5 Christmas Gift Ideas Under Php1K

With the Season of Giving already upon us, not everyone has deep pockets to buy the things they want. For those that are on a tight budget, here are some Christmas gift ideas under Php1K.

Note: We went around SM CyberZone in Megamall looking for gadgets and gizmos under the mentioned price limit. So if you find anything that you’re interested with, rest assured that it will be available around the area — until their supplies last, of course. 

2.1 Speakers with Super Bass technology

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-10

If you have a family member or a friend that’s into music then perhaps they can use brand new speakers for this Christmas. You can find one at Octagon for around Php850 that already comes with a 2.1 setup meaning it has its own dedicated subwoofer. The one we saw was USB-powered which is perfect for desktop use. It has an SD card reader, has FM radio built-in, and even includes a remote control.

Dashpack lightweight sling bag 

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-8

For students that are always on-the-go there’s a sling bag available at Octagon that could safely carry tablets or Ultrabooks as big as 12 inches inside its padded pocket. The bag is light and has a sporty look which could also be used when cycling short distances around the metro.

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-9

It comes in different colors and is priced at Php695.

Gamer shirts

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-7

Have a gamer friend that appreciates all things geeky? Then you couldn’t go wrong with a shirt that’s printed with their favorite characters from popular game titles. We spotted this cool merchandise at Brochiere and anyone who has played the classic Resident Evil game would recognize this in no time. To be honest, we actually wanted one for ourselves.

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-6

It has a tag of Php650 with different prints to choose from.

Modular charge station for PS4 controllers

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-5

For the heavy gamers that always spend time in front of their consoles, there is a module for PS4 that charges the controllers just by  docking them. It connects to the USB port at the front of the console, could charge two DUALSHOCK 4 controllers simultaneously, and has microUSB dongles that allow easy drop and charge functionality. It is available at DataBlitz for Php995.

Wall-mounted USB ports

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-3

With almost all our devices relying on USB ports to charge, it makes more sense to just get a wall-mounted charger that already outputs to ports ready to deliver power. This one plugs into wall sockets and offers 4 USB ports that fast charges your devices all at the same time.

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-4

It is priced at Php999 over at Asianic and we think its use would easily justify the price.

Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-2

This is just an additional idea if you can stretch your budget a little bit more. For Php1,050, you can get the Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater that acts as a lightweight case for the 4th generation iPad.

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-1

Once attached and connected to the device, it gives a full range sound of a stereo speaker system while providing a comfortable surface with extra grip. It was originally priced at Php3,000, but Octagon slashed its price off.

There you have some of the things you can buy for less than a grand. We hope this quick guide provided some help for all you techies out there. Happy shopping!

The post 5 Christmas Gift Ideas Under Php1K appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

5 Christmas Gift Ideas Under Php1K

With the Season of Giving already upon us, not everyone has deep pockets to buy the things they want. For those that are on a tight budget, here are some Christmas gift ideas under Php1K.

Note: We went around SM CyberZone in Megamall looking for gadgets and gizmos under the mentioned price limit. So if you find anything that you’re interested with, rest assured that it will be available around the area — until their supplies last, of course. 

2.1 Speakers with Super Bass technology

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-10

If you have a family member or a friend that’s into music then perhaps they can use brand new speakers for this Christmas. You can find one at Octagon for around Php850 that already comes with a 2.1 setup meaning it has its own dedicated subwoofer. The one we saw was USB-powered which is perfect for desktop use. It has an SD card reader, has FM radio built-in, and even includes a remote control.

Dashpack lightweight sling bag 

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-8

For students that are always on-the-go there’s a sling bag available at Octagon that could safely carry tablets or Ultrabooks as big as 12 inches inside its padded pocket. The bag is light and has a sporty look which could also be used when cycling short distances around the metro.

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-9

It comes in different colors and is priced at Php695.

Gamer shirts

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-7

Have a gamer friend that appreciates all things geeky? Then you couldn’t go wrong with a shirt that’s printed with their favorite characters from popular game titles. We spotted this cool merchandise at Brochiere and anyone who has played the classic Resident Evil game would recognize this in no time. To be honest, we actually wanted one for ourselves.

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-6

It has a tag of Php650 with different prints to choose from.

Modular charge station for PS4 controllers

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-5

For the heavy gamers that always spend time in front of their consoles, there is a module for PS4 that charges the controllers just by  docking them. It connects to the USB port at the front of the console, could charge two DUALSHOCK 4 controllers simultaneously, and has microUSB dongles that allow easy drop and charge functionality. It is available at DataBlitz for Php995.

Wall-mounted USB ports

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-3

With almost all our devices relying on USB ports to charge, it makes more sense to just get a wall-mounted charger that already outputs to ports ready to deliver power. This one plugs into wall sockets and offers 4 USB ports that fast charges your devices all at the same time.

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-4

It is priced at Php999 over at Asianic and we think its use would easily justify the price.

Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-2

This is just an additional idea if you can stretch your budget a little bit more. For Php1,050, you can get the Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater that acts as a lightweight case for the 4th generation iPad.

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-1

Once attached and connected to the device, it gives a full range sound of a stereo speaker system while providing a comfortable surface with extra grip. It was originally priced at Php3,000, but Octagon slashed its price off.

There you have some of the things you can buy for less than a grand. We hope this quick guide provided some help for all you techies out there. Happy shopping!

The post 5 Christmas Gift Ideas Under Php1K appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

5 Christmas Gift Ideas Under Php1K

With the Season of Giving already upon us, not everyone has deep pockets to buy the things they want. For those that are on a tight budget, here are some Christmas gift ideas under Php1K.

Note: We went around SM CyberZone in Megamall looking for gadgets and gizmos under the mentioned price limit. So if you find anything that you’re interested with, rest assured that it will be available around the area — until their supplies last, of course. 

2.1 Speakers with Super Bass technology

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-10

If you have a family member or a friend that’s into music then perhaps they can use brand new speakers for this Christmas. You can find one at Octagon for around Php850 that already comes with a 2.1 setup meaning it has its own dedicated subwoofer. The one we saw was USB-powered which is perfect for desktop use. It has an SD card reader, has FM radio built-in, and even includes a remote control.

Dashpack lightweight sling bag 

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-8

For students that are always on-the-go there’s a sling bag available at Octagon that could safely carry tablets or Ultrabooks as big as 12 inches inside its padded pocket. The bag is light and has a sporty look which could also be used when cycling short distances around the metro.

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-9

It comes in different colors and is priced at Php695.

Gamer shirts

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-7

Have a gamer friend that appreciates all things geeky? Then you couldn’t go wrong with a shirt that’s printed with their favorite characters from popular game titles. We spotted this cool merchandise at Brochiere and anyone who has played the classic Resident Evil game would recognize this in no time. To be honest, we actually wanted one for ourselves.

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-6

It has a tag of Php650 with different prints to choose from.

Modular charge station for PS4 controllers

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-5

For the heavy gamers that always spend time in front of their consoles, there is a module for PS4 that charges the controllers just by  docking them. It connects to the USB port at the front of the console, could charge two DUALSHOCK 4 controllers simultaneously, and has microUSB dongles that allow easy drop and charge functionality. It is available at DataBlitz for Php995.

Wall-mounted USB ports

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-3

With almost all our devices relying on USB ports to charge, it makes more sense to just get a wall-mounted charger that already outputs to ports ready to deliver power. This one plugs into wall sockets and offers 4 USB ports that fast charges your devices all at the same time.

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-4

It is priced at Php999 over at Asianic and we think its use would easily justify the price.

Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-2

This is just an additional idea if you can stretch your budget a little bit more. For Php1,050, you can get the Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater that acts as a lightweight case for the 4th generation iPad.

gift-ideas-christmas-philippines-1

Once attached and connected to the device, it gives a full range sound of a stereo speaker system while providing a comfortable surface with extra grip. It was originally priced at Php3,000, but Octagon slashed its price off.

There you have some of the things you can buy for less than a grand. We hope this quick guide provided some help for all you techies out there. Happy shopping!

The post 5 Christmas Gift Ideas Under Php1K appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Lenovo A6000 Plus First Impressions

Fresh from its local launch, let’s take the Lenovo A6000 Plus for a quick spin. What does the sub-7k budget smartphone has to offer? Read on to find out.

lenovo-a6000-plus-firstimpressions-1

For starters, the A6000 Plus has a 5-inch IPS LCD display. It’s a standard HD resolution at 720×1280 pixels that gives a reasonably sharp 294ppi. We’ve noticed that outdoor visibility seems to be okay as long you’re under a shade. Aside from the display, the front panel has the earpiece, front-facing camera, sensors, and three capacitive buttons.

lenovo-a6000-plus-firstimpressions-3

The volume rocker and power/lock button are located at the right side of the device while the left side is virtually clean. The top houses the 3.5mm jack and the micro-USB port leaving nothing at the bottom, except for a mic pinhole.

Heading to the back will show the rear camera with the LED flash and another mic pinhole for noise-cancelling. There’s a distinct Lenovo branding at the middle while the speaker grille and Dolby logo is situated below. Interestingly, there are two grilles but we’re not yet sure if it’s a stereo setup. We’ll get into that with our review.

lenovo-a6000-plus-firstimpressions-6

The back cover is removable to give access to the 2300mAh battery, two micro-SIM card slots, and the microSD card slot for memory expansion. Overall, the whole build of the Lenovo smartphone is solid, although it’s a bit light on hand due to the plastic material used. The back panel has a matte finish and is good in resisting nasty smudges.

lenovo-a6000-plus-firstimpressions-4

The rear camera has a megapixel count of 8, a usual number for budget smartphones. While it is early to say about the quality, it seems pretty decent given that the environment is well-lit. You may check out two samples below.

Indoor Daytime Shot Outdoor Daytime Shot

The device boots Android 4.4.4 KitKat with Vibe UI 2.0 out of the box with a Lollipop update already waiting. Our review unit is already downloading the update so rest assured we will have the latest software available.

lenovo-a6000-plus-firstimpressions-5

Lenovo A6000 Plus specifications:
5-inch HD IPS display (1280 x 720 pixels), 294ppi
1.2GHz Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor
Adreno 306 GPU
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD, up to 32GB
8-megapixel rear camera w/ LED flash
2-megapixel front-facing camera
LTE Cat4
Dual-SIM / Dual-standby
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0, A2DP
GPS w/ A-GPS
FM Radio
Dolby Digital Plus
2300mAh battery
Android KitKat (upgradeable to Android Lollipop upon boot-up)
141 x 70 x 8.2mm
128g

This wraps up our initial impression with the Lenovo A6000 Plus. Check back in a week for our review as the device will go on sale on December 9 exclusively through Lazada for Php 6,999. Lenovo will include a free screen protector plus a hard case for each purchase.

The post Lenovo A6000 Plus First Impressions appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.

Laptop Gift Guide for Holiday 2015

The Christmas season is once again fast approaching and as what we usually do, we’ve compiled some of the outstanding gadgets in their respective categories and group them for easy browsing. Here are some laptop selections if you’re looking for a portable PC you can get for yourself or give someone as a gift.

 

2015GiftGuide-LAPTOP

Note: The laptops listed here are all available in the Philippines with accompanying local prices for your browsing pleasure. If you have something to add, simply throw them at the comments section to further expand the list and help more readers in shopping for a new portable PC this holiday. 

Let’s get started!

Budget Laptops

Kicking things off in the list is the convertible device from Cherry Mobile –the Alpha Morph that recently got a dual-boot version. It sports a 10-inch WXGA IPS touch display, is powered by a 1.33GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3735F and Intel HD Gen 7 Graphics, and pairs up with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory with microSD expansion of up to 64GB. The Windows-only variant is priced in the Philippines at Php5,999 with the dual-boot model is available for Php7,999. Both come with free Office 365, storage space from OneDrive, and are USB-OTG ready.

hp-stream-11

For those that have a bit more more cash to spare, you can try the HP Stream 11. It packs some decent specs for its price including an Intel Celeron N2840 dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB eMMC, and an 11.6-inch LED display. Additionally, it has a claimed battery life of more than 8 hours on a single charge and is priced at Php13,980. There’s also a 13.3-inch variant called the HP Stream 13 which retails for a higher Php15,984.

asus_x200ma

Next up we have the ASUS X200MA. It’s the one packaged by SmartBro in one of its Plans which sports an 11.6-inch HD LCD display, an Intel Celeron dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 500GB of HDD storage. This Windows 8.1-powered laptop is available locally for Php12,995. However, if you prefer similar specs with a bigger 14-inch screen, you can also check out the Dell Inspiron 3442 with a more affordable Php11,999 price tag.

lenovo-laptop-ideapad-s20

Looking for a feature-packed laptop? The Lenovo S20 boasts AccuType keyboard with finger-friendly curved keys and ergonomic spacing so typing is easier. It also has Dolby Advanced Audio, USB 3.0, and an HD webcam for your video calling needs. The S20 is priced at Php14,988 and includes an 11.6-inch display, 2GB RAM, 500GB storage, and runs on Windows 8.1 OS.

Mid-range Laptops

Moving up the price category, we have the Samsung ATIV Book 2 that has a 64-bit Windows 8 installed, 2GB RAM, 500GB storage space, and a lineup of bundled software ready to be used. It has a modest price of Php21,900 which shouldn’t break the bank for a decent device. By adding about Php2K more and you could get a Sony VAIO E Series that has an 11.6- or 14-inch WXGA TFT display, 4GB RAM, 500GB internal storage, and a 1.7GHz AMD accelerated processor.

hp-pavilion-x360

There’s also the HP Pavilion x360 that was launched with other notebooks in SEA countries last May. This totally flexible device flaunts an 11.6-inch HD LED-backlit display, comes with an array of CPU configurations, and could support up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM. It has an SRP of Php23,990 for the base model.

Meanwhile, ASUS has its K401 laptop that possesses a 14-inch Full HD display with 4GB of RAM that can stretch up to 12GB. Storage space is at 500GB with an optional 128GB/256GB solid-state drive. It is priced at Php34,995 with its bigger sibling, the K501, is at Php47,995 and comes with 15-inch display and 1TB of internal storage.

asus-zenbook-ux305

In addition, if you want something that’s guaranteed to turn heads due to its sleek and stylish design, you may check out the ASUS ZenBook UX305FA with a 13.3-inch Full HD display, 128GB M.2SSD, and Bang & Olufsen ICEpower speakers. It is similarly-priced at Php34,995 and you may check out our review by clicking the link.

lenovo-laptop-thinkpad-e450

Saved enough for something better? The Lenovo ThinkPad E450 might be the one for you. It’s equipped with useful functionalities like the three-button trackpad, Dolby speakers, and the company’s cloud storage so you could store and save more files. Specs-wise, you’ll get an Intel Core i5 CPU, 4GB of DDR3L RAM, and a battery that Lenovo claims to have a 9-hour life. It’s locally priced at Php49,992.

And if you’re on that price range, the 5th-gen MacBook Air would also make nice alternatives with the 11- and 13-inch models at Php44,990 and Php49,990, respectively.

High-End Laptops

Now, we go to the big players since investing on a really capable laptop is never a bad thing whether you use for work or even playing.

microsoft-surface-pro-3-2

Headlining this category is the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (while still waiting for the local availability of the Pro 4) that you can definitely rely on for on-the-go productivity. It has a Surface Pen, a multi-position kickstand, and a Type Cover to fully take advantage of all its capabilities — all for Php60,000.

dell-xps-13-2015

Dell’s XPS 13 features some really thin bezels in what the company calls the Virtually Borderless Infinity Display. Aside from that, it carries an UltraSharp Full HD display spanning 13.3 inches across, edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass protection, Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD to name some of its key selling points. For what it offers, the Php74,990 price tag is actually not so bad.

lenovo_yoga3pro

Add a little more and you can include the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro on your list for Php76,995. It comes with similar specs as the XPS 13, but with a bigger 512GB of SSD. You may read our review of the ultrabook by clicking the link.

 

For the gamers out there, feast your eyes on the ASUS ROG G752 Series that comes equipped with a sizeable 17-inch Full HD display backed up by the 6th-gen Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M GPU. Along with those beefy specs come a Php79,995 SRP. Apart from the VL model with 8GB RAM and 1TB storage, you can also opt for the more expensive VT variant that has double the RAM (16GB) and an additional 128GB of SSD in addition to the 1TB space — all for Php99,995.

macbook-pro

All those laptops still below your price range? The 2015 MacBook Pro tops our list with its 15-inch Retina display, 2.5GHz Intel Core i7 quad-core CPU, 16GB of embedded RAM, 512GB PCIe-based flash storage, and 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon R9 M370X that further enhance the graphics department. There is a configuration worth Php99,990, but the one with the aforementioned specs carry a price tag of Php124,990. Whew.

 

 

 

 

The post Laptop Gift Guide for Holiday 2015 appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines News & Tech Reviews.