Cherry Mobile Introduces the Q70, the First Quad-SIM Mobile Phone in the Philippines

Dual and triple-SIM mobile phones are so 2010.

Cherry Mobile's introduction of the Q70, a quadruple SIM phone, has made this possible. 

That is four SIM cards in one mobile phone. No need to buy two or more handsets even for those who need to get in touch using four SIM cards. (If you're one of those people, I wonder what kind of social life you have.)

The company said the Cherry Mobile Q70 is the country's first Quad-SIM-Quad Standby handset that "enables consumers to utilize four different service providers which can be all active at any given time."

Samsung NC215: Samsung Combines Solar Energy with Portable Computing

The Sun might yet have saved the netbook from an impending tablet-driven euthanasia.

While some quarters have been trumpeting the netbook's so-called inevitable doom, along comes Samsung with the NC215 solar-powered netbook.

Loaded with a solar panel on its lid, the netbook can convert two hours of sunlight into an hour of netbook operation.

Hackers attack finance and cloak-and-dagger worlds

Last week, the Manila Bulletin's online edition carried a couple of stories here and here telling about hacking attacks affecting Citigroup and America's spy agency CIA.

In the Citigroup incident, hackers stole personal information of more than 360,000 American credit card customers, almost double the initial estimates.


Hacker group LuIz Security claims to have broken into the public Web site of America's spy agency. 

 According to Citigroup officials, the bank discovered the cyber-attack on May 10. Apparently, hackers used the company's Account Online system to access credit cards issued by North America Citigroup in the United States.

ASUS Power User Gathering 2011

Last week, Mangyantech snagged an invite to Asus Philippines' Power User Gathering 2011 event. A highly exclusive event, it allowed the Taiwanese computer and components manufacturer to highlight some of its latest high-end PC parts and components to a select gathering of some of the country's geekiest PC users.




PUG participants listening to product presentation (when they were not arguing, with gusto)



Sydney of Asus discussing the features and capabilities of a high-end graphics card from his company

 Described by Wikipedia as one who has "the ability to use advanced features of programs which are beyond the abilities of 'normal' users," a power user is a rather special breed of an IT user. Not necessarily a programmer or a computer engineer, a power user is generally aware of what his or her computer is capable of doing, and usually demands more from his computer system and its parts and components.

Acer Iconia 484G64ns dual-display touchscreen PC reaches Philippine shores

Last Thursday, Acer Philippines introduced the Iconia line of touchscreen devices. This makes the country one of the first few territories to grab a hold of the latest Acer products.

Leading the pack is the Acer Iconia, which stands out with its dual 14-inch multitouch, high-definition 1,366 x 768-pixel LED backlit TFT LCD screens.

Below is a video featuring the Iconia (courtesy of Acer Philippines).



These screens support up to 10-finger touch.

Made of tempered glass (Corning Gorilla glass), these LCDs are quite thin but are capable of surviving rugged environments and rough modes of usage.

Canalys report adds to growing death knell for the netbook

Various market reports and IT industry analysts' assertions would like us to believe that the netbook is on its way to history's dustbin. The latest in this growing list of virtual obituaries for the netbook is a recent report from market research firm Canalys, which predicts that shipments of tablet computers will grow to 52 million in 2011. Apple will grab more than 75 percent of the market, the company says.



The iPad 2 from Apple leads the tablet computer's pillage of the netbook country, market analysts say.

 Also-ran tablet brands will have to kill each other for the remaining 12 million.

The market research firm's PR department created some sticky sound bites for its latest market study. And most of the world's IT media people and bloggers picked up those designed-for-TV one-liners, such as "For every two tablet computers sold, a netbook (or laptop) won't be shipped," or something to that effect.


A deeper look at data presented by these analysts, however, shows the netbook is going strong.

 A closer look at Canalys' figures, however, would reveal some feet of clay for most IT industry analysts' doomsday forecasts for the PC sector — in particular, the notebook and its smaller cousin, the netbook.

The market research firm's study admits that demand for notebook computers will grow at least 8 percent. Netbooks, despite its projected demise, would still sell some 34 million units.

Tens of millions units sold and analysts say the netbook is gone and dead? I wonder what these people are ingesting. Applegesic? Or MacOpium? Or iViagra?

iPad 2 rubs it in: Apple still the real boss in the tablet computer space

Here's a good-news-and-bad-news routine for Apple's rivals in the tablet-computer market.

The good news first: The iPad is no longer the number 1, best-selling tablet computer.

The bad news: It is now the iPad 2.

The iPad 2 shows who's boss.

Its detractors can rant to high heavens and as much as their hearts desire, but the fact remains: The iPad 2's coming is a most blunt reminder for everybody about who is the real king in the tablet computer market — and who are mere pretenders to the throne.