CloudFone Thrill 430x receives Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update

CloudFone announces the Jelly Bean update for their sough-after handset, the CloudFone Thrill 430x (check our review here). 

Your battery beast phone will be treated with Android 4.1 software update if you go to SM Sta. Mesa and SM Southmall Cyberzone from March 24 to 29. Good thing is they wont require any proof of purchase.

Remember that this update is not OTA (over-the-air) . Just like any manual update, be sure to back up your phone before hitting these centers. Aside from Project Butter which gives you smoother experience, the Android 4.1 also gives the following features.

Keyboard and Voice Command

I can always say that Android has an edge over Apple with its keyboard software due to smart predictive input and dictionary. With Jelly Bean, the feature has never been this good. But the most important enhancement is that you can do Voice Typing even when you’re offline. This means that no data connection is required, with its performance independent of its speed. Google also taps Knowledge Graph and built-in voice recognizer for this feature.

Camera and Notifications

Jelly Bean brings new interface and gestures in the new camera environment. You can now swipe sideways to access gallery just like what you have in your WP smartphones, swipe left to jump to the picture that you just took and delete pictures by swiping away them off-screen. A revamped notification bar has been conceptualized with a more prominent looking clock. It also allows you to fetch notifications from various apps like Music, Gmail, etc. to be expanded without even opening the app. You can even do actions like +1 in the notification panel.

Google Search and Google Now

This new improved search app poses a significant threat to Siri. The native Google search app now has a natural language commands. Google Now, another part of Google Search can show your public transport listings, flight information and sports results just the way you wanted it to be.

We'll have to check with our Thrill 430X once the update became available in our location. In the meantime, hit us also with your comments after you have upgraded to the buttery software.

HTC officially released the "all metal" HTC One in the Philippines at Php 32,990

HTC Philippines officially launched its 2013 flagship, the HTC One, last night with a Php 32,990 price tag. It is interesting to know that HTC One has overshadowed the Samsung Galaxy S 4 in most of the mainstream reviews in the US and all over the world with design and features that we'll discuss after the jump.

This new smartphone is covered with a unibody design that is brushed with aluminum and glass - the most interesting design from the company so far. With HTC staying in the 4.7-inch screen real estate, it haven't stole a thunder from the previously released HTC Butterfly. The 1080p screen output, however, is a must for this phone to keep things interesting between the smartphone wars. With that being said, the Super LCD 3 screen is covered by a tough Gorilla Glass 2 and the proprietary HTC Sense skin is  now in version 5.

Underneath the screen, a mighty 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 processor and the 2GB RAM would take everything thrown at it with ease. The Taiwanese giant also introduced the so called "UltraPixel" that is said to capture 300 more light from the ordinary 13MP camera. This thin monster phone manages to pack-up a 2300 mAh battery to keep things going in a considerable time.

Another thing that keep this phone interesting is the 2 set of speaker grills found at the top and bottom of the front panel. This makes HTC One a multimedia behemoth with the feature called as HTC BoomSound. HTC also tweaked the homescreen into a Windows Phone-esque interface called the BlinkFeed that offers a customizable live feeds. Plus, this phone can also act as a universal remote control to most TVs with its intergrated Infrared blaster in the home button.

HTC One will be available in over 185 carriers (across 80 countries) all over the world starting March 15. You can also check out the complete specs below.

HTC One Specifications

4.7-inch Full HD (1080x1920) Super LCD 3 capacitive display (469ppi)

Corning Gorilla Glass 2

137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3mm, 143g

1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm APQ8064T Snapdragon 600 CPU

Adreno 320 GPU

2GB of RAM

32/64GB of internal storage (NO microSD card slot)

4MP UltraPixels autofocus camera with LED flash

1080p@30fps video recording

2.1MP front camera

Stereo FM radio with RDS / 3.5mm audio jack

Dual speakers with Beats Audio sound enhancement

Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP / microUSB v2.0 (MHL)

NFC / Infrared port / GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot

GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quad-band)

3G/HSDPA (UMTS 850/900/1900/2100

Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) with HTC Sense UI 5

Li-Po 2,300mAh battery (non-removable)

[Via: HTC Philippines Facebook Page]

321Soft Data Recovery for Mac Review: De-stress your file handling

File handling is a very tedious process when you’re in line with office jobs or any other computer-related professions. Admit it or not, you are dependent on the sole machine that runs your day to day tasks- the computer. But everything that you put in your Mac may be wiped out instantly in any uncertain situations like hard drive crashing, corrupted files, formatted drive, etc.

 

This makes you think that every file that you have invested in that hard drive is worth recovering. However, a normal file recovery is not enough to solve the problem; this is where the likes 321Soft Data Recovery for Mac comes into the picture.

Usage

There are a lot of things that you can do with your 321Soft Data Recovery app. Aside from recovering data virtually; you could also retrieve Mac data from a flash-formatted device like iPod, SD card, phones, etc. You can even recover deleted, inaccessible and formatted data in your drive. It’s safe to say that 321Soft Mac data recovery could recover almost all of your files in almost all devices.

User Interface

Using the application is such a breeze. It employs a very versatile preview that allows you to see data recovery in advance. In other words, there’s a view that allows you to assess recovery results. The interface is easy to use, it’s just a walk in the park to go around with buttons and play with the interface. For a first time user like me, it’s very user friendly. One of its stronger points is its speed compared to other recovery softwares.

It also has a data wipe feature that will let you wipe unnecessary files so that it could not be retrieved. Plus, it contains ingenious file recovery features such as Quick Scan which allows you to do a fast scanning; the Deep Scan that allows you to recover all lost data from data loss situations and Raid Recovery which allows you to use broken RAID systems in data recovery.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Aside from the fact that it is very easy to use with its very intuitive interface, it also support all partitions using HFS/HFS+. Furthermore, it is compatible with Mac OS X versions 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8. Most of all, recovered output quality is retained.

However, the only problem that I have encountered is that it does not support data recovery from iTunes. Files from other iDevices could not be supported like iPhone SMS, contacts, notes, etc.

The Wrap

Of all the file recovery softwares that I’ve used, this is, by far, the most convenient to use. On top of that, the efficiency of the 321Soft Data recovery for Mac is on high bars. The software, itself, is filled with loads of file recovery features that cannot be found in other brands. I give it a 4 out of 5 rating.

Via: 321Soft Data Recovery for Mac Website

Nokia Lumia 925 officially released: 4.5-inch AMOLED display, 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU, 8.7MP PureView Camera and WP 8

Nokia may be falling behind in the race to smartphone supremacy due to Android and iOS. But when it comes to Windows Phone ecosystem, the Finnish company is still the torch-bearer. So in the light of inching closer to Samsung, HTC and Apple; the once handset leader refreshes its flagship line with the Lumia 925.

The candybar body of the Lumia 925 is brushed with aluminum front and plastic backing. Thus, this is, by far, the most appealing handset from handset maker. With its 8.5mm thickness, it is convincingly slicker than its predecessor, the Lumia 920. One good thing about its 4.5-inch display is that it'll throw a 334 ppi pixel density - the brightest Nokia has ever produced.

Under the hood ticks the broaded 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 CPU, a gigabyte of RAM, 16GB internal memory and the standard slots in mobile technology.

Ofcourse, powering the whole show will still be the Windows Phone 8 and the camera will still be a 8.7 megapixel affair with the amazing "PureView" moniker. The finnish company also claims that this a super camera phone with the "world's most advanced lens technology."

This phone will hit UK on the first week of June with 469 Euros (around Php 26,000) and the rest of Europe eventually. Ofcourse, this handset will grace the country soon. We'll update you once we get the deets. In the meantime, check out the rest of the video and specs after the jump.

Nokia Lumia 925 Specifications

129 x 70.6 x 8.5mm, 139g
4.5" AMOLED WXGA (768x1280) PureMotion HD+ ClearBlack display
334ppi, 16M colors with Corning Gorilla Glass 2
1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon processor
Adreno 225 GPU
1GB of RAM
16GB of internal storage
7GB free SkyDrive cloud storage
PureView 8.7MP autofocus camera with OIS,
Carl Zeiss optics and dual-LED flash
1080p@30fps Full HD video recording
1.2MP front-facing camera
Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP
microUSB v2.0 / 3.5mm audio jack
Dolby Headphone sound enhancement
Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
HSDPA 42.2Mbps / HSUPA 5.76Mbps
GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quad-band)
WCDMA 2100/1900/850/900
LTE 2100/1800/2600/900/800
Non-removable Li-Ion 2,000mAh battery
Microsoft Windows Phone 8 OS
Black, White and Gray
469 Euros (aroung Php 26,000)

Globe activates 2 million more prepaid subscribers in Q1

Globe Telecoms, being the leader in Postpaid, strengthens its grip in the prepaid department as it gains 2 million new subscribers in the first quarter of 2013.

 The Ayala-led telco added over 506,000 subscribers during the period for its Globe Prepaid brand, up 32% and 71% from last year and last quarter, respectively. This brought year-to-date Globe Prepaid subscribers to about 16.9 million, 7% higher than last year’s 15.8 million and 3% above previous quarter’s 16.4 million.

Meanwhile, its mass market brand TM gained close to 1.4 million subscribers, almost three times the level in the same period last year and almost twice the level in the previous quarter. As a result, net subscriber additions, including postpaid, increased substantially to 2.0 million, more than double last year’s level of about 984,000 and 90% higher than previous quarter’s 1.1 million net incremental subscribers.

As of end-March 2013, Globe total prepaid subscriber base stood at 33.3 million, up 13 percent year-on-year from 29.5 million the previous year, with the TM subscriber base growing by 20% on the back of affordable and competitive voice, SMS, and mobile internet offers for the DE market.
 

“Our mobile business remains fundamentally strong and continues to be in an uptrend given the success of the programs that we have implemented particularly, the revolutionary customizable plans that are now being enjoyed by our prepaid subscribers. With Globe GoSakto, gone are the days where subscribers have to content themselves with pre-made or canned promos. You can now create, customize, and design your very own prepaid promo based on your liking, plus name it and share it on Facebook,” said KD Dizon, Head of Globe Prepaid.

In the first quarter of the year, Globe Prepaid unveiled its GoSakto service, a game-changing innovation that lets prepaid subscribers create their own prepaid promo from scratch and choose the type and number of calls, texts and data they need for the day, week, or month, based on their needs, budget, and lifestyle. Globe Prepaid subscribers can also name their promo and share it on Facebook.  Subscribers can create their GoSakto promo via the self-service menu *143#, the Globe website at www.globe.com.ph/gosakto, or the GoSakto Facebook App at apps.facebook.com/gosakto.

According to Issa Cabreira, Head of TM, the ‘astig’ brand of Globe will continue its commitment of providing innovative and affordable promos. “We understand that our subscribers value their hard-earned money, that is why TM is committed to give subscribers value for money promos like the TM Extend that stretch the life of any TM promo for only P5, a cost that’s definitely easy on the pocket of every Filipino,” Cabreira said.

TM, the mass market brand of Globe has strengthened its position in the market with its customized offers and promos especially in the regions, where it has steadily attracted a strong base of consumers who look for value-for-money call, text and mobile internet services.

TM broke new ground with its own innovation: TM EXTEND, a service that extends the validity of its best-selling promos by 24 hours. Subscribers can now enjoy connections with friends and family even if they have only P5.00 to spare for the day. The mass market brand also launched a new denomination for its AstigFB mobile internet service to provide subscribers with unlimited Facebook usage for 2 days for only P15.

Cherry Mobile Sonic specs reveals 4-inch display, 256 MB RAM, 1GHz CPU and 1200 mAh battery at Php 2,999

The lowest priced 4-inch smartphone is in town, and it's from Cherry Mobile! We have been getting some deets about the Cherry Mobile Sonic since last month but its complete specs had just broke out of the box.

To highlight a few, it'll have a 4-inch HVGA (480x320p) capacitive display which encompasses a 144ppi pixel density, a gigahertz single-core processor, 256 MB RAM and a dual-SIM capability. It's interesting to note though that the both Sim slots were different in size - one goes with a mini SIM and one with a micro SIM.

Before you consider this phone, you ought to know some of the deal-breakers. Aside from the fact that it only runs with a slightly outdated Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, it lacks 3G connectivity. So you'll just have to settle to, atmost, 2G for you cellular connectivity and WiFi for internet browsing.

It's still a good buy, though, at Php 2,999. For those interested, it's now available nationwide.

Cherry Mobile Sonic Specifications

4-inch HVGA (320x480) capacitive display (144ppi)
1GHz single-core MediaTek MT6515 processor
PowerVR SGX531 GPU
256MB of RAM (211MB usable)
512MB of internal storage (180MB usable)
microSD support up to 32GB
2MP fixed-focus camera (No LED flash)
VGA (0.3MP) front camera
(NO 3G connectivity)
GSM/GPRS 900/1800 (Dual-band)
SIM 1 - Standard SIM / SIM 2 - Micro SIM
Bluetooth v2.1 / GPS with A-GPS support
microUSB v2.0 / 3.5mm earphone jack
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n / Wi-Fi hotspot
Multimedia Player / FM Radio
Li-Ion 1,200mAh battery
Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread)
Dual SIM / Dual Standby
Price: Php2,999 (Official SRP)
Color: Black and White

Globe Telecoms launches point-to-peso Rewards System

Globe strengthens its rewards system with a 1 point to 1 peso conversion. This will cover a bigger and better perks beyond the usual services that you're getting from Globe.

This new straighforward point-to-peso conversion can now be used as actual cash for movie pass, goods and items from parnet merchants like Ayala Mall Cinemas, Figaro Coffee Company, Enchanted Kingdom, Petron, Rose Pharmacy, Sunglass Hats and Wendy's.

The new rewards system will entitle Globe subscribers to have flexible ways in availing these redemption points and it's an exciting reason to be in one of the largest networks in the country.

Google outs Nexus-inspired Samsung Galaxy S 4

Google announces a more uptight version of the Samsung Galaxy S 4 in their annual I/O event and when I say "uptight" I a mean a TouchWiz-less Galaxy S 4 running on a stock Android for USD 649.

Being a Nexus-inspired phone, this handset will definitely come without bloatwares and will come with the latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. And being a Google kid, this phone will receive the latest incremental Android updates without waiting for Samsung to spoil the excitement.

Technically, it's still the Galaxy S 4 that we fell in love with -  4.99-inch screen, 1.9 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600, 2GB RAM, 13MP shooter and LTE-enabled device.

Arguably, it's the best reason to go for a Nexus phone. Plus an unlock bootloader will come right out of the box so that you can mix and match that ROMs. The Samsung Galaxy S 4 Google Nexus Edition will hit the PlayStore in the US on June 26th. And knowing Samsung to be aggressive in their device distribution means that this handset will most likely come in the country soon.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Google (Nexus) Edition
4.99-inch display full HD Super AMOLED 1920x1080p, 441ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 1.9GHz quad-core
Adreno 320 Graphics
2GB LP-DDR3 RAM
16, 32GB, 64GB
Up to 64GB microSD
HSPA+, LTE 100Mbps (6 bands)
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, dual-band WiFi Direct
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS w/ aGPS support
NFC
IR Blaster
13MP autofocus, rear camera with LED flash
1080p video recording @ 30fps
2MP front-facing camera
1080p video recording @ 30fps
Android 4.2.2 Jellybean
USD 649 (roughly Php 29,000)
Li-Ion Battery 2600 mAh

Cherry Mobile SkyFire 2.0 now official: 5-inch screen, 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU, 1GB RAM, 8MP Camera and Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) at Php 7,999

So here it goes, the Cherry Mobile SkyFire 2.0 is now official with a price tag of Php 7,999! And just like what the blogosphere has been predicting, the new Cherry quad-core device throws in a 5-inch qHD (960x540p) scratch-resistant display.

The processor, being its flagship feature, will sport a faster 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor. Other essential features include a gigabyte of RAM for smooth multitasking, 8GB rear camera (2MP front facing), 4GB internal memory, 2000 mAh battery and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

In comparison to the MyPhone A919i Duo, the SkyFire 2.0 is quite short in the display department. The previous has a stunning IPS screen (294 ppi) while the SkyFire 2.0 finishes with 220 ppi in pixel density. However, the A919i Duo is priced with almost two grand higher than the SkyFire sequel.

Both devices deserve a second look if you're in the market for a better value-for-money phone. But if you think you'll go for the Cherry brand, you can get the SkyFire 2.0 starting next week at CM kiosks or official dealers nationwide.

Cherry Mobile Skyfire 2.0 Specs

5.0-inches qHD (960×540) Scratch Resistant Capacitive Display, (220 ppi)
1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Quad-core Processor
1GB RAM
4GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD up to 32GB
8-megapixels autofocus main camera with flash
HD video recording
2-megapixels front-facing camera
WiFi, WiFi Hotspot
3G, HSDPA, GPS, Bluetooth
microUSB v2.0
Android Jelly Bean 4.1
2,000mAh Battery
Php 7,999

Samsung Galaxy Core becomes official: 4.3-inch WVGA screen, 1.2GHz dual-core SoC, 1GB RAM, 5MP camera and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Samsung is fond of announcing new gadgets once in a while; others may see it as a chance of having alternatives, especially those who doesn't have more bucks to drop for a flagship device. So now, the new hardware is called the Galaxy Core and basing on the looks of it, it borrows aesthetics to the Galaxy S 4 - those rounded edges and glossy finish makes these two devices look like a smaller and a bigger version of each other.

Anyways, you'll have a fair share of screen real estate with it's 4.3-inch 480 x 800p display that'll be treated with a TouchWiz, ofcourse, skin on top of the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Under its hood, you'll get a set mid-range affair - 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU, a gigabyte of RAM, 8GB of internal memory and a 5MP rear shooter. The Galaxy Core has a dual-SIM capability as its trademark feature and a reasonable 1800 mAh battery that could keep you on the road for a while.

If the specs doesn't please you, the Galaxy Core is brushed with softwares similar to the Galaxy S 4's - Smart Stay, S Voice, Smart Alert, Motion Ui, etc. So if you're up to the idea of having S 4's flagship softwares but not particular with those pesky internals, the Core might be the handset for you.

It'll come to the Philippines in two waves, the dual-SIM variant will hit us on May and the single-SIM model will come July. So what do you think, would this be a good alternative?

Samsung Galaxy Core Specifications

129.3 x 67.6 x 8.95mm, 124g
4.3-inch WVGA (480x800) capacitive display, 217ppi
1.2GHz dual-core application processor
1GB of RAM
8GB of internal storage
microSD support up to 64GB
5MP autofocus camera with LED flash480p at 30fps video recording
VGA front-facing camera
GPS with A-GPS support
Stereo FM Radio with RDS
WiFi b/g/n / Bluetooth v3.0
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n / Wi-Fi hotspot
microUSB v2.0 / 3.5mm audio jack
EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900
HSDPA/HSUPA 5.76mbps 900/2100
Accelerometer, Proximity, Digital Compass
Dual SIM / Dual Standby (Optional)
Li-Ion 1,800mAh battery
Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)

[Source]