D4

By Allan D. Francisco

Technews
By ROMMEL FERIA

EVERY MONDAY December 5, 2011

Magnum 2X sets the target

herry Mobile, the Filipino mobile phone manufacturer, just released their new flagship smartphone, the Magnum 2X. The new Magnum 2X is the companys first dual-core smartphone, sporting a new Cortex A9 1GHz dual-core processor. This fast processor, coupled with 512MB of memory, powers the 3.8 WVGA capacitive touch screen display, 5 megapixel camera (with a front facing VGA camera), WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. The Magnum 2X comes with 8GB of storage space, but expandable up to 32GB via the microSD card slot. This smartphone can easily compete, spec-wise, against the phones from the likes of Samsung and HTC. How does the Magnum 2X perform? Benchmarking it against my 2+ year old Nexus One running Gingerbread, this Froyo smartphone scored a whooping 2227 points (against the N1s 1024). This is enough to power your favorite Angry Birds game. Once it gets Gingerbread, which Cherry Mobile stated that it will, it will perform better, i.e., more optimized. However, support for Ice Scream Sandwich is uncertain at the moment. The large screen is pleasant to use, but I havent tested it outdoors. It is also perfect to frame your shots when you use the camera. The camera, though, is still a bit slow compared to the new smartphone models, but not too slow to be unusable. Generally, the Magnum 2X is a joy to use. Apps are snappy. Graphics is at par with the rest of the smartphones in the market today -- though not SuperAMOLED, nor Retina Display quality. This is one of the most affordable full featured smartphones in the market today.

Mobile subscribers finding plenty of reasons to smile these days

nly a few weeks more and we all will be saying hello to the years most important holiday. Remember when we were kids, and our parents told us we better be good and nice so that we would receive those shiny gifts from Santa Claus? Remember also how our elders pleaded with us to never even think of being naughty, or else we would end up with nothing on Christmas morning? This year, we should thank the spirit of Christmas for the blessings we, mobile subscribers and consumers, are receiving and are about to receive.

the memorandum to adjust their SMS fees downward as required by the policy. So, there is one more reason to help make this Christmas merry for SMS-loving Pinoy consumers. Smart LTE Smart Communications has begun beta testing its Long-Term Evolution (LTE) broadband services. Otherwise known as fourth-generation (4G) mobile technology, LTE is reportedly capable of delivering up to 42Mbps in Internet speed. Aside from offering mobile subscribers much faster download and upload speeds, LTE can help upgrade the countrys average Internet speeds, which currently stand at levels we cannot be particularly proud of. Pinoy Terror Hackers American telecom company AT&Ts network was recently attacked by hackers later on identified as members of an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist cell in the Philippines. FBI and Philippine National Police officers arrested four suspects who were accused of breaching the corporate PBX of AT&T customers and stealing about $2 million over the span of two years. The suspects allegedly used these numbers to make expensive calls overseas and redirected revenues to bank accounts held by Saudi-based terror group Jemaah Islamiyah. This incident, aside from highlighting how much networked the world has become, puts Pinoys tech skills at center stage once more. We only wish that it involved a less dreadful occasion. Thats all for the meantime, folks. Join me again next time as we keep on watching IT.

Talk is Cheap, SMS is Cheaper Maybe somebody should check local telecommunications executives temperatures, and determine whether they are suffering from life-threatening or mental-statealtering fever or other conditions. How else can we account for this sudden turn of our fortunes for the better? Imagine, they have agreed to allow consumers to use their mobile networks to send text messages at cheaper rates. Never mind that they are doing this not for some humanitarian reasons, or they have suddenly discovered a deep love for humanity. Early in November, Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, and Sun Cellular signed a memorandum of agreement to lower their interconnection charges on SMS by 20 centavos. This move is in compliance with the NTC Memorandum Circular Number 02-10-2011, issued on October 24. Telecom companies were given 20 days from the effectivity date of

Unfortunately, my review isnt over without pointing out some design quirks that I noticed. First thing I noticed is the lock screen. Cherry Mobile changed the way you unlock the device. The stock Android unlock method was changed into something a bit more confusing - instead of swiping from left to right to unlock the device, you swipe it diagonally, with each corner leading you to separate start screen, e.g., Home, Contacts, Phone and Messages. Cherry Mobile retained the now patented pattern lock, pin code and password lock functionalities. Another, albeit more confusing to me, is the way the hardware buttons are laid out. The Nexus Ones layout, from left to right, gives us Back, Menu, Home and Search. Cherry Mobile Magnum 2Xs layout, from left to right, is Home, Menu, Back and Search. In addition to that, the icons of Home and Search are non-standard, and I must say that non-descriptive and confusing. Tell me, how can a rounded square icon represent Home? How about Search

represented by a circle with dots inside it? I must commend Cherry Mobile for keeping the OS as close to the stock version as possible. A few added applications are included, but the apps are less annoying as compared to the Magnum HD bundled apps that I reviewed not too long ago. Moving forward, Cherry Mobile should make their smartphones conform as close to the reference design (Nexus series) as possible, both hardware and software. Whilst they may think that this will not differentiate their products from the rest of the Android smartphones in the market, believe me, it will. Imagine this -- you only need to test the latest OS for hardware compatibility and immediately release it instead of customizing it before release. The least customization, the better. AFAIK, no other smartphone comes close to the Nexus series user experience with each manufacturer adding their own flavor on top of the stock OS. I am hoping Cherry Mobile will be the one.

When the technology takes over

The generation of today must be so lucky for having all sorts of technological advancements around them. Playing, studying, reading, and watching shows are just a tap away. Just how young do they start engaging with technology? I remember a friend telling me a story of his less-than-a-year-old son who is already very much fond of touchscreens. So much so that at one time, the son went in front of the television to try swiping the images from left to right using his fingers. Obviously, this child was trained using a tablet. During a speaking engagement at my alma mater, I spoke in front of grade four elementary students. The teacher who introduced me to the class mentioned about my being tech savvy. So I opened my talk by asking them who loves technology? To my surprise, more than half of the class were raised their hands with some shouting the words Internet, iPad, Cell Phone, and more. I felt old. The government has been finding ways to use the modern innovations to build more efficiency and effectiveness in their public service. Entertainment sources have utilized several techniques in order to create a whole new level of how people watch shows and listen to music. Even the schools are starting to adapt to the ever-changing technological times. Conservative learning institutions that have been using blackboards and chalks have started converting them into white boards or those more advanced writing medium as a starter. On the other hand, some higher-end institutions like Xavier School (XS) and La Salle Greenhills (LSGH) have chosen to be more high-tech to maximize what technology can offer. In the XS website, students are allocated a dedicated section for assignment downloading. This way, not only it lessens paper trash, but also gives more convenience for kiddos to answer them wherever they are and whichever gadget they are using. In addition, XS had its computer laboratories to use Mac. There are also subjects that may require the use of laptops, especially when they turn sophomore and up. On the other side of the fence is LSGH who has turned a few old classrooms into a modern battleground. They now have touchscreen boards and digital tablets as textbook, notebooks, and test pads. Capable of WiFi, students are able to show videos and maps during presentations. Since the exams are electronically managed, scores are immediately evaluated and sent to parents email. Wow! Indeed, the times have changed. Unless youre someone jobless and moneyless, the society tells us that we should have gadgets even just a mobile phone as a basic necessity. Without one, you would seem like, to be blunt, a sore loser. And theres definitely no looking back, because from here onwards, everything will just be automated one after another. Eventually, technology will take over just like in movies. (Glenn Richmond Ong)

Say goodbye to creases with new Philips PowerLife Iron GC2900

hether ironing clothes for a fashion show, a formal evening function, or just a casual outing, fashionistas can now achieve that immaculate fresh off-the-runway look with the Philips PowerLife Iron GC2900 range. Designed to make ironing as fast and effective as possible, the PowerLife Iron GC2900 range instantly removes creases with a strong steam output for faster, more effective results, while its premium soleplate allows for easy gliding across all fabrics like silk, jersey, satin, pina, organza or plain cotton. This perfect tool works for those who want to quickly remove unsightly wrinkles from their clothes and at the same time, care for their garments. With a steam boost of up to 110g/min and a continuous steam output of up to 35g/min, the iron easily removes creases to deliver a smooth and wrinkle-free garment, perfect even for the runway. Armed with up to 2200 watts of power, the PowerLife Iron GC2900

range ensures a constant high steam output to ensure that the steam penetrates through the layers of fabric, effectively delivering fast and good results. For those who may be afraid that the steam droplets may stain their garments, the iron also has a Drip-stop system to help you iron delicate fabrics at low temperatures without having to worry about stains from water droplets.

Its calc clean slider also helps to remove scale out of the iron to ensure a longer lifespan and maintain the performance of this practical tool in the household. Offering fast and effective results, Philips, the global leader in irons remains committed to offering customers innovative and efficient solutions to meet their garment care needs. Visit www.philips.com for more information about Philips PowerLife Iron GC2900.

Sun Cellular opens flagship store

Sun Cellular gears up to better serve its customers with its opening of new flagship stores in Robinsons Place Manila and Ayala Center Cebu. Designed by the Dubai-based firm and renowned elite retail store designer, Zebra Projects FZE, these new flagship stores are adorned with brightly-painted walls and state-of-the-art facilities. With dedicated zones for postpaid, prepaid, broadband and value-added services, an enhanced and more specialized store experience awaits visiting customers. The postpaid zone houses the various plan packages, bundled offerings, live phones and gadgets from the major manufacturers including Blackberry, Samsung, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and LG. Alongside this area is the broadband zone where customers can check out the latest wireless devices from Sun Broadband. Meanwhile, the prepaid zone showcases exciting deals covering load offerings, special SIM cards and the lowest-rated international mobile services. These bigger and trendier flagship stores also feature interactive zones where customers can experience and try on the hip and the latest value-added services of Sun Cellular. Boasting the biggest video walls in a retail store, customers get to experience an added twist to the usual product playback experience. Completing the upgrade package are the warm and accommodating personnel, dedicated to accommodate customer concerns and transactions. With a cozier and more focused customer service area, customers can conveniently lounge in while waiting.