BlackBerry Storm 2 (9550) Review
The BlackBerry Storm 2 (9550) is what the original BlackBerry Storm should have been. The most noticeable difference that a lot of users demanded from the first unit was the addition of the wi-fi capability. The first BlackBerry Storm only offered internet via 3G which a lot of people complained about.
Here are the specs for your perusal:
- Blackberry OS 5 Operating System
- 3.15 MP with autofocus, LED flash, variable zoom and video recording
- 3.25 inches capacitive touchscreen
- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
- 256 MB of Flash memory
- 2 GB of onboard memory storage, supports up to 32 GB
- Bluetooth: Yes, v2.1 with A2DP
- microUSB v2.0
- GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 – 48 kbps
- EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps
- 3G HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA; EV-DO RevA 3.1Mbps
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
BlackBerry Storm 2 Pros
The BlackBerry Storm 2 basically addresses most of the problems in the first unit. Other than the Wi-Fi, RIM also increased the default storage capacity and they refined the Surepress interface technology. Ideally it was supposed to act like a mouse when you click it but a lot of people complained about the delay in between the click and the actual action. With the new BlackBerry Storm 2, the Surepress back-end system now has 4 contact points versus the original single contact point. This makes the phone user interface react faster (supposedly).
Other than the features, the BlackBerry Storm 2 is elegantly made and looks really nice. The biggest nice thing about it though is probably the price. Retail is just at P27,000. Compare that to the P38,000 that you have to shell out for a prepaid iPhone 3GS.
Lastly, I heard from friends that the BlackBerry Storm beats the iPhone in terms of battery life. 
User Complaints
I don’t own a BlackBerry Storm 9550, but I do have friends who do. According to them the only main problem they encountered was a typical problem that most BlackBerry models (and Smart Phones in general) have. If you use and open to many applications there will be times that the phone will hang up or crash. A simple on-off or take-out-the-battery-trick works. This is still an annoying problem though and I hope that RIM will be able to fix this sometime soon.
BlackBerry Storm 2 Official Promotional Video
Over-all the BlackBerry Storm 2 (9550) looks like a very promising smart phone. I would feel really bad though for people who bought the first unit. This is a valuable lesson in technology – always wait for the second generation for any model. 
Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid Preview
The new Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid is coming out this June for $999 USD (P48,000-P50,000). What’s so special about it? Well it’s both a tablet and a laptop. You can literally remove the monitor part and use it as a 3G multi-touch slate tablet device. I was literally blown away while reading about this product and I am seriously considering saving up for this one. The annoying thing about tablets is that you need to carry around a third device other than your smart phone and your laptop. This one is a 2-in-1, hahaha! Phenomenal.
Here’s more information about the product from their press release which I found on Engadget:
“The IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook is a game-changing technology in the PC industry that lets the user switch at will their PC experience to match their dynamic lifestyle,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president, Idea Product Group, Lenovo. “By fusing the functionality of a notebook with the slate tablet’s rich multitouch entertainment and mobile Internet experience, U1 provides consumers the freedom to choose the device they prefer for any activity.”
The IdeaPad U1’s fashionable scarlet red exterior has a footprint just smaller than a piece of paper and is paired with an equally impressive 3.8 pound thin and light design. With its unique detach-and-converge form factor, users can easily remove the screen to instantly switch from clamshell mode into a multitouch slate tablet. When the IdeaPad U1 is in its traditional clamshell form, the system boasts an 11.6 inch HD LED screen and runs Windows 7. When the 1.6 pound, multitouch screen is removed, it becomes an independent slate tablet with a powerful ARM processor, running Lenovo’s customized Skylight operating system.
Two Brains are Better than One
Leveraging the benefits of both CPU, the two devices can synchronize to work as one with the ability to share battery power, 3G wireless, data and documents. In this way, the base laptop system can serve as a hub and docking station and the slate tablet as a mobile device. The two PCs have been engineered to work together and independently through Lenovo’s Hybrid Switch technology that enables seamless toggling between the two processors. For instance, users can surf the Web in laptop mode and then continue from the same point without interruption if they detach to tablet mode.“Me Centric” User Interface Provides Instant Gratification for Today’s Consumers
Lenovo’s hybrid notebook also features a customized “Me” centric tablet interface for comfortable landscape and portrait viewing. Users can switch between a six-section display and a four section display. U1’s six-section screen display is designed to enhance the mobile internet experience by letting users easily multitouch access multiple Web-based applications at once such as email, calendars, RSS readers and social networking Web sites. The four-section screen display option is perfect as a media center on the PC such as photos, music, videos and to view/edit documents.IdeaPad U1 Doubles Entertainment Fun
The IdeaPad U1’s laptop and tablet modes each support more than five hours of 3G Web browsing and 60 hours of 3G standby. In addition, the U1 comes with integrated video camera and two stereo speakers with integrated microphone with echo cancellation make this the ideal PC for users who need flexibility but do not want to compromise features or functionality.Pricing and Availability
The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook will be available June 1, 2010 with an estimated retail price of $999.1
Now the only question we have to ask ourselves is if this baby is worth P50,000. Personally I think it’s pricey, and maybe we should wait for the second generation model. The problem with innovative new products is that they come with a lot of bugs. The next versions will definitely be much better. What do you guys think?
BlackBerry Bold 9700 Review
If I knew that RIM (Research in Motion) would launch the BlackBerry Bold 9700 this year, I wouldn’t have bothered getting the BlackBerry Bold 9000 in my phone plan with SMART Communications. Most of my complaints with the BlackBerry Bold 9000 were pretty much addressed with the new BlackBerry Bold 9700. Actually, I’m a bit frustrated that I didn’t bother researching as much as I could have before picking the 9000, hahaha.
BlackBerry 9700 Improvements
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 first major improvement is that they fixed all the ergonomic problems with the original unit. The most noticeable change is the absence of the annoying Trackball which has been a huge bane for a lot of users. Not only does it zonk out and gets dirty after a few months, it also starts to hurt your thumb after long periods of use. The trackball was replaced with a much niftier trackpad which you can easily get used to. You won’t miss the trackball. In terms of display, there’s a slight upgrade. The original BlackBerry Bold had a display of 480×320. The BlackBerry Bold 9700 has a screen resolution of 480×360 (similar to the BlackBerry Curve 8900). According to several reviews that I’ve read, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 also has a much better battery life compared to the original. I haven’t confirmed that yet but it’s definitely a big plus if this is indeed true. My BlackBerry Bold 9000 can’t last one whole day without a good charge. I’m a pretty heavy user though.
Some Complaints
I don’t have too many complaints with the Bold 9700. I guess my only major concern is pretty much aesthetic. The back sucks. I don’t have any love for the cheap looking battery cover. The old BlackBerry Bold and even the Curve had much better backs. Hahaha! Another problem is that it still hangs every now and then but not as much as the original unit.
And that’s about it. If I had the choice back then I definitely would have opted for the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Then again the problem with technology is that it keeps on getting better as time goes by. There will never be a time when you have “THE” best phone ever. It will always be topped later on as engineers upgrade and improve the newest models. Maybe when my line is up for retention I can get the BlackBerry Bold 9900 or something, hahaha 
BlackBerry Bold 9000 Review
When I switched jobs late last year I was given a better Communications Allowance by my new company. I decided to upgrade my phone plan with SMART and quickly decided on getting a BlackBerry Bold 9000. This phone has a lot of pros but it also comes with several cons that RIM (Research In Motion, company that made BB), should address in their future Bold models. Let’s start with the good things first.
The BlackBerry Bold is by far one of the business-type phones that I’ve ever used. The built-in applications, especially the calendar, notes, and especially the push e-mail options are just phenomenal. I currently work two jobs. I have a day job at Friendster and I also have a company that does internet marketing consultancy. Having inboxes for SMS, Friendster e-mail, and my consultancy e-mail made my life so much easier, hahaha! The Facebook app is also cool. It usually lags a bit though but that’s probably because of our poor internet infrastructure here in the Philippines.
Now let’s go to the cons. One of the things I hate the most is the battery life. I call a lot during the day and this saps the battery of the BlackBerry pretty fast. If I start the day at 8AM with a full charge, the phone usually dies around 9PM-10PM the same day (yes I make a lot of calls). That’s why I usually end up bringing a charger when I go to work so that it’s plugged in when I’m just on my desk. My next beef with the BlackBerry is that there are really times when it hangs up. I don’t know if there’s a problem with the OS but this is probably one of the most annoying things about the phone. To reset it you then have to open the battery and pull it out and then put it back in. This can be frustrating at times especially if you need to send messages fast (it powers up quite slowly).
My ultimate worry though for the BlackBerry Bold is the trackball at the center. My fiancee also has the same model and the trackball of her BB died short of 6 months of use. I’m approaching my 5th month already and I’m experiencing lags when it comes to the response time of the trackball to the menu already. Does this thing have a lifespan or something? Lol. According to some of my tech friends, that’s why RIM came up with the BlackBerry 9700 because they realized that the trackball was a huge mistake.
Lastly, it’s so hard to sync with my Mac. Installing and updating apps is such as hassle and there are so many steps to do it. This is probably the reason why the iPhone is such a huge thing for Mac users – the seamless experience. RIM has to work on this some more.
Over-all I’m still happy with my BlackBerry. It gets the job done. However there are a lot of things that can be improved. Hopefully the next few models that come out will be far superior or I might end up switching to the iPhone.
New Philippines Broadband Provider: Wi-Tribe
Wi-Tribe is the new player in the local broadband market. Based on the information posted on their website wi-tribe is owned by San Miguel and Qtel. I’ve been hearing about this company for several months now since a lot of my friends from SMART and Globe have been talking about it. Anyway, what’s interesting about wi-tribe is that they use 4G. Here’s the definition of their service:
wi-tribe uses 4G because it is the future of broadband technology the entire world is moving towards.
4G (Fourth Generation) is the class of technologies that delivers hi-speed broadband and multimedia services and applications.
In contrast, 3G is voice technology that is being used for some internet applications like small screen applications and casual surfing.
Facts about 4G in a broadband application:
4G is broadband that delivers true wired speeds without wires.
4G is faster because it has more bandwidth.
4G is completely portable so you can enjoy it in your office, so you can bring it to your favorite coffee-shop, or your hang out.
4G is 3 times faster than 3G technology.
4G is the preferred broadband technology that will give you the richer, pleasurable internet experience you truly deserve.
I was able to find a wi-tribe promotional booth in Greenhills Theater Mall and I was able to use one of their demo units. I was under the impression that they’d be selling USB dongles like SMART Bro or Globe Tattoo. Much to my dismay though they were only offering a plug-and-play wireless modem which was kinda big and bulky. The good thing about this though is that you can use the modem anywhere in the Metro. Just plug the cable to your PC and power adaptor and then you can log-in and go online. Their starter package costs 900+ monthly for a 1MBPS connection. Note though that there is a 2 year lock-in period.
I decided against buying one since I already have a pretty stable PLDT connection at home. I was considering trying their service if they offered mobile USB modems but apparently it will take them a few more months before they can roll those kind of products out.
If anyone here owns a Wi-Tribe account, please do share your experience so far below in the comments section.
Free Kindle Ebook Readers to 17M Filipino Students
So did that title catch your attention? Hahaha! It sure did get mine when I heard it from Senator Dick Gordon during the presidential debate held at DLSU. In one of his answers, Gordon explained that one of his plans was to give away FREE Kindles to all public school students. Basically he wanted to put the entire curriculum of Grade School to College. This is by far one of the boldest statements I’ve heard from a politician about how he plans to uplift the insane state of our education system.
To fund the project, Gordon lays out several options and back-up plans available:
He also mapped out a plan to fund a $1.7 billion (or P85 billion) project to give 17 million students a Kindle
To fund the Kindle project, Gordon said plans to cut down on corruption, which amounts to about 300 billion pesos.If this does not work, he plans to improve mining, an industry reportedly worth $1-trillion, to give additional funding for the free e-book reader project.
If both do not work, Gordon said the quickest way to raise funds is through a “text for education” campaign, where P0.50 from every 2 billion text messages will be used to fund teacher’s salaries and the Kindle project.
Gordon strikes me as a politician who really has a strong will and is the type that will get things done. I know he is tactless and gets angry fast but the programs he’s presenting are actually quite fascinating. I mean come on… I never imagined a candidate would actually present the idea of giving away free Kindles. Hahaha!
The only problem with this program is that due to the poverty, the Kindles will probably get sold or stolen. Hopefully there’s a contingency for this.
Again, let me just say that I’m not voting for Gordon just yet. It’s just that he really got a lot of pogi points for his performance during the debate.
Author’s Note: This is re-posted from New Media Philippines
Apple Tablet might be revealed on the 27th
It’s amazing how viral Apple can be in their marketing. Several months ago, people started talking about the Apple Tablet. No one has actually confirmed if it even exists but it looks like we’ll finally see a real working model by the end of this month. In a press announcement, Apple said that they would reveal to the world their next creation in San Fransisco on January 27, 2010. No one really knows for sure if this is for the Apple Tablet but everyone is hoping for it.
Here are some details of the Apple Tablet that you might be interested in:
“Watch (Apple) shares drop 10 percent if it is not the anticipated tablet computer and 15 percent if Steve Jobs is not there with the tablet in his hand,” McIntyre wrote on 247WallSt.com.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the color multimedia device will allow users to browse the Web, listen to music, watch movies or television shows and also serve as an electronic book and newspaper reader.
The Journal said the Apple tablet will have a 10- to 11-inch (25.4- to 27.9-centimeter) screen and may begin to ship in March.
Apple routinely refuses to comment on products ahead of their release and—true to form—the company has ignored the rumors sweeping technology blogs, letting anticipation and speculation build.
The specter of an Apple “iTablet” or “iSlate,” however, hovered over the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, with makers of tablet computers jockeying for a head-start in the marketplace.
Computer giant Hewlett-Packard was among the companies seeking to get a jump on Apple and Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer provided a glimpse on stage of an HP “slate” computer during an appearance at the annual gadget show.
But few companies generate the buzz of Apple and a tablet computer would be the company’s first major product release since it came out with the popular iPhone three years ago.
“No consumer products company today even comes close to Apple’s ability to generate hype, and then build market dominance on top of that hype,” technology analyst Carmy Levy said.
“Apple’s goal with its new tablet-based machine is very similar to what it set out to do when it entered the media player market with its iPod in 2001, and the smartphone market with the iPhone in 2007,” Levy said.
“Specifically, the company wants to redefine a market where other companies have tried–and largely failed—to succeed,” he added.
Levy said he expected the device to cost around 800 dollars while other analysts told the Wall Street Journal it may cost as much as 1,000 dollars.
Valleywag.com, a Silicon Valley gossip website, recently triggered Apple’s ire by offering rewards of up to $100,000 for proof that the notoriously secretive company has made a tablet computer.
Valleywag declared Apple the first winner of its contest after receiving a letter from the company’s lawyers.
“We believe you and your company have crossed the line by offering a bounty for the theft of Apple’s trade secrets,” an Apple lawyer said in a copy of the letter posted online by Valleywag.
I wonder how much the tablet will cost?
Sony PS3 1080P HD Issues
I recently bought a Samsung 32 inch series 5 LCD TV (1080P/Full HD) to take my PS3 gaming to the next level. However I hit so many roadblocks and problems in trying to connect and optimize the PS3 video output with the TV. In fact, I think I spent several hours last night just trying to get the damned thing to work properly, haha. Since the prices of LCD TVs and PS3s went down, I’m assuming some of you are going to face these problems as well so let me share what I found out so that you won’t have to research for hours like what I did.
Mode not Supported or Low Resolution
If you get the “Mode not Supported” error or insanely ugly resolution after connecting the HDMI cable of your PS3 to the LCD TV, here’s what you have to do. First, you have to reset your PS3. This is fairly simple. Turn the unit off first then turn it on again but this time press down on the button for 5 seconds until you hear a second beep. That should set your PS3 to auto-detect and sync with the TV. If it still doesn’t work, try changing the TV input port for your HDMI cable. There should be 2-3 of them so cycle through all of ‘em to see which one works.
Your next problem would probably be the insanely low resolution. Just head on over to the PS3 display settings and click the 720, 1080i, and 1080p boxes. Your monitor will black out and it should reappear already with the correct resolution. If you can’t hit 1080p, you might want to consider buying a new HDMI cable.
PS3 Games not doing 1080P
Despite the fixes, I was still perplexed as to why my Street Fighter 4 wasn’t doing the full 1080P. Apparently PS3 games are not designed for that high of a resolution. Most of them are just maxed out at 720. That’s why when you start the game, the monitor blanks out and it lowers the resolution to what the game can handle. Hopefully game developers and Sony can come up with a solution to this sometime soon.
Here’s a list of 1080P PS3 games for your reference. Courtesy of WikiBin:
* 1942: Joint Strike
* Age of Booty
* Astro Tripper
* Bioshock
* Blast Factor
* The Bourne Conspiracy
* Burnout Paradise Requires deselecting 720p & 1080i from the Display Setup XMB screen.
* Call of Duty 4 Requires deselecting 720p & 1080i from the Display Setup XMB screen. *this is not correct it is native 720p only and will be downgraded to a lower res if you do this.
* Call of Duty: World at War
* Calling All Cars
* Civilization Revolution
* College Hoops 2K7
* Cuboid
* Dead Space Requires deselecting 720p & 1080i from the Display Setup XMB screen.
* Echochrome
* Everyday Shooter
* Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
* Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli
* FIFA 09
* FIFA Street 3
* flOw
* Full Auto 2
* Gran Turismo HD (not in PSN store anymore)
* Gran Turismo 5: Prologue
* Grand Theft Auto IV Requires deselecting 720p & 1080i from the Display Setup XMB screen.
* High Velocity Bowling
* The Incredible Hulk
* Joust
* Kung Fu Panda
* Killzone 2 Requires deselecting 720p & 1080i from the Display Setup XMB screen. *this is not correct it is native 720p only and will be downgraded to a lower res if you do this.
* Lair
* The Last Guy
* Legendary
* LEGO Batman: The Videogame
* LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
* Linger in Shadows
* Mainichi Issyo
* Mahjong Tales: Ancient Wisdom
* Marvel Ultimate Alliance
* Medal of Honor: Airborne
* Mega Man 9
* Mesmerize
* Metal Gear Solid 4
* Metal Gear Online
* Midnight Club: Los Angeles
* Mirror’s Edge Requires deselecting 720p & 1080i from the Display Setup XMB screen
* Mortal Kombat 2
* NBA 2007/2008/2009
* NBA 2K7/2K8/2K9
* NBA Street Homecourt Requires deselecting 720p & 1080i from the Display Setup XMB screen.
* NHL 2K8/2K9
* Ninja Gaiden Sigma
* NBA Street Homecourt
* Nucleus
* The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
* Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Requires deselecting 720p & 1080i from the Display Setup XMB screen.
* PixelJunk Eden
* PixelJunk Monsters
* PixelJunk Racers
* Piyotama
* Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
* Quantum of Solace
* Rampage
* Rampart
* Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty Requires deselecting 720p & 1080i from the Display Setup XMB screen.
* Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools Of Destruction Requires deselecting 720p & 1080i from the Display Setup XMB screen.
* Ridge Racer 7
* Rocketmen: Axis of Evil
* Saints Row 2
* Snakeball
* Söldner-X: Himmelsstürmer
* Soldier of Fortune Payback
* Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
* Super Stardust HD
* Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection
* Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground
* Tori-Emaki
* The Trials of Topoq
* Warhawk
* Wipeout HD
* Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3
* Virtua Fighter 5
* Virtua Tennis 3
And that’s it for this post. Hope you found this useful. Cheers!
SMART B Free Day
Hale performing at the SMART B free day event
I was invited to SMART’s B Free event last Saturday at the Mega Tent along Meralco Avenue in Ortigas. They launched the newly UAAP/NCAA themed SMART BRO Plug-it USB modems. They also lowered the price of the modems to just P895. This kinda made me feel bad since I was one of the first users here to actually buy the modems when they first came out at P4,500. Anyway, what’s amazing about this event is that they actually gave away 10,000 units of the modems FOR FREE to NCAA/UAAP students. OMGWTFBBQ right? Check out the designs after the break.
Here are the designs of the plug-its:
By the way, I was able to get 2 units of the Ateneo designed plug-its (one for me and one for my girlfriend). I’ve yet to test it out though but I’m sure it will work just like my other plug-it.
Other than the free plug-its, discounted modems and PCs, SMART also invited Hale to play. Had fun watching them sing a few of their songs before I called it a day and went home.
Thanks to Havoc Digital, Red Sight Media, and SMART Bro for inviting me to their event!
Tags: SMART, Bro, Plug, it,, SMART, USB, Modem,, SMART, Bfree, day
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New iPod Nano has a Camera!
Steve Jobs has done it again! The new iPod Nano now has a built-in camera which can record video! Not only that, it has 15 recording effects that you can use to make the video you’re taking more memorable. Based on the product features, it also has an FM Tuner. Check out the details after the break.
Features:
Capacity
- 8GB or 16GB flash drive
- Holds up to 2,000 or 4,000 songs in 128-Kbps AAC format
- Holds up to 7,000 or 14,000 iPod-viewable photos
- Holds up to 8 hours or 16 hours of video
- Stores data via USB flash drive
Accessibility
- Spoken menus allow listeners to hear many of the names of menus, song titles, and artists without viewing the screen.
- An alternative large font can make menus easier to read.
- A high-resolution LCD display with adjustable contrast and backlight settings makes it easier to read in low light.
- Captions in video are displayed when they are present using a legible, high-contrast white-on-black font.
Video Capture
- H.264 VGA video, 640 by 480 pixels, up to 30 frames per second with AAC audio
- 15 real-time special effects: Sepia, Black and White, X-Ray, Film Grain, Thermal, Security Cam, Cyborg, Bulge, Kaleido, Motion Blur, Mirror, Light Tunnel, Dent, Stretch, and Twirl
Here’s a very informative video about the features of the new Nano:
According to the Apple site, the new Ipod Nano should cost $149 (7k php) for the 8GB version and $179 (8.5k php) for the 16GB. I’ll try to swing by the Power Mac center this weekend to check the actual retail price here in the Philippines.
Tags: new, iPod, nano, philippines,, new, Ipod, nano, philippines, price
