What's in the box?

This box can fit a 10-inch pizza. But it's not for pizza. What's inside is better than pizza :)



This box is the tiny packaging for the latest Samsung N150 Plus netbook.



The Samsung N150 Plus netbook has a 10.1-inch anti-reflective LED display with a scratch resistant lid casing. It's an energy-efficient display that contributes to longer battery life for the unit. This model boasts of 11 hours of battery, which is a LOT. The Samsung N150 Plus runs on Intel Atom N450 processor and Windows 7 Starter, with a 250 GB hard disk space and 1 GB memory, plus an Intel integrated graphic processor. It also features a webcam and a slew of I/O (input/output) ports and connectivity options to serve mobile users better.

The Samsung N150 Plus will be available for P21,900 and it comes in black, red, pink, and yellow. This one here is the Corby Pink model. Ain't it cute? It looks like Hello Kitty's netbook. My cat thinks so, too. :)

Xperia Mini Pro

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro today makes it local debut in stores nationwide. The world's smallest Android-based smartphone, the Xperia Mini Pro features a full QWERTY keyboard although the actual unit is just the size of a regular credit card.

Except for the slider keypad, the Xperia Mini Pro offers the same features as the X10 Mini such as a 2.55-inch scratch resistant TFT touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera for taking stills and videos, Wifi support, and embedded popular Web and social networking apps like Facebook and Twitter, complemented by Sony Ericsson's own apps -- Timescape and Mediascape that help organize content stored in the phone.

The Xperia X10 Mini (s.r.p P16,000) is available in black, pearl, white, lime and silver colors while the X10 mini Pro (s.r.p. P17,500) comes in red and black only.

There are other better deals to be had if you visit the Sony Ericsson
Expo 2010 that runs till Sunday at the Megatrade Hall 1 in SM Megamall Bldg. B. There Sony Ericsson is showcasing its collection of other smartphones and handsets that include the flagship Xperia X10, the HD video phones Sony Ericsson Vivaz and Vivaz pro, and the new Sony Ericsson Spiro and Zylo Walkman phones.














But let's go back to the X10 Mini Pro which is currently in my drool-worthy list of gadgets...Sony Ericsson even partnered with the clothes shop Oxygen for a little black shirt specially made for the X10 Mini and Mini Pro. The little black shirt comes free when you purchase either the X10 Mini or the X10 Mini Pro. The phone in the photo that's peeking out from an Oxygen shirt's mini pocket is not a Mini Pro though, but my Sony Ericsson C510 (a.k.a. the Sarah G. phone ;p)

The Oxygen mini tee has a tiny breast pocket sewn a bit sideways so one can easily keep in and retrieve from there an X10 Mini or a Mini Pro. This reminded me of the Levis PDA pants which had a secret PDA pocket near the side of the leg to hold what was then the hottest device.

It was a good expo, a first for Sony Ericsson, and I'm glad I dropped by. Not only did I see the company's new phones, I also overheard a queer comment by someone who qualifies as a germphobe who declared that she wouldn't buy a slider like the X10 Mini Pro because sliders trap moisture that cause germ build-up. Usually people say they shy away from sliders because of the moving parts that could eventually break down and cause problems. But Ms. Germphobe obviously has health issues in mind. :)

Samsung Galaxy S

There was a time when I could truly say that I know what's the latest in mobile phones, and I mean really the latest. But when the market got too hyped and crowded, my interest in this ubiquitous gadget went on auto-pilot -- meaning I tuned out and would only glance with curbed enthusiasm at models that seem okay although not necessarily premium.

Last week, I came across something that's more than okay and is definitely a premium. Samsung launched in Singapore its Galaxy S Android smartphone which once again stirred my enthusiasm in mobile phones. The Galaxy S is truly a gorgeous, apps-rich device that elevates the term smartphone to a new level.

Look at it -- it got a four-inch AMOLED screen that's really bright without hurting the eyes. It runs on a 1GHz processor, uses the TouchWiz 3.0 user interface, has HD video capability, and a galaxy of applications from both Google and Samsung. I particularly love the e-reader app called Aldiko. Thanks to the Galaxy S' superb screen, e-book is something I can now really consider reading on a phone!

Samsung executives, in a meeting with Asia Pacific journalists, said the Galaxy S embraces Google's Android platform because they believe it's the only one that can compete well against a company whose name starts with the first letter of the alphabet. Hmmm, no need to Google that.

The Galaxy S runs on the Android 2.1 OS, but we were told Samsung is already doing their codes for Android 2.2 for scheduled launch in two months. Upgrade will be offered free, they added. As for the unit price, the Samsung Galaxy S will cost about P32,000 under Globe Telecom plan. So, will you shell out that much cash to have the Galaxy in your hands?

Well, from this photo I took and created, it seems like even Mr. Monopoly Man would trade something for a Galaxy S. :)

Delightful Dell Inspiron 14z

My favorite colors are brown and yellow but I got a lot of geeky stuff now in red.

My latest cherry red item is a Dell Inspiron 14z. I like it... a lot. It's a 14-inch laptop that packs all the necessary features I require. Let me enumerate these features: a widescreen HD WVGA display, a DVD+R dual-layer optical drive, a long-lasting battery, a 1.3 megapixel integrated Web camera, dual microphones, HDMI and VGA outputs, 802.11 a/b/g/draft-N wireless LAN and Gigabit Ethernet LAN connections, Bluetooth 2.0, three USB 2.0 ports (although I can sure use more), and a 7-in-1 media card reader.


This Dell replaces my two other notebooks with detachable optical drives. Because I always want my notebook to be light and slim, I went for models without the built-in DVD-R drives. I now realize it's not the most convenient design and the slim-fit proposition erodes when I have to lug the detachable optical drive in my bag anyway. Plus it needs an extra cable to connect to the notebook PC, and I hate cables so much!

The Dell Inspiron 14z solves that problem without being bulky. Sure the optical drive added a bit of weight, but not by much as the entire unit weighs 4.4lbs.

Under its hood is a 1.30 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor with a 3GB of memory, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM (supports up to 6 GB), a 320 GB 7200 RPM hard drive, an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD with 512MB of video RAM, and Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit OS. I'm iffy about the OS so I will likely move it up to Windows 7.

Now for the cons: the cherry red plastic cover is a fingerprint magnet and it also got what some geeks call "crotch speakers". Although stereo, the sound quality suffers somehow when the speakers are hidden that way. The keyboard is nice but I wish its backlit as I do a lot of typing at night under low light conditions.

True the Dell Inspiron 14z doesn't have all the bells and whistles present in more superior and super geek notebook PCs, but its looks and acceptable performance can make me whistle. However at P51,499, I also saw red of a different kind. :)

Rewind No. 2: Palm and Globe Handyphone for mobile e-mail

This print ad came out in February 2000 in a local IDG publication announcing the marriage between a mobile phone service and the hottest gadget back then: the Palm personal digital assistant.

In a bid to make e-mail mobile, Globe partnered with Palm and ran this ad that said:

"E-mail solutions in the palm of your hands! Now you can retrieve e-mail anytime, anywhere using the best value in personal organization: the Palm Handheld Electronic Organizer. Now, you can carry and access all the information you need -- calendar, addresses, to-do lists, memos, expenses, and other applications all at the touch of a button.By simply subscribing to the Globe Handyphone Mobile Office (HMO) and G-Net, and installing the Global Pulse in your Palm Connected Organizer, you can send and receive e-mail anytime, anywhere! Now you've got the Internet right in your pocket!"

Ten years later and we could only smile at this vintage ad that pimped the idea of mobile e-mail using two devices. The two men shown in the ad were made to look very pleased with this tech wizardry from Globe and Palm as one of them accessed his e-mail, calendar and contacts in this format inside the movie house! What a decade could do. Now we only need one mobile device -- a smartphone that not only could access anything on the Web, it could also play movies!

The ad also quoted a promo price for the Palm IIIx and Global Pulse bundle for P17,580; cost of cellular phone not included. Not only has technology improved by leaps and bounds since this ad came out, the price for this kind of connectivity has also gone down. But that's only true as long as we don't fall for the most-hyped smartphone brands around. ;)

Philippines' First Automated Election

Like many Filipinos, I lined up today under the sweltering heat of the sun to cast my vote. It's the Philippines' first automated national elections making it a historical event in more ways than one.

I went to my polling place with my 76-year old mother and my 6-year old nephew. My mom, being a senior citizen, didn't have to queue and she finished voting in no time. I lined up at 11:25 a.m and I thought it was a short line because I was not that far from the class room door of my precinct. Little did I know my line was leading to a "waiting room" where voters like me would have to sit it out until we could be accommodated next door where the actual voting was taking place.

A man next to me grumbled that the system was "pangit" (ugly). I just gave him a weak smile because aside from a jug of cold water I also brought with me a lot of patience. It was 1:00 p.m. when I was finally asked to move to the next classroom to vote.

I have my digital camera with me because I really want to document the process. To be safe, I also brought my press ID but I didn't wear it because it might call some unnecessary attention to me.

After the teacher gave me my ballot and a folder to cover it, I tried to take a chair near the PCOS machine. However, another voter beat me to it so I had to settle to one that's near the door. I still managed to take few pictures though before I finally focused on the task at hand which was to vote.

I didn't even cover my ballot. I didn't care who saw who I voted for. I only voted for a president, vice president, 7 senators, one Party List and a mayor. Then I walked over to the polling clerk manning the PCOS machine. That was when I managed to take this short video where a voter had her ballot fed to the machine with no problem, followed by her getting a drop of indelible ink on her index finger. I wanted to take a close-up picture of the machine, but I was stopped and had to turn off my camera. It's okay because I already have at least one good shot and this video.



All in all, it was a relatively painless experience for me. I was glad my precinct didn't have the technical problems with the PCOS machine unlike in other places around the country. Except for the long wait that makes me wish I'm already a senior citizen just for today, I was glad I didn't skip this election.

When I got back to my car, I turned on the radio for some news and there were a lot of talk about election hotspots. I thought, in this heat, all areas are election "hot spots". No wonder people were fainting and one man even died from heart attack brought about by the debilitating heat.

Automated election fever

I'm quite excited to go to my voting precinct on Monday when we elect our 15th president and other executive, legislative and local officials. It will be our first automated election and I want to get my hands on one of those Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines. It's been a long, long journey for the Philippines to computerize its elections. When I started my IT journalism career in 1990 there was already efforts to junk the manual counting of votes and canvassing of election returns. I still vividly remember one headline we ran: "YORAC SAYS NO TO ARINC SYSTEM". The late Haydee Yorac was then Commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and ARINC, if I remember it correctly, joined the bidding to automate the election, but it obviously didn't materialize.

In 2003, a consortium called Mega Pacific also made a bid to computerize the elections. But alleged flaws or irregularities in the bidding process led several groups, including those from the IT sector, to ask the Comelec to nullify the P1.2 billion contract it awarded to Mega Pacific.

Now, we have Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) as the technology provider for the country’s first ever nationwide automated elections that will cost the country about P11 billion. A great digital divide will be crossed on Monday, when all Filipinos who will vote -- young and old, rich and poor -- get to use the same technology to make their voices heard. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this first automated election will be relatively successful.