2010 v11n3 - DESIGN TRANSCENDENCE

EDITOR’SNOTE PUBLISHER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF TECHNICAL EDITOR LIFESTYLE EDITOR EDITOR-AT-LARGE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT CONTRIBUTORS

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR ART DIRECTOR

Maribelle Alba Armin Amio John Nieves Michelle Callanta Presy Alba Danee Torres Benjamin Arnold, Dindin Moreno Paolo Toledo, Steven Vea Chad Villarmino Benjamin Arnold

Time travel may still remain a concept up to this day, but people are more and more finding ways of being, well, “immortal.” Think enduring designs and concepts like the relics that are used even up to this day.

While the ‘now’ has never been more popular, consumers are now trying to maximize the amount of experiences they can collect in as little time as possible (and with as little budget as possible) to promote being ‘forever.’

Individuals are building online profiles and relationships can potentially make them ‘forever present.” Point-and-shoot, prosumer, digital SLR cameras and videocams help us take photos of those fun and wonderful moments with families and friends—to keep them forever.

Hard drives and storage accessories—now offering terabyte-capacity—allow us to file away those memories and bring them out with a simple click of a player or computer.

We take the cue from the ‘80s movie, Somewhere in Time, for our photo shoot at the stunning Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan. The spectacular backdrop of old houses from all over the country helped us bring back time, but with the latest gadgets in tow.

The dividing line between then and now is getting blurred as the days pass.

These are exciting times, indeed.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER SALES & ADVERTISING MANAGER ACCOUNT MANAGERS ADVERTISING AGENTS ONLINE MARKETING & EVENTS OFFICER CIRCULATION

ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE LEGAL COUNSEL

OCTOBER 2010

Lorie Bernardo, Salvador Da, Jr.

Tess Pascua, Amy Christine Giray Alba Law Office

Our email addresses are:

editors@gadgetsmagazine.com.ph gadgetsmagazine@gmail.com All unsolicited manuscripts, illustrations and photos submitted must be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope if they are to be returned. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Every care is taken to ensure that the content of Gadgets is fully accurate; however, the publisher and printer assume no responsibility for the effects arising therefrom. Gadgets Magazine is a registered trademark of Great Minds Media Incorporated.

Photographed by Juan Carlos Z.

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Francis Tan

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Our telephone numbers are 332-4004, 376-7356 and 514-8321.

Our website is: www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Calixto

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Marisa Consuelo MJ Gonzales-Esteban, Carol Agabin Bess Zamora, Val Villamar

GADGETS Magazine is published monthly by Great Minds Media Incorporated. Address all correspondence to

THECOVER

Armin A. Amio

Maribelle Alba

Art direction by Chad Villarmino Styled by Danee Torres Clothes from Kultura Filipina of SM Airbrush Makeup by Jo Ticzon for

Benefits Style Salon Hair by Christopher Rodil of L’Oreal Professionnel Shot on Location at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar Special thanks to Ms. TK Solvason

OCTOBER2010 VOLUME 11 NUMBER 3

CONTENTS 6

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If you’re a gadget noob, don’t worry. We’ve got a list of new gadgets that’s sure to make you lust after them.

Nokia unveils a new look at Nokia World 2010 in London.

Free stuff for gamers and cooks! Need we say more?

Frustrated at setting up a home network? Calm down and turn the page. We’ve got it figured out.

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The draw of an analog soul is something only a true lover of music would understand.

PARADE

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GADGETSLAB

Don’t trust hearsay. Take it from us, our reviews are top notch.

FEATURE

Caltex and The Amazing Race Asia 4 give back with a coastal cleanup The legendary Manila Hotel is as classic as classic gets.

Game addictions are exhausting, especially on the wallet. No matter, NVIDIA has the answer.

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COVERSTORY

Forever is a state of mind, they say. We delve into how technology, fashion and interiors have managed to become everlasting.

DOWNLOAD

LEISUREPURSUIT

Carlo Dela Torre balances work and play, specifically, wakeboarding.

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WEBSITES

See how the internet is becoming the new archive for everything important.

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BEAUTYLAB

Get your hair did at one of the classiest salons to open in Manila, Indigo Salon

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LISTEN

After going through some changes, Sinosikat? emerges, better than ever, with a new sound.

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CDREVIEW

The real Slim Shady is back, in a really big way.

Slash overwhelms guitar fans with face-melting solos.

The Radio Dept.’s tunes sets the mood right.

Club 8 reaffirms that Swedish pop is an emerging trend in the industry.

LIFE&STYLEPARADE

We help you dress with the basics when stepping out and stepping into certain situations.

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MOBILITY

EVENTS

Samsung debuts the first of a new generation of digital cameras.

Whether for city driving or off-roading, the new Suzuki Vitara is a high-performance machine.

Crown Golden launches their first lifestyle showroom at the Corinthian Cyberpod Center.

Into 4x4 vehicles but not into bulk? The Suzuki Jimny is right up your alley.

Visit the Ford showrooms to see the latest Ford Fiestas for you to choose from. The question is, would you rather have a hatchback or a sedan?

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GAMING

Leave the gun, take the cannoli.

Relive a gangster life with Mafia II.

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RELIC Everyone gets lost sometimes.

More often not on purpose.

Lucky for them, maps will always be relevant.

Steal a glance at the smooth and sophisticated Nissan Teana The Chevrolet Camaro is sure to turn heads in Manila Classy Corolla Altis reinvents driving in style Get out of town with the luxurious Hyundai Grand Starex Limousine

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PHOTOFEATURE We thought we’d bring along a few gadgets on our travel back to a time where lovers met on cobblestone roads.

PARADE

2010 OCTOBER

5

PARADE OPTIMUS CHIC

LG OPTIMUS ONE AND OPTIMUS CHIC SMARTPHONE

LG is going full steam on its Android releases with the Optimus One and Optimus Chic leading the way. Both mobiles will ship with Froyo (2.2) the latest version of Google’s mobile OS. The devices also enable professionals to easily sync with Outlook Calendar for improved productivity, while offering portable WiFi hotspots to easily share a single 3G connection. The devices are optimized for popular Google Mobile Services including Google Voice Search, Google Voice Actions, Google Goggles, Google Shopper and Google Maps with Navigation, and also offer access to Android Market with more than 80,000 applications. The Optimus One is equipped with a 3.2-inch HVGA capacitive display, camera with face tracking and smile shot and a long-lasting 1500mAh capacity battery. The Optimus Chic, meanwhile, is equipped with a 3.2inch capacitive TFT touchscreen, 600 MHz processor and WiFi connectivity.

OPTIMUS ONE

CANON VIXIA HF M300 TOUCHSCREEN CAMCORDER

Php 49,950

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OCTOBER 2010

The new HF M300 combines responsiveness and performance to give you an enjoyable shooting experience that’s possible only with the power of touch. Its 2.7-inch touchpanel LCD screen literally puts cutting-edge Canon technologies at your fingertips, giving you access to its 15x HD Video Lens and advanced Smart Auto that automatically selects the best settings for a wide range of shooting scenarios. Delight in Touch & Track that lets you select the point of focus with a simple tap on the screen. Video sharing is also hassle-free with the HF M300.

Its HD-to-SD Down-Conversion feature via the bundled Pixela Software lets you convert a copy of recorded HD video to standard definition files while safely preserving the original. These standard-definition files are much smaller in size and are more convenient to edit, share or upload online.

PARADE

2010 OCTOBER

7

PARADE

WESTERN DIGITAL GREEN WD20EARS & WD15EARS HARD DRIVE

Hard drives consume more power as their storage capacities get higher. Western Digital has managed to combine the both of best worlds—massive storage and manageable power—into the fourth-generation WD Green Series of hard drives. The WD20EARS (2TB) and WD15EARS (1.5 TB) have the highest areal density in the industry at 667 GB/ platter 3-platter design, 64 MB cache. The new WD Caviar Green 2TB (3-disk) offers low power consumption than current 2 TB drives in the market by way of their IntelliSeek, NoTouch, and IntelliPower technologies and, as such, have reduced power consumption by up to 40 percent compared with standard desktop drives.

GENIUS KIDS DESIGNER TABLET Make homework fun by giving your tech-savvy child a graphic tablet. Genius now has a Kids Designer graphic tablet made especially for kids of ages 3 to 8. It features a 5 x 8-inch working area where kids can paint, draw and write on. It comes bundled with a cool and exciting software which helps kids boost their learning skills in math, color, shapes, memory, geography and more. And to make sure it's not all work, a series of educational games is also included.

Available in two colors: orange and blue.

WESTERN DIGITAL MY BOOK STUDIO EXTERNAL DRIVE

Php 3,250

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OCTOBER 2010

Extreme heat and moisture, and other bizarre events during the shoot are villains of tape-based production, plus you got to have loads of tapes prior to production to accommodate all your work for the day. The WD My Book Studio, an external drive designed for Mac, has up to 2TB capacity which can gulp down many projects in a size similar to your hard-bound book. Aside from remarkable speed, the Firewire 800 interface allows seamless transfer of isochronous data.

The WD My Book Studio has an e-label display which you can customize. It comes bundled the WD Smartware software which gives you a visual of your back up as it happens, and the most amazing thing is that, it can let you recover inadvertently deleted or overwritten files back to its original location. And if you want to keep everything secret before a certain date, WD external drives are equipped with a 256-bit hardware-based encryption that protects your work from unauthorized access or theft.

PARADE

SAMSUNG GALAXY 5 SMARTPHONE

Php 10,980

Who says Android phones are usually priced out of reach? Samsung brings the fun experience of smartphones with its most affordable, yet incredibly sleek and stylish Android-powered Galaxy 5 (Model: i5503). The Galaxy 5 gives you access to a virtually limitless array of downloadable applications from the Android Market. Plus, with Samsung’s Social Hub, users can indulge in a whole new experience of social networking. A variety of games, entertainment, lifestyle, sports, communication, and much more downloadable applications are available through the phone’s built-in Android Market widget. Other features include Social Hub, 2-megapixel camera, Layar Reality Browser to overlay contextual information about points of interest and explore new locations from the comfort of your screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 and USB connectivity and Swype text-input service, to name a few.

TRANSCEND USB 3.0 EXPRESSCARD ADAPTER

Transcend now has a two-port USB 3.0 ExpressCard Adapter, an easy-to-install add-in card that allows users to enhance their notebooks with blazing-fast USB 3.0 technology. The card’s ExpressCard/34 interface is compatible with virtually all current notebook computers, and offers unrestricted two-way communication between notebook PCs and the latest generation of USB devices. It comes with two high-speed USB ports that fully support SuperSpeed USB 3.0 standard with connection bandwidth of up to 5 gigabytes per second. Thanks to its backwards compatibility with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1, users can be assured that their older devices will still work with the new interface.

NEO BASIC B3375 NETBOOK

Almost everyone needs a notebook these days but not everyone can afford it. NEO prides itself in offering customers with products that provide excellent value for money, and the Basic B3375 is no exception. It has all the things that people need—Intel Atom N455 processor, 2GB DDR3 memory, HDD 320GB and Windows 7 Starter Edition. The Basic B3375 is great for students and mobile workers on a tight budget.

Php 17,999

GIADA SLIM-N20 NETTOP

Slim, unobtrusive and elegant, the Giada Slim-N20 is a nettop that should reside on everyone’s tabletop.

Powered by an Intel Atom D510 processor and an NVIDIA GT218-ION graphics, the Giada Slim-N20 is able to handle everyday computing with light gaming on the side. It’s also a multimedia PC, as it can handle full HD 1080P playback through its HDMI port. Only 23mm slim, it can easily fit in small spaces if you want it hidden out of sight.

2010 OCTOBER

9

PARADE

ENERGIZER XPAL XP8000 & XP4000 POWERPACK

You might have the latest Androidpowered smartphone with a gazillion features or just bare bones mobile that can call and text. But one thing is for sure, sooner or later these will run out of juice, and more often than not it’ll be in a place where you won’t have access to a wall charger. The Energizer XPAL XP8000 and XP4000 are your go-to devices when your gadgets need juice, as both are able to charge a variety of devices from mobile phones to notebooks.

XP8000 Php 5,690

MOPHIE JUICE PACK AIR So you’ve finally snagged that much-awaited iPhone 4. To protect it and give your precious device that much-needed power, try giving it a Mophie Juice Pack Air. It offers the convenience of a form-fitting case for your iPhone 4 with the added bonus of an extended built-in rechargeable battery. On standby, it gives your device an additional 270 hours while surfing on WiFi and video playback allows an additional 9 hours. Audio playback gives it up to an additional 36 hours.

XP4000 Php 3,990

Php 4,094

ASUS EAH5550 SILENT VIDEO CARD

Making a home-theater PC is a slightly different affair compared with gaming PCs. Home theater PCs need to be small, unobtrusive and silent. Nothing kills the mood more than a loud, whirring machine while you’re watching the latest flick in town. The Asus EAH5550 Silent brings everything you’d ever want for a home theater PC in one package—small footprint, fan-less silent design and phenomenal HD performance through HDMI 1.3.

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OCTOBER 2010

PARADE

2010 OCTOBER

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PARADE

Php 19,295

CANON PIXMA MG8170 MULTIFUNCTION PRINTER

Printers are, for the most part, utilitarian appliances that usually don’t get the same sleek lines and contours of contemporary devices like TVs and monitors. It’s fortunate then that Canon has decided to buck that particular trend with the PIXMA MG8170, a sleek and stylish printer that’s both a workhorse and a fashion diva. Instead of big, intrusive buttons and controls, the MG8170 has keys and controls that light that up intuitively on the top cover during printer operation against the glossy black piano finish. A tilt 3.5-inch LCD display serves as the main control panel and lies flush with the top panel when not in use. The PIXMA MG8170 is also able to print any frame from HD video footage captured with a Canon digital camera with the Full HD Movie Print feature. The PIXMA MG8170 is also WiFi-enabled, so you won’t have to wrestle with wires when setting it up.

NOKIA X3 MOBILE PHONE

Need an affordable and accessible touch and type mobile phone which is simple-to-use and beautifully designed? Nokia’s first ‘Touch and Type’ phone, the X3, allows people to tap quickly on the bright color touchscreen, as well as enjoy the familiarity of the full keypad for quick fire text messages and phone calls. With its sleek and modern design coming in at a very thin 9.6mm, Nokia X3 slips easily into the purse or the pocket, and looks the part with its brushed aluminum back cover which will come in five vibrant colors. Despite its size, the Nokia X3 is packed with features including 3G, WLAN, a music player and an FM radio. Lovers of the snapshot and social networks will enjoy a great 5-megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom that can take both still and video images.

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OCTOBER 2010

PARADE

BENQ MP780ST PROJECTOR

BenQ gives schools and universities the tool to make learning fun and interactive through the MP780ST. Billed by the Taiwanese manufacturer as a magical instrument of education, the MP780ST allows teachers and students to be able to share and collaborate on the screen image that is projected on the screen via The BenQ PointDraw projection system. The system—composed of the projector, a PointDraw pen and computer—allows you to use the MP780ST as an interactive whiteboard. The MP780ST is also 3D DLP-ready, so if you or your institution feels it’s the time to jump into the 3D bandwagon, you won’t have to replace your projector.

SAMSUNG SCX-4623F MULTIFUNCTION MONO LASER PRINTER

Save time and money with the Samsung SCX-4623F—a convenient platform to print, scan and copy office documents. The Easy Screen Print (ESP) button, allows you to print either your entire desktop or just the active window, saving you from having to copy and paste the web document into Word. That’s especially convenient for printing multiple web pages. Samsung’s included AnyWeb Print software lets you select, drag and drop content from different web pages into a new page, then print your screen. You also get faxing to and from your PC, print speeds of up to 23ppm, 12,000-page monthly duty cycle and a sleek, compact design.

CROWN PRO G1200 POWER AMPLIFIER

In a perfect world, power amplifiers amplify signals from a source device and make it suitable for driving a loudspeaker, without changing anything else besides the strength of the signal. Of course, this isn’t a perfect world and power amplifiers usually add in an unwanted element in sound reproduction, and that is distortion. To do the job right, you’d want a Power Amplifier that minimizes distortion while amplifying sound, and the Crown Pro G1200 is the right tool for the job. Built with exacting standards and the top components, the Crown Pro G1200 is ideal for deployments in multifunction rooms, conference rooms and the like, and leads the market with its excellent performance and high-fidelity.

2010 OCTOBER

13

GADGETSLAB 19 PAGE|

HTC WILDFIRE SMARTPHONE

WON'T BURN YOUR WALLET

"...the Wildfire is what many people have been looking for—a sensibly priced smartphone with trimmings HTC is known for."

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PAGE|

PAGE|

SAMSUNG CHAMP C3303

TOSHIBA SATELLITE A665

TOUCHSCREEN FOR THE MASSES

3D ON YOUR LAP

MOBILE PHONE

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OCTOBER 2010

3D NOTEBOOK

18 PAGE|

CARNAVI PRO BT GPS NAVIGATION DEVICE

NEVER GET LOST AGAIN

GADGETSLAB

ASUS RAMPAGE III EXTREME MOTHERBOARD

By John Nieves

While most motherboards tend to look the same, Asus has somehow made the Rampage III Extreme visually appealing by using contrasting red and black color scheme on the PCB, with aggressive angles for the individual heat sinks in the board.

The board itself boasts some pretty serious features including Gigabit LAN, eSATA and Firewire connectivity, USB 2.0/3.0 ports and 7.1-channel audio. One feature that overclockers will definitely like is the ability to overclock using Bluetooth. The OC Bluetooth link will also work with certain mobile phones, and gives you instant access to the status of the system, and allows you to make you adjustments on the fly. Other

features include four PCI Express x16 slots, triple channel DDR3 memory, SATA 6.0Gbps and USB 3.0.

end materials in the PCB and other components ensure that the board won’t die prematurely from the loads you put through it.

There’s a wealth of connections available for the Rampage III Extreme—PS2 keyboard connector, eSATA port, Firewire, nine USB connections (2 USB 3.0), gigabit Ethernet, digital audio in the form of optical TOSLINK connectors, and analog audio for 7.1 surround. The box for the Rampage III Extreme comes with all the necessary connectors and doodads you’ll need to set up this monster board.

To be honest, the Rampage III Extreme definitely isn’t for everyone. It’s extremely expensive piece of kit (about Php 20,000), and is only available through special order from Asus and its dealers. It’s something that you wouldn’t want in your casual rig too, as its price demands only top tier components to be used in it.

Treat it like a high-end tuner car.

Not everyone will want to tweak and tune their rides, but those that do, spend big money on only the best components.

Setup is relatively easy. One of the things I like with Asus boards is that there’s a small LED light near each major component that lights up during boot up to tell you if there’s something wrong. I used an Intel Core i7 920 processor on our test build, and managed to increase its speed from 2.66 GHz to a relatively stable 3.0 GHz. Of course, it could be taken higher, but I wasn’t about to break barriers with a loaner processor.

The Rampage III Extreme is an overclocker’s dream, as there are multiple ways to overclock your rig safely, and the liberal use of high

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f there’s one thing that Asus knows how to make, its motherboards. The Taiwanese company has been making computer peripherals for a long time now, and has always been the go-to brand of PC gamers and enthusiasts. It’s no surprise then that their newest X58 based enthusiast board, the Rampage III Extreme delivers massive performance, reliability and versatility to enthusiasts and hard core gamers.

WHAT’S HOT Excellent construction and design High end parts and components Remote overclocking USB 3.0 and SATA 6.0

WHAT’S NOT

Overkill for most rigs

...there’s a small LED light near each major component that lights up during boot up to tell you if there’s something wrong.

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Extremely expensive

8.6

BOTTOMLINE Those that demand the very best from their motherboards need not look further from the Asus Rampage III Extreme.

2010 OCTOBER

15

GADGETSLAB

AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-CKS50 IN-EAR MONITORS

By Dindin Moreno

The ATH-CKS50 is definitely an upgrade from the earphones that came with your media player.

These are IEMs or in-ear monitors that have silicone fittings that fit comfortably into your ear canal.

Compared with the stock white earbuds of the iPod, the sound of the bass is definitely improved and clear. It also doesn’t distort even when the volume is set to maximum. One thing I noticed about the ATH-CKS50 though is that the speaker drivers need a significant amount of signal to give out optimum performance.

Details are lost when listening on low volume.

The size of these earphones are fairly large compared with the others, but these are so light

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OCTOBER 2010

you won’t be able to notice that you’re wearing them. During my initial testing, the bass sounded quite hard and punchy, but not discomforting. With almost all earphones, you have to conduct a burn-in period of about 100 hours in order for the drivers to vibrate more freely. Maybe after this period, the bass will sound smoother and more ‘airy.’

The advantage of in-ear monitors is that it isolates outside noise so that you can hear the music from your player clearly. Bass and highs are more defined than when listening to the same music through open-type earphones.

One disadvantage is that if you get immersed in your music, the outside world will become oblivious to you. So make sure to look right and left when crossing the street while wearing ANY type of IEMs. Another use for these types of earphones is that if you’re tired of listening to your music, and you want it to be peaceful and quiet, you can turn off your player and notice the volume of noise decrease dramatically. It is especially useful when on a bus or an airplane—definitely a cheaper

alternative than purchasing noisecanceling headphones that usually cost an arm and a leg.

The ATH-CKS50 is definitely a better alternative to the stock earphones of your player. There are a lot more choices out there at this price point, but I am sure to say that these won’t fail or disappoint you.

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t has always been written that the earphones that come with your newly purchased personal media players are crap. Most people who buy brand-new media players, more often that not purchase separate earphones.

There are a lot of available earphones out there, and almost every one of them are different from each other. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the Audio Technica ATH-CKS50.

WHAT’S HOT

The advantage of inear monitors is that it isolates outside noise so that you can hear the music from your player clearly.

Comfortable Light Excellent sound quality

WHAT’S NOT

Details are hard to discern in low volume

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8.3

BOTTOMLINE The Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50 is a nice upgrade from stock earphones that come from your digital player

GADGETSLAB

2010 OCTOBER

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GADGETSLAB

CARNAVI PRO BT GPS NAVIGATION DEVICE

By John Nieves

The Pro BT is what you’d expect from a navigation device—it’s not the thinnest or most elegant device out there, but it’s not the flimsiest either. It has a 4.3-inch touch TFT LCD screen that’s easy enough to use. There’s a 3.5mm jack on the right side, along with a mini-USB port that serves as both data and charging port. All data,

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OCTOBER 2010

maps and media are stored in the SD card that goes in the unit, whose slot is located at the right side.

Powering the Pro BT is an SIR Atlas III GPS processor running at 400 MHz, with 64MB of memory. The operating system is a modified Windows CE. The GUI is pleasant enough and you’re able to jump into the different menus and features with a simple touch of the screen.

Like other solutions in the market, you’ll be able to set your destination in different ways, mainly through points of interests (POI), address search and city search. You will have to tell the unit in what city the location you’re looking for though, potentially slowing down searches when you’re in a hurry. One thing that pleasantly surprised me is the large number of POIs in the system. Of course, a product like the Pro BT is only as good as the quality of its maps, and I’m happy to say that it didn’t disappoint. The maps are pretty accurate and up to date, and carNAVI assures me that they have maps of the whole country in some way or the other.

The Pro BT uses an internal GPS antenna and acquires a signal in less than two minutes. It has voice prompts which tells you when to take a turn, how far you are to your destination, etc. One thing I liked about the display is that the environment is rendered in 3D, so you’ll be able to see if you’ll be passing under a tunnel or going over it. The display also dims automatically depending on the time of the day and when you go into a tunnel.

The only minor nitpick I have with the Pro BT is that street names disappear on the screen momentarily when you turn which, while disconcerting, isn’t really something to be worried about.

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PS navigation devices aren’t exactly new; in fact they have enjoyed a presence in the local market by way of gray and parallel imports. Of course, these devices were far from reliable— not because of their design, but because of the data available to them. More specifically, the maps weren’t that accurate, as there was no official support from the respective manufacturers. It’s a different story nowadays, as there are now GPS navigation gadgets that have extremely accurate maps and local support and you’d be hard pressed to get lost with these things in your car. carNAVi is the latest manufacturer to jump into the domestic GPS navigation scene, and if their top of the line Pro BT is any indication, they’re set to give their competitors a run for their money.

WHAT’S HOT Picks up signal in less than 2 minutes Easy to use and understand GUI Updated maps of the country, plenty of POIs 3D rendered maps

WHAT’S NOT

Street names momentarily disappear on the screen when you take a turn

The GUI is pleasant enough and you’re able to jump into the different menus and features with a simple touch of the screen.

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8.2

BOTTOMLINE The carNAVi Pro BT is an excellent GPS navigation device, and is a godsend for navigationally challenged people who always seem to get lost.

GADGETSLAB

HTC WILDFIRE SMARTPHONE

By John Nieves

The Wildfire looks like a cross between the HTC-built Google Nexus One and Desire. It inherited the curved good looks and the optical track pad of the Desire while retaining touch-sensitive controls of the Nexus One. The styling is sleek and minimalist, and if you’re not a fan of the white and silver number that was sent to us for review, the Wildfire is available in three other colors—red, black and gray. The display is a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen affair with 240 X 320 QVGA resolution.

Unsurprisingly, HTC has opted to equip the Wildfire with an MSM 7225 528 MHz processor to bring the unit’s price down. That also

means some of the more CPUintensive applications and games might not run as smoothly as you’d expect. Speaking of Android, the Wildfire is equipped with 2.1 Éclair version of Google’s OS, and while there’s no official word on a 2.2 upgrade, it’s more than likely it’ll receive an update in the near future. As is the norm with HTC devices, the Wildfire is equipped with the Sense UI laid on top of the OS which gives users additional home screens and widgets. Another HTC feature that wired users will appreciate is Friend Stream. It’s basically a social network aggregator, and allows you to track Facebook, Twitter and Flickr updates quickly and easily.

Connecting to the web is quick and easy, and the Wildfire sports both WiFi and 3G connectivity so you’ll always be able to connect online whenever you want.

One feature that I particularly like on Android 2.1-equipped smartphones is how they handle your contacts, especially ones in Facebook. Even if you don’t have their phone numbers, you can still call your friends if they posted their contact number in their Facebook profile. You can now also recommend Android apps to your

friends from the Wildfire which makes finding apps easier.

Of course HTC had to cut back on some of the features to lower the price. The Wildfire uses a regular LCD screen as opposed to an AMOLED one on the Desire and Legend, and the difference really shows. Reading the screen of the Wildfire is a bit of a challenge under direct sunlight, although it’s not much of an issue while indoors. As mentioned before, applications that are graphically taxing noticeably chug with the Wildfire, due mainly to its slower CPU.

SPECIFICATIONS OPERATING SYSTEMAndroid OS, 2.1 Éclair CPUQualcomm MSM 7225 528 MHz processor LCD SIZE3.2-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS106.8 x 60.4 x 12 mm WEIGHT118 g BANDGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, HSDPA 900 / 2100

WHAT’S HOT Sense UI

Android Éclair 2.1 onboard

In the end though, the Wildfire is what many people have been looking for—a sensibly priced smartphone with trimmings HTC is known for.

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hile there is no doubt that HTC has managed to take the Android operating system to new heights, its premium price point has always been a significant stumbling block to mass market penetration. The Wildfire is HTC’s recent effort to penetrate the lucrative mid-range market, and still has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from the Taiwan-based mobile phone maker, but with a gentler Php 17,500 SRP.

...the Wildfire is what many people have been looking for—a sensibly priced smartphone with trimmings HTC is known for.

"

Excellent social network integration Ability to recommend apps to your friends directly

WHAT’S NOT A bit slow

Display is hard to read under direct sunlight

8.5

BOTTOMLINE While not exactly what we’d call a budget smart phone, the HTC Wildfire delivers almost the same performance and convenience of its pricier brothers.

2010 OCTOBER

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GADGETSLAB

SAMSUNG CHAMP C3303

by Danee Torres

I

was riding in the MRT one day when I saw the woman across me composing a text message using the C3303. It looked to me that from the Ayala to Ortigas stations she was either writing one very long message or replying to a whole lot of them. I politely asked her if she knew that the unit she was using had a stylus which could help her with accuracy and therefore speed up her texting. She smiled and pointed to the back of the phone. Yes, she knew but she chose not to use it because the C3303 is one responsive device.

One wouldn’t expect much from a phone this small, but that could very well have been Samsung’s intention. The C3303 counts among its features the WiFi connectivity, a calendar to store your appointments in, games, FM radio, an image editor, Bluetooth, and access to Samsung apps and more. The best part about this tiny touchscreen wonder is that it gives you a lot of options for customization.

The home screen has four widget pages that you can adapt according to your needs. For easy access to phone functions such as the inbox, instant messenger or settings, select which ones to place on a 20

OCTOBER 2010

particular widget page. This is also applicable when it comes to your “favorite” contacts, that serves as a speed dial of sorts. Conveniently placed on the bottom of the home screen are three virtual keys—for keypad, contacts and menu. The phone only has three physical keys on its face, two for call controls and a return key.

Here’s a testament to the simplicity of the C3303: if you somehow become lost in using the phone and have forgotten how you got there or how to go back, just press the return key and it immediately goes back to the previous display.

It has volume controls on the left side, a lock button on the right, and the USB/charger port up top.

Display wasn’t compromised despite the size of the C3303 and the full color display that Samsung is known for is evident in the crispness of images whether it’s wallpaper or taken by the phone whose clarity, for a 1.5-megapixel camera, is quite impressive.

However, I suggest taking photos where there’s an abundance of light, as adjustments to dimly-lit places aren’t one of the camera’s forte.

Another reason why the Champ

C3303 is great is, in addition to it’s being handy and light, it also has decent provision for multimedia.

The phone comes with a 3.5mm jack for ear phones, but you need to know that you can choose not to bring those along as the C3303 also has speakers. Now at this point you might think, “yeah okay but I bet the sound is more tinny than a stack of aluminum garbage cans.”

Nope. Sound quality is actually pretty excellent, thanks to of Sound Alive, a program that reproduces 3D sound effects.

Going back to texting now, on a limited space like this an option to have the keypads shift to QWERTY mode would’ve been great, but the regular keypad arrangement’s all right as well. The space bar, backspace key and number key are all next to each other in a column so if you have stubby, sausage-like fingers, I suggest you make use of the stylus that’s cleverly tucked in the back.

You can do all sorts of things with the Samsung Champ C3303.

It’s even got a quick link to most popular social networking sites, and further uncomplicates your life by allowing you to upload photos from the device to the site with a simple tap on the screen.

"

MOBILE PHONE

You can do all sorts of things with the Samsung Champ C3303.

"

SPECIFICATIONS FORM FACTORCandybar

LCD SIZE AND CLASSIFICATION2.4-inch resistive touchscreen TFT LCD PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS96.3 x 53.8 x 13 mm WEIGHT80 g BANDGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 INTERNAL MEMORY30MB, expandable through microSD

WHAT’S HOT Light and handy Easy to use

Dual speaker function

WHAT’S NOT Small keypad

8.8

BOTTOMLINE The Samsung C3303 is a great phone to have if you need to stay connected but you don’t want that bulk in your pocket.

GADGETSLAB

PHILIPS SHL-1600 EARPHONES

By Dindin Moreno

The Philips SHL-1600 is a headband open-type earphones. There is no noise reduction or fancy sound canceling here. All you get is a pair of cushioned 30mm speaker drivers held together by a thin strip of stainless steel wrapped in flexible plastic. Reminiscent of the ’80s, you can call this the grandchild of the headband earphones that came bundled with the Sony Walkmans during that era.

I was quite surprised with the sound that these earphones produced. In a quiet environment, the highs and lows were crisp and clear. Very slight distortion was heard when listening at high volumes, but go down a few notches, you also will be surprised. On the other hand, listening to it while riding a bus in the middle of EDSA traffic, you will hear every car horn, whistle and engine noise, mix-in with the music you are listening to. This is the disadvantage of open-type earphones compared with in-ear monitors and closed-type headphones.

I bet people will buy these earphones because of the way they look compared with the way they sound. It will be a little surprise to them that these earphones also sound as good as they look.

"

Y

ou will be surprised at how many different kinds of earphones are out in the market. One set of earphones that stands out from the rest is the Philips SHL-1600. Yes, there are more elaborately designed ones than the Philips, but this is exactly where it stands out. It tries hard to be inconspicuous, but due to its design innovations, other people will want to get a closer look at it.

It will be a little surprise to them that these earphones also sound as good as they look.

"

WHAT’S HOT Lightweight Stylish Surprisingly Good Sound Quality

WHAT’S NOT Sound leaks

8.2

BOTTOMLINE It's not perfect, but the Philips SHL-1600 sounds great and is a definite head turner

2010 OCTOBER

21

GADGETSLAB

SAMSUNG SHARK 3 S3550

By Steven Vea

T

he Samsung S3550, also dubbed the Shark 3, is very sleek and pleasing to the eye once it is out of the box.

Its glossy black front is accentuated by the stylish metallic rear cover, and certainly looks more expensive than its retail price. Samsung has definitely lived up to its reputation for producing aesthetically pleasing products once again, which is one of the most important aspects of a mobile.

Perhaps the first characteristic that you will notice about the S3550 is its size and weight which at 95.8mm x 45.8mm x 14.4mm and 79 grams, respectively, makes this mobile as light in your pocket as its selling price. Furthermore, its ergonomic curved design makes this mobile fit quite nicely into your palm, allowing for maximum comfort during use.

Slider phones are definitely dependent upon the consumer, and this reviewer has a preference for this form factor—if constructed well. Samsung succeeded at this feature once again. The S3550 slides smoothly yet sturdily.

The S3550’s TFT 262k color display is bright and vivid, yet warm to

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OCTOBER 2010

the eyes. While some users might find a 2-inch screen at 240x320 pixels quite unappealing, you will be quite surprised at its clarity and illumination, making navigating through this mobile quite easy.

Speaking of navigation, the Paragon UX operating system the S3550 comes installed with makes using this mobile a breeze. There are no cumbersome or confusing menus—everything is laid out quite simply so that users will have no trouble adapting to this mobile. The main screen is fully customizable and can conveniently hold shortcuts to applications for quick access, such as Facebook, Twitter and Google Maps.

Ironically, while the Shark 3 is aimed towards the social networking market, users might find the S3550 lacking in the connectivity department. Although it is supportive of the 2G network through quad band GSM, there is no 3G or WLAN access, which some might find disappointing considering that adding a little bit more cash can get you a mobile with the said features. It does have EDGE and GPRS, which is adequate—but for a mobile aimed at social networking, it is quite

curious why Samsung decided not to strengthen the internet connectivity on the Shark 3.

The S3550 also features a 2-megapixel camera (1600x1200pixels) with autofocus, Bluetooth 2.1 support, and 35MB of internal memory which can store up to 1,000 phonebook entries.

Memory is expandable up to 8GB via microSD, thereby allowing users to install applications, play java based games, and store an adequate number of media files in diverse formats (MP3/WAV/eAAC+/ WMA/MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV).

In this reviewer’s opinion, perhaps Samsung should have excluded the 2-megapixel camera and armed the Shark 3 with better Internet connectivity. However, in the technologically competitive market of mobile phones, it is refreshing to see a company stick to the essentials and offer consumers a cheap, yet feature rich alternative to a saturated market.

For its retail price and functionality, the Samsung s3550 will have no trouble attracting consumers for its straightforward approach to a mobile device.

"

MOBILE PHONE

Samsung has definitely lived up to its reputation for producing aesthetically pleasing products once again...

"

SPECIFICATIONS FORM FACTORSlider

LCD SIZE AND CLASSIFICATION2-inch TFT LCD PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS95.8 x 45.8 x 14.4 mm WEIGHT79 g BANDGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 INTERNAL MEMORY35MB, expandable through microSD

WHAT’S HOT Elegant and ergonomic design Budget friendly Simple, easy to use mobile

WHAT’S NOT 2-megapixel camera No WLAN access

8.5

BOTTOMLINE The Samsung S3550 (Shark 3) is a sleek, simple and decently priced device that caters to the essential features that consumers need in a mobile.

For its price and features, the Shark 3 will definitely find a following.

GADGETSLAB

TOSHIBA SATELLITE A665 3D NOTEBOOK

By John Nieves

W

ith consumers being constantly hammered with 3D this and 3D that, it was only a matter of time before notebook manufacturers jumped on the 3D bandwagon. While certainly not the first to put 3D in its machines, Toshiba is looking to gain ground in the fast-evolving 3D notebook space with the Toshiba Satellite A665, a 15.6-inch monster that’s more at home at your desk than anywhere else.

The look and feel of the Satellite A665 is classic Toshiba, with very little done to update the looks of the Satellite line. There are some funky textures on the lid and chassis, but the quintessential gray/ metallic gray color scheme is still there. It sports backlit keyboard keys, and is so big that it even has its own keypad. There are touch-sensitive shortcut keys that are located right on top of the keyboard, and the touchpad sports a biometric scanner for that extra layer of security. There are four USB ports divided evenly between both sides of the A665 with one doubling as an eSATA connector.

Additional connectivity features include wireless WiFi and Bluetooth connections, as well as wired (RJ 45) connections.

Hardware-wise, the A665 is equipped with an Intel Core i7 Q740 running at 1.73GHz, an Nvidia GeForce GTS 350M and 6GB of memory. 3D is handled by way of Nvidia’s 3D Vision kit, with a single pair of 3D active shutter glasses.

Looking at the specs I knew right away that the Satellite A665 would have a lot of trouble rendering newer, graphically demanding games in 3D. While the GTS 350M discrete graphics solution was nothing to scoff at, it felt underpowered in the different benchmarks I put the notebook through. And considering that 3D is the cornerstone of the whole notebook, the less than satisfactory performance of its GPU means that 3D gaming isn’t going to be as smooth as people would expect since games are essentially rendered twice in 3D. I loaded up my favorite benchmarking engine Unigine Heaven, as well as BitSquid’s Stone Giant tech demo. Of the two only Unigine Heaven is rated as excellent by Nvidia with regard to 3D compatibility, with BitSquid’s own offering being 3D Vision Ready.

Up first was BitSquid’s Stone Giant tech demo. I ran the demo twice— one in 3D vision, the other without it to get a feel of the A665’s limits.

The A665 didn’t fare so well with 3D Vision enabled, and managed with an average 14 FPS in its maximum supported resolution (1366 x 768). It did reasonably better with 3D off, and managed a more respectable 25 FPS average.

It was pretty much the same story with the Unigine Heaven benchmark, with the A665 posting less than satisfactory scores than we were used to, scoring only 426 points and an average FPS of 16.9 with the resolution set to 1366 x 768 with AA set to 4X. Of course, benchmarks are nothing compared to game performance, so I fired up one of the first 3D Vision ready titles I had: Resident Evil 5. Playing the game pretty much confirmed my initial worries about the A665’s underpowered GPU. Anything over 1024x768 resolution in 3D feels choppy and slow, and since the GPU is rendering the scene twice, it slows down even more when there are plenty of enemies on the screen.

That’s not to say that the Satellite A665 is a bad notebook—far from it, in fact. With 3D switched off, the

A665 managed a better score and had an overall better experience playing games, something that the 15.6-inch screen is well equipped for. The keys are also pretty easy to type on and to use, and the backlit keys are a nice touch.

SPECIFICATIONS SCREEN SIZE15.6-inch TruBrite LED-backlit HD widescreen display MEMORY6 GB DDR3 CPU AND CHIPSETIntel Core i7 Q740 running at 1.73GHz WIRELESS USED802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR WARRANTY1 year warranty

WHAT’S HOT

3D Vision ready display Comes complete with 3D kit Excellent sound quality Blu-ray ready

WHAT’S NOT GPU is too underpowered for smooth 3D Has a lot of pre-installed bloatware that hampers performance

7.8

BOTTOMLINE While not quite stepping up to its 3D promise, the Toshiba Satellite A665 is still a pretty nice notebook.

2010 OCTOBER

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GADGETSLAB

WESTERN DIGITAL WDTV MINI MEDIA PLAYER

By Paolo Toledo

T

here’s something very quietly intriguing about a black box. The simplicity of such an object pricks your curiosity as to what lies within its dimensions. For whatever reason or size, these opaque chests can reveal the most pleasant of surprises, while some uncover mere disappointments. Now we witness another one of these devices in Western Digital’s WDTV Mini media player. So does this little black box get our thumbs-up?

your media files right there.

The WDTV Mini is basically a small and economical black box that you connect to your TV on one end, and to any USB storage drive, which will allow you to watch a wide variety of media (including RealVideo) on your TV screen in DVD quality. It’s a more compact and affordable Mac Mini, and is suited for even those using CRT TVs.

It boasts an equally simple external interface with two blue backlit indicators for power and USB activity at the front, a USB slot on one side, and outlets for power and connectivity at the back. User interface is also very logical with the home menu neatly laid out.

Even the remote control itself is very straightforward.

You get the small black box, a remote control, two sets of cables (component and composite AV), power adapter and support CD. Needless to say, it’s simple to set up. Just plug in to a power source, insert a USB drive, connect the device to your TV using any of the connectivity options, and you’ll be ready to plop down and enjoy all 24

OCTOBER 2010

Measuring at 91x91x22mm, and with a nice finish of both matte and piano black-gloss, the WDTV Mini Media is perfectly compact, sleek, and classy to both the eye and to the touch. It fits right in your palm and is just about as heavy as a stack of playing cards, which makes this small wonder very portable, unobtrusive, and can look good with any home entertainment setup.

UI responsiveness does have a few kinks but is generally satisfactory.

Some issues occur when dealing with really large-sized files (above 3GB) or when scrolling through massive amounts of audio and/ or video files, as the unit tends to lag and catch up, causing you to skip back and forth over some files before selecting the one you want.

Another bothersome problem is

within the photo menu, where loading time dips as the device tends to instantly take all image files in the hard drive and creates thumbnails for them all at once, repeating itself every time you go back since it does not produce a cache for thumbnail display.

The device’s settings, on the other hand, are a quick and pleasant breeze to go through and explore.

Various setup options can be chosen from which even include screensaver and slideshow settings, eight different photo transitions, subtitle options, and display properties. Rest assured, this mini media player has enough room for you to get creative and tailorfit your experience to several conditions and preferences.

Connectivity is also another feature that is ample for use but can still do with some few adjustments, such as having more than one USB input and of course, an HDMI output.

But I guess scaling down the size logically also means doing away with such features, especially since this seems to be meant for simpler and more portable DVD-quality viewing.

This also means that when setting up the WDTV Mini, it would be

best for you to select its highest resolution compatible with your display screen. Despite the lack of full-HD capability, it still amazingly scales-up files to 1080i while retaining a good watching experience, and for the everyday viewer, this is really not that bad at all.

WHAT’S HOT Compact and classy design Affordable Simple and sleek user interface Easy to set-up and operate Scales video files up to 1080i Supports popular media formats

WHAT’S NOT Lacks full HD output Just one USB slot Tedious photo menu (if large number of files)

8.5

BOTTOMLINE The WDTV Mini media player is everything you’ll need to play all your USB-stored media files on a TV screen at DVD quality. It’s also reasonably priced, simple, sleek and very user-friendly. Perfect for those who non-discriminating viewers who just want to plug in and easily watch downloaded movies and episodes.

MOBILITY

MOBILITY

SUZUKI GRAND VITARA

EVOLVES INTO AN URBAN CROSS-COUNTRY VEHICLE

Since its debut in 1988, the Suzuki Vitara has remained true to its development concept as an “urban cross-country vehicle.” The first-generation Vitara made its mark with excellent off-road capabilities and automotive engineering, thereby strengthening Suzuki’s reputation as a manufacturer of high-performance, fuel-efficient and well-built workhorses.

From that original hardy off-roader, the current third-generation Suzuki Grand Vitara has evolved into a more refined performer that excels in a wide variety of situations. In keeping with its urban cross-country concept, Suzuki engineers focused on improving the Grand Vitara’s efficient performance, practical urbanity and ease of use.

For the Philippine market, the Suzuki Grand Vitara configuration is a 2.4L 4x2 AT model from Japan, in response to the local demand for an SUV adapted to city driving while delivering both improved fuel efficiency and power. This sport utility vehicle features a front-engine rear-wheel drive configuration mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission drive train. It is powered by a fuel-efficient, 2.4L 16-valve gasoline engine that delivers maximum power of 164hp at 6,000rpm and maximum torque of 225Nm at 4000rpm.

Carrying on Suzuki’s traditional strong stance and engineering, the Suzuki Grand Vitara’s unibody construction delivers improved body rigidity, handling and safety. In addition, it incorporates Suzuki’s built-in ladder frame design for enhanced durability. Four-wheel independent suspension with McPherson struts and multi-link rear suspension ensure riding comfort.

A dignified exterior with an edgy visual strength and presence, a new front grille and bumper design, as well as new, five-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels give the Suzuki Grand Vitara a commanding yet refined presence on the road.

The Suzuki Grand Vitara has a host of standard features not usually found in the compact SUV class. Sure to delight audiophiles is a sophisticated audio system

with MP3 playback, front auxiliary jack and 4 speakers and steering wheel mounted controls. A fully-automatic climate control system provides utmost comfort even during the hottest summer days. Power windows, power door locks, power side mirrors and keyless entry are standard. The new meter cluster incorporates an information center that gives you the time, temperature, fuel consumption and fuel range.

In the Philippines, the Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4L 4x2 AT is offered in three colors — Bluish Black 3, Silky Silver Metallic, and Pearl White.

It is attractively priced at Php1,275,000, and is available from a network of 19 Suzuki automobile dealers nationwide.

2010 OCTOBER

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MOBILITY

SUZUKI JIMNY : HIGH-PERFORMANCE OFF-ROADER

The Suzuki Jimny is often described as an off-road icon and is recognized as Suzuki’s first global success, allowing the Japanese vehicle manufacturer to carve out a niche among 4x4 enthusiasts.

First introduced in 1970 as the LJ10, the Suzuki Jimny celebrates 40 successful years as a bestselling compact 4x4 vehicle.

The 2005 Jimny has now been completely redesigned to offer strong off-road performance with sophisticated styling.

A four-cylinder 16-valve DOHC 1300cc engine delivers maximum output of 81hp at 5500rpm and maximum torque of 110Nm at 4500rpm. Noted for its quick response and high fuel-efficiency, the Jimny’s M13A engine is teamed with Drive Action 4x4 to deliver reliable performance for extreme driving challenges.

Probably the most outstanding characteristic that has made the Suzuki Jimny a world-renowned 26

OCTOBER 2010

off-road vehicle is its legendary for durability. Suzuki’s patented ladder type frame provides a solid foundation the chassis, while its rigid three-section design ensures a stable, quiet ride. A three-link suspension with coil springs and rigid axle provides a high level of riding comfort. Front disc brakes paired with rear leading and trailing drum brakes deliver adequate stopping power.

Despite its hardy exterior, the Suzuki Jimny is stocked with comfort amenities such as power steering, air-conditioning, console box with cupholder and luggage compartment under tray. Seating is for four adults, with full flat reclining seats and separate folding rear seats.

The Suzuki Jimny is available in two trim levels, the base JX model and the deluxe JLX model. The Jimny JLX has standard fog lamps, alloy wheels, roof rail, power windows, central door locks, electric side mirrors, and digital trip meter.

The Jimny JX M/T retails for Php 698,000 while the Jimny JLX is priced at Php 750,000 for the manual transmission and Php805,000 for the automatic transmission.

All three variants are available from 19 Suzuki automotive dealers nationwide.

MOBILITY

FIESTA NOW!

The all-new Ford Fiesta has arrived on Philippine shores. Starting October 1st, displays and test drives of the all-new Fiesta were made available in both sedan and hatchback variants at all of Ford’s twenty-one dealerships from Luzon to Visayas to Mindanao.

“The first batch of Ford Fiesta is here!

Customers have been asking us about vehicle availability timing from the time we pre-launched the Fiesta last June through connectwithfiesta.com and the Fiesta Philippines Facebook portals," said Steven Tan, Vice President for Sales & Marketing at Ford Group Philippines. "We are happy to invite everyone to visit their nearest Ford showroom to test drive and are confident that customers will feel the Ford difference and be delighted with Fiesta's stylish design, technological features and the drive experience,” Tan added.

The globally popular and multi-awarded Ford Fiesta is Ford Philippine’s first global car under the One Ford strategy that has sold more than a million around the world since its introduction

in Europe. The Fiesta also went on sale this summer in United States with rave reviews from the American consumers. Contributing factors to the success and popularity of the Fiesta are its superior fuel economy and low running costs relative to the major brands in category.

Showcasing irresistibly stylish design and a multiple category-first safety and connectivity, the Fiesta will officially start delivery to customers in the Philippines from October 15.

The Ford Fiesta lineup starts at Php 670,000 for the Style 1.4-liter 4-door sedan with manual transmission, while the Fiesta Trend 1.4-liter sedan and hatchback with manual transmission is Php 685,000. The 1.6-liter Trend models featuring Ford’s 6-speed PowerShift

automatic transmission, standard ESP and Hill Launch Assist is priced at Php 766,000 in both hatchback and sedan. The top-of-the-line Ford Fiesta Sport variant, equipped with a 1.6-liter 6-speed PowerShift automatic transmission as well as SRS airbags on driver and passenger sides and the In-Car Entertainment package of Voice Control with USB Connectivity and Bluetooth is priced at Php 816,000.

Ford dealerships are located in Alabang, Balintawak, Commonwealth, Edsa, Global City, Libis, Manila, Quezon Avenue and SM Fairview.

Provincial dealerships are located in Batangas, Bacolod, Cabanatuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cavite, Cebu, Dagupan, Davao, Iloilo, Lipa, Pampanga, San Pablo SM Marilao and Subic. Visit: www. fordfiesta.com.ph. Follow them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/FordFiestaPhilippines.

2010 OCTOBER

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MOBILITY

NISSAN TEANA: POWER & SOPHISTICATION COMBINED

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OCTOBER 2010

Nissan Motor Philippines Inc. (NMPI) introduces its latest vehicle model – the all-new Nissan Teana. As the company’s flagship model, the allnew Nissan Teana shows Filipino consumers how power and sophistication translate to a vehicle, packed with features, design, and amenities that clearly make it a cut above anyone else.

MOBILITY

“We promised to deliver the best products that we can offer, and with the introduction of Nissan Sentra 200, Nissan X-Trail CVT and now, the all-new Nissan Teana, we can truly say we delivered,” said Allen Chen, president and CEO of NMPI. Inspired by Infinity’s seamless design, the allnew Nissan Teana boasts of an uncompromising modern design similar to Executive European cars. From the outside, it is a sight to see as its exterior speaks of power, sophistication, and elegance.

Consistent with the Nissan brand’s promise to give vehicle owners a total driving experience that they will enjoy, the Teana features world-renowned technology like the new generation XCVT (Xtronic Continuous Variable Transmission) to give drivers a smooth “noshift-shock” driving experience. Additional enhancements also include the electronic control system and hydraulic system and the adoption of a high-performance ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) that boosts response and stability.

Mated to the XCVT technology is one of the best features of the all-new Nissan Teana—the

powerful VQ-V6 engine that lets drivers rev up smoothly to high speed with radical reduced level of friction plus improved rigidity. A highly acclaimed engine, the Nissan VQ has been cited for its powerful evolution in line with its concepts of simplicity, compactness, low friction and responsiveness.

Providing better fuel efficiency and lower exhaust emission, the Teana’s VQ-V6 engine incorporates the world’s first hydrogen-free valve lifter coated with diamond-like carbon which significantly lessens carbon emission, as well as reduces 40% surface friction. Further raising the bar is the Teana’s New D-Platform that provides driving comfort.

Featuring a vehicle speed sensing power steering, the Teana ensures that steering is always in tune with the driver’s intention. It is also equipped with 3D quiet project that assures drivers freedom from noise of any source. These allow the driver to enjoy a sense of unity with the vehicle that is free from stress when driving on highways.

If these are not enough, the all-new Nissan Teana really shows how style and comfort put together feels.

2010 OCTOBER

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MOBILITY

2011 CAMARO: CHEVROLET FLEXES NEW MUSCLE

The Covenant Car Co. Inc. (TCCCI) is reopening a door to one of the purest, most masculine segments in automotive passion, American muscle. Through this door now comes one of the premier retro-muscle cars in existence today, the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro.

For the uninitiated, a muscle car is loosely defined as a rear-driven, American mid-sized car, usually of 1960s or '70s design, equipped with a powerful engine and is capable of being driven daily for street use. While a sports car is designed to be lighter, nimbler and meant more for handling, such as in a circuit race, a muscle car uses more production (and usually heavier) components and is designed to go fast in a straight line, such as in a drag race.

What the new Camaro offers is just that—a rear-driven mid-weight American car with very powerful engines, plus a body style that actually captures the '60s/'70s-era perfectly.

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OCTOBER 2010

In fact, its body is based directly on the first generation Camaro, the 1966-69 F-body and borrows heavily from that model in terms of lines, curves and even stance.

Under the hood, both models come with either 6- or 8-cylinder engines, though the first generation Camaro had a wider range of engine displacements and outputs. The 2011 Camaro can be had with either a V6 or one of two V8’s. The 2LT trim coupe comes with a 3.6-liter SIDI (Spark Ignition Direct Injection) V6 which employs variable valve timing and is good for 312-horsepower (hp) and 278 pound-feet (lb-ft) of torque. Transmission is a 6-speed automatic.

The 2SS V8 coupe comes with either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. The 2SS with auto is equipped with a 6.2-liter SFI (Sequential Fuel Injection) running 400-hp and 410 lb-ft of torque, while the manual-equipped 2SS has a slightly more powerful 6.2 SFI V8, with 426-hp and 420 lb-ft of torque.

Unlike the first generation F-body though, the 2011 Camaro benefits from modern technology in the form of an anti-lock brake system and electronic brake force distribution for its 4-wheel disc brakes, StabiliTrak stability Control System with traction control, speedsensitive auto-lock, park assist sensor, anti-theft

MOBILITY

HEAVY-DUTY BIKES Bicycling may be a healthful and eco-minded activity for people of all shapes and sizes, but most bikes can't support more than 225 pounds. Therein lies a problem for plus-sized consumers—and the opportunity that spurred the creation of Super Sized Cycles.

system, Bose premium sound system, power starter system, power adjustable pedal and brake, a tire pressure monitoring system and cruise control. In terms of safety the 2011 Camaro gains mandatory dual supplemental restraint system airbags, as well as curtain and side airbags, collapsible steering column, rear seat child seat anchorage and an electronic engine immobilizer. To that the 2SS trim adds performance suspension, a power sunroof and the piece of resistance, four-piston Brembo brakes at all four corners.

Tires have also taken off quite far since the 1966-69 Camaro was in production, as even muscle cars in those days mounted smallish wheels, usually in 14-inch sizes, just like the F-body Camaro with 195/70R14 tires. Today, all 2011 Camaro models come with a staggered fitment (meaning the front and rear tires are of different sizes) of 245/45R20 for the front tires and 275/40R20 for the rear tires. Grip and speed levels of their corresponding tires have also greatly changed, with the first generation Camaro equipped with high performance tires at best, while the 2011 Camaro comes with ultrahigh performance or even maximum performance rubber.

A variety of bicycles, electric bikes and tricycles are available from Vermontbased Super Sized Cycles, whose Zize brand includes models capable of supporting up to 550 pounds. Steel frames, wider tires, broad pedals and strong rims and spokes are among the features that make Zize bikes well-suited for heavier weights, as are wider, well-padded seats. All are fully guaranteed by the company; pricing begins at $699.

Website: www.supersizedcycles.com Source: Springwise

Performance-wise, the 2LT 3.6L V6 will sprint to 96 kilometers per hour in around 6-seconds flat, while the V8-equipped 2SS Camaro will do it in 4.6-seconds, a 0-60 time unheard of in 60s and 70s stock production vehicles despite their gargantuan V8s.

2010 OCTOBER

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MOBILITY

TOYOTA ALTIS: Refined driving redefined Enhanced with a sporty and elegant fascia that complements its superior technology and refined driving performance, the new Corolla Altis was recently unveiled by Toyota Motor Philippines.

The new Corolla Altis inherits the solid and bold design embedded in the Corolla DNA. It incorporates a sophisticated and aggressive design that embodies class-above overall quality. Its refreshed exterior sports significant improvements in terms of style such as smoked headlamps, front bumper with fog lamps and a bar type front grille with mesh.

On the inside, the cabin is redesigned to fit in a new dark gray upper interior color that creates a refined atmosphere for the passengers the moment they open the door. To enhance overall driving experience, a host of innovative instruments are included such as optitron meters, integrated 2DIN In-Dash 1CD/MP3 with 6 speakers and automatic climate control with digital push type control panel with clean air filter.

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In terms of performance, the Corolla Altis boats of a dual VVT-I , 4 cylinder In line DOHC, 16 Valve with Acoustic Control Induction System (ACIS) for the 2.0L variant. This cutting-edge technology allows for an optimal balance of power, fuel efficiency, as well as environmental performance as it reduces harmful emissions.

The 2.0L variant yields a maximum output of 145hp at 6,200rpm and maximum torque of 187Nm at 3,600rpm.

Toyota elevates the playing field with the adoption of the Super Continuously Variable Transmission-intelligent (Super CVT-i) system on 2.0L variant, which enables smooth acceleration while achieving maximum fuel efficiency. In addition, it is also equipped with a newly designed paddle shifting structure that offers seamless shifting and reduced noise and vibrations. On the other hand, the Corolla Altis

is also available in 1.6L variants with manual transmission to cater to needs of customers who prefer a different driving experience.

To ensure driver and passenger safety, the New Corolla Altis is also equipped with active safety and security features such as a Global Outstanding Assessment body, Whiplash lessening seats and dual SRS airbags.

The New Corolla Altis is available in six colors: Super White II, Silver Metallic, Medium Silver, Pearl White, Black Mica, and Beige Metallic.

The line-up is offered at Php 1,135,000 for the 2.0V A/T variant (Php 1,150,000 for White Pearl color), Php 955,000 for the 1.6V A/T variant (Php 970,000 for White Pearl color), Php 894,000 for the 1.6G A/T variant, Php 858,000 for the 1.6G M/T variant, and Php 804,000 for the 1.6E M/T variant.

MOBILITY

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MOBILITY

Hyundai Grand Starex CRDi Limousine:

DRIVE IN LUXURIOUS STYLE Going out for a weekend drive with friends? The best vehicle for this would be the Hyundai Grand Starex CRDi Limousine.

This passenger van is well-suited for a drive with your barkada as it has space inside and out—and lots of it.

The van’s interior says it all— premium luxury leather seats swivel to create larger space and the captain seats can recline to make it into a full flat “bed.” Even the driver’s area is luxurious. The steering wheel and the shift lever are both wrapped in leather. Behind the sun visor is that oh-so-needed vanity mirror, illumination, a slide cover and a ticket holder to tuck in those receipts and toll cards.

The techies will find the rear view mirror has a bit of technology in

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it—an auto dimming ECM (electrochromic mirror) function.

The driver wouldn’t be bugged by queries of “Are we there yet?” as passengers will be entertained courtesy of a 21-inch LCD screen in the Starex’s bundled audio-video system. Not leaving the driver alone, it also has a 6.5-inch TFT LCD screen up front, plus a touchscreen navigation system to guide him through the drive.

Other features include sliding doors, a lift-type tail gate, a flush glass, rear window defogger and adjustable-speed front wipers.

The Starex Limousine has a 2.5-liter CRDi VGT engine type, with a maximum output of 170ps/3800rpm and a maximum torque of 40kg/2000m-2500rpm mated with an H-matic 5-speed A/T as its transmission.

The front and rear suspensions use the McPherson with coil spring and Rigid Axle 5-link with coil spring respectively, both having gas-type shock absorbers. Discs are used for the front and rear brakes, while the parking brake uses a hand type.

Steering is also surprisingly convenient, with the steering type using hydraulic power steering and tilt adjust steering wheel.

The vehicle has an overall weight of 5,125mm x 1,920mm x 2,210mm, with a wheelbase of 3,200mm. Its fuel tank can hold up to 75 liters.

The Grand Starex Limousine in available in four colors—crystal white, sleek silver, stone black and soft ecru.

The Hyundai Grand Starex Limousine sells in the market for Php 2,698 million. For additional information, log on to http://www. myhyundai.com.ph/ website.

COVER STORY

UPDATING THE OUTDATED

By Danee Torres

W

When you buy something you’d want it to last forever, wouldn’t you? People don’t really purchase something only to count down the days until it falls apart. Sadly, at the rate that research and development when it comes to technology is going, things that you feel should last forever have about a shelf-life of six months to a year.

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COVER STORY

TECHNOLOGY We’ve all seen how communication has gone from smoke signals to telephones to pagers and now pocket computers. Software updates used to only be available for desktops but have since moved on to handheld devices specifically, smartphones. This is a convenience to heavy users who practically treat their smartphone as a personal assistant that runs their lives. Who needs the hassle of trading in an old device and manually transferring the information from the old to the new one? It’s a chore and no one wants to do that, as it consumes time. Luckily, companies have regular software updates on their devices. Forget the old practice of heading to your neighborhood tech store in search for the new OS, as updates are done fully online.

Just plug in your device and it’ll automatically search for an update. All you have to do is click that OK button.

FASHION

Leggings with foot straps are back again.

They used to be in vogue in the early 1990s.

Everything fashionable now has actually already been done in the past; it’s just a matter of reinvention. Leggings are now available in an array of blinding prints, some more annoying than others, but the fact remains: what was in fashion before will be in fashion again. Until then, some classic pieces that should keep you occupied until then are the round-toed heels, square-toed loafers for men, straightcut trousers both for men and women and the French-cuffed, crisp, white button-down shirt.

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At the recent Google Searchology event, we were shown the newest innovations to what Google does best: search. According to Jay Trinidad, Regional Product Marketing Manager for Consumer Products, Filipinos are primarily “navigational searchers” and people often “search for a broad term and get broad results.” Among the tips that he offers is going back to basics, i.e. properly structuring a search query. Search operators are now available such as using quotation marks to search for a phrase, DEFINE: to learn what a word means, FILETYPE: to find a particular kind of document and SITE: to search within a single domain. He says that despite changes in technology, even if Google decides to apply changes to its homepage etc., these tips should be applicable forever.

“Evolution becomes a part of our profession,” says designer Randy Ortiz. While he says he’s never used to do things that are so elaborate, he tries to weave it into the contemporary silhouette because “that’s what fashion is all about.” “What was ‘in’ in the ‘60s, [ just] revolves. So I redo the silhouette and the details to create a new look.”

This rings true as fashion houses have begun premiering their collections at the recently concluded New York Fashion Week for Spring/ Summer 2011. Among the trends spotted are white outfits and animal prints and that old 80s staple: denim wear. Although we failed to see any denim jumpsuits, there were denim shirt dresses and an all denim outfit. This has led us to wonder how long it’ll take until shoulder pads come back in style.

COVER STORY

BOARD GAMES + FREE WIFI = FUN

DÉCOR

Owner of Magnifique Interiors Kim Lim says that when it comes to interior design, we keep “borrowing designs from the past like the Victorian era.” Back in the 1800s, the said era was a revolutionary period during which many artistic styles, literary schools and political and religious movements thrived. It was a time of great scientific progress, during which Darwin developed his Theory of Evolution and Freud posited on his world-renowned theories in child development. Lim says that oftentimes, “[Victorian] mouldings on walls have been repainted with white and black to make it modern.” If black and white are modern colors, is it safe to assume that this treatment of décor will last? “No,” says Lim. “Like everything else, it’ll pass and make way for other designs.”

It seems a little tedious knowing that every so often you’ll have to update your house and surroundings to what is “now,” but Lim says otherwise. “It’s more linked with the culture. Like Asian design will always be present because some [people] will always go back to where it’s ‘safe’ and feels like home—such as Pinoy designs like wooden furniture and the use of abaca, etc.” She believes that people are fond of the designs of the past like intricate mouldings because it’s difficult to recreate. The amount of effort to produce a design back in the day can never be compared to the present. “Like the coliseum, the obelisks, the pyramids… the chiseling of marble isn’t easy.”

It's not uncommon to see board games on display at restaurants and cafés, but they're typically used to prop up laptops at least as often as to provide hands-on entertainment. Aiming to re-create the offline interaction of days gone by, Toronto's Snakes & Lattes serves up not just coffee but also 1,500 board games available for the playing.

Billed as “the first board game café in Toronto,” Snakes & Lattes dispenses with the free WiFi; rather, it encourages its patrons to play games instead.

For C$5 per person per visit, visitors can choose from the café's diverse collection, which includes staples like Monopoly as well as lesser-known offerings including Jumanji and Fireball Island, according to a report on BlogTO. Taking the concept even further, the shop's baristas serve as strategic advisors as well, dispensing instructions and tips for play along with the frothy beverages. Coming soon, reportedly, are themed nights, youth-focused initiatives and a rental system to let customers play the games at home.

Given the ubiquity of Wi-Fi-enabled coffee houses around the world, unplugging and focusing instead on low-tech games is an interesting premise that could win the loyalty of legions of mass-mingling consumers.

Website: www.snakesandlattes.com Source: Springwise

It’s the past that defines what future designs will be.

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FEATURE

NOKIA: ‘WE’RE BACK!’

By Armin A. Amio

Top executives of the Finnish telecom giant made public a different Nokia during the Nokia World 2010 held in London last month—passionate, raring to win and devoted to a single goal. That goal is to reclaim its top ranking in the mobile phone marketplace.

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FEATURE

Niklas Savander, Executive Vice President for Markets, in his opening keynote, said: “We are undergoing a tough transition.”

Indeed there is increasing pressure from Nokia to speed up development of devices to rivals such as Apple, Google, Samsung and HTC. “We will not apologize for not being Apple or Samsung.

We’re Nokia. We’re unique and we’re global. The world is our market,” Savander said. He further defended Nokia’s strategy of putting out a variety of devices.

“Offering only one model will result in compromising a device.

We offer a variety of devices to meet the needs and requirements of our customers.”

Despite concerns that rivals are eating into Nokia’s share in the market pie, the Nokia executive pointed out that the company can still claim to be on the top spot. “There are about 260,000 Nokia smartphones being bought everyday. This is the highest smartphone sales by any company, period.” At 37.4 percent, Nokia has the biggest share of the smartphone market, according to a study from Gartner.

Not resting on its laurels, Savander said Nokia is shifting “into high gear to fight back the smartphone leadership.” As an opening salvo to this campaign, Nokia launched four new smartphone, the N8, the E7, the C7 and the C6.

The N8 features a 12-megapixel camera, high-definition video recording, film editing software, navigable 3D maps, and the ability to mirror its display o a television screen. Users can customize their phones to display Facebook and Twitter feeds on the top screen.

They can also integrate all their social networking into a single

feed, using Nokia software or third-party application such as Gravity.

Nokia E7 is being marketed as the ultimate business smartphone.

With Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync on board, the Nokia E7 provides direct, real-time and secure access to corporate email inboxes and other personal applications. Equipped with a 4-inch touchscreen display featuring ClearBlack technology for improved outdoor visibility and a full keyboard, business users will find the Nokia E7 is the perfect shape and size to work on documents, review spreadsheets, or read and edit slides. For corporate peace of mind, a combination of business grade security solutions is available.

The C7 is beautifully crafted, sleek social networking smartphone. You can get live updates from social networks such as Facebook and Twitter and keep track of new email from your Yahoo! or Gmail accounts directly on the homescreen. The Nokia C7 features a 3.5-inch AMOLED display and a stunning combination of stainless steel, glass and soft edges.

The C6 is seen as the small and stylish smartphone. Sporting a 3.2-inch AMOLED display with full touch capabilities and ClearBlack technology for improved outdoor visibility, the latest Nokia C6 (C6-01) features the best of social networking and mobile entertainment in a stainless steel and glass design. Stay connected to email, access millions of tracks through Ovi Music, and download apps and games from the Ovi Store.

Rivals, particularly Apple,

became identified with the transformation of the mobile phone from a handset into an all-purpose digital assistant, as it accumulated thousands of apps for everything—from free phone calling to travel dictionaries and virtual musical instruments—nearly all from third-parties.

Nokia has recognized this and has pushed its developers to bring its hardware up to speed. The new phones, running on the latest version of the Symbian operating platform, “is now more compelling and intuitive,” said Savander. “It has transitioned from being a legacy technology to leading edge.”

He further noted that the revamped Symbian has made it more appealing to app developers.

There are about 13,000 apps in Nokia’s Ovi Store, although still a far cry from Apple’s 250,000 and Android’s 70,000. “But we’re more interested in quality…not quantity,” Savander pointed out.

Nokia is highly charged over the N8, in particular. “Already, 100 operators worldwide have signed up. A lot of customers have inquired about it. It’s stylish, innovative and good value for money. You can be sure it performs and work, no matter how you hold them,” said Savander, pertaining to the signal problem that hounded Apple’s iPhone4.

He also announced Nokia’s push to “bring Internet to the next billion” through the company’s smartphones. “The Internet is changing; it is being used differently than how it was originally conceived. That’s the space we intend to own.”

It’s all about here and now, Savander pointed out, adding that “Nokia is [finally] back.”

2010 OCTOBER

39

GAMING

PUBLISHED BY:

DEVELOPED BY:

By John Nieves

I like a good gangster flick.

Being able to see a character cut loose on morals and start wailing on guys with a two by four has always brought enjoyment, and the chance to become a wise guy like the ones in The Godfather has never failed to make me buy a game.

After all the hype surrounding the development of Mafia 2 by 2K Czech, I was given an offer I couldn’t refuse and snapped up the game.

You take up the mantle of Vito Scaletta, a young Italian that comes home from World War II to find out his mom and sister are in the clutches of a loan shark. Like any good mobster flick, Vito Scaletta is forced to fend for his family, and in doing so lands in the arms of organized crime, along with his best friend, Joe. The game takes place in Empire City, which is made to resemble late ’40s and early ’50s New York.

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You’ll ascend through the ranks of the Mafiosi little by little. You’ll be doing small time stuff at first –robbing jewelry stores, working over uncooperative workers, lifting goods and so on. As you progress through the story, you’ll eventually be called upon to whack a marked guy. Throughout the story you’ll see that both Vito and Joe aren’t your usual Mafia stereotypes—they’re just two regular guys that are trying to get through the world the only way they know how, and show a deep range of emotion and morality.

games and what-not, but as it stands the city serves only as a backdrop for missions.

The audio nicely contributes to the atmosphere of the game, and each voice actor delivers his line superbly, further engrossing you to the story. The sound effects and music are excellent, and even the cars are lovingly recreated period pieces that toe the line between authenticity and drivability.

Pacing is an issue with Mafia 2. Sure, there are great moments in the game such as taking your friend to get stitched up in the hospital, but there are some weird, mind numbingly boring parts as well. Every mission would have you drive back to your apartment and sleep to finish it, which is totally unnecessary in context. And you do this in every mission.

Empire City is a wide open world, full of bustling citizens and locales. It’s a shame though, that although the city looks like a sandbox environment that resembles games like GTA IV, the game’s linear mission structure doesn’t allow you explore the city like you would on the aforementioned game. A couple of side missions would have been nice, as well as collecting mini

Speaking of missions, Mafia 2 delivers some nice set pieces, but overall the missions feel like your typical “go-to-point-A-to-point-B-while-killingeveryone” third -person affair. To be fair, the gunfights are excellently done, and there’s plenty of things that go boom that you’ll be able to use.

There are also stealth and melee mechanics set in place, but there’s simply too few of the former and the implementation is lacking on the latter.

All in all, Mafia 2 looks great and plays great, as long as you don’t expect a lot out of it. It tells a great story about a man’s drive to have it all, and while the ending doesn’t quite deliver the closure I was looking for, it’s still a great way to pass the time.

WIRED HOME

FEATURE

By John Nieves

M

Most homes nowadays have a plethora of digital devices such as notebooks, desktops, game consoles, and TVs that can communicate with each other. Connecting these devices is a major pain, especially if you’re the average Joe that has no idea what an Ethernet cable does or what an IP address is.

Well, we’re here to take out the frustration in creating your home network, and we’ll lay everything down for you so you can spend more time enjoying your wired home rather than swearing at it.

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FEATURE

The first task is identifying what devices you have at home that can be connected to your network.

Most people that have two or more PCs at home usually have an active internet connection, and at the very minimum, a home router.

You’d have to decide from the start if you want your home network to stay wired or if you want to go wireless and both have their own benefits and drawbacks.

Wired networks are the most reliable and the easiest to troubleshoot, but are the hardest to set up because of the wires involved. Wireless networks are easier to set up and don’t have the clutter associated with wires, but are limited by your home’s topography and construction, especially since most Filipino houses are constructed from concrete, which isn’t easily penetrated by WiFi signals.

"The first thing to do is to configure your router with your current broadband connection."

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We’ll be moving forward with this article with the assumption that your home has three computers—a notebook, a desktop and an older computer that we will be refurbishing as your home data center, as well as an HDTV and a video streamer that’s capable of being networked.

The first thing to do is to configure your router with your current broadband connection.

Most routers sold nowadays have wireless functionality built in, and you’ll need to secure your network so neighbors don’t latch on to your network for free. Take the Ethernet cable that runs from your modem into the plug in your router that says WAN or Internet. The port is usually separate from the other four connections in your router marked with numbers.

Once that’s in, plug in your primary computer using another Ethernet cable to any of the router’s numbered connections.

Once you’re in, boot up your computer and browser, and type in the address bar 192.168.1.1 – this is your router’s default IP address. If that doesn’t work, consult the included manual in the router’s packaging, as not all manufacturers have the same default IP address. Once you input the default address, there will be a log-in screen asking you for username and password. The default username and password should be something along the lines of ‘admin’ and ‘password’, if it isn’t, consult your manual for the default values.

Once you’re in, you’ll want to click on the menu item that says wireless settings. Once there, you’ll want to change the security options to WPA and set your own passkey. You’ll also want to change the default SSID (the name of your network) into something else—I personally like the ‘connect to me and I will hack you’ SSID that I saw the other day. Congratulations, you now have successfully set up your router.

After connecting to your home network, you’ll need to make your computers communicate with each other by telling your PC that you’re on a home network. There should be a pop up dialog box that shows up when you first connect your Windows 7 PC to your newly installed network, select home network. If you want to change it later or if you did not see the dialog box appear, go to control panel -> network and internet -> network and sharing center. You should see your network name and the network type, click on the network type to change it.

For Windows Vista users, you can go control panel -> network and sharing center. You should see the network type you currently have, it should be set on Private so your

FEATURE

computer can see and can be seen by other computers in the network.

Before we proceed to repurposing your old desktop to home server duties, we need to go over some basic guidelines. For your home server to be really useful, it needs to be turned on almost 24/7, so you’d need to trim the fat when it comes to power consumption.

While processor speed isn’t that important when it comes to server duties, you’d at least want to have at least an Intel Core Duo processor in there—not for speed, but for power efficiency. You’d also want to strip it down to the bare minimum—no fancy lights, no unnecessary fans, and running on integrated graphics if possible to decrease power consumption.

One thing you want to splurge on for the server is hard drives and lots of them—try to get at least 500GB worth and 1TB if you can spare the extra cash. If it’s possible try to nab Western Digital’s Caviar Green line of drives as they consume relatively less power than other drives. Reinstall your OS, and try to grab either Windows Vista or Windows 7 as they make networking a breeze. Rename your computer as Server or something similar.

Once the server boots up, go to the control panel -> network and internet -> network and sharing center. Accomplish the steps laid out previously to making your PC communicate to each other. On Windows 7, go to the advanced sharing settings, and make sure to turn on network discovery, file and printer sharing, public folder sharing and media sharing. On a Vista machine, go to the network and sharing center. You should see the different sharing options on the bottom. Click on the relevant ones like the ones described for Windows 7. This allows any computer that’s connected to your network to be able to access the files on the server.

After reconfiguring your old computer, you’d want to connect it to your home network as described above. I’d strongly recommend connecting your server to your network via a wired connection. Once connected, you can now go into your other PCs that you have recently configured, and go to network. You should now see your server’s name on the list of PCs, along with any other PC that’s currently on the network.

Double click on the server PC, and right click on any of the hard drives. Select ‘map network drive’

If you have an HDTV and a media streaming box like the BrightView Cinematube, you can stream your windows media library directly to your HDTV easily.

from the drop down menu that appears, and designate a drive letter. What you did was basically make a shortcut to that drive for your computer to use. You can now designate that particular drive as a repository for any of your activities, including downloading pictures, videos, torrents and the like.

If you have an HDTV and a media streaming box like the BrightView Cinematube, you can stream your windows media library directly to your HDTV easily. Open the Windows media player on the source PC, which will be our home server in this case. Click on the arrow below the library tab, and then click Media Sharing. In the Media Sharing dialog box, select the Share my media to check

box. In the list of devices below "Share my media to:" select the CinemaTube or whatever streamer you currently have connected to your network. Find the UPnP sharing option in your streaming device. Your server name should appear in the menu. Select it.

Once you do, there should several folders labeled such as “Music,” “Pictures,” “Playlists” and “Video.”

These are the contents of the server’s media library, click and enjoy!

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DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD Compiled by John Nieves

This month’s download is a special one for both gamers, tinkerers and cooks.

If gaming nostalgia getting the better of you lately, there’s now a way to play your old PS2 games on the PC easily with PCSX2. IOBIT’s Gamebooster 2 gives you that extra edge in gaming, whether online or off. Universal Androot will help you gain mastery over your Android device, and isn’t complicated or messy, and finally, How to Cook Everything teaches you, well... how to cook everything, in a handy iOS app that you can take with you anywhere.

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DOWNLOAD

PCSX2

Windows Ever felt the need to play your old PS2 games in your PC? Well, you can download PCSX2 and start feeling nostalgic. This PS2 emulator has excellent compatibility with a large number of games in the PS2 library. It’s not hard to set up either. There’s plenty of plug-ins to

HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING ensure compatibility with different system setups, and the program comes in a self-installing file that sorts out plug-ins and configs the first time you run it. You need to be aware though that you do need the original bios file that came with your old PS2 to run it.

UNIVERSAL ANDROOT Android One of the defining characteristics of the Android platform is its openness. Most manufacturers put their own spin on Google’s OS, and while most people are content on what’s on tap, there’s a special core of users who want to take their Android device to the very edge of its performance envelope. Universal Androot allows users to root their device, meaning you get complete control over what should stay in the device and what goes, and even allows users to increase performance. Rooting

your Android phone is usually a long and complicated affair, but the Universal Androot allows you to root your Android mobile in one simple click. The original source of the program is from http:// blog.23corner.com/2010/08/30/ universal-androot-1-6-2beta-5/ and is in Mandarin. For detailed instructions how to use the program, you can go to the XDA Developers thread at http:// forum.xda-developers.com/ showthread.php?t=747598.

iOS If you ever wanted to know how to cook, or wanted to update your cooking skills for that hot date, you can download the app version of NYTimes columnist Mark Bittman’s book, How to Cook Everything. The app features 2,000 recipes and recipe variations, including easy-to-follow how-to illustrations; equipment, technique

and ingredient information; and meal-planning ideas. The app also features built-in timers embedded in the recipes so you’ll know when to lift that baked potato from the oven, as well as well-organized shopping lists that make it easy to buy ingredients. The app is available to download via the Apple app store for $5 (about Php 230).

GAMEBOOSTER 2 Windows Not everyone owns a top-tier gaming rig. Of course, it’s not exactly easy to turn off unwanted processes manually just to squeeze in every possible inch of performance from the machines during gaming sessions. This is the reason why IOBIT developed the Gamebooster 2. It works by updating hardware drivers,

downloading essential gaming tools, tweaking system settings for gaming, defragmenting game directories, temporarily shutting down background processes, cleaning RAM, and intensifying processor performance. You can grab it free from IOBIT’s site at http://www.iobit.com/ gamebooster2beta.

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FEATURE

CALTEX AND AMAZING RACE

GO TOGETHER

Caltex, one of Asia’s leading brand of fuels and lubricants, is sponsoring this year’s The Amazing Race Asia Season 4 (TARA4) for the fourth year in a row. Media guests were recently treated to an overnight stay at Pontefino Resort in Batangas with an itinerary complete with the exclusive screening of the show’s first episode, the opening of a community library, a TARA night with games and a mini-Amazing Race and capped off with the participation in the International Coastal Clean Up (ICC) Day in San Pascual, Batangas.

The first stop was the inauguration of the San Antonio Community library, established in partnership with of Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), marketer of Caltex, and Ayala Foundation through the Filipinas Heritage Library. The community

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library hopes to help promote learning and reading especially for individuals without the means or access to mainstream education.

The evening made way for the media launch of TARA4, where this year’s Philippine contestants were awarded Php 75,000 worth of gasoline and other products with the use of Star Cash. Previous TARA contestants also graced the event, Jacq Yu from Season 1, Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez from Season 2, and Michelle Ng, who is this season’s Singaporean contestant. Kitchie Nadal, singer and Caltex endorser, provided the entertainment with her popular hits such "Bulong" and "Huwag na Huwag Mong Sasabihin". The launch was immediately followed with an TARA-inspired game where three lucky media guests had the chance to win an all-expenses paid

trip to Singapore in December for the TARA4 closing party.

The 25th International Coastal Clean Up (ICC) Day was held the next day at San Pascual, Batangas’ only coastline, which straddles Chevron Batangas Terminal, and joined by nearly 400 volunteers.

Chevron’s coastline is a known habitat of turtles and a butanding was once discovered visiting its wharf―testaments to the high environment standards of the facility. This is the 7th participation of Chevron in the ICC as a continuation of its commitment to preserve vital ecosystems and natural habitat in and around its places of business.

More than 34 million viewers across Asia have tuned in to the first three seasons of The Amazing Race Asia. Season 4 will feature

10 teams from six Asian nations try to outsmart, out speed and out maneuver each other in 11 episodes. TARA4, themed “Ride of a Lifetime,” highlights values that match the values behind the Caltex brand.

“The sponsorship is a strategic fit for Caltex, as The Amazing Race Asia is an inspirational series that aligns with Caltex’s brand platform of ‘What Drives You’. The series demonstrates talents, patience, determination, resilience, strength of character and integrity, which are values that are also shared by Caltex and Chevron employees.

Chevron, which owns and markets the Caltex brand, strongly believes in harnessing the sheer power of ‘human energy’, and this sponsorship is a demonstration of that commitment,” said Jim Meynink, Country Chairman of CPI.

LEISURE PURSUITS

TO BOARD

T

FROM BORED Interviewed By Michelle Callanta

The first time I saw “C-Lo” ride, the first thought that immediately came to my head and out my mouth was, “I can totally do that.” Now I can’t swim (not that that matters since the lake wakeboarders use is only about waist-deep) and I don’t think I have the sufficient upper body strength to hold on to a cable for dear life while being dragged round and about the water. But the way he did it—effortlessly, seamlessly, like it was the easiest thing in the world to do, made me realize that perhaps, this was a sport worth pursuing. Aside from the awards, the gauge of a good athlete is he should be someone who is courageous enough to show others an absolutely good time and knows that all the hard work that comes with it is simply done to achieve just that.

Carlo Dela Torre, web content developer and marketing officer for Stoked Inc. / multi-awarded wakeboarder, shows Gadgets Magazine why having fun is a reward in itself.

lo A. Dela

Torre

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2010 OCTOBER

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LEISURE PURSUITS

" I guess the real pivotal moment was when my family moved to Thailand and my dad got me and my bro a membership to one of the cable parks out there. It’s been a part of me ever since."

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LEISURE PURSUITS

Describe that pivotal moment with water sports.

Probably the first time my Pops got me and my bro an inflatable pool which we used to rock every weekend. From then on, they let me join some swim clubs, but I guess the real pivotal moment was when my family moved to Thailand and my dad got me and my bro a membership to one of the cable parks out there. It’s been a part of me ever since.

What is the general difference between wakeboarders and wakeskaters?

Wakeboarders are attached to their boards via bindings whereas wakeskaters are not attached to their boards at all. Wakeboarding has more of a snowboard approach, where spinning, getting inverted and grabbing are super important. Wakeskating, on the other hand, is super technical because it’s basically skateboarding on water.

What do you think gives these water sports such appeal?

Its appeal to me is that you

will never leave the water not learning something new. The bottomline is that it enhances my life experiences by learning new moves. Aside from that, it’s becoming an increasingly social sport with the advent of cable parks like Lago de Oro and Deca Wake Park, where huge groups can go ride simultaneously. You can even go doubles with a friend. So the lifestyle aspect of it is a huge plus. On the same note, because of these cable parks wake sports are becoming increasingly accessible to people who could otherwise not afford a boat and be able to ride.

You also don’t have to worry about weather so much, because you are not looking for swells or wind. The pull of the boat or cable will always be there.

Are there ways to prepare yourself properly before “riding”?

- STRETCH, STRETCH, STRETCH. You can avoid so much injury because of this.

- Know what you are about to try then visualize it as much as you can.

- Knowing how to crash is also really important. Having a plan B is a good thing when things go south 15 feet in the air going 35 kph.

- Never try a new move when you are tired. Always try new tricks when you are fully warmed up.

- Don't muscle your way out of tricks, no matter what you do, you will not win a tug of war with a cable or boat engine.

- Be nice to the people on the dock.

-Think Happy Thoughts always.

How would you convince anyone to try out the sport?

We let our riding and big smiles do the convincing.

What is one sport you wish you were really good at but you, unfortunately, just aren't?

Skateboarding and surfing, and if singing soul and funk was a sport I would love to have that under my belt as well.

2010 OCTOBER

49

WEBSITES

FOREVER THE INTERNET IS

By Presy Alba

Libraries and museums are the world’s gatekeepers of information, art and artifacts.

They attempt to preserve for future generations the work and culture of those who preceded them. Nothing equals the experience of actually seeing first-edition books or the works of the masters up close and personal.

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WEBSITES

The World Wide Web which was started about half a century ago changed all that. Today, the web is the world’s largest library and museum, a receptacle of all kinds of information and art.

The Internet is a very effective repository because the task of collecting and providing content does not have to be borne by any one person or one organization.

It does not even have to be done in just one place. Instead, it could be a shared effort where everyone can contribute and share resources. Wiki sites like www. wikipedia.org and www.wikihow. com are just two examples of successful wikis. These two sites need no further introduction as anyone who has Internet access has at some point gone to these two sites to search for information or learn how to do something.

For those interested in art, the web is rich in art sites, but my favorite art resources are www. artchive.com, www.artcyclopedia. com and www.the-athenaeum. org. These three sites are art encyclopedias arranged by style and artist, and have very good samples of the artist’s work.

I visit www.artchive.com every month to download desktop wallpaper calendar if I like the artwork that won the users’ vote.

The October calendar background is Eric Chagall’s oil on canvas painting entitled Self Portrait with Seven Fingers.

On months that I don’t like the calendar background, I forego this feature and just select another painting for my wallpaper. Not all artworks featured in this website are public domain and may be covered by copyright laws so there is a caveat that anything downloaded from the site are for private and personal use only, and cannot be distributed commercially. www.artcyclopedia.org is a Canadian-based website that provides free access to a wide collection of artwork. It has been selected as one of the 25 best free reference sites by the American Library Association MARS Project, is a Britannica Internet Guide Awardee and has a website grade of 99 from WebsiteGrader.

I like this site because it offers “museum-quality art” which means that artists featured here are being

shown and collected by museums around the world. www.the-athenaeum.org is a free site that allows everyone to browse and contribute. It claims to have the largest collection of images of artwork by certain artists, and has the added feature of containing not just works of art.

One promise they make is that they don’t sell the visitor anything and offers visitors the chance to contribute to the site.

But the Internet is a repository of not just the serious stuff. We’re all in some way leaving our own mark through profiles in various social networks and websites that require registration, and leaving our personal histories on the Net. Some of us have even tried blogging - a popular activity that provides any one with equal opportunity to put out their ideas to the wild wide web. www. untoldpinoystories.blogspot. com is one of my favorite blogs. It one of the sites with staying power because since I started reading stories on this site sometime in 2005 and there were long periods without new entries. Those of us

who discovered it years ago always check back from time to time for new entries and the blogger has never disappointed his readers. www.youtube.com is probably the most democratic site on the Internet. Anyone can upload a video and make it available to the world. And I don’t think anyone deletes any video they’ve uploaded to the internet, whether it is for private access to a select few or for public consumption.

Three years ago a media outfit I worked with uploaded a fiveminute video as part of a bid campaign, and even after the event, nobody bothered to delete the video. So now if you search for “Negros Island” on Youtube, you’ll still be able to see it.

Libraries and museums may be the physical repositories of knowledge, art and artifacts around the world, but the internet will forever keep a record of everything we upload to it.

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FEATURE

THE

MANILA HOTEL: The Grand Dame Reigns Supreme Classic and legendary are just a few words that describe the Manila Hotel. Back in 1966, the Manila Hotel was home to The Beatles during their visit to the Philippines.

Today, more than 40 years later, the same grandeur and warm hospitality that welcomed the Beatles in 1966 are still present and have only become better with time. While it opted to maintain its distinct classic interiors, full of poise and elegance, the Manila Hotel introduces its renovated guest rooms this year.

Fully equipped with the most modern facilities and amenities, the new guest rooms exude elegance and sophistication while showcasing the beauty of authentic Philippine interior design. The rooms are further made surreal by majestic windows that provide a breathtaking view of the bay and the fabled Manila sunset.

The year 2009 also saw the opening of the Mabuhay Palace, Manila Hotel’s newly-opened restaurant and the current sensation in Chinese fine dining. The food will never disappoint and the interiors of the restaurant complement it perfectly with its imperial neoclassical design—featuring a one-of-a-kind wall art that was meticulously sculpted with genuine jade and precious stones to narrate the tale of Chinese philosopher, Confucius.

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"The Manila Hotel has a rich reservoir of stories, which are accumulated from almost a century of historical events within its walls, thereby making it the only hotel in the country that can genuinely encapsulate the true essence of Manila. At the same time, it is continuously evolving to meet its clientele’s dynamic and modern needs, allowing it to confidently face the future as the hotel of choice in the Philippines and one of the world’s prestigious hotels,” said Marcelo S. Ele, Jr., president of The Manila Hotel.

Just a minute walk away from the five-star restaurant is also another newly-renovated outlet in the hotel: the Pool and garden. The pool itself was reconfigured and re-engineered with brand-new state-of-the-art pumps and filter system. Further, the installation of decorative spouts and jets add novel flavor and complements the new “Quartzon” finish of the swimming pool.

But surely, the pool area is more than a place for recreation. Just beside it is an event space that overlooks the bay and the sunset that is perfect for outdoor parties and weddings. Timber trellises with colorful flowering vines, punctuated with tall royal, coconut and

Madagascar traveler palms filter the sun’s rays, creating a shaded area pleasantly cooled by the sea breeze.

Apart from all these, also located by the bay is the Manila Hotel Spa which offers an unprecedented five-star relaxation experience to its guests. And to complete the guests’ rejuvenation and wellness interests, next to the spa is the Manila Hotel Health Club. Manila Hotel’s newly opened gym features high-tech Life Fitness strength conditioning and cardio machines. They come with touchscreen LCDs, iPod docks and a virtual trainer. In addition, going up a flight of stairs will reveal a locker room that features electronic lockers that use wrist watches instead of keys, and rainfall showers with complete amenities. The Manila Hotel Health Club also has its own Pilates yoga and aerobics room, a dry sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi.

“It’s a good story if it’s like Manila Hotel,” Ernest Hemingway once said.

With Manila Hotel’s commitment to maintain the elegance of its history while constantly striving to exceed the expectations of its modern clientele, indeed, the story just keeps getting better and better.

FEATURE

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FEATURE

GAMING ON A BUDGET

By John Nieves

It was only a matter of time until Nvidia outed its mainstream Fermi card, the GeForce GTS 450. Gadgets Magazine personally witnessed this event as Nvidia unveiled its newest offering to budget-conscious gamers in Thailand, along with a number of their hardware partners and regional press.

The GeForce GTS 450 is aimed squarely at the $99 to $129 market, these gamers who want to play the latest games on mainstream resolutions of 600x1050 and 1280x1024, which according to a survey done by games distribution giant Steam, is the resolution which 56 percent of gamers typically play with. The new card is loaded with brand new hardware stemming from the Fermi family and is optimized for DirectX 11 performance, with full tessellation.

A staggering amount of gamers choose Nvidia, and it’s not hard to see why, said Paul Liu, Director for APAC Channel Marketing. “Gamers today, when they think about games, they think about Nvidia. Games = Nvidia,” he said, as he highlighted the distinct Nvidia advantage over its competition. Aside from the clear performance jumps from its 54

OCTOBER 2010

Fermi architecture, Paul also pointed out that users don’t have to throw away their old graphics cards. They can simply connect them via SLI to the new cards and use the old ones as PhysX engines which, in turn, improves game performance. Paul also shares that Nvidia is serious about compatibility with today’s games and as a result they have established its own testing center to continually test hardware compatibility with games.

The result is a clear market leadership when it comes to hardware sales. A study showed that out of 4.2 million PCs in iCafes in China, a staggering 89.8% use Nvidia-based graphics solutions.

The GeForce GTS 450’s game performance against the competition can’t be denied, as benchmarks done by Nvidia against the closest competing product, the ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB, shows that the GeForce GTS 450 is up to 65% faster when it comes to DX11 and tessellation.

The event also highlighted the strong market support for both the new card and Nvidia’sFermi line in general, as manufacturers like Asus, Zotac, Gainward, Palit and others were displaying the different designs, configurations and price points that the GeForce GTS 450 was capable of.

LIFE&STYLE

PASSING TIME STEPPING OUT INDIGO SALON PHOTOFEATURE

LIFE&STYLEPARADE

BEAUTYLAB

2010 OCTOBER

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PHOTOFEATURE

Samsung Shark 3 S3550

Models Rich Asuncion and Marx Topacio Photographed by Juan Carlos Z. Calixto Art Direction by Chad Villarmino Styled by Danee Torres Airbrush Makeup by Jo Ticzon of Benefits Style Salon Hair by Chris Rodil of L'Oreal Professionnel Clothes by Kultura Filipina of SM Shot on location at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar Located in Bagac, Bataan Managed by Genesis Hotels and Resorts Special thanks to Ms. TK Solvason 56

OCTOBER 2010

PHOTOFEATURE

PASSING TIME -Maya Angelou

Gadgets Magazine takes you back in time and to the future where the star-crossed pair new and old finally‌ unite.

2010 OCTOBER

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PHOTOFEATURE

HTC Wildfire

Your skin like dawn. Mine like musk 58

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PHOTOFEATURE

HP Mini 210

2010 OCTOBER

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PHOTOFEATURE

Asus Eee PC 1215n

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PHOTOFEATURE

One paints the beginning of a certain end.

2010 OCTOBER

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PHOTOFEATURE

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PHOTOFEATURE

2010 OCTOBER

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PHOTOFEATURE

The other, the end of a sure beginning.

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FEATURE

BEHIND THE SCENES

For the October "Foreverism" issue we decided to shoot at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, a heritage site in Bataan. Driving a whole three hours in a Hyndai Starex Limousine, we arrived and were simply speechless at the old albeit majestically beautiful houses. We had a very difficult time picking out where to shoot because everywhere we looked was just amazing; we even saw the original University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts building! We had such a blast that even though it rained, we were still excited about getting things done. Thanks to everyone from Las Casas Filipinas who were so friendly and helpful to us that we felt so at home—if home were a magnificent neighborhood filled with such history, that is.

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FEATURE

SONY PHILIPPINES BAGS TOP CAMCORDER AWARD The widely popular Sony camcorder products, featuring cutting-edge user friendly technologies, was rewarded the top prize, the GfK Philippines No. 1 Award. The annual award presented by one of the largest retail technology research companies recognizes companies with the bestselling brands in the categories of consumer electronics, home appliances, information technology, photo and telecommunications. This year’s award was based on GfK Philippines retail panel data from January to December 2009 and is a timely seal of approval for Sony Philippines.

“Sony Philippines is the best selling camcorder brand based on our retail audit for 2009. Its innovative and user-friendly camcorders have captured the increasingly competitive consumer market. Despite the emergence of low-end and

inexpensive camcorders, Sony has remained to be the top-of-mind brand by consumers.

Sony is still the no. 1 camcorder brand for three consecutive years,” said Glenn Pantig, GfK Sr. Account Manager for Convergence Technologies.

GfK Country General Manager, Jake Savellano, together with Glenn Pantig and Grace Patdu, awarded the No. 1 certificate which provides a formal recognition of the top selling brand to Sony.

While presenting the award, Glenn Pantig said that the win reaffirms Sony’s position as the leader in the camcorder product category.

“As the leading research house in retail technology, we have seen that companies

must stay one step ahead of the sophisticated Generation Y consumers, who have higher expectations and are very demanding. Manufacturers must meet these requirements and offer more. We congratulate Sony for their great achievement especially with the constant challenge of holding a competitive position in the marketplace. We wish them all the best and look forward to many more innovative technologies from them,” said Jake Savellano.

The No. 1 Awards are presented to brands in each country within the Asia Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand.

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BEAUTYLAB

INDIGO SALON

By Michelle Callanta

Whenever I drive past Temple Drive, I always wondered what it would be like to get my hair done at Indigo – the name, more than the services they offered (which I didn’t quite know much about, if anything), I found to be intriguing.

Upon arrival, I was greeted by the receptionist , Thetis, and welcomed into a very well-spaced, urban-chic salon, accented by different hues of purple and, as the name suggests, indigo. It offers a wide range of services which include your usual haircut, hair conditioning, scalp treatment, color and texture services as well as makeup, hair removal, nail, and spa services. This allows customers to find everything they need in just one salon. The prices are reasonable despite its high-end market and the quality of treatment the staff provides comes highly commendable.

I was offered a new cut and color by one of the senior stylists, Lorna Balino, after which I told her my only concern was that I kept the base length of my hair as I was growing it out (and that she doesn’t dye my hair platinum blonde). She gave me her suggestions as we discussed the style I would be getting, even before we began. This, I realized, played an important factor in any beauty service. One should always have a discussion with their stylist first, perhaps even before you go sit down on the chair. It’s very difficult to regret a certain look or hairstyle once it’s been done so better to dedicate a few minutes discussing the perfect look just for you. After she had explained her suggestion, I felt more comfortable and encouraged in trusting her expertise. She would give my thick, curly hair a layered texture so as to distribute the volume of my hair evenly. A little more volume on the top, a little less on the bottom, while keeping most of the original belowthe-shoulder length intact. Then, ash-blonde highlights complemented with purple lowlights were on the agenda for my already chocolate brown hair. Now I’ve never 70

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BEAUTYLAB

HIGH-END BEAUTY SAMPLES ON SUBSCRIPTION Cosmetics “tryvertising” is nothing new. But whereas ventures like Latest in Beauty have tended to focus primarily on gathering feedback for manufacturers, Birchbox uses curation to help consumers navigate an industry filled with too much choice.

gotten high or low lights before so I was a bit apprehensive to see two completely different colors together. But as it was explained, this is so the hair appears to have more depth and sheen, the contrast of the two colors allowing for a more effective look.

I sat in the chair under the meticulous hand of salon assistant Kiko Pedaza who took charge of the color. He began with a procedure called “weaving” which basically takes thin portions of hair, then “weaves” out and separates a particular section for coloring and vertical foiling.

This is so the highlights don’t look like streaky thick patches running through your hair. Instead, weaving and slicing allow the colors to blend in so they give the illusion of naturally sun-streaked hair.

Though the actual foiling took an hour, I was only under the heater for about 10 minutes before all the foil was removed.

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After my hair was washed, I noticed that the high and lowlights didn’t look all that obvious… until my hair was blow-dried.

My hair looked shinier and surprisingly, more brilliant under the light—even in the lowest lighting conditions.

The cut gave my hair more volume to a normally flat top and more texture at the once bottom-heavy bottom, allowing me to let my hair down without worrying about a frizzy, disheveled mess.

Indigo Salon is located along Temple Drive – just beside several posh residents and subdivisions. Accessible by either car or cab, its seclusion gives it a sense of privacy and privilege… like some amazing beauty secret of the stars. In fact, many stars do avail of Indigo Salon’s services to help them maintain their looks—Sam Milby and Maja Salvador to name a few.

For $ per month or $110 per year, Brooklyn-based Birchbox sends subscribers an attractive pink box filled with four to five hand-picked luxe beauty samples each month. Monthly subscribers are also given points each month, while those with a yearly subscription are granted 100 points upfront. When subscribers find a sample they like, they can purchase a full-sized version on the Birchbox site, with a discount of $10 for every 100 Birchbox points they've earned.

Additional points are awarded for referring friends and buying products. Continuing the emphasis on curation, meanwhile, Birchbox also offers a variety of expert tips, tricks and video tutorials on its site, which carries only high-end brands chosen by its own make-up artists. Brands currently available on the site include Korres, Kiehl's, Marc Jacobs and NARS. There's no end in sight to consumers' love for trying before buying, but the addition of curation could add considerable value for those overwhelmed by choice.

Website: www.birchbox.com Source: Springwise

LIFE&STYLEPARADE

"If I seem to scintillate It's because I've got a date A date with a package of The good things that come with love"

M

Mr. Berlin got that right, and this issue we put together the freshest items to hit the metro in a styling tutorial of the basic pieces you should don for specific situations.

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APPETIME SWEETS You’ll never be late to a friendly gathering with this fun and colorful arm candy.

TOPMAN Keep warm in the latest Topman melton wool macs or pair your t-shirts with flannel tops and knitwear. If the weather acts up again, no problem! Just shed the layers.

CROCBAND SNEAKERS PHP 4,650 Stroll in these sneaks that were constructed with a molded Croslite material for lightweight cushioning.

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LIFE&STYLEPARADE

PLATONIC POWWOW PAUL SMITH SUNSHINE EDP 100ML PHP 2,898 A bright and dynamic scent is the perfect complement to a sunny disposition. Opening on a citrus accord of Bergamot, Pink Grapefruit and Peach, it blossoms into a generous floral heart of Jasmine, White Peony and Bulgarian Rose brought together through a vigorous bottom-note of Musk and Sandalwood.

A

night out with friends should be fantastically care-free. After all, a social life is considered a luxury nowadays. So lose the tie and the briefcase and kick back with some good company in these duds.

OSIS FLEX WAX PHP 1,330 Keep your tresses in check with Osis Schwarzkopf Flex Wax, a non-greasy cream wax with a shine finish whose remouldable formulation lets you style your hair without limits. And because it instantly washes out, you won’t have to spend extra time in the shower when you get home.

TOPSHOP Stay breathtaking in functional clothing that is both feminine and edgy. Denim tops are making a comeback next season, so better stock up on them while it’s still early.

VIBRAM FIVEFINGERS A unique footwear design that mimics the feeling of being barefoot, it allows people to experience the sensation and freedom of going barefoot with the protection and surefooted grip of a Vibram sole.

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POWER DRESSING

K

ey word: power.

You have to exude strength and determination. Those T-shirts, jeans and casual footwear just won’t cut it.

MARC BY MARC JACOBS SUIT Dress to impress with this suit from the Fall collection of Marc

by Marc Jacobs. The suit is cut so that it broadens the shoulders and gives the illusion of a slender frame.

VACHERON CONSTANTIN If this doesn’t convey authority, we don’t know what will. This Calibre 2253 watch from Vacheron Constantin has a perpetual calendar, the times of sunrise and sunset and the equation of time. Did we mention that only ten will be produced of this tiny masterpiece?

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LIFE&STYLEPARADE KENNETH COLE If you’re not a suit fan, pair your pale gray pants with a high-collared top with scrunched sleeves. Make sure to wear a chunky but not flashy necklace and emphasize your waist with a belt or cummerbund.

HUGO BOSS WATCH Inspired by vintage pilot’s watches and highlighted by the signature checkered-texture dial background, it also comes in an all-white version with a mother-of-pearl dial and a matching or a contrasting black strap, and is clearly intended for women who like to wear a watch that is both technically sophisticated and eminently feminine.

SINEQUANONE Channel a lady in the military with this two-piece suit. The fur cuffs add a nice touch to the seriousness of the tweed suit.

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J.LO GLOW EDT 30 ML – PHP 2,598 EDT 50 ML – PHP 3,498 EDT 100 ML – PHP 4,598 Conceived by Jennifer Lopez, this scent captures the essence of a glamorous night out on the town. Glow opens up to a cherry charm accord with purple plum and blackberry with mid notes of jasmine petals, sensual peony and magnolia blossom and finally rounding up the scent in musk with creamy amber and tropical cream. Your date won’t be able to resist leaning in to catch a whiff.

SINEQUANONE LACE DRESS Lace is as womanly as red lipstick, so wear the two together with a pair of sheer black tights. You can also go for the two-piece sheer top with ribbon detail and metallic skirt. Toss the bulky bag and bring a handy clutch instead.

D

HOT DATE

KENNETH COLE Turn heads in a gray cowl dress with front shirring paired with laser-cut heels. For a more feminine but still gutsy look, opt for a dark Feldgrauish green shift dress with bib detail and calf-high boots. If you’re more of a print girl, go for the handkerchief patterned cowl-neck dress with round-toe shoes.

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ates are tricky because there’s so much uncertainty.

But at least you’ve got one less thing to worry about: what to wear.

LIFE&STYLEPARADE

MARC ECKO You don’t have to wear a suit to a date as they may intimidate some people, so wear a non-suit suit. Marc Ecko’s Cut & Sew Suits shatters the conventional suit by having a contrast stripe run from the upper chest and through the back. It tones down the seriousness of the outfit but still keeps you looking spiffy.

HUGO BOSS WATCH Complete your look with this classic timepiece that also comes in a pink gold version. Its opaline dial lends a contemporary touch and will ensure that if you’re ever late, you’ll at least be fashionable.

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO Investing in classy accessories are always a good decision as you probably have more opportunities to wear them often than a specific type of clothing. Buy the kind that transcends trends, go with Ferragamo.

MARC JACOBS BANG SCENT EDT 100ML – PHP 3,698 Daring, deep and sophisticated? This should be perfect for you.

Bang takes off with an explosion of black, pink and white peppercorns, defining masculine elegance. The heart and base are wrapped with primal masculine woods and hypnotic benzoin resin meld with vetyver, white moss and patchouli creating a powerful sensuality.

2010 DEC-JAN

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FEATURE

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EVENTS BIKES

CROWN GOLDEN SERIES LAUNCHES LIFESTYLE SHOWROOM Kensonic Inc., the exclusive manufacturer & distributor Crown & Sakura Amplifiers & Speakers; announces the opening of its first Lifestyle Showroom featuring the top of the line Crown Golden Series.

Located at the Upper Ground Floor of the E-Life @ ETON Corintian Cyberpod Center, Bldg. 3 Ortigas, the showroom boasts of top-of-theline audio equipment and home theater units set-up so customers may experience it first-hand.

Gadgets Magazine spoke to Kenneth Tsang of Kensonic Inc., who says that the showroom has been a goal for years now and that finally launching it is a dream come-true for him. “It is an inspiring testament to the passion and dedication of our dealers and associates and celebrating this occasion in a new market makes this success even sweeter as the realization of becoming a primary choice of lifestyle audio video brand

becomes one step closer.”

“Before, we depended on our distributors but now customers can come to the shop and see products for themselves and demo the different devices,” Tsang says.

“In preparation, we’ve also trained our staff to attend to any customer product query they may have. We’re also starting to expand our products to the high-end market.”

The new location represents a milestone for the company, which has undergone an intense revitalization since 1989. The success of Crown naturally helped Kensonic Inc. develop and grow through the years, adding new products and brands to its range of already high quality products. The addition of the SAKURA Home Theatre & Multi-media Audio/Video Systems which is well-known in the market, helped put Kensonic Inc on the map and internationally prestigious companies such as Toshiba and

Shure have recognized their success and capabilities and appointed them to be their distributor of TV sets, earphones, and microphones for the Philippine Market.

With the opening of their first lifestyle showroom, Kensonic Inc. is fulfilling its mission of exceeding customer and channel expectations by providing excellent quality , costeffective audio-video solutions and unsurpassed service and support. In addition to quality service, Kensonic, Inc. also manages to keep product retail costs at a competitive level while having the latest and most innovative products available for assisted demonstration, purchase or distribution. This is in line with the company’s determination for customer satisfaction by providing excellent pre-sales service and aftersales support.

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SAMSUNG LAUNCHES THE NX10

An exhibition of photographs by celebrity stylist Jenni Epperson, fashion maverick Ino Caluza, and visual artist Igan D’Bayan marked the debut of the NX10, the first in a new generation of digital cameras from Samsung. A testament to the unique eye and storytelling style of each participant, as well as the many intelligent features of camera, the photographs went on display at the Rockwell Mall North Court of the Power Plant Mall .

D’Bayan, who is also a lifestyle subeditor, columnist and graphic artist at the Philippine Star, highlighted the versatility of the NX10 in both colored and black-and-white images.

His centerpiece, a spoof of Juan Luna’s “Spolarium” using McFarlane action figures, employed the NX10’s Gloomy and Retro settings together with the Custom and Classic colors.

He also toyed with the NX10’s shutter speed to shoot “Skywriting by Word of Light,” and captured great detail in a dried up bouquet (“Power, Corruption & Lies”), a labyrinth of roots on a tree at Mandaluyong’s National Center for Mental Health (“The Bends”), and the havoc caused

by Typhoon Basyang (“What the Weather Painted on my Garden Wall, Last Night”). Striving for “black humor, irony, and cute and quirkily gothic” images in his social commentaries, D’Bayan pronounces the NX10 “handy, easy to use, and an essential instrument for art.”

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architecture in dramatic black-andwhite diptychs. Though the pairings were random, they still capture what Caluza hoped: the subtle references of a building’s details with some of the designs of his jeans and jackets.

“The power of photography is in creating a certain mood through the use of available lights, good composition, and a perfect subject,” he says, adding that “When all these three aspects are in good harmony, that certain amount of balance will eventually achieve great images.”

Going for a raw, unpredictable, and more artistic representation of the typical fashion shoot, Epperson got exactly that in the NX10’s multishutter feature and her 14-year-old daughter Aryanna. Capturing Aryanna in Cosplay mode, the stylist made her teenage muse “move” through frame-by-frame photographs of her skipping down a sidewalk or standing on a swing in outfits ranging from Alice in Wonderland to Japanese Anime.

Achieving vivid colors in natural light, meanwhile, was seen in her snapshots of sumo wrestler dolls and “treasures” in a lunchbox. Epperson says the NX10 is not an intimidating instrument, even for first-timers. “You only need half a day’s reading of the manual to understand how it works, and you learn as you go along,” she insists.

Available in noble black and titan silver, the Samsung NX10 has the capabilities of a professional camera inside the compact frame

of a digital camera. Portable, high in quality, and lightweight enough to take anywhere, the NX10 features a large 3.0” AMOLED screen, offering easier viewing even in bright sunshine and at acute viewing angles, thus freeing users from the need to shield the screen with their hand. The NX10 also includes in-depth manual controls and a Smart Auto function which automatically detects the surrounding environment of the shot and selects the right shoot mode. Its Smart Range feature likewise allows the user to vividly express both bright areas and dark areas in the same frame, and the Supersonic Dust Reduction system keeps those dust particles clear of the image sensor that can often impair an image. It even senses when the user brings the camera close to their face to look through the viewfinder, and puts the AMOLED screen on standby to conserve power. An HD Movie Recording feature allows users to immortalize events and images in video format.

“The new Samsung NX10 marks the start of the next generation of cameras,” said SJ Park, CEO of Samsung Digital Imaging Co. “We know from our detailed research over several years that what consumers want from their cameras is evolving, which we’ve reflected in the development of the Samsung NX10. With specialist equipment open to everyone and no longer restricted solely to the professional, more and more people want to capture something creative and tell a story through their camera—but they also want something compact that they can carry round with them every day. The large sensor and the ultra-fast AF give consumers the quality they demand as well as the compactness they want in one exceptional package, meaning you can let your creativity roam free without having to compromise on image quality.”

NEWSBITS&BYTES

HOPSHOPGO OPENS DOORS TO SHOPPING HEAVEN

CRAZY FOR POINTS WITH MY REWARDS, MY GLOBE

PayPal and comGateway recently launched the HopShopGo that enables online consumers to conveniently shop, buy and ship from over 300,000 US online retailers. HopShopGo is now open for business across the region, including Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam at www.hopshopgo. com.

Gimme Points, the newest offer from My Rewards, My Globe and TM Astig Rewards, makes it a cinch to get rewards for using Globe prepaid or TM. Not only can you earn points every time you reload, now you can also grab points from family and friends, as long as you’re willing to do whatever silly thing they require of you.

HopShopGo is a one-stop online shopping site that takes care of consumers’ payment and shipping needs, typically the two biggest barriers for online and overseas shopping. PayPal has teamed up with comGateway to provide a faster, safer online payment experience, while enabling consumers to find and snap up bargains and bestsellers from US retailers, even those who do not ship to Asia Pacific or accept purchases outside of the US. What really makes HopShopGo truly special is a Buyer Protection policy plus 10% lower shipping fees when shoppers pay via PayPal.

“Shopaholics no longer have to wait for the latest trends and items to hit their shores as HopShopGo provides easy access to the most famous brands and products in the US. With our Buyer Protection policy, consumers will have greater confidence shopping on HopShopGo knowing that they can get a full refund for the eligible items they purchased from the US but did not receive,” said Nimish Dwivedi, Regional Marketing Head, PayPal Asia Pacific.

Pose a brazen challenge to your family for a “Nobody” dance showdown so you can show off your fancy footwork and take home everyone’s points. You can be a magnanimous winner and snag everyone free passes to fun places like Avilon Zoo; all you need is for four of you to cough up 225 points each and you’ll all get in for free. Or if you rack up over 11,000 points from everyone, go for broke and get yourself that TCL LCD TV you’ve always wanted.

Promise to wash the cars of three of your burger-loving buddies and they just might pitch in 200 points each to net you a Php 500 Jollibee gift check. Belt out “Baby” Bieber-style to convince 10 of your karaoke-crazy barkada to pony up just 650 points apiece, so everyone can sing along with a Wow Videoke Fiesta 2010. And this could be the time to promise your spouse extra hours with the in-laws or a week’s worth of back rubs; you could get a bonanza of

Retailers include: Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, RitzCamera, NewEgg, BestBuy, Health & Wellness: Mac Cosmetics, Drugstore, Bath and Body Works, OverStock, Costco, WilliamsSonoma

points from your partner, enough to earn PAL Miles for a Bangkok escape or a Sydney getaway.

And once you’ve racked up a ton of points, exchanging them for perks is so easy that millions of Globe and TM users have already used their points to earn hotticket items like the coveted SM Gift Checks, the gadget geek’s much-desired 4GB USB and the Canon Digicam A490 for aspiring shutterbugs. And of course avid texters have long loved the texting bonuses like Sulitxt 15, which gives you 100 texts to your friends Globe and TM and Unlitxt 20 for a whole day’s worth of unlimited texting to other Globe and TM fans.

Globe Head of Loyalty and CRM, Jay Beltran, says, “We want to make earning points even easier so you can get the prize you’ve always dreamed of. Gimme Points offers you a great catalog of rewards and then lets you be as creative as you like in order to get the one you want. This is a new and fun reason to be Globeconnected!”

SPECIAL-EDITION ISUZU VEHICLES GRACE MOTORSHOW Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) was among the carmakers that exhibited their vehicles at the 3rd Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS). Isuzu’s corporate philosophy was a perfect match for the motor show’s theme this year, “Drive the Green Road.” Not only is Isuzu famous for fuel-efficient diesel-powered commercial vehicles, it is also known for championing environment-related causes.

“Isuzu’s mission is to provide the cleanest, most fuel-efficient diesels developed in the most costeffective way benefiting our valued customers,” said IPC president Ryoji Yamazaki.

At the PIMS, Isuzu displayed special editions of these vehicles.

There was a special-edition ebony black D-MAX, featuring a black-and-red leather interior, a 2-DIN touch-screen entertainment system with Bluetooth connectivity

and GPS navigation, floor/ key illumination, a scuff plate, bed-liner, and taillight garnish.

A sterling silver D-Max 4x4 LT complemented the exclusive D-MAX. There was also a special-edition magma red Sportivo, boasting a single-disc in-dash audio-video system with a 7-inch touch-screen LCD and GPS navigation, as well as a Carryboy roof rack. The third special-edition Isuzu vehicle on display was a starry black Alterra equipped with a 2-DIN touchscreen entertainment package (also with Bluetooth connectivity and GPS navigation), a ceilingmounted LCD monitor, a front chin, and a rear chin.

Rounding out the Isuzu booth exhibit were an alpine white, 16-seater NHR Microbus and an alpine white NKR truck powered by a Euro 2-compliant 4.6-liter turbodiesel engine.

The special editions of Starry Black Alterra SUV and Magma Red Crosswind Sportivo AUV at the 3rd PIMS. IPC executives were led by President Ryoji Yamazaki (left) and SVP Arthur Balmadrid.

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NEWSBITS&BYTES

KEEP UP WITH YOUR MULTI-FACETED LIFE! Meeting with major clients at work, partying on a Friday night with friends, playing an intense game of badminton with officemates, having a fun-filled weekend with the kids—these are important things that gives us fulfillment in life. Your multifaceted life can cause stress that lowers your vitamin C levels. A depleted amount of vitamin C in the body can impair the synthesis of collagen.

Collagen, a protein found in every single body cell, is the glue that holds the body together. It connects our tissues, supporting the skin, bones, tendons, cartilage, and muscles. Needed to maintain cellular integrity, collagen provides

our cells with strength, flexibility, and resilience. Vitamin C enables the body to produce and maintain the collagen it needs to help our cells to recover from daily wear and tear.

Smart C+ is a natural juice drink that is high in vitamin C. It comes in three flavors—Lemon Squeeze, Orange Crush, and Pomelo Grapefruit. Each 500ml bottle contains 500mg of Vitamin C. Smart C+ contains no added preservatives, artificial coloring, and artificial sweeteners. You get nothing but the full wholesome benefits of vitamin C that your body needs. Log on to www. keepupwithsmartc.com to learn more about Smart C+.

TOY STORY 3 NOW OUT ON DVD

VIVA Video Inc. has made available the Toy Story 3 movie on original DVD and Blu-ray. In Toy Story 3, Andy is now 17 and ready to head off to college, leaving Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the toy-box gang to ponder their uncertain futures. When the toys are accidentally donated to the Sunnyside Daycare center ,they're initially overjoyed to once again be played with, but their enthusiasm quickly gives way to horror as they discover the true nature of the establishment under the rule of the deceptively welcoming "Lotso" Bear. Now, all of the toys must band together in one final, crazy scheme to escape their confines and return home to Andy.

Featuring the voices of Academyaward winning actor Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear. Toy Story 3 broke the

record of Shrek the Third as the biggest single day gross for an animated film and it is also the highest grossing opening weekend for a Pixar film. Available in leading video outlets and record bars nationwide.

APPETIME CELEBRATES ITS 10TH IN STYLE Appetime capped off its 10th anniversary on August 26 at Bizu in Greenbelt 2 with a display of its delectable timepieces from 2000 to 2010.

TRANSCEND RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF TAIWAN'S TOP 10 GLOBAL BRANDS

Transcend once again was honored as one of Taiwan's Top 20 global brands. In addition, Transcend's brand value is currently at $240 million, up to 13% growth rate.

This marks the sixth consecutive year that Transcend has been listed in the Top 20, and the first year that Transcend has been ranked in the Top 10, which underscores the effectiveness of its recent brand management strategies. ''We are honored that Transcend has been recognized as one of Taiwan's Top 10 global brands.

Doing business under our own brand name and building up the best brand image possible has always been our number one goal, and Transcend will stick to these principles as it moves forward into the future together with the economy of Taiwan,'' said Peter 92

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Shu, CEO of Transcend.

With superior product quality and excellent customer service, Transcend maintains a vast, loyal customer base. Its comprehensive network of 13 offices worldwide has not only made Transcend a highly diversified international enterprise, but has also established the company as a fast-growing global memory brand. In Gartner Research's 2009 list of the world's top flash drive manufacturers, Transcend was ranked No.4. Moreover, in Business Week magazine's 2008 InfoTech 100, a list of the world's top 100 technology companies, Transcend ranked a respectable No. 62 overall, and No. 7 in the semiconductor industry.

To start the program, Blaise Richard Gutierrez Lim, country brand manager of Appetime Watches, welcomed the guests and talked about the worldwide celebration. Shortly after, Appetime’s latest offerings—the Square Collection timepieces— wrapped in Furoshiki cloth, a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth, were unveiled which awed the audience with yet again their unique and playful design.

To entertain the guests, coming from the tag line “Life is a Choice”, a dating game took place where

three hot guys tried to win the heart of Francine Bonin, the sister of the Binibining PilipinasUniverse 1994 Charlene Gonzales.

The guests laughed their hearts out as the searcher chose among the three guys based on their answers that reflected the different collections of Appetime watches.

The program ended with a raffle draw that gave each of the lucky winners a brand new watch. The event was hosted by MYX VJ, Bianca Roque.

From food to giveaways to the ambiance of the venue, the whole afternoon was as Japanese inspired as the brand itself. It was an event full of fun and surprises, just like the way these watches were designed.

NEWSBITS&BYTES

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LINKS TECH ASUSWORLD

Showroom & ASUS Notebook Service Center Cyberzone, 4TH Floor SM Megamall, Bldg. B Tel. 638 2955

BENQ

5th Floor Waltermart Building, 8001A, EDSA, Veterans Village, Quezon City Tel. 332-4342

CARNAVI ENTERPRISE

20 Sampaguita Avenue Quezon City 427 5543

CANON MARKETING (PHILIPPINES), INC.

3RD Floor, Southpark Plaza, Phase 1 Santiago Street, Paseo De Magallanes Commercial Center Makati City 884 8000

NEO

Glee Electronics Unit 1103 2/F Taipan Place Bldg.

F. Ortigas Jr. Avenue, Ortigas Center Pasig City 1600 Tel. 633-4533 to 34 www.glee.com.ph

AUDIOTECHNICA, PHILIPS Philippe Gadgets 40 West Avenue Quezon City Tel. 926-7334

LG ELECTRONICS PHILIPPINES INC. No. 15 F. Legaspi St., Maybunga, Pasig City Tel. 641 4181

GENIUS

MSI-ECS Topy II Building 3 Economia Street, Libis, QC Tel. 688 3999

NOKIA (PHILIPPINES), INC.

40/F Philamlife Tower, 8767 Paseo de Roxas, Makati Tel. 886 1234

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS, PHILS. CORPORATION

7/F Hanjinphil Bldg., 1128 University Parkway North Bonifacio Global City Taguig Tel. 1-800-SAMSUNG

TOSHIBA NOTEBOOKS

Tricom Dynamics, Inc. Metro House 345 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati Tel. 890 6525

MOBILITY CHEVROLET

Covenant Car Co. Inc. 3/F UDC Building, 2272 Chino Roces Ave, Makati Tel. 8177205 www.chevrolet.com.ph

HYUNDAI ASIA RESOURCES, INC.

10th to 12th Floor, KPMG Center, 6787 Ayala Avenue, Makati City Tel. 813 6788

NISSAN MOTOR PHILIPPINES INC.

Nissan Technopark Brgy Pulong Sta. Cruz Sta. Rosa, Laguna Tel. 049-5412201 Website. www.nissan.com.ph

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SUZUKI PHILIPPINES INC.

Danny Floro Street Bagong Ilog Pasig City Tel. 6719724

TOYOTA

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp.

31F GT Tower International 6813 Ayala Avenue corner HV dela Costa St. Makati City, Metro Manila Tel. 858 8200

LINKS

PHOTO FEATURE LAS CASAS FILIPINAS DE ACUZAR

LIFESTYLE APPETIME, HUGO BOSS No Curfew Watch Store ShangriLa Plaza Mall Mandaluyong City

CROCS

B7, Bonifacio High Street 11th Avenue Fort Bonifacio Global City Taguig Tel. 856 1358

MARC JACOBS BANG SCENT, J. LO GLOW, PAUL SMITH SUNSHINE

Luxasia 25/F RCBC Plaza 6819 Ayala Avenue cor. Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City Tel. 729 3226

KENNETH COLE Bonifacio High Street Fort Bonifacio Global City Taguig

MARC ECKO

3F Trinoma North Avenue cor EDSA Quezon City

SINEQUANONE Greenbelt 5 Ayala Center Makati

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

Located in Bagac, Bataan Managed by Genesis Hotels & Resorts Manila Sales Office: Mezzanine floor, Victoria Tower, Timog Avenue, Quezon City Tel. 332 5338, 335 3032 Fax. 63 2 332 5286 E-mail: reserve@lascasasfilipinas. com

BEAUTYLAB INDIGO SALON

Unit 201 The Clubhouse Corinthian Hills, Temple Drive Quezon City Tel. 631 5006, 631 5077

KULTURA FILIPINA

2/F SM Mall of Asia Pasay City

G/F Greenbelt 5 Ayala Center Makati

TOPMAN, TOPSHOP

3/F, Powerplant Mall Rockwell Makati

TISSOT

Washington Watch Gallery Co., Level 1, Robinsons Manila Midtown Pedro Gil Street Malate, Manila

OSIS SCHWARZKOPF

Top Style Marketing, Inc. Unit 27B Wynsum Corporate Plaza 22 F. Ortigas Jr. Road Ortigas Center, Pasig Tel. 638 2401

VIBRAM FIVE FINGERS L1, Powerplant Mall Rockwell Center Makati City

2010 OCTOBER

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THE MAP

RELIC

By Presy Alba

All of us have used a map at some point in our life. Some of us can’t go anywhere without one. Now that electronic maps such as the ones we access on the Internet and navigation devices with GPS are readily available even in mobile phones, paper maps may be getting out of style—but not obsolete. Maps will always play a part in our lives as long as we are going somewhere.

As technology advances, we will just move on to the next version.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary (www. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/) defines the map as “a representation usually on a flat surface of the whole or part of an area.”

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) describes it as “a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes. Maps are static two-dimensional geometrically accurate (or approximately accurate) representation of three-dimensional space” 96

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Like many graphical representations, maps cut across cultural boundaries and language barriers, and can be universally understood.

Map making, also known as the art of cartography, has been practiced by human beings throughout history, and may have started when man drew on cave walls or rocks to show relationships of elements in the area to let others know what to expect.

In ancient times, men thought that the world was flat and their ship might fall off the edge of the horizon if they go beyond what is shown in their maps. Later, many mapmakers wrote the words “beyond this there be dragons” for uncharted locations.

Throughout history and all throughout the discovery of the “new world” explorers like Ferdinand Magellan and Christopher Columbus were accompanied by men who documented their journeys, and their journals and drawings served as guide to the mapmakers who later on developed the more detailed charts of the new coastlines. The captains of the ships used by these new world explorers also developed their own maps by marking land sightings throughout their journey in their ships’ logs and navigation chart.

On land, city planners started drawing their

own maps to show people distances and directions, and today most cities give these maps free to tourists. In large metropolitan areas, a book containing detailed roadmaps is a “must-have” for everyone.

Now with the widespread use of GIS (Geographical Information Systems), electronic maps have become readily available to the ordinary man on the street. Paired with a GPS (Global Positioning System), anyone with a mobile phone could get directions from one location to another, anywhere in the world.

On the Internet, Google Maps, Mapquest and other similar service allow everyone access to detailed directions. This service is especially more current in large metropolitan areas like New York City or Paris with train, subway, or bus stations clearly marked in the maps.

Maps are constantly being updated and navigational gadgets that use them as basis are being continuously improved, and mapping technology continues to improve, maps will forever be made and renewed.

As long as man has somewhere to go, we will always need maps. Even when we reach the far galaxies, we will never do away with maps. For without it, we will never reach our destination.

RELIC

2010 AUGUST

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RELIC

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