Eye-theater

Personal multimedia viewer for ipod video, dvd player and game console

way to go Globe!

I recently talked with Cathy Santamaria, of Globe. I told her that I am very much satisfied with what Globe is doing now especially in handling complaints and inquiries. I related to her my experience when I tried to change the unit of my phone with BlackBerry connect from Nokia E61 to Nokia E61i, while other Telcos with BlackBerry service asked me to call and email three different people, I only have to talk to one contact person with Globe. She said that it is Globe's aim to improve the quality of service that they have, this is the reason why they have integrated all of Globe's brands under one brand identity. According to Cathy, the new symbol called the “Globe Life” is meant to promise endless possibilities. It illustrates the wealth of products and services that Globe offers to enrich the customers’ experience. Each icon in the new logo represents not just the things Globe offers today, but also those that inspire Globe to innovate. At the center of the “Globe Life” is a hand. "It represents the customers who are at the core of everything we do."

iPod touch is just a downgraded iPhone

Apple released the new iPods in the Philippine market. The star of the launch was the new iPod Touch, it is basically a downgraded iPhone. If you've seen an iPhone, shrink it a little and remove its phone, camera and notes and that's it, you already have an iPod touch, even the OS of two products are the same. I asked Tony Li, Director for Product Marketing of Apple Asia Pacific if the iPhone would not compete with the newly released iPod touch. He said no, first because iPhone is not available in the Philippines and second it will depend on the consumer if they want music or phone functionality. Maybe he has not heard of Greenhills, where per my last check you could already buy an open-line iPhone, and second if a consumers should decide, I'm sure they would go for both -- music and phone functionality. As I look at it, it seems that the iPod Touch is like someone with identity crisis -- a device that wants to be an iPod but also aims to be an iPhone. The iPod touch 8GB is priced at P19,090.00, the 8GB iPhone now costs US$399.00.

Being one of the firsts (if not the first) consumer with iPhone in the Philippines I have decided to asked someone to crack my iPhone just to see if it could be done. True to his promise, I can now use my iPhone using any SIM. After the launch of new iPods, I decided to reset my iPhone to it's orginal setting because I would like to try cracking it on my own. Using software available from the Internet I was able to crack the iPhone in less than five minutes. I again reset it to its factory setting and off it goes again to our Technews Lab shelf.

Panasonic HDC-SD5

Paolo Manzano of HWM tries the new Panasonic cam.

Mich and Martin

Autograph signing. As of 8:30pm, about 500 cds were already sold, the most cds sold among all mall tours at SM Mall of Asia. After 25 years, Martin could still wow the crowd both young and old.

25 hits of 25 years

Martin Nievera live at the Mall of Asia. Martin did not allow technical problems to stop him from pleasing the crowd that waited for him for hours.

Asus Lamborghini VX2S

The Asus Lamborghini VX2S encased in a well crafted box

The VX2S

The VX2s arrived in the Technews Lab when I was in Singapore for the HP Big Bang last week. Elegantly wrapped in a black pouch and encased in a box, I was trembling with excitement when I opened it just now. The unit is not from ASUS, MB bought it from our source abroad.

* The Piano finish surface of Lamborghini yellow not only stands out with breath-catching beauty but it also protects the LCD.

* It has a built-in fingerprint scanner that reads from the live layer of skin, preventing common skin surface conditions from impairing scanner accuracy.

The VX2S

It comes with a blueray drive and HDMI connectivity.

The VX2S

Leather-bound palm rest with exquiste stitch detailing. The sticker shows that the VX2S also supports 3.5G and HSDPA :)

The VX2S

A SIM Card slot

VX2S vs VX1

The VX2S (left) with the much older but still capable VX1

Moshi keyboard

My new Celesta Keyboard has a titanium silver finish and two integrated USB 2.0 ports. It is Ultra slim at less than 1-inch in height and has a laptop style keys with more than 9 million stroke lifespan.

Magic!

iPhone using Globe SIM

That's my iPhone using Globe Telecom PH as carrier. What we did was a software crack, we did it just to prove that it could be done :).

The new iPod Nano

New iPods arrive in the Technews Lab

HP announces new iPaq handhelds

The HP iPaq 912 Business Messenger is a 3G phone with QWERTY keyboard. It is one of the five handhelds announced today by HP.

The Dragon is a monster!

The HP Pavilion HDX "Dragon" Entertainment notebook features a 20.1-inch WSXGA+ widescreen display, Altec Lansing speakers with Triple Bass reflex subwoofer. It comes loaded with HD-DVD ROM diver and HDMI port. It weighs 15.5 pounds and comes with the new “Dragon Imprint” finish. A row of touch-sensitive QuickPlay buttons run across the top of the keyboard.

The HP Pavilion HDX Entertainment Series Notebook PCs features the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 XT, which supports DirectX 10.

HP defines personal computing for Asian consumers

HP's broad range of new personal computing products include two special edition consumer notebook PCs; a designed-in-Asia-for-Asia notebook PC; five new iPaqs and Pavilion Elite m9000 series desktop PC. Photo shows Mr. Chin Hon Cheng, VP, Consumer Products and Mobile Group, Personal Systems Group, Asia Pacific and Japan during the launch. "A new energy at HP is creating an ever more personal experience in computing. HP is innovating and designing PCs and delivering experiences that are reflections of consumers' personal and professional lives" Mr. Chin said.

HP simplifies printing experience

Christopher Morgan, Senior Vice President, Imaging and Printing Group, HP Asia Pacific said that HP's Print 2.0 strategy will make it easier for consumers to print from websites like blogs and travel sites with innovative tools such as HP Smart Web Printing, specifically designed to help consumers' print web-based content with ease.

My room

I am now in Singapore for HP Regional Consumer Launch 2007.

My room

Is she having second thoughts????

Nope! She's just admiring the Koi pond just right under the hanging bridge of Caleruega :).

Transfiguration Chapel, Caleruega

Communing with the divine.

We are considering to make our vows in these very serene chapel in Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas

Globe introduces new brand identity

Gerry Ablaza, Globe President and CEO talks about the Globe Life



Globe introduces its new brand identity, the Globe Life -- it carries with it a promise to enrich lives through ease and relevance. Globe will strive to create and deliver products and services that will greatly benefit customers bringing them closer to their aspirations, and connecting them with the people and events that matter most.

Globe intends to try things and find new ways of enriching their customers' relationships and relentlessly pursue innovation that delivers the promise of "ease and relevance" to enrich their customers' lives.

Roy Laserna, an avid reader of Technews and Tech101 visits the Technews office in Intramuros.

Top of the line Sony VAIO TZ series

The Sony VAIO-TZ18GN uses a solid state drive (SSD) and comes in premium carbon color where you can actually see the carbon-fiber threads on its black body.

VAIO VGN-TZ17GN/B

The TZ17GN in Onyx Black

Vaio TZ notebooks arrive in the Technews Lab

Technews Lab is now a proud owner of (not one but) two brand new Sony VAIO TZ notebooks.

The new 11.1-inch VAIO TZ series is Sony's premium ultraportable that weighs just over 1kg.

The TZ17GN (top box) comes in a black or platinum pearl chassis it has 1.2GHz chip with a 100GB storage capacity.

The top of-the-line VAIO-TZ18GN (bottom box) is similar to the VAIO-TZ17GN except that it uses a solid state drive (SSD). It also has a different color scheme called premium carbon, where you can actually see the carbon-fiber threads on its black body.

SIM copier

Copying the contents of your SIM card has become easier because of this gadget.

St. Paul-QC students visit MB

Mass Comm students majoring in Digital Media visit the Manila Bulletin Online office. Photo shows from left to right, Madel Parocha, Jesse Norqueda and Nikka Olayvar

SINAG, the Philippines' first solar powered car

The 150kg car's unassuming, wing-like profile belies the cutting-edge technologies tucked away inside. Discreetly hidden under it's slender white hull is a maze of mechanical and electronic components that ensure that the car makes it through its gruelling 3,000km journey across Australia's hot desert flats in the upcomin g 20th World Solar Challenge next month.