OCALLY branded smartphones are not really assembled in the Philippines. You know that, right? They buy the devices from original design manufacturers or ODMs, which are mostly based in China, and tweak them to their liking, so to speak. But in a first in the Philippines, a local technology company is assembling mobile phones in the country.
Free Wi-Fi on EDSA: Everything you need to know
OR commuters who regularly pass by the busiest thoroughfare in the Philippines, this is probably a welcome respite from the horrible traffic they usually face on the highway: The Department of Information and Communications Technology has formally launched its “free high-speed Wi-Fi on EDSA” project. This is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s promise to provide Filipinos better internet service.
Xiaomi officially in PH? Here’s the company’s statement
S it true that Xiaomi will be back again in the Philippines by February?” We were taken aback. We certainly did not see that message coming. Our friend’s question came out of the blue — and just when we were in the middle of covering CES 2017.
PLDT vs Globe vs Converge ICT: Fiber internet plans available
O you finally realized that you can get fast home internet connection in the Philippines, thanks to fiber, which can transfer a huge amount of data seamlessly and deliver speeds over longer distances without being susceptible to electromagnetic interference.
Apple no longer world’s largest smartphone vendor in Q1 2017
OVE over, Apple. Samsung is taking back what it lost in the last quarter of 2016. And it has the numbers, courtesy of market-research company IDC, to back it up.
Globe or Smart: Which PH telco delivered better internet?
LOBE Telecom or Smart Communications? Which of the two telcos delivered on their promise of better internet from November 2016 to January 2017?
Google Philippines is hiring. Here are the job openings
ANCY working at the local office of one of the top technology companies in the world? You’re in luck. We were scrolling through our Facebook feed when we chanced upon an interesting post of a friend who works at Google Singapore: that Google Philippines has several job openings.
How to check if up-to-1Gbps internet connection is available in your area
ELIEVE it or not, it is possible to get fast home internet connection in the Philippines. We should know. We switched from DSL to fiber optic in 2015 and have never looked back since. In fact, if we are to move to a new place, there’s no question that one of our top considerations is the availability of fiber in the area.
DOH head wants to block porn sites… due to HIV risk
ON’T ask us how they’re connected, or even how the move will actually solve the problem, but the Department of Health wants to impose a sweeping ban on porn sites like Nu Bay to name just one of the more popular ones, in order to stop the spread of HIV and AIDS, particularly among the youth.
Apple dethrones Samsung as world’s largest smartphone vendor
NE company’s misfortune could lead to another manufacturer’s success. In this case, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 problem caused the tech giant to settle for second place in the smartphone category in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Kimstore in trouble with Customs over alleged smuggled gadgets
IMSTORE, one of the top names in the Philippines’ rapidly expanding online-retail space, is in hot water in the aftermath of a raid by the Bureau of Customs Monday.
This P1,490 TV box promises cable-quality local channels — without cable
HE company responsible for Starmobile phones and tablets is now also in the TV box business, with the introduction of the new Starcube digital television box. Distributed by STAR Inc., the device promises an affordable way of watching free-to-air live channels in “cable quality,” without a cable subscription. And without splurging on a new set.
PLDT intros cheapest fiber plan. Is it worth it?
HE affordable has become cheaper. Two months after introducing Fiber Plan 1899, PLDT unveiled a fiber-optic internet-connection package whose monthly fee is friendlier to your budget than the 1899.
Here’s why the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 caught fire
HE world can rest easy, as Samsung today answered that — pardon us — burning question on everyone’s lips. At a news conference, the tech giant confirmed that bad batteries and bad decisions were to blame for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 fire incidents that led to its discontinuation just two months after its launch.
These are the top 5 smartphone brands in Q3 2016
HINESE smartphone vendors still reign over the industry amid a 1.1 percent growth to 363 million shipments in Q3 2016, according to the latest numbers published by market-research firm IDC.
Buckle up, buying many gadgets and appliances may soon be taxed
HEY are not stopping with the vanity tax. After a controversial Philippine bill proposing to tax beauty and cosmetic products was filed January 11, here comes another plan that may end up being contentious, too.
Apple is PC industry’s biggest loser in 2016
HE latest report of market-research firm IDC did not surprise us; we had already expected the PC industry to shrink in 2016. Based on the data, worldwide shipments of traditional PCs — desktops, notebooks, and workstations combined — fell to 260 million units, down 5.7 percent from 2015. It was the fifth straight year that the industry shrank. And Apple took the biggest hit.
10 other interesting tech products on display at CES 2017
NOTHER January, another CES done. And once again, this year’s edition of the biggest consumer-electronic show gave us a look at what’s out there in the world of technology and what’s about to come. 2017 is even memorable as CES celebrates its 50th anniversary.
The iPhone is 10 years old and still has a trick that others can’t replicate
T’S been 10 years since Steve Jobs introduced the original iPhone. Yes, it has been that long. Today, the iPhone remains Apple’s most important product and its biggest cash cow, though it hasn’t been smooth-sailing for the Cupertino-based tech firm lately.
3 new Xiaomi products we wish were on their way to the rest of the world
ND when we say “the rest of the world,” we meant outside Xiaomi’s native China. Because while we had initially thought that the company joining CES for the first time meant an announcement of a concrete roadmap for its entry to the U.S., it turned out that we had thought wrong.