Last May 10, 2013, HP Philippines had their Partner’s night at the flashy Solaire Resort and Casino. The event was attended by HP’s partners, guests and media friends.

This particular Partner’s night revealed two things – one, that the HP Philippine team can really sing. Led by their General Manager Albert Mateo Jr., the team performed in the delight of the audience. Although they are not professional performers, its obvious that HP prepared for this presentation as if it was a concert. Not to show off their hidden talents, but to make their guests feel special. And for that, I give the HP team an A+.

Another revelation that night was the introduction of HP Slate 7, HP’s tablet powered by Android. The first time I saw the Slate 7 was when it was introduced sometime February in Barcelona Spain, and this news makes me wonder a bit – why would HP release a tablet that is powered by an Android OS?

So what’s wrong with that you may ask? Well its because HP has its own OS – WebOS and its a known fact as well that HP has a strong partnership with Microsoft. Most of its PC and notebooks are WindowsOS powered and even the Elitepad is a Windows8 business tablet.

Not only is the HP Slate 7 powered by the Android OS, The HP Slate7 comes with services like Google Now, Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive and Google+ Hangouts for multiperson video chat as well as access to apps and digital content through Google Play.

So first we heard of the HP Chromebook, then the HP Slate 7, and guess what – HP again announced that it is adding a second Android tablet, the SlateBook x2.

The SlateBook x2 will have the Envy x2 design and loads Android 4.2.2 and Nvidia’s brand-new Tegra 4 chip inside a sleek 10.1-inch tablet that can double as a laptop. The SlateBoook x2 “detachable” will come with 64GB of storage standard. This device will become available sometime August in the US, so expect it to arrive in the Philippines in time for Christmas I guess.

Let me just say that HP led by its CEO Ms. Meg Whitman is making the right move, or should I say a brilliant move in adopting Android. Android has a big following and no company can afford to ignore this plus the fact the partnering with Google is definitely a huge advantage.

HP going Android prevents them for being another Nokia. With all due respect, Nokia is a good company and produces good devices. In my humble opinion, the downfall of Nokia started when they stuck with their Symbian OS. Nokia failed to capitalize on the growth of Android and continuously produce Symbian OS powered devices which I think is normal because they own Symbian. But because of this fact, Nokia failed to innovate and when they decided to join forces with Microsoft, I feel its already too late.

HP is not abandoning Microsoft that’s for sure, and HP will have devices running on their own WebOS, but adopting Android will bring them more good than bad. In effect, HP becomes a force to reckon with now that they have their Android offerings. Did I mention that the HP Slate 7 will be priced at around PhP 8,000.00+ or even less here in the Philippines?

Will HP be a threat to other Android tablet makers? Maybe yes, maybe no. But one thing is for sure, HP is joining the Android community and anything can happen. Who knows? We might see an HP Android phone in a couple of months.

I am logging off. Stay cool and God Bless!

By Jerry Liao

When combined, the added languages are spoken by over 183 million people in the world. “Google Translate helps bridge the divide between the content available online and people’s ability to access that information,” said Sveta Kelman, Google Translate Program Manager.

“Familiarizing ourselves with other languages broadens our comprehension for information. It adds more meaning and sincerity in a conversation, too. Cebuano is an important language to us and we hope to have helped ease the language barrier with Google Translate,” added Gail Tan, Google Philippines Communications Manager.

Google Translate can be accessed via the web at https://translate.google.com; on Android or iOS devices; via Google Chrome, and on Gmail. Read the official blog here.

Looking for the perfect gift for your high-tech Mom this Mother’s Day? Visit the Globe Store and get that perfect gift with exclusive Globe unbelievable deals!

Just visit any Globe Store nationwide from May 10-12 so you can get the smart phone of your choice or gadgets with huge discounts bundled with super-value Globe postpaid plans!

Get your Mom a Globe best-ever My Super Plan that fits her needs and you can easily get her a smartphone like the latest Samsung Galaxy S4 with unlimited LTE surfing, free calls and texts for only P1599 a month; Blackberry Bold 9900 FREE at Plan 999; Blackberry Curve 9320 and Huawei Y300 FREE at Plan 499; or a Blackberry Curve 9220 FREE at all Unli Plans.

Globe Stores have also made it easy for you to take home to your Mom the latest Samsung smartphone must-have, the Samsung Galaxy S4! Get for her at Plan 999 only with a P600 monthly cashout through selected credit cards.

You and your Mom can also share in the fun by getting a Samsung Galaxy Y Color Plus bundled with a Samsung Galaxy Camera at only P1599 a month! This comes with 2 SIM cards that you can insert in the phone and one for the camera!

“As a way of showing appreciation to all the Moms out there, we are offering these unbelievable deals that you can only find at the Globe Stores. So show your high-tech mom how much you love her with these exciting smartphone deals,” said Globe Retail Transformation and Management Head Joe Caliro.

You can catch these unbelievable deals sale at any of the participating Globe Store branches nearest you. Just log on to facebook/globepostpaid for details.

Greenpeace has given Ericsson a third-place ranking in its latest Cool IT Leaderboard evaluation of global IT players. This means the company maintains its position from last year, and has even managed to improve its overall result.

“We have been working with climate and energy issues for over a decade, and we are pleased to be recognized by Greenpeace once again for leadership in this area,” says Elaine Weidman-Grunewald, Ericsson’s Vice President and Head of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility. “Greenpeace has understood the impact the ICT sector can have on climate change, and we need more organizations and policy makers to understand this in the future, in order to realize the full potential ICT can bring to sustainability.”

The Greenpeace Cool IT Leaderboard is a yearly ranking that evaluates global IT companies on their leadership efforts to influence governments to drive change in the energy sector to reduce the production of carbon emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. A total of 21 companies are featured in this year’s rankings, each evaluated in three categories:

• Climate Solutions – efforts to provide economy-wide climate solutions
• IT Energy Impact – efforts to reduce emissions from their own operations
• Political Advocacy – efforts to lobby for science-based climate and energy policies.

Ericsson scored a total of 51 points, three more than last year. The company’s highest score was in the Climate Solutions category; here, Ericsson has been praised by Greenpeace for its strong methodology in measuring the impact of its IT energy savings, and for its real-world case studies of IT solutions. Even so, Greenpeace has identified areas of improvement for Ericsson.

“We will continue to engage and communicate in this area – not only regarding our long-term goals but also our performance – and this year we met our five-year carbon footprint intensity target one year early,” Weidman-Grunewald says. “We will continue to work hard to visualize the connection between our IT solutions to real-world policy outcomes by national governments.”

This is the sixth edition of the Cool IT Leaderboard.

Top 10 in the Cool IT Leaderboard rankings for 2013:

Ranking Points
1) Cisco 58
2) Google 58
3) Ericsson 51
4) Fujitsu 44
5) Sprint 43
6) Wipro 43
7) HP 43
IBM 40
9) Alcatel-Lucent 40
10) Vodafone 40

Consumer electronics giant LG is set to unveil the second generation of its widely successful Optimus L Style Series mobile phones.

“LG’s rich design heritage is evident in the upcoming Optimus L SeriesII,” Lawrence Kim, Vice President for LG Mobile Communications Division, said. “It embodies the beauty of the first L Series but with a more refined touch. The Optimus L SeriesII is the product of a careful research and design which reflects contemporary aesthetics and innovations that improve on the original,” he added.

The original L Style Series, known for its sleek and stylish designs coupled with advanced Android technology, sold more than 10 million units worldwide in the first 10 months since it was released.

“We’re confident that we can keep the momentum with the L SeriesII’s much improved features. It’s definitely a worthy successor,” Lawrence Kim noted.

Bolder features

The L SeriesII will feature four new design elements: seamless layout, laser cut contour, radiant rear design and smart LED lighting on the home button.

It also offers an expanded set of user-convenient features including those unique to LG smartphones such as QuickMemo, Quick Button and Safety Care.

QuickMemo allows users to capture and share handwritten ideas with others using just a fingertip. Quick Button enables customers to personalize a hotkey to launch any application such as the camera, browser, music player or even QuickMemo. Safety Care offers three options—emergency call forwarding, phone non-usage notice and my location notice—which can be programmed to contact family or friends in case of an emergency.

User experience is enhanced with the high-resolution IPS display and extended capacity battery. Like its predecessor, the L SeriesII also allows users to seamlessly switch between two networks with just one phone.

Strong contender

“LG has a history of pushing the envelope when it comes to style and Optimus L SeriesII builds on this heritage of design innovation,” Jong-seok Park, LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company president and chief executive officer, said. He furthered, “By improving on the sophisticated style and premium features of the original Optimus L Series, we expect this second generation L Series to be a strong player in the mobile phone market.”

For more information about the L SeriesII, log on to www.facebook.com/LGOptimusPH or visit any LG mobile concept store.

Since its launch on the first week of May, Google’s Philippine elections resource page (Google.com.ph/elections) has been getting hits from over 50 countries around over the world. As of this writing, the resource page has been visited by Internet users from as far as Uzbekistan, Rwanda, Finland, and the Netherlands.

The resource page is a collaboration between Google Philippines and broadcast networks ABS-CBN, GMA, PTV, and SOLARtv, and online news portals Rappler.com, PhilStar.com, Inquirer.net and Interaksyon.com. The site brings together election-related updates from Google Philippines’ partner media establishments in one platform.

The content-rich Elections Page contains stories culled from various local news sites. Users can search for election-related news information by political party or national issue. Broadcast coverage are also aggregated from participating networks’ YouTube channels into one tab. Election-related incidents are also plotted on a Google Maps map tile of the Philippines embedded in the site. This provides Internet users a visual idea of crisis and violence levels in areas of interest.

“We are proud to see that many Filipinos outside the Philippines are finding the site helpful. The millions of overseas Filipinos, including the 700,000 registered absentee voters abroad, are out of reach of the candidates’ traditional campaign propaganda. Through the site, we are able to make election-related information accessible to them, helping them make their decision come election day,” said Narciso Reyes, Google Philippines Country Manager.

The Google Philippines Elections Page can be accessed at google.com.ph/elections.

The popularity of smartphones has given rise to hundreds of mobile apps, which in turn have spawned a variety of external devices that connect to apps on smartphones and tablets. These “appcessories” in the form of toys, musical or artistic tools, wireless sports and fitness devices, or home appliances let you extend the functionality of your iPod touch, iPhone or iPad.

One appcessory device in the wearable technology department that has caught the fancy of markets abroad is Cookoo the Connected Watch, a designer watch with Bluetooth-enabled feature recently made available in the Philippines through Power Mac Center’s store chain nationwide.

Multiple features of the Cookoo watch are well suited to Filipinos who are highly engaged users of social networking and the digital lifestyle. These include a camera trigger for taking group pictures with the iPod, iPhone or iPad from a distance, a remote control for the Music app on Apple products, and different notifications on the watch face that alert the user of the status of one’s device in real time such as incoming or missed calls, new messages, calendar reminders, low battery, and alarm clock.

To give customers a peek into Cookoo watch’s design and technology, Power Mac Center held a product tutorials that allowed participants to test the watch in exclusive one-hour sessions at the Training Room of Power Mac Center TriNoma last Friday, May 10 until Sunday, May 12, 2013. iPhone units are provided at the venue to allow guests to fully experience the Cookoo watch. Interested participants may visit Power Mac Center TriNoma this Saturday and Sunday, May 11 & 12 from 1pm onwards. Limited slots are available.

Said Power Mac Center Marketing Director Joey Alvarez, “We are proud to be entrusted with the distributorship of Cookoo watches whose the innovative wearable technology is meant to enhance our customers’ Apple experience.”

As part of its commitment to superior customer experience, Globe Telecom launches newest rewards offer, giving subscribers more ways to use their points.  Beyond the telco services and popular gadgets as rewards available for subscribers to redeem, now Globe/TM rewards points is recognized as a form of payment similar to cash in partner merchants nationwide.

Redemption is done instantly.  If a subscriber wants to buy an item using his points, all he has to do is bring his rewards points to Globe’s partner merchant and transact with the cashier via SMS.

Globe has made it easier for subscribers to pay using their points with a straightforward points to peso conversion of 1 point = Php 1. For as loe as 50 points, subscribers can already start buying  their choice of food or beverage in Figaro Coffee Company, while a minimum of 100 points are required to start buying movie tickets from Ayala Malls Cinemas.

Other partners to be launched are Enchanted Kingdom, Petron, Rose Pharmacy, Sunglass Hut, and Wendy’s Hamburgers.

Globe rewards points are earned every time a prepaid subscriber tops up, or a postpaid subscriber uses his Globe postpaid plan. Subscribers can also receive points shared by fellow Globe subscribers for bigger rewards.  Aside from new partner merchants, the Globe Rewards catalog includes Globe call and text services, shopping, dining and leisure items, and gadgets.  To date, over 12 million Globe subscribers have been actively using their points to redeem rewards.

“The positive impact the rewards program has impressed on subscribers is translated to the brands’ churn rates being sustained at low levels.  The subscribers’ continued use of Globe services was also reinforced as a result of giving subscribers the type of rewards no other mobile network can offer,” said Jay Beltran, Head of Customer Lifecycle Management at Globe.

Redemption is easily done via SMS anytime they want to redeem in partner stores.  Subscribers simply need to text BUY <space> MOBILE # OF MERCHANT <space> AMOUNT to 4438.  To check available points, text BAL to 4438.  For more details, visit www.rewards.globe.com.ph

]]> http://infochat.com.ph/2013/05/globe-launches-newest-rewards-offer/feed/ 0 http://infochat.com.ph/2013/05/samsung-launches-the-galaxy-note-8-with-a-big-surprise/ http://infochat.com.ph/2013/05/samsung-launches-the-galaxy-note-8-with-a-big-surprise/#comments Thu, 09 May 2013 06:31:38 +0000 admin http://infochat.com.ph/?p=8943 People couldn’t wait to grab their Samsung Galaxy Note 8 units as people rushed into the mall to be the first in line. People wanted to earn the chance to get their shot at the raffle of winning the Samsung phone of their desire.

Leading mobile technology innovator Samsung created a new wave of smart phone owners when the new Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 hit the local market for the first time.

The recent launch of Samsung’s latest offering attracted droves of techies to SM Mall of Asia with hopes to be among the first proud owners of the world’s first 8-inch tablet. The beeline started early in the morning and bynoon, Samsung fans got the gadget of their dreams and other special raffle prizes exclusive for Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 buyers.

Bianca Gonzalez with one of the first owners of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Valentin Cheng was the first to get his hands on a brand new Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0. A businessman by profession, Valentin said that he looks forward to the superior way his new gadget of choice can help him manage his schedule. “With the Galaxy Note 8.0, there’s no need for me to memorize my appointments. And with the S Pen, I can easily scribble and make notes on my calendar,” he shared.

Dave Legislador, a contractor, appreciates the S Note and S Pen features that allow him to organize and edit photos of their projects. He’s also very satisfied because with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0, he now has a new phone and a new tab in one handy gadget.

NGO worker Jay Benedicto, on the other hand, is always on the go and likes the way he can easily access his emails with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 wherever he may be. “It’s a great value for money, considering it’s a phone and a tablet with a lot of features, and very handy, too,” he added.

Contractor Dave Legislador together with his son, was one of the lucky winners of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

The user-friendly Reader function is what Catherine Agyuban, an employee in the private sector, finds very useful in her new Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0. It’s her first time to own a Samsung gadget, but has been a big fan of other Samsung products. She’s very excited with her new gadget of choice and it will set the standards for her next purchases.

Noveline Bareng, a government employee, is an avid Samsung user. What she loves most about her new Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 are the video quality of the tablet, the powerful specs, and its handy size. Noveline also won a Samsung Galaxy S3 in the raffle.

As an additional treat to Samsung followers, Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 ambassadress Bianca Gonzales made a special appearance and talked about how the gadget and how it fits her lifestyle.

First to own Valentin Cheng shows-off his Samsung Galaxy Note 8

“It’s very convenient because I don’t have to bring a laptop with me,” Bianca shared. “It’s a planner, a personal computer, and a diary to jot down notes on in one handy gadget.” She also likes the multi-window feature that allows her to multi-task such as compose her articles for her column and tweet at the same time without shifting from one window to another.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0’s debut in the Philippines was an astounding success. Made with people-on-the-go in mind, this new innovation from Samsung has all communication needs covered. Its array of unique features and compact design makes it an ideal companion in an era of portability and productivity.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 is available in the color White and is available at your nearest Samsung authorized dealer at an SRP of Php 23,990.

Mechanics:

1. The promo is open to all those who will purchase MFC-J2510 Ink Benefit.
2. Promo period is from May 1, 2013 to May 15, 2013 only.
3. Customers who will purchase MFC-J2510 Ink Benefit during the promo period can claim the free Brother JS-1410 Home Sewing Machine.
4. All the Brother JS-1410 HSM free items will have its standard warranty only.

How to claim the FREE Brother JS-1410 when you purchase in:

Metro Manila area
a. Customers who purchased MFC-J2510 InkBenefit from Brother Authorized Dealers in the following areas : Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Pasay, Pasig, Paranaque, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, Valenzuela, Rizal and Pateros can claim the JS-1410 Home Sewing Machine to Brother Head Office in Manila located at 6th Floor Marajo Tower, #312 26th Street cor. 4th Ave Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Tel No.: (02) 581-9888, (02) 581-9862, (02) 581-9863 Toll-Free hotline: 1-800-10-BROTHER.
b. For validation purposes, customers must bring the following documents upon claiming the free item:
(1) One valid identification card ;
(2) Original official receipt/invoice issued by the dealer;
(3) Customer’s Copy portion of the warranty card
c. In case the customer cannot pick up the machine, Brother International Philippines. will allow a representative to pick up however the following documents must be presented:
(1) Duly signed authorization letter from the customer to claim the free item on their behalf ;
(2) One valid identification card of the person claiming the free item on their behalf ;
(3) Copy of one valid identification card of the customer ;
(4) Original official receipt/invoice issued by the dealer ;
(5) Customer’s Copy portion of the warranty card.
d. Claiming time is from Mondays to Fridays from 8:30am to 5:30pm except during holidays.
e. Customers are advise to call Brother International Philippines prior to claiming.
f. Customers shall have sixty (60) days to claim their free item from the last day of the promo duration.
g. Brother International Phils. reserves the right to implement security checks on promo claims and refuse the release if the presented documents are stolen, mutilated, forged, or tampered. Any person who commits, conspires to commit or in any way aids in the commission of any act of tampering, counterfeiting, or fraud shall be automatically disqualified from this promo.
h. All Brother International Philippines officers, employees, dealers, advertising agencies, suppliers and their relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity are disqualified from joining the promotion.
i. The free Brother item cannot be exchanged for cash, other products or discounts.

Provincial Area
a. Customers who purchased MFC-J2510 InkBenefit from Brother Authorized Dealers in Luzon, Visayas & Mindanao except Metro Manila/NCR must send the following documents to Brother International Philippines Corporation Head Office with the address located at 6th Floor Marajo Tower, #312 26th Street cor. 4th Ave Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City Tel No. (02) 581-9888 Attn : Pam Revelo or Eileen Cerujano for validation purposes:
(1) Copy of one valid identification card ;
(2) Original official receipt/invoice issued by the dealer ;
(3) Other half of the original warranty card which can be found inside the machine box.
b. All the documents will be returned to the customer together with the free items which will be shipped to the customer free of charge.
c. The customers must include the following information inside the parcel:
(1) Customer’s Name (should be the same as the warranty card) ;
(2) Complete Billing Address ;
(3) Contact Information: Landline and mobile ;
(4) Email Address
d. Customers are advised to email Brother International Philippines at marketing@brother.com.ph to inform that they have sent out the documents.
e. Brother Representatives will get in touch with the customer once the documents are received.
f. Customers shall have sixty (60) days to send their documents from the last day of the promo duration.
g. Brother International Philippines reserves the right to implement security checks on promo claims and refuse the release if the presented documents are stolen, mutilated, forged, or tampered. Any person who commits, conspires to commit or in any way aids in the commission of any act of tampering, counterfeiting, or fraud shall be automatically disqualified from this promo.
h. All Brother International Philippines officers, employees, dealers, advertising agencies, suppliers and their relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity are disqualified from joining the promotion.
i. The free Brother item cannot be exchanged for cash, other products or discounts.
j. Customers can coordinate with Brother international Head Office Marketing Department or Helpdesk through (02) 581-9888 or (02) 581-9862 / (02) 581-9863 or through our Toll-Free hotline 1-800-10-BROTHER for more information.

Note : JS-1410 HSM will only have a standard warranty and will not be qualified to extended warranty.