Canon wraps 2012 PhotoMarathon Manila leg with 2,500 participants

The Manila leg of Canon’s 2012 PhotoMarathon competition drew to a close last Saturday with a record-breaking number of participants shooting in the streets of Intramuros, Manila.

“This has by far the greatest attendance among all our PhotoMarathons from the past seven years,” said Alan Chng, president and CEO of Canon Marketing Philippines. “This is the perfect year-end occasion to thank those who have supported Canon and continuously strengthened the photography community.”

Last year’s Manila leg consisted of around 2,000 participants, while the Luzon and Visayas legs of 2012 were able to gather over 200 and 100 participants, respectively.

This year, 2,500 participants from the point-and-shoot, DSLR, and camcorder categories took on the challenge of shooting the best scenes or subjects within a given theme and time limit.

The Canon Crusaders of Light judged the entries.  The winners of each category were awarded with top-of-the-line Canon gadgets and accessories.

Canon PhotoMarathon 2012 is co-presented by Aperture Trading, Benro, Cebu Pacific Air, Columbia Digital, DELL, Echo Store, Gatorade, Intel, and Mang Inasal. Major sponsors are Black Rapid, Datacolor Spyder 4, FPPF, Petron, Selecta Overload, Selecta Magnum, Spider Holster, Tenba, Thinktank, Transcend, Xfinity, Zesto Fruitsoda, and Zesto Slice. Media partners include BusinessMirror, Digital Photographer Philippines (DPP), HWM, iMag, and Manila Bulletin’s Picture Perfect.

Kingmax SMU25 Client Pro SSD

Kingmax launches in Japan the 1TB model of its SMU25 Client Pro series of solid state drive and the price is just 119,800 Yen, which is about $1500 USD. The 2.5-inch drive uses SATA II interface and delivers up to 250MB/s read and 200MB/s write speeds. It features wear-leveling algorithm for enhanced life time and performance, and supports Error Correction Code (ECC) and TRIM command.

The SMU25 is also available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB models. It comes with a 2.5-inch to 3.5-inch desktop bracket kit.

Review: HTC One X

While HTC did well enough at the start of 2011, the Taiwanese company took a bit of a pounding at the tail end of the same year. Some analysts attributed the loss to the company releasing too many phones aimed at too many markets. This year, HTC has bounced back to the fore with a new device strategy culminating in the One line which focuses on only three main devices: the top of the line One X, the mid-market One S, and the entry level One V. The subject of today’s review is their flagship smartphone, the One X.

The HTC One X is a departure of sorts for the company design-wise, as it’s the first time I’ve ever seen HTC use a unibody polycarbonate body on a flagship device.

Samsung outs 1.4GHz Exynos 4 Quad, will power Galaxy S III

Wondering what kind of processor the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III will carry? Wonder no more. Word is that the next Galaxy device (which would be the flagship Galaxy S III) would be equipped with the newly announced, quad-core 1.4GHz Exynos 4 processor. The new processor is pegged to be more power efficient than the previous generation of silicon (consumes 20% less) while delivering twice the performance. Samsung says that their new processor will be offered to other device manufacturers, and notes that the new processor is compatible pin-for-pin with the Exynos 4 Dual, allowing manufacturers who already use the Exynos 4 Dual to refresh their products with the newer processor with minimal fuss.

Source: Samsung

Review: Sony VAIO C Series (VPCCA1S1E)

 
By Michelle Callanta-Toledo
Fruity bubbalicious. That’s the first thing that crossed my mind when I first beheld the pink Sony VAIO C. It looked like something Katy Perry and the rest of the California Girls would use and bring along (though it’s not exactly portable) as they set forth to Candyland. It’s definitely one ultra-feminine color for a notebook. But don’t worry guys, the Sony VAIO C also comes in a very neutral and masculine black and white (15.5-inch versions and comes with the option for a screen that can handle 1080p high-definition entertainment) as well as green and orange for the more effeminate.
 
The VAIO C Series also sports a rubber, machine-washable keyboard cover as well as a transparent overlay that scatter light all over the edges of the notebook and round the touchpad to create a rather subtle glow, which does prove somewhat useful for those who enjoy working in the dark. Of course, that’s a pretty cool feature to have for an entry-level machine. The form/fashion factor is definitely there despite its plastic-ky feel.

For connectivity, you’ve got a Gigabit Ethernet port, VGA and HDMI for video, and both USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports for data on the left. A memory card reader and physical wireless switch is in the front, while headphone and microphone jacks, twin USB 2.0 ports and a DVD writer are on the right.

Now despite its “hey look at me, look at me” design, the C series has an impressive “inside” as well thanks to a dual-core i5, which runs at 2.3GHz but can manage up to 2.9HGz with Intel’s Turbo Boost. It also has 320GB of storage and 4GB RAM alongside the bundled Windows 7 Home Premium.

This laptop is easy to use, especially if you’re the type who doesn’t ask way too much from it, save for a bit of speed when loading and logging onto the “cloud.” And you can’t really use it for too long without being near a power socket. On standby, the VAIO C only lasts about 4 hours. But it does have some other cool features such as the integrated HD webcam with a Sony Exmor sensor for good low-light performance. The systems also include Sony’s VAIO, Assist, and Web buttons that launch Sony’s Media Gallery and VAIO Care software and enable users to access the Web without waiting for a full Windows boot. It also has its own Imagination Studio Suite 2 VAIO Edition for editing, managing, and enhancing photos, videos, music, and more. And the systems can be used with Sony’s Remove keyboard technology so the notebooks can be used to drive other Sony devices like PlayStation 3 consoles or Bravia Internet-connected TVs.

All in all, I found the Sony VAIO C rather befitting of my more lively character. Even the rubber keyboard (which some may find uncomfortable to use) was something I found to be quirky and comfy. It may not be for everyone (design-wise) but hey, if you want to add a little more color into your technology, the Sony VAIO C series will do the job.

RS Components flourishing in the Philippines

You may have heard about RS Components if you’re an engineer or an engineering student especially in the electrical or computer field. It’s the world’s leading distributor of electronics and maintenance products and they recently announced their continued business success in the country.

RS Components Philippines has achieved over 17% year-on-year sales growth, making it the one of the fastest growing markets in Southeast Asia for the company.

The company serves over 3,000 active buying customers in the Philippines with over 18,000 automation and control products stocked in Southeast Asia to meet this demand. Included in their list of customers are Nestle Philippines, Sun Power Corp., Rohm Electronics, Coca Cola, and Team Energy.

A key factor attributing to their success is their website which provides an online experience with superior browsing capabilities and new intelligent product search features. Even hobbyists and students can order and enjoy easy access to over 550,000 products from global manufacturers including Schneider Electric, ABB, Siemens, Omron, and Phoenix Contract.

The RS Components online platform also provides added value in the form of DesignSpark PCB, its popular, free and fully featured professional standard PCB design software. It’s basically a free tool for engineers to push their limits of innovative design.

The company’s commitment to its business in the Philippines is evident in the provision of a fully localized customer experience that includes customer service, sales, and shared services functions in-country. This includes acting as the financial services hub for RS Components in Southeast Asia.

Digital Playground Hacked Exposing 40,000 Credit Card Numbers

Hackers were able to gain access to pornography website Digital Playground recently and made off with a very large number of plain text credit card numbers from users of the site. According to reports that hackers were able to steal 40,000 credit card numbers and other data including names, CCV numbers, and expiration dates. With those details, the credit card numbers could be used online.

In addition to the theft of credit card numbers, the hackers also claim that they made off with the personal information of 72,000 other users. This the second large hacking attack on a porn website in the last several months. Previously a site called YouPorn was attacked.

Hackers left a statement that said, “We did not set out to destroy them, but they made it too enticing to resist. So now our humble crew leaves lulz and mayhem in our path.” Apparently, the site is down, and the homepage has a message that says not available.

via SCMagazine

Microsoft Doubles Achievements For XBLA Games

Once a premier destination for quirky, bite-sized and indie fare, Microsoft’s XBLA has recently been lambasted by industry figures like Double Fine’s Tim Schafer for business practices which are beginning to usurp that reputation.  Changes to the service are coming, but possibly not what critics had in mind.

Microsoft has announced that XBLA games will now support twice the number of achievements and Gamerscore points, from 200 to 400 and the possibility of adding even more via DLC. While the move does seem to make DLC for XBLA games slightly more attractive both to purchase and produce, it does little for the overly strict certification requirements and harsh publishing terms developers claim are holding the service back.

Wii U Will “Do Great”, Says Epic VP

Whether it’s because of the distance to release or just the barrage of products from other corners of the industry, it feels like the Wii U has been largely out of the spotlight since its official announcement. It certainly did not ignite players’ and developers’ imaginations like its predecessor. Which makes the sudden show of support for Nintendo’s next machine from the makers of the most successful AAA game engine on the planet something of an unexpected development.

“I played Batman: Arkham City on the Wii U and they are doing some really cool stuff with the controller,” according to Epic’s Mark Rein. “Do you remember the Zelda demo they had on it? Would you not buy a Wii U just to play that? Of course you would. That’s what Nintendo is all about. Their hardware is the software delivery service for their great content. That Zelda demo was gorgeous and we can do even more than that with Unreal Engine 3. I think it will do great.”

Source Eurogamer

Carrier 86's the Android flavored T-Mobile Sidekick 4G

The T-Mobile Sidekick 4G, which launched last April 20th to strong demand, apparently won't be around to see its first birthday. A leaked screenshot of T-Mobile's recently discontinued list obtained by TmoNews shows the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G on the list of models that have reached the end of the line. You might remember that the original Sidekick, which was a bit ahead of its time with a well liked physical QWERTY keyboard and a swiveling display, ended up in hot water when data belonging to users was sucked into a black hole. While Sidekick owners did get most of their data back along with a free month of service and a $100 credit, the whole affair left a bad taste in some Sidekick owners mouths.

Carrier's leaked screenshot says T-Mobile Sidekick 4G is EOL

When the Sidekick re-emerged as an Android powered smartphone, priced to sell at $99.99 on contract, the whole smartphone platform had changed which allowed for HSPA+ connectivity and the 4G suffix on its name. But even less than a year after its launch, the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G had become something of a dinosaur with a single-core 1GHz processor driving the device, Android 2.2 installed and a 3MP camera on back that captures video at a DVD quality 480p. There is a VGA front-facing shooter.

While the specs really don't allow the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G to stand up thecurrent slate of dual and quad-core powered models with 4.3 inch and larger Super AMOLED Plus screens, Google said that the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G was one of the most searched for consumer electronics products for 2011. And now, with a quick look at a T-Mobile screenshot, the device is gone.

With obviously a well known brand name, it certainly would behoove T-Mobile to update and refresh the Sidekick 4G. While the Sidekick 4G is gone, the Sidekick name can still live on for its fans. The nation's fourth largest carrier brought the device back once, so why not try it again?

source: TmoNews

AT&T said to delay launch of the Nokia Lumia 900; new launch date is April 22nd

Nokia's flagship model, the Nokia Lumia 900, was supposed to launch this coming Sunday, March 18th via AT&T. For a flagship model, the Lumia 900 was priced to sell at $99.99 with a signed 2-year pact. But according to BGR, theWindows Phone favored handset has yet to receive its technical acceptance which means that Nokia and AT&T have had to come up with a new launch date. A source for the site says that AT&T and Nokia have now circled April 22nd on their calendar as a proposed new launch date for the Nokia Lumia 900.

The Nokia Lumia 900

Featuring a polycarbonate unibody, the Nokia Lumia 900 brings a 4.3 inch Clear Black WVGA AMOLED display with pixel density of 217 ppi. Under the hood is a single-core 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon QSM APQ 8055 processor and 512MB is on board. The Nokia Lumia 900 is equipped with 16GB of native storage and the 8MP camera on back has a Carl Zeiss lens with an aperture of f2.2. The camera features a technology called "double wide mode" that gives the camera user extra width when framing a scene. Video is captured in 720p at 30 fps. Let's not forget the 1.3MP front-facing camera which can be used for self-portraits.

While the Nokia Lumia 900 won't be seeing the light of day in the States this month as expected, before you know it April will be upon us and you can re-start your countdown for the U.S. launch of  Nokia's highest spec'd Windows Phone model.

source: BGR

Future Shop turns the Nokia Lumia 800 into the Nokia Lumia 710

Canadian tech chain Future Shop might have Harry Potter on its staff. One wave of the magic wand and the Nokia Lumia 800 has turned into the Nokia Lumia 710. Seriously though, while you might be hard pressed to tell the difference with the internals, you should be able to easily look at the two Windows Phone models on the outside and know which model is which.

Hopefully this mix up didn't extend to sales inside the store because we would hate to think that someone seeking a mid to high-end model like the Nokia Lumia 800 ended up walking away with the low to mid-range Nokia Lumia 710. Besides the difference in appearance, the Nokia Lumia 800 features an 8MP camera vs. the 5MP shooter on the Lumia 710. The Battery on the latter, at 1300mAh, is slightly smaller than the 1450mAh cell on the former. And while both phones are equipped with a 3.7 inch WVGA display with pixel density of 252 ppi, the Nokia Lumia 710 has a TFT screen against the AMOLED screen on the Lumia 800.

Perhaps by now the Future Shop has made the correction. If not, we might have to contact he-who-must-not-be-named to make things right.

source: WPCentral

T-Mobile starting "Unlimited Any Mobile" on April 4th

Just in case you were worried that T-Mobile hasn't been doing enough to keep the customers it has, or draw in more customers, the carrier is planning to launch a new feature next month to give customers more bang for their buck. 

Starting on April 4th, T-Mobile will be offering Unlimited Any Mobile as a subscription-level feature that can be added to any plan that doesn't already include unlimited minutes. The feature will cost $10 per month, and will allow customers to place unlimited calls to other mobile phones regardless of the carrier in the US and Puerto Rico. 

The leaked document claims that 80% of calls on T-Mobile are made to mobile numbers, which would make it seem like this is a pretty solid deal. So, if you don't get too many incoming calls (which wouldn't be included in this deal), you could theoretically drop down to the lowest minutes package and add on this feature to maybe save some money. And, because this is a subscription-level feature, it can be added or dropped whenever you want. 

 

source: TMoNews via pocketnow

Nokia showcases 4 new dazzling photos taken with the 808 PureView

There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Nokia 808 PureView, all of which is because of its 41-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens. To thwart the haters out there, like Olympus, who insist it’s nonsense even after the handset took the Best New Mobile Handset award at Mobile World Congress 2012, Nokia has been dropping demos around the web to promote the dazzling imagery this phone can produce.

In its latest offering, Nokia has uploaded four gorgeous summer shots to Flickr. All the shots were taken in Capetown with the much-anticipated Symbian handset. Nokia points out that these images boast superior clarity, high dynamic range, superior shadow details, and accurate colors.

Nokia Labs flaunts the Lumia 900 at SXSW

As you are probably aware, the annual SXSW festival has just kicked off in Austin. Of the many things going on there over the next few days, Nokia's R&D lab has setup shop at 2nd and Brazos in the form of a 3-domed structure to show off its line of Windows Phone powered Lumia handsets, including the much anticipated Lumia 900.

The Nokia Lab will also feature a host of DJs and live music, but what we’re most interested in is the fact that they have a fully functional LTE Lumia 900 that attendees can check out. We’re hoping that with all the prominent figures that will be present at SXSW that maybe, just maybe, the Finnish company will flaunt an official release date as well.

source: Nokia via WMPowerUser

Google Play store executive steps down

Having its name changed from the Android Market to the Google Play Store isn't the only change happening to Android's online app store. According to TechCrunch, the Google executive in charge of the store, Eric Chu, has resigned and will be re-assigned to another position within the Mountain View based tech giant. Android's top digital content executive and the face of Google Music, Jamie Rosenberg, is expected to take over.

Sources for TechCrunch said that part of the problem was that Chu's responsibilities (developer relations and business development) overlapped with those of Product Manager David Conway which led to problems. It is believed that with Rosenberg at the top, there will be no question of who is in charge at the Store. Additionally, it is hoped that with Rosenberg running the store, it will get more attention from top Google brass. Andy Rubin is said to be concerned with device activations and Google Search ad revenue and considers the success of the Google Play Store to be of a secondary concern.

While the App Store is considered a major part of the success of iOS, Android does not have the depth in its executive suite to give its Store the attention it deserves. Apple gets 6 times the revenue from the App Store than what Google was getting with the Android Market. This might change with Jamie Rosenberg in charge and explains the reason for the name change as Google has often subscribed to the theory that a new broom sweeps clean.

source: TechCrunch

Beats and Monster just called it quits!

Monster Cable and Beats Electronics have come a long way since their first headphone “Studio” was released back in 2008. Over the next succeeding years, the partnership has garnered success through artists/athletes’ inspired and endorsed earphones, cans and loudspeakers which mostly appealed to teens and the young at heart.

In addition to audio peripherals, the integration of their audio technology to devices such as smartphones (HTC), computers (HP) and more surprisingly on cars (as seen on CES 2012) solidified their place in the audio equipment industry. But in-spite of their success, Monster and Beats Electronics decided not to renew their 5 year contract and part ways later this year because of financial reasons.

What the future holds for these two companies is still uncertain. But what is certain is that Monster will still have their own product line as they have even before their partnership with Beats Electronics. 

As for Beats, I don’t think that it will be the end of them. Because of its popularity and endorsements, I see them partnering with another well-known audio manufacturer or making a name for themselves by being a stand-alone company. Either way I think that these two companies, along with other giants, will slug it out to provide us with note-worthy headphones in the future.

DELL Launches PowerEdge 12th Generation Servers

DELL recently announced seven new blade, rack and tower servers optimized for use in small businesses to large enterprises.

Introduced were the PowerEdge R820, R720, R720xd and R620 rack servers, the M620 blade server, the T620 tower server and PowerEdge C6220, all part of the DELL PowerEdge 12th Generation Server portfolio.

Christopher Papa, Dell Philippines' Country Manager

Driven by the customers’ need for end-to-end solutions to handle complex everyday workloads, DELL designed the new generations of servers, systems management and workload solutions to address the needs of business end users who require maximum performance to run mission-critical applications and IT departments which demand more efficient, secure and reliable operations.

The PowerEdge 12th Generation Servers promises to help their customers maximize their efficiency, achieve more and ensure business continuity.

Check out below for the PowerEdge 12^th Generation Server Portfolio

• PowerEdge R720xd 

 

• PowerEdge R720

 

• PowerEdge R620 

 

• PowerEdge T620

 

• PowerEdge M620 

 

• PowerEdge C6220

 

• PowerEdge R820

Visit Dell’s website for more info on the PowerEdge 12th Generation Servers.

New iPads Start Shipping In The UK

In preparation for an expected delivery date next Friday, on March 16th. Apple has now started shipping their new iPads to UK customers, sending out confirmations via email. So if you have pre-ordered your new iPad expect to receive a shipping confirmation shortly.

Unfortunately though for some UK customers, Apple has also sent out emails stating that some shipments will not arrive on its originally scheduled delivery date.  But be delayed to somewhere between March 16-20th.

Several Apple UK customers have contacted the Mac Rumours website, explaining that even though they pre-ordered their new iPads only a few hours after launch. Apple has now pushed back the delivery times sending out emails with a new delivery date of March 20th as below.

Despite our best efforts and those of our shipping partners to get your order to you on time, we want to inform you that it will not arrive on its originally scheduled delivery date. 
Your new delivery date is 20/03/2012.

Once you receive your Shipment Notification email, you can check the delivery status of your order by clicking the Track Shipment button, or by visiting the Apple Store and clicking Account.

We regret the delay and apologise for the inconvenience.

Kind regards, 
Apple Online Store

As always if any more information regards delivery dates for Apple’s new iPad comes to light we will keep you updated. You can compare the differences between the new iPad 3 vs iPad 2 here.

Source: MacRumours

Smart unveils limited edition Plan 1000, smartphone goodies abound

Smart has unveiled their limited edition Plan 1000 an event held at their corporate office earlier today. The new plan combines a multitude of goodies which include 500 SMS messages, 500 minutes of voice to any number within the Smart network and 1GB worth of data for a monthly service fee of Php 1,000 with a 24-month contract. To make the pot a little bit sweeter, Smart is also offering a multitude of smartphones to go with the plan, which include the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy Note, HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio, HTC Evo 3D and the Nokia N9, all for an additional Php 900 per month for 24 months. Other smartphones and a tablet is also being offered by the telco, which include the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 (Php 800 per month), BlackBerry Curve 9360 (Php 800 per month), BlackBerry Bold 9790 (Php 900 per month), BlackBerry Bold 9900 (Php 1,300 per month) and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray (Php 500 per month). Interested in applying? You can head over to www.smart.com.ph/DataPlan1000 to know more. The Plan will only be available till May 15, so get to inquiring, kids. (Site isn’t up yet, Smart may be working on it still. Be patient people!)