Galaxy S3 vs. iPhone4s

The Galaxy S3 is Samsung’s latest line-up in the smartphone biz and dubbed as an iPhone killer, but is it worth the name iPhone killer? Let’s find out. The Galaxy S3’s hardware specs are way beyond the iPhone 4s, in a layman’s point of view it will automatically make the S3 as the winner, but technology doesn’t work that way. The Operating System (OS) has everything to do with the device overall function, that is where the iOS shines , but having a strong hardware is a factor too, for years the iOs and android are going toe to toe in getting the title the “BEST” OS. When Apple release their iOS 4 it solidifies the iPhone's stand as the “BEST” among the rest, but android won’t back down without an answer upon the release of the gingerbread a sudden change of tides happen and according to some analyst the gingerbread is better than the iOS4 in some ways, while gingerbread is doing well in the smartphone world, Apple unleashed their iOS 5, and it has left the gingerbread out in the dust, but android being resilient as ever has again found an answer in the form of the Ice Cream Sandwich, to date ICS is the best android outing yet, but up until now the clash between the iOS and Android still remains undecided who the best OS is. Below are comparisons between the Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 4s, and as readers you will decide who’s better among the two.

STORAGE & MEMORY: The base 16GB models will probably do the most business, but the S3 can scale up to 128GB. The maximum internal storage is 64GB, but the microSDXC slot means that the storage complement in Samsung's flagship handset can be augmented by a further 64GB. The Galaxy S3 also comes with 50GB worth of Dropbox storage, free for two years! The iPhone 4S, by comparison, also tops out at 64GB of internal storage, but thanks to Apple's need to keep its devices locked down, you won't be able to increase that. You do also get Apple's iCloud service thrown in, which allows you to keep your iPhone backed up to the cloud, making it easy to recover your data if you ever lose the phone. As far as system memory goes, the iPhone 4S has 512MB while the Galaxy S3 doubles-down to 1GB.

DISPLAY: The S3's larger 4.8in screen sports an impressive resolution of 1,280 x 720. While the iPhone's screen is smaller, it also results in a more manageable handset. Also, despite the iPhone's lower screen resolution - 960 x 640 - it's 3.5in size results in a higher pixel density of 330ppi, compared to 306ppi on the Galaxy S3. Both displays are protected by Corning's Gorilla glass but use different technology. The iPhone 4S uses an IPS LCD while the S3 incorporates a PenTile HD Super AMOLED.

PROCESSOR: On paper, the iPhone 4S is no match for the raw processing power of the Galaxy S3. Both phones' chips are based on ARM's Cortex A9 but Samsung's Exynos 4412 has twice the number of cores, which run nearly twice as fast - four 1.4GHz cores vs. two 800MHz cores in the A5. When it comes to the GPU, the S3 uses the Mali-400/MP4, which thoroughly outclasses the PowerVR SGX543MP2 in the A5. Anandtech provided some preliminary results that show how wide the graphics gap is on some benchmarks. SIZE: The iPhone 4S is significantly smaller but heavier than the Galaxy S3. The Galaxy S3 has a volume of 83 cubic centimetres (136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm) while the more diminutive iPhone 4S is shorter and narrower, though slightly thicker at 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm (almost 63 cubic centimetres). Despite the more compact outer dimensions, the iPhone 4S weighs 140g compared to 133g for the larger Galaxy S3. Far from a drawback, many users have found the iPhone 4S' denser mass to be reassuring, giving the phone a more robust feel. In contrast, some rival handsets boasting of lighter weight risk feeling flimsy by comparison - there seems to be an unspoken relationship between physical size and expected weight in relation to perceived quality.

CAMERA: Both can record full HD footage, both have eight megapixel sensors and both have front facing cameras (VGA for the iPhone 4S and two megapixel for the S3). In theory, both handsets have similar photographic capabilities, but we'll be testing them side-by-side soon to evaluate which makes the better pocket camera. SOFTWARE: The S3 runs Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich while the iPhone 4S runs iOS 5.1.1, two distinct and different mobile platforms altogether. While Ice Cream Sandwich is the best Android outing yet, the Galaxy S3 runs a customised version of the OS, just like every Android phone without a Nexus moniker. The problem with customised versions of Android is that updates can take an age to appear - the Galaxy S2 has only recently seen an upgrade to ICS.

BATTERY: The iPhone 4S sports a 1432mAh battery with an estimated talk time of 480 minutes on 3G. The S3 has a far larger battery capacity at 2100mAh, which translates to a slightly higher talk time of 620 minutes. Samsung needed to equip the S3 with as large a battery as possible, with the large screen and quad-core processor likely to put a real strain on battery life.

CONNECTIVITY: Both phones have Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI out (both via adaptors), GPS and Wi-Fi. However, the S3 comes with NFC, GLONASS, Wi-Fi Direct, HDMI out and a microUSB port. An easy win for the S3, assuming, of course, that you actually need or want the extra features.

Specs comparison made possible BY: ITProPortal

Blackberry Curve 8520 review

The Blackberry Curve 8520 is one of the cheapest smartphone Research In Motion (RIM) has to offer at 10,999 pesos it’s no where near cheap, but it’s as low as Research In Motion could get, that is why they always get the notion of being an overpriced and under supported handhelds. Research In Motion (RIM) has announced recently that the company is suffering huge losses, the reason? Well iOS and Android of course, it seems like the two are joining forces to put Research In Motion out of its misery and now Nokia’s Windows Phone is rising up to join the two super powers, and maybe a large portion of their losses comes from their pricing strategy, selling expensive handhelds in times of recession is a dumb move considering the tight competition in the smartphone market, but RIM is a tough nut to crack, they won’t give up without a fight, they did everything possible to cope up with the smartphone competition, like total restructuring of the company and they are always in constant motion to develop more powerful handhelds and Os, my advice a web-based support is a good idea, that’s one thing Blackberry lacks.

The Blackberry Curve 8520 Sells at around 10,999 pesos in the Philippine market, at that price tag it’s almost a guaranty from RIM that nothing could go wrong with the BB Curve 8520, but that is not the case, the phone hangs and lags a lot, and some applications will stop working unless rebooted, lags and crashes are end products of fragmentation, and fragmentation could only mean one thing OS optimization is not 100% or not even close, a simple firmware update “if there is” for the 8520 could resolve these problems, and one thing I hate about the BB Curve 8520 is the built quality, it is made entirely of plastic, once you get hold of it, you won’t be impress by its cheap feel, the Nokia C3 looks more elegant than the 8520, but the price tags are worlds apart.

To every bad story there’s always a good one, that could very well define the BB Curve 8520, it’s not all bad for this phone, the BB Curve 8520 also has an arsenal of good features, like its traditional Blackberry QWERTY keyboard, it still remains unbeaten in the QWERTY phone line-up, and its 512Mhz processor performs well in browsing the web using its proprietary Blackberry internet browser, the BB Appworld also works well, but it lacks serious and useful free apps. Its 2.4 inch screen is sharp, giving your eyes less strain in reading long messages and e-mails. The integrated 3.0 megapixel camera takes good pictures but only in a well lit area, though, video quality is substandard for its price, the music player however, is a bonus it actually sounds good for a business phone and it uses a 3.5 mm jack, now try using Dr.Dre headphones! It also has a dedicated music buttons on top giving you instant access to your music, MP3 player anyone! Overall the BB Curve 8520 is not a bad phone the only thing that’s bringing it down is the price, if only Research In Motion could lower its price, then the 8520 will surely make its way up to the hearts of the qwerty phone lovers.

BLACKBERRY CURVE 8520 SPECS:

NETWORK: 2G GSM 850/900/1800/1900
DIMENSIONS: 109x60x13.9mm
WEIGHT: 106 g
KEYBOARD: QWERTY, Touch sensitive optical trackpad
DISPLAY: TFT 65k colors, 320 x 240 pixels, 2.46 inches (163ppi pixel density)
SOUND: vibration, polyphonic(32), MP3 ringtones, loudspeaker, 3.5 mm jack.
MEMORY: expandable upto 32 gig sd card, Internal 256 MB
DATA: GPRS class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 – 48 kbps, EDGE class 10, 236.8 kbps
WLAN wi-fi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, Micro USB
CAMERA: Rear - 2megapixels 1600 x1200 pixel, Video QVGA
OS: Blackberry OS 5.0
CPU: 512mhz
MESSAGING: SMS( threaded view), MMS, E-mail, IM... BROWSER: HTML
OTHERS: Java, MP3/eAAc+/WMA/WMV player, MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player, Organizer, voice memo dial, predictive text input
BATTERY: Standby: up to 408 hrs, Talk time: 4 hrs 30 mins.

Alcatel OT918N review

The Alcatel OT918N, is one of the most affordable dual-sim android smartphone in the market today, although Alcatel may not be active in the cellphone arena this past few years, It has now made Its comeback with the ONETOUCH logo and along with it, an arsenal of Android smartphones and a guy named Chris Tiu, the new face of Alcatel in the Philippine market. Well, anyway, one common misconception about this brand is, most people think it's made in China but the fact of the matter is; it's actually a European brand, a company owned by the French, I got the info, just recently when I got my Alcatel phone, the OT918N android smartphone, which I got for only P5,999.

I had my first taste of Alcatel product with the OT918N, I've been using it for quite some time now, and honestly I have no regrets whatsoever with this phone, infact Alcatel has gain a new costumer in me. The OT918N maybe cheap but it doesn't look nor feels cheap at all, it also doesn't fall short on features too, some would say there might be a catch, as consumer mentality would suggest, cheap products always fall short on quality and durabilty, that's probably true, but not with the OT918N, I've been using this phone for almost five months now, I already dropped it twice and up until now I still haven't encountered any glitches or crashes whatsoever with this device, the phone is tough enough to withstand multiple drops and the hardware, stable enough to support android 2.3 gingerbread.

Most buyers always look from the outside rather than what is inside, obviously, design play a great role in the success of a product. That's probably what I saw with the OT918N, what's inside, only comes as a bonus. The phone is handsomely built, its rubbery finish gives it a tough and rugged look it also provides additional grip so it won't easily fall off your hands. The OT918N boasts a vibrant 3.2 inch highly responsive capacitive touchscreen, so bright it'll pop your eyeballs out, "just kidding" viewing photos, watching movies, videos and youtube is a wonderful experience with the OT918N, until now I still can't believe that a 5,999 peso phone could provide so much resolution, that's something to "thank to" from Alcatel.

The OT918N is powered by a 650Mhz ARM processor, the figures doesn't show much but it's actually a fast one, once you start swiping you'll immediately feel the speed, it opens apps as fast as you can say "eat my shorts":-) it also provides a smooth web browsing experience, just don't install too many useless apps, like all other smartphones installing too many apps will greatly affect your processor's performance, specially apps that opens automatically every once in a while, Start-up auditor may help, but the application itself consumes memory that is vital to open memory hungry apps like 3D games, it also prolong your boot-up time, with a 256MB RAM, memory conservation is a must, application such as app killer and memory up pro may help in providing extra memory.

Another neat feature that I like about this phone is its 3.0 megapixel camera, it actually take good pictures for a P5,999 phone, but "wait there's more" the OT918N's camera is pack with amazing features like; panoramic mode, face and smile detect, multiple burst up to 16 shots, it also take videos up to 8x digital zoom, the only thing missing is the flash. Below are some photos taken from the OT918N's camera.

The music player is every phone's must have feature and the OT918N's music player is second to none, FM never sound better with the OT918N, sound effects are great, the bass is so loud you'll think its coming from a full size boom box, and you can hear all that clarity, just by using its standard in the box headset, and its not just the FM that sounds great but also the MP3's. Since 2008 when I bought my Creative ZEN MP3 player no gadget in my possession has surpus the ZEN's musical prowess not even my ipod touch 2nd gen, the Samsung Corby 2 had gone toe to toe but lost, with the Alcatel OT918N in my hands, it is now my new music champion.

The phone doesn't pack that much power, but it can run some serious 3D games, infact I got Hero of Sparta currently installed in my OT918N, honestly the game runs a bit sluggish, but with some minor tweaks like turning off live wallpapers, deactivating the antivirus and with a little help from apps like memory up pro and app killer, Hero of Sparta will run at its best, but highly entertaining games like Raging Thunder 2 and Heavy Gunner will cope up for the lag. Alcatel didn't say that the OT918N has HD features, but I got games with HD logo installed in my OT918N, games like Empire Defense HD, and Crusade of Destiny HD, they look sharp enough to make me believe that they are in real HD, but then again, I may be wrong. You can download android games at www.androidgamesroom.com, it's like an apptrackr for android.

Android as powerful as it seem, it too has its "achilles hill", the battery life is android's one major weakness, although android's battery life are improving by the year, consumers doesn't seem to get enough. The OT918N is one of those new android phones that has an improved battery life, with moderate internet, multimedia, call and txt, an hour or two of games and some office work the OT918N's battery will surely last for a day, but if you're one of those guys that prefer to run apps and play games more than the usual, then you'll find it short in juice. The phone has a dual-sim feature I did the test with both sims active, so if you're using only one sim, it consumes less battery.

After using this phone for almost five months, I can definitely say that it is one of the best android phones out there, if I where to rate it i'll give it a 9 out of 10, the phone's price is the winning factor. I got phones Ranging from P4,+++ to P5,+++ that come and go, but this P5,999 phone will surely find a soft spot in my pocket for a very long time.

WHAT'S INSIDE THE BOX?
OT918N android phone
Micro USB cable
Charger
3.5mm stereo headset
Manual
Alcatel 1 yr warranty
Screen protector

ALCATEL OT918N SPECS:

DISPLAY: 3.2 inch capacitive touchscreen
RESOLUTION: 320 x 480 pixels
OS: Android 2.3 gingerbread
BANDWIDTH: GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900mhz, UMTS: 850 2100Mhz
DATA: HSDPA, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS, 3G
PROCESSOR: 650Mhz ARM
MEMORY: 256 MB
CAMERA: 3.0 megapixels
FEATURES: Dual SIM slots, GPS, A-GPS, Music player, FM RDS, loudspeaker, expandable memory via micro sd, built in FB, twitter, bluetooth, WI-FI 802.11 b,g,n, USB 2.0, accelerometer, compass
BATTERY CAPACITY: 1300mAh

ARNOVA 7 G2 Review and Specs.

I was saving money to buy a tablet, and my brand of choice is the Archos 7 HT (Home Tablet), as soon as I got the money, I went to the store where I saw that brand, but unfortunately it was out of stock; instead, I got something better, the Arnova 7 G2 android tablet. The Arnova 7 G2 looks exactly the same as the Archos 7 HT, the only difference is the brand name embedded on the device, in fact ARNOVA 7 G2 was made and designed by Archos, specifically targeting the entry-level market.

I did mention that the Arnova 7 G2 is better than the Archos 7 HT, “YES” it’s true, the Arnova 7 G2 is better than the Archos 7 HT in many ways; it out muscled the Archos 7 HT in the power house division, a 1ghz ARM Cortex A8 processor with 512 MB of RAM vs. an 800Mhz processor with 512 MB RAM, the Arnova 7 G2 uses android 2.3 gingerbread, while the latter uses 2.2 froyo, and the most visible advantage of the Arnova 7 G2 is the front facing VGA camera, in which the Archos 7 HT lacks, of course this advantages doesn’t come free, for the Arnova 7 G2 is a bit expensive than the Archos 7 HT, but still has the Arnova affordability.

The device is almost bare, it comes with only a handful of applications most of them, podcast, RSS, and news widgets from Europe, but it is not a major set back, for android is known for having tons of apps and games ready to be downloaded via the Android market, although the Arnova 7 G2 uses appslib instead of the android market that we grew familiar with, appslib is designed specifically for Arnova tablets , probably to ensure apps and game compatibility. The 1ghz ARM Cortex A8 processor is truly the bread and butter of the Arnova 7 G2, with it, surfing the net is as smooth as ever, it also plays Full HD video up to 1080p.

We all know that browsing speed also relies on the internet connection, so I did a comparison to different types of connections, first at home using broadband, with only my brother currently connected using his desktop computer, browsing the net via wi-fi at home in my Arnova 7 G2 is fairly fast it made me a couch potato making me want to surf the net all day long, then I tried it in a public hotspot with medium volume of people, I prefer McDonalds, I took a seat and scan the area, there are only few people connected mostly using cellphones, again, I was amazed by its performance, it’s not as fast as it did at home, but still decently fair. Now for my last test a public hotspot with large volume of people, preferably a mall, I chose SM City Masinag, browsing speed is a bit slower than my second test, but still, you can surf the net in a fairly decent manner, I would say mediocre, and the good thing about this device is the battery life, it has 5hrs of juice as Arnova claims, well, I say maybe more depending on your brightness level. It is also 3G ready, but only compatible with the Archos G9 3G stick, in doing so, you must update your system with the latest firmware at www.arnovatech.com. Bottom line, the Arnova 7 G2 is without a doubt a reliable internet tablet.

Arnova 7 G2 as a gaming console; I have a couple of games currently installed in my Arnova 7 G2, though some 3D games won’t work well, but HD games such as Samurai II, and Drift works perfectly well, alongside Angry Birds Rio, and Plants vs. Zombies, I did tried to install 3d games with PSP-like graphics, namely Don 2, the game is well-suited for a 7inch screen and the graphics, awesome much better than the PSP, at first it's doing great, with the main character walking around exploring the area, until the enemy approaches and the action begins, the game suddenly turned to super slow-mo mode, making it unfit to play, leaving me no choice but to uninstall it in my device, so if you think of playing Backstab, Dead Space, and GTA on the Arnova 7 G2 you can forget about it, you just can’t, the arnova 7 G2 simply lack the power to run these AAA games.

Here are some games that works well with the Arnova 7 G2, TNA impact! Zorro Shadow of Vengeance, Plants vs. Zombies, Halfbreed, Samurai II Vengeance HD, Deadly Chambers HD, Shadow Cave, Tiki Kart 3D, Mortal Skies, Raging Thunder, Dead Strike, and Zombie Fields. Dead Strike will run sluggish when dealing with Bosses and multiple enemies, but still playable, that is why I decided to keep it installed in my Arnova 7 G2, it’s a great game to pass the time. You can download all this free and cracked games at www.androidgamesroom.com, Enjoy!

What comes inside the box?
ARNOVA 7 G2 tablet
Micro USB cable
Quick Start Guide
Charger with multiple socket
ARNOVA 1yr warranty card






ARNOVA 7 G2 SPECIFICATION

Capacity - Flash memory 8gb and 4gb, expandable via micro SD
Operating system - Android 2.3 gingerbread
Processor - 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 with integrated Vivante GC800 GPU, 512 MB RAM
Display - 7" capacitive multi-touch screen, TFT LCD, 16 million colors
- 800 x 480 screen resolution
Connectivity - WiFi (802.11 b/g)
Video playback - H.264 up to 1080p resolution- 30fps/5mbps
- MPEG 4- 30fps / 2.5mbps
- Realvideo up to 720p resolution- 30fps/2.5mbps
- extensions avi, mp4, mkv, flv
Miscellaneous - built in stereo speakers
- microphone
- G - sensors
Battery - Lithium Polymer, 5hrs video playback
Dimensions - 203mm x 107mm x 12mm(8"x4.2"x0.5") -370g/13oz


PROS: affordable and durable, does what it supposed to, decent battery life.

CONS: a bit laggy, crash issues, does not have a built-in calendar app.

Archos 7 android tablet

Everyone wants a little something for themselves this holiday season, as for me a tablet is the only thing I want, but unfortunately, I got a limited budget for it, and so, I put myself on a mission of finding a good tablet that won't go pass the 10,000 peso mark, obviously, that amount will definitely put an X mark to the Samsung Galaxy tab and the likes.

With checklist of malls at hand, my hunt for a 10,000 peso tablet begins, but to my surprise, I didn't even have to go far to search for what I'm looking for, I found it in a mall not more than 10kms away from my house, there it lies in a newly opened store at Robinsons Metro East, the Archos 7 android tablet. I've red a lot of articles about the Archos 7 over the net, most of them showed tremendous amount of positive feedback, and since 2004, I got this habit of reading T3 magazines; during those issues, portable media players made by Archos are a common sight, giving me a reason to believe that Archos is undoubtedly a well established brand. For just 7,490 pesos it is well within my reach. At last! I got something to get exited about this holiday season.

P.S.
I'll be posting the specs as soon as I got the device.

Is there still life left in Symbian?

Nokia has unleashed another smartphone called the X7, though, Microsoft and Nokia maybe partners these days, Nokia has decided that the X7 sticks to its roots, but is there still life left in Symbian, now that the smartphone market is dominated by the iphone’s iOS, and google’s Android. The X7 runs the new version of Symbian called Anna, it undergo some tweaks to the interface, like faster web browsing with flash, and other stuff that Nokia says can rival that of the iphone, and Android. A few years back Nokia released their highly anticipated N8 that runs Symbian ^3^, but has failed to meet the expectations of the smartphone market, making the N8 a loosing model for Nokia, now Nokia has plans of releasing a new version of the N8 running Windows OS, did Nokia learn their lesson? Probably, not, the N8’s failure to meet the demands of the smartphone market, maybe due to Symbian, being a loosing OS for smartphones. With Nokia’s decision to run, the X7 with Symbian; is all, too risky.

Sony Ericsson was once a supporter of Symbian, they use Symbian excessively to power their P-series smartphones that had once dominated the smartphone market, but with the arrival of the iOS, and Android, Sony Ericsson slowly looses its grasp from the smartphone market, with sales at stake and with the company gradually losing by the numbers, S.E. has decided to put an end to their P-series smartphones and other U.I.Q devices, giving way to their new breed of smartphones, called the Xperia, the first Xperia runs on Windows OS, but S.E. wasn’t satisfied with its feedback, and decided that the next line of Xperia be run, using Android, a decision, that puts back S.E. in the smartphone arena, and a tough competitor, they’ve become.

Symbian is something that we grew familiar with, it is where the smartphone era started; making Symbian and Nokia as the grand daddy of all smartphones, but as the years go by, a newer more powerful OS are popping out like weeds, killing all the weaker ones aside. The market is an ever changing entity, driven by human’s insatiable appetite for something new, Nokia has done everything they can, for Symbian to cope up with the latest trend, but the market seemed to be more elusive to every effort they’ve done, I hate to see Symbian go obsolete, with the release of the X7, and firmware Anna, it may be Symbian’s last hope.

Samsung Corby II review

The Samsung GT-S3850 also known as the Corby II is a cheap phone that offers more than its price, like most phones it has its ups and downs. The Corby II is a low-end phone that caters the young market, like students and young professionals who’s always conscious about numbers and figures; though cheap, it actually pack a lot of features that exceeds most phones that are in the mid-range class. For 4,990 pesos you’ll be able to get these features; a large 3.1 inch capacitive touch screen with a mediocre resolution, though, watching movies on it is quite impressive, I used an MP4 formatted video in a 320x240 screen resolution. Youtube also works well on this device and its impressive dolfin internet browser keeps me glued on the net, not to mention, the nice user-friendly Facebook interface; it also has a built-in wi-fi that most low-end phones doesn’t have, giving you free connections to the web. What surprised me even more was its multi-tasking ability; yes, you heard me right, it can multi-task, a feature only known to a smartphone and hardly ever heard of, on a java based phone. The Corby II is obviously not categorized as a smartphone it uses a standard Samsung proprietary OS that is Java capable, by pressing and holding the menu button you’ll be able to access the task manager, from there you can shift from one open task to another including java apps and games. It also boasts a music player with a nice user interface and excellent audio quality, based on my comparison it sounds a lot better than my ipod touch 2nd-gen. The media player comes with a 5.1 channel support, giving you a theater like experience on both your movies and music.

The Corby II uses Samsung's Touch-Wiz UI, which revolutionized shortcuts on a touch screen phone, though I encountered occasional glitches, specifically on the feeds and updates, and the google search shortcuts, texting also is a bit of a problem, it uses a small virtual keypads, which makes you prone to mistakes by accidentally tapping the wrong buttons, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying this nice looking phone which I considered as one of my best buy, afterall, I got it cheap.

Samsung Corby II Specs.

Network: 2G GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Display Type: TFT capacitive touchscreen, 256k colors
240x320 pixels
3.1 inch screen
Touch Wiz UI
Alert Type: Vibration, MP3,WAV tones
Loudspeaker
3.5mm jack
DNSe
Memory: Phonebook, Photocall
Call record
26Mb internal memory
microSD up to 16 Gb
Data: GPRS
EDGE
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
bluetooth
micro USB v2.0
Camera: 2MP 1600x1200 pixels
smile shutter
Video, QVGA @15fps
Features: JAVA
SNS integration with live updates
Dolfin Browser
Music player
Document viewer
Find music recognition service
Battery: stand-by up to 620 hrs
talk-time up to 9hrs

God of War "The Ghost of Sparta" PSP

God Of War “The Ghost of Sparta” is one of the most anticipated game on the PSP, it is also one of the most expensive game ever produce on a handheld, that's probably the reason why the price also comes with a kick, but you’ll find it worth buying, after all; good games always come with a price.

Based on my experience as a PSP gamer God of War Ghost of Sparta is one of the best looking game on the PSP, graphics and gameplay is so intense you’ll forget you’re playing on a handheld. The Ghost of Sparta is one of the prequels of the God Of War series, the storyline came after God of War 1 when Kratos defeated Ares and right before God of War 2 when Kratos rages his anger to the gods, it happened in between God of War 1 and 2, the story focuses more on Kratos rise to power, clearly a transition to God of War 2. Ghost of Sparta also comes with Kratos’s new moves and abilities, one of my favorite is the takedown, then followed by a ground and pound (ala UFC style) been using it since the start of the game till the end, though, some enemies are immune to that move, so it’s important to learn some melee combo in order to survive in the game, specially when played on hard mode.

God of War Ghost of Sparta reveals some of kratos’s secrets that most God of War fans didn’t know about, one of which is the coming out of Kratos brother. This prequel lets you see how the brothers got separated by the gods, and the plot behind the abduction will piece by piece be revealed as you progress in the game, surprisingly; Kratos mother played a part in this game too and it is one of Kratos quests to free his mother from eternal suffering inflicted by the gods. A lot of secrets will be revealed in this game that will shock all God of War fans, making this prequel the missing link of the God of War series. Its two thumbs up for this game. God of War “The Ghost of Sparta” was released Q4 2010, and it’s now available for download and UMDs.

Maximizing your Gadgets

As a consumer I always have this motto “Get more than what I pay for”, when gadget shopping always pick the right gadget for you, also consider price tags that won’t stress your wallet, practice your freedom to choose there are other brands out there that offers the same features but at a much more reasonable price, like Samsung for instance. As soon as you got your smartly picked gadget, maximize it by learning all its’ embedded features from top to bottom, then install some free third party apps to further boost its’ full potential. Turn your ordinary phone into a smartphone, your android tablet into a gym trainer and more, now that’s getting your money’s worth. Here are some sites that will help you maximize your gadgets.

www.umnet.com = free apps and games, all platform supported

mobile9.com, zedge.com, getjar.com = free cellphone apps, games, wallpapers, etc.

www.apptrackr.org/ = a haven for jailbroken apple devices

www.getandroidstuff.com = free android apps and games

www.uiqwenru.com = free apps and games for the classic Sony Ericsson P-series

Alcatel OT980 android phone specs.

Android phones are getting cheaper by the year, but to some average pinoy it is still out of reach, some of the cheap branded android phones in the Philippine shore are the Samsung Galaxy mini (7,990Php) and the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 (7,780Php), until I came across the Alcatel OT980 android phone (5,900Php), the cheapest I've seen so far. I got a hands-on experience with this device in a cellphone store at Robinsons Metro East, although, the sales lady didn't allow me to take snapshots of it, company rules; it seems. It is one of a few Android phone that has a physical button, basically, it's a slider phone with qwerty keyboard, it's a bit chunky, but then again, it's typical to all sliders. As I go deeper into testing the device, I find myself satisfied with its' performance. For 5,900 pesos it is affordable to consumers who are in a tight budget, like me. The phone is not as good looking as to some Android phones out there, but the built quality of it is solid, and posses a business-like look. I'm planning to put this phone on my wishlist and hopefully buy it before Christmas, I'm very much aware of the consumer rule that Price equals Quality and Features, so I won't expect much from it than that of the more expensive Samsung Galaxy S.

Alcatel OT980 Specifications:

NETWORK: 2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900
3G: HSDPA 900/2100
SIZE: Dimensions: 108 x 60.4 x 15.9mm
Weight: 152g
DISPLAY: Type: TFT resistive touchscreen, 256K colors
Size: 240 x 320 pixels, 2.8 inches
- QWERTY keyboard
- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto rotate
SOUND: Alert types: Vibration, MP3 ringtones
- loudspeaker
- 3.5mm jack
MEMORY: Phonebook: practically unlimited entries, Photocall
Call Records: practically unlimited
CPU: 600Mhz
Internal: 194 MB
Card slot: Micro SD, up to 32GB
DATA: GPRS: class 12(4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots) 32- 48 Kbps
EDGE: class 12
3G: HSDPA,7.2 Mbps, HSUPA,5.76 Mbps
Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g
- bluetooth
- micro USB v2.0
CAMERA: Primary: 2MP, 1600 x 1200 pixels
- video recording
FEATURES: OS: Android 2.1 Eclair
Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, IM
Browser: HTML
Colors: Black soft touch, Steel gray
GPS: A-GPS support
Java: via java MIDP emulator
- Digital compass
- MP3/WMA/AAC player
- MP4/H.263/H.264 player
- google searc, maps, Gmail
- youtube, calendar, google talk
- organizer, voice memo
Battery: Type: Lithium 1150 mAh
Stand by: 245 hrs.
Talk time: 10 hrs.
Music play: 35 hrs.

Gadgets on the go.

Every time I travel, I always carry with me, my gadgets, whether be it, work, leisure or out of town, and it’s always a question what gadget is to bring. I always have two kinds of every gadget I own, like two handhelds, PSP, NDS lite, two phones, a smartphone and an ordinary phone, two internet tablets like Nokia N800, and a 7inch android tablet, two mp3 players, Creative Zen and an ipod touch. Each of them have their own purpose; let’s say if I’m traveling out of town like a resort or a beach, its best not to pack too much weight in my bag. So instead of bringing a laptop, I’ll bring a tablet, and my Nokia N800 is best suited for the job, with its’ pocket friendly size, and long battery life, giving me less hassle by recharghing it less often, and in an instance, where wi-fi is unavailable my android tablet is an alternative, it can connect online using my Globe Tattoo broadband stick, don’t want to miss those live updates on my FB, twitter and blogger. Other gadgets will be my sleek and lite Samsung CorbyII, a digicam for those precious moments, and a PSP to keep my little boy occupied trough out our stay.

There are times that I travel from Manila to Laguna to do some business errands, and sometimes it is more practical and convenient to ride a bus than to bring a car, and one way of enjoying a long bus ride is with an ipod touch; listen to my favorite music, watch movies and play games on the go, and since my travel is business related my windows mobile smartphone is a good partner, afterall; my transactions and inventories are all recorded in there.

I’m also a motorcycle enthusiast and a member of a local biker group called T.O.C.S Riders Club, there are times that we organize long bike rides, like riding from Antipolo to Laguna, Batangas and Quezon Province. In these types of activities, size matters; carrying bulky gadgets in your pockets may restrict your body from moving freely to tight curves and may result to accidents, so it’s best to pack as light and as comfortable as possible. Riding a motorcycle is best appreciated when listening to music, my credit card size Creative Zen mp3 player will fit comfortably in my left pocket, and in case of emergencies communication is a must, my right pocket is home to my light weight Samsung Corby II. My choices may vary from time to time, and there are instances that I carry more than three gadgets at a time, depending on my willingness to pack an extra load.

6 reasons why pioneer gadget shoppers always get the bad end of the deal.

1: You get to buy it at a high price.

2: You always get the bulky and least attractive design.

3: System stability is not 100%.

4: You regret buying it as soon as the 2nd gen is release.

5: You'll spend more cash if you trade your 1st gen to a 2nd gen.

6: Makes you look like you're holding a fossil as soon as the 3rd or 4th gen is released.


What!!! my psp (1st gen) and my ipod touch (2nd gen) is now a fossil!

If you got a 1st gen device there's no need to upgrade it to a newer version all you have to do is upgrade its' firmware, that's what I've been doing with my psp (1st gen) and my ipod touch (2nd gen) for the last 4 or 5 yrs, but if you have a deep pocket and lots of money to spend for, then go for it, that will make you the envy of the town.


BE SMART: The reason why I'm not upgrading my psp 1st gen to psp go is because it's just a cosmetic make-over, if ever I'm going to upgrade it, I'm gonna go for the PSVita and as for the ipod touch 4th gen, it didn't just get a trim down design but a different experience as well, with it's retina display, dual camera, facetime support, game marketshop, and a 1ghz processor, truly a whole new different experience from it's 1st, 2nd and 3rd gen brethren, I'll consider this as a future upgade, that is if a got the money....:-(

Dead Space Ipod Touch

Dead Space for Apple handhelds is a game developed by EA exclusively for the Apple platform, the storyline is unique for this device, it's a survival horror game in a third person view, and it's by far the best looking game i played on my ipod touch. The story took place in some kind of space odyssey wherein you take the role of Isaac Clarke codename Vandal a space miner who is also a member of a religious cult. Game begins by following orders from some high ranking religious cult member until you found out that you've been used. I won't tell the whole story or give details on how the game ends, coz, I don't want to ruin the elements of surprise; and with respect, to gamers who's not done with it yet; but the thing that bothers me in this game was; upgrading your weapons and armor is a bit complicated, you just have to give extra effort in reading all the in-game texts in order to fully understand it, but at least it rewards you with awesome graphics and superb gameplay. I put a couple of screenshot on this blog to give gamers an idea on how the game looks like. For those who haven't got the game yet you can download it at http://apptrackr.org/ mind you applications and games on this site will only work on jailbroken apple devices. Dead Space is compatible only to iOS 3.0 or higher.


The GOOD: Graphics and scare factor will blow you away, music and sound effects are truly impressive plus you'll get an extra bonus of gaining wallpapers as you progress in the game.


The BAD: It runs sluggish on ipod touch 1st and 2nd gen when dealing with multiple enemies, I haven't tried it on a 3rd gen, but works perfectly well on the 4th gen ipod touch.

It's raining tablets

Tablet is the latest trend in technology today, probably because when it comes to mobile computing and internet on the go it surpass some features of a netbook and nothing beats its' compact size and mobility it is smaller than the smallest netbook in the market today, that's why more people prefer tablets than netbooks, specially those who are always on the go. Tablets are here since the mid 90's alongside with its' brethren the first generations of PDA that uses black and white screens but it suffered poor sales that's why it was never known to hit the market until tech giant Apple unleashed the iPad, that forever change the fate of this device, when iPad was first released it was as hot as summer, it was everyone's top 1 wishlist in their christmas shopping, other manufacturers notice the potential of the device and started making their own; thus begun the tablet war, Nokia had their N-series internet tablet, Samsung have their Galaxy, Archos, LG, Motorola's xoom and we're still waiting for Sony's mighty roar in the tablet war. I like what Nokia did to their N800 internet tablet, it is one of the few tablets that can fit in your pocket, truly Nokia live up to its' claim "full internet in your pocket" though it uses a very limited Linux based OS, for me android is still the best OS for tablets and in my opinion it was google's android that gave life to this device.

Almost everyone are spending money for their gadgets it doesn't matter if it will aid you in your everyday life or not for as long as it keeps you entertained it's a thing worth buying, after all it's your choice and your money.

Acer DX 900 Crash Tips

Acer DX900 is a smartphone that runs windows mobile 6.1 professional, formerly known as the Eten Glofish DX900, until Acer bought and took over the company (Glofish) then it was re release with the ACER brand. The phone is jam pack with features but unfortunately it has some issues; crashes and slowdowns, at first I thought it was the bad connection between the phone and the memory card, until recently I found out that the problem is in the today screen timeout feature. Here are some tips; problem occur when the today screen goes to sleep so you might want to deactivate that feature, here's how, go to settings then today, uncheck the box today screen timeout, you might also want to download Wizcode Defragment tool, regular defragging helps speed up your phone. This tips will not totally rid you of that problem but it will reduce crashes from 3x a day to 3x a week. Try it :-0