Smart Awesome Tablet

SMART Communications is offering a new low cost Android tablet, the 7-inch Froyo powered (Anroid 2.2) tablet bundled with its Smart Bro package. The tablet is the ZTE V9 with a suggested retail price of P12,795.

Offered under a prepaid subscription, Smart offering the ZTE V9 at six months zero interest. The tablet comes with a Smart Bro prepaid SIM with five days of unlimited internet browsing.

The tablet has WiFi and 3G connectivity, and can be used to send SMS and make voice calls. The 7-inch screen has a 800 x 450 resolution. The biggest drawback is that the screen is resistive, and not capacitative. Be sure to try one before buying. I think most will find the resistive screen a deal breaker.

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We are off DISQUS

On April 6, 2011 which switched to DISQUS for posting comments on this blog. Since than, there seem to have been less comments... so we are back to the default blogger system. 

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The Apple iPad 2 is now in the Philippine online Apple Store

The Apple iPad 2 is now at the online Apple Store (Philippines), which means you can probably pick one up at the closest Apple retailer in a few hours when the stores open. Prices are expected, same as the Apple iPad release prices last year.

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Ubuntu 11.04 is out!

Ubuntu 11.04, and it new controversial interface is out. The older version, Ubuntu 10.10 is supported with updates for another year for those who do not want to upgrade yet. I have been using Ubuntu 10.10 since December on my Windows laptop. After five months without Windows, I cannot say I miss it much. 

Never tried Ubuntu? You can download and install it on a USB disk without affecting your current Windows or OSX installation.

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Google releases and official Google Docs app

One thing which has been missing for a long time is a official an Google Android app for Google Documents. We have had GDocs ad My Docs - Google Docs which allows you to access your Google Documents account and that lets us access and edit your documents and spreadsheets from your Android smartphone. But the has been no official Google app.

Google has released their own official Docs app. The app, called Google Docs is compatible with Android 2.1 software and above. You can upload files from your smartphone, open attachments from email, and take a pictures of a book or magazine and upload the text from it as an editable Google Doc. That last feature still appears to need some work. The app has  a widget that includes buttons to create a new document or launch a starred file.

Head on to the Android Market and give it a try... like more Android apps, it is free.

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What do you think of touchscreen QWERTY messenger phones?

Two form factors have emerged as the predominant smartphone designs today. The touchscreen, most popularly represented by Apple iPhone, and the QWERTY messenger phone, which is mostly associated with BlackBerry. 

BlackBerry will be releasing touchscreen versions of its popular bold and curve phones. Samsung has released an Android QWERTY messenger, the Samsung Galaxy Pro S7510 which can be found for Php12,350 at CMK Cellphones.

I used a QWERTY messenger phone for almost five (5) years. Earlier this year I moved on to a touchscreen phone. It was a hard decision. I can type blazingly fast on a QWERTY messenger and no touchscreen could come close no matter how much I practiced. In the end, I chose a large screen 4.3-inch unit, a HTC Desire HD, since I was having trouble typing "fast" on smaller 3.5-inch and 3.7-inch screens.  A case of clumsy thumbs I guess since the smaller size seems to suit most users.  In the end, I went back to typing in portrait mode using the HTC Compact keyboard (which looks like BlackBerry's Suretype keyboard), and that seems to be the best solution for me.

The slider (HTC Desire Z and Samsung Galaxy 551) is something I looked at as an option. But, I do not like the phones with large moving parts, and the balance of a slider makes it harder to use on the mov. In the end, I do not even use my touchscreen phone on landscape mode so that made the slider something I would not feel comfortable with. If one of this touchscreen QWERTY messengers had been available, I think I may have given them a very long look.

The main drawback is of course, with a fixed physical keyboard, you have small 2.4 to 2.6 inch screens. The main advantage (which is true for touchscreen sliders) is you do not share your screen with a keyboard, and you have a keyboard with nice tactile feedback.

I am married to my Desire HD for two years so I am not going to checking out one of these touchscreen QWERTY messenger phones. What do you think? Is the touchscreen QWERTY messenger phone a excellent marriage of two worlds, or a useless compromise of two excellent designs. Would love to hear from you.

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Why I am not big on tablets

My HTC Desire HD is by far the most expensive phone I have ever purchased and is by far the best smartphone I have ever owned. It has relegated my laptop to a typewriter, something I use to upload large files to the web and a mass storage device. Still it will not replace my laptop. A tablet would not replace my laptop either. And that is why I am not big on tablets. It still won't replace my laptop, and it won't replace my smartphone. Two devices is enough for me (well actually I have three devices the third being a second laptop, a nearly four year old HP Compaq 6510b the is not worth selling and refuses to die on me). 

I got my wife a Samsung Galaxy Tab last January. Earlier this month her nearly two year old Nokia E75 died. Instead of getting another smartphone to replace the E75, she opted for a dual SIM feature phone. Call and text from the feature phone, while the tablet takes care of email, mobile web browsing, instant messaging and acts as an organizer. The tablet keeps her laptop at home, but she still needs a computer.

What I am saying is that, if you get a tablet, you still need another PC. If you have a desktop, never decided to get a laptop, I think a Tablet makes a nice add-on. If on the other hand you have a laptop or even a humble netbook, your tablet probably wont replace either device. Instead of buying a tablet and a cheap laptop, a higher priced laptop might be more advisable.  

I also think 10-inch tablets are the wrong way to go. A 10-inch tablet is a device you use on a table, and not while walking around or standing up. So why not a laptop instead? Apple iPad sales figures say I am wrong. But I am not sure how much of that is because it is an Apple, or because it is the cheapest Apple "persoanl computer" alternative. If Apple ever offered a US$499 iOS or MacOSX netbook, I think that would sell really well too. Maybe even better.

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Jeu Concours - Gagnez un Samsung Nexus S

Envie de gagner le Nexus S, dernier webphone phare du moment?

Le Club SFR pour Android en partenariat avec AndroidHD ,vous offre la possibilité de repartir avec un des 3 Nexus S mis en jeu!

Que faire pour gagner? Rien de plus simple, laissez un commentaires sur ma dernière vidéo "une journée avec le Samsung Nexus s"

Le jeu prendra fin le Vendredi 6 Mai à minuit. Les gagnants seront tirés au sort dans la semaine du 9 au 13 Mai.

Maximisez vos chances!

Rendez vous sur le Club Sfr pour Android et maximisez vos chances de gagner en laissant sur cet article un commentaire ( avec votre pseudo Youtube) : http://android.sfr.fr/jeu-concours-3-nexus-s-a-remporter

Concours réservé a la France.

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The Apple iPad 2 at your local Power Mac stores by April 29

Techie.com.ph reports that the Apple iPad 2 will be on sale at the local Power Mac Center by April 29. Retail price is expected to be at approximately Php24K for the 16GB WiFi only model. Same as the price at the local launch of the original iPad in the Philippine in December 2010.

If you are in the market for a 10-inch tablet, this is the one to buy.

Update: And Yugatech reports... that the Philippine iPad 2 release, is on hold until further notice.

Update 2: Ang Yugatech reports... that the April 29 launch date is confirmed.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab Dock Cable Connector Pinout

This is the technical info of Samsung Galaxy Tab Pinouts for digital and analog I/O on the 30 pin dock connector. This is the serial cable connection on Samsung Galaxy Tab for USB connection, charging, accessories connection and for debugging and logging etc.

Click image to view hi-res file

Samsung Galaxy Tab 30 Pin Connector Pinout

Pin# Signal to/from device
1 Gnd P
2 Gnd P
3 USB_DP_CON I/O
4 USB_DM_CON I/O
5 IF_CON_SENSE I
6 V_ACCESSORY_5.0V P
7 V_BUS_1 P
8 V_BUS_1 P
9 VOUT_CHARGER P
10 VOUT_CHARGER P
11 no connection
12 no connection
13 ACCESSORY_ID / USB_ID I
14 ACCESSORY_INT I
15 Gnd P
16 Gnd P
17 MHL_DP I/O
18 MHL_DM I/O
19 MHL_ID I
20 IF_RXD I
21 IF_TXD O
22 no connection?
23 AP_TV_OUT O
24 REMOTE_SENSE I
25 no connection
26 no connection
27 EAR_L_CRADLE O
28 EAR_R_CRADLE O
29 3.5_INT_TEST I
30 Gnd P

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Samsung Galaxy Tab How to Root Guide

Here'a are some steps and procedures on How to Root The Samsung Galaxy Tab.
Rooting the Tab opens up a world of possibilities that would otherwise be out of reach. Root access gives you complete control of the system, which means you can do much more with the device than Samsung and your carrier probably want you to do. It lets you install awesome root-only apps, uninstall apps that can't normally be removed, do complete backups (Nandroid), flash custom ROMs, apply themes, change boot animations, and more.. 

Rooting the Galaxy Tab Using Z4root:

There's more than one way to root the Galaxy Tab, but the easiest method is to use a one-click root app called z4root. One-click root apps aren't new (Universal Androot, for example, has been around for months), but z4root is what I used to root my Tab so it's what I'm recommending.

Here's how to use it to root the Galaxy Tab:

1. Download z4root from Android Market (direct link) and install it.

2. Enable USB debugging on your Tab by pressing the Menu button then tapping Settings -> Applications -> Development -> USB debugging.

3. Open z4root and press the "Root" button.










4. Don't panic when the Tab restarts. It's supposed to do that.
When it's fully booted, you won't get any kind of confirmation of your success. Everything will look exactly the same. Open z4root again, though, and you'll see this:

Rooting the Galaxy Tab Using Super One Click:


Requirements:

• Download KIES Software downloaded from here
• Download SuperOneclick from here

Procedure:

• Connect Galaxy Tab to the computer and sync with KIES once, with debugging mode disabled
• Disconnect from Computer
• Enable debugging mode (Settings > Applications > Development > USB Debugging)
• Connect again to PC but click on home button so that you do not connect to KIES this time
• Launch the SuperOneClick.exe program which you have downloaded above
• Click on root and wait for some time
• That’s it your tab has root access now!

Have fun!

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Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab Unable to Power On problem Solution

Here's a solution for Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab that unable to power or turns On or it doesn't charge responds anything at all and the phone seems a dead set device. This solution can only be applied if you already tried the firmware calibration but the phone is totally doesn't Turns On.

The Samsung P1000 Galaxy Tab Power On Doesn't work?
1. Check the battery voltage it should be more than 3.6V, replace it or try to use another working battery.
2. Check the Power Switch Flex wire assembly for possible damage. Replace if damaged.

3. Check this voltages on the capacitors
VARM = 1.2V
VINIT  = 1.2V
VCC_PDA   = 1.8v
VALIVE = 1.2V
VCC = 2.8
If this voltage reading are missing, check the Power Management IC for possible open, short, cracked, damaged, etc.
Re-work, replace the PMIC of necessary

4. Check the clock oscillator. replace it if necessary.

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Asus throws down the gauntlet

By launching Asus Eee Pad Transformer at US$399, Asus "has put other companies on notice. Anyone releasing a tablet above $400 will now really have to justify the premium" --- Laptop Magazine.

The Transformer is part tablet, part netbook. Lets look at the tablet part first.  Every tablet today will be compared as against the Apple iPad 2. 

At US$399 the Transformer is priced US$100 lower than the iPad 2. For that price you get a 10.1-inch tablet which weighs in at 1.4 pounds, making almost as light as the 1.33 pound Apple iPad 2. At 0.5 inches tick, the Transformer is nowhere as thin as the iPad 2.

With a 1280 x 800 IPS display, 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage it matches up well to the hardware found in the iPad 2. The iPad 2 should provide more graphics punch, while the Transformer would have more grunt for serious multitasking and number crunching.   

The Transformer can be plug directly into portable USB hard drives and has a SD Card reader. This means that it can replace your personal computer. The Apple iPad is really an accessory to another computer relying on cloud storage or being connected to another computer in order to expand storage.

An this is where the difference lies. While the iPad is a multimedia tablet, the Transformer tries to replace your PC. For another US$149 Asus will sell you a dock that converts the Transformer into a touchscreen laptop. The dock also comes with a battery which will extend the 8 hour battery life of the tablet by another 3 hours. Unlike the awkward physical keyboards for the iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab, the Transformer dock really converts it into a laptop.

The main advantage of the iPad 2 is the app environment. There are every few Honeycomb optimized Apps at the present time, about 62. The iPad has 1000 times that number optimized for the tablet. That alone can justify the price difference. The Apple brand also carries more prestige in ownership.

Time will tell how popular Asus entry into the tablet market it will be. But this could be the next evolutionary step for tablets, and netbooks as well. 

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Around the Web: PlayBook, Arc and Gingerbread

Work has kept my away from blogging, and in the fast paced mobile device arena, a lot happens in a week. 

PlayBook. The BlackBerry PlayBook is out abroad. No word when it is coming to the Philippines. But since the the local RIM distributer took the pains to demo one to Techie.com.ph, we assume it will be coming at some point in time. Price should be the same as the expected price for the entry level Apple iPad 2. 

The scoop on this one is simple. If you use a BlackBerry phone and BlackBerry email services, you may want to consider this. For everyone else, the Apple iPad 2 is a better option. The reality right now is the only local options are the older Apple iPad "1" and the Samsung Galaxy Tab, both of which are not available at reduced prices. 

Arc. We are not ready to update our smartphone buyers guide, but if we did so right now, we would put the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc at the top of the list. It is not the best value for money option, but with a excellent camera, a 4.2-inch screen and decent internals it offers the most well rounded package. Plus TechRadar has named the Arc the best smartphone in the world.  That influences us a lot too...

Basically, every other phone has some part that does not work as well as it should or is missing. The HTC Desire HD has a 8MP camera, which might as well be a 5MP unit with a dual LED flash that often does not adjust correctly to the situation. The Samsung Galaxy S, well it has no flash at all. The Arc puts everything together in a package where the user won't feel like anything is missing. 

Gingerbread for the Ace. GSM Arena reports that it looks like the Samsung Galaxy Ace is getting Gingerbread. 

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Windows 8 Tweaker Tool Download

Recently the leaked version of windows 8 build 7850 has found on internet. The most interesting news in windows 8 is, it is equipped with many more features like Modern Task manager, Ribbon UI, Webcam app and PDF Reader. There is a simple free utility called windows 8 tweaker tool(available for download) which will help users to unlock all hidden features that was already disabled by Microsoft.

In order to download Windows 8 tweaker  v1.1 tool click here.

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Samsung Galaxy S I9000 Not Charging Problem Solution

Here's a solution for not charging problem on Samsung Galaxy S GT-I9000 also known as Samsung I9008 Galaxy S for Chinese market, with Android OS, v2.1 (Eclair), upgradable to v2.3.  This solution may help as a guide for repair if the device suffered  water or liquid damaged and result to not charging or doesn't show charging indications if the battery wall charger is plug-in or inserted. This may not help and cannot be used for firmware related issues, so check and try to restore back or upgrade your device firmware if you have firmware problems, such as custom roms etc.


The picture below shows some components of the Samsung I900 Galaxy S, it points a test spots where to start a check up or troubleshooting procedures. It also show us which and what components needs to check first.

Samsung  Galaxy S I9000 Not Charging Problem Solution

Here's some hints on how to fix the Samsung  I9000 Galaxy S  Not Charging Problem:
1.  Ensure that the battery charger you are using is properly working or try to use another one.
2.  Visually check the USB pin connector for possible damaged. Clean it if oxidized, re-solder, or replace it if necessary. You can read the VBUS charge voltage at the pin #1 if the USB connector is okay.
3. Check or read the VBUS Charge IN voltage this is the output from the VBUS charger control IC.
4. Re-heat, rework the VBUS IC if the 5V is missing. Replace if necessary.
5. The power management IC will be the next option to re-work at if the procedures above doesn't solved the problem.

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LG Optimus S,V,T and One Recovery Flasher [ROMtools] Software: Download

This Flasher tool is a big help to install the LG Optimus S, V, T ROM firmware and Flash recovery. It will also help you install all the needed drivers as well as obtain root privileges.
Instead of using ADB and typing out ADB commands, this program combines some of the most common tasks we perform with ADB and automates them for you, according to the creator of this software mmmark111

How does this works on LG Optimus S,V,T and One Android Phones?

Flash ROM - Place a ROM in the 'ROM' folder renamed rom.zip. Hit enter and the zip will get flashed to your phone automatically

Flash Recovery - Will help you flash a recovery to your phone. For the Optimus V users, it will help you install all the needed drivers as well as obtain root privileges. Optimus T, S, and One phones will be able to flash a recovery.

Wipe dalvik-cache - Self explanatory .

Mount /system r/w - Allows read/write access to /system

Push ROM to SD card - Self explanatory (pushes to root of sd)

Push framework-res.apk - Pushes framework-res.apk to /framework, wipes dalvik-cache, and reboots the phone for you.

Push bootanimation.zip - Will remove boot animation and replace with one of your choice. (removes from /data/local as well as /system/media)

Reboot - Reboot

Reboot into Recovery - Obv.

Recoveries
CWMA v1.2518.4 for V and S (rename included recovery to vrecovery.img)
drellisdee's Recovery for T and One (thread with dl link will open automatically)

Software Installation and Recovery Instructions
Note: You're responsible for your own actions Proceed with caution!
- Download
- Unzip the folder somewhere (desktop is easy)
- Double click RecoveryFlasher.exe
- Choose 'flash recovery'
- Place your phone in debug mode >setting>applications>development>USB debugging
- Choose what you want to do
- Follow the prompts and hit "any" key when told
- Your phone will reboot into the recovery for you, and from there you can mount your sdcard and transfer a new ROM to flash. Or even easier, use the new "Flash ROM to phone" feature

Changelog
v2.3.1
- Complete overhaul
- All original features retained
- Can now flash ROM for you
- Wipe dalvik-cache option
- Push framework-res.apk added
- Push bootanimation.zip added
- Beta support for Optimus T recovery added
- Fixed Optimus One issue
- More code cleanup and stability improved
- Tons of other BS
- Download ROMTools v2.3.1 with Optimus V drivers
- Download ROMTools v2.3.1 without drivers

v1.3
- Beta support for Optimus One recovery added
- Useful tools added
---- Reboot
---- Reboot into recovery
---- Mount /system
---- Push ROM to SD Card (place ROM in the 'ROM' folder and it will be pushed to the root of your SD card)
- Code cleanup
- Lots of code rewritten
- File cleanup
- Stability improved
- New font color
- Progress bar added
- Drivers now optional
- Other junk I'm forgetting
- Download Recovery Flasher v1.3 (without V drivers)
- Download Recovery Flasher v1.3 (with V drivers)


v1.0
- Initial release
- Optimus V and S support
- Download Recovery Flasher v1.0


FAQ
Can I use this with a different recovery?
-Yes. Any recovery can be used for the supported devices.
-To use an alternate recovery for the V or S, rename the new recovery to vrecovery.img and replace the 'vrecovery.img' included with the new one.
-For the Optimus One, the recovery needs to be named grecovery.img.
I don't understand the version numbers. Why did some numbers get skipped?
-First digit represents a huge change. Second represents new features. Third represents a bug fix
-2.3.1 = Second huge update with 3 feature revisions and one bug fix
Source:
 

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One day with the Samsung Nexus S ( Android Gingerbread)

he Nexus S official Banned commercial !!
Google and Samsung have partnered to bring you Nexus S, a pure Google experience device.

Nexus S is the first phone to run Gingerbread, the fastest version of Android yet.

Connectivity
Quad-band GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900
Tri-band HSPA: 900, 2100, 1700
HSPA type: HSDPA (7.2Mbps) HSUPA (5.76Mbps)
Wi-Fi 802.11 n/b/g
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Near Field Communication (NFC)
Assisted GPS (A-GPS)
microUSB 2.0

Display
4.0" WVGA (480x800)
Contour Display with curved glass screen
Super AMOLED
235 ppi
Capacitive touch sensor
Anti-fingerprint display coating

Size and weight
63mm x 123.9mm x 10.88mm
129g

Hardware
Haptic feedback vibration
Three-axis gyroscope
Accelerometer
Digital compass
Proximity sensor
Light sensor

Processor and memory
1GHz Cortex A8 (Hummingbird) processor
16GB iNAND flash memory

Cameras and multimedia
Back-facing: 5 megapixels (2560x1920)
720 x 480 video resolution
H.264, H.263 MPEG4 video recording
Auto focus
Flash
Front-facing: VGA (640x480)
3.5mm, 4-conductor headset jack
(stereo audio plus microphone)
Earpiece and microphone
Software noise-cancellation

Battery
Talk time up to 6.7 hours on 3G
(14 hours on 2G)
Standby time up to 17.8 days on 3G
(29.7 days on 2G)
1500 mAH Lithum Ion

Software :
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
Android Market
Calendar
Gmail
Google Earth
Google Maps with Navigation
Google Search
Google Talk
Google Voice
Voice Actions
YouTube.......

Special Thanks pour le Club sfr pour Android.

soundtrack :
Special thanks to Hypnoz Prod
Contact him :
Mail : hypnozprod@gmail.com
Facebook : Florent Hypnoz
Web Site : www.hypnozprod.com

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Is there a Tablet Market?

An interesting point was raised in a PCMag article on the BlackBerry Playbook. 

Still, when I pressed him on the missing e-mail functionality, he had to acknowledge that that was a problem. He like others I spoke to there, believe that RIM is going to roll out a series of rapid-fire updates to address all of these issues. But then he said something to me that made me realize what a tough spot all tablet manufacturers, besides Apple, are in.

"I'm still not certain there is a tablet market." He said.

"What do you mean? Of course there is. Look at the iPad"

"No, I mean, I'm not sure there is a tablet market, instead of just an iPad market"

In other words, what if RIM, Motorola, Acer, Toshiba, HP and others are chasing something that doesn't even exist? What if consumers simply want to buy an Apple iPad and not "a tablet?"

Is there a tablet market? The proof of the existence of the tablet market, is the tremendously successful sales of Apple's iPad and the size of the netbook market, which the tablet is supposed to replace. These two matters need to be examined. 

iPad sales. Using iPad sales as a gauge for the existence of a large tablet market should be taken with some caution. Despite the large volume of iPad's sold, you have to look at it in the perspective of an Apple user. For several years there was nothing sitting sitting between a a iPhone and 13-inch MacBook. While the MacBook Air was designed to bridge this gap, its price point made unlikely that someone would buy both a MacBook Pro and a MacBook Air. There has long been a clamor for a lower cost Mac OS type device which would afford Mac users a familiar interface on a highly portable device lower cost device.  Apple choose to fill this gap with the iPad. Had Apple released a netbook at half the price of their entry level MacBook, I think that would have sold really well too.

Windows users are probably less likely to feel that they have a void the needs filling. A variety of small and light Windows based machine have always been available. iPad sales might only be a good indicator of a demand for a lower cost portable device with a Mac user friendly interface, 

Lets face it, there is also a segment who simply wants to buy any device with an Apple on it. iPad sales could also be an indicator of the demand for a low cost Apple devices.

Netbook market. The premise goes this way: There is a netbook market, no one really likes netbooks and the tablet is what everyone has been waiting for to replace it.

Okay, there is no netbook market. Even the name netbook is really just a marketing thing. A netbook is really just a low powered low priced laptop. The low powered part is not even necessarily true these days. The netbook market is really just the ultraportable laptop market. Make cheaper laptops and you will reach a larger market.  If you dropped the prices of the 10 to 11-inch Intel ultraportables by half, the netbook market would be gone just like that. A person selects a 10-inch "netbook" because it is cheaper than 10 to 11-inch Intel laptop. It is not an independent market segment. 

A June 2009 NPD study found that 60% of netbook buyers never take their netbooks out of the house. This really seems to indicate that the netbook market is really just the market for cheaper computers and not even for cheaper portable devices.

So, the question is, will we give up our ultraportable laptops for tablets? If the answer is yes, than there is a tablet market. If not, the tablet market may be smaller than people think.

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Samsung I5500 Galaxy 5 LCD Screen Display Problem Solution

Here's a solution for 'LCD Screen Display Problem' of the Samsung I5500 Galaxy 5 also known as Samsung i5500 Corby Smartphone, Samsung Galaxy Europa, Samsung Galaxy 550 with Android OS version, v2.1 (Eclair), upgradable to v2.2

This solution may help fix the phone if the said LCD display goes abnormal or no display showed, and already tried the software calibration and changing or replacing the LCD screen module but nothing happens.

The solution below shows an additional info on how to repair the display problem of the Samsung Galaxy 5.

Hints on troubleshooting the LCD display problem of Samsung Galaxy 5:
1. Visually check the LCD screen module for possible damaged, cracked or broken. or try to replace if you are not so sure about it.
2. Clean the LCD pin connector using a cleaning liquid. An oxidation build up on the LCD connector will also cause the display problem. Re-solder if found broken or damaged.
3. Check the seven LCD filters just mounted near the LCD pin connector, resolder or replace if necessary.
Just up to that point  up from now we will find more solutions to this device and update this post sooner.

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Lenovo Thinkpad X201i

The Lenovo Thinkpad X201i finally finds its way to the Philippine consumer market. A bit of a rant. My only complaint with the local Lenovo distro, is that when it comes to Thinkpad's, it looks like they are only offered to the regular consumer six months to one year after they are available abroad. 

The Lenovo Thinkpad X201i is Lenovo's high end business grade 12.1-inc (WXGA TFT 1280x800) ultraportable, competing with the like of the Apple MacBook Air. While its 1.4-inch thickness is not MacBook Air like, it's 3.4 pound weight puts it in the same category. In March 2010, when it was released, its  Intel Core i5 460M 2.53GHz processor, 4GB DDR3 Memory,  Intel HD Graphics would have made it a truly wonderful high end ultraportable. 

Today, we get this for Php62,900, while the rest of the world is getting the new for 2011 Thinkpad X220 with Sandy Bridge and a higher resolution screen. The X220 is also cheaper at launch than the X201 was last year. Nice laptop, one year too late and higher than the newer X220 is abroad. Pass for me. 

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HTC Desire S is now available @ CMK Cellphones, lower prices for other HTC Phones

HTC Mozart is now available for just Php20,500

The HTC Desire S is being offered by CMK Cellphones at a price of Php22,300, which is Php1,200 less than the price we previously reported. Coinciding with the availability of the Desire S CMK Cellphones dropped the prices on several other HTC Models:

HTC Desire HD (Android) - Old price: Php24,000 ---> New price: Php23,500
HTC Desire Z (Android) - Old price: Php22,000 ---> New price: Php21,500
HTC Mozart (Windows Phone 7) - Old price: Php22,000 ---> New price: Php20,500
HTC Desire (Android) - Old price: Php19,500  ---> New price: Php19,000

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Smart Communications HTC Desire S and Sony Ericsson Arc Promo

Am a bit busy these days, so I cannot spent much time posting, but I could not ignore this one. Smart Communications is now offering the HTC Desire S at pre-order at either Smart Gold Data Plan 2000 or Smart Gold Plan 2500. The Sony Ericsson Arc is being offered at pre-order at either Smart Gold Data Plan 3000 or Smart Gold Plan 2500.

It's raining gingerbreads at Smart and if you are in the market for a new phone, I recommend you get one of these on a data plan. I have had a few billing issues on the Smart Gold Unlimited Data Plan, which you can read about here... but so far, it is not a deal breaker.The pre-order period runs from April 9-18, 2011.

    

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PC QR Code Generator

If you are looking for a way to creat QR codes or Quick Response specific matrix barcodes from your personal computer, QR Droid has a webpage that will allow you to do that here: QR Code Generator. It is a free service. If you are not yet familiar with how QR codes work, fire up your phones bar code reader or Google Googles and point the camera to the image below. It will lead you to one of my other blogs.

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Asus External 3D Blu-ray Writer

Asus has recently launched their new BW-12D1S-U, the world’s fastest external 3D Blu-ray writer. The new Asus 3D Blu-ray Burner replaces all Desktops and laptops because it’s all in one powerhouse device which can capable of playing high definition(HD) 3D videos and it also burn the Blu-ray disks at maximum writing speed up to 12X. With its USB 3.0 interface users can transfer the data with maximum speed of 5 Gbps. It has additional feature i.e, Optical Tuning Strategy (OTS) which offers optimized best writing quality available and high definition 3D playback of videos.

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HTC Desire S is now available @ Top Electronics

The HTC Desire S, one of HTC new for 2011 smartphones is now available at Top Electronics. As per the posted specifications the HTC Desire S will have:

* Android 2.3 Gingerbread

* Aluminum Unibody Casing

* 3.7" SLCD Touchscreen 480×800 pixels, 16.7M Colors

* Qualcomm 1GHZ MSM8255 

* 1.1GB Internal, 768MB RAM

* HSDPA, 14.4 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps connectivity, along with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, EDR capabilities

* 5MP w/ autofocus, flash, geotagging, face detection/VGA Front camera

* 720p video recording and playback

* HTC Sense 3.0

The price is listed at Php23,500, which places it at 1K less than the HTC Desire HD at Php24,500. 

The Desire S basically upgrades the Desire to Desire HD specifications by giving it a aluminum unibody casing and the same Qualcomm 1GHz MSM8255 processor, Adreno 205 graphical processing unit and 768MB of RAM which powers the HTC Desire HD. The HTC Desire S also gets the same touch sensitive controls used in the Desire HD, instead of physical buttons.

The HTC Desire HD a still has more internal storage, more bundled storage and a higher resolution camera and, of course, the larger 4.3-inch screen versus the smaller 3.7-inch screen of the Desire S.

Screen: 4.3-inch for the Desire HD versus 3.7-inch for the Desire S

Internal storage: 1.5GB for the Desire HD versus 1.1GB for the Desire S

Bundled storage: 8GB MicroSD for the Desire HD versus 2GB MicroSD for the Desire S

Camera: 8MP for the Desire HD versus 8MP for the Desire S

In fairness, the HTC Desire S is no meant to replace the Desire HD as its top of the line HTC phone in the Philippines. The Desire S has some key advantages though, a S-LCD screen (the Desire HD has a plain LCD screen), a bigger battery (1450 mAh for the Desire S versus 1230 mAh for the Desire HD) and a secondary camera.

The HTC Desire S comes with Gingerbread 2.3, but that will  be coming to Desire HD owners in the next two months.

For now, it is really the larger screen versus the front camera and larger battery. Pick your poison. Either is a great choice.

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Turning a technological corner

If you asked me to choose between my laptop and my smartphone I would not really be able to give up either device. But with todays 4-inch plus smartphones and powerful processors and graphical processing unit, I feel like I am turning a technological corner. My HTC Desire HD still cannot replace my computer, but it has advanced enough so I could (not that I would) give up a laptop and settle for a desktop. I really carry my laptop less and less frequently when in the field. Still, I do prefer to lug a laptop between the home and office, rather than have a desktop at each place.  Also laptop does not really cost more than a desktop these days. The computer has been relegated to the role of a tool I use to type documents and to blog. I can imagine that someone whose work did not involve preparing long documents would find even less use for a computer these days.

Newer, more powerful laptop interest me less and less. Pretty much any laptop today will do. I look less at the specifications and more at the keyboard, trackpad and case. Good ergonomic and solidly built, and I could care less whether it had a humble AMD Fusion or a mighty Intel Core i7 inside. The HTC Desire HD cost me 90% more than my previous smartphone acquisition (well actually my wife bought my previous smartphone for me), but next time I buy one I definitely will also be buying on the high end of the spectrum. I wonder if that is just me, or if we will see more consumers spending a bit less on their computers and a bit more on their handheld computers. Tablets will also draw away more money for computer sales, though after being amazed with them for a few months, I really have little interest left in a tablet. The only way I would use one, is if someone gave me one. But I do not see myself buying a tablet... well not at least until it can replace my laptop.

  

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Windows Phone 7 to be No. 2 by 2015?

Gartner predicts Windows Phone 7 will overtake Apple's iPhone in market share and being number two behind Android by 2015:  

This prediction coincides with IDC's own prediction which also find Windows Phone 7 going past iOS and being the second most popular OS by 2015.

While many look at these figures with disbelief, the predictions do make sense. Unless Apple releases a cheaper iPhone it looks like their market share has plateaued. Apple iPhone market share is already amazingly high, with almost 1-in-6 smartphones being an iPhone. You have to consider that Apple does not have any mid-level or budget offering.

As for Windows Phone 7, it does not carry any of the baggage of the Windows desktop operating system. Windows Phone 7 runs fast and has a truly evolutionary Metro user interface. It slow adoption is really because it launched into a market with two established competitors. Had it launched a year earlier, things might have been different. Also like, Apple's iOS there are no mid-level and budget Windows Phone 7 units.  As 1GHz processor make the transition from high end to mid-level phones you should see Windows Phone 7 market share increase. 

The partnership with Nokia will boost Windows Phone 7 sales too. While you wont see Nokia Windows Phone 7 devices in quantity till 2012, one should not discount that fact the many Nokia buyers do not buy it because of the operating system, but simply because it is a Nokia. If only one in four Nokia buyers moves from Nokia-Symbian to Nokia-WP7, Windows Phone 7 will be a serious player by 2012. A predicting what will happen in 2015... that seems a bit too long in the smartphone market. 

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We are now on DISQUS

A reader recommended that I use Disqus for my blog, so here it is. The only drawback, is the current 100 comments already made no longer appear on the blog, bit lets see how this system works out.

Could someone post a comment so I can see how this thing works :)

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Crysis 2 v1.2 Patch Download

A week ago the most anticipated First Person Shooter game Crysis 2 was released and it got some minor bugs and due to this the game freezes at loading the game and extraction points. So EA Games decided to release a final v1.2 Patch for Crysis 2 PC in order to fixes the gameplay functionality and gaming experience.

The File size is 40MB Crysis 2 v1.2 Patch Download click here.

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How to make Samsung Galaxy S Download Mode JIG to solve if 3-Button combination failed

If you ever have a problem or getting trouble  how to set the the Samsung Galaxy S and other  Galaxy S series into 'Download Mode' if pressing the three button combination  (Volume down+Power+OK) failed or not working for some reasons while flashing the phone using ODIN. This solution may help solved your problem.

All you need is a good soldering skills, a little bit effort and creativity and some components and tools below.
* micro USB cable
* a 300K- 1/4 watch Resistors
* Soldering iron at least 20Watts and a soldering lead
* a cutter or knife

Here's the block diagram to make a homemade Download Mode Jig dongle.

Procedures:
All you need is to solder the pin 4 (ID) and pin 5 (Ground) pins of the micro USB plug. Just cut out  the sleeves of the USB plug, then attached and solder the 300K resistor across to pin 4 and 5. Just as like this finished product below:

How to use on Samsung Galaxy S while using ODIN.

1. Pull out the battery for about 2-5 minutes, then inplace it back again. Do not turn it ON yet.
2. Connect the jig you just made. Avoid touching the resistor and pins on the back or just put a  a non inductive cover around it, an electrical tape may work.  The device will just turn into download mode in just a couple of seconds without pressing any buttons.

3. Once the Samsung Galaxy S displays the Downloading, disconnect the homemade jig USB plug and connect a regular USB cable from your PC to the phone, then you can flash the device using Odin.

Or to avoid any hassles or without any soldering skills ask Google where to find it.
It's very cheap but this USB Jig dongle will help you access to download mode even if your phone is 3-button combo disabled. if u plan on getting root access or adding ROM'S, you should have a dongle jig on hand just in case things do not go as planned.Download Mode Micro USB Jig will allow you to access download mode on your Samsung Galaxy S Phone.

This JIG also work with other phones below:
Samsung i896 Galaxy S Captivate Samsung T959 Vibrant Galaxy S Samsung Galaxy S Epic Samsung Omnia 7 Samsung i9000 Galaxy S Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate Samsung I897 Galaxy S Captivate

Here's a video from NXjeff in his version of Homemade Samsung Galaxy S Download Mode Jig:

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How to back up sms/texts messages, bookmarks, games and apps on Samsung Galaxy Tab: Procedures

If you ever wanted to flash or upgrade your Galaxy Tab to any Firmware update, it is very important that you must back up all of your precious data stored or installed on the device (like your sms/texts messages, bookmarks, games scores, etc.), so a backup of your data would be your first approach. Firmware installation process will wipe and delete all of them and there are no guaranties that you can recover them again once it already been wipe out.

Below are the following free tools you may find and download on Android Market to help you back-up your essential data.
But before you can install this tools, A rooted Galaxy Tab is required you may need to root your Tab if you haven't rooted it. Guide on how to root the Galaxy Tab here..

- Titanium Backup  (by Titanium Track): Titanium Backup is a good when it comes to backing up the third party apps (to save you the headache of going to the market, searching and downloading them again) as well as the data you’ve accumulated with your data (for apps like 3G Watchdog, game saves on games like Angry Birds etc.

How to use:
1. Download and installed it then fire it up and let it load. For first timer using this apps there is a request for you to allow it to be granted root rights.. just do allow it.
2. Now press the  “Menu” key and select “Batch” Titanium Backup might take a while here calculating some scenarios, but it should provide you with a page headlined in blue called “Batch Backup/Restore – ALL”.
Press the “RUN” button next to the option “Backup all user apps”. Next you’re presented with a
page headlined in blue called “Backup all user apps”.
3. Now you can just press the “Run the batch operation” button to backup all the user apps you’ve got installed in your Tab, or you can choose  and select only the apps you want to back up.
4.Once you’ve chosen the apps you want to backup, hit the “Run the batch operation” button to start the backup operations.) This is entirely your call.
Let it run until the batch back operation completely finish..

5. Look for the folder called TitaniumBackup in your Internal SD. Copy it to your PC or to
your External SD. That's it! you have back up your apps with Titanium
Backup.

- SMS Backup & Restore (by Ritesh Sahu): This app is great for backing up all your SMS/Text messages. (I’m not sure about MMS messages though – I rarely receive them!)
1. Get it from the Market.
2. fire it up and hit the “Backup” button! It should notify you once it’s
done backing up.
3. Look for the folder called SMSBackupRestore in your Internal SD. Copy it to somewhere safe: like your PC or to your External SD if you have one! That's it backing up
your SMS/Text messages with SMS Backup & Restore.

- SMS Backup + by Jan Berkel. Automatically backup SMS, MMS and call log entries using a separate label in Gmail / Google Calendar. It is also possible to restore SMS and call log entries back to the phone (MMS not supported yet). Trust me, this small lil’app is a life-saver! Once in my haste in backing up and flashing, I accidentally deleted
my SMSBackupRestore folder. Once I wiped and flashed the ROM, a cold chill went up my spine, when SMS Backup & Restore told me it couldn’t find my backup file! Thank god for “SMS Backup +”! The restoring process from my Gmail is a tad slow, but hey it works. Plus it has the added
advantage of backing up your SMS data to your Gmail, should your phone get (touch wood!)
stolen/misplaced/damaged… Just remember to let it back-up at least once, until it says, there’s
nothing to back up and to select the “Auto backup” function!

- Bookmark Sort & Backup (by HappyDroid): This app is great for backing up all your bookmarks in the stock browser. (It’s also great for sorting them in the order you like as well!) Get it from the Market and fire it up. Hit the menu key and select “Backup”! It should notify you once it’s done backing up. Now this is very important: Look for the folder called BookmarkSB in your Internal SD. Copy it to somewhere safe: like your PC or to your External SD if you have one! You’re done backing up your Brower’s bookmarks with Bookmark Sort & Backup.

- ES File Explorer (by Estrongs Inc.): This is a great file manager. It allows you to easily connect to your network shares, it can see/edit the hidden folders that the stock Samsung “My files” file manager can’t see. Use it to back up the relevant folders as required. For example, games like those produced by Glu, keep their game assets and other stuff in a folder called “glu”, Aldiko Reader keeps its book database in a folder called “eBooks” while the popular Bible app by YouVersion keeps its assets and offline bible database in a hidden folder (which My Files can’t see) called “.youversion” (Notice the dot?) Like the other important
folders above, you might want to back up these folders to a safe location. I use ES File Explorer to make a copy of these folders to my External SD card. You can also copy it them to your PC via your USB connection.

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