notifications just beside the Momax logo. Obviously, that tells you the current charge of the power bank. There’s a LED torch too if your flashlight goes missing.

The Momax iPower Go 8800 mAh comes with two outputs. One is 1A while the other one is 2.1A. To give you a less technical perspective, the 1A USB slot transfer less power than the 2.1A. It is recommended to use the 1A slot when you want to charge your smartphone because most smartphones only need 1A of current while the 2.1A are recommended for tablets. But of course, you could still charge your smartphone on the 2.1A but you should be aware that charging on the 2.1A might damage the smartphone.

I love using the Momax iPower Go 8800 mAh because I can charge my Cherry Mobile Cosmos X and my Nexus 7 2013 simultaneously. Yes, the Power bank can have an output of 3.1A. Since this Power bank has a 8800 mAh capacity, I was able to fully charged my phone four times before the Momax cried for juice. It took me around 2 hours before I was able to fully charged my Cosmos X. To give you an idea, my Cosmos X has a battery capacity of 1800 mAh. It took me almost 5-6 hours before I fully charged the power bank. I always charge the power bank before I go to sleep hehe.

VERDICT

There are a lot of Power banks that are available in the market but there are some things that sets this Power Bank apart like its design with its vivid colors and the capacity to output a total of 3.1A from 1A and 2.1A outputs. If you want one right now then better visit the nearest Beyond the Box and Digital Walker retail stores. It’s available right now at at those mentioned stores for P2,950 and it comes in Red, Cyan, Blue and Yellow. It’s a good power bank. Trust me ;).

Big Time Show Happy Raf Time Late Giveaway BlackBerry Playbook 64GB

Jam Ancheta
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Big Time Show Happy Raf Time Late Giveaway BlackBerry Playbook 64GB

First of all, I don’t know why does this giveaway has a long name. Second, this is Rafael Oca’s giveaway because this is part of his birthday bash. People, Raf will be giving away his Blackberry Playbook 64 GB and not just that, he’ll also give away a stay for Circle Hostel for two. The Blackberry Playbook sports a Dual-Core processor, 7-inch 1024×600 display, 5 MP Rear Camera and a 3 MP Front Camera. The Blackberry Playbook is a little bit old but who cares! Mr. Rafael Oca is giving it away for free and it’s the 64 GB version! Check out the Rafflecopter after the break.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grand Theft Auto Online Gameplay video

Jam Ancheta
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Grand Theft Auto Online Gameplay video

Who doesn’t love Grand Theft Auto? If you don’t have any idea about the next GTA, Grand Theft Auto V has been teased for a long time now and it is expected to be launch this September. GTA V is a big leap from the past Grand Theft Auto games because GTA V will have a 3-player protagonist but it will still have a single storyline that will be based on your decisions in-game. But did you know that there will be also an upcoming open world multiplayer that is based on Grand Theft Auto V? Yep, That’s Grand Theft Auto Online. If you’re planning to buy a GTA V then the GTA Online will come free with it. Why don’t you check out the gameplay video after the break.

Google Nexus 7 2013 Hands-On

Jam Ancheta
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Google Nexus 7 2013 Hands-On

Google Nexus 7 2013 has been launched recently along with the Android 4.3 and thankfully, we already got a chance to get the latest Nexus tablet which is made by Asus. I bought it at Widget City last Monday and if you’re interested too, you can get it for P12,790. I think the Nexus 7 2013 is the best Android tablet to date. Why? You get a fast Quad-Core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, latest updates of Android, 2 GB of RAM and a Full HD screen but it still manage to have a price lower than P15,000. Actually, all of the nexus devices are really affordable for their specs. Anyway, Why don’t you just check out the hands-on video of the Google Nexus 7 2013 after the break

 

Wait for my review of the Nexus 7 2013!

Cloudfone Excite 450q: The most affordable Quad-Core smartphone

Jam Ancheta
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Cloudfone Excite 450q: The most affordable Quad-Core smartphone

Looks like Quad-Core smartphones are getting cheaper every month. Cloudfone’s newest Quad-Core offering, the Cloudfone Excite 450q is now the cheapest and most affordable Quad-Core smartphone on the market right now. The Cloudfone Excite 450q will be running on a Qualcomm processor which is known for having a much less power consumption over MediaTek. The display is a 4.5″ IPS FWVGA, It also allows Dual SIM and Dual Standby. There’s a 5 MP Rear camera with a VGA front camera and of course, there’s the 4 GB Internal storage inside and a 512 MB of RAM. You don’t have to worry about the storage because you can still pack in a MicroSD card which is up to 32 GB. The only downside of this phone is the lack of LED Flash. But c’mon guys, this is the most affordable Quad-Core smartphone right now. Why don’t you check out the price and the full specs after the break?

Cloudfone Excite 450q Specifications

  • 131.3 x 66.3 x 10.3 mm, 150 g
  • 854*480 pixels, 4.5″ IPS display
  • Qualcomm MSM8225Q 1.2 GHz Quad Core
  • 4 GB internal storage with MicroSD card slot up to 32 GB
  • 512 MB RAM
  • 5 MP Rear camera with VGA Front camera
  • Bluetooth
  • Wi-Fi
  • A-GPS
  • HSDPA (1 sim only)
  • 1700 mAh battery
  • Available in Black and White
  • Dual-Sim Dual-Standby
  • Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Cloudfone Excite 450q Price
Yep, this is the most affordable Quad-Core smartphone at P4,999. Awesome, right?
You might be turned off with its RAM and lack of LED Flash but I think the P4,999 SRP is a reasonable price.

iPhone 5c: The Colorful budget iPhone?

Jam Ancheta
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iPhone 5c: The Colorful budget iPhone?

These days, some people prefer affordable smartphones over the expensive ones because some people doesn’t really need the feature of these flagship phones and they are already contented with the capabilities of these affordable smartphones. However, Apple isn’t that friendly when it comes to cheap and affordable phones. But It seems that iOS has been losing the battle against Android and they’re force to make a much affordable iPhone. Actually, there have been a lot of rumours that there will be a much affordable iPhone that will be announce on September and it is called as the iPhone 5C. Why don’t you check out what I think of the iPhone 5c after the break.

iPhone 5c huh? So what do you think? Do you think the letter c in its name means cheap? I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure that Apple doesn’t want to be affiliated with the word “Cheap”. I think they’ll prefer it to be called as the colorful one. Why? Look at the iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle and the iPod touch. What are the common denominators of these devices aside from that they’re cool, hippy and made for music? These devices are colorful.

I think their strategy of making the previous generation of iPhone as their “Affordable iPhone” isn’t working that’s why they’re resorting to the Apple iPhone 5C. The Apple iPhone 5C will be also much more attractive to the younger generation thanks to its bright and vivid colors. But of course, a much affordable iPhone would mean a downgraded hardware. I guess the iPhone 5C would pack the same specifications of the iPhone 5 while the iPhone 5S will have a much powerful and newer specs.

Actually, there are really no solid evidence that there will be an iPhone 5C aside from that case. My guess estimate for the SRP of this phone will be around P18,000-P23,500. But before we start guessing its SRP, let’s cross our fingers that this rumours are true.

Source: Gizmodo

Asus Nexus 7 2013 now available at Widget City, starts at P12,790

Jam Ancheta
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Asus Nexus 7 2013 now available at Widget City, starts at P12,790

The next iteration of the best Android tablet is now here in the Philippines. Yes folks, the Nexus 7 2013 is now here via Widget City. If you didn’t know what the Asus Nexus 7 2013 can offer to us, the tablet has the highest resolution of a 7″ display. There’s a 1920 x 1200 display on that 7.02″ display. Quiet fancy right? And another thing, this baby has LTE too. And you don’t have to worry about its performance, the Asus Nexus 7 2013 packs 1.5 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon S4 Pro Chip inside. You can choose from 16 or 32 GB but there’s no MicroSD Card slot. The processor might not be the fastest in the market right now but it will surely bring a very snappy performance. The SRP of this tablet is pegged at $229 at US but at Widget City, you can get it for P12,790. Want to get one? Check it out here. By the way, I’m getting one too :).

Nokia Lumia 925 Review

Jam Ancheta
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Nokia Lumia 925 Review
The Nokia Lumia 925 was recently launched here in the Philippines but before that, I already got a chance to try it via Nokia Connects/Nokia Conversations. The Nokia Lumia 925 was introduced earlier this year. I thought that the phone will be their 2013 flagship phone but I was wrong, it was the Nokia Lumia 1020. Anyway, the Nokia Lumia 925 is a thinner and a more premium version of the Nokia Lumia 920. Why? Because the Nokia Lumia 925 now sports an aluminum design along with its serious colors — Black, grey and white. Why don’t you check out my full review after the break
Hardware

Compared to the Nokia Lumia 920, this one has a much more solid and an attractive look. The sides are aluminum while the back is made up of polycarbonate. I really love the design of the Nokia Lumia phones but they’re getting too similar and old already. Actually, whenever you’re just looking on the front of a Nokia Lumia phone, it’s really hard to distinguish the exact model of the device. Nevertheless, the Nokia Lumia 925 isn’t that bad to hold. The thinner body and the curve sides made the phone more comfortable to hold than the Nokia Lumia 920. 

At the back, there are 2 bulges on the speaker grill. I think they added those bulges to prevent blocking of the surface to the speaker grill. You still need to have a special case to support wireless charging. Well, not everybody loves wireless charging. Not really a deal breaker for me. Oh and you don’t need to worry about losing the sim card tray anymore because you can eject it but you can’t remove it from the device. 

There’s the same display that you can see on the Nokia Lumia 920. It’s still the same 4.5” AMOLED display. Unfortunately, Nokia can’t go Full HD on their devices because the Windows Phone 8 limits them from doing that. But don’t worry, the display is still crisp and sharp just like the Nokia Lumia 920. There’s one feature that I really love on the Nokia Lumia 925 and that’s the Nokia Glance. So what does that do? it acts as a clock even when the device is on standby. Double tapping the screen will wake the phone. But don’t worry about the battery life because the Nokia Glance doesn’t really takes a lot of juice from the battery. If you’re not comfortable with it, you can turn it off in the settings.

Unfortuntely, the Nokia Lumia 925 is down to 16 GB internal storage with no MicroSD card slot. Yep, that’s one deal breaker right there. I’m happy to announce that the Nokia Lumia 925 will support the LTE bands of the Philippines. There’s NFC too if you have some NFC enabled accessories around the corner. I manage to have a 14 hours of average use before the battery rans out and yelled for more juice. Oh and the sound quality? It isn’t that great but I think it fared just fine.

Software
Here we go again. Just like the other Nokia Lumia phones, one of the things that people hate and love about these phones is the Operating System. If you ask me, well, I think Windows Phone 8 is really great as an operating system for a phone but if you’re the type of guy who really loves to play games and use apps that aren’t on the Windows phone store then you might want to look at Android or iOS alternatives. But today, the app selection of the Windows Phone isn’t the same as last year. Today, 48/50 of popular apps joined the Windows Phone bandwagon according to Mr. Gary Chan, Nokia’s head of marketing for Pan Asia. Instagram wasn’t part of that 48 but don’t worry because there are 3rd party apps that enables you to upload photos and videos on Instagram. But I still feel that some apps that are already in Windows Phone lacks functionality and features like the Facebook app. They’ve revamped the app but you can’t send emoticons and images on the app. I hope Nokia and Microsoft could address that next time.

The Nokia Lumia 925 ships with the Nokia Lumia amber update. Yes folks, that’s the latest update for the Nokia Lumias. It will eventually arrive on other Nokia Lumia phones but Nokia Lumia 925 is the first one to have that update. That update brings the Nokia Smart Cam. Fancy name right? But it has some impressive features. With Nokia Smart Cam, you’ll capture burst images and then combine them or either remove them. With Nokia Smart Cam, you could do Best shot, Action Shot, Change faces, Motion Focus and remove objects. The Action shot lets you add a strobe effect on your photo while motion focus lets you emphasize the motion of the photo. A pretty nice app. Here are some photos that I took using the Nokia Smart Cam:


Don’t worry folks, the Nokia Lumia 925 is powered by a Dual-Core Snapdragon S4 processor along with the 1 GB RAM. It is enough to let you play all the games on the Windows Phone store. Just like its brothers, the Nokia Lumia 925 is lag-free. But after using the Nokia Smart Cam, I felt that the Nokia Lumia 925 needs something faster and much more powerful than its processor. It will take you a few seconds before they can process the Motion Focus and Action shots that you’ve done.
Camera

The Nokia Lumia 925 packs a Pureview 8.7 Megapixel camera. There was no upgrade in the megapixel count and the body of the Nokia Lumia 925 became thinner but the performance of the Nokia Lumia 925 hasn’t change. It’s still great at low light and yes, the OIS works really great. Unfortunately, I find it hard to determine the difference between the two. Both the Nokia Lumia 925 and the Nokia Lumia 920 rocks an amazing camera but the difference between the two isn’t dramatic. Check out the photos and that I took using the Nokia Lumia 925

Low light shot
In a series of unfortunate events, I lost my files on my hard disk including the video sample of the Nokia Lumia 925. But to give you some perspective, the Nokia Lumia 925 had almost the same quality of the Nokia Lumia 920. Sometimes, I prefer using the Nokia Lumia 925 over my Micro 4/3 camera. Actually, I used the Nokia Lumia 925 for JAM Online Weekly. Too bad, I didn’t rendered it as HD

The camera of the Nokia Lumia 925 is so amazing, sometimes it took better photos than my Micro 4/3 camera. When I was at the Philippine launch of the Nokia Lumia 925, I choosed the Nokia Lumia 925 over my Olympus camera because it took brighter and better images.
Conclusion

The Nokia Lumia 925 is a Nokia Lumia 920 that got out of the gym. It has a more attractive construction and a thinner design but it has the same prowess of the Nokia Lumia 925. It may not be the best camera smartphone but it can surely trump most cameras of the flagship smartphones out there. If you can’t wait for the Nokia Lumia 1020 (which will be more expensive) and If you’re feeling comfortable with the current app selection of Windows phone then better get this phone over the Lumia 920. The thinner and sleeker design is really worth the price. The Nokia Lumia 925 will be available at Nokia Stores on August 19 with a SRP of P23,500



Thank you Nokia Connects for lending us a review unit!
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