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Did you get a smartphone, tablet as gift? Some tips on how to set it up

December 23, 2012December 23, 2012 Max Limpag Leave a comment

HAVE you been particularly nice or especially naughty this year and got a smartphone or tablet as Christmas gift? Lucky you; you’re in for hours of fun setting up your device tonight.

Here are some tips on setting up your smartphone or tablet.

The first thing you should do after unboxing your device is to keep track of all components and accessories and figure out which goes where. Copy serial numbers and other important device information and set aside such things as the warranty card and the card that comes with your SIM (which contains the PIN unblocking code.)

You should also take time to read the manual. (A confession: I don’t. I only consult the manual when I inevitably bump into problems.)

TOPPING WISH LISTS. According to a survey by Nielsen, 48 percent of American children aged 6 to 12 want an iPad for Christmas. (Apple press center photo)

Data access

The next thing you should do is learn how to turn off mobile Internet access. There are enough horror stories to fill five manuals about people having to pay thousands of pesos because they unwittingly left on their mobile Internet connectivity.

In iPhones, it’s at Settings > General > Cellular then choose “OFF” in Cellular Data. In Android devices you can find it in Settings then Mobile Network. In many Android devices you can just swipe down the home screen to get access to settings that include turning off mobile Internet access. You could also install widgets that will allow you to turn off such things as mobile Internet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Sound on the home screen.

If you’re setting up an iPhone or iPad, you should immediately sign up for an iTunes account so that you can add apps to your device. Connect your email account to your device so that you can start using it for your messages. You should also enable iMessage to take advantage of Apple’s messaging system.

If you’re setting up an Android device, you need to have a Gmail account to take full advantage of its capabilities. Beyond e-mail, the account handles your contacts database (via Google Contacts) and calendar items.

Security

Another important setting that you should take time to set up is security. You should enable lock screen security so that people can’t access your device. In iPhones, you can require a numeric password in Settings > General > Password Lock.

Android users have the option of setting up a numeric password or a pattern lock by going to Settings > Security.

Another important thing you should set up is to enable tracking of your device in case it gets stolen. Users of Apple devices can set up Find My iPhone to track lost iPhones, iPads and even Macs. An acquaintance was able to trace her iPad to a house in Barangay Camputhaw when it was stolen earlier this year. Police, however, were still not able to recover it despite the information.

For Android users, a great security app to use is Lookout Mobile Security. The app protects your Android device from viruses and malware and helps you keep track of it in case it gets lost or stolen. The system also has a feature that will report its last known location when it detects that the unit is about to run out of battery.

Unlike iPhone, Android users have the added capability of replacing several phone components like SMS messaging and even customizing its launcher. Users of Android phones with adequate resources (those with dual core devices) can replace their launcher with Go Launcher EX, which looks good and offers added functionality but requires resources. It is part of a suite of great Android apps by the highly-regard Go development team that includes Go SMS, which you should install to replace your stock messaging app. Those with slower processors can use Zeam, a light weight Android launcher that’s really responsive even on entry-level devices.

Great apps

A smartphone is a great productivity tool. It is the Swiss Army knife of modern living. A smartphone isn’t just a device for calling, it’s a portable office, communications system, GPS device, camera, voice recorder, social networking tool, mobile reporting tool, health monitoring system, among a myriad other things.

If there’s a task to be done, there usually is an app for that.

Some of the great apps that I and people I know use include: Any.DO for task management; Flipboard, Pulse, Zite, Prismatic and Google Currents for news reading; Pocket (formerly Read It Later); Smartr Contacts to populate your contacts with social networking data; Evernote for managing notes; Google Chrome to replace your stock browser and share browsing data across different devices; Dropbox and Google Drive for online storage; and Stitcher Radio to listen to podcasts.

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The post Did you get a smartphone, tablet as gift? Some tips on how to set it up appeared first on Leon Kilat : The Cybercafe Experiments.

Did you get a smartphone, tablet as gift? Some tips on how to set it up

December 23, 2012December 23, 2012 Max Limpag Leave a comment

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HAVE you been particularly nice or especially naughty this year and got a smartphone or tablet as Christmas gift? Lucky you; you’re in for hours of fun setting up your device tonight.

Here are some tips on setting up your smartphone or tablet.

You should also take time to read the manual. (A confession: I don’t. I only consult the manual when I inevitably bump into problems.)

TOPPING WISH LISTS. According to a survey by Nielsen, 48 percent of American children aged 6 to 12 want an iPad for Christmas. (Apple press center photo)

Data access

Security

Android users have the option of setting up a numeric password or a pattern lock by going to Settings > Security.

Great apps

If there’s a task to be done, there usually is an app for that.

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The post Did you get a smartphone, tablet as gift? Some tips on how to set it up appeared first on Leon Kilat : The Tech Experiments.

Cloudfone wants everyone to own a smartphone

December 2, 2012December 2, 2012 Max Limpag Leave a comment

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THE ebullience of Chico Pasion and Francis Capati of Phoneco was palpable in Friday’s launch in Cebu of the company’s Cloudfone Android line.

“We will kill feature phones!” “We don’t need feature phones!” “We want people to throw away their phones and update to a new one!”

Pasion, national sales manager of Phoneco, said they want the low to mid-range market to move to Android instead of buying or keeping their feature phones, the industry term for phones that are more than just basic calling devices but lack the features of a smartphone.

“If not for the price, I don’t think people will buy feature phones,” he said during Friday’s Cloudfone launch in SM City Cebu. The company’s devices are meant to answer the lower to mid-market demand for smartphones, he said. Cloudfone models sell from about P2,500 to P7,777.

Full smartphone experience

“We want to be the leader in the Android market,” Pasion said, pointing out that among Filipino brands, “not one brand can claim they own the Android sphere.”

BIG BATTERY. The flagship Cloudfone model, the Thrill 430x, comes with a battery that can power the unit for 3 days, officials said. (Photo by Marlen Limpag)

He said they want to “provide the full smartphone experience” to the low to mid-end market segment.

He said statistics showing increasing smartphone adoption and Internet and mobile Internet usage prompted their company to focus on producing Android devices.

Capati said standard features of Cloudfone models are dual-SIM capability, WiFi hotspot-enabled and FM radio. He said the company’s devices use either Android Gingerbread or Ice Cream Sandwich. The model numbers of their devices indicate screen sizes.

Challenging boundaries

Pasion said Phoneco is “challenging boundaries” with Cloudfone, challenging assumptions that: 1) phone manufacturers cannot survive without feature phones, 2) an HD screen cannot be done on less than P10,000, and 3) big battery comes at a price.

The company’s flagship phone is the Thrill 430x. It has a 4.3-inch IPS (in-plane switching technology) QHD capacitive touchscreen display that makes for rich visuals and an eight-megapixel AF camera with dual LED flash and a front camera. The phone runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich and has a 1.2GHz dual core processor. But what makes the phone stand out is its battery: a polymer 4160mAh beast that can power the phone for three days, Pasion and Capati said. Most Android devices barely last a day with extensive use.

The Cloudfone Thrill 430x beside an iPhone 4s. (Photo by Marlen Limpag)

I’ve been able to play with the phone for three days now (my wife, who was covering the launch for BusinessWorld, won the unit during a raffle and asked me to set it up) and I think the Thrill 430X is really impressive for its price– P7,777. It’s a bit heavy, about an iPhone-and-a-half, but that’s a small price to pay for its battery life.

Cebu distributor

In Cebu, you can buy Cloudfone units from RC Goldline, its exclusive distributor. They set up a demo kiosk in SM City Cebu where consumers can try out the different devices.

Capati said people do not have to save up to buy their phones. He said people can immediately buy the device after trying these out.

Pasion said their phones are designed in the Philippines but assembled in China. He said they are currently in talks with an Australian company to export their devices to that country.

Pasion said they are set to release their own tablet either by the end of the year or early 2013.

He said, during his “Fearless Forecasts” portion of his presentation, that by 2013, “majority of phones will be more than 4 inches” in screen size. He also said that their competitors “will copy our big battery in Q2.” But, he said, “we will continue to challenge boundaries.”

BIG BATTERY. The Cloudphone Thrill 430x comes with a polymer 4160mAh battery that can power the phone for three days.

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The post Cloudfone wants everyone to own a smartphone appeared first on Leon Kilat : The Tech Experiments.

Ayala Land signs contract with global BPO giant ADP

November 8, 2012November 8, 2012 PRNEWS Leave a comment

Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) signs a contract agreement with Automatic Data Processing (ADP), to lease 18,200 square meters of Gross Leasable Area (GLA) of the Glorietta 2 BPO offices starting next year. This office complex is a fully-integrated Information Technology (IT) and IT-enabled services community designed for 24×7 operations located above the centrally located new Glorietta 2 mall.

Glorietta, which is in the heart of the Makati Commercial Business District, offers premium and well-designed work spaces on top of retail. Its accessibility to the transport hub, world-class hotels, shopping, dining and entertainment choices, and residential developments makes it ADP’s top choice for its office expansion.

ADP is one of the largest providers of human capital management in the world with 600,000 clients globally. It is an easy-to-use solutions company that offers human resource, payroll, tax, and benefits administration to companies of all types and sizes. ADP also provides integrated computing solutions to vehicular and heavy equipment dealers throughout the world. The company has recently been cited as one of Forbes’ most innovative companies for 2012.

ADP has been present in the Philippines since 2010 .This expansion will allow ADP to continue their 60 years of expertise in providing value to its clients while providing more than 1,000 jobs for Filipinos.

Photo caption :

Ayala Land EVP and Group Head of Commercial Business Bernard Vincent Dy and ADP General Manager John Hickey ( center ) at the contract signing where ADP engaged Ayala Land Businesscapes’ office real estate solutions capabilities for its new offices in Glorietta. With them, seated from left to right are : Tom Mirasol, ALI AVP and Head of Office Leasing & Operations Commercial Business Group ; Rowena Tomeldan, ALI VP and Head of Operations and Support Services Commercial Business Group; and ADP General Manager; Laura Baui, ADP Senior Finance Director.

Innovation, disruption in media

October 21, 2012October 21, 2012 Max Limpag Leave a comment

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Last Thursday, Newsweek announced it was ending its print publication on Dec. 31 and going all-digital starting next year.

The digital publication, which will be named Newsweek Global, “will be a single, worldwide edition targeted for a highly mobile, opinion-leading audience who want to learn about world events in a sophisticated context,” Newsweek and The Daily Beast editor-in-chief Tina Brown said in the announcement posted at The Daily Beast.

“There’s no demand for a digital Newsweek,” Reuters blogging editor Felix Salmon wrote shortly after the announcement. “Newsweek is hitching its fortunes to a motley group of e-readers (Zinio!), all of which are based on pretty clunky old publishing technology, and none of which have any ability to take advantage of the social web.”

I haven’t tried the Newsweek app because all my news reading are on aggregators like Flipboard, Pulse and Zite, where Newsweek seems to be largely absent (there’s relevance for you.) But I think Salmon is spot-on in pointing out digital solutions based on “pretty clunky old publishing technology.” Many publications still rely on “e-paper” solutions based on the printed page’s layout. These are not gadget-native and do not translate well mobile.

In contrast, news start-ups have started websites and applications more attuned to the needs of today’s audience. They also tap the latest advances in technology.

One such application is Circa, which is rethinking the news article and breaking it up into what its founding editor Dave Cohn calls “the atomic units of news: a fact, a quote, a statistic, an event, etc.” By breaking the article up, the app can then update Circa users on what’s new, without having to repeat information that has already been reported.

Circa answers the needs of people who want keep track of developing news stories. I’ve been using it since it was made available last week and found it useful. Circa does its job well.

By rethinking the media businesses through the “jobs-to-be-done” theory, journalists can spot opportunities in today’s disruptive media landscape. That’s what the Nieman Reports did in its latest issue. The cover story is an examination of the news industry through the innovation framework of Harvard professor Clayton Christensen, the author of “The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail.”

The series of articles is very enlightening. Canadian journalist David Skok, a Nieman fellow, said mainstream media “failed to foster a newsroom culture that rewards innovation and empowers the younger generation, that can readily adapt to the new media world around us, and that is willing to experiment with the diversified revenue streams right in front of us.”

In their “Breaking News” essay, Skok, Christensen and James Allworth cited The Huffington Post and BuzzFeed as “classic disruptors.”

“Disruption theory argues that a consistent pattern repeats itself from industry to industry. New entrants to a field establish a foothold at the low end and move up the value network—eating away at the customer base of incumbents—by using a scalable advantage and typically entering the market with a lower-margin profit formula,” they said.

That’s how Huffington Post and BuzzFeed built its business – starting as news aggregators and moving up the value chain. Huffington Post now has a Pulitzer and BuzzFeed is going into longform original reporting.

The authors looked into how digital point-and-shoot cameras lost the market to smartphones on one end and cheaper digital SLR cameras on the other end. They said there is a similar “eroding ‘middle ground’ for news.” Products and services like Metro (a free paper distributed in subways) and Twitter “are serving consumers whose need is simply ‘help me fill these 10 minutes right now.’”

“At the other end of the spectrum, for the job of ‘I will be in an airplane or on a train for four hours, and I want to be intellectually stimulated,’ sites like Longreads and tools like Instapaper and Pocket…are enabling users to find and save longer-form storytelling for offline viewing,” they said.

In thinking about charging for content, the authors cautioned that “it’s critical to avoid falling into the trap of believing that you can charge for content just because it costs money to produce.”

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