D2

By Allan D. Francisco

Technews
Galaxy S3 vs. iPhone 5
By GLENN RICHMOND ONG

EVERY MONDAY February 20, 2012

Tech Market And Its Whims

urges and downfalls, they come together like salt and pepper, or vinegar and garlic. So it is with the consumer technology market. A most exciting industry, consumer tech has created some of the biggest excitements that humans can enjoy with their clothes on. Moreover, all these advances in technology, manufacturing, and design in the IT sector somehow help us forget the nasty and cruel things that humans sometimes, and increasingly more often, do to each other. While we should never turn a blind eye to despotic leaders who wage war against their peoples to hold on to their power, to government leaders who put amassing wealth of questionable origins above and ahead of their sworn duty to serve the people, nobody can and should hold it against us if we rewarded ourselves by focusing once in a while on the tech industry's uplifting and inspiring breakthroughs. And we can tell all those corrupt, good-for-nothing leaders from all government branches: Off with your heads and to Dante's place with you all! Of course, we'd be saying that with prayerful concern for their spiritual and intellectual well being.

empowered the Cupertino company to grab a 23.8-percent share of the market, which grew 47 percent from year-ago level to reach 149 million units in sales worldwide. While Google's Android mobile OS ran on more than 50 percent of all smartphones sold in 2011, Apple's iOS-powered iPhones grabbed both bragging rights and profitability leads. U.S., EU OK Google's Motorola Buy Online search giant Google has received the green light for its acquisition of Motorola Mobility from United States and European regulators. Watchdog agencies from both sides of the pond, however, have vowed to keep a watchful eye on the Internet giant to ensure that it holds on faithfully to its "do not be evil" credo. This early, this corner thinks that Google's purchase of Motorola Mobility and its wide range of patents will reinforce the online search leader's ability to engage in a "biblical" tit-for-tat copyright war with Apple and similarly minded patent owners. Hmm. Motorola owns some 17,000 patents and 7,500 patent applications. We might be seeing a bloodier patent war soon. Samsung Adieus LCD Business Korean electronics giant Samsung announced its plan to spin off its liquid crystal display business as it seeks to enhance profitability and streamline operations. Last year, Samsung's LCD unit saw its sales decline 10 percent. Samsung said it plans to focus its attention on more advanced (and potentially more profitable) technologies.

amsung and Apple these two brands are highly competing with each other in terms of their mobile devices and operating systems. While 2011 has served both of them good with tremendous success on its portfolio of devices, this 2012 is yet another challenging year. Who will emerge superior between the two?

Design and Form Factor The Galaxy S3 is expected to carry on with the highly plastic design. It might be thinner than the Galaxy S2, which is just 0.3-inches thick. This could mean a slightly lighter weight as well. As for the screen size, we wont be surprised if Samsung makes it about 4.6-inches, since the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Note both have big screens. For iPhone 5, the design is actually still a total mystery. However, some say that this upgrade of iPhone 4 will have a new form factor, sporting a curved glass display and a screen that runs from edge to edge. Whatever it will be, the iPhone has always come up with quality build and design, as well as a more expensive choice of materials. Performance and Memory If he Galaxy S2 felt fast, the Galaxy S3 will be even faster. Rumors say that the S3 might come with a 1.4GHz quad core processor and an impressive 2GB RAM. Blazing fast and insanely powerful! On the other hand, the iPhone 5 is expected to also get a 1GHz quad core processor called the A6 processor. Its might also be high time for Apple to put an upgrade to its RAM, making it 1GB. As for the memory, Samsung Galaxy S3 will most probably be offered in 16 or 32GB variants, with an

expandable memory card slot that can take up to 32GB SD card. Meanwhile, it looks like Apple will be sticking with the non-expandable memory, which will give the iPhone 5 the same models in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions, much like the iPhone 4S. Camera If rumors were true, the Galaxy S3 will have a spanking 12-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics. In addition, it might also have a frontfacing camera that is capable of

Apple Overtakes Samsung Aside from posting record revenue and profits in the fourth quarter of 2011, Apple also overtook Korea's largest consumer electronics vendor Samsung for the lead in the smartphone race. Record sales of the iPhone (35.5 million units compared with Samsung's 34 million)

One thing you like about the tech world is the never-ending guessing game on what's next, and the non-stop churning of rumors as to what's coming soon. The competition for the best device is relentless, the toy factories are producing one gadget after another, and the experts are constantly thinking of something new to put in a device. Rumor mongers are having a heyday.

Globe new prepaid promo *143#

Globe Telecom has introduced its newest portfolio of prepaid promos that will cater to the diverse needs of its growing customers. Globe has launched four (4) new prepaid offers bundled with text, call, and mobile browsing services available in different prices and validity periods, giving subscribers the flexibility to design and customize services that fit their needs. The first offer is the Unli All Trio offer, which has unlimited texts and calls to Globe/TM and unlimited mobile browsing. All Unli Trio is valid for 1, 3, 7 and 30 days for P60, P150, P350, and P1,400 respectively. For prepaid users whose contacts are subscribed to other networks, the All Net Combo offer is available to always keep them connected without having to change SIMs or devices. Bundled under this offer are unlimited texts to all networks, five (5) minutes of calls to all networks, and 50MB of mobile browsing. Validity periods are 1 day for P30, 3 days for P80, 7 days for P150, and 30 days for P600. Another offer for Globe Prepaid subscribers is the most sought-after and in demand Immortal offer, now available in two variants: the Immortal Trio offer which has 50 texts to Globe/ TM, 5 texts to other networks, and 5 minutes of calls to Globe/ TM available for only P25. The other variant is the Immortal Text offer, which is bundled with 25 texts to Globe/TM and 5 texts to other networks for only P15. Considered to have posted the highest recall, promo penetration and acquisition among all Globe Prepaid offers launched to date, both Immortal services can be enjoyed with no expiration or validity dates. The last offer is Unli Tingi, perfect for budget-conscious subscribers who look for more value for their money. Considered to be the most affordable offer for bundled unlimited services today, the promo combines unlimited texts to all networks, unlimited calls to Globe/TM, and unlimited mobile browsing for only P5, valid for 1 hour, with registration open from 7AM-9AM daily. The offer is ideal for both students and employees who want to keep updated as they prepare to go to school or the office. All the new prepaid offers are exclusively available on *143#, the newest and easiest quickservice menu from Globe that allows subscribers to register to various promos without having to memorize registration codes and access numbers. Other available features in *143# are access to billing and load details, a complete list of Globe promos, GCASH and share-a-load services, and download of applications. To use the service for free, just dial *143# and press the call button on the mobile phone. Globe is one with the world in celebrating the Love Month and we are excited to spread the love to our prepaid subscribers by offering them a set of new, compelling, and relevant promos, said Peter Bithos, Senior Advisor for Consumer Business. In Globe, we always ensure that our services are patterned after the behavior and needs of our customers, and with this commitment, we were driven to develop the different all-in-one packages. Added Bithos, In one package, you have everything you need text, call and mobile browsing, in order to stay in touch with people who matter most, in every way possible. Making these offers far superior than others is that our subscribers are empowered to choose the promo that best fits their needs, budget, and length of use. These offers will once again break barriers and defy restrictions, redefining what prepaid is all about.

720p HD video capture. Wow! For the iPhone 5, though, theres nothing much to look forward to. Theres a probability that the camera will be the same as iPhone 4S, but with some enhancements on the software side to include panoramic shot mode, among others. Operating System The Galaxy S3 will run on Ice Cream Sandwich OS, which is a more user-friendly OS than the predecessors Gingerbread and Froyo. However, since ICS is already being used these days, it might be a bit outdated already by the time the S3 debuts. On the contrary, the rumored iOS 6 for the iPhone 5 holds so much promise in including iMaps, Apples own mapping and navigation system. As well, Siri might be even more versatile, making it more user-friendly in a lot more countries. Although Galaxy phones have received great reviews, it doesnt have a wow factor. On the contrary, Apple always had the X-factor that always makes the people go wow. If iPhone 5 will indeed carry its new facial detection system, no other smartphones could probably beat it for that matter. Its interesting to see which among all of these rumored specifications will actually come out when they are eventually released. Whats your pick the Galaxy S3 or the iPhone 5?

The Ring Style Thumb Controller

enius brings you a fascinating technology break through to leverage your presentation. The worlds first ring style touch cursor controller for business, travel, education and i-users - Ring Presenter, is a lightweight design and human oriented ring style air-presenter with mouse functions. With technology touch-control, it provides complete control to your PowerPoint Slides, to the functions of Play (F5) / Exit, Last / Next Page, a function similar to clicking the left mouse button and laser pointer. In addition, Ring Presenter can also be used as a mouse, allowing you

to perform all the actions - move the cursor left / middle / right mouse button, dragging and scrolling in 4 directions. There is a switch between modes: mouse and presenter. Ring Presenter is a cutting-edge technology innovation, powered by the slimmest Li-ion rechargeable battery design to protect the environment while you enjoy the fun you always wanted. Also the smart battery-low detector flashes in blue when it is time to recharge. The Ring Presenter worry-free

Boomer Gen

Jose Ma J Fernandez

2.4GHz technology provides a reliable working performance and the laser pointer can work at a distance of up to 10 meters. The ring is made of elastic rubber, so it can easily fit with your finger. Ring Presenter is available in seven colors: Blue, Gold, Pink, Purple, Green, Black and Silver.

Travelling With Heated Travel Mug

ne annoying habit I have according to my wife is to maintain a perennial search for certain things that I consider useful. In this case, I have an eye out all the time for a relatively large mug similar to a small thermos jug that can keep whatever I am drinking hot or cold as the occasion dictates. Because of this, we have managed to accumulate an odd assortment of mugs of various sizes that we can use at home or on the road. As an aside, I have seen a wonderful assortment of different types of these coffee and drink mugs in different sizes, especially the larger ones that can take a large dose for the road, in a favorite upscale department store Rustans. However, the prices being charged for these mugs have caused me to look at less pretentious stores for my desired and beloved mugs.

Many college students these days have become coffee connoisseurs, and tend to be among the best clients of Starbucks, Seattles Best, Figaro, or the many other coffee shops that have mushroomed all over the country. These same coffee chains sell nice insulated coffee containers or mugs for those who prefer to take their coffee on the road or in the office, eschewing the normal one made out of biodegradable paper. Again, these various containers have proved to be quite prohibitive, especially for the inveterate collector like me who tends to buy two or three of each kind. Now comes this wonderful portable heated coffee mug called the Hot Rod Heated Travel Mug. Essentially, it is a mug that is capable to keeping your precious java at a constant hot temperature, preventing it from going cold or stale. It plugs into your car lighter

much like you would for your cellphone or other audio-video gadgets. Simple, no? The Hot Rod Heated Travel Mug comes in two colors Red or Black and even has a temperature indicator to help you monitor the warmth of the coffee, to keep you from scalding yourself or from drinking it at less than desired temperature. Unfortunately, the mug holds only 8 oz, which for me is on the low side. I have come to love those larger mugs that carry anywhere from 12 to 18 oz minimum and would help those who need more than one shot of coffee to get their fix all at once in a single serving. Now, if only someone would invent a similar gadget that would keep my drinks cold helping to do away with the need for ice that only serves to dilute an otherwise perfect cold drink. This would be the perfect gift for both students and this old fogey preferably in 18 oz size!