Cherry Mobile Cosmo Android Smartphone Preview: Price, Features and Specs

Cherry Mobile Cosmo Android Smartphone Preview: Price, Features and Specs - Since the release of the first Android phone a couple of years back, the smartphone-loving public just can’t seem to get enough of the Android platform. And from the first Cookie version, we are now at Gingerbread (Honeycomb for tablets) and the Android operating system shows no signs of slowing down.

Among the currently available smartphones in the market today, it is safe to assume that the Android platform is the most versatile and at the same time offers the most choices in terms of smartphone variety.

With manufacturers like Samsung, HTC, LG and the like joining forces to flood the market with these Droids, it is no wonder that the regular guy wanting to get a whiff of Android will be subjected to much difficulties in selecting just which particular Droid he is supposed to go home with.

Sad to say, the Android platform is a bit finicky. A mobile phone should have very nice specs to be able to run this operating system or else the user will be in a boatload of trouble if that is not the case. This is precisely the reason why most Androids we see hitting the shelves are usually in the midrange to the high-end category.

The superphones at the top of the foodchain can easily set you back a couple of grand and leave a substantial dent on your budget. In short, the Android platform is something that can only be enjoyed by the ruling class. But that was then.

With the entrance of small-time players like Cherry Mobile into the smartphone market with the sole aim of bridging the gap between the Android platform and the masses, we now see budget-friendly smartphones running Android which gives our less fortunate brethren the opportunity to have a taste of what Android offers.

In keeping with its tradition, Cherry Mobile recently released the Cherry Mobile Cosmo, another of those affordable Android smartphones that claims to be the cheapest capable Droid as of this writing. Let’s go take a look then at this dinero-saving Droid.

Design and construction

The Cosmo is your typical Android smartphone that follows the black slab of plastic design tradition of most Droids. Most of its chassis except the display is done in a matte black finish that somehow makes the Cosmo look elegantly simple and at the same time keeping fingerprints and smudges along with dirt away.

Surprisingly, from the looks of it, the Cosmo has a build quality that is unexpected from a smartphone at its price point. The device gives off the impression of being solidly built. It feels rather sturdy yet comfortable to hold and would give you problems even if you tinker with it for extended periods.

Under the hood

A word of caution before we get started with this section though: the Cosmo is a budget-friendly phone so please do not expect components that are more fitting for a higher-priced thereby higher spec’d smartphone.

Having said that, let’s get down and dirty with what lurks under the Cosmo’s hood. Its operation is powered by a QualComm MSM7227 processor that has a clock speed of 600 MHz. This actually came as a bit of a surprise because most entry-level smartphones opt for the generic processor to keep costs down but the Cosmo, no sir.

The processor works in tandem with 256 MB of RAM, which is kind of expected already and obviously there is no dedicated GPU to handle graphical concerns can be found in the device. Storage space also suffers greatly with the Cosmo only packing a measly 512 MB of onboard memory. That may be the case but the Cosmo gives you he option to expand its memory to up to 16GB by making use of its dedicated media card slot.

The display

Display-wise, the Cosmo packs in a little surprise for you. At its price point, the device has a 3.2-inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 480 x 310 pixels. Like I said, this is something nice because other devices at this price point would only be able to pack a 320 x 240 resolution display.

The shooter and its other features

This is one department that got hit by the budget cut to keep costs down. The Cosmo only packs a single camera configuration with its rear-facing 2-megapixel shooter leading the way. Sorry, but there goes your desire for video chats.

What the Cosmo lacks in the shooting department, it makes up for in the connectivity department with the device having support for GPS, Bluetooth, 3G and of course Wi-Fi. It also has an integrated FM radio and a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack for your listening pleasure.

The bottom line

The Cherry Mobile Cosmo may come in cheaper compared to other Droids but it certainly doesn’t skimp on the more important components. In fact, I find the Cosmo a capable phone that can rival the midrange competition. And for its price point, this would be a handset that is well worth it.

Cherry Mobile Cosmo Android Smartphone Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 6,800.00

You may also like: Cherry Mobile Orbit Android Smartphone

Read More

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 Digital Camera Price, Features and Other Info

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 Digital Camera Price, Features and Other Info: With photography enthusiasts increasing in number and popping up all over the place, it is no wonder that the camera industry shifted its strategy in producing and coming up with DSLR shooters. In fact, manufacturers such as Nikon and Canon, which already have an extensive line-up of DSLRs under their folds, have come up with entry-level shooters to bring DSLR photography closer to the masses.

And true enough, it is now a common sight to see people carrying those bulky shooters virtually everywhere. And who can blame them? With a DSLR, you are assured of exceptional image quality and the flexibility of the interchangeable lens feature for more creative control over your shots, enthusiast or professional alike.

This sudden shift in market behavior left companies like Sony bringing up the rear in terms of DSLR line-up. Though Sony is already in the game with its Alpha line of shooters, it will forever be associated with the Cyber-shot line of compact point-and-shoots. And this will forever be the bread and butter of Sony in terms of its camera line-up.

With the announcement of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55, the company is yet again hedging its bets and is betting the farm that this particular shooter will reinvigorate the lost interest of the photography junkies back into the compact point-and-shoot category.

In addition to that, the company is claiming that the Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 has features never before seen in a compact point-and-shoot and this nifty little shooter will be able to rival its bulky and heavy counterparts. Read on to find out what kind of stuff the Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 brings to the table.

Design and construction

Reminiscent of the older T-Series, the Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 keeps the design tradition that made its forebears a hit a couple of years back. It measures 92.9 x 54.4 x 12.2 mm and weighs in at 109 grams and is slim and streamlined profile makes it easy enough to slip the shooter into your shirt’s front pocket.

With its compact shape comes lightness thereby assuring a comfortable grip on the shooter even for long periods of time. It packs the same slide-down front cover that keeps the sensor and the flash hidden when the camera is not in use that became the signature trademark of the high-end T-series.

Features

The Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 packs a 16.2-megapixel CMOS sensor that is backlit for increased sensitivity and reduced noise making it ideal for low-light shooting. The sensor works in conjunction with Sony’s proprietary BIONZ image processor and its high-quality Carl Zeiss zoom lens gives the shooter a 5x optical zoom capability. In addition to that, the Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 is capable of shooting Full HD video clips in 1920 x 1080i AVCHD format.

The BIONZ image processor found in the Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 ensures that images come out very clear and detailed and at the same time reduces noise commonly encountered during low-light conditions. This is also responsible for a quick, responsive shooting in the Cyber-shot DSC-TX55.

In addition to that, the BIONZ image processor already went an overhaul and now gives the Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 the ability capture stills in 12-megapixels while simultaneously shooting video clips. It also gives the camera a wider range of compensation when taking advantage of its image stabilization feature during video capture.

Sony also integrates its new camera technology called By Pixel Super Resolution onto the Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 that ensures detail and sharpness are optimized for more realistic images. This technology is also responsible and making the shooter capable of high-zoom shots with effective resolution.

As is found on older T and TX series, the Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 packs a full touchscreen display. Its OLED touchscreen display measures 3.3 inches and its 1229K-dot resolution leads to extremely wide viewing angles and increased detail.

In-camera features

The Cyber-shot line of shooters became widely popular back in the day because it was jam-packed with in-camera features that give you more creative control over the stills you capture. Staple among these is its Optical Steady Shot Mode for increased image stabilization. Along with this comes to classic features such as Face Detection and Smile Shutter along with Scene Selection.

It also comes with an Intelligent Sweep Panorama mode for those wide-angle shots and introduces new picture effects such as Pop Color, Partial Color, High-key, Toy Camera, Miniature, HDR Painting and Rich-tone Monochrome.

The bottom line

With its Lithium N power pack giving the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 the capability to capture 250 stills on a single charge along with the range of features jam-packed into its smallish, compact body, expect this shooter which will start shipping in September with a price tag of about $350 in the US of A to be a big hit.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX55 Digital Camera Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 16,000.00

You may also like: Sony Cyber-shot DSC TX9

Read More

MacBook Air 2011 Laptop Computer Preview: Price, Features and Other Details

MacBook Air 2011 Laptop Computer Preview: Price, Features and Other Details - When the first generation MacBook Air was released by Apple a couple of years back, it made a lot of noise and a lot of news. Imagine Steve Jobs pulling out the first MacBook Air out of an ordinary envelope in front of awed spectators and from then on, the term ultraportable was never the same again. This also gave a new definition to mobile computing with the MacBook Air looking thinner than your regular Mills and Boon paperback.

And not just that, the first generation MacBook Air may be wafer-thin but its specs were definitely not. It packed impressive specs by that time frame’s standards to go along with its finely sculpted chassis. In short, it was the ultimate eye-candy of the generation. And if you are one of the proud owners of said device, I’m positive that you have had your share of envious looks whenever you take the MacBook Air out for a drive around town.

Fast-forward to today and several MacBook Air generations later, we again are confronted with what just might be the best iteration of this thinner than thin laptop. Jobs et al are out again breaking design conventions including a lot of banks with the release of the MacBook Air 2011.

Now packing the latest generation of Intel processors, the rejuvenated MacBook Air 2011 has plenty to boast but still sticks to the design conventions it established. How much better then is the new MacBook Air 2011 compared to its predecessors? Just what does it bring to the table? What can it offer to justify breaking your budget and almost your bank just to get your hands on one? Read on to get more up close and personal with Apple’s groundbreaking MacBook Air 2011.

Design and construction

The MacBook Air 2011 keeps to the design tradition popularized by the original MacBook and doesn’t deviate one bit from it. In fact, there were no design changes that are apparent with this iteration when it is compared to its predecessor that was released last year.

It still packs the aluminum unibody design that makes these products very attractive. In addition, the unibody construction gives off the impression that the MacBook Air 2011 is exceptionally well built and makes it simple yet elegant. In fact, the laptop is so sturdy that no creaks became apparent whichever part of the chassis we tried pressing with a bit of a pressure on. That is how rock-sold its construction is.

The MacBook Air 2011 measures 320 x 227 x 17 mm at its thickest part and x 3 mm at its thinnest towards its front bezel. Its edges gradually slope down to its front bezel where the thinnest portion lies and gives off warning signals that you need to be careful around it lest its thinnest edge cut you to ribbons.

Under the hood

This is where things get more interesting. The MacBook Air 2011 relies on a second generation Sandy Bridge Intel Core i5 dual-core processor with a clock speed of 1.7 GHz. A user has the option though to upgrade this to Core i7 running at 1.8 GHz but this means more dinero to shell out.

The processor works with 4GB of DDR3 RAM for a snappy performance. In terms of graphics, the MacBook Air 2011 is sporting an Intel HD Graphics 3000 to take care of graphics duties. Storage space which most of us can’t seem to get enough of is in the form of a 256 GB Solid State Drive that gives the MacBook Air 2011 a speed boost.

The display and other features

The MacBook Air 2011 packs a 13.3-inch display with a native resolution of 1440 x 900 pixels. The other one features an 11-inch display. Regardless of what you are doing on the MacBook Air 2011, be it browsing, or watching video and the like, the extra pixels found in its display comes in handy and makes the panel of the display very bright and exceptionally crisp. In addition to that, it is capable of very broad viewing angles and sunlight legibility is just off the charts.

In terms of input devices, the keyboard of the MacBook Air 2011 is probably one of the best I have handled so far. Having chiclet-style keys with nice spacing in between keys, you will find yourself touch-typing on the MacBook Air 2011 keyboard in no time at all due to the exceptional tactile feedback that it provides. In addition to that, the keyboard is now backlit and automatically lights up and adjusts the degree of illumination depending on the amount of ambient light where the MacBook Air 2011 is sitting.

Due to its very slim profile, the MacBook Air 2011 is not very generous when it comes to ports. It only has a pair of USB 2.0 ports, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and Apple’s proprietary Thunderbolt port.

Its got connectivity covered very well though with support for Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0. It also packs a webcam though you would have to make-do with its VGA resolution because it is not 720p capable.

The bottom line

If I have extra money on the bank, I would definitely bring this baby home. Need I say more?

MacBook Air 2011 Laptop Computer Price in the Philippines:

* 11-inch

- 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor

- 2GB RAM

- 64GB flash storage

- Intel HD Graphics 3000

Price: Php 49,990.00

* 11-inch

- 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor

- 4GB RAM

- 128GB flash storage

- Intel HD Graphics 3000

Price: Php 59,990.00

* 13-inch

- 1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor

- 4GB RAM

- 128GB flash storage

- Intel HD Graphics 3000

Price: Php 65,990.00

* 13-inch

- 1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor

- 4GB RAM

- 256GB flash storage

- Intel HD Graphics 3000

Price: Php 79,990.00

Read More

Sony Ericsson W8 Walkman Android Phone Price and Features

Sony Ericsson W8 Walkman Android Phone Price and Features: The release of the Walkman back in the late 70s has changed the way people enjoyed their music. With this nifty little battery-powered portable gadget, a person can listen to music anytime, anywhere. Sad to say, the Walkman may have been the ‘in’ thing to tote around town back in the day but technological advances in terms of portable music player have rendered it useless little by little.

In today’s world, when you say the word Walkman, the first thing that comes to mind would be the Walkman line of mobile phones slash music player released by Sony Ericsson a couple of years back. As fate would have it, the Sony Ericsson Walkman line suffered the same fate as its namesake. With the entry of high-end and high-tech mobile phones that are also capable of playing good music, it was a foregone conclusion that the Walkman line will also fade to oblivion. And fade it did.

However, Sony Ericsson is not prepared to give up just yet. It has no plans of throwing the towel in yet. In fact, after getting knocked down twice already, the company is yet again reviving the Walkman in the form of the Sony Ericsson W8 Walkman.

All I can say is kudos to the company for keeping the faith. As one who was able to personally use a Walkman phone in the past, I can attest to the sound quality the device turned out. Walkman phones of the past also came with rather premium headsets for a better listening experience.

Would this also be the case for the Sony Ericsson W8 Walkman? Read on to find out.

Design and construction

Getting its design inspiration from the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8, the W8 Walkman svelte device measuring 99 x 54 x 15 mm and weighs in at 104 grams. If I didn’t know better, a quick glance at the W8 Walkman would give you the impression of looking at an Xperia X8 with a different colorway and a Walkman logo slapped onto it.

The chassis of the W8 Walkman is made mostly out of plastic but its back panel somewhat looks like anodized aluminum. The device packs the build quality that Sony Ericsson is known for and its curved back fits right into your palm thereby making the device very comfortable to hold. People with big claws however will encounter some difficulties due to the smallish size of the W8 Walkman.

Under the hood

The components under the W8 Walkman’s hood are more of the mid-range level as evidenced by its ARM 11 processor sitting atop a QualComm MSM7227 chipset with a clock speed of 600 MHz. The processor is working in conjunction with a measly 168MB of RAM, which makes the device a bit underpowered if you ask me.

The surprise though is in the form of the Adreno 200 dedicated GPU of the device that handles graphical concerns. Internal storage is a bit below budget as well at a measly 128 MB. No worries in this department though because the processor has microSD card slot that can take up to 16GB for instant memory expansion.

The display

Display-wise, the W8 Walkman packs a smallish 3.0-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels and 16M colors. The display boasts of a scratch-resistant surface and has an accelerometer and proximity sensor like its higher-spec’d and therefore higher-priced smartphone siblings.

The shooter

The W8 Walkman skimped on the camera department and passed on the dual camera configuration and settled for a single rear-facing 3.15-megapixel shooter with geotagging capabilities and can snap stills of up to 2048 x 1536 pixels. Switch the shooter to video mode and it doubles as a digital camcorder capable of capturing VGA video clips at 30 frames per second.

The music player

This is the meat of the matter as it should be but sad to say, the native music player preinstalled on the W8 Walkman is a bit basic for my taste. There is an available sort option but only by song title or artist name. Surprisingly though, there is no way you can browse through your saved music by album. The equally important EQ presents are also nowhere to be found. Mega Bass feature also seem to have been forgotten. In short, the music player of the W8 Walkman which should have been its right to brag is found severely lacking and you are better off downloading a third party app from the Android Market.

The bottom line

The Sony Ericsson W8 Walkman, with its specs and capabilities is sitting comfortably in the mid-range category but one little slip and it could fall onto the entry-level category. Overall, the device can be seen as Sony Ericsson’s half-hearted way of trying to revive the Walkman line. If this is their way of trying to gain the interest back to the Walkman phones, this is certainly no way to do it.

Sony Ericsson W8 Walkman Android Phone Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 7,500.00

You may also like: Sony Ericsson W910i Walkman Phone

Read More

Epson EH-TW5500 Multimedia LCD Projector Preview: Price, Features and Other Info

Epson EH-TW5500 Multimedia LCD Projector Preview: Price, Features and Other Info - The technological advances we see in the world we live in all happen in lightning fast speeds. In addition to that, these advances we often see are quite all encompassing. It touches and affects everything in its way. The evidence of all this can actually be seen if you simply take a look around you.

Mobile phones, computers, even the television did not escape this seeming wave of the future. The TV as we all know it have been the central part of most living rooms for as long as we can remember and we saw its evolution from a big-ass cabinet-type of device back in the day with covers you had to slide over to the side to revel the TV screen hiding inside to the slim and sexy LCD TV adorning our walls nowadays.

However, no matter how much features and technological advancements are injected into the boob tube, sometimes it just isn’t enough to satisfy our gaming or home cinema cravings. True enough, the TV still remains the central part of our entertainment system but there will come a time that it will no longer suffice to give us the viewing pleasures it once did.

In this case, we upgrade and set our sights on an LCD projector. For a time, projectors were only seen in corporate boardrooms but now, it is not uncommon to see one in the home especially if you have the means to set up a high-end entertainment system in your humble abode.

In this regard, Epson regales us with its EH-TW5500 LCD Projector, its successor to the highly successful flagship model TW5800. Read on, as we get a little more intimate with this new projector from Epson.

Design and construction

Opting to forego the glossy black finish of its predecessor, which somehow can be distracting at times, the EH-TW5500 LCD Projector, goes for a black matte finish that is non-reflective for its 360 x 450 x 136 mm chassis. It gives off a sturdy build quality to it and its slightly curved frame emits a no-nonsense, no-frills character.

Thanks to its non-reflective surface, it does not really matter whether the EH-TW5500 LCD Projector sits on the floor or mounted to the ceiling. It just keeps itself tucked away and does not distract you whether you are enjoying a chick flick or taking advantage of your gaming console.

Inputs are all found in its rear panel and these include an RGB input for your PC, an input for component video, along with a pair 1.3a HDMI ports. The EH-TW5500 LCD Projector comes with a black remote control that is sturdy like the main projector and comes with a backlight feature for ease of use even in darkened rooms.

Setup and menus

The EH-TW5500 LCD Projector boasts of ease of use in terms of its operation and this includes the setup of the whole system. Setting the projector up by making use of its manual focus, 2.1 optical zoom and lens dials turns out images as small as 30 inches to as humongous as 300 inches in no time at all. In short, this projector takes off the complications of setup and gives you more time to enjoy what it will project.

Should you want to tinker with the EH-TW5500 LCD Projector’s settings, the menus are overlaid on the screen. They tend to be clear, concise and simple and include options to configure color temperature settings, tests for calibration along with changing the settings for frame interpolation intensity.

The image quality

Once everything is good to go, expect to be blown away when you fire the EH-TW5500 LCD Projector up. Epson claims that the EH-TW5500 LCD Projector is capable of a 200,000:1 contrast ratio, which we think is a bit exaggerated but still, the black level response that the EH-TW5500 LCD Projector is capable of is just amazing.

The blacks are incredibly deep and retain detail and texture and dark scenes are thankfully spared from washouts. The dual-layer iris design is primarily responsible for this and it adjusts accordingly when it senses jumps or skips in light output.

In addition to that, colors were vibrant and full of detail and seemed to jump right at you. Not only that, the EH-TW5500 LCD Projector has Scene Mode options such as Cinema Night and Vibrant among others that allows you to make use of the projector even when there is strong ambient lighting without compromising the image quality it projects.

All the processes that the EH-TW5500 LCD Projector endures make it a bit hot at times but should you want to compromise brightness, it has an Eco Mode setting which is commonly found in Toshiba laptops to lessen the heat while making its fan at the same time silent as a whisper.

The bottom line

The Epson EH-TW5500 LCD Projector is certainly one of the best LCD projectors available in the market today. With its vibrant colors, HD clarity and incredible black level response, the hefty price tag is justified a bit. It may not have the 3D capabilities of newer LCD projectors but the performance it turns out make you forget of the other models that vie for your attention.

Epson EH-TW5500 Multimedia LCD Projector Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 150,000.00

You may also like: Epson EMP-S5 Multimedia Projector

Read More

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47 Digital Camera Price in the Philippines, Features and Specs

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47 Digital Camera Price in the Philippines, Features and Specs: The camera industry has become more robust and dynamic in recent years thanks to the renewed interest that people again found for the camera. In addition to that, shooters nowadays have become more advanced while maintaining the ease-of-use factor making them a lot more attractive.

Not only that, there has been an increase in the photography enthusiasts that we haven’t seen in years. Because of this, camera manufacturers decided to come up with more affordable cameras to make them more accessible to the shooting public. In fact, entry-level DSLRs have been hitting the shelves giving those people with limited budgets the chance to still pursue their interest in their hobby of photography.

For those a bit turned-off with the bulk and heft of DSLRs, the Micro Four Thirds revolution gave them an option. MFTs, as these cameras are commonly referred to, packs the size of a compact point-and-shoot yet has the interchangeable lens capability of a full-sized DSLR thereby giving an enthusiast the best of both worlds.

And who can ever forget the compact point-and-shoots? Those nifty little shooters we can easily slip in the front pockets of our jeans and carry everywhere are still in contention in the camera market. And in this category, Panasonic is making waves yet again with the release of the Panasonic DMC-FZ47. What can we expect from this shooter? Is it as good as advertised? How hard or harsh is it on the budget? Read on to get more familiar with the Panasonic DMC-FZ47.

Design and construction

At first glance, the DMC-FZ47 looks more like a smaller sized DSLR. It can actually be mistaken for an MFT but a closer look at the shooter reveals that it actually is a compact point-and-shoot that got design and aesthetics inspiration from its DSLR siblings.

The shooter measures 120.3 x 79.8 x 91.9 mm and tips the scales at 498 grams including its power pack. It is mostly made from plastic but gives off the impression of being solidly built given the fact that this is a high end point-and-shoot.

Looking like a DSLR without the interchangeable lens capability, the DMC-FZ47 also has controls and buttons patterned after a DSLR. Buttons and controls are logically situated all over the shooter’s body in such a way that all of them are within easy reach. Its textured grip found on the right front panel of the shooter works in conjunction with the thumb support found round its back making it very comfortable to hold even for extended periods of time.

The features

After the realization that megapixel count is not as important as it seemed in the past, the DMC-FZ47 only has 12.1-megapixel sensor that works in conjunction with a lens from Leica. The sensor-lens combination is made even more powerful by the proprietary Venus engine processor of the company.

The megapixel it packs might seem measly but the lens of the shooter is something else. In keeping with the super-zoom tradition of the FZ line, the Leica lens of the DMC-FZ47 gives it a very powerful 24x optical zoom capability that is translated to 25 mm to 600 mm in terms of 35 mm equivalence. In addition to that, the use of Nano Surface Coating in the construction of the lens minimizes flare and ghosting when it.

The performance

The tech overhaul the DMC-FZ47 went through makes it a whole lot better and faster compared to older FZ models making this shooter capable of full HD video recording, 3D photo shooting and faster autofocus.

The DMC-FZ47 makes use of the Sonic Speed AF system, which gives it the ability to start up 35 percent faster than its predecessor. With this in play, the shooter lets you take burst shots of up to 3.7 fps in full 12.1-megapixel resolution to a maximum of 10 fps so long as you cut back on the megapixels down to a mere 3.

Not only that, the DMC-FZ47 can record video clips in 1920 x 1080 resolution in AVCHD format. This works in conjunction with Stereo Creator technology from Dolby that is integrated in the shooter as well for high quality stereo sound in your clips.

Since this is a point-and-shoot, albeit a high-end one, the DMC-FZ47 also has a range of automatic and artistic functionality such as Artistic Effects mode, Intelligent Auto mode, Creative Control mode, Optical Image Stabilizer, Motion Deblur, Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Recognition and Detection, Intelligent ISO Control, and AF Tracking among others.

The shooter has a mini-HDMI port, AV output and USB 2.0 connection while the images and clips are recorded onto an SD memory card. The 7.2V Lithium-Ion power pack on the other hand provides juice to enable the shooter to capture an approximate of 400 stills on a single charge.

The bottom line

The Panasonic DMC-FZ47 is expected to fetch a price of $399 in the US of A once it hits the shelves. Personally speaking, at its price, the DMC-FZ47 is a bargain, a steal if you will. It has a nice design and even nicer specs to go with it. The performance is there, the super-zoom capability makes it so flexible and the image quality turned out by the sensor-lens-image processor combination seals the deal.

If you ask me, I won’t mind shelling $399 to bring this baby home and I will do it with a smile on my lips.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47 Digital Camera Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 19,000.00

You may also like: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 Digital Camera

Read More

Sonos Play:3 Audio Speakers Price, Features and Other Details

Sonos Play:3 Audio Speakers Price, Features and Other Details: A lot of speaker systems are currently available in the market at varying price points. Bose, JBL, Bang & Olufsen and Harman/Kardon are just a few. If you ask me, it is really nice to have one of these modern boom boxes in your house if you are an audiophile who is discerning about the quality of sound being driven out of your speakers.

There is one caveat though with these speakers: they are all encumbered by pesky wires making setup around the house a tad more difficult. The wires also tend to become eyesores if you are unable to bunch them up very well or have them hidden from sight. Cleaning up the wires when they gather dust is also a pain and just not worth it.

In the case of Sonos, a company that comes out with wireless speaker systems, the inconvenience of going through with all the hardships mentioned above is taken away. As a bit of a background, the company was formed back in 2003 and aimed at providing complete wireless speaker systems that costs less than that of a customized installation job.

However, Sonos came to be known with the rather hefty price tags attached to its speakers but with the release of the Sonos Play:3, the company is aiming to change that misconception. How good therefore is the Play:3? What about its price point? More importantly, what is the sound quality delivered by the Play:3? Read on to get to know the Sonos Play:3 a little better.

Design and construction

The entry-level Play:3 is a 1-piece speaker system with its enclosure measuring 5.2 x 10.5 x 6.3 inches and tips the scales at a feather under 6 pounds. Inside the enclosure lies a bass radiator, a tweeter, a pair of midrange drivers and three digital amps.

The top of the Play:3 houses the buttons for volume and mute while round the back you can find the Ethernet port and a mounting socket should you want the Play:3 mounted on a wall. The Play:3 is bundled with a removable 6-foot power cord but sad to say, no line-in or headphone ports can be found in the speaker system.

The setup

The Play:3 is rather very easy to setup. First-time users won’t encounter that much difficulty in taking care of the setup process that can be done in less than five minutes. In fact, you simply need to plug the Play:3 directly to your router with the included Ethernet cable and you are good to go, ready to play, if you will.

If you want to use it wirelessly though, you would need to separately purchase the Sonos Bridge (for an additional $50). Hook up the Sonos Bridge onto your router instead then place the Play:3 anywhere in your house and start enjoying your music wirelessly. In addition to that, Sonos also came out with controller applications compatible to Android, iOS, Windows and Mac so you can control the Play:3 from the comfort of your smartphone.

The sound and the fury

Now comes the most important part. After discussing ease of use and setup, lets discuss the sound quality of the Play:3. To begin with, it is a small speaker system and for its size, the Play:3 sounds rather very well. The sound being driven out of the Play:3 is very clean.

In fact, it is almost as powerful as the older Play:5. I say almost because the Play:5 packs 5 speakers while the Play:3 only has 3 but the difference is not that apparent unless you compare the two speaker systems side-by-side.

Listening to the sound produced by the Play:3 makes you realize that the 3 speakers inside the rather smallish enclosure all work in perfect conjunction to produce exceptional sound. The highs and the mids are very clear while the vocals are very defined. The only snag with the Play:3 is the lack of some of the more punchy bass notes found in bigger systems. The bass, however, is still good if you ask me.

In addition to that, the Play:3 can be place on a horizontal or vertical position without compromising the sound quality. For audiophiles with that discerning ear for music, speaker positioning can sometimes affect the way the sound is being driven out. In the case of the Play:3, that is a non-issue because there are specialized sensors inside the enclosure that make the necessary adjustments depending on the speaker orientation -- Very nice indeed.

The bottom line

For an introductory price of $299 once it hits the shelves in the US of A. I’d say the Play:3 is well worth it. It may have a nondescript design but the sound quality it delivers and the convenience it brings about certainly makes it more attractive. Add to the fact that its smallish size makes it ideal for your kitchen countertop or your desk.

If you aren’t convinced yet, I’ll give you three reasons why the Play:3 is worth forking the cash over: it is elegant, it is very reliable and it sounds great.

Sonos Play:3 Audio Speakers Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 14,000.00

Read More

Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Android Tablet Computer Preview: Price, Features and Specs

Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Android Tablet Computer Preview: Price, Features and Specs - With the release of the first generation iPad from Apple a couple of years back, the mobile revolution was again pushed to its limits and with gadgets becoming better and better while getting smaller and smaller, a lot more mobility was expected from these devices.

The iPad by any means is no small gadget but still is the yardstick with which upcoming tablets are measured against. In fact, a lot of other manufacturers came up with their own tablets with the common aim of taking down the Apple juggernaut and bringing it to its knees.

A lot have tried but still, the iPad and its successor, the Apple iPad 2, are still the undisputed kings of the consumer tablet market. However, it is safe to assume that it won’t be long and a tablet would be released to the market that would just chop off the iPad’s head and be done with it.

With a lot of manufacturers jockeying for position in the tablet market, we see yet another company entering and joining the fray in what could be touted as the unholy alliance of taking the fight to Apple and its baby.

We are talking about Lenovo of course and its Lenovo IdeaPad K1 tablet. This tablet may look familiar to you and it really is because for several months now, scores of lucky Chinese people were able to get their hands on this first offering from Lenovo after it went on sale in China as the Lenovo LePad a couple of months back.

The question is: Would this be the one? Does the IdeaPad K1 pack enough punches to get the iPad into a corner? What can we expect from the IdeaPad K1 given Lenovo’s extensive experience in the mobile computing arena? Read on as we gut the IdeaPad K1 from bow to stern and see just how tough it is.

Design and construction

The IdeaPad K1 measures 264 x 13.3 x 189 mm and tips the scales at 750 grams. At its measurements and mass, this tablet from Lenovo is decidedly one of the bulkier and heftier tablets currently available in the market. In fact, it looks as though Lenovo is not aware of the fact that tablets nowadays compete wit each other as to which one has the sexiest and slimmest profile. The only good thing that comes out of the size of this tablet is that it can accommodate a variety of ports for added functionality.

Despite its bulk, the IdeaPad K1 has been blessed with round and curvy edges that take a bit of the edge off of it. The contours of the tablet also meant that it would not dig into your palms and holding it in your hands, even single-handedly that is, even for extended periods would cause any discomfort. As expected from a company with a pedigree in mobile computing devices, the build quality is there as we have expected.

Under the hood

The flooding of tablets in the market means that we as consumers have many choices to select from. This however can also be a double-edged sword wherein the available tablets are so similar to each other that the differences between each other cannot be discerned with just one quick glance.

The IdeaPad K1 is not an exception to this. It has an NVIDIA Tegra T20 processor with a clock speed of 1GHz and a full gigabyte of RAM is at the processor’s disposal. No dedicated GPU can be found in the guts of the IdeaPad K1 because its processor with SoC technology can already handle graphics-intensive activities.

Storage comes in the form a 64GB Solid State Drive for speedier performance. This can further be expanded by using the tablet’s microSD card slot to add up to 32GB to the onboard memory. When it gets released, the IdeaPad K1 will be running the latest iteration of Android, which is Android 3.1 Honeycomb, the tablet-optimized version of the operating system.

The display and its shooters

The front panel of the IdeaPad K1 is taken up by its display. It makes use of a 10.1-inch touchscreen display that has a resolution of 1280 x 800. As to be expected, it has the usual smattering of sensors integrated onto the display just like what we see in the competition. Also, the IdeaPad K1 also has support for multi-touch gestures. Which tablet doesn’t, in the first place?

The dual-camera configuration looks like it is already the industry-standard nowadays and the IdeaPad K1 comply with this. It has a rear-facing 5-megapixel shooter should you want to play professional photographer while its front-facing 2-megapixel snapper will likely be used as a webcam for your video calls.

The bottom line

In reality, the tablet market may have a lot to offer but if you take a closer look at the available tablets and their similarities, it is as if you are not given much choice either. The Lenovo IdeaPad K1 falls prey to this. It may have a nice aesthetic appeal with matching specs under its hood but so do the other competing tablets. It is a good thing that the IdeaPad K1 packs a Solid State Drive for its hard drive, which somehow distinguishes it from the pack and can be considered as an advantage, however small it is.

Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Android Tablet Computer Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 24,000.00

Read More

Motorola Droid 3 Android Smartphone Price, Features and Other Details

Motorola Droid 3 Android Smartphone Price, Features and Other Details: In the past, even before the proliferation of the smartphones as we have come to know them in today’s world, Motorola has already been in the forefront in terms of innovative mobile phones. An example would be the Motorola StarTac. At the time of its release, it was without a doubt the best analog phone and having one at your fingertips instantly made you a celebrity.

A cruel twist of fate saw the company almost going under but was given a second lease on life when they released the RAZR. Like the StarTac during its time, the MotoRAZR defied all design norms and deviated from them and packed a design that was ages ahead of the candy bars commonly found all over the place.

The release of far more superior handsets again led to the RAZR line having to take the backseat and the company on the fringe of going under yet again. For a second time, they got another lifeline and decided to bet the farm on the Motorola Droid, an Android smartphone designed to take the iPhone head-on.

The gamble paid off and now, the company already has a stable line-up of Droid handsets with the third iteration already hitting the shelves. What then can we expect from the Motorola Droid 3? Is it going to be a worthy successor to its predecessor? What kind of specs will it bring to the table? Read on as we take the Droid 3 for a ride.

Design and Construction

The Droid 3 comes from a successful line of Droid handsets with the original Droid and Droid 2 as its predecessors so the pedigree of the handset cannot be called into question. The device measures 124 x 64 x 13 mm and tips the scales at a hefty 167 grams, which makes it a bit bulky and hefty. However, this can be attributed to the fact that the Droid 3 actually packs a slide-out QWERTY keyboard so the bulk and heft in this case is negligible.

As is the case with its predecessors, the Droid 3 boasts of exceptional build quality. Despite being a slider, the device doesn’t emit any groans or creaks of complaint if you press a bit hard on it. The slide mechanism is also very solid but not to the point that sliding out the physical keyboard is tantamount to moving a mountain. The tightness of the mechanism is just right and a satisfying click is heard once the keyboard snaps into position.

Under the hood

Again, Motorola is betting the farm with the Droid 3 so it decided that this handset should get the best of everything. In terms of processing power, it relies on a dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP4 processor that has a clock speed of 1GHz. Its RAM however is a bit disappointing at just a measly 512MB.

No dedicated GPU is to be found under the hood of the Droid 3 but the OMAP4 processor is more than capable of handling and rendering HD videos. Storage space is a very generous 16GB of onboard memory with option to expand through the handset’s microSD card slot.

The display

The front panel of the Droid 3 is eaten up buy its humongous display and the whole front is covered with Corning’s famed Gorilla Glass for insurance. The display is a 4.0-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels. As expected, it has all the sensors that we have come to associate with an Android smartphone’s display such as accelerometer and proximity sensor.

Integrated into the devices front panel just right below the big-ass display are the handset’s four touch-sensitive buttons while the display itself has support for multi-touch input. Though the Droid 3 makes use of the same PenTile panel that we found irritating on the Droid 2, it isn’t as bad with the Droid 3, which is a reason enough to rejoice.

The shooters

In complying with industry standards, the Droid 3 packs a dual-shooter configuration. Its primary shooter is a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash capable of snapping stills of up to 3264 x 2448 pixels. This shooter also doubles as a video recorder that can record Full 1080p HD clips at 30 frames per second. The secondary shooter n the other hand is a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera that you can make use of for your video calls.

The bottom line

The Motorola Droid 3 is without a doubt a very capable handset. It has a nice aesthetics and packs a physical keyboard that would definitely be helpful to somebody who can’t get used to typing on a full touchscreen. It also has impressive components under the hood and the only snag is the measly amount of RAM that the processor ends up working with. Had this been a full gigabyte of RAM, the Motorola Droid 3 would have been perfect.

Motorola Droid 3 Android Smartphone Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 25,000.00

You may also like: Motorola Droid X2 Android Smartphone

Read More

Pentax Optio H90 Digital Camera Price, Features and Other Details

Pentax Optio H90 Digital Camera Price, Features and Other Details: The camera industry has become more dynamic and more robust in the past couple of years and more recently, we have seen an increase in the number of DSLR users, thereby making the category a lot more famous that it is then. This could be attributed to the fact that a lot of people became more serious about their photography but also to the fact that carrying a DSLR around town seem to be the in thing nowadays.

This interest in the DSLR category thereby meant that the compact point-and-shoot suffered a little in the process. Add to the fact that the Micro Four Thirds category is little by little gaining popularity and consequently, some following, and the compact shooter category is getting hit from all sides.

Be that as it may, manufacturers still see the potential in the compact point-and-shoot format so it is basically still alive and kicking, so to speak. In fact, the interest for DSLRs may be there but not everybody has the luxury of throwing hard earned money away just to be able to say that you got a DSLR for a shooter. That is where the compacts come in and in particular, the Pentax Optio H90.

What then is the Pentax Optio H90 and what can we expect from it? Will it be well worth the amount we will be shelling out for it? What kind of specs does it bring to the table? Will it be able to keep the interest of people in compact point-and-shoots? Read on as we get up close and personal with the Pentax Optio H90.

Design and construction

It seems that the trend when it comes to compacts is for them to have a retro kind of look. The Pentax Optio H90 is not an exception to this. Measuring 95 x 57 x 26 mm, the Optio H90 has an eye-catching design that will surely make you give it a second look. Its aesthetics also give it a retro look that is eerily reminiscent of classic compacts that became popular back in the 70s like the Olympus Trip or the Kodak Instamatic.

In addition to being very small, the Optio H90 is also a lightweight with it tipping the scales at a mere 131 grams and this already includes its battery and memory card. The compact body and seemingly light-as-a-feather weight of the Optio H90 may give off the impression that the shooter is cheap. It may be in price, which we will discuss later, but certainly not in build quality.

In fact, the Optio H90 boasts of being solidly built which in a way counteracts its being light and compact. The choice of material for its construction is plastic and an alloy of aluminum and a lot of attention to get all the details of its body right. In addition to that, controls and buttons are placed in a very logical manner making all of them within easy reach.

The display

The Optio H90 may have a very compact body but this does not mean that its LCD will be compact as well. In fact, designers and engineers of the Optio H90 managed to cram a 2.7-inch LCD display onto the body of the shooter. The display has 230K dots and has high brightness levels making it very ideal in any shooting condition, be it under direct sunlight or dimly-lit situations.

The sensor and performance

Responsible for its shooting performance, the Optio H90 packs a 12-megapixel sensor that works in conjunction with a 5x optical zoom lens. With the pair working together, the Optio H90 is capable of a wide range of focal lengths from a wide angle of 28 mm to a telephoto shot of 140 mm.

In addition to that, the Optio H90 has an autofocus that features 9-point contrast detection. Aside from that, the shooter also has a face detection feature that has the capability to detect a maximum of 32 faces in a single scene in a mere 0.03 second.

The Optio H90 also has features commonly found in other compact point-and-shoots such as a standard Program Auto feature along with an automatic scene detection mode. With this feature in action, a user has the option of 18 different scene programs including a digital wide angle feature. This feature turns out a pseudo-panoramic image by stitching together two shots. It also has a frame comes feature that gives the user a lot of frames to select from that can then be superimposed on any image.

Aside from capturing stills, the Optio H90 also has a video mode and when switched to it, the shooter is capable of capturing HD video clips at 1280 x 720 pixels at 30 frames per second. Sad to say, audio is relegated to just mono and image quality is not what we expected. Still, better than nothing.

The bottom line

Priced at an approximate of $180 when it was released, the Pentax Optio H90 is one of the cheaper compact point-and-shoots available in the market. The shooter is well-made and packs a very attractive aesthetic design in addition to being very light and compact that makes it very easy for you to slip the shooter in your shirt’s pocket. Performance and image quality can be improved but if you are looking for DSLR-quality images, then you surely came to the wrong place.

Pentax Optio H90 Digital Camera Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 8,500.00

You may also like: Pentax Q Digital Camera

Read More

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 Digital Camera Preview: Price, Features and Other Info

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 Digital Camera Preview: Price, Features and Other Info - In the last couple of years, the increase in number of photography enthusiasts paved the way for the interest of people in DSLRs. In fact, this interest resulted to a boom not only in the camera industry but in the market as well.

In recent years, the number of DSLR-toting people has increased significantly and whereas in the past, only professional photographers were the only ones to be seen carrying that particular type of camera, nowadays, it just is not the case anymore.

This trend forced manufacturers to come up with entry-level models in their stable of DSLR shooters to accommodate those people wanting to have a taste of how a DSLR performs. And with that, the DSLR revolution has begun. Nowadays, it is very common to see people toting DSLRs around town but still, others still chose to pass up on these bulky and hefty shooters and just be content with their compact point-and-shoots.

A compromise was then found between size and image quality and this led to the birth of the Micro Four Thirds category of shooters. This category of shooters has designs patterned after a regular DSLR, they also feature interchangeable lens, and turn out DLSR-like image quality yet doesn’t pack the bulk and heft of your regular-sized DSLR shooter.

One of the acclaimed pioneers in this category is Panasonic with their Lumix G Micro System line of Micro Four Thirds. The DMC-G3, when released, became the seventh camera belonging to the now becoming more extensive line from the company.

What can we expect from the DMC-G3? Will it be a worthy successor to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2? What features does it bring to the table? Read on for more details about the Panasonic DMC-G3 and see for yourselves just how good or how lousy it is.

Design and construction

Taking a quick look-see at the DMC-G3 gives you the impression that it almost looks the same as its older brother the G2. The similarities between the two that are immediately noticed are the more defined grip along with the viewfinder head. In addition to that, both shooters pack a DSLR form factor but is a bit smaller in dimensions.

The DMC-G3 may look like a twin to the G2 but at 4.5 x 3.3 x 1.8 inches and weighs in at 13.4 ounces it is approximately 9% lighter and 25% smaller that its older sibling. In fact, at the time of its release, the DMC-G3 was considered as the lightest and smallest Micro Four Thirds shooter in the industry.

In terms of build quality, the DMC-G3 obviously has it. Just looking at the shooter already gives you the impression that it is solidly built. The lack of rubberized surfaces leads to a very plasticky feel though and considerably lowers the classy look that the G2 had in the past. This is not a deal breaker though but some people might just get turned off with this.

The display

The DMC-G3 packs a 3.0-inch screen that has a tilt-and-swivel feature just like the VariAngle LCDs found in the Canon EOS 600D and Nikon D5100. It has 460K dots and has an aspect ratio of 3:2.

The tilt-and-swivel feature of the DMC-G3’ display makes it ideal for capturing stills or video clips even in outward positions. Since the display has its hinges on the side of the shooter, it doesn’t fall prey to what the Sony shooters experience since their hinges are placed at the bottom of the screen.

However, the advantage the display of the DMC-G3 has over the other DSLR brands mentioned above is the fact that it is a touchscreen display. For some, this will be an added benefit that increases the ease of use of the shooter while others may see it as something not really necessary since the DMC-G3 has a full range of dials and buttons that actually render the touchscreen useless.

The sensor and performance

The DMC-G3 packs a 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor compared to the 12-megapixel sensor that its predecessors only had. Aside from the higher resolution, the sensor of the DMC-G3 works better with the Venus Engine processor of the shooter that leads to much better noise performance.

In addition to that, the tandem of the sensor and the image processor of the DMC-G3 give the shooter increased performance results in terms of speed. The shooter is capable of 4 frames per second of continuous shooting and its autofocus is said to be locked at the subject in a mere 0.1 second. Other than that, ISO sensitivity is also very good with the DMC-G3 ranging from ISO 160 to 6400.

All of the technical specifications of the DMC-G3 are packed nicely and work with each other very well and this results to exceptionally good image quality. In fact, in a head-to-head shootout with the Canon EOS 600D, the two shooters were almost on equal footing and yet the DMC-G3 was able to have better noise performance compared with the competition. In short, image quality turned out by the DMC-G3 is almost DLSR-like in quality.

The bottom line

The Micro Four Thirds category is recommended for people who want to have a more compact shooter and yet be able to get image quality that can rival your trusty old DLSR. The Panasonic DMC-G3 is the perfect example of that. More compact body, high image quality. Enough said.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 Digital Camera Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 33,000.00

You may also like: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera

Read More

Toyota Hiace Price List (as of July 2011)

Toyota Hiace Price List: The Hiace is a popular motor vehicle produced by the number one Japanese automaker Toyota since 1967. It has been on sale in a wide range of forms, which include van, pick-up, taxi, ambulance, motorhome, minivan and minibus.

The latest generation of Hiace has a wide long-wheelbase wagon, wide super-long-wheelbase high-roof "Grand Cabin", long-wheelbase van, long-wheelbase high-roof van and a wide super-long-wheelbase high-roof van. Five speed manual and four speed automatic transmissions are available. All of the latest models use a 4-cylinder DOHC engine, in a variety of forms, a 1TR-FE 2000 cc or 2TR-FE 2700 cc petrol engine or a 2KD-FTV 2500 cc or 1KD-FTV 3000 cc D-4D turbo diesel engine.

On June 2005, the 5th generation Hiace debuted in the Philippines, showcasing D-4D variants, 2.5 diesel and GL Grandia, both with manual transmission. Then in 2006, the new top-of-the-line Hiace Super Grandia was unveiled, becoming the first ever Hiace in the country with a standard automatic transmission.

Toyota Hiace Price in the Philippines (as of July 2011):

Hiace Commuter: Php 1,215,000.00

Hiace GL Grandia 1T: Php 1,470,000.00

Hiace GL Grandia 2T: Php 1,485,000.00

Hiace Super Grandia 1T (Fabric): Php 1,735,000.00

Hiace Super Grandia 2T (Fabric): Php 1,750,000.00

Hiace Super Grandia 1T (Leather): Php 1,890,000.00

Hiace Super Grandia 2T (Leather): Php 1,905,000.00

Read More

Sony HDR-PJ10 HD Video Camcorder Price in the Philippines, Features and Specs

Sony HDR-PJ10 HD Video Camcorder Price in the Philippines, Features and Specs: The video camcorder has certainly gone a long way. Since the very first camcorder was released from way, way back, technological innovations have made it possible for manufacturers to make the camcorder as we have come to know it smaller and smaller through the passage of time.

In fact, I tried digging through my cobwebbed memory and the very first image that comes to mind when thinking about the very first camcorder I saw is a Sony model that has to be carried on a person’s shoulder. It was, at that time, still the Betamax era and camcorders were like attaché cases in size.

However, with the advancements in technology, gone are the days when you had to carry a big-ass camcorder on your shoulders just to be able to record memories in motion. In fact, camcorders in today’s world are already very small that you could easily slip them inside a small bag and yet they wouldn’t eat up so much space.

In addition to becoming more minute, a lot of features have already been added to the camcorder to make it more functional. The days when you had to buy black tapes are also gone as well and instead, camcorders now have built-in flash drives or you can easily insert a high-capacity memory card for storage purposes.

The most awesome innovation I guess that was added on to the camcorder would be found in the Sony HDR-PJ10. Intrigued? Read on to get the full details about the HDR-PJ10 and see for yourself just what makes this very special indeed.

Design and construction

Measuring 2.3 by 5 x 2.6 inches, the HDR-PJ10 has a solid build quality to it and packs the necessary ergonomics that makes it very comfortable to hold when shooting videos even for long periods of time. In addition to that, it has a very clean and streamlined design that makes it a lot more attractive. In this sense, it looks as though Sony is trying to hit the function and form birds with the HDR-PJ10 stone.

Not only that, the button and control placement all over the camcorder is very well thought-of. All of them are conveniently and logically placed that makes all of them within easy reach for added ease of use.

The features

The usual suspect for all the quality video clips that the HDR-PJ10 turns out is the camcorder’s 4.2-megapixel sensor. This sensor is an EXMOR R CMOS Sensor with back-illumination and makes use of the ClearVid array for its color filtration system. In addition to that, the sensor works in conjunction with BIONZ image processor of the camcorder which is basically the same image processor found in the high-end DSLR line up of the company.

The sensor and processor combination of the HDR-PJ10 gives you the capability to record video clips in 1920 x 1080 high-def resolution. In addition to that, the camcorder is also capable of 1080 / 60p Full HD playback by hooking it up with a compatible HDTV via its built-in HDMI port.

The HDR-PJ10 also makes use Wide Angle G lens that are said to be of professional quality that provides exceptional optical performance. The lens works in conjunction with the camcorder’s EXMOR R CMOS sensor that assures you of improvements in terms if the clarity of the images you shoot. This also leads to the camcorder being ideal for low light situations because the back-illuminated sensor significantly reduces grain.

The HDR-PJ10 also has 42x Extended Zoom and its optical zoom comes up to 30x that allows you to get up close and personal with the action you are shooting while managing to maintain the HD image quality of the video clips. By the way, in terms of storage space, the HDR-PJ10 boasts of a built-in 16GB of internal memory. This simply means that you can actually record and save an approximate of up to six hours of high-def video clips.

Display-wise, the screen of the HDR-PJ10 is a 3.0-inch ClearPhoto LCD Plus touchscreen display and can be rotated up to 270 degrees. This feature makes it possible for multiple viewing angles in addition to providing sharp images with lots of detail. The display has a resolution of 230K pixels and since it is a touchscreen, menus and added functionalities can easily be accessed.

The crowning glory though of the HDR-PJ10 is its built-in projector. The projector, which is integrated in the display panel of the camcorder, lets you basically share the clips that you have recorded virtually anytime, anywhere. Don’t be fooled by the physical size of its projector though. It may look small but in fact, it is powerful enough to project the clips on any flat surface that has a diagonal of up to 60 inches. This works best by making use of the HDR-PJ10’s Clear Phase stereo speakers that blasts out the audio in dynamic surround sound as you watch your video clips come to life.

The bottom line

For a price of $598 in the US of A, the Sony HDR-PJ10 is definitely a keeper. It has a nice-looking body all a specs sheet full of the stuff that really matter. However, the deal-sealer here would always be the built-in projector of the camcorder that will give you the capability to project your clips and share them with family and friends from almost everywhere so long as there is a flat surface at hand.

Sony HDR-PJ10 HD Video Camcorder Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 28,000.00

You may also like: Sony HDR-SR12 HD Video Camcorder

Read More

Olympus E-PL1 Digital Camera Price, Features and Other Info

Olympus E-PL1 Digital Camera Price, Features and Other Info: The digital single lens reflex camera commonly referred to as DSLR, have enjoyed increased attention from professionals and enthusiasts alike. In fact, the popularity of the DSLR format has increased over the last couple of years and it is now common to see people toting these bulky DSLRs almost everywhere nowadays.

Unlike in the olden times wherein mostly professionals are the people using these shooters, the increased popularity of DSLRs led camera manufacturers to come up with entry level DSLRs with price tags not as hefty as those found in the higher ends of the camera spectrum thereby making these shooters a lot more accessible and affordable to the camera-buying public.

A caveat though is that these DSLRs are bulky beasts that are just not that advisable to lug around town. That fact didn’t deter those people who want to be part of the “in” crowd and still gobbled up these shooters off the shelves.

However, to take care of the problem of bulk, Panasonic and Olympus combined their efforts in coming up with the Micro Four Thirds format, which was launched back in 2008. The shooters belonging to this category also had the interchangeable lens feature of the full-sized DSLRs and yet were compact and light enough to not take up that much space but still can turn out image quality that is almost comparable to DSLR’s.

Olympus, as one of the traiblazers in this format, already has an extensive line up of shooters for the Micro Four Thirds category and is adding up another with the release of the Olympus E-PL1. What can we expect from this shooter though? How wide is the gap in terms of performance between the E-PL1 and its DSLR siblings? Read on to get more familiar with the Olympus E-PL1.

Design and construction

The E-PL1 follows the design implementations on the older PEN series of Olympus but fails to look as attractive as its older siblings. At 4.5 x 2.8 x 1.6 inches, the E-PL1 has a rather boxy shape that is almost eerily reminiscent of box-type cars of the late 70s and early 80s. Sad to say, the layout of the camera seems cluttered and fails to give the shooter a classic feel to it.

The snags of this shooter may well be related to its aesthetics but the integrity of its build quality cannot be called into question. The E-PL1 is well built and is to be expected given the amount of moolah you have to shell out for this shooter. The E-PL1 feels very solid and pressing on the camera body with a bit of pressure will not give you the satisfaction of hearing creaks. Try to shake it and no rattles emanate from it either. In short, the E-PL1 is as solidly built, as we want it to be.

Holding the E-PL1 in your hand has a nice feel to it. It has a little grip on its front panel that works in conjunction with the with the thumb support at the back for a better handling. In addition to that, all controls like the shutter and magnify buttons are all within easy reach.

The sensor and other features

In terms of the specs that really matter, the E-PL1 has all the stuff that you need. Like the older P2 shooter, the E-PL1 also packs the same 12-megapixel Live MOS sensor. The sensor of the shooter works with the very capable TruePic V image processor and the combination of the two components lead to pure shooting heaven.

The E-PL1 may share some common traits with its predecessor but the addition of a pop-up flash to this shooter gives it a certain edge wherein making use of the flash significantly reduces the red-eye effect commonly found in pictures taken without a flash. It also has a dedicated Record button that lets you activate video clip recording despite of whatever shooting mode you are in.

The E-PL1 has a top shutter speed of 1 / 2,000 second and has ISO sensitivity range of ISO 100 to ISO 6400. Its display on the other hand is a 2.7-inch HyperCrystal LCD with 230,000 pixels and boasts of a hundred percent subject coverage. In addition to having high levels of brightness that makes it ideal for use even in extremely bright conditions, the display also has a coating of anti-reflective material to reduce glare.

Image quality and performance

The E-PL1 delivers in terms of image quality and the shooter indeed has a very good dynamic range. Color accuracy is very excellent, sharpness is there and the details are very good. In terms of noise performance, the E-PL1 is almost comparable to the entry-level DSLRs we often see in the market today. In fact, the noise performance of the E-PL1 is a whole lot better compared to the higher-priced E-P2 shooter.

The bottom line

The E-PL1 is positioned as an alternative to the higher priced DSLRs and is recommended to people wanting to upgrade from a compact point-and-shoot but not ready to contend with all the complexities associated with the use of a DSLR.

Though it lacks some speed virtues, the image quality is there and the price of $599 certainly makes it more attractive. In addition to that, the E-PL1 does not leave too large a footprint in your bag with its compact form factor so lugging it around is not that difficult.

Olympus E-PL1 Digital Camera Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 28,000.00

You may also like: Olympus PEN E-P1 DSLR Camera

Read More

Alienware m14x Laptop Computer Price, Features and Other Details

Alienware m14x Laptop Computer Price, Features and Other Details: With today’s technology grazing everything in its path at eye-blinding speeds, the fate of mobile computing was also changed forever. In the past laptops were just that, tools of the trade that you can lug around town. When it comes to system resources-hungry activities, you have to go back to your trusty old desktop to provide the power and performance that you need.

With the advancements in technology came the improvements in the notebook category and in came a wave of power-packing notebooks that can rival your desktop in terms of specs and performance. With that trend, the category of desktop replacements came into being.

Since the desktop replacements packed so much power, it wasn’t long before these notebooks were configured and turned it gaming rigs. With the birth of the gaming rigs, power-hungry title can now be enjoyed on your laptop anytime, anywhere.

Unfortunately, these gaming rigs are so bulky and packed so much heft that carrying them around is tantamount to breaking your back. These 17-inch monsters are just so heavy that they usually stay at home. When Alienware released the Alienware m14x, obviously a 14-inch gaming rig, the game instantly changed.

You no longer have to involve yourself in the backbreaking activity of trying to carry your rig around town. Join us as wet up close and personal with the Alienware m14x and see for ourselves just how powerful this colossus of a gaming rig is.

Design and construction

The Alienware m14x measures 337 x 258 x 38 mm and tips the scales at 2.86 kilograms, which is considerably less compared to the behemoth m17x. Though the aesthetics of the Alienware m14x is patterned from its older and bigger siblings, it is still something that needs to be seen and felt in the flesh to be truly appreciated.

The design may be a few years old now but the shape of the gaming rig is still something that inspires awe to whoever sees it. The shape of the Alienware m14x is almost reminiscent of the F117 stealth bomber. Designers of the Alienware m14x passed on the glossy plastic coating usually found in notebooks and opted instead for a soft rubber coating for the outer edges of the rig.

Build quality is to be expected at the price point of the Alienware m14x and the rig doesn’t just look sturdy, it really is. Hinges are tight and even if you press down on the case of the rig, not a creak emanates from it. In short, it is built like a rock.

Under the hood

This is where all your hard-earned money goes into. The Alienware m14x packs a second-generation Sandy Bridge quad core Intel Core i7-2630QM processor that has a clock speed of 2GHz. With the proprietary Intel Turbo Boost technology coming into play, the processor can easily be overclocked to 2.9GHz with no problems at all.

The processor has at its disposal 8GB of DDR3 RAM while graphical duties are handled by the rig’s NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M dedicated GPU with a humongous 3GB of DDR3 VRAM. The GPU of the Alienware m14x comes with NVIDIA’s Optimus technology that lets the rig to switch between the dedicated GPU and the integrated graphics card to maintain balance between power usage and performance thereby leading to lower power consumption. Storage space on the other hand comes in the form of a Samsung 256GB Solid State Drive that assures players and users of blazing-fast speeds and performance.

The display

As its name suggests, the Alienware m14x packs a 14.1-inch WLED display with a resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels and aspect ratio of 16:9. Overall, display values are good and the display provides very good brightness levels. This feature alone makes games and films so realistic and the contrast ratio of the rig’s screen is exceptionally good as well.

Colors tend to be rich and bright with sharpness just right making images seem to jump from the screen right at you. It also provides good viewing angles but outdoor use is not that recommended because the surface of the display tends to be a bit reflective causing some glare especially when under direct sunlight.

The feature set

The Alienware m14x runs Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit for its operating system and packs a RealTek ALC665 soundcard for exceptional audio quality. Connectivity-wise, the Alienware m14x has support for Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0.

Ports are scattered all over the sides of the Alienware m14x and these include a USB 2.0 port, two USB 3.0 ports, a VGA and mini-HDMI ports for display purposes and your usual RJ-45 port of wired Internet connectivity.

For video chats, the Alienware m14x packs a 2.0-megapixel webcam and has the usual mic and 3.5 mm headphone jacks. It also has a 9-in-1 card reader and a SIM card slot. For security purposes, a Kensington lock is thrown in into the bunch.

The bottom line

Whatever rig comes out of the Alienware production line is very, very impressive and the Alienware m14x is not an exception to this. It has the most powerful components under its hood money can buy and everything is packed tightly into its cutting-edge case.

Overall, the Alienware m14x is well worth the amount of money you will be forking out to take this bad boy home. Starting at $1099 in the US of A for the most basic configuration, the Alienware m14x will not immediately break the bank or put that much dent on your budget.

Alienware m14x Laptop Computer Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 53,000.00 (Starting Price)

You may also like: Alienware m17x 3D Laptop Computer

Read More

Archos G9 Android Tablet Computer Preview: Price and Features

Archos G9 Android Tablet Computer Preview: Price and Features - The tablet market is certainly heating up and cutthroat competition has always been the way of the world since the release of the iPad a couple of years back. Since then, manufacturers forked out millions, billions even for research and development to come up with their own tablet that could take on the iPad juggernaut and bring it to its knees.

Fast forward to current time: the tablet market is now flush with all sorts of tablets, each boasting of the things that it can handle. In fact, with the many choices that a consumer has in terms of tablet options, buying a tablet nowadays is a very tedious process. Add to the fact that most tablets today are almost similar to each other in terms of appearance and specs sheet. Well, almost.

Only a handful actually deviates from the most common ugly black slab of plastic form factor that most of the available tablets seem to have. Others on the other hand resort to dirty tactics of cutting prices too much that a buyer cannot be sure anymore what he is getting for the price he is paying.

This is where the Archos G9 tablets come in. These tablets boast of a relatively lower price point compared to the competition and still manage to have pretty decent, no scratch that, above average specs that can certainly rival the specs sheet of higher priced tablets.

Read on as we get a little more familiar with the Archos G9 and see if we will get a geek’s dream specs for the price a miser is willing to pay.

Design and construction

By the way, the Archos G9 will be available in two version is terms of display size: the Archos G9 80 with an 8-inch display and the Archos G9 101 with a 10.1-inch display. Measurements of the Archos G9 80 come up to 226 x 155.3 x 14.7 mm and weighs in at 599 grams while the Archos G9 101 measures at 276 x 167.3 x 15.6 mm and tips the scales at 755 grams.

You might find these tablets a bit hefty and bulky and in no way in a competition with other tablets to have a slim and sexy profile. This is due to the fact that this new wave of tablets from Archos actually boasts of a 250GB hard drive, not the measly 64GB that others could only come up with.

Design and construction-wise, you see and feel the budget costs that the Archos G9 had to go through. At its price point, it doesn’t have the look and feel of a luxury tablet. It is made mostly from plastic but a good thing about its design is that it has a slightly wider body that makes it a lot more comfortable to hold even for extended periods.

Under the hood

The budget cuts didn’t affect the components lurking under the hood of the Archos G9 though. Smooth performance is guaranteed by its dual core ARM Cortex A9 processor sitting on a Texas Instruments OMAP4 chipset. The processor is clocked at 1.5GHz and has a full 1GB of RAM to work with.

Graphical concerns are taken care of by its dedicated Neon GPU inside the OMAP4 chipset while storage space will be something to look forward to. Cheaper Archos G9 models will offer both 16GB and 32GB versions in terms of internal memory but the slightly more expensive version will pack a 250GB hard drive. Take note though that the most expensive version is still cheaper than the cheapest tablet in the market that packs the same specs and only a 64GB of onboard memory.

The display and other features

As mentioned earlier, the Archos G9 will have two versions in terms of screen real estate. The 8.0-inch Archos G9 80 will have a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels while the 10.1-inch Archos G9 101 has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. Both models will make use of a TFT LCD display and the budget cuts obviously preclude the Archos G9 from taking advantage of an IPS display found in higher-priced units.

Though this may be the case with the display of the Archos G9, there is no noticeable significant discrepancy between the display of the Archos G9 compared to an IPS-packing tablet. In fact, the display of this tablet is almost as good and has excellent contrast ratio and exceptional viewing angles.

In terms of the camera department, the Archos G9 sad to say skimps on this and opts to just put one shooter on the Archos G9. It boasts of a front-facing 720p camera that can be utilized as a webcam for video calls and has a 720p video-encoding feature.

In terms of operating system, review units being sent out only has Android 3.1 Honeycomb but according to the company, when the Archos G9 floods the market by September, its operating system will already be Android 3.2 Honeycomb by then.

If we are to believe the claims of the company about the battery life of the Archos G9, then it certainly is very impressive. It is said that the Archos G9 can last up to 36 hours of music playback, up to 7 hours of video playback and up to 10 hours of web surfing. No real world tests have come out as of yet so we have to take this information with a grain of salt though.

The bottom line

The Archos G9 is most definitely a very capable tablet. It may not have the build quality of the iPad or even Samsung’s Galaxy Tab but its relatively low price point more than makes up for it. In fact, it is incredible how the company was able to cram all the impressive components into to Archos G9 and yet still manage to put a lighter-than-usual price tag on the device.

If you are willing to compromise and swallow your pride regarding build quality and just think about the amount of moolah you will be saving, wait up for September and go get yourself one of these bad boys.

Archos G9 Android Tablet Computer Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 15,000.00 (starting price)

You may also like: Archos 70 Internet Tablet Computer

Read More

Sony Ericsson Xperia Active Android Smartphone Price, Features and Other Details

Sony Ericsson Xperia Active Android Smartphone Price, Features and Other Details: With the release of the very first mobile phone back in the day, the way people handled their lives have been changed forever. The mobile phone became a necessary tool and in today’s world, almost everyone can be seen yapping away on a mobile phone.

It didn’t end there though. Technological advances happening on blazingly fast speeds have weaved its magic on the mobile phone and we saw not just the revolution but the evolution of the device as well.

It came to a point that mobile phones where no longer mere communication platforms and have been transformed to a multi-use device. This led to manufacturers coming up with different mobile phones that target a certain demographic or portion of the population. Looking back a decade or so in the past, we remember fondly the dust and waterproof phones of the past and smile with nostalgia. Ah, the good old days.

With the release of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Active, reminisce no more and once again be treated with a dust and water resistant mobile phone, an Android smartphone to boot. Obviously, this handset once again aims for the demographic that leads a very active lifestyle and refuse to let them be confined within the four walls of the boardroom.

Read on to get more details about the water and dust resistant Sony Ericsson Xperia Active and find out for yourself how this nifty little device can actually transform a weary executive to the ultimate weekend warrior.

Design and construction

The Xperia Active measures 92 x 55 x 16.5 mm and the obvious bulk can be attributed to the materials used in its construction to make sure it is sealed properly to make it dust and water resistant. Despite the bulk, the Xperia Active tips the scales at a mere 110.8 grams making it ideal to carry around virtually anywhere. And with that, I mean anywhere.

The Xperia Active obviously went through a severe construction process to ensure its dust and water resistance feature. In short, this handset can basically handle any condition in any weather. Ideal for the person with an active lifestyle, a splash of water, dusty trails or mud-filled bike rides are no match for the Xperia Active.

In fact, Sony Ericsson claims that the Xperia Active can stay submerged in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes and still be able to function properly. It even features wet-finger tracking where the touchscreen of the device is still fully functional whether it is your finger or the display that is sopping wet.

Under the hood

The Xperia Active despite being ideal for an active lifestyle is also a smartphone that boasts of an impressive specs sheet. Its operation is powered by a Qualcomm MSM8255 SnapDragon processor with a clock speed of 1GHz and works in conjunction with 512MB of RAM. Storage is handled by 1GB of onboard memory and memory expansion is not an issue with its microSD card slot capable of handling cards of up to 32GB.

The display

The front panel of the Xperia Active is eaten up by its 3.0-inch LCD capacitive touchscreen with LED backlighting feature. The display has a resolution of 480 x 320 pixels and 16M colors. In addition to that, it is also scratch resistant and has the usual bevy of sensors for added functionality.

Not only that, expect enhanced contrast and richer colors on the Xperia Active’s display because it features the Reality Display technology powered by its Mobile Bravia Engine. In fact, this is the same technology that runs inside the guts of Sony’s Bravia line of TVs so the display of the Xperia Active is just excellent.

The shooters

A dual-camera configuration is now the industry standard and the Xperia Active complies with this. Its rear-facing camera is a 5-megapixel shooter with LED flash and autofocus. It has features commonly found in Sony’s point-and-shoots such as image stabilization, face detection, touch-focus and geo-tagging and lets you snap stills of up to 2592 x 1944 pixels. This shooter can also shoot 720p video clips when switched to video mode and can make use of the LED flash as a video light. The front-facing shooter n the other hand is a nondescript camera that can be used as a personal webcam for your video calls.

Battery life

The Xperia Active is powered by a 1200 mAh Lithium-Ion power pack that supplies juice to the device to make it last for up to 5.5 hours of talk time and up to 335 hours of standby time. Pretty good if you ask especially if you have plans of taking this device on a wilderness trek.

The bottom line

Despite its being recommended for an active lifestyle short of extreme sports, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Active packs impressive specs that can rival any midrange smartphone today. Add to the fact that this is one tough device that can withstand dust and water and you got a keeper with the Sony Ericsson Xperia Active.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Active Android Smartphone Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 24,000.00

You may also like: Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Smartphone

Read More