January 2007 Archives

Optimizing Internet calls By Dustin C. Balictar Get the clarity of landline calls for free in the comfort of your own laptop The new Voice Call feature provided by new Internet applications (such as Instant Messenger) is the new landline. It uses the technology of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which uses the Internet to make calls to other laptopsâ€

Steve Jobs finally made it official. Giving his keynote address to start Macworld, he announced the Apple iPhone, ending years of rumors and speculations. Naturally, the rest of blogosphere is buzzing about the new gadget, and at least five people have IMed me today about it. Apple has stepped up to the hype, showcasing the smartphone's capabilities with a slick flash-driven produce site. People are going gaga over the Apple iPhone because of its features:

• 3.5" 320x480 touch-sensitive screen (no more keypad!)
• Runs OS X
• Comes in 4GB or 8GB
• Quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900), EDGE, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity
• Built-in 2.0 megapixel camera

Unfortunately, it looks like it'll be a while before the iPhone arrives on our shores. Cingular Wireless won exclusivity, and will start offering the 4GB ($499) and 8GB ($599) models with a two-year contract. The iPhone will become available in Europe near the end of this year. Asia can only expect the iPhone in 2008. Rico Mossesgeld also writes for The Smart PDA, a blog that provides daily info on Smartphones and PDAs.

The Creative MuVo S200 is a good little MP3 player. Navigation is a snap with its four-way joystick plus center button, allowing toggling through options and settings with ease. Music is organized in folders, making it easy to group files, although file transfer is not as fast as when using typical USB 2.0 devices. But mind you, this speed is bearable since you won't be moving more than 512MB (as reviewed) or 1GB of data when syncing music. A built-in mic is available for recording audio notes, and you can record songs and broadcasts directly from its built-in FM radio. You can also tag your favorite tracks and access them in the "Favorites" menu. Another useful feature is the small PLED (Polymer Light Emitting Diode) display. It's no colored screen, but it does the job of displaying track details, settings changes and even displaying lyrics! Read the full review on the November 2006 Issue of Mobile Philippines. Available now.

When I first encountered Oakley Thump 2, I swear I could have mistaken it for the Terminator sunglasses. The Oakley Thump 2 is what we could call a wearable media player. With flexible triple-jointed earbuds allowing better control and comfort, this second-generation Thump gets some good points in the fashion department over its predecessor. TREATS INSIDE THE BOX? Inside the package is a well-placed plastic eyewear in tightly molded foam, along with a silk carrying bag and a USB 2.0 cable for data transfer and battery charging. Surprisingly, there isn’t any installation CD at all —just a few sheets for a Quick Start Guide and accessories pamphlet. Either I lost the CD somewhere, or there isn’t any. After skimming through the guide, I realize I don’t need one, as the Thump is fully compatible (read: plug-and-play) with a Mac or Windows PC. The Oakley Thump 2 is available in five styles with capacities ranging from 256MB to 1GB. Just like any flash-based player, Thump 2 functions as a storage device via simple drag-and-drop mode. It's great as a combo, but it's a little awkward to use as either a standalone MP3 player or a pair of sunglasses. Read the full review in the November 2006 issue of Mobile Philippines.

Mobile Philippines' December-January issue has the sultry Ornusa as its cover girl. Mobile's Fearless Forecast serves as your trusty techie roadmap for 2007. Curious about the sensation of riding a Porsche? Read up on our editor's driving experience, and find out why Porsche has ruined other cars in his book. Find out what the editors chose as the Pick of the Month and drool with us. Take your pick in our roundup of external hard drives, and get dizzy over form factor and features of this hardy batch. Telling time can be fashionable, too, as Mobile dishes out an array of the latest timepieces ready for your picking. Follow our guide to doing Skype right, and enjoy free international calls. We dish out delightful toys and new products in our New and Notable section, while giving you reports on our real-life testing of the latest mobile devices. Get your grubby hands fast on the LG Chocolate Phone, Sony's T30, Samsung i320N, and on the star of the show, the Treo 680. Mobile Philippines is the only magazine specializing in personal electronic devices from phones to music players to laptops. For grab and go tech news, you can visit us at www.m-ph.com . Grab a copy now from newsstands for just 100 pesos. Another big news is that Mobile Philippines is now on Youtube! You can check out the rest of our videos at http://youtube.com/hingeinquirer. Enjoy!