Time to rethink the Android tablet?

Amazon's Kindle Fire has laid down the gauntlet, the powerful dual core Kindle Fire cuts down on some features, which I do not think will be missed (and a few that might), but it got 95,000 pre-orders in one day, and it only sells in the US for now. It would have been at least 95,001 if they let me order it from the Philippines. The gauntlet has been laid, a 7-inch Android tablet costs US$199. In apparent response prices for the HTC Flyer and BlackBerry PlayBook has dropped with some retailers to US$299.When I saw the specifications for the Xoom, last February, I was thinking, what was Motorola thinking. It turned out, these specifications...

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Nokia 500 - Take Symbian for one last dance?

With the release of the Sony Xperia Mini in the Philippine this month we saw our first smartphone powered by a 1GHz processor priced at under Php10,000. The Sony Experia Mini has a suggested retail price of Php10,500, but a little smart shopping should net you one at just under 10K. Now Nokia joins the fray of 1GHz  budget phones This phone which is a successor to the C5 series is well equipped for the price. It has a 3.2-inch nHD (360 x 640) capacitative display, 2GB or internal storage, WiFi and 3G (HSDPA/HSUPA) connectivity and GPS, all for Php9,000. I am not sure that the suggested retail price on this model is, but it can be found...

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Samsung Galaxy S2 Official Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread Update I9100XXKI3 Stock ROMs

The official release of Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread for Samsung Galaxy S II I9100 is finally rolled out by Samsung. The firmware build number is I9100XXKI3 same as the  leaked version. The first public released was pushed out already over Poland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Other region all over Europe and the rest of Asia will get the said official update sooner and this report has been confirmed by samfirmware kies update.The firmware build date was still the same from the leaked version which is September 15, 2011.The below files are the Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread I9100XXKI3 update that has been pulled and filed by Intratech over XDA-Developer....

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Arabic Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread S5570JPKQ8 Stock ROM for Samsung Galaxy Mini S5570

The Arabic stock ROM Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread for Samsung Galaxy Mini S5570 is now available and released by samfirmware.com. It's been a while ago since the two Arabic 2.2.1 Froyo versions like S5570JPKA3 and S5570JPKC1 until this update stock ROM is finally revealed.  The firmware build number is S5570JPKQ8 with a default  multi-CSC file of S5570OJPKQ7 for all Arabic Regions and with dated build of  September 16, 2011. Firmware details:S5570JPKQ8 - for Arabic regionVersion: Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread BOOT: APBOOT_S5570JPKQ8_CL583440_REV02_user_low_true.tar.md5PDA: CODE_S5570JPKQ8_CL583440_REV02_user_low_true.tar.md5  PHONE:...

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New iPhone on Oct. 4, new Nexus on October 11

October 2011 is going to be one interesting month. On October 4, we expect to see Apples iOS5  and the new iPhone's. We are expecting to see the iPhone 5 and a modified iPhone 4, with the new name iPhone 4S. I am not sure what the "1" in the image released by Apple indicates. Some have speculated only one iPhone will be announced on October 4. A week later, on October 11, Google will launch its Samsung built Nexus Prime, with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). After that we expect to see HTC's and LG's own Android 4.0 devices. Let the games beg...

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The Amazon KIndle tablet - An Android tablet done right

Amazon has launched it long awaited tablet, the Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire is a Android powered tablet with a 7-inch (1024 x 600 resolution) screen, a dual core processor, 8GB of internal storage which uses WiFi and Bluetooth for connectivity. The Android operating system on the Kindle Fire is heavily customized by Amazon. The Kindle Fire does not have 3G connectivity, GPS, cameras and a mic. From a hardware standpoint, it does not compete with the Apple iPad 2, RIM's PlayBook or any of the Google Android Honeycomb Tablets. It makes no pretense of being a productivity device, and squarely defines itself multimedia entertainment device which...

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A Linux users rant

Does Linux have a future on the desktop? I think not. My opinion is Linux users are very intelligent but very fickle bunch. I happily run Ubuntu, but if there was no Ubuntu I would not mind using Fedora, or Mint, or Debian, or SUSE or Mandriva, or something else. They all work.The Gnome 3.20 desktopMy preferred desktop environment is the Gnome 3.20 shell, but am no less productive using the (busy) Unity Shell on Gnome 3, the older Gnome 2.x, KDE or something else. Yes, they all work too.The Unity Desktop EnvironmentWith Windows and Mac users, well they may not like some changes, but ultimately they adjust to the new OS or desktop. With Linux,...

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Is the tablet at toy?

Sara Yin of PC Magazine has an interesting article entitled "Tablets Are Still Seen As Toys, Survey Says". I am not replicating all the data reported there in this post, so you may want to read that article first before this commentary. The article cites data from a CitiGroup survey. The most important findings I think are the following:"Sixty-two percent of the 1,800 consumers surveyed said that if they do buy a tablet within the next 12 months, it's because they want a new "toy or a gadget." That figure is even higher than the sentiment captured in November 2010, when only 44 percent of those surveyed checked the "toy or gadget" box. A...

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Around the web: Mobile phones

iPhone 4S &5. PCMagazine reports that the invitations have been sent out, Apple invites the tech elite to "Let's talk iPhone" to be held on October 4, 2011 (US time). Exactly what it coming out is speculative. Pictures of Otterbox iPhone 4S cases which leaked on the net would seem to indicate that there will be an iPhone 4S, which is similar in appearance to the current iPhone 4. Leaked pictures of a Casemate case seen to indicate something completely new. Basically, I am expecting two phones to be announced, an iPhone 4S and iPhone 5.We also do know that the new iPhone will be getting iOS 5 and the commands (hence the "Lets talk" thing)....

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Clash at 13-inches: Acer Aspire TimelineX 3830T-2412G64nbb, Sony Vaio S VPCSB26FG and 13-inch MacBook Air 128GB

Three interesting options for someone looking for a laptop small and light enough to carry around and big enough to be your daily driver: the Acer Aspire TimelineX 3830T-2412G64nbb, Sony Vaio S VPCSB26FG and 13-inch MacBook Air 128GB. Apple slim and light MacBook AirProcessor. All three laptops are state of the art Intel Sandy Bridge laptops, all powered by Core i5 processors. The Acer and Sony have faster Intel Core i5-2410M processor running at 2.30GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.90GHz, while the Apple has a slower but cooler running Intel Core i5-2557M processor running at 1.70GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.70GHz  In...

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Ubuntu 11.10 to include Gnome Classic?

I installed the Gnome Shell on the latest beta release of Ubuntu 11.10 and I noticed that the Gnome Classic interface option seem to be available again.There are a few glitches with this interface, notable I could not get the Bluetooth icon to display properly, but it did work. Underneath, the Gnome "Classic" shell is Gnome 3.Update: I was informed this is the Gnome 3 shell fall back mode which Ubuntu just now calls Gnome Class...

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How to Fix a Frozen, Hang in Logo Problem on Samsung Galaxy S II / S2 I9100

 The Samsung Galaxy S2 is a high-end Android device because of it's1.2 GHz dual-core System on a chip processor. It also features 1 GB of RAM, but sometimes it also experience some hang or frozen problem. It just sometimes freezes without no means, and this reportedly happens very rare. This may occurred due to the phones memory getting too, low like for example, running multiple applications,  scrolling down long texts or phone book that happens once in a while, etc.Once your Samsung Galaxy S II is frozen it become unresponsive, the first thing you only have in mind is to restart the phone. You may either pull out the battery and...

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Sony Vaio S VPCSB26FG

Sony seems to be trying to make a push for a bigger marker share in the Philippines, opening up concept stores and more importantly more aggressive pricing on their current YB, E and S series laptops. The new AMD E-450 power Sony Vaio YB and AMD E-450 and Intel Sandy Bridge powered Sony Vaio E's are 10-20% less than the previous models. Sony Vaio S VPCSB26FGGiven that Sony Vaio laptops are very nicely built, albeit at a premium price, the lower pricing is very welcome. The new Sony Vaio S model have also been released with a lower price. Particularly, interesting is the 13.3-inch Sony Vaio S VPCSB26FG which is now priced...

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray is now available in the Philippine market for as low as Php16,200. The Xperia Ray is another Google Android phone, running on the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). It is a rather unique offering. With a high resolution 480 x 650 LCD display, 1GHz Scorpion processor, Adreno 205 graphics and 512MB of RAM, the Xperia Ray's specifications equal or exceed other mid-level Android like the LG Optimus Black, Samsung i9000 Galaxy S and HTC Desire S. The 8MP camera on the Xperia Ray is actually the best in the price range.  What makes it different from other mid-level Android is a small 3.3-inch screen. This allows the phone...

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How to flash/install I9100XXKI3 Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread on Samsung Galaxy S2 via Odin

Here's the step by step guide on how to update or upgrade the Samsung Galaxy S II to Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread with the firmware build version I9100XXKH3 and multi-CSC OXAKI3. This guide is a manual flashing by way of using Odin multi-downloader tool. Some changes on the I9100XXKI3 Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread gathered from most users who already flashed it via XDA forum. - the vibration notification icon is always shown when vibration is enabled. it's smart also, because the user can see than vibration on ! - instead of the apple patented overscrolling, there's now that ugly blue overscrol effect - the homescreen cycles now, if you're at your...

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I9100XXKI3 Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread ROM for Samsung Galaxy S II / S2

The ROM leaks for Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100 has been leaked and released by samfirmware. The said ROM update with a build number of I9100XXKI3 with CSC file I9100OXAKI3 and the build date of September 15 2011. This is the first Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread that leaks for Samsung Galaxy S2, and been reportedly released by samfirmware and darky's team. So, any advance user can now flash the I9100XXKI3 Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread stock ROM and upgrade the Samsung Galaxy S II system firmware by using ODIN downloader tool. We will update this report for any enhancement and improvements, bug fixes etc. regarding this leaked I9100XXKI3 android 2.3.5 update...

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Impressions on Windows 8 Developer Preview

I used to think there was some kind of conspiracy between Intel and Microsoft. Intel would create faster processors, and Microsoft would release new operating systems and updates which needed more and more resources. I am sure that someone uses all the new features that they have placed in the new operating systems, but I never really appreciated all the new features. All things considered, I would be perfectly happy reverting to Windows XP. In the end, all I really want is an operating system that boots fast, resumes from sleep quickly, shutdowns in an instant and launches applications quickly and get out of the way as quickly as possible. On...

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AT&T (USA) I997UCKI4 Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread ROM leaks for Samsung Infuse 4G SGH-I997

The Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread ROM for Samsung Infuse 4G SGH-I997  AT&T US carrier is now available on stock ROM. This firmware build number is I997UCKI4 with default ATT CSC file and a build date of September 2011. This is the first Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread update that is finally hits only for AT&T Infuse. The ROM was first release by samfirmware along side-by-side with T-Mobile's Samsung Galaxy S 4G SGH-T959v which also got the first 2.3.5 T959VUVKI1 update.You can grab the stock rom here: I997UCKI4 via samfirmware.com links.Model = Samsung Infuse 4G SGH-I997Provider = AT&T USAK = 2011I = September4 = Vers...

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Odin Guide: Install T959VUVKI1 Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread for T- Mobile Samsung Galaxy S 4G

Here's a  step by step guide on how to upgrade the Samsung Galaxy S 4G to Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread T959VUVKI1 firmware update. This guide covers for manual flashing by way of using ODIN since this firmware is a stock ROM, a leaked and not a final Gingerbread version so far. Anyone does not any knowledge about firmware flashing can wait for the T-Mobile official push out via OTA/KIES update. Disclaimer: Proceed at your own risk, we are not responsible if any problems may happen to your device. What you'll need: - Desktop/Laptop Computer Running 32bit Versions Of Either Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, or XP- Anti-Virus Programs Should Be...

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Is Windows 8 a modern day Janus?

In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions. He is depicted as having two faces on his head, facing opposite directions. Symbolically Janus looks simultaneously into the future and the past. Windows 8 represents the most major transition in Windows since Windows 95. Part of it hold on to its past and rich store of applications. Part of its looks to the future, giving a nod to modern touchscreen devices.Windows 8 adopts the new Metro interface, from Microsoft's own Windows Phone 7 devices. But it is more than that. It is like having two different desktops with their own apps running on one operating...

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The iPhone 5 Buzz

It is expected that Apple is going to release its fifth-generation handset iPhone 5 by the end of October this year 2011. It seems as if Apple intentionally delayed the introduction of iPhone 5 for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the holiday season is around the corner and the masses have been hearing a lot of rumors regarding iPhone 5. People would love to have this new handset as gifts of Christmas and other events. Market has been greatly occupied by Apple due to this delay. Secondly, Droid Bionic is a recent entry in the market with much improved camera results. Apple had to figure out some way depending upon this market response with something even better. Also, there had been issues of reduced sales due to antenna problems with iPhone 4.Specifications of the Apple iPhone 5Though Apple...

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T- Mobile (USA) Samsung Galaxy S 4G T959VUVKI1 Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread Update

The first Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread for Galaxy S 4G updates finally  here, the firmware build number is T959VUVKI1 with a default CSC file of TMB and build date September 15, 2011. Folks using a carrier branded T-Mobile Galaxy S 4G SGH-T959V that runs on Android version 2.3.3 or 2.3.4 T959VUVKF1, T959VUVKG4 and T959VUVKH2 can now upgrade to T959VUVKI1 which is now packed on Android 2.3.5. Other fixes and improvements- This update version will improved network performance for the Galaxy S 4G, fixed bluetooth bug, improved Gmail application .Build info.  # autogenerated by buildinfo.sh    ro.build.id=GINGERBREAD   ...

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Acer Travelmate TimelineX 8372-484G50Mnkk

Acer has released a very nicely priced thin-and-light laptop in the Philippine market, the 13.3-inch Acer Travelmate TimelineX 8372-484G50Mnkk. The laptop has the following specifications:Linux O.S.Intel Core-i5 480M, 2.66GHZ, 3MB Cache, 1066FSB (35W)Mobile Intel® HM55 Express Chipset4GB DDR3 1066MHz Memory, with two memory slots up to 4GB max13.3"  HD 1366 x 768 pixel resolution, high-brightness LED-backlit TFT LCDIntel® HD Graphics with 128 MB of dedicated system memoryIntegrated High-definition Audio support with two built-in stereo speakers500GB SATA HDD8x DVD SuperMulti Double Layer DriveBuilt-in  Fingerprint Solutions2.1kg...

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