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MS Surface RT now selling in VillMan for Php38k

November 14, 2012November 14, 2012 Louie Diangson Leave a comment

For those wanting to get their hands on Microsoft’s Surface RT tablet, you can now purchase the Windows 8-powered device at VillMan for Php37,999.

The model on sale is a 64GB version that comes with a keyboard (we’re still awaiting confirmation if both Touch Covers and Type Covers are available) and pre-installed with Office Home and Student 2013 RT.

Like the Nexus 7 they have on sale before, these units are parallel imports or grey units which explains the steep price. (Microsoft Store is selling the 64GB Surface RT in the US for $699 which is approximately Php29K)

You can check VillMan’s sales page for the Microsoft Surface RT tablet here.

****** A word from the fine folks of Sun Cellular ******

Sun Cellular launches BlackBerry Prepaid!

Get the Sun BlackBerry All Day 50 for all-day unlimited mobile internet, unlimited social networking, unlimited instant messaging, unlimited BlackBerry browsing and unlimited BBM for only Php50.

Follow @suncelltweets for more info.

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Nexus S and Xoom will remain on 4.1.2 says JBQ

November 14, 2012November 14, 2012 Ronnie Bulaong Leave a comment

On a recent post made on the Android Building group, Google AOSP Technical Lead Jean-Baptiste Queru broke the news that the Motorolla Xoom and Samsung Nexus S will not be updated to the latest version of Android.

Although JBQ didn’t clearly mention that this will be the end of the line for the said devices, the future isn’t looking so bright for these two ageing gadgets.

Nexus

What’s intriguing about it though is how one device can run Android 4.1.2 quite smoothly and not be upgraded to Android 4.2. This makes us wonder if the new features in the latest iteration are just too much for the Xoom and Nexus to handle or Google just didn’t want to spend too much effort in updating a 2-year old device.

As an owner of a Nexus S, I must admit that I’m rather disappointed about this news. But considering that my phone went from having Gingerbread (Honeycomb for the Xoom) to Android Jellybean (4.1.2), it isn’t so bad after all. It definitely had a good run, but maybe it’s time for me (or us) to move on and consider replacing our beloved Android gizmo. LG Nexus 4 and Samsung Nexus 10 perhaps?

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StarMobile Astra dual-SIM Android ICS TV hands-on

November 14, 2012November 14, 2012 yuga Leave a comment

Met with the folks from StarMobile the other day when they gave me two of their newest Android smartphones. The StarMobile Astra was the one that got most of my attention because it’s an Android TV phone.

The phone has been around since October and has gotten a lot of attention for a couple of reasons.

The StarMobile Astra is a combination of an Android smartphone with pretty decent hardware configuration running ICS. It has a 4.3-inch IPS display, a dual-SIM functionality with both SIM slots able to connect to 3G networks separately and comes with a built-in analog TV tuner.

All that for a pretty interesting retail price of Php6,990.

Out of the box, the Astra reminds us of the old Desire series under HTC line-up from years back. It’s got a dark brown tone with a matte finish (they tell me a white version is coming out), a little curvy around the edges and has that solid look and feel with a bit of heft.

The 4.3-inch IPS LCD they used on the Astra looks very good. The colors are bright and crisp which compensates for the slightly low resolution (~240ppi).

The stock ICS they placed here doesn’t have any custom UI although I noticed that the icons are similar to the ones in my Asus Padfone.

If you look at the complete specs of the handset below, you’ll definitely agree that the price point put on this device is a strong challenger even if you don’t consider the TV tuner feature.

StarMobile Astra specs:
4.3-inch IPS display @ 800×480 pixels, 240ppi
MediaTek MT6577 1.0GHz dual-core Cortex-A9
PowerVR SGX 531
512MB RAM
4GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD (8GB included)
3G/HSPA, dual-SIM, dual standby
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 2.0
GPS w/ aGPS support
8MP rear camera w/ dual-LED flash
VGA front-facing camera
TV Tuner (analog)
Li-Ion 1500mAh battery
Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich

We also ran a couple of benchmarks on the device and got the following results — 5,722 (Antutu Benchmark) and 2,680 (Quadrant Standard). They aren’t really that impressive but the numbers are decent and could really pass as a typical result of a mid-range handset.

The TV Tuner is analog so don’t expect good quality reception from over-the-air channels. The TV antenna extends from a hidden slot at the bottom left side of the handset. What you can appreciate from this set up is that you have a large display for viewing your favorite local TV shows (I think the Astra has one of the biggest TV screens, if not the biggest, on any smartphone).

For a suggested retail price of Php6,990, it is worth considering. It has actually been my 4th handset I bring around but use it to watch TV on the road.

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Smart, Globe still fail NTC test for “dropped calls”

November 14, 2012November 14, 2012 Louie Diangson Leave a comment

Two of the country’s top telcos, Smart Communications, Inc. and Globe Telecom, Inc., both failed NTC’s test for “dropped call” rate in the third quarter.

NTC’s standards for dropped call rates is at 2%. Unfortunately, both telcos failed to meet that standard. “Smart got a 2.15%, while Globe fared worse with 2.75%,” says NTC Director Edgardo Cabarios. This means that there are more than two calls dropped or involuntary terminated for every 100 calls.

Smart and Globe have been informed of the results and are asked to submit a written explanation why they failed to meet the 2% dropped call rate. “If NTC finds that the reasons are not meritorious, telcos may be directed to cease from accepting new subscribers,” Cabarios said.

NTC also performed tests for blocked calls, signal level, signal quality, and call set-up time. Both Smart and Globe passed the tests with Smart leading the Quality of Service (QoS) benchmarks for the said quarter.

{sources: 1 & 2}

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GoPro app for Android now out

November 14, 2012November 14, 2012 Ronnie Bulaong Leave a comment

Just two weeks after the release of GoPro app for iOS devices, the company has just recently ported the app to the Google Play Store for Android 4+ users.

GoPro

One of the limitations of the GoPro cameras is its lack of display, that’s why the California based manufacturer made a companion app to address just that. Not only does this app lets users see what the snapper sees, it also allows them to control some of the camera’s basic features (Power On/Off and Start/Stop recording) and give info about the camera’s battery and storage status.

Here’s a short video tutorial on how to sync your GoPro camera with your handset and the things you need to have in order to do so.

Unfortunately, the GoPro app only supports the HD Hero2 for now, but we assume that the recently launched GoPro Hero3 will be included in the subsequent version of the app. The company also mentioned that they’re planning to include features like video and photo streaming from camera to device/web, SNS sharing and multi-camera control.

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