#TBT: Mobile phones: Then and Now

If you grew up in the 80′s or 90′s, you’d definitely see the huge difference and improvements in the mobile industry. For our Throwback Thursday this week, we look at one of the most popular handset of of the 21st century and compare it with the handset of the 20th century.

We’re sure you still remember the Nokia 5110. It was one of the best phones of the 90′s. We compare it to the Apple iPhone to see what we’ve gained and what we’re missing.

Sometimes, technology doesn’t really improve things — they just make them more complicated.

Source: Yugatech

Jony Ive co-designs rare Leica M for Project RED

In an effort to continue his global crusade to fight HIV-AIDS, Product Red founder and U2 lead singer Bono taps Apple’s SVP of Design Jony Ive and world-renown industrial designer Marc Newson to design a one-of-a-kind Leica M (RED) camera which will be auctioned on the 23rd of this month.

This is what they came up with:

Not to take anything away from the two brilliant minds that designed this Leica M, but I think that it looks like a toy camera rather than a serious photographic tool. But knowing that all the proceeds that it’ll generate will go to a noble cause, I can care less about its looks. And besides, it’s not like I’m gonna bid for it anyways.

Source: Yugatech

ASUS MeMO Pad HD 7 Review

ASUS set really good standards on what a 7-inch Android tablet should be with theGoogle Nexus 7. Now that they have to launch their own 7-incher under the Nexus shadow, they needed something that can shine in its own right without getting burned by its pure-blooded cousin. The company’s answer is the ASUS MeMO Pad HD 7.

Design and Construction

At first glance, the HD 7 looks similar to the 2012 Google Nexus 7 especially if you look on the front. The dimensions are almost the same and if it weren’t for the ASUS logo found below the display it could almost pass as a Nexus 7.

Motorola Moto G budget phone: 4.5-inch display, Snapdragon 400, 1GB RAM, 5MP camera

Motorola has announced its intentions to become a dominant force in the low-end smartphone market. That plan will be carried out in the form of the inexpensive Motorola Moto G smartphone, a wallet-friendly device with a 4.5-inch 720p display and quad-core Snapdragon 400 CPU for just $179.

Despite its affordable price, the Motorola Moto G isn’t short of decent specs and features. Besides a big display with high resolution and relatively fast mobile CPU, the phone also has a fast mobile data support and an adequate amount of RAM (1GB). The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 for improved resistance to drops and scratches. There’s even coating inside for added water resistance.

Essentially, the Moto G is the Moto X in budget form. Touting a similar curved design, this budget phone has a removable back cover that can be swapped for another color (yellow, red, black, white, pink, dark and light blue). It doesn’t have the same level of customization as its high-end sibling, but the Moto G offers a number of accessories, including flip covers, colored cases, and wireless speakers. A dual-SIM variant is also in the works.

For more info: Noypigeeks

Epson donates 2 million pesos to aid Typhoon Yolanda relief operations

Continuing its practice of extending aid to disaster-affected areas, the Epson group of companies in the Philippines has donated Php2 million for relief operations in the areas severely affected by the Typhoon Haiyan (local name: Yolanda).  The assistance was made through the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), a local non-profit organization.

Aside from monetary aid, Epson employees will also work with PBSP personnel to undertake on-site relief operations. Voluntary contributions from Epson employees are also being aggregated by the company to complement the aid that the company has donated.

Typhoon Haiyan struck central areas of the Philippines, including the islands of Leyte and Samar in the Visayas region. Many consider it as one of the worst typhoons to hit the Philippines in recorded history. The full extent of the damage is still unclear.

“Epson employees grieve with the families affected by Typhoon Yolanda. Our prayers go along with our donation and our manpower support. We stand with you in this harrowing ordeal,” said Epson Environment Manager Joyce Tan.

Epson wishes to extend its sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives, and hopes for the speedy recovery of the areas damaged by the disaster.

Clash of Clans: How to link your iOS and Android device

I’ve just started playing Clash of Clans and, so far, I’m really enjoying the game. If you’ve recently switched to Android from an iOS device and want to continue where you left off, there’s an easy way to import your progress.

Importing your Clash of Clans progress is called linking, doing of which is shown below:

1. In your iOS device, simply go to the settings menu.
2. Link a Device
3. This is the OLD DEVICE
4. I want to link to another device.
5. Now in your Android device, go to the settings menu.
6. Link a Device
7. This is the NEW DEVICE
8. Enter the link code displayed in your iOS device.

Note that the settings menu is accessible only after you’ve finished playing the tutorial. Since the Android device is presumably where you will import your old game progress, it doesn’t matter what username you chose and the new progress you’ve made—they will be, after all, overwritten by the imported file.

Finally, linking your iOS device with an Android gadget is only done once. Both devices are then synced together, so you can play on either one with your latest progress in the game. Also, linking to a new device no longer works if said device comes with a Town Hall Level 4 or have already made purchases.

The satisfaction of building a great base and the thrill of invading those of other players are opportunities too good to pass up. Indeed it’d be so disappointing if you have to start all over again just because you switched platforms. Luckily, developers these days make great games like Clash of Clans, while not forgetting cross-platform compatibility.

Recently ported to Android just last month, the Clash of Clans app is a free download via theGoogle Play Store. For those who can afford it or just want to speed things up a little, in-app purchases are also available.

Skype offers free credits for users affected by Typhoon Haiyan

In an effort to help people affected by Typhoon Haiyan get in touch with their loved ones to let them know they’re alright, Skype is pitching in to give aid in the form of free credits.

You might want to check the e-mail you used to register for your Skype account to get your voucher code. Head to the Skype website to redeem your $2 free credit. It may not seem enough but call rates to U.S. numbers is just 2.2 cents per minute so that should give you a lot of time to let your friends and relatives know how things are at your end.

Lenovo Vibe Z: Snapdragon 800, 5.5-inch 1080p display, dual-SIM, 2GB RAM

Setting itself apart by sporting a Snapdragon 800 processor (instead of the MediaTek chips that Lenovo usually employs in its devices), the Lenovo Vibe Z is an upcoming smartphone with dual-SIM functionality and runs a custom Android-based ROM.

You can think of the Lenovo Vibe Z as a more powerful version of Vibe X, announced back in September. Almost every aspect has been pretty much revamped, although the same back finish for minimal fingerprint smudges is still there. The newer handset is also thicker at 7.9mm, albeit still considered thin in today’s standards. The display is now a 5.5-inch IPS display with 1080p (full HD) resolution. Standing in as the rear camera is a Sony IMX135 sensor that apparently can shoot ten photos in half a second, with a low-light mechanism and dual-LED flash that ultimately result to brighter pictures with minimal noise.

Besides the CPU, the innards consist of an Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB of DDR3 RAM. There’s a dual-SIM tray and a yet-unspecified battery that Lenovo claims to last 278.5 hours on standby for the WCDMA + GSM model. This is just one of several models to be made available for Chinese carriers, while a GSM + 4G LTE version is headed for the international market.

Source: Noypigeeks

BenQ launches Flicker-free monitors, helps save your eyes

Eye health is one of the major concerns for a lot of people, especially those who are always working in front of the computer. In today’s digital world, almost everyone uses computers heavily. 

One of the most common problem is the Computer Vision Syndrome that is a result of long periods of exposure to computer monitors that causes headaches, blurred vision, redness and dryness of the eyes, eye fatigue and even myopia.

Last November 5, 2013, BenQ launched the Flicker-free line of monitors that reduce the risks of eyestrain while enhancing work productivity. Flickering, or the flashing effect of the monitor is the effect of the LED backlight controller adjusting to the changes in the brightness level. This strains the human eye as the ciliary muscle adjusts to the invisible flickering resulting to the abovementioned eye problems.

For more info: Pinoytechblog

Introducing the new NVIDIA GeForce GT 630 with 384 CUDA cores

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 630 is a well-rounded, main stream graphics card capable of delivering 

greatperformance for its price. The New NVIDIA GeForce GT 630 now comes with 384 CUDA Cores, is built on the award winning NVIDIA Kepler Architecture, the same architecture found on the more expensive GeForce GTX 700 series.

The Kepler-based GK208 GPU is baked into the new NVIDIA GeForce GT series cards which mean the NVIDIA GeForce GT 630 now features 384 CUDA cores, up from the previous model and its 96 cores. The new NVIDIA GeForce GT 630 also features a clock speed of 902 MHz. It also supports UltraHD 4K resolutions. Build on the 28nm Kepler GPU architecture, it is up to 40% more power efficient than the previous model, while boosting performance and runs up to 38% faster.

The New NVIDIA GeForce GT 630 takes the gaming to a new level thanks to the cutting edge Microsoft DirectX and NVIDIA PhysX® technology. These two features responsible for realistic effect with tessellation and help create more detailed characters and terrain in games, providing a crisper, lifelike images. With the Adaptive V-Sync and Kepler GPU architecture coupled with the FXAA Anti-Aliasing polishes the rough edges and produces beautiful smooth lines with minimal impact on the performance and allows the players to experience enjoyment without hindrances.

For more info: Pinoytechblog