Free mobile internet from Globe Telecom via the m.Globe service

Globe Telecom has launched a new mobile service, called m.Globe that offers free access to your Twitter, Facebook Gmail, Yahoo! Mail and Windows Live mail for free. In addition you can search Google, read news feeds, watch UAAP games, check movie schedules and previews, and download music, all for free. m.Globe access is offered to postpaid and prepaid users.

There are to ways to access this service:

1) The service can be accessed though an Android app, if you are using an Android device.

2) If you are on a different operating system you can access the service with a web browser by going to http://m.globe.com.ph.

Before accessing the service you need to register by simply sending an SMS to 2910 with the message "m.Globe", without the quotation marks.  

Leaving the m.Globe portal or app and going to a third party website will incur data charges.

m.Globe is a stab at SMART Communications Netphone, and Globe tag line says it all "With m.globe, no need to spend for a new internet phone." This service looks like it will take out a lot of the steam out of SMART's new product.

You can find a comparison of the two services at this link.

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HTC Titan: Impressive Windows Phone 7 Mango phone that reveals the chinks in Mango's armor

Windows Phone 7 Mango phones designed to challenge Apple's and Google Android best offerings are coming out into the market to make what we think will be its the first part, of a two part, final push at becoming one of the major operating systems.

In the 4th quarter of this year we expect to see Windows Phone 7 Mango take a stab the iPhone at the high end Android devices and in the 1st quarter of 2010, to try to wrest the mid and entry level markets from Android with Windows Phone 7 "Tango".

I love the Metro UI and how tightly it integrates smartphone functions, but the HTC Titan announcement is both impressive and disappointing.

HTC Titan. HTC has had a long relationship with Microsoft, and in 2010 they put the most support behind Windows Phone 7 launching a large number of Windows Phone 7 devices with the best technology HTC has on hand. For the Mango launch HTC is doing the same thing. 

The Titan impresses. HTC has blessed the Titan with a giant 4.7-inch S-LCD display in a case which is a lot smaller than you would expect for a phone this size. While the phone is 70.7 mm wide it is only 9.9 mm thick, which makes it just about as handy as 4.3-inch HTC Desire HD from 2010. While the HTC Titan is 2.7 mm wider, it is 1.9 mm thinner. A marvelous feat of engineering.

HTC has given the it's Titan 16GB or internal storage, its Dolby Mobile and SRS sound enhancement for audio and an 8 megapixel camera with 28mm lens, back-illuminated sensor, F2.2 aperture and a dual-LED flash, which is the best still camera HTC has placed on a phone. HTC has also given it Titan a high capacity 1600 mAh battery.

All this is wrapped around a unibody aluminum case. HTC has dressed up Windows Phone Mango as it best can.

The Titan (or rather Mango) disappoints. The massive 4.7-inch screen of the HTC Titan sports a 480 x 800 screen resolution. While I am happy enough with a 480 x 800 screen resolution on the Dell Streak which has an even larger 5-inch screen,  this will raise many eyebrows. 

If the phone had a qHD resolution (540 x 960) like it has on the Google Androdi powered HTC Sensation it would be narrower and slimmer than the HTC Desire HD. That would have been an amazing feat indeed. The qHD screen would be a better choice for HD video playback.

While HTC did not explain the choice for 480 x 800 screen resolution, that appears to be a limitation of Windows Phone 7 Mango. 

Instead of the dual core processors we see on flagship Android Phones, you get a single 1.5 GHz Scorpion processor. Instead of the Adreno 220 graphics on the top of the line HTC Androids you get Adreno 205 graphics. Windows Phone 7 does not appear support dual core processors at the present time, since the information we have on Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) says that it added Qualcomm MSM7X30 and MSM8X55 support, but makes no mention of MSM*X60 support, this would explain the single core  single core processor and the Adreno 205 graphics.

This also means that the HTC Titan does not support 1080p video. While the average buyer may not care about whether the phone has a single of dual core processors, the absence of 1080p video will make the phone seem inferior to the latest Android gadgets in the average consumers mind.

It looks like HTC tried to put its best foot forward with the Titan. Since Windows Phone 7 does not support or require a dual core processor, there should be no problem as this phone will support every Windows Phone 7 app in the foreseeable future. But it is starting to look like Windows Phone 7 Mango is a step behind Google Android and iOS in the 3D graphics and video department. 

I am not sure if this will be enough to put up a serious fight against the next iPhone and the upcoming Google Nexus Prime phone. But lets wait and see how much this phone will cost. The less than cutting aspects of some of its hardware might yield a nice "discount" on the price. Overall it is still one impressive piece of hardware and Mango's other features are very impressive. Whatever the price, I am giving this phone a good look if and when it gets here. For me, HTC put in enough goodies so I can overlook the shortcomings. I don't think the rest of the market will though.

The HTC Titan should be available in Europe by October.

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September entry-level smartphone buyers guide

We have looked at high end smartphones, which these days will cost you Php24,000 or more cash, or Php2,499 or higher on a carrier subsidized phone under a contract. We also have looked at mid-level offering which these days means spending Php17,000 to Php20,000 cash, or Php2,000 on a carrier subsidized phone under a contract.

Getting a entry level smartphone these days is relatively inexpensive. SMART Communication and Sun Cellular will give you a Huawei U8150 IDEOS or an LG Optimus Me for free or Php500 per month or less on a two year contract. These phones are all Android powered smartphone with a small 2.8-inch 240 x 320 resolution screen. You can also buy these phones for cash, for Php8,000 or less

These phones do work. Initially, you will be amazed what you can do with a phone these expensive, but over time you will find that the 2.8-inch screen is too small for a pure touchscreen phone and the 240 x 320 resolution screen is incompatible with many Android apps.

You will find Sony Ericcson's X8 and W8 Google Android phones which have larger 3-inch higher resolution 320 x 480 screens. The problem with these phones is that they run an old version of Android (v. 2.1 Eclair) which does not allow you to install applications in the memory card, and these phone have very little internal storage (128MB).  

Our favorite recommendation at this price range has been LG Optimus One. It is a Google Android touchscreen phone with a 3.2-inch, 320 x 480 resolution screen. While this phone is getting a bit old LG is updating it to Android 2.3, keeping its software current. This phone can be found for Php9,800. A cash purcahse is the only way to get this phone. You have no carrier options.

Postpaid, Globe Telecom has a good deal on the BlackBerry Curve 9300 3G. You can get it at Plan999 with a 30 month lock-in if you apply for it online. Smart Communications has the HTC ChaCha at Data Plan 1000, and the HTC Wildfire S at Unlimited Data Plan 1500. 

But it looks like a game changer is coming into the market. In another week, SMART Communications Netphone will be avialable.

The Netphone is a ZTE Blade, is a Google Android 2.2 powered phone which has a 3.5-inch, 480 x 800 resolution screen, a 600 MHz ARM 11 processor, Adreno 200 GPU, Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset and 512MB of RAM and a 3.2 MP auto-focus camera. The large 3.5-inch screen and the 480 x 800 resolution is what will attract most buyers, and with good reason. The phone will cost you Php9,900 and is bundled with pre-paid plans options that make the phone even more interesting.

I do have some reservations at the present time, on how the Red Bend WAC software will affect how well this phone functions, and issues on the online phonebook. So for now, consider this article on hold, till I get a hold of the  Netphone and see how it stacks up against the "rest of the world".

My advice for entry level smartphone buyers, is to wait just a bit more.

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September mid-level smartphone buyers guide

The best mid level smartphones today have never been more inviting. How much for a "mid-level" device today, about Php17,000. For this money you get a phone with a 3.7 to 4-inch screen high resolution screen, a 1GHz processor a 5MP camera and the ability to capture 720p video.

Looking for a higher end device? Follow this link.

LG Optimus Black P970. My favorite option in this category is the LG Optimus Black P970. The phone has a large 4-inch screen but its 64mm wide 9.2 mm thick case which weights only 109 grams feels really good in the hand. The razor thin profile also makes the phone look more expensive than it is.

The screen is excellent, the 700-nit bright IPS display offers great visibility even under broad day light. The other specifications are what you expect for a phone of this class with a 1 GHz Cortex-A8 processor and PowerVR SGX530 graphics, 512MB of RAM, 2GB of internal storage, a 5MP autofucos camera with a LED flash and a 2MP secondary camera.

Also available at this price range are the HTC Desire and Samsung Galaxy SL. The HTC Desire, an excellent phone in 2010, only has 512MB of internal storage, and even HTC is having a hard time fitting their latest updated in this phone and lacks a front camera.

The Samsung i9003 Galaxy SL has specifications neaerly identical to the LG Optimus Black, but it packs more internal storage with 4GB, a larger 1650 mAh battery but is not as slim and light as the LG Optimus Black, and does not have as nice a display. The Samsung Galaxy SL also does not have a flash for its camera.

It is close, but I prefer the LG Optimus Black mainly because of the screen.

If you are willing to spend a bit more, Samsung's 2010 flaship, the Samsung i9000 Galaxy S would be considered by many as a better choice. It has a 4-inch Super AMOLED display which many consider the best display on a smartphone and is at least a match to the 700-nit display of the LG Optimus Black, has faster graphics with a SGX540 GPU and tons of internal storage at 16GB. The only real chink in the armor of Samsung Galaxy S is it does not have a flash for its camera.  

It is probably the top choice, but I will qualify my recommendation. It is available for as low as Php19,000, but finding one these days is not that easy. So depending on where you are located in the Philippines, it may or may not be a viable option.

Postpaid - HTC Desire S. If you are looking to get a phone free with a plan, SMART Communications is offering the HTC Desire S at plan 2000. The HTC Desire S has a high resolution a 3.7-inch display, 768 MB of RAM, 1.1GB of internal storage (with a 8GB MicroSD card as part of the package), a 5MP primary camera with a a LED flash and a front camera all wrapped up in a nice aluminum case. The only real spoiler in the package is the Php20,000+ price. On the other hand, if you plan to get one on a post paid plan, it is free a SMART's Data Plan 2000.

Windows Phone 7 - HTC 7 Mozart . Android are great phones, but I would also give Windows Phone 7 a look. Windows Phone 7 has a really nice user friendly Metro interface with good integration of the phones functions. If you are not too fond of computers, this may be the one for you. Navigating the phones functions is as simple as web browsing. The HTC 7 Mozart is available for just Php19,700 these days. With 3.7-inch screen HTC 7 Mozart, 8GB of internal memory and a 8MP camera it is a decent choice.

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Samsung Galaxy Ace Firmwares S5830XWKPO/CSC_S5830XENKP2 and S5830XWKPN/ CSC_S5830XEUKP1 Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread Stock ROMs Online

Another two Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread firmwares for Europe versions of Samsung Galaxy Ace 5830 are now available on stock via samfirmware. These two firmwares was recently officially released from Samsung Kies servers in two Europe regions with Samsung Galaxy Ace users.

The first firmware official released is the S5830XWKPO with CSC file S5830XENKP2 that signifies a Dutch language for Netherlands. We already confirmed, a friend from Netherlands and via samfirmware kies update tweets that this was truly officially released a days ago. There is also another S5830XWKPO previously released and it has a CSC file S5830LUXKP1 which is for Luxemburg.

The other firmware is with a build number S5830XWKPN and CSC file S5830XEUKP1 which is for Germany. Jut don't be confused about the previous S5830XWKPN version it was with the S5830XWKP7 CSC file. The avialable languages for this are details below that we get from Samfit tool.

 The two new Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830 S5830XWKPO and S5830XWKPN firmwares are now can be grab over samfirmware.com download area. The stock ROMs is useful if you prefer using Odin downloader tool in-case having trouble updating your device via Kies server. You may just need to register there for free if you are not yet a member.

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Philippine online mobile phone usage

We do not have information on the volume of smartphone sold in the Philippine by type, so instead we looks at what Philippine based users are using to go online using StatCounters GlobalStats service.

This is how things looked liked a year ago in August 2010.

They key players recorded the following use:

Nokia Symbian - 64.87%

Apple iOS - 12.3%

Google Android - 1.1%

RIM BlackBerry - 0.96%

This is how things looked liked last month.

They key players recorded the following use:

Nokia Symbian - 47.69% (down by 17.18 points)

Apple iOS - 16.52% (up by 3.22 points)

Google Android - 13.25% (up by 12.14 points)

RIM BlackBerry - 2.32% (up by 1.36 points) 

iOS use grew at a healthy rate while Android and BlackBerry use in the Philippines are enjoying phenomenal growth.

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Why it is time for the cloud

Just a few years back we still did everything pretty much on a personal computer. Things have changed today. A person may have an Google Android phone, a Apple iPad running on iOS and a laptop running Microsoft's Windows 7.

Sure, you could type a document on Microsoft Word, edit it on the go in your iPad with Apple Pages and make last minute revisions on DataViz's Documents to Go. You could keep your files on your personal computer, email yourself work in progress so that you could access it from your iPad and Android phone. Or you could simply go to the cloud.

Google docs is a competent online document, spreadsheet and presentation creator which is compatible with Microsoft Office. You could type your document on your web browser, save it online, edit it from the your iPad in its browser and make last minute changes on your Android phone using the Google docs app (given the small screen your are better with the app than trying to use the browser). While Google docs has an offline viewer, it has no offline editor at the present time.

Microsoft has an online version of its popular Office Suite, MS Office Live which allows you to do the same thing. 

Keeping your files in sync'ed between your personal computer, tablet and smarthpone is not too difficult since you can use Dropbox (2GB online storage with free ways to get more and paid options). Basically, files stored on your personal computer locally, will have a duplicate copy online, which can be accessed from your tablet and smartphone. Another option is Ubuntu One (5GB online storage and paid options) but without a iOS client it is only a good option for those who use Android mobile phones and tablets right now.

As we move from doing everything on a computer, to doing the same things on two, three or more devices, the cloud becomes a more compelling option.

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