Apple to launch iPhone 6s on September 9

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

Mark your calendars, Apple fans. The American tech giant has officially confirmed a launch date for its latest products: September 9 is the date to watch for, which won’t surprise anyone familiar with Apple’s track record. It will be held exactly a year after the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus debuted in front of an excited audience. And for the first time in a long while, Apple will allow Windows users to stream its product unveiling without using VLC player.

Apple has officially confirmed a launch date for its latest products: September 9 is the date to watch for.

While this year’s batch of fresh iPhones aren’t expected to look very different, they’re just as important for a company as profitable as Apple, which earns most of its profits from selling smartphones. Alongside the long-rumored iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, Apple is likely to introduce an upgraded Apple TV box to coincide with the launch of its own Internet-based television service.

Multiple reports suggest the next iPhones will include Apple’s ForceTouch technology, a faster processor with twice as much RAM as previous models, a 12-megapixel rear camera capable of recording 4K video, and a more powerful Siri to take on Google Now, Microsoft’s Cortana, and Facebook’s M.

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YouTube Gaming might be the best thing to happen to, well, gaming

In Games, Apps, and OS by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

Like so many of you and the folks in your social circles, I love playing video games. And when I’m not behind the controller or joystick, or out, I tend to whip out my phone to watch other people play the video games I own or plan to own. (Yes, there’s a market for people who would rather be in front of a screen — sans a video-game console — than behind a controller.)

Which is why I spend an embarrassing amount of time glued to Twitch, the live-streaming service Google tried and failed to acquire last year, weekly, perhaps much to the chagrin of the few close friends I have. I enjoy watching different streamers of differing popularity, watching their reactions, see them interacting with the viewers and looking at what twitch stream packages they use to personalise their stream.

And it’s why I’ve decided to take my video-game-watching habits to YouTube Gaming, Google’s just-launched site for gamers and game-watchers and Twitch’s now-biggest rival in the live-streaming space, when its Android app eventually makes its way to the Philippines. And I say that with hours upon hours of Twitch content under my belt. My first experience was actually quite remarkable – I sat there watching a player who was bashing through GTA, while using GTA Cheats. It’s amazing how quickly he completed the game.

I’ve decided to take my video-game-watching habits to YouTube Gaming, Google’s just-launched site for gamers and Twitch’s now-biggest rival.

YouTube Gaming is a lot like the YouTube you’re familiar with on the Web, except searches point you to game-related content first and the front page is populated with live channels and tailored towards game discovery. And did I mention that it already looks more polished and attractive than Twitch? It does indeed, and it even lets you rewind a live stream after the fact, though you’re limited to only viewing content you’ve missed over the past two hours.

YouTube Gaming is YouTube for a specific audience, and it works great. For now, that may be enough to poach Twitch users.

YouTube Gaming is YouTube for a specific, possibly console-starved audience, and it works great. For now, that may be enough to poach Twitch users. People like myself, for example.

[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrJczjVT0Xk” width=”560″ height=”315″]

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OPPO Mirror 5 now comes with free Internet for 2 months

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

I previously reviewed the OPPO Mirror 5, and noted it was one of the best that the bargain segment has seen in terms of design and all-around performance, which may not come as a surprise to anyone who has played around with the phone.

And if you thought it couldn’t get any better, OPPO Philippines is throwing in a Globe prepaid SIM card with 100MB of free monthly data for two months, saving you about P200, to help you get the most out of your shiny new gadget. This offer lasts until November 30, and applies to purchases in OPPO stores and participating retailers nationwide.

OPPO Philippines is throwing in a Globe SIM card with 100MB of free data for two months to help you get the most out of the Mirror 5.

OPPO Mirror 5

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For those in need of a quick refresher, the OPPO Mirror 5 is a mid-sized Android Lollipop handset with a quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a diamond decor on its back cover that you won’t find on any other budget device. It retails for P9,990 in the Philippines.

OPPO Mirror 5 specs (Price in the Philippines: P9,990):
* Dual SIM
* Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor
* 2GB RAM
* 16GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 128GB)
* 5-inch IPS display (540 x 960 resolution
* 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* 5-megapixel front camera
* 2,420mAh battery
* IR blaster
* Color OS 2.1 based on Android Lollipop 5.1.1

[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45hQpWvr3vQ” width=”560″ height=”315″]

OPPO Mirror 5 preview from our YouTube channel

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Leaked video gives us best look at Apple iPhone 6s

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

Try to act surprised: A video of the new iPhone (a.k.a iPhone 6s) has surfaced, weeks ahead of its rumored unveiling on September 9. Unlike previous leaks, this one allegedly gives us the best look at Apple’s next smartphone so far.

The short clip, which runs a little over a minute, shows some of the phone’s innards, including its logic board and LTE modem, while the phone itself is booting up. That’s it.

A short clip of the iPhone 6s has surfaced, showing some of its innards, including its logic board and LTE modem, while the phone itself is booting up.

There’s not much else to say about the device in question, save for its design, which, unsurprisingly, takes after last year’s iPhone 6. No need to fret, though: The latest iPhone rumors point to a powerful configuration (tri-core A9 CPU with 2GB RAM) that rivals the iPad Air 2, to say the least.

Check out the video below to see what the iPhone 6s may look like.

[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GnOW8z0cyQ” width=”560″ height=”315″]

Alleged leaked iPhone 6s video from Mac Rumors

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The major Samsung Galaxy Note 5 design flaw you should know about

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

Those fortunate enough to afford the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 should probably consider keeping it away from the hands of curious peers and children. For the rest of their Note 5’s existence, if possible, or until Samsung issues a massive product recall, which is highly unlikely at this point.

The Note 5 has a fatal design flaw that could either result in the S Pen being lodged in the holster or the holster itself losing its stylus-detection function.

Why? Because, according to reports, the Galaxy Note 5 has a fatal design flaw that could either result in the S Pen being hopelessly lodged in the holster, or, if you manage to dislodge it by force, the holster itself losing its stylus-detection function. Either way, you’re stuck with a broken phone — and a very expensive one at that.

Well, that is, if you accidentally insert the S Pen in the opposite direction, bottom first, which, as any previous Note owner will tell you, isn’t the easiest thing to do. Except, with the Galaxy Note 5, Samsung has made it stupidly easy to insert the S Pen backwards. So easy, in fact, that the holster reportedly offers no resistance whatsoever to impede your efforts, unlike with previous Galaxy Note designs.

Samsung has made it stupidly easy to insert the S Pen backwards. So easy, in fact, that the holster offers no resistance to impede your efforts.

Of course, with the benefit of knowing what it could lead to, nobody would intentionally plug the Note 5’s S Pen the wrong way, but what about those who are not familiar with the consequences, say, kids and the technology-averse? My advice: Pop out the S Pen before letting anybody else play around with the device. It could save you a trip to the service center.

[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hehbSG3h3wU” width=”560″ height=”315″]

Video proof culled from Android Police’s YouTube channel

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Cherry Mobile One G1 review: experience matters

In Phones by Ramon Lopez2 Comments

The Google-led Android One collaboration has so far been met with reservations in countries where it is commercially available. But that hasn’t stopped the American tech giant from soldiering on in pursuit of offering the best smartphone experience possible for under $150, or roughly the equivalent of two pairs of Nike sneakers. And thus we have the Cherry Mobile One G1, the new face of Google’s local efforts to prove that you don’t have to pay top money for a great smartphone anymore.

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This ZenFone 2 has more storage than a base-model MacBook Pro

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

Image via ASUS Fanaticos

You’d think ASUS would have run out of ZenFone 2 ideas by now, given that its popular smartphone line probably already has more variants than the Encyclopedia Britannica has volumes, but it hasn’t. Enter the ZenFone 2 Deluxe Special Edition, yet another new addition to the growing ZenFone family. The kicker this time around is an insane amount of onboard storage for something that fits most pockets.

“Just how much storage are we talking about here?” you ask. 256GB. To put things into perspective, that’s twice the capacity of the ZenFone 2 Deluxe and, more impressively, a base-model Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display. That’s enough space to host most, if not all, your apps and prized digital media, enough space to leave my 15-inch laptop with 120GB of SSD storage green with envy.

The ZenFone 2 Deluxe Special Edition has 256GB of storage. That’s twice the capacity of a base-model Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display.

The rest of the specs are nearly identical to those of the ZenFone 2 Deluxe, but there’s no microSD expansion, because, as ASUS would probably tell you, 256GB is beyond overkill for the average smartphone user.

The 256GB model will be pre-loaded with an exclusive version of Asphalt 8 and will come in two additional colors: carbon fiber (black) and white with red accents. There’s no word yet on its availability and price, but given what we already know, it’s fair to say that it won’t come cheap.

[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RypWLWiz1P0″ width=”560″ height=”315″]

Watch our ASUS Zenfone 2 review

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Cheapest Android Lollipop phone to go on sale in PH Aug. 22

In Phones by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

Just weeks after the Cherry Mobile One G1, a well-priced and well-spec’d smartphone that offers a pure Android experience, became official, the local tech company is at it again with another low-cost Android Lollipop offering. Except it’s cheaper than the G1, coming in at P2,999, and will go on sale tomorrow at noon on Lazada’s Philippine site.

This is the Cherry Mobile Touch HD. It’s got a 5-inch IPS display with 720p resolution and, judging from the images on Lazada’s website, a metallic trim and a fake-leather backing.

It runs the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system on a 1.2GHz quad-core processor paired with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable storage. Its rock-bottom price remains its main selling point, of course, with the Touch HD beating out other Android Lollipop phones in the bargain segment.

Cherry Mobile Touch HD specs (Price: P2,999):
* Dual SIM with 3G support
* 1.2GHz quad-core CPU
* 1GB RAM
* 8GB internal storage
* microSD card slot
* 5-inch IPS display (720 x 1,280 resolution)
* 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* 2-megapixel front camera
* 2,000mAh battery
* Android Lollipop 5.1

[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isDxr9WCPz0″ width=”560″ height=”315″]

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Sponsored tweet from LeBron James valued at P6.5M

In Business by Ramon LopezLeave a Comment

Image via VAV news

You’re familiar with Twitter, right? And LeBron James? Good. But have you ever wondered how much a sponsored tweet from King James is worth? Wonder no more.

Per a report from ESPN’s Darren Rovell, getting the Cavs superstar to dispense wisdom in 140 characters or less to his 23.2 million followers will cost an advertiser $140,000 ($139,474, to be exact), or around P6.5 million. Do the math, and that’s $1,000 per character.

According to ESPN, getting LeBron James to tweet about a product or service will cost an advertiser $140,000, or around P6.5 million.

It’s a king’s ransom, to be sure, but Opendorse, the company behind that lofty valuation, says a corporate sponsor would have to spend five times more to reach the equivalent of James’ Twitter following with a TV ad. And before you say anything, remember: This is LeBron James we’re talking about. He’s only one of the best basketball players in history and one of the most recognizable faces on the planet, let alone in basketball.

Which is why people follow him on social-media networking sites like Twitter, among so many others. Yes, it’s good to be LeBron these days — and the guy hasn’t even brought a championship to success-starved Cleveland yet.

[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cq1F2YzVQ8″ width=”560″ height=”315″]

First episode of RISE Philippines

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Now available: P1,999 MyPhone my21 with 3G, quad-core CPU

In Phones by Ramon Lopez1 Comment

You may have read about MyPhone’s new line of locally inspired phones recently, and surprisingly one of them has been listed on Lazada Philippines’ website, without fanfare or publicity. The MyPhone my21, which may not be the most exciting name for a smartphone. “What does ’21’ mean or represent?” you may ask. Who knows? I sure don’t. Not that it should matter too much to anyone looking for a daily driver with a rock-bottom price tag.

For P1,999 — or less than what you’d typically pay for a cellphone, let alone one that runs Android KitKat — you’re looking at a 4-inch display (likely of the non-HD variety) and a quad-core processor with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. The my21 also has dual-SIM slots with 3G support. Those are very low-end specs compared to other smartphones available today, but what do you expect from a P1,999 phone?

MyPhone my21 specs (Price in the Philippines: P1,999):
* Dual SIM with 3G support
* 1.2GHz quad-core processor
* 512MB RAM
* 4GB internal storage
* 4-inch TFT display
* 2-megapixel rear camera with LED flash
* VGA front camera
* Android KitKat 4.4

[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isDxr9WCPz0″ width=”560″ height=”315″]

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