December 2005 Archives
Was doing some Digging yesterday and found WIRED.com's listing of the best of 2005. Two of the more interesting lists are 2005 Best Tech Moments and 2005's Sexiest Geeks which, unfortunately do not include any of the m|ph editors.
Entries to note include the $100.00 Negroponte laptop and the up-top-date blogging of the Katrina disaster. How the servers were kept running? Well that's why it made tech's shining moment for 2005. As for the sexiest geeks, if Gawker Media's Nick Denton made it to the list, I wonder why Leo Laporte of TWiT, Jason Calacanis, or even Hugh McLeod didn't.
*shrug*
On behalf of the editors of m|ph and the staff of HIP, I'd like to greet all of our readers a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Stay mobile!
P.S. - Jason and Howard aren't in this picture because they got lost in the sea of gadgets during Mobile Pilipinas 2005.
I could have sworn that the iPod nano was a tiny device. But... this "iPod nano," displayed at Western Marketing over at the SM Megamall, looks suspiciously like a regular iPod.
On the plus side, it does come with 30GB of memory. Ooh! A 30GB flash drive perhaps? :D
A Merry Christmas to you all!
On the plus side, it does come with 30GB of memory. Ooh! A 30GB flash drive perhaps? :D
A Merry Christmas to you all!
One of the newest web-based application on the 'net that has been getting much attention lately (and rightly so if I may add) is Writely. This is basically a web-based word processor that allows users to create and edit documents from their web browser. The most remarkable feature of this is its ability to allow collaboration. By sharing a document, more than one person can vew and even edit the document on the fly.
Feature-wise, Writely can hold its own against standalone/PC-based word processor and it has all the basic formatting menu. Although its feature-set is not as extensive as MS Word, it does the job and does the job well for a web-based application. Once a document is complete, users can choose to store the document online so it can be accessed anywhere, anytime or it can be saved locally in a variety of formats, which includes MS Word, OpenOffice, RTF, PDF and even as a .ZIP file. Users can also opt to "publish" the document from writely.com or even post it on a blog. The .HTML code of the completed document can also be displayed, allowing people with their own website to publish it on their own webhosts.
I for one has already thought of a good use for Writely. I can use this to create my articles for Mobile Philippines (m|ph) and whenever they think that I need to revise an article, I can always go online and do it and they would have the article immediately after my revisions. (Slick huh?)
Oh and by the way, this same article appears on my personal tech blog.
Continue reading Writely.Com: The Future of Word Processing?.
Okay, I admit to being a professional hermit. So pardon me for only lately being able to see the Blue Wave complex at the Pasay City reclamation area.
What piqued my interest the most, however, was the WiFi "vendo machine" that they had at the premises.
The Wizard Kiosk dispenses WiFi access via tickets with your username and password. Feed it paper bills and out comes your ticket. Fifty pesos will get you 38 minutes of WiFi access, which comes to about P1.33 per minute (good for 30 days). However, the cost-per-minute is bracketed so buying from P51 to P149 of access comes to just P1.00 per minute (60 days), while P150 and above comes to just P0.80 per minute (120 days). The machine is located right beside Pizza Hut.
I have yet to try out how good the signal coverage is across the Blue Wave premises. That will be my next project. But considering how much of a hermit I am, give me two or three months to do this...
To your left, you may have noticed a picture of a very red magazine that has been around since last week.
Just in case you haven't gotten your copy yet, the December m|ph has Adel written all over it as our new Editor-in-Chief and lifestyle guru makes the mag a visual feast.
December features the Editors' Picks for the Best Devices of 2005. You'll also get up close and personal with INQ7's JV Rufino, discover the many sides of mobile content provider Cube Interactive, learn about the origins of DivX, and get yourself fashionably accessorized. And Mobile Man's in there somewhere as well.
And the reviews! There's the innovative Jabra SP500 Bluetooth speakerphone, the Asus P505 Pocket PC PDA/phone (finally unleashed!), the stunningly stylish Creative Zen Vision portable media player, the Wi-Fi-enabled Palm T|X PDA, the surprisingly efficient Samsung YP-T8 digital audio player, and the pleasantly practical Palm Z22 entry-level PDA.
It's a great way to end the year. So do get yourself a copy of the December issue of m|ph now and make Adel happy! :)
Just in case you haven't gotten your copy yet, the December m|ph has Adel written all over it as our new Editor-in-Chief and lifestyle guru makes the mag a visual feast.
December features the Editors' Picks for the Best Devices of 2005. You'll also get up close and personal with INQ7's JV Rufino, discover the many sides of mobile content provider Cube Interactive, learn about the origins of DivX, and get yourself fashionably accessorized. And Mobile Man's in there somewhere as well.
And the reviews! There's the innovative Jabra SP500 Bluetooth speakerphone, the Asus P505 Pocket PC PDA/phone (finally unleashed!), the stunningly stylish Creative Zen Vision portable media player, the Wi-Fi-enabled Palm T|X PDA, the surprisingly efficient Samsung YP-T8 digital audio player, and the pleasantly practical Palm Z22 entry-level PDA.
It's a great way to end the year. So do get yourself a copy of the December issue of m|ph now and make Adel happy! :)
I just want to make a quick report that the XBOX 360 is already available locally. Whether it is a legitimate import or not, I don't know at the moment since I did not even entered the store where I took this picture. But the price! It's pretty expensive for a gaming console. I'm sure it already includes the "Early Adopter's Tax". Click on the link below to see the picture.
Frankly, I like the the looks of the older XBOX... but that's just me.
Frankly, I like the the looks of the older XBOX... but that's just me.
Continue reading My First Local Sighting of the XBOX 360.
Today, I shall be unpacking an iPod nano and giving you my two cents as I do so.
I must admit that prior to my handling my first iPod, I've always wondered what the heck the fuss was all about. Aren't all MP3 players alike under the hood? Isn't the iPod just a dandied-up MP3 player? And isn't the nano just a prettified flash drive?
The answer is Yes, Yes and Yes. Under the hood, anybody can make tech specs akin to what's found on the nano. And you can expect other manufacturers to come out with larger flash drives, better color video resolution, and other kinds of touch-type interfaces real soon.
But what makes the iPod different is the attention that Apple pays to the experience of ownership. Anybody can make a flash drive with a color screen. But thus far, only Apple seems to have mastered the ability to make its owners feel, well, pampered.
Packaging plays a big role here. And packaging is what UNPACKED is all about...
So how does Apple make the new owner feel extra special? For starters, the materials used for the packaging appeal to the senses. The box comes in a silky matte finish and is about the size of a double-CD box, the better to emphasize the compactness of its resident device. The look and feel of the container makes you feel as if you're holding the product of some high-end design studio.
There's no doubt that this was intentional. After all, slide the inner box out and you will find a particularly fashionable statement:
Apple lets you know what's inside the accessories section of the box in its own elegant little way:
Unfold the box to find the creamy white filling. Nothing to clutter the senses. All your attention is focused on the nano itself.
The nano is wrapped in a quick-release protective plastic shroud. Pull the tab to unleash your nano to the outside world.
The accessories compartment includes the following: Earbud Headphones; a Dock Adapter that allows the nano to be used on standard iPod docking stations; two pairs of earbud foam pads -- in black, unfortunately; and a USB cable that also serves to charge the unit.
The nano also comes with an elegant leatherette carrying pouch to protect your unit from the elements.
And then there's the usual support bundle consisting of Quick Start manual, iTunes CD (although you are better off just downloading the latest version)... and even two Apple stickers to show off your pride of ownership.
And there you have it, the iPod nano. Unwrapped.
If you think about it, there's nothing so cutting edge about the packaging materials involved. In fact, the packaging here is almost minimalist.
But there's a lot of showmanship going on here, something that Apple's Steve Jobs is known for. And perhaps this is something that other manufacturers can pay closer attention to. The act of unraveling a device's packaging is a very special moment to a new owner. Make him feel very special and he will be more willing to forgive the product for any possible foibles.
So to all the other manufacturers out there who want to delight their buyers: forget the shrinkwrap plastic, forget the garish eggcrate cartons, and forget about just bundling accessories unceremoniously into the box. Presentation counts. Oftentimes, a lot.
So how does Apple make the new owner feel extra special? For starters, the materials used for the packaging appeal to the senses. The box comes in a silky matte finish and is about the size of a double-CD box, the better to emphasize the compactness of its resident device. The look and feel of the container makes you feel as if you're holding the product of some high-end design studio.
There's no doubt that this was intentional. After all, slide the inner box out and you will find a particularly fashionable statement:
Apple lets you know what's inside the accessories section of the box in its own elegant little way:
Unfold the box to find the creamy white filling. Nothing to clutter the senses. All your attention is focused on the nano itself.
The nano is wrapped in a quick-release protective plastic shroud. Pull the tab to unleash your nano to the outside world.
The accessories compartment includes the following: Earbud Headphones; a Dock Adapter that allows the nano to be used on standard iPod docking stations; two pairs of earbud foam pads -- in black, unfortunately; and a USB cable that also serves to charge the unit.
The nano also comes with an elegant leatherette carrying pouch to protect your unit from the elements.
And then there's the usual support bundle consisting of Quick Start manual, iTunes CD (although you are better off just downloading the latest version)... and even two Apple stickers to show off your pride of ownership.
And there you have it, the iPod nano. Unwrapped.
If you think about it, there's nothing so cutting edge about the packaging materials involved. In fact, the packaging here is almost minimalist.
But there's a lot of showmanship going on here, something that Apple's Steve Jobs is known for. And perhaps this is something that other manufacturers can pay closer attention to. The act of unraveling a device's packaging is a very special moment to a new owner. Make him feel very special and he will be more willing to forgive the product for any possible foibles.
So to all the other manufacturers out there who want to delight their buyers: forget the shrinkwrap plastic, forget the garish eggcrate cartons, and forget about just bundling accessories unceremoniously into the box. Presentation counts. Oftentimes, a lot.
Let's just say a little bird told me on the way home.
Point your browsers to the new
UPDATE: The Nokia 6111 is pegged with a suggested retail price of P17,800.00
It might be a case of mistaken identity, but the Nokia 6111 sure does resemble a certain Samsung slider phone we've all come to love. Nonetheless, when we received this tiny wonder in a huge brown envelope the other day, I immediately told Eva to assign this phone to a lady for review. Why? Coz it looks so damn elegant therefore unworthy to be in male hands.
Eva by the way is our assistant editor and the heart of m|ph operations. Without her, we would be clueless. (We're actually clueless everyday. She constantly reminds us that we have work to do since we get distracted by the veeyooteeful toys in the office).
A quick rundown of the triband GSM phone's features include a megapixel camera with 6x digital zoom (eww!) and flash. User memory is pegged at 21MB for storing photos, MP3 and AAC ringtones and video with up to 1 hour of recording. Note that the camera is oriented at landscape mode, which looks rather purty!
I assigned this little piece to a dear friend, heartthrob and fellow geek - Jed Quiambao (yes! yes! she's Miriam's gorgeous sister!), whom we are also featuring in the upcoming December issue of m|ph. Out sometime this week.
Abangan, fellow kababayans!
It might be a case of mistaken identity, but the Nokia 6111 sure does resemble a certain Samsung slider phone we've all come to love. Nonetheless, when we received this tiny wonder in a huge brown envelope the other day, I immediately told Eva to assign this phone to a lady for review. Why? Coz it looks so damn elegant therefore unworthy to be in male hands.
Eva by the way is our assistant editor and the heart of m|ph operations. Without her, we would be clueless. (We're actually clueless everyday. She constantly reminds us that we have work to do since we get distracted by the veeyooteeful toys in the office).
A quick rundown of the triband GSM phone's features include a megapixel camera with 6x digital zoom (eww!) and flash. User memory is pegged at 21MB for storing photos, MP3 and AAC ringtones and video with up to 1 hour of recording. Note that the camera is oriented at landscape mode, which looks rather purty!
I assigned this little piece to a dear friend, heartthrob and fellow geek - Jed Quiambao (yes! yes! she's Miriam's gorgeous sister!), whom we are also featuring in the upcoming December issue of m|ph. Out sometime this week.
Abangan, fellow kababayans!
In my experience of reviewing phones there are several questions I would have wanted to ask but forgot, due to the excitement of tinkering with the demo unit in front of the sales guy. The great thing about reviewing phones is that I get to take a more in depth road test which usually lasts for a week or more.
Here are some things that consumers should be testing out for themselves:
It's hard to test the signal strength. When buying a new phone, make sure there's a SIM card (or whatever if its CDMA) inserted and ask permission if you could walk into an enclosed area to see if the signal seeps through. If you can't do this then you could ask for user feedback. Some of the newer phones don't have a very good signal indoors, like the N90. Those fancy built-in antennas can be a pain. Ask how many contacts the phone can accomodate. Sony Ericsson has that annoying problem of only being able to store 510 contacts despite their huge memory capacity, which is not allocated to phonebook memory. How tragic, how irresponsible. Find out if the phone can do multiple fields per contact. Motorola phones for instance don't this (like the E398). Nokia and Sony Ericsson can have just one contact with several entries for FAX, Home, Mobile and Email. My gosh, if you could drop the phone to test its durability then do so. Some sales people actually do this. I remember a Samsung guy opening a clamshell and getting a mallet. He pounded the hinge where the screen and keypad were connected really hard just to prove how durable it was. I almost fainted.
