The membership card offers various discounts in top restaurants, hotels, shopping stores and other shops between 10-50%. It also includes a booklet of coupons which gives you additional perks and discounts.

Although the kit included a thick booklet of directory and map of participating establishments (Manila, Boracay and Cebu), you can ditch the heavy booklet and just download the free iTunes App on your iPod Touch or iPhone since everything’s in there as well.

Of course, the card is not free and costs $31 via Paypal but if you’re curious you can just download the free App here. At least you get to see what kind of offers or discounts they have that might fit your shopping/dining habits or lifestyle. I think the card in itself is well worth it but the iTunes App makes a big difference with the added value of convenience, IMO.

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

No related posts.

The Magic Mouse is a wireless pointing device with a multi-touch surface. It comes standard along with the wireless keyboard on all new iMacs.

Mac Mini
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.53GHz
4GB RAM
320GB HDD
8x SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics
₱ 44,990

Apple Macbook 13 White
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.26GHz
2GB DDR3 RAM
250GB HDD
8x SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics
Built-in 7-hour battery
₱ 54,990

21.5-inch iMac
1920 x 1080 resolution
Intel Core 2 Duo 3.06GHz
4GB RAM
500GB HDD
8x SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics
₱ 65,990

27-inch iMac
2560 x 1440 resolution
Intel Core i5 2.66GHz Quad Core
4GB RAM
500GB HDD
8x SuperDrive
ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics with 512MB
₱ 108,990

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

No related posts.

Apple sent me a review unit last week and here are some of my observations about the new iPod Nano.

The exterior design has not changed since the previous one (see review of iPod Nano 4G), except for the addition of a VGA video camera and pinhole mic at the back. That, and the 2.2″ screen size.

Here are several sample videos recorded with the iPod Nano:

The videos are a little washed out and even playback on the Nano gives an impression it’s in greyscale and not color (even if it is). I think it’s decent and the frame rate is good enough considering it’s just VGA (0.3MP). The recorded videos can be accessed via File Manager when Disk Mode is enabled on the device. File format is MP4 and encoding is MPEG-4, 640×480 resolution at 29fps. Audio is stereo at 44kHz with a 128 bitrate.

The placement of the camera and mic at the back still puzzles me. Putting them at the bottom left end of the backside is counter-intuitive — I always end up covering the lens whenever I shoot. The pinhole mic picks up sound pretty well but there’s a significant amount of static noise that goes along with it.

The FM radio tuner works as expected and fixing on a channel/station is easy with the scroll wheel. However, you will need the earphones plugged in for it to work as it serves as a radio antenna.

The built-in speakers are hidden somewhere but from inspection, it seems the volume is strongest at the bottom end (cable port). It’s usable but not very loud nor has any semblance of bass either (better than no speakers at all). Speakers won’t work with radio as well since the earphones must be plugged in.

As for the other new features like the pedometer may only be useful when you’re a big fitness buff. Of course, there’s also the Nike + iPod Sports Kit package for runners. The VoiceOver, implemented earlier with the Shuffle, tells you the title and artist of the songs you listen to.

As for the sound performance of the player, there aren’t any improvements in that department (compared to the 3rd and 4th generation). Same with the earphones. I guess Apple focused more on adding those new features instead of impressing the audiophiles.

Nonetheless, if I said that the 4th generation wasn’t a worthy upgrade before, this 5th generation sure does offer a plethora of value-added features to make it a worthy buy. At the Apple Philippines Online Store, the 8GB iPod Nano is priced at Php8,790 and the 16GB at Php10,490.

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

No related posts.

Hat tip to b3bang.

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

No related posts.

The usual search feature for movies, TV schedules and restaurants are all there (plus recent articles) but the most helpful function is the Search “NearMe” function. It uses the GPS in your iPhone to find your location and all establishments in your area. Not sure how far but from experience, it’s around 500 meters (half a kilometer).

The app costs $3.99/year on the Apple App Store but if you own a Nokia N97, Nokia 5530 XpressMusic, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic it’s free (not sure if it has location-based search too). That might be a little unfair to iPhone/iPod Touch owners but I think it’s still worth it.

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

No related posts.

The iPhone can transform into a functional netbook.

Still trying to figure out where I can download this or how much the app costs.

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

Related posts:

1. iManila jumps to #1 Top Paid iPhone App First reported over at PTB, the iManila iPhone App has...

I was actually hoping I’d get the unit with just Leopard (10.5) in it and have Snow Leopard on a disk that I can personally install. That way, I’d be able to test out Leopard first before upgrading to Snow Leopard and see the difference (or feel any improvements).

Some say Snow Leopard is more like a service pack than a total OS update. This could be due to the fact that there’s not much cosmetic differences between 10.5 and 10.6.

Earlier reviews by the big boys like David Pogue (NYT) got a lot of flak from the likes of John C. Dvorack and Leo Laporte (that got my curiosity/interest with Snow Leopard) but that’s another story about disclosures and conflicts of interests among journalists/bloggers .

Anyway, I’m hoping I could get something up after trying this rig. I’m sure those of you who own a Mac have already made the update so I’ll just focus on the stuff that us non-Mac users might appreciate.

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

Related posts:

1. Apple’s Snow Leopard Officially Released Today, we got to see and try Mac OS X...

With a bigger screen (2.2-inches vs. 2-inches) and much more features, the iPod Nano 5G will continue to be the most top-selling iPod in the line.

Odd thing though is that the VGA video camera can only record videos and cannot take still photos. Apple execs say it’s because people only liked/wanted taking and sharing videos, not photos. Included is a microphone and speakers too.

The FM radio tuner was also added, despite years of avoiding such feature, since Apple found a way to monetize it — one can tag a song played on the radio and later on be able to buy it thru iTunes.

The 8GB model costs Php8,790. On a side note, the iPod Shuffle has a Special Edition made of polished stainless steel instead of the usual anodized aluminum (priced at Php5,490).

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

Related posts:

1. 5th Gen iPod Nano with Video and FM Radio As the iPod nano is the world’s most popular music...
2. 1st-gen iPod Nano Owners get $25 Settlement Owners of the first generation iPod Nano will receive settlement...

The 5th-generation iPod Nano now comes in 9 different colors and gets a video camera and FM tuner to boot (they should have added WiFi too if you asked me).

Still at 8GB and 16GB, the Nano retails at Php8,790 and Php10,490.

The iPod Touch, on the other had, was bumped to 64GB. Apple dropped the 16GB model and retained the 8GB for just Php11,490. The 32GB costs Php17,490 and the 64GB at Php23,490. People were actually expecting that it’s the iPod Touch that will have the video camera.

The iPod Shuffle now comes in various colors aside from black and silver — they’ve got green, blue, pink and a special polished steel version. The 2GB starts at Php3,290 and the 4GB at Php4,390 (special edition costs Php5,490). Weird that the 4GB Shuffle got a price increase here.

The upgrade from 120GB to 160GB of the iPod Classic is confusing since Apple already had 80GB/160GB before, dropped it then re-introduced it.

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

Related posts:

1. 5G iPod Nano Video in the flesh Yesterday, Apple reps flew in to show the media their...
2. 1st-gen iPod Nano Owners get $25 Settlement Owners of the first generation iPod Nano will receive settlement...

• Snow Leopard comes as 32-bit and 64-bit out of the box and system applications such as Finder, Mail, iCal and Safari are also on 64-bit.
• Grand Central Dispatch (GCD) provides new ways for to create applications that’s optimized for multiple core processors.
• Introduction of the OpenCL (somewhat derived from OpenGL) to maximize the power of the GPU.

Apple is finally ditching the PowerPC so Snow Leopard can only be installed on an Intel-based Mac system. Almost half of the Apple presentation was dedicated to bashing Windows 7.

Existing Leopard users will only need to pay a Php1,690 license fee to upgrade to Snow Leopard. A Family Pack costs Php2,790 (up to 5 users) and a Mac Box Set that includes iLife and iWork will have a suggested retail price of Php9,490.

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

Related posts:

1. Snow Leopard on a Macbook Pro So Apple sent in a 13″ Macbook Pro with the...

When I started bumping the DDR3 RAM from 2GB to 8GB, I could not believe what I saw. The upgrade is almost as expensive as a new MacPro — at Php59,300.

I guess DDR3 RAMs aren’t that cheap as I thought they would be.

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

No related posts.

The iPill is a microphone accessory for the iPod Nano (4th Gen) and the iPod Touch (2nd Gen). It has a capsule-like shape, with one half is the protective cover and the other half is the 3.5mm jack.

Ozaki promises better audio recording quality but that remains to be seen. They don’t have SRP yet (will update when these arrives in August).

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

No related posts.

Learned about this from a friend who got her own Globe Postpaid plan last week and was given a free iPhone 3G. Apparently, Globe is clearing out all stocks of the old model before they finally release the iPhone 3G S by end of this month.

I compared this with the published rates on the Globe website and the Plan 2199 has a cash-out of Php9,400 with a 24-month lock in period.

The catch? Nothing really, except for the 36-month lock-in period. The offer stands until they still got stocks available. Not a bad deal, really.

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

Related posts:

1. Globe drops iPhone 3G Price by Php4,000 Globe Telecom today announced it will reduce the price of...

The iPhone 3GS comes in black and white with a storage capacity of 16GB and 32GB.

iPhone 3GS Prepaid Kits
iPhone 3GS 16GB – Php38,850
iPhone 3GS 32GB – Php42,250

Globe Regular Postpaid Plans (iPhone 3GS 16GB)
Plan 500 – Php29,500
Plan 800 – Php25,350
Plan 1200 – Php23,100
Plan 1800 – Php19,050
Plan 2500 – Php11,850
Plan 3500 – Php3,950
Plan 5000 – Free
Plan 7000 – Free
Plan 10000 – Free

Globe Regular Plans (iPhone 3GS 32GB)
Plan 500 – Php35,100
Plan 800 – Php30,950
Plan 1200 – Php28,700
Plan 1800 – Php24,650
Plan 2500 – Php17,450
Plan 3500 – Php9,550
Plan 5000 – Php1,000
Plan 7000 – Free
Plan 10000 – Free

*Note: Prices above are cash-out fees if you subscribe to the corresponding postpaid plans. Subscription has 24-month lock-in period.

Globe Telecom will release the iPhone 3GS locally on July 31, 2009. Reservations start on July 15.

Latest price of the older iPhone 3G with Globe is Php33,599 for the 8GB and Php39,799 for the 16GB. Either Globe will stop selling the older models or will drop their prices down significantly.

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

Related posts:

1. Globe to launch iPhone 3GS on July 31 This just came in — Globe Telecom has officially announced...

Reservations will be accepted starting July 15. Customers can reserve by calling the Globe hotline at 7301000, through www.iphone3g.globe.com.ph, or by going to any Globe Business Center.

The iPhone 3G S was announced by Apple last June 9, 2009. Globe Telecom has not yet decided on the price of the iPhone 3G S.

Update: Official price of the iPhone 3GS on Globe Telecom here.

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

Related posts:

1. Price of iPhone 3GS from Globe The official price of the iPhone 3GS from Globe Telecom...
2. Apple announces iPhone 3G S At the WWDC today, Apple announced their 3rd generation phone...
3. iPhone 3GS vs. N97, KM900, i8910 and Magic We’ve got a bunch of high-end touchscreen phones locally available....

The update is about 250MB which took some time to completely download. With the number of new features and applications included in version 3.0, I got a couple of favorites that I found really useful.

One is the Spotlight-like search that goes thru all of your data (calendar, email, SMS, notes, etc) and shows your keyword-matched results.

The other is Internet Tethering that allows you to share internet (via USB or Bluetooth) on your iPhone to your laptop or PC (can be found at Settings -> General -> Network -> Internet Tethering).

The Cut, Copy and Paste is also nice as well as the ability to sign in to your YouTube account to access your favorites and subscriptions.

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

Related posts:

1. iPhone 3.0 OS Preview With the upcoming release of the iPhone 3.0 OS, the...

Here are some of the major addition and improvements over the iPhone 3G.

HSDPA up to 7.2Mbps

3 megapixel camera, autofocus and 30fps video recording

longer battery life (up to 5 hours 3G talk time, 9 hours of WiFi, and 10 hours on video playback)

built-in Digital Compass

Voice Control

Apple didn’t categorically say this but they must have also put in a faster processor that effectively speeds up the applications to twice that of the iPhone 3G. The old iPhone 3G also had 3 hours talk time and 6 hours on WiFi so battery life has been improved by 40-50% longer.

16GB iPhone 3GS – $199 on AT&T with new subscription ($599 on pre-paid)

32GB iPhone 3GS – $299 on AT&T with new subscription ($699 on pre-paid)

So if you’re wondering what will the prices look like when it hits Globe Telecom – my guess is that it will be the same as the one when the iPhone 3G was first launched in the Philippines (Php34,000 to Php39,000-ish).

MMS and tethering will also be supported by selected telcos and Globe is on that list (as shown in the presentation).

The new iPhone 3GS will be available on June 19, 2009 (okay, this will surely drown-out the buzz on the release of the Nokia N97 the week after).

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

Related posts:

1. Globe to launch iPhone 3GS on July 31 This just came in — Globe Telecom has officially announced...
2. iPhone 3GS vs. N97, KM900, i8910 and Magic We’ve got a bunch of high-end touchscreen phones locally available....

“PC tries to match Megan with a PC, but, alas, Megan wants something “that works without crashing, or viruses, or a ton of headaches,” so she ends up with a Mac.”

Follow YugaTech on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abeolandres

Related posts:

1. Laptop Hunters: It all comes down to price! Recent research revealed that there’s a slow growth in sales...