Apple just announced that the Apple Online Store is now available in Vietnam.
Vietnam’s Apple Online Store will offers a wide range of Apple products and accessories, with shopping assistance from Apple’s team of experts, no-contact delivery, trade-in program, build-to-order Mac options, and up to 24 months of financing for your Apple device. The Apple Online Store will also offer students a special pricing for their Mac or iPad, and receive discounts on accessories as well as AppleCare+.
The store is available in both Vietnamese and English, allowing customers to order a wide range of Apple products on the web.
It appears that the leaks are true, since Google has officially announced the Pixel Fold – the first foldable phone engineered by the company.
Beyond the 8 seconds teaser video (below), Google did not provide any other details like the specs, availability and price. The company also said that they talk more about the Pixel Fold at Google I/O this May 10th.
It was previously leaked that the Pixel Fold will be a 5.8-inch phone that unfolds into a 7.6-inch tablet, with a Tensor G2 processor that Google developed and a battery that Google claims to last for 24 hours on a single charge, and “the most durable hinge on a foldable.”
Google has announced that it will start verifying or adding a “blue checkmark” to business users using Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) in Gmail. This new feature will help users identify messages from legitimate senders versus impersonators.
Google further explains that “strong email authentication helps users and email security systems identify and stop spam, and also enables senders to leverage their brand trust. This increases confidence in email sources and gives readers an immersive experience, creating a better email ecosystem for everyone.”
The new verified Gmail account will be free of charge and available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers, and to users with personal Google Accounts.
In a blogpost, WhatsApp will now allow you to login your account to multiple devices. The company emphasis that they will maintain the same level of privacy and security.
WhatApp further explained that one account can be used sign-on to up to four additional devices, the same as when you link with WhatsApp on web browsers, tablets and desktops. personal messages, media, and calls are end-to-end encrypted, and if your primary device is inactive for a long period, we automatically log you out of all companion devices. Each linked phone connects to WhatsApp independently, ensuring that your personal messages, media, and calls are end-to-end encrypted, and if your primary device is inactive for a long period, we automatically log you out of all companion devices.
WhatsApps multiple login feature started to rolling-out to all users globally and will be available to all users in the coming weeks.
PinoyExchange, more commonly called PEx, just announced that the website will shutdown on 15th of April. PinoyExchange.Com is one of the first and oldest website in the Philippines, the domain was registered in 1999 and the website have been running for 24 years.
PinoyExchange.com is the virtual home of many Filipinos here and abroad, you can could say that it is the first website in the country that offer UGC (user-generated content). The announcement did not provide any reason or explanation as to why the website is closing.
Here’s a short history of PinoyExchange.com as posted on the website;
During the early days of internet in the Philippines in the late 1990s, an idea emerged to create an online message board because at that time, the only way to communicate online were via chat sites and chat rooms.
On July 12, 1999, PinoyExchange was born founded by Michael Nolledo, Nix Nolledo and Jude Turcuato (Kaboom!) and later on joined by Michael Palacios (Mikoid) as a lead designer and technical consultant. Some early PEx members also became moderators to help out in managing content and discussions.
The website gained popularity through its exposure via televised UAAP basketball games where Jude (Kaboom!) was a commentator. During halftime, viewers were asked to express their views regarding the ongoing basketball games by posting comments on PEx. Thousands of students and alumni from UAAP member schools visited the site and created discussions revolving around the UAAP games.
PEx reached the 2,000 member mark before the turn of the century. This was at a time when the Philippine internet penetration was less than 2%.
Today, PEx has over 1.5M monthly users and has evolved to become an online forum where users from all over the world can connect and converse on a wide variety of topics.
Apple just released the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4, the update is available to all users of iPhone 8 and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 5th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later models.
Aside from the usual “feature enhancements and bug fixes” the iOS 16.4 will include 21 New Emoji, Safari Web Push Notifications, Beta Changes, Voice Isolation for Calls and more.
You can read Apple’s full notes for the update are below:
This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:
– 21 new emoji including animals, hand gestures, and objects are now available in emoji keyboard
– Notifications for web apps added to the Home Screen
– Voice Isolation for cellular calls prioritizes your voice and blocks out ambient noise around you
– Duplicates album in Photos expands support to detect duplicate photos and videos in an iCloud Shared Photo Library
– VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app
– Accessibility setting to automatically dim video when flashes of light or strobe effects are detected
– Fixes an issue where Ask to Buy requests from children may fail to appear on the parent’s device
– Addresses issues where Matter-compatible thermostats could become unresponsive when paired to Apple Home
– Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models
vivo Philippines has officially launch the newest members to their vivo V27 Series 5G of smartphones; the vivo V27 Pro, vivo V27 and the vivo V27e.
The vivo V27 Pro which we can consider as the high end among the three is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8200 Soc, while the vivo V27 is using MediaTek Dimensity 7200 and the vivo V27e is powered by MediaTek Helio G99.
As for the display; the vivo V27e have the upper hand in this category, even though its 0.16-inch smaller that the 6.78-inch AMOLED display of the V27 Pro and V27, V27e screen supports 120 Hz refresh rate, which is ideal for mobile gaming.
All three phones shares a number of components to each other and depending on your usage, we cannot boxed any of the phone into the high-end, mid or low end phones. But one thing is for sure, vivo made sure that the cameras of all three devices are top notched.
vivo V27e
The triple camera system of the V27 Pro and V27 are composed of a 50 MP OIS f/1.88 for its main camera; a 8 MP wide-angle and a 2 MP macro camera. It also features the Rear Aura Light (Portrait Mode) which detects low light environment and it automatically adds brightness for radiant, delicate complexions. vivo uses Sony IMX766V Sensor with OIS that captures more light to better and sharper images. The front camera for the two smartphones is a 50 MP with autofocus and f/2.45 aperture.
The rear camera of the vivo V27e on the other hand is composed of a 64 MP OIS f/1.79 (main), 2MP bokeh f/2.4 and a 2 MP macro f/2.4, while the front shooter is a 32 MP Fixed focus with f/2.0 aperture.
You can now order your own vivo V27e with a retail price of ₱16,999 on Shopee and online, while the vivo V27 is available for pre-order and is priced at ₱24,999. No word yet on the price and availability of vivo V27 Pro.
GPS, BEIDOU, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, NavIC (V27 Pro and V27 only)
Dimension
164.1 × 74.8 × 7.36 mm
Weight
180g
Battery
4600 mAh with support for 66W FlashCharge
Color
Noble Black, Magic Blue, Flowing Gold, Emerald Green
Price
₱24,999.00
The Aura Portrait Master has arrived! Like a studio in your pocket, the V27e brings its innovate new Aura Light Portrait technology to make your shots glow!
Samsung has officially announced the latest addition to the Galaxy A series, Galaxy A54 5G. The phone is a powerful, stylish and affordable smartphone that delivers a premium experience in a sleek design.
The Galaxy A54 5G features 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Display, powered by an octa core Mediatek MT6877V chip and an 6GB Memory with 128GB Storage that is expandable up to 1 TB using the optional microSD card. As for the camera, Samsung is calling the triple rear camera a “pro-grade camera” that’s compose of a 12MP Ultra-Wide Camera, 50MP Main Camera and a 5MP Macro Camera. The front shooter is a 32MP camera a F2.2. The Samsung said that the Galaxy A54 5G is capable of capturing clear images in low light conditions, using Samsung Galaxy’s Nightography and AI features.
Galaxy A54 5G will have a 5,000mAh battery and will be available in Awesome Violet and Awesome Graphite colors, and will receive with up to four generations of OS upgrades and five years of security updates. Galaxy A54 5G will be available for preorder in the U.S. on March 30, with full retail availability for carrier versions starting April 6 for as low as $449.99. No announcement yet if the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G will be available globally.
Here are the specs of the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G;
Galaxy A54 5G
Display
6.4-inch FHD+
Super AMOLED Display
120Hz refresh rate
Vision booster
* Measured diagonally, the screen size is 6.4-inch in the full rectangle and 6.3-inch accounting for the rounded corners. The actual viewable area is less due to the rounded corners and camera hole.
Dimensions & Weight
158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2mm, 202g
Camera
12MP Ultra-Wide Camera
• F2.2, FF
50MP Main Camera
• F1.8, AF, OIS
5MP Macro Camera
• F2.4, FF
32MP Front Camera
• F2.2
AP
Octa-core
Memory
6GB Memory + 128GB Storage
Expandable storage by up to 1 TB with an optional microSD card
*Actual storage capacity available is subject to preloaded software.
*Memory option may vary by market.
*MicroSD card sold separately. Availability of detailed features (such as Memory and Processor) may vary by market and carrier.
Battery
5,000mAh (typical)
*Typical value tested under third-party laboratory condition. Typical value is the estimated average value considering the deviation in battery capacity among the battery samples tested under IEC 61960 standard. Rated (minimum) capacity is 4,905mAh. Actual battery life may vary depending on network environment, usage patterns and other factors.
OS
Android 13
One UI 5.1
* Availability of One UI features, apps and services may vary depending on OS version.
Amazon just reveals the design for the customer terminal of their Project Kuiper Satellite Internet, their answer to SpaceX’s Starlink Internet. Amazon’s Project Kuiper is a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network that allows any connected device to access the internet.
In their announcement, Amazon explains that to “use the service, customers will install an outdoor antenna—called a customer terminal—to communicate with satellites passing overhead.” and Amazon developed 3 models of customer terminal.
The standard customer terminal measures less than 11 inches square and 1 inch thick, and offers speeds up to 400 megabits per second (Mbps) and will weigh less than five pounds without its mounting bracket. The standard customer terminal will have a pricetag for less than $400 each.
Then there’s ultra-compact model, which is a 7-inch square design and weighs just 1 pound, it offers a speeds up to 100 Mbps. As for the cost, according to Amazon will be a “lower-cost model.”
There will also be a high-bandwidth design, this will be Project Kuiper’s largest, most capable model which aim for enterprise, government, and telecommunications applications that requires large bandwidth. The terminal measures 19 inches by 30 inches, and will deliver speeds up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps).
All terminals will be using Amazon-designed baseband chip called “Prometheus.” Prometheus combines the processing power of a 5G modem chip and the capability of a cellular base station to handle high traffic demands.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper is also preparing to deploy its first two prototype satellites on the first flight of United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket. Project Kuiper is scaling operations in preparation for its launch early 2024 and its plans to give early adopter access to the service beginning later that year.
Realme has officially announced the realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola Edition. The phone is basically the realme 10 Pro 5G with Coca-Cola theme; from the box set, icons, notifications and ringtones. Realme even included a note with realme & Coca-Cola DIY Stickers, a custom-made SIM Ejector pin inspired by the classic Coca-Cola crown, and a Limited Number Card. The phone will only available this summer and is limited to just 589 units.
The realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola Edition will feature a 120Hz Boundless FHD+ Display, a dual rear camera that’s composed of 108MP ProLight Camera and a 2MP Portrait Camera, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G processor. It’s powered by a 5000mAh Battery with 33W SUPERVOOC Fast Charging, it also comes with 8GB RAM + 128GB storage.
realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola Edition will be running realme UI 4.0, Android 13 right out of the box. The retail price of the phone will be PHP18,999.00 only from realme’s Shopee Official Store, the first 100 buyers will receive PHP500.00 discount of their purchase. realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola Edition will be released on midnight of 19th of March 2023.
Department of Information and Communications technology (DICT) just announced that there have been a significant increase in the number of subscribers registering their SIM cards since the implementation of the SIM Registration Act. To date, a total of 44,298,445 subscribers registered their SIM cards, 26.22% of 168,977,773, which is the total number of mobile subscribers subscriber in the country.
Here’s the breakdown of all the registered subscribers;
Smart Communications – 22,673,630 registered or 33.35% of their 67,995,734 subscribers subscribers
Globe Telecom – 18,280,107 registered or 20.80% of their 87,873,936 subscribers
DITO Telecommunity – 3,344,708 registered or 25.52% of their 13,108,103 subscribers.
In their announcement, DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy thank the public for their cooperation in the SIM Card registration “The Department has been actively working with the PTEs to ensure that all SIMs are registered and verified. This initiative is in line with the government’s efforts to improve national security and curb the rising incidents of fraudulent activities, including scams and identity theft”
DICT Undersecretary and Spokesperson Anna Mae Lamentillo echoed the same sentiments and added the need to create a safe digital environment for everyone, to protect everyone’s personal information from being used in any illegal activity. Lamentillo said ““We appreciate the public’s cooperation in complying with the SIM registration process. With only a few weeks left before the April 26 deadline, we urge unregistered citizens to take the necessary steps to comply and to avoid any inconvenience. We assure you that your safety and security are our top priorities,”
For those who have not register, you can visit the official link of your respective provider to register your SIM Cards;
Twitter Blue, the company’s premium subscription service is now available in the Philippines. Twitter Blue is an opt-in, paid subscription that adds a blue checkmark to your account and offers early access to select and exclusive features, like Edit Tweet, 1080p video uploads, Reader, custom navigation, Bookmark Folders, Top Articles and more.
Twitter Blue offers two price plan; An annual plan of Php 383.33 per month, which will be billed annually, and a monthly plan of Php440 per month.
Since the first roll-out of Twitter Blue, impersonation have been a problem by Twitter, it’s unknown how will this affect the problem if fake news in the country, since anyone with enough money and motivation can have their account verified and spread fake news.
Apple has officially announce the ‘yellow’ iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. The yellow colorway will only for the non-pro models, unlike last year. The yellow color is an addition to the 5 colors; midnight (black), blue, purple, starlight (white), and red, when the iPhone 14 was first announced last September 2022.
This is not the first time that Apple released a iPhone color, last year they introduced the green iPhone 13, then the purple iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini, a year before.
Spec-wise, the yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will have the same components; Super Retina XDR display, A15 Bionic chip, up to 512GB of storage, Dual-rear camera system and 12MP front camera and up to 20 hours of battery life.
Colors of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus: midnight, starlight, (PRODUCT)RED, blue, purple, and yellow.
The new yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will be available to pre-order this 10th of March and will be in retail store starting Tuesday, March 14th. Pricing will be the same as well; iPhone 14 starting price will be $799 (US) and $899 (US) for the iPhone 14 Plus.
Huawei just announced the Nova 10 Youth Edition, specs wise it looks similar to the specs of Huawei Nova 10 SE.
The Nova 10 Youth Edition features a Snapdragon 680 chipset for CPU, a 108MP main camera, and 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB storage. It features a 6.78-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display at 90Hz refresh rate. Nova 10 Youth Edition will have a 4,000 mAh battery slightly smaller than the one in the Nova 10 SE but with the same 66W fast charging. The Nova 10 Youth Edition will run HarmonyOS 2.0 right out of the box and will be available in Crystal Blue and Midnight Black colors.
Full Specs;
6.78-inch FHD+ (1080 x 2388 resolution) @387 ppi with 90Hz refresh rate
The Huawei Nova 10 Youth Edition will initially be available in China for CNY 1,699 or around SAR 920.00 for the 8GB + 128GB variant and CNY 1,899 (SAR 1028.16) for the 8GB + 256GB model. Local pricing is yet to be announce by Huawei.
It appears we will see another yellow iPhone will be as reports of a yellow iPhone 14 and 14 Plus have been floating around the net.
In an article on macrumors.com, Apple plans to release a yellow iPhone 14 and 14 Plus this spring, which is according to a Weibo post shared by Japanese blog Mac Otakara. As with any report outside Apple, we need to take this report with a grain of salt, since it’s hard to confirm the credibility of the Weibo account.
According to numerous sources, Apple’s PR department is preparing a product briefing for next week. On Tuesday, March 8 of last year, Apple introduced new Green hues for the iPhone 13 series, so there is a potential the briefing is connected to the announcement of a new iPhone color, but the topic of the briefing has not yet been confirmed.
The last time Apple released a yellow iPhone was in 2018 and 2019, when the company release the iPhone XR and iPhone 11, respectively. So far, the yellow color appears to be exclusive to iPhone 14 and 14 Plus and it’s unclear if it will find its way to the iPhone 14 Pro line, since yellow is very similar to the gold color.
Xiaomi just unveil the Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023, an unexpected device to announced at the event.
Xiaomi said that its AR glasses is a new prototype Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition, will weigh 126 grams and has a “retina-level” display. The company explained that when angular resolution or PPD (pixels per degree) approaches 60, the human eye cannot distinguish the individual pixel. The PPD of the Xiaomi Wireless AR Glasses is 58, which is the closest to AR glasses to meet this quality specification.
Instead of a built-in computing module, which make an AR Glasses look bulky, the Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition will connect wirelessly to Xiaomi 13 series phone or any phones that uses Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 Platform. The device is using Xiaomi’s own communication link to achieve full link latency as low as 50ms and 3ms1 with other smartphone devices.
Lei Jun, Xiaom’s Founder and CEO also explained;
Boasting a retina-level near-eye display for AR glasses, Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition delivers a truly immersive visual experience. Moreover, our self-developed Xiaomi AR Gesture Control empowers effortless control between virtual and real space. pic.twitter.com/EipqBWxkpW
Xiaomi is not only company dipping their foot in the AR Space, Apple have been preaching that AR is the next wave of computing and not VR, while Oppo is also showcasing its Air Glasses 2. which they launched in China last year.
The Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition is only available for developers and no details have been provided on the price and how to get a hold on one of these device.
At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Realme has announce the Realme GT3, a phones that can fully charge its 4,600mAh battery in just less than 10 minutes.
Aside from its ridiculous fast charging, the Realme GT3 is powered by Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 for CPU with up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB for storage. It will feature a three-rear camera that’s compose of a 50 MP (primary wide), a 8 MP (ultrawide) and a 2 MP microscope, it also have the “Pulse Interface,” a little RGB lighting rectangle that is adjacent to the rear cameras. The “Pulse Interface” can light up in different colors for notification, charge indicator, as well as for incoming calls and count down timer for camera shot. The front shooter on the other hand is a 16 MP wide camera.
The Realme GT3 will have a 6.74 AMOLED display with 1B colors, at 144Hz, which make the phone ideal for gaming. Just like with newer Android phones, Realme removed the 3.5mm audio jack and it will have an under-display fingerprint scanner for its biometrics.
The Realme GT3 will have a starting price of $650 for an 8/128GB model, making it the cheapest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 phones available. Going back to its fast charging, Realme explained that their “special sauce” for fast charge is the three “industry first” charging technologies. The Realme GT3 uses three 100W charging chips to achieve 98.5% transfer efficiency during charging. The power comes from a dual GaN charger that is the same size as Realme’s 150W charger from its previous smartphones, and third, is the first 12A USB cable since no one needed to push that much current over USB before.
Get ready to witness the power of #realmeGT3! Check out this video and experience the ultimate combination of speed and style. pic.twitter.com/xVtP63xvPG
At the MWC in Barcelona Spain, Nokia just unveil a new logo that will coincide with the company rebranding, placing more emphasis on being a “business technology company.”
In a blogpost by Pekka Lundmark, Nokia President and CEO said;
We are updating our strategy, and, as a key enabler, we are also refreshing our brand to reflect who we are today: a B2B technology innovation leader pioneering the future where networks meet cloud. Here is why we have chosen to do that now.
Even though they are no longer in the smartphone business, the company still very much involved in the mobile space thru their networking equipment and the licensing of its many patents. The company is also a big believer in 5G.
Lundmark ended his announcement with the rebranding of the company focusing on networking, innovation, collaborative partnerships and technology leadership.
Our new visual identity captures Nokia as we are today, with renewed energy and commitment as pioneers of digital transformation.
We built on the heritage of the previous logo, but made it feel more contemporary and digital, to reflect our current identity.
The brand was launched today at MWC Barcelona and it is now being rolled out across our sites and assets. The website has a new look and feel already – as you can see – and Nokia sites will begin transforming soon.
But this isn’t just about what we look like. It’s about our strength in networking, innovation, collaborative partnerships and technology leadership. It’s about our value propositions in current and prospective markets.
And most of all, it’s about our people.
In my view Nokia has the best, most talented and inspiring people in the business. Every day I feel privileged to work alongside them.
So Nokia’s leadership team and I wanted to create a new brand that worked for them, representing who they are, what they do and why they do it.
Our refreshed brand is an investment in them.
This is Nokia … but not as the world has seen us before.
This is Nokia, but not as the world has seen us before. Our new brand signals who Nokia is today. We’re unleashing the exponential potential of networks and their power to help reshape the way we all live and work. https://t.co/lbKLfaL2OI#NewNokiapic.twitter.com/VAgVo8p6nG
Two days after Starlink announced it availability in the Philippines, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) posted a message on their facebook page welcoming Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellite Internet.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) today announced that Starlink of Elon Musk’s SpaceX is now in the Philippines, the first country in Southeast Asia to enjoy its services that promises to provide download speeds of up to 200 Mbps.
DICT Secretary Ivan John E. Uy said that Starlink’s entry to the Philippines will be a gamechanger, stressing that Starlink will augment and complement existing broadband capacities, enabling faster broadband speed and better connectivity, particularly in areas where connectivity has been difficult or impossible.
“In welcoming this new technology that is Starlink, our BroadBand ng Masa can now provide free high-speed internet access to our geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas in the Philippines, ensuring that no Filipino will be left behind,” said Uy.
With its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network constellation, Starlink can improve internet access in unserved and underserved areas in the country.
As of February 2023, Starlink is comprised of over 3,580 operational satellites. But the company aims to have as many as 40,000 satellites to be able to deliver high-speed, low-cost internet to remote regions across the globe.
Starlink is a division of Elon Musk’s SpaceX that provides broadband internet using low Earth orbit satellites. Starlink offers a download speed up to 200mbps on a ₱2,700.00 per month subscription. The only disadvantage is that Starlink does not provide any subsidy for its hardware, since you need to pay ₱29,320, compare to local provider that offers free hardware as long as you have contract commitment.
Ahead of this year’s MWC that will be held in Spain, HMD the maker of Nokia smartphone, just announce their latest entry level smartphone, the Nokia C02. The phone features a removable battery, IP52 rating and a headphone jack.
The Nokia C02 features a 5.45-inch display with FWVGA+ resolution and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The Nokia C02 features a 2 MP front facing camera and a single 5 MP rear camera. The phone is made out of a polycarbonate frame and the replaceable 3,000 mAh battery will have a nano-texture. The C02 have a dual SIM slots and a microSD card slot to expand its 32 GB storage up to 256 GB. The phone will also have 2 GB of RAM.
On the software side, the Nokia C02 will be running the Go edition of Android 12 and will receive two years of security updates. Colors for the Nokia C02 will be Dark Cyan and Charcoal colors. The pricing and availability will be announce locally.
The monthly fees for the service is only ₱2,700.00 but the hardware, the Starlink Kit will cost ₱29,320, a bit pricey for hardware will include a self-orienting Starlink phased array antenna, WiFi router, cables and base. It promises to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband internet and a download speeds up to 200 Mbs.
In an archipelago like the Philippines, a space-based internet provider is the most ideal, since you do not need to invest in any cell sites and cables. It’s still unknow how’s the performance of Starlink in the Philippines and since it’s summer in the country, those who ordered it will be able to get a good connection.
Netflix Philippines just announced a new pricing for its Basic and Standard Plan in the country that will take effect this 21st of February 2023.
From ₱369 per month, the new price for the Basic Plan will now be ₱249 per month, and Standard Plan will now be ₱399 from ₱459 per month. The new price changes will apply to both new and current subscribers. The Basic and Standard Plan are basically the same plan except that the Standard Plan will offer Full HD (1080P) resolution, while the Basic Plan only have HD (720P).
The price adjustment appears to be Netflix PH answer to the increasing competition in the country, since subscription to other streaming service available in the Philippines offer a much lower monthly plan.
Meta just announced that they’ll be testing a new verification service called Meta Verified, for both Facebook and Instagram. On his Facebook account, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said “this week we’re starting to roll out Meta Verified — a subscription service that lets you verify your account with a government ID, get a blue badge, get extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you, and get direct access to customer support.”
Meta Verified accounts will enjoy the following features;
A verified badge, confirming you’re the real you and that your account has been authenticated with a government ID.
More protection from impersonation with proactive account monitoring for impersonators who might target people with growing online audiences.
Help when you need it with access to a real person for common account issues.
Increased visibility and reach with prominence in some areas of the platform– like search, comments and recommendations.
Exclusive features to express yourself in unique ways.
Zuckerberg also added that the new Meta verified service “is about increasing authenticity and security across our services.” Also, there will be no changes to accounts on Instagram and Facebook that are already verified based on prior requirements, including authenticity and notability.
Meta Verified will be first roll-out in Australia and New Zealand later this week, then to the rest of the world. Meta Verified is available for direct purchase on Instagram or Facebook in Australia and New Zealand starting later this week. Users can purchase a monthly subscription for (USD) $11.99 on the web and (USD) $14.99 on iOS and Android.
realme Philippines has officially announced 2 new smartphones under the realme 10 smartphone series; the realme 10 pro 5G and the larger realme 10 pro+ 5G.
The realme 10 pro 5G is now available for order from Shopee and Lazada, and in local retailer;
8GB RAM and 256GB of storage – ₱16,999.00
While the availability of realme 10 pro+ 5G is yet to be announce;
Steamdeck is now available in Saudi Arabia. You can purchase Valve’s handheld gaming computer – Steamdeck from Xcite, which from a quick lookup, appears to be the only local retailer to sell the gaming device. Before, if you want to purchase Steamdeck, you can either need to contact someone from the United States or buy it from the gray/black market.
The Steamdeck is a handheld gaming computer developed by Valve Corporation. Released on February 25, 2022, the Steam Deck can be played as a handheld or connected to a monitor in a similar manner to the Nintendo Switch. Steamdeck is designed to designed for playing Steam-based game, but can also support third-party storefronts like Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, or Origin. The user can also replace the preinstalled SteamOS with a different operating system entirely, since it supports multi-booting.
Here are the pricing of Steamdeck, based on Xcite’s website listings;
SAR 2,498.99 – Steamdeck 64GB eMMC
SAR 3,199.00 – Steamdeck 256GB NVMe SSD
SAR 4,199.00 – Steamdeck 512GB NVMe SSD
Here’s the full specs of the Steamdeck;
Compute
Processor
AMD APU
CPU: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)
GPU: 8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz (up to 1.6 TFlops FP32)
APU power: 4-15W
realme Philippines will soon launch their realme 10 Pro Series 5G on 14th of Feb. 2023.
This is what they posted on their Facebook page;
First announced late last year, realme 10 Pro 5G is the latest flagship smartphone from the Chinese Smartphone maker. realme 10 Pro 5G features a 6.7-inches FHD+ display, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Processor with 108MP and 2MP dual rear camera, and a 16 MP front-facing selfie camera.
As for the rest of the specs, you can check them out below;
Google just announced the availability of Android 14 Developer Preview 1, which can be downloaded from Android for Developers website. The Android 14 Developer Preview 1, as the name suggest, is mainly for Android developers and Android hardware manufacturers to make sure that their apps and devices are fully compatible with the Android 14.
We released the first Developer Preview of #Android14!
It includes changes to streamline background work, along with enhancements to privacy, personalization, security, and more.
Notable features of the upcoming Android 14 are; support for tablets and foldable form factors, enhancements to performance, privacy, security, and user customization. Google plans to release the beta version of Android 14 in two months and release the final beta version by June 2023 and the candidate release up to the stable release by 3rd qtr of this year. It’s still unclear what features will be available in the final release but if you want to take a sneak peek at what is new with Android 14, then you can get the Android 14.
Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra with Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ last Feb 1, 2023 at their Galaxy Unpacked 2023. In a nutshell, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ are the same phones with different screen size while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the premium version that supports S-Pen and features a 200 MP camera.
You can read more about the new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ here.
Aside from the new Galaxy S23 phones, Samsung also announced in their Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event, the Galaxy Book3 series; the Galaxy Book3 Ultra, Book3 Pro 360, Book3 360 and Book3 Pro. Except for the Galaxy Book3 Ultra all other Galaxy Book3 features similar specs.
Samsung describes the Galaxy Book3 Ultra as a “premium PC” with “ultra-high-performance computing,” while the Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 is a 2-in-1 convertible that supports S Pen functionality and the Galaxy Book3 Pro will be the the thinnest laptop in the series. The new Galaxy Book3 Ultra and Pro series will have a full aluminum frame and parts built from recycled plastics.
All Galaxy Book3 will be connected to an assortment of services like the Windows / Microsoft Phone Link; Windows / Microsoft Phone Link’s to Recent Websites; Instant Hotspot; Samsung Multi Control, Samsung Pass and much much more.
The Galaxy Book3 Ultra will be Samsung’s entry to the gaming space, since it features Intel’s 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 processor and NVIDIA® RTX Geforce™ 4070 laptop GPU. Both the Galaxy Book3 Ultra and Pro series will be available in 14-inches and 16-inches displays, that uses Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, first used in Galaxy premium smartphone lineup display. The display supports 3K (2880×1800) resolution, and 120Hz refresh rate. It is also VESA ClearMR and DisplayHDR TRUE BLACK 500 certified, and has received SGS Eye Care Display certification.
As for its availability, the new Galaxy Book3 series will be available for purchase this February 17th, 2023, starting with the Galaxy Book3 Pro and Pro360 models in select markets.
The Galaxy Book3 Pro will start at $1449.99, available in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes with Graphite and Beige color options. The Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 will start at $1899.99, available in 16-inch size with Graphite and Beige color options, and Galaxy Book3 Ultra will have a starting price of $2,399.99, available in a 16-inch size in Graphite.
Here’s the specs of the 16-inches Galaxy Book3 Pro 360.
