Mitsubishi Adventure Price List (as of October 2011)

Mitsubishi Adventure Price: The Mitsubishi Adventure is a compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors and China Motor Corporation for the Asian market. The first model was launched on September 11, 1997 and quickly became one of the best selling cars in Asia.

The Mitsubishi Adventure was given major redesigns in 2001 and then 2004, then a minor face lift in late 2009. It uses either a 2.0 L SOHC I4 or a 2.5 L SOHC I4 diesel engine, and is available in 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto transmission. The Mitsubishi Adventure is quite popular here in the country since it offers flexibility and comfort without sacrificing the price. It primarily competes with other well-known multi-purpose vehicles such as the Toyota Innova and the Isuzu Crosswind (Sportivo).

Mitsubishi Adventure Price List in Philippine Peso (as of October 2011):

Adventure Super Sport Dsl - Euro 2: Php 948,000.00

Adventure GLS Sport Dsl (7 & 9 seater): Php 885,000.00

Adventure GLX Dsl - Euro 2: Php 825,000.00

Adventure GX Dsl - euro 2: Php 718,000.00

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D-Link Wireless N HD Media Router 1000 (DIR-657) Price, Features and Other Info

D-Link Wireless N HD Media Router 1000 (DIR-657) Price, Features and Other Info: We take the D-Link HD Media Router 1000 apart and see how it stands up. Read on for the full details of our alone time with the router.

Design and construction

The D-Link Wireless N HD Media Router 1000 (DIR-657) is included in the Amplifi line of D-Link and is actually just a single-band router that comes with the company’s proprietary bandwidth prioritization technology called HD Fuel.

The HD Media Router 1000 measures 210 x 160 x 33 mm and tips the scales at 341.5 grams. With the current Amplifi line of routers in which the HD Media Router 1000 is part of, D-Link did away with its conventional rectangular style and opted for a flatter chassis with a sleeker profile which makes the HD Media Router 1000 look eerily like the E-series line of routers from Cisco Linksys.

D-Link ditched the LEDs that act as notification lights for port activity and in the case of the HD Media Router 1000, the router only has two LEDs – one found at the top of the router and the other inside it just below the surface. These two LEDs represent WAN connectivity and power. The new design also gives way for the HD Media Router 1000 to have internal antennas so no pesky antenna can be seen sticking out at the router’s back panel. The HD Media Router 1000 also packs a media card slot that supports SD cards and can be used for the HD Media Router 1000’s network storage feature.

The back panel of the HD Media Router 1000 on the other hand contains all the necessary ports and these include a WAN port that is connected to the Internet source, a USB port and 4 Gigabit LAN ports should you want to include wired clients in your network.

Setup and configuration of the HD Media Router 1000

Similar to older D-Link routers, setting up and configuring the HD Media Router 1000 is a walk in the park. The retail package of the router includes a CD that has the needed setup software. Just insert the CD in your optical drive, follow the setup wizard and with just a few mouse clicks, you will be able to get the HD Media Router 1000 up and running. This already includes getting connected to the Internet along with your other wireless clients and in the process setting up and configuring the preferred SSID for the available frequencies.

For more advanced users, another option is to use the interface of the HD Media Router 1000 which is web-based. The interface as we found out is very intuitive, well thought out and a whole lot more comprehensive compared to using the desktop application.

Features of the HD Media Router 1000

The HD Media Router 1000 actually packs a myriad of options for settings and configuration. One such example of this is that it gives you the capability to enable CAPTCHA graphical authentication. For the uninitiated, this means that for anyone trying to get access to your network, they would have to enter a graphical CAPTCHA first before they can access and get connected to the network.

The HD Media Router 1000 also supports IPv6 wherein Advanced DNS settings let you surf the web in a faster and more reliable manner. Other features of the router also include allowing a user to make a guest network, create and setup a network filter, and configure QoS and access control. The router also packs support for Wireless Intelligent Stream Handling which essentially prioritizes the different wireless applications’ traffic.

In terms of security, the HD Media Router 1000 supports all variations of encryption methods such as WPA2, WPA and WEP. A caveat here though is the WEP is in use, the wireless speed is capped at 54Mbps and the security of the network is significantly reduced.

Performance of the HD Media Router 1000

To ascertain the capabilities of the HD Media Router 1000, we subjected it to some rigorous tests. The router was able to obtain a score of 60Mbps in our throughput test done in close range which means that at this speed, 500MB of data can be transmitted in approximately 67 seconds.

When subjected to the long-range throughput test where the client was a hundred feet away from the HD Media Router 1000, the speed of connection dropped down to just 39.2Mbps. In our mixed-mode test, the router was able to offer 43.2Mbps. The range of the router though is a bit short at around 200 feet and to get the optimum performance from the HD Media Router 1000, it should be within ore less than a hundred feet. The signal stability though is exceptional and was able to go through our 48-hour stress test without getting disconnected or encountering hiccups.

The bottom line

The D-Link HD Media Router 1000 has a lot of likeable features and packs a new design which are all good points but it would have been a lot better and could have gotten our nod of approval if it were faster and was able to offer a longer range with dual-band support.

D-Link Wireless N HD Media Router 1000 (DIR-657) Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 7,000.00

You may also like: D-Link DIR-600 Wireless Internet Router

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Monster iSport Immersion In-Ear Headphones Price in the Philippines, Features and Specs

Monster iSport Immersion In-Ear Headphones Price in the Philippines, Features and Specs: We take the Monster iSport Immersion in-ear headphones for a run and check the performance of the buds. Our impressions follow so just continue reading.

Design and construction

If you happen to be into pricey headphones that are sanctioned by Dr. Dre, stuff from Monster Cable Products will surely fit the bill. The company actually is seen by some as a source of overpriced rubbish given the hefty price tags attached to its products.

This trend however is not followed the Monster iSport Immersion headphones that we will be talking about. It is a given that the iSport Immersion are not cheap with its almost $150 price point, but the additional amount you need to shell out for these in-ear headphones give you buds that can be soaked in water through and through and still be able to blast out the kind of music you expect it to.

You might be thinking of a good reason to wash them but if you happen to use standard buds during a run or a workout, you would definitely notice how soaked they get at the end of the run or workout. With the iSport Immersion, and as its name suggests, you can actually wash these buds and have all the sweat residues taken off of the earphones. In short, they still come out fine if you forget them in your compression shorts that have already been chucked to the washer.

To be fit for the exercise and workout routine, the iSport Immersion makes use of an attachment that has an in-ear stabilizing arm made of rubber to ensure that they stay put in place even you are vigorously moving or running. These stabilizing arms push against the ridge found right above your ear canal for a secure fit. Five pairs of these stabilizing arms are included in the retail package of the iSport Immersion so finding the perfect fit for your lobes shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Use the wrong pair and the use of the iSport Immersion can get very uncomfortable in a matter of seconds.

Using the iSport Immersion even for long periods of time are very comfortable so long as the right pair are nestled in your lobes. A snag we found on the use of these stabilizing arms though is that the inserts can become a little loose even if you use them properly and handle them with care. This snag can easily negate the fact that these iSport Immersion in-ear headphones are actually priced at a much higher price point. These stabilizing arms are unconventional really but they work and it would have been a lot better if they were a little tight around the edges.

If you find the stabilizing arms unconventional, then the same goes for the earphone nozzle that gets exposed when you pull the rubber tips off. This pair of nozzles is designed to be independent from the metallic shell of the buds and can actually be moved around that add up to the unusual design of the iSport Immersion. In all honesty, we can’t find any relevance or usefulness in this design but we’ll just leave it at that.

Looking at the cable of the iSport Immersion, you see a remote control placed about 10 cm away from the buds in the left cable. This remote control enables you to receive calls and have control over the music you are listening to like switching tracks and adjusting the volume. The surface of the button is rubberized so friction is there and wouldn’t give you a hard time handling the remote even if you’re fingers are all sweaty. The buttons are also heavily embossed so you only need to grope and press on them even with your eyes on the road.

The cable of the iSport Immersion on the other hand is flat which manufacturers claim to keep tangles at a bare minimum. After a couple of days of using the iSport Immersion, tangles are still a way of life with these buds despite the flat cable and the tangles have a tendency to get tangled and bunched up in the area of the cable where the splitter is.

The sound and the fury

The sound quality blasting out from the iSport Immersion is suited for exercise. The bass presence can be felt and the bass notes tend to be punchy but well balanced. The low ends are also controlled really well with the iSport Immersion and the soundstage in the buds comes off as being warm. The treble on the other hand is reasonably presented but the top ends tend to be scattered and doesn’t have the finesse of high notes expected from a pricey pair of buds. The mids on the other hand are well presented and doesn’t have the seeming harshness of notes experienced in the treble. The overall soundstage though with the combination of the bass notes, mids and treble are found to be “passable” but would definitely get a disapproving shake of the head if a hardcore audiophile takes this pair for a run.

The bottom line

For a pair of sports headphones, the iSport Immersion can be considered average in terms of sound quality. The only thing that gives justification to its hefty price tag is the bass notes that really complement a good workout. If you will not take into consideration the fact that the iSport Immersion is waterproof, better sound can be had somewhere else for a lot less.

Monster iSport Immersion In-Ear Headphones Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 8,500.00

You may also like: Beats Solo HD High Definition On-Ear Audio Headphones with ControlTalk

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Lenovo C325 All-In-One Desktop Computer Price, Features and Other Details

Lenovo C325 All-In-One Desktop Computer Price, Features and Other Details: We check out the recently announced Lenovo C325 All-In-One desktop computer and come up with our first impressions and expectations. Read on for the full details.

Design and construction

The Lenovo C325 is the latest addition to the company’s line of All-In-One desktops. The C325 comes in a very sleek form factor that packs all the bells and whistles that you look for in an AIO desktop and yet manages to keep its price point down thereby making it very attractive.

The C325 measures 499 x 78 x 343.5 mm and tips the scales at 6 pounds. With these vital stats, the C325 obviously packs a very slim profile that doesn’t take up that much space. In short, the C325 has a very minimal footprint and wouldn’t eat up your workplace and yet packs that sleek and streamlined design that it can be a conversation starter anytime.

The C325 packs an easel-shaped design that is very pleasant to look at and yet it obviously packs the solid build quality that we have come to experience in other Lenovo products, particularly the notebooks that they release. That being said, despite the fact that the C325 packs a very feminine-like design, we still can expect the same solid build quality that we have come to experience in other Lenovo products, particularly the notebooks that they release to the market.

The lower left edge of the C325 contains the power button along with a couple of notification icons while the lower right edge of the AIO desktop houses its multimedia buttons. The whole lower edge of the C325 on the other hand houses the speaker system of the AIO desktop and is covered in a metal-like speaker grille.

Under the hood

I think “behind the display” will be more apt to describe the components that breathe life and power to the C325 since these are all packed behind the display of the AIO desktop. To keep prices at more manageable levels, Lenovo decided to endow the C325 with an AMD E450 processor instead. It has a clock speed of 1.65 GHz and works in conjunction with 8GB of DDR3 RAM.

As for its GPU, the C325 makes use of an integrated AMD Radeon HD6230 graphics card to ensure that all graphical matters are well taken care of. In terms of storage space, a prospective buyer has the option to configure the C325 to pack a hard disk drive of up to 1TB in storage capacity. With these much storage space, you can make sure that all your files are stored neatly and safely in one place.

The display and other features of the C325

In terms of its display, the C325 has been endowed with an LED-backlit widescreen display with a diagonal of 20 inches. The display has a resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels and packs a 16:9 aspect ratio. With the resolution that the display of the C325 packs, you can expect the AIO desktop to be a perfect multimedia companion. Colors are expected to be rendered in a life-like manner with the images almost jumping right at you from the display. In addition to that, the display of the C325 is expected to have excellent viewing angles which make it ideal for multimedia consumption.

At an additional price, the display of the C325 can be converted into something that has multi-touch capabilities for extended functionality. To complement the excellent image quality, the C325 makes use of integrated stereo speakers located toward the bottom edge of the display. These speakers support SRS Premium Sound technology so the AIO desktop can be expected to pack some rocking beats.

In terms of I / O, the C325 has a smattering of ports for full connectivity options. It packs 4 USB 2.0 ports found at the back panel of the AIO desktop and a user has the option to have one of these ports changed to USB 3.0 for faster data transfers. The C325 also has a 6-in-1 card reader that supports the SDXC format and has an integrated 0.3-megapixel Lenovo High-Sense Webcam should you feel the need to video chat with family and friends. It also comes with an HDMI port for added connectivity options and support for Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n is standard in the C325.

The bottom line

The Lenovo C325 All-In-One desktop is expected to hit the shelves by the end of October and can be had at prices starting at $699. With this pricing scheme, the C325 only becomes more attractive given its classic good looks coupled with the impressive specs sheet that it brings to the table.

Lenovo C325 All-In-One Desktop Computer Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 33,000.00

You may also like: Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 91z Desktop Computer

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Dell XPS 14z Laptop Computer Price, Features and Tech Specs

Dell XPS 14z Laptop Computer Price, Features and Tech Specs: We gut the Dell XPS 14z from bow to stern to ensure that the notebook performs as advertised. We can’t complain about how the way our time with XPS 14z turned out. Read on for more details.

Design and construction

The Dell XPS 14z is actually just a smaller iteration of the XPS 15z and has the same sophisticated styling coupled with an impressive specs sheet that the bigger brother packs. Some consider the XPS 14z as the ultimate laptop in terms of work and play and has all the necessary components to make both activities very rewarding and satisfying.

The XPS 14z measures 13.2 x 9.2 x 0.9 inches and with these dimensions, it easily is the thinnest 14-incher available in the market that packs an optical drive. The notebook tips the scales at 4.4 pounds thereby making it easy for a user to lug it around town without running the risk of getting a sore back or injured shoulders.

The XPS 14z packs a very modern styling with its exterior getting done in a brushed metal finish that gives the notebook an elegant look without belying the fact that its internals pack some of the most impressive components available. The notebook looks very durable and stylish at the same time and the choice of anodized aluminum in its construction contributes largely to this.

The interior of the XPS 14z matches the attractiveness of its exterior and we see a deck done in a dark gray alloy of magnesium setting the stage inside. At the heart of its interior lies its silver keyboard that is flanked at both sides by speaker grilles that have a very intricate design.

Under the hood

The components under the hood of the XPS 14z are as equally impressive as the look of the notebook from the outside. For its CPU, the XPS 14z relies on an Intel Core i7-2640M processor running at 2.8GHz. The processor of the notebook works in conjunction with 8GB of DDR3 RAM for some very fast computing abilities that could easily handle almost anything you throw at it.

In terms of graphics, the XPS 14z relies on its dual graphics card configuration that includes an integrated Intel HD 3000 module working in collaboration with a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GT520M GPU that packs 1GB of video memory. The good thing about the XPS 14z is that it packs switchable graphics technology that automatically switches between its integrated and discreet video cards depending on the needs of the system while taking into consideration the power consumption of the XPS 14z.

In terms of storage space, the XPS 14z packs 7200RPM hard disk drive with a 750GB capacity. With this much storage space, you still can manage to cram all your files in the XPS 14z even if you are a multimedia fiend. It would have been better though if the XPS 14z had a Solid State Drive for its storage space since SSDs really complement the processor-RAM combination of any notebook for that matter by giving the whole system a burst in speed.

The display and other features of the XPS 14z

As for its display, there is nothing fancy about the 14-inch panel of the XPS 14z (as its name suggests) with its resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, which is pretty standard for a display of this size. The only thing of note here is that the display of the XPS 14z is of the Shuriken type that means there is virtually no bezel surrounding the panel and the 14-inch display of the XPS 14z is crammed into the notebook, which virtually packs the dimension of a 13-incher.

Performance of the display on the other hand is not that consistent though. The display is bright enough with its 200-nit capability but viewing angles on the other hand tend to be mixed. There is a tendency for the image to become washed out if the screen of the XPS 14z gets dipped forward.

As for its input devices, the keyboard of the XPS 14z with its chiclet-style keys is one of the better-performing keyboards we have used. The keys are able to provide excellent tactile feedback and are done in a very slick finish that seems to match the aesthetics of the XPS 14z’s interior. In addition to that, the keyboard of the XPS 14z is backlit that adds plus points to the usability of the input device.

The trackpad of the XPS 14z on the other hand is definitely one of the best we have used. It is spacious enough and is very smooth with a low friction surface. Not only that, the trackpad of the XPS 14z supports multi-touch input much like what you enjoy in smartphones today.

The bottom line

There are a lot of good things to say about the Dell XPS 14z. In fact, this notebook almost has it all. It has a very pleasing aesthetics while the innards of the notebook ensure that the beauty of the XPS 14z is not only skin-deep. It is also very comfortable to use which I guess is one of the deciding factors why the XPS 14z gets our nod of approval.

Dell XPS 14z Laptop Computer Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 48,000.00 (Starting Price)

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Lenovo A60 Android Phone Price in the Philippines, Features and Other Details

Lenovo A60 Android Phone Price in the Philippines, Features and Other Details: Lenovo A60 Android Phone Price in the Philippines, Features and Other Details: We take a look at one of the first tries of Lenovo in the smartphone business and see for ourselves how the company fares with this initial offering. Join us as we try to get the Lenovo A60 Android Phone a little better.

Design and construction

At first glance, the Lenovo A60, one of the mobile phones released by Lenovo, is eerily reminiscent of the Nokia N97. But taking a closer look at the handset makes you realize that the similarities are only skin deep.

The handset measures 116.5 x 59.9 x 13.2 mm and tips the scales at 135 grams. The handset is slightly wide at the hips and it is pretty obvious that Lenovo has no plans of making the A60 enter any slimness contests when it came out with the device. The A60 is expected to pack a solid build quality to it though, pretty much like the ThinkPad laptops that Lenovo is quite known for.

The top part of the device contains its power key and its 3.5 mm jack for the headset while its right side on the other hand contains the volume rocker along with a convenience key towards the bottom right edge of the device. A mic pinhole is the only thing of note at the bottom edge of the A60 while the left flank doesn’t have anything to it though.

Under the hood

The Lenovo A60 is an entry-level device so we are not supposed to expect SoC chipset under the hood of the handset. Neither are we supposed to expect components that we usually see in higher priced devices given the fact that the A60 can be considered as a budget-friendly device that can bring the whole Android experience to the masses and still be using a phone manufactured by a big-name outfit.

For its processor, the A60 relies on a MediaTek MT6753 processor to supply the required computing power of the device. The MediaTek MT6753 processor as a side note is the processor of choice among Chinese smartphone manufacturers and is already able to rival the likes of the Tegra and OMAP chipsets in terms of the volume produced.

Although no SoC chipset can be found anywhere in the innards of the handset, the A60 has its own dedicated GPU to take care of graphical issues in the form of its PowerVR SGX531 GPU. As for its system memory, the A60 packs an undernourished 256 MB of RAM and 512 MB of ROM which combine with each other to lend support to the processor of the device in coming up with the needed computing power.

No information as of yet has been released as to how much internal memory the A60 will be packing but that is negligible since the handset has a dedicated media card slot that makes memory expansion in the device possible. The device supports high-capacity microSD cards, even those up to 32GB and the retail package of the A60 already comes with a 2GB microSD card for starters.

The display

In terms of its display, the A60 has been endowed with a smallish 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen with an HVGA resolution of 480 x 320 pixels. At this size, the display of the A60 is already more than decent enough given the price point that this device will be coming in. in addition to that, the size of the display in relation to the resolution of the A60 gives you more bang for your buck because this type of display at its size and resolution is commonly found in more expensive handsets.

To make life easier for the user, the touchscreen panel of the A60 is of the capacitive type and even packs support for multi-touch. It also has the usual sensors integrated onto its device for added handset functionality.

The shooters

The camera department of the A60, despite the fact that it has a dual-shooter configuration is not one of the handset’s strong points. The A60 only has a 3.2MP shooter mounted at its back panel acting as the primary camera of the handset while the secondary shooter found on the front panel of the A60 is a VGA camera. Critics might scoff at the capability of the shooters of the A60 but considering the price tag attached to the handset, one should not complain and look for something better.

The bottom line

Overall, the Lenovo A60 is a pretty capable handset for an entry-level device. It might not have the classic good looks that more expensive handsets from the competition have but the mere fact that the innards of the handset pack some pretty impressive components, you really get your money’s worth for the device. Throw in the fact that the A60 has dual-SIM capabilities and you got a real keeper with the Lenovo A60.

Lenovo A60 Android Phone Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 7,500.00

You may also check out: Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Android Tablet Computer

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LG 55LW980T 3D HDTV Price, Features and Other Info

LG 55LW980T 3D HDTV Price, Features and Other Info: We take the LG 55LW980T for a ride and see how it performs. Join us as we get to know the 55LW980T a little better.

Design and construction

It is safe to assume that when LG released the 55LW980T, the company already had in mind that the big-ass TV would be its flagship set. With the 55LW980T’s very attractive design and solidly built chassis, the TV is definitely in the running for the flagship status in the company’s line of HDTVs.

Similar to the high-end models released by the competition, the 55LW980T was designed using the approach of making use of a single sheet of glass for the whole frame of the TV that gives it a very elegant, classy and contemporary look. The only caveat here is that since the whole front panel of the 55LW980T is made entirely of glass, the HDTV tends to be susceptible to glare and reflection. In addition to that, making a single sheet of glass for its frame tends to make the 55LW980T rather heavy.

Since weight has already been mentioned, let us talk about the dimensions of the 55LW980T. The TV measures 1265 x 760 x 24.7 mm and weighs 23.8 kilograms. Its weight though doesn’t include the stand and making use of the stand cranks up the weight of the whole TV to a whopping 23 kilograms so it would be a good decision to have this mounted on a wall. Doing so would also give you the option in having it mounted in such a way that glare and reflection are minimized.

The 55LW980T packs a color scheme of all-black. The back panel of the HDTV is also done in black in the same way that a black bezel runs around under the glass fascia of the 55LW980T. The build quality of the 55LW980T is very good bordering on the excellent which makes it a good choice for a flagship TV of the company. The stand of the 55LW980T is very solid and despite the heaviness of the full frame of the 55LW980T, the stand is still able to ensure that the whole set is rock solid.

The bottom right portion of the 55LW980T’s front panel contains touch-sensitive controls that include Power, Volume, Home, Program and Enter. The left hand portion of the HDTV on the other hand at its back panel contains the ports and connectors of the 55LW980T while the power cord of the TV is hard wired at the back panel of the 55LW980T.

Key features of the 55LW980T

Since the 55LW980T is in the running to be the flagship HDTV of LG, you can expect it to pack all the bells and whistles expected in a flagship TV. In addition to packing the proprietary Cinema 3D feature of the company, the 55LW980T also makes use of Nano Filter. Not only that, the 55LW980T is LED-backlit is done in Full LED backlighting technology.

The 55LW980T also makes use of its TruMotion feature to enhance its image handling capabilities along with LED local dimming to ensure that the dynamic range and black levels of the 55LW980T are always enhanced.

The biggest technological advancement that we can find on the 55LW980T though is its Smart TV platform that gives the flagship HDTV Internet support and capability. Setting up and adding the 55LW980T on your home network is very easy since the TV has an integrated Wi-Fi feature but should you have a wired connection at home, a socket at the rear of the 55LW980T lets you connect to your wired home network.

With the Smart TV platform supported in the 55LW980T, access to media services such as Cartoon Network, Acetrax, YouTube, along with social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter is now standard. The telly also has an integrated web browser that lets the user browse web content. Not only that, a user ca also download apps form the LG App store to enhance the functionality of the 55LW980T.

If you are a multimedia fiend and you want your content shared, it is very easy to hook up your digital camera, personal music player or flash drive using the USB ports of the 55LW980T and from thereon, it is just a matter of accessing the content using the Smart Share feature of the telly. The 55LW980T also includes support for DivX HD and is compliant with DLNA making the streaming of content a lot easier.

The bottom line

Since its release, AV enthusiasts have had the chance to really go over the 55LW980T and check out its every nook and cranny. We agree with most of them that the LG 55LW980T is able to deliver the goods expected from it while packing a great design and coming up with a specs sheet and features list that is only made more attractive by its exceptional image quality and terrific sound.

In short, this is the best HDTV that LG made and deserves the right to be called the flagship TV of the LG line.

LG 55LW980T 3D HDTV Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 180,000.00

You may also like: LG LW5600 3D LCD HDTV

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Nissan Patrol Super Safari Price (as of October 2011)

Nissan Patrol Super Safari Price: The Nissan Patrol Super Safari is a four-wheel drive full-size luxury Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) that is manufactured by Nissan since 1980. It primarily competes with other luxury SUVs such as the Mitsubishi Pajero and the Hyundai Veracruz. The vehicle has been available as either a short-wheelbase (SWB) three-door or a long-wheelbase (LWB) five-door chassis.

The latest generation of Nissan Patrol is powered by VK56VD (5.6-litre) V8 with a 400 hp (298 kW) an 560 N•m (410 lb•ft), with features such as "VVEL" Variable Valve Event and Lift and "DIG" Gasoline direct injection, and mated to a 7-speed automatic. A variable 4×4 Mode package allows switching between four drive modes: sand, on-road, rock and snow, with the flick of a switch. A "Hydraulic Body Motion Control System" system is also available. Additionally, electronic locking rear differential, hill start and hill descent control, as well as lane-departure warning, automatic braking and stability control are included.


List of other features of the latest Nissan Patrol Super Safari:

* Intelligent Key is triggered when the remote is brought near the vehicle, allowing the user to open it with the touch of a knob.
* Start/Stop push button for ignition; a key is not required.
* Employs a revised Tyre Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) with tyre inflation indicator which beeps the horn softly to inform drivers that a suitable tyre pressure has been reached.
* Intelligent Cruise Control (Cruise control) controls the speed of the vehicle to maintain the desired distance between you and slow traffic, and re-accelerates to your pre-set speed and distance as the traffic flow picks up.
* Around View Monitor - When a Patrol journey comes to an end, much against your wish, the 4 cameras of the AVM come alive to help you park the vehicle even in the tightest of spots.

Nissan Patrol Super Safari Price in the Philippines (as of October 2011):

3.0 AD5 4x4 AT Dsl Upgrade: Approximately Php 2,795,000.00

5.6 V8 Gas AT New: Approximately Php 5,375,000.00

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Google Galaxy Nexus Price in the Philippines, Features and Tech Specs

Google Galaxy Nexus Price in the Philippines, Features and Tech Specs: Announced in October 2011, the Galaxy Nexus is Google's latest and most probably greatest Android smartphone released to date. It serves as a worthy successor to the not-so-popular Nexus S. The Galaxy Nexus is the first smartphone to run Android 4.0 'Ice Cream Sandwich' mobile operating system, which offers tons of new features and enhancements.

Like the Nexus S, the Google Galaxy Nexus is manufactured by Samsung. It is equipped with an awesome 4.65-inch Super AMOLED HD touchscreen that is capable of 1,280×720 resolution (315 ppi) and 100,000:1 contrast ratio. I think the display is really amazing and could easily beat other competing high-end smartphones like the iPhone 4S. So, there's no doubt that the main selling point of the Galaxy Nexus will be its gorgeous screen aside from Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS.

Talking about Android 4.0, it offers several advance and innovative features that power users will surely love such as Face Unlock, Android Beam, Google Plus integration, and Voice Typing. Most users will also love it for its simplicity, speed, uncluttered user interface, and overall ease-of-use.

In terms of design, the Google Galaxy Nexus is drool-worthy. Despite its giant display, it remains highly portable and could comfortably fit in the pocket of your jeans. You can thank its super slim body (8.94 mm) and narrow bezel (4.29 mm) for that. Like the MeeGo-powered Nokia N9, the Galaxy Nexus has no home button or any button at all at the front. However, it has on-screen soft keys that are easily accessible using its huge touchscreen.

Having a dual-core 1.2GHz Ti OMAP 4460 (ARM Cortex-A9) processor, the Google Galaxy Nexus is at par with Samsung Galaxy S2 in terms of raw processing power. But its PowerVR SGX540 graphics chip is more powerful than that of the SGS2. The processor is complemented by 1GB of RAM, which should result in multitasking or running different apps at the same time a breeze.

Although it only packs a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, they say that it is capable of taking high quality images the way higher resolution cameras can. It can also capture videos in full high definition glory. Like the previous Google phone, the Galaxy Nexus has a built-in NFC chip. The NFC wireless technology is utilized in Google Wallet and Android Beam that further adds handy features and capabilities to this smartphone.

All things considered, the Google Galaxy Nexus is a certified game-changer that gadget lovers should all be excited. It has the looks, the brains, and the power that keeps it way ahead of the smartphone pack.

The Galaxy Nexus will be available to consumers this November and will be sold in 16 GB and 32 GB storage configurations.

Google Galaxy Nexus Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 30,000.00 (Starting Price)

Note: Price is just an estimate. We will be updating this post once the official price and availability is announced.

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Canon IXUS 1100 HS Digital Camera Price, Features and Other Details

We take the Canon IXUS 1100 HS point and shoot digital camera for a ride and see how it stacks up. Read on for the result of the review and the price of Canon IXUS 1100 HS in Philippine Peso.

Design and construction

The IXUS 1100 HS is definitely a looker of a compact point and shoot and the shooter measures 99 x 58.9 x 21.9 mm and tips the scales at 206 grams including the battery and media card. The casing of the IXUS 1100 HS is fashioned from an all-metal material, which contributes to the rather hefty 206-gram catch weight of the shooter. The heft of the handset on the other hand is not seen as a negative but rather as something that gives the shooter a reassuring heft to it when held in the hand.

In terms of the aesthetics, the IXUS 1100 HS is definitely different from its predecessor, the Canon IXUS 1000 HS. The IXUS 1100 HS lost the chiseled-off patina of the older brother and instead packs softly rounded edges this time around. The profile of the IXUS 1100 HS is a lot better than that of its older sibling yet some critics liken it to a bar of soap because of its shape. Supporters on the other hand will argue that the IXUS 1100 HS is a very sleek and stylish shooter for that matter.

In the spirit of compactness, some basic features have obviously been omitted in the IXUS 1100 HS. For example, we can’t find any protrusion in the front right panel of the shooter that could have acted as a pseudo-grip. While the IXUS 1100 HS may have raised edge adorned with a plastic strip in its back panel, it still is not enough for a user to securely and firmly grip the shooter. Slippage is expected to be a common occurrence in the shooter so users are well advised to make good use of the included wrist strap in the retail package of the IXUS 1100 HS.

The back panel of the shooter houses the enlarged touchscreen of the IXUS 1100 HS. To ensure that the display get the needed real estate, a lot of physical buttons and controls were taken out of the equation and what remained are only the bare essentials. Counting off, the IXUS 1100 HS only has 4 physical buttons and these are Power, Shutter button, Playback and a switch that lets you select among the different shooting modes available in the IXUS 1100 HS.

Key features of the IXUS 1100 HS

At the heart of the IXUS 1100 HS’ operations lay its CMOS sensor that makes use of backside illumination. The sensor of the shooter packs an effective resolution of 12.1 megapixels and in turn works in conjunction with the DIGIC IV image processor of the shooter. The sensor-image processor combination that the IXUS 1100 HS has is responsible for the HS in the model name of the IXUS 1100 HS due to the fact that both sensor and image processor were configured to work well with each other to produce an improved image quality when shooting in lowlight conditions by keeping the noise effects to a bare minimum.

The ISO sensitivity range of the IXUS 1100 HS on the other hand is pretty standard and it ranges from a low of ISO 100 to a maximum of ISO 3200. This is basically what we saw in its older brother. The ISO of the IXUS 1100 HS can be cranked up to ISO 6400 but the effective resolution of the sensor is cut down to 3 megapixels.

In terms of optical zoom, the IXUS 1100 HS edges out its predecessor by packing a 12x optical zoom compared to the 1000 HS’ 10x while the focal range of the shooter in terms of equivalence in 35 mm terms is from 28 mm to 336 mm. The IXUS 1100 HS is also capable of video recording and when its video mode is toggled, the shooter is able to capture Full 1080p HD movies at 24 frames per second in the H.264 format. If you need to cut down on the size of files you store on your media card, the IXUS 1100 HS lets you choose between 720p and 640 x 480 for smaller file sizes.

In terms of its display, the 3.2-inch touchscreen-capable PureColor II LCD of the IXUS 1100 HS with a 461-K dot resolution takes up almost the entire back panel of the shooter. With this display, using the shooter under direct sunlight poses no problems with the images on the display remaining colorful and bright.

The bottom line

The Canon IXUS 1100 HS is a solidly-built shooter that packs a well-designed touchscreen display and packs key features that will surely appeal to a user that doesn’t want to be hampered by a bulky and hefty DSLR. It is able to come up with exceptionally good image quality but the slightly higher than average price point of the shooter might turn off potential buyers.

Canon IXUS 1100 HS Digital Camera Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 20,500.00

You may also like: Canon Ixus 300 HS Digital Camera

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Cherry Mobile Magnum 2X Android Smartphone Price, Features and Specs

Cherry Mobile Magnum 2X Android Smartphone Price, Features and Specs: We take a more discerning look at the first dual-core offering of Cherry Mobile in the Magnum 2X. We spent some quality time with the device and without further ado, we give you the Cherry Mobile Magnum 2X.

Design and construction

The Magnum 2X is the recently announced handset from budget mobile phone manufacturer Cherry Mobile. We were able to get our hands on some of the details in the specs sheet of the handset but sad to say, the info is not as complete as we would want it to be. Despite the gaping holes in the specs sheet, we are able to surmise though that the Magnum 2X is a very capable Android smartphone that will give the cash-strapped some dual-core loving.

Like I said, no official measurements are available as of yet but judging by the way the Magnum 2X looks in its released mug shots, the handset is neither too thick nor too thin. Like what we commonly see among smartphones lining up the shelves, the Magnum 2X also looks like it is a chunk of black plastic. I would even go so far of calling it an ugly slab of black plastic but the handset is very far from that description.

In fact, and I say this with all honesty, the Magnum 2X packs a design aesthetic that is very, very attractive. The device has nice rounded edges but the Magnum 2X looks like it is solidly built. And the way the matte black finish of the handset contrasts with its chrome-like bezel just add another dimension to the attractiveness of the device. In fact, its minimalist design goes well in the way the whole of the handset is designed and actually gives the device a slimmer and more streamlined look without taking out the classy and elegant felt to the handset.

Under the hood

With the announcement of the Magnum 2X, manufacturer Cherry Mobile has effectively jumped the bandwagon for dual-core smartphones. In fact, the Magnum 2X is based on the Tegra 2 platform so we can expect the handset to be pretty capable of a snappy performance.

The NVIDIA Tegra 2 chipset of the Magnum 2X essentially has a SoC architecture wherein all the necessary components to provide computing power to the handset are all packed within the chipset itself, hence the name system-on-a-chip.

For its processor, the Magnum 2X relies on a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor running at 1GHz to generate the computing power that will be utilized by the device. The dedicated ULP GeForce GPU of the Magnum 2X on the other hand takes some of the brunt off of the processor by handling graphical matters. Both the processor and dedicated GPU of the device can be found in the chipset.

In terms of the Magnum 2X’s system memory, the Cortex-A9 processor of the handset will get to work with 512 MB of RAM while storage space is in the form of its 8GB internal memory. The onboard storage that the Magnum 2X packs can still be expanded though through the use of the handset’s dedicated media card slot. microSD cards of up to 32GB are supported by the device for your storage peace of mind.

The display

In terms of its display, the Magnum 2X sports a 3.8-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen that has a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. Right below the display are the touch-sensitive controls of the device and if it’s any indication, we also expect the handset to pack the usual array of sensors such as accelerometer and proximity sensor that we usually see in the competition.

The display of the Magnum 2X is a bit smaller than that of the Cherry Mobile Magnum HD but is a lot clearer in our opinion. It might be a budget-friendly device but if Cherry Mobile was able to pack impressive display in its older devices, then the Magnum 2X should not be an exception to this.

The shooters

To be more competitive, the Magnum 2X packs a pair of shooters. The primary camera of the handset is rear-mounted and it is a 5MP shooter. No details were given regarding the shooters of the Magnum 2X but it looks like the rear shooter of the Magnum 2X doesn’t have an LED flash next to it so we are only hoping that it at least has autofocus. The secondary shooter of the handset on the other hand is a front-facing VGA snapper for video chats.

The bottom line

The Cherry Mobile Magnum 2X is the first dual-core smartphone from Cherry Mobile but it still might be seen as something modest compared to the bad boys of the smartphone market. It does have one thing going on for it that the competition cannot do – the price point. With its affordable introductory price, we will not be surprised if the Magnum 2X becomes a hit.

Cherry Mobile Magnum 2X Android Smartphone Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 15,500.00

You may also like: Cherry Mobile Cosmo Android Smartphone

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Amazon Kindle Fire Price in the Philippines, Features and Other Info

Amazon Kindle Fire Price in the Philippines, Features and Other Info: With the announcement of Kindle Fire, Amazon is clearly taking a different approach at trying to stop the Apple iPad 2 craze. They unleashed a 7-inch tablet with attractive design, awesome operating system, and powerful hardware specifications. What's the catch? You could buy the Kindle Fire at a very low price when compared to other tablets with similar specs. Also, it can do almost everything that your iPad 2 can.

The Kindle Fire is running a radically modified version of Android operating system. Using it, you can quickly go to Amazon Appstore, buy Kindle e-books and do the usual things you could. Users will also have access to over 100,000 streaming movies and TV shows, 17 million songs, and thousands of apps and games.

The Kindle Fire has a built-in web browser called Amazon Silk. The browser is said to offer ultra-fast web surfing experience since it utilizes Amazon EC2 servers for off-device cloud computation and Google's SPDY protocol for quicker webpage content transmission. Like other tablets on other platforms, the Kindle Fire includes a home-cooked email application out-of-the-box. The app supports major email services such as Yahoo! Gmail, Hotmail, and AOL and it supports multiple email accounts flawlessly.

In terms of hardware capabilities, the Kindle Fire is no weakling. Powered by a 1GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 4 dual-core processor, this tablet has more than enough processing power to handle 3D games, movies, multi-tasking, and other demanding tasks. Perhaps its only real weakness is its measly 8GB of internal storage capacity. However, users will be given free cloud storage for their entire Amazon content to help lighten the load of the built-in storage.

Kindle Fire's 7-inch multi-touch gorilla glass display (capable of 1024×600 resolution) is considered as a sweet spot among many tablet computers because it makes the device a lot more portable. At 413 grams (iPad 2 is 610g), the Fire is very light and would be perfect for reading using just one hand.

All things considered, the Amazon Kindle Fire is a sure winner among budget-conscious and gadget-loving consumers. It contains the right ingredients to succeed: a mobile-friendly size, powerful hardware and software, and a handful of handy services. Like probably most of you, I have already included the Kindle Fire on my Christmas wish list.

Amazon Kindle Fire Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 9,000.00

You may also check out: Amazon Kindle 3

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Dell Inspiron 15R Laptop Computer Price, Features and Other Details

Dell Inspiron 15R Laptop Computer Price, Features and Other Details: We take a closer look at the Dell Inspiron 15R and see for ourselves what gimmicks it brings to the table to entice the consumers. Join us as we get more up close and personal with the Inspiron 15R.

Design and construction

One thing that is immediately noticed when looking at the Dell Inspiron 15R for the first time is the queer way that its display is mounted. With the design process making the look of the Inspiron 15R a little askew, the display sits towards the front in such a way that the base of the notebook protrudes in the back.

The Inspiron 15R measures 376 x 260.2 x 29.7 mm in its thinnest edge to 33.8 mm in its thickest edge. It tips the scales at 2.44 kilograms so at its size, it weighs just right. In short, you are in no immediate trouble of developing early back troubles even if you always carry and lug this baby around town most of the time.

What is interesting with the Inspiron 15R though is that it gives the user the capability to have the top shell of the notebook changes. This is eerily reminiscent actually of the olden times wherein you change the housing of your vintage Nokia 5110 to match your outfit. The Nokia principle is actually the same with the Inspiron 15R – a small button releases the shell on top of the lid and you simply have to change the top shell with another that matches your mood or your outfit and you are done.

In terms of its construction, there’s not much to nitpick or complain about the Inspiron 15R. Dell has been known the world over for the build quality of its products and the Inspiron 15R is not an exception here. The only snag that we can find is that some portions of the notebook are not as resistant to pressure as we would want them to be. In short, a little bit of pressure on a sore spot and you hear the notebook groaning in complaint.

The hinge on the other hand is the exact opposite of the body of the Inspiron 15R. There is tightness in the hinge mechanism of the Inspiron 15R and the display of the notebook is kept securely in place due to this. In fact, the hinge mechanism might be a little too tight since there is no way for you to open the Inspiron 15R single-handedly.

Under the hood

For its chipset, the Inspiron 15R packs an Intel HM67 chipset that is basically tasked to ensure that there is en efficient flow of computing power in between the components on the chipset. To supply that needed computing power, the Inspiron 15R relies on its second-gen Intel Core i3-2310M processor that has a clock speed of 2.1 GHz.

The processor works in conjunction with 4GB of DDR3 RAM to ensure that all operations remain buttery smooth while a user’s storage needs are handled by the notebook’s 5400RPM 500GB hard disk drive. No dedicated GPU ca be found on the Inspiron 15R but it packs an Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics adapter that can somehow take the brunt of graphics computing off of the processor.

The display and other features

In terms of its display, the Inspiron 15R makes use of a 15.6-inch LED-backlit display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. Sad to say, the surface of the display of the Inspiron 15R is a bit glossy so expect glare and annoying reflections to be a problem with this notebook.

In terms of input devices, the keyboard of the Inspiron 15R is one ting that you will never have difficulty in complaining about. True, the keys of the Inspiron 15R are done in a chiclet-style manner just like most of the notebook keyboards we see nowadays but the keys fail to give a nice tactile feedback when you are typing. The touchpad is the saving grace here with its very large surface area. It is also very smooth that gives way to some precision scrolling.

In terms of I / O, the Inspiron 15R packs the standard features set. The left side of the device contains a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI socket, a combo eSATA / USB 2.0 port and multi-card reader. The right flank on the other hand houses the optical drive along with the USB 3.0 port and standard 3.5 mm jack for the headphone and mic.

The bottom line

The Dell Inspiron 15R is your typical notebook that doesn’t pack anything special in its frame and what it brings to the table in terms of its specs sheet can also be found some place else. In short, the Inspiron 15R is just your usual notebook that doesn’t go the extra mile for you.

The only thing that makes it stand out is the fact that you can change the top shell of lid of the notebook for some nifty little color coordination. Specs-wise, the Inspiron 15R is as forgettable as the next laptop with the same specs sheet.

Dell Inspiron 15R Laptop Computer Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 25,000.00 (Starting Price)

You may also like: Dell Inspiron 14z Laptop Computer

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Panasonic PT-AT5000 3D Multimedia Projector Price, Features and Tech Specs

Panasonic PT-AT5000 3D Multimedia Projector Price, Features and Tech Specs: We take a closer look at the Panasonic PT-AT5000 Projector and see for ourselves just how good it really is as some pundits claim. Read on for the full details.

Design and construction

Panasonic may have been a trailblazer in terms of 3D-capable TVs but the company was a bit late in breaking into the 3D-capable projector market. The company is rectifying things in that front though by coming up with the Panasonic PT-AT5000 projector. They may have made us wait but after taking a look at what the PT-AT5000 brings to the table, we decided that the wait was well worth it.

The PT-AT5000 comes in as a successor to the PT-AE4000 but overshadows its older sibling in everything especially in terms of design and aesthetics. Whereas the PT-AE4000 came to be known as the “Brick” since it looked more of a block of concrete, the PT-AT5000 on the other hand boasts of a slimmer profile with rounded and curved edges. The projector by the way measures 470 x 151 x 364 mm and tips the scales at approximately 8.7 kilograms.

The PT-AT5000 in terms of design favors the industrial look with the lens of the projector straddling its right side while the exhaust getting pushed to the left plank. The PT-AT5000’s top and side edges forego the sharp lines found in its predecessor and opts for a design finish done in all black. In short, the PT-AT5000 is light years ahead of its predecessor in terms of aesthetics.

The right side of the PT-AT5000 contains a panel of buttons that let a use manually access the menu and other controls should the included remote get lost or messed up. The layout of the buttons is nice and done in an out of the way manner but a compartment door that could cover up and hide these buttons when not being used would have come in handy. The rear of the PT-AT5000 on the other hand contain the source inputs that include VGA / PC input, 3 HDMI ports, composite legacy input, S-video and a component input. Two triggers and an RS232C port round up the port selection.

Key features of the PT-AT5000

In terms of its lamp, the PT-AT5000 makes use of a 200W UHM lamp that can last up to 4000 hours on normal mode and 5000 hours on Eco mode. As for its lens, the projector has a powered zoom / focus lens (1.35:1 to 2.70:1) capable of a projection size of 40 to 300 inches diagonal in 2D mode and 40 to 200 inches in 3D.

In addition to that, the PT-AT5000 boasts of a contrast ratio of 300,000:1 full on / full off and a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. In addition to those features, the PT-AT5000 runs quietly given the fact that the images being blasted out are very bright. Not only that, even if you switch the projector to and from 3D mode, its operating volume levels doesn’t change much at all.

The onscreen menus on the other hand of the PT-AT5000 are presented in a rather pleasant manner despite the wiry look of the texts. This might comes off as something intimidating to novices in the home cinema setup process but should you be part of that demographics, be assured of the fact that the PT-AT5000 comes out of the box with a lot of picture presets that are pretty useful to begin with.

If you however want to tweak the settings of the PT-AT5000 to the minutest detail that will satisfy the HD geek in you, the projector comes with a lot of white balance, gamma and color facilities that give you that capability. Delving into these parts of the menu of the projector lets you contend with complicated and non-standard features so the faint-hearted should evade this as much as possible.

The performance of the PT-AT5000

In 2D mode, the PT-AT5000 did really well that images, even while on Cinema Mode, are so bright that viewing a film in a dark room will give you the impression that the images seem to jump right at you. Even with the presence of minimal ambient light, images were able to retain their brightness with a level of color intensity that we’ve never seen yet on any other projector.

In 3D mode, the PT-AT5000 really shines. And it will shine even better due to the fact that it is one of the more budget-friendly projectors out there. The 3D images are very good with excellent detail levels and colors being reproduced in an almost life-like manner that is almost unbelievable. The 3D effects looks and feel natural with flickers kept to a bare minimum that leads to a very engaging 3D experience that doesn’t sap your strength out.

The bottom line

At the end of the day, we just couldn’t get enough of what the PT-AT5000 brings to the table and what it blasts out on our flat surface. It has a long list of features that are very impressive, image quality that definitely burn through its remaining lamp hours and the best part is that it comes in at a price point that will not definitely break the bank.

Panasonic PT-AT5000 3D Multimedia Projector Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 200,000.00

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Nikon 1 J1 Digital Camera Price in the Philippines, Features and Other Info

Nikon 1 J1 Digital Camera Price in the Philippines, Features and Other Info: The DSLRs may be the undisputed leaders in the camera market right now but that is to be expected. With the current shift of interest towards these shooters due to their versatility and the total creative control they give to a photographer, professional or otherwise, it is a given fact that the DSLRs will be as ubiquitous as they are now more than ever.

This despite the fact that these DSLRs are bulky and hefty, not too mention that buying one would definitely put a substantial dent on your bank account. To take care of the price tag, camera manufacturers came up with and released entry-level DSLR shooters that are affordable and in turn more accessible to the camera-buying public.

However, there are measures taken by several manufacturers to still be able to give the camera-buying public a shooter that packs all the features found in a DSLR while packing everything in a body that approximates that of a compact point and shoot while still having the interchangeable lens capability of a DSLR.

Such is the case of the recently unveiled compact shooter with an interchangeable lens capability of the Nikon 1 J1. Read on to get more acquainted with this shooter that takes the idea of miniaturization a notch higher.

Design and construction

As mentioned earlier, the 1 J1 packs a body that almost has the same size as that of a compact point and shoot. The shooter packs a minimalistic, almost industrial, design aesthetic that is actually very stylish. In addition to that, the shooter looks solidly built and well made and its clean lines give to a very streamlined look.

Size-wise, the Nikon 1 J1 is small for an interchangeable lens shooter. It measures 106 x 61 x 30 mm and tips the scales at 277 grams. At its size, it is even smaller than the Sony NEX-C3.

One snag that we found on the 1 J1 is the seeming lack of a protrusion on its front right panel that could pseudo-grip. This is especially detrimental if your lens of choice would be one of those big and bulky lenses and would definitely affect the handling of the shooter. Despite this minor snag though, the 1 J1 feels very good in the hand and its controls and buttons are laid-out in such a way that everything is within easy reach.

Key features

In terms of its sensor, the Nikon 1 J1 packs a 10.1-megapixel sensor that measures 13.2 x 8.8mm that makes it even smaller than what can be found in Micro Four Thirds released by Panasonic and Olympus. The sensor of the shooter works in conjunction with the company’s proprietary Expeed 3 image processor that features a dual-core processor.

With the combination of the sensor and image processor, the 1 J1 is said to be among the world’s fastest shooters. With this distinction, the 1 J1 also brings to the table an AutoFocus system that makes use of a 73-point detection of phase and 135-point detection of contrast for an exceptionally fast autofocus feature. Not only that, with the dual-core Expeed 3 powering up the operations of the shooter, the 1 J1 is capable of an ultra-fast continuous shooting rate of 60 frames per second at full effective resolution.

In terms of shooting modes, the 1 J1 just like any decent DSLR available in the market has a bevy of full automatic and semi-automatic shooting modes. This may be the case but you have to work to get access to this as they are a bit buried in the shooter’s menu system instead of being easily selectable form the 1 J1’s shooting dial.

This range of shooting modes is further made more effective and complemented by the shooter’s Automatic Scene Selector mode in addition to the newly added Smart Photo Selector and Motion SnapShot modes. To make the 1 J1 competitive, it also has movie recording capabilities with the shooter capable of recording 1080p Full HD clips at 30 frames per second. Not only that, the very capable dual-core image processor of the shooter enables it to capture stills while simultaneously recording video clips with nary a break or stutter in the recorded clip.

The bottom line

When talking about shooters, be it DSLR or compact or MFT, the bottom line will always be the image quality that the shooter is able to turn out. Luckily for the Nikon 1 J1, this shooter with its capable sensor working overtime with its Expeed 3 image processor, was able to come up with images that packs exceptional image quality that they can almost be mistaken for a still from a DSLR. That’s how good it actually is for a first-timer from the Nikon stable.

It has already been confirmed that the Nikon 1 J1 will hit the shelves in the US of A by the 20th of October and is said to come with a price tag of $649.95.

Nikon 1 J1 Digital Camera Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 30,000.00

You may also check out: Nikon 1 V1 Digital Camera

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Polaroid X720 Waterproof Camcorder Preview: Price, Features and Other Details

Join us as we take a closer look at the Polaroid X720 Waterproof camcorder.

Following the footsteps of Flip which essentially created the market for pocket Internet camcorders, the Polaroid X720 is your typical pocket Internet camcorder in most respects. However, the edge that it brings to the table is its cheap price and in addition to that, the Polaroid X720 is a waterproof pocket camcorder which could withstand pressure from the open waters down to a depth of 3 meters.

The X720 measures 6.4 x 5.7 x 2.1 inches but sad to say, details about its weight are very scant and we were not to get our hands on this very crucial information, deducing from the images of the X720, we can glean however that the camcorder isn’t too hefty despite its seeming bulk. We could probably attribute this heft to the fact that the X720 is very solidly built to ensure that it stays waterproof to 3 meters.

Key features of the Polaroid X720

Though the company doesn’t in any way comply with any international standards of measure with regard to water resistance, the X720 is waterproof down to a depth of 3 meters. This resistance to water is made possible by the lacking flaps that the camcorder has that supposedly seals water out from its compartments and internals.

To ensure the shutting out of water, these flaps make use of rubber pads to provide a very tight seal over the compartments while making use of dual locking mechanisms that keep them securely shut by ensuring that accidental openings are avoided.

Though Polaroid neglected to give out details about the sensor that the X720 makes use of, it has been confirmed though that the camcorder is able to record video clips at a resolution of 1280 x 720 at 30 frames per second. In addition to that, aside from being able to shoot VGA and QVGA-quality clips, the X720 also enables a user to capture clips in WVGA – essentially a widescreen format of VGA – at either 30 fps or 60 fps.

The X720 is also capable of capturing stills despite the fact that it is primarily a camcorder. A user has the option to select from 3MP, 5MP or 8MP when shooting stills but since necessary info about the sensor of the X720 isn’t available as of yet, we can’t provide you with an analysis of the involved interpolation in the camcorder when it is used to capture still images.

Though the X720 might have a couple more features, extras if you will, compared to the standard pocket Internet camcorder, the brand Polaroid is enough to let us know that the X720 is one tough and effective cookie.

In terms of controls and buttons, obviously, rubber buttons are utilized in the X720 that needs a bit more pressure for it to register that it is being pressed. In addition to that, the X720 has a zoom feature of 3x though it is only digital and it comes with all the implications, be it positive or negative, when it comes to digital zoom.

Other features of the X720

The X720 may be a pocket Internet camcorder but it also packs features commonly found in most compact point and shoot digicams. For example, just like a regular digicam, the X720 also has a couple of scene modes that a user can select from. This includes portrait, landscape, night landscape and sport. ISO setting in the X720 is only at ISO 200 and ISO 400 that can also be utilized when shooting video clips.

In addition to scene modes, the X720 also has a couple of included digital effects such as sepia, black and white and negative. It also gives the user some sort of control over sharpness that gives you the ability to decrease or increase sharpness by one notch.

Image quality of the X720

Since no information was released about the sensor of the X720, we commonly assume as to what kind of image or video quality will the camcorder be able to turn out. However, like most pocket camcorders from the competition, the X720 also performs better in lowlight conditions despite the cheap price point that it is coming in.

The bottom line

There is not much to be said about the Polaroid X720 that would make it stand out from the competition except for the fact that it is waterproof. One thing that surely makes the camcorder a whole lot more attractive – palatable if you will, is its very cheap price making it the pocket Internet camcorder with the cheapest price tag.

Polaroid X720 Waterproof Camcorder Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 5,000.00

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MSI GE620 Gaming Laptop Computer Price in the Philippines, Features and Specs

MSI GE620 Gaming Laptop Computer Price in the Philippines, Features and Specs: We check out the MSI GE620 gaming laptop computer and see for ourselves what kind of performance we get from a very affordable gaming rig. Join us as we make the discovery.

Design and construction

The GE620 is not the typical gaming rig that you would expect especially if you are quite used to the outlandish design aesthetic seen in other gaming rigs such as that of Alienware’s m17x. On the outside, there’s not much difference when you look at the GE620 and compare it to your regular notebook that has a screen size of at least 15 inches. Some people might even go do far of finding the GE620 rather boring.

The GE620 measures 383 x 250 x 38 mm and tips the scales at 2.6 kilograms. A closer look at the case of the rig which is done in gray and black will definitely be found typical by most users. The lid of the rig looks like it was fashioned out of brushed aluminum but in fact is made using cheap synthetic materials that just happen to have a structure of fine lines that give it a faux brushed aluminum look.

The matte finish on the inside of the laptop on the other hand gets our nod given the fact that with this type of finish, the GE620 will be able to keep unsightly fingerprints, dust and smudges away. Overall, the GE620’s case has been made with a lot of good workmanship in the construction process and this leads to a very sturdy design of the rig. Some portions of the lid and its inside sort of gave way when more pressure was applied but the whole case of the GE620 is rather resistant except for that minor snag.

Another snag we managed to unearth is the hinge mechanism of the GE620. Although it is sturdy enough that the keyboard portion of the rig almost wiggles when we are opening its lid to follow the direction the lid goes, a different scenario comes up when the display is already fully open. The screen of the GE620 has the tendency to slightly wobble even when you are just typing so this can get pretty annoying over time.

Under the hood of the GE620

The design aesthetic of the GE620 might not be as exciting as that of the m17x from Alienware but the guts of the rig would definitely make your ears perk in anticipation of the performance that it can turn out. For pure computing power, the GE620 relies on its second generation quad-core Intel Core i7-2630QM processor. It has a base clock speed of 2.0 GHz but this can easily be cranked up via overclocking to a maximum of 2.9 GHz by utilizing Turbo Boost.

In terms of system memory, the GE620 has been endowed with 8GB of DDR3 RAM to work alongside the i7 processor to ensure that everything is running smoothly. For graphical matters, the GE620 can rely on its dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GT540M GPU that packs 1GB of DDR3 VRAM to ensure that your system resource-hungry titles do not get laggy or stutter.

Storage needs on the other hand is taken care of by the GE620’s 640GB 5400RPM hard disk drive. Though the storage space is generous, it would have been better if the rig was given a solid state drive for its hard drive for a speedier performance.

The display and other features

As for its display, the GE620 packs an LED-backlit 15.6-inch Full HD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Given the fact that the display of the GE620 is of the LED-backlit nature, the rig is capable of displaying images that seem to jump right at you. Colors are very defined, clear and sharp. Contrast is good and there are lots of details, texts on the other hand are very sharp. If you have plans of taking this baby out, that would not be an issue because of the excellent sunlight legibility of the display of the GE620. Sharing multimedia content is also very easy given the fact that the display of the GE620 has above average viewing angles.

In terms of its input devices, the keyboard of the GE620 is able to provide good tactile feedback but the layout of the keyboard has been changed a bit so users might get stumped upon first using the rig. Its touchpad on the other hand is a lousy bit. It has very slow response times and lacks the precision that we seen on other notebooks.

The bottom line

All in all, the affordable MSI GE620 is made attractive by its price tag. It has powerful components lurking under the hood so the performance you get for the money you spend is actually more than worth it.

We are rather ambivalent though in recommending the GE620 given the flaws that we have uncovered such as the problems with its touchpad in addition to high temperature and noise levels during operation somewhat dampen the enthusiasm you feel for the rig.

MSI GE620 Gaming Laptop Computer Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 45,000.00

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Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD Projector Price, Features and Other Info

Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD Projector Price, Features and Other Info: At the recent IFA 2011 in Berlin, Epson unveiled its projector specifically designed with a docking station for your iDevices given the fact that iPhones and iPads continue their domination of the smartphone and tablet markets. What can we expect from this projector? Read on to find out.

Design and construction

At first look, the MegaPlex MG-850HD is not the typical projector you commonly see in the center of a home theater setup. It actually is the first projector I saw that has got its lens off-center on its front panel. The back panel is even more unsettling because instead of seeing the usual ports and connectors that you usually see, the back panel of the MegaPlex MG-850HD makes it look more like a docking system for a speaker system designed specifically for an iPod.

The iPod speaker dock look at the back panel of the MegaPlex MG-850HD is actually brought about by the fact that the projector’s back panel actually contains a mount for your iDevice right smack in the middle and two very imposing speakers flanking either sides of the dock. In keeping with the tradition that your iDevice is your casual and on-the-go entertainment source, the MegaPlex MG-850HD even packs a carry handle to that effect.

In terms of its dimensions, the MegaPlex MG-850HD is not your typical clunky projector with its measurements of 115 x 340 x 292 mm while its weight of 3.9 kilograms, combined with the carry handle, makes it rather easy to transport the projector from one place to another. Also, at its size, the MegaPlex MG-850HD doesn’t take that much space so it really is advisable to be placed even on a desk.

Though designed specifically for the iPod and the iPhone 4S, the docking station at the back panel of the MegaPlex MG-850HD can even take on a much larger iPad 2 with no problems at all so this is a testament to the build quality of the projector in addition to its being sturdy. The pair of speakers flanking the docking station has an output of 10 watts each which is actually beyond the usual output we see or hear from other projectors of this nature. It can be considered overkill to pack speakers of this power but given the way that most people use their iDevices as a source of entertainment, a loud booming sound from the MegaPlex MG-850HD is a welcome addition indeed.

Key features

In terms of its key features, the MegaPlex MG-850HD has lens that pack a focal length of 16.9 mm - 20.28 mm and has a native WXGA resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. The projector is able to blast out an image with a brightness of up to 2800 ANSI lumens with a dynamic contrast ratio of up to 3000:1 with its Auto Iris feature activated.

In addition to that, from a projection distance of 36 inches to 35.7 feet, the MegaPlex MG-850HD is able to come up with an image size ranging from 33 inches to 320 inches in its native aspect ratio of 16:10. Fan noise level on the other hand is at 35dB during normal operations but is scaled down to just 29 dB if you switch the MegaPlex MG-850HD to Eco Mode. The lamp of the projector on the other hand is of the UHE (Ultra High Efficiency) E-TORL type and is expected to last up to 4000 hours when used in normal mode and up to 5000 hours in Eco Mode.

At the heart of its operation is the MegaPlex MG-850HD’s LCD chipset that makes it capable of an HD Ready resolution. A lot of people might be annoyed at this and might be expecting a Full HD projector but at its price point of $799, the people who will be taking this baby home would most probably hook up a DVD player to the MegaPlex MG-850HDi instead of a BluRay player. In addition to that, given the fact that iDevices are only able to stream signals of only up to 480i, the projector’s 720p resolution would be more than enough to handle this.

The performance

In all fairness, the MegaPlex MG-850HD is a very innovative projector but innovation gets killed by darkened environments due to the fact that docking station for your iDevice can be rather hard to find in places with not much ambient light. This could have been easily remedied had there been a small light source on top of the docking station.

As for the onscreen menus of the MegaPlex MG-850HD, they are very simple to follow and give you access to all the features not only of the projector but for your iDevice as well. Image quality on the other hand is a bit of a mixed result. The projector’s excellent brightness levels make watching pictures or videos possible even with much ambient light in your surroundings.

However, due to this brightness levels, the black levels of the image suffered a bit. Dark scenes have the tendency to be gray in hue while other colors tend to look off-key at times. In short, image quality from the MegaPlex MG-850HD can be described as functional but is nowhere near the expectations of a cinephile.

The bottom line

With a price point of $799 in the US of A, the Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD Projector as mentioned earlier is a device that is capable of delivering a fun and functional experience. Its smallish size combined with the image quality that it is capable of make it worth it the amount of money you will be shelling out to take this baby home. Just don’t expect to be wowed with the image quality, that is.

Epson MegaPlex MG-850HD Projector Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 37,000.00

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Samsung Series 7 Touchscreen All-in-One PC Price in the Philippines, Features and Specs

Samsung Series 7 Touchscreen All-in-One PC Price in the Philippines, Features and Specs: We take a look at the recently announced Samsung Series 7 Touchscreen All-in-One PC and see how it measures up against the established AIO PCs in the market today. Join us, as we get a little more intimate with this new offering from the Korean manufacturer.

Design and construction

The Samsung Series 7 All-in-One PC is your typical Samsung product that boasts of a space-age design and would surely be at home at the Enterprise. The whole package measures 22.14 x 8.39 x 15.04 inches and tips the scales at 18.32 pounds.

Among the AIO PCs currently available in the market today, the Series 7 All-in-One PC is considered to have the design that resembles your TV most. At first glance, the Series 7 Series 7 All-in-One PC looks more like an HDTV that has a diagonal of 23 inches for its display with an integrated DVD player.

In terms of its profile, the screen of the Series 7 All-in-One PC is almost as thin, in some cases thinner, than your regular HDTV that makes it very ideal to use as an Internet TV. For extended functionality, there is an option to recline the display of the Series 7 All-in-One PC from its vertical position down to a fully flat position. This feature of the device will most definitely be useful for touch-based games, especially when two or more players are involved in the game, given the fact that the display of this device is touch-capable.

One snag we saw though on the single-hinge mechanism of the Series 7 All-in-One PC is its tendency to bounce back a bit when a bit of pressure is applied when making use of the touchscreen. And when involved in touch-based games with the screen lying fully flat, expect to be hunched over the massive display given its size.

Under the hood

It is undeniable that the Series 7 All-in-One PC is a classic beauty on the outside but it is a total beast on the other hand when checking out its innards. An Intel Core i5-2390T processor supplies the needed computing power of the device and its CPU has a base clock speed of 2.70 GHz. Toggle Turbo Boost though and the base clock speed of the processor gets over clocked to a maximum of 3.50GHz with no problems whatsoever.

In terms of system memory, the processor of the Series 7 All-in-One PC has 8GB of DDR3 RAM to work in conjunction with an integrated Intel HD Graphics chip that takes care of all graphically related matters. The storage needs of a user on the other hand are taken care of by the Series 7 All-in-One PC’s 1Tb 7200 RPM hard disk drive which I guess would be more than sufficient even if you are a multimedia fiend.

The display and other features

In terms of its display, the Series 7 All-in-One PC packs a humongous LED HD display with a diagonal of 23 inches. It has a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:9. The display is also touch-capable and makes use of a touch sensor if the surface acoustic wave nature and makes it works pretty much like the capacitive touchscreen displays we commonly see in smartphones today.

The Series 7 All-in-One PC wouldn’t be complete without the included wireless keyboard and mouse. We wouldn’t dwell too much on the characteristics of the input devices of the device since pretty much, these things are almost like the ones you see in regular desktop PCs.

In terms of I/O options, the Series 7 All-in-One PC has several to keep your connectivity options always open. The back panel of the device houses 4 USB 2.0 ports while a USB 3.0 port graces its right side. The USB 3.0 port also allows you to charge your gadgets such as a tablet device or smartphone while the Series 7 All-in-One PC is on Sleep mode. It also has a pair of HDMI ports for both output and input. The output port can be utilized should you want to use a dual-monitor configuration for increased work output while the input port can be used for the typical DVR, cable box or True TV on the Series 7 All-in-One PC.

The bottom line

The Samsung Series 7 All-in-One PC is definitely one of the heavy contenders for the best AIO PC in the market. It packs a great display in addition to powerful components under the hood. It also has a couple of ports that keep you connected to the things you need to connect to.

The only snag is the bounce factor when using the display as a touchscreen but should you have minimal plans of utilizing that particular feature of the Series 7 All-in-One PC, then it definitely is worth every cent that goes out of your pocket to get one of these babies into your casa.

Samsung Series 7 Touchscreen All-in-One PC Price in the Philippines: Approximately Php 45,000.00 (Starting Price)

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