Budget Windows Phone 8: Nokia 720 and Nokia 520 now Available

Nokia Lumia 720

The Nokia Lumia 720 has a 4.3-inch and 800 x 480 ClearBlack display. This is roughly the average size of smartphone these days, though technically, the 4.3" screens are more pocketable than the larger 5" screen handsets. This is however going to be based on preference. 

The Lumia 720 has a polycarbonate body just like the Lumia 920 but it is slimmer and lighter.   The Lumia 720 is only 9mm thick and is a lightweight at only 128 grams.  

In terms of performance, the Nokia Lumia 720 packs a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon CPU which should give you quite an ample enough speed in terms on in application browsing, considering the lightweight nature of Windows 8 ecosystem. Irregardless of it being paired with only 512MB of RAM, the Windows 8 system is built to be light and buttery thus speed and ease of browsing should not be a problem.   

The rest of specs include a 2,000mAh battery (good enough to keep you juiced up for the whole day of moderate use), NFC, wireless charging, 6.7-megapixel rear camera with f/1.9 lens (the photos are quite comparable to most higher end smartphones even in low light situations due to its aperture), 1.3-megapixel front camera with wide-angle lens.

Nokia Lumia 720 Specs, Price

• 4.3-inch ClearBlack display
• Gorilla Glass 2
• 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 CPU
• 512MB RAM
• 8GB internal storage (expandable up to 64GB)
• 7GB Free Skydrive Storage
• 6.7-megapixel rear camera with f1.9 lens
• 1.3-megapixel front camera with wide angle lens
• Windows 8 OS
• 2,000mAh battery

The Lumia 720 is priced at P14,590.

Nokia Lumia 520

The Nokia Lumia 520 is smaller than the Lumia 720 but is a more comfortable size visually compared to the Nokia Lumia 620.  It uses a 4-inch WVGA (800 x 480) IPS LCD display which is roughly the same dimensions as that of the iPhone 4/s.  The main specs of the Lumia 520 include a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, 512MB of RAM, 5-megapixel rear camera, 8GB storage, microSD slot (up to 64GB) and 1,430mAh battery.  The Lumia 520 will come in cyan, yellow, red, black and white colors. 

I personally would rather pic this rather that Nokia 620 as they come in quite close in terms of specification but is priced much lower. That is if you can live without a front facing camera and flash. I would most likely use this as a second phone though, as there are still some limited functionalities that one can experience with this as compared to its much larger brothers the Nokia Lumia 820 and Nokia Lumia 920. 

Nokia Lumia 520 Specs, Price

• 4-inch IPS LCD (800×480)
• Gorilla Glass 2
• 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 CPU
• 512MB RAM
• 8GB internal storage (expandable up to 64GB)
• 7GB Free Skydrive Storage
• 5-megapixel rear camera
• Windows 8 OS
• 1,430mAh battery

The Lumia 520 is priced at P7,990.

These are definitely pretty good contenders for the budget conscious and if you are someone that likes a simplified OS, that is easy to use and understand. There is very little though one can do in terms of customization with the Windows Phone OS. 

If you have picked any of these units up and have gotten a chance to get to go through a day to day's use of these handsets, do share your thoughts about it and what you like and don't like about it. We would be more than happy to hear all about it.

Till Next Time...

-Metz-

Samsung Galaxy S4 Now Available in Metro Manila

Samsung just released the Galaxy S4 International version in the Philippines.  It is quite known by now that when the Samsung Galaxy S4 was launched globally, there were two variants of CPUs that were announced that was to be used - one is the 1.6GHz Exynos 5 octa-core CPU and the other one is the 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon CPU.  It seems that the Philippine version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be powered by a 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon CPU.   The Samsung Galaxy S4 is starting at the retail value of Php 30,990. This is going to be quite a competitive price for all those wanting the best in Smartphone technology. Not even the iPhone 5 can compete at this level as retail variants of the iPhone 5 have it at around Php 36,000 to Php43,000.

Here are some of the key features of the Samsung Galaxy S4:

Samsung Galaxy S4 Specifications:

• 5-inch full HD 1080p Super AMOLED Display (1,920 x 1,080 resolution, 441 ppi)
• 1.9GHz quad-core CPU
• 2GB of RAM
• 16GB internal storage
• microSD card slot (up to 64GB)
• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
• 13-megapixel rear camera
• 2 megapixel front camera
• 2,600mAh battery
• LTE
• Wi-Fi a/b/g/n and WiFi 802.11ac
• IR LED
• Bluetooth 4.0
• NFC
• GPS/Glonass
• Dimensions: 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9mm, 130g

I am pretty excited to get to see how the Samsung Galaxy S4 performs in the local markets. The word is that there are already many that have made pre-orders via the local networks. How people find it after is something am curious to find out. If you have gotten a hold of the Samsung Galaxy S4, I would like to get to hear your thoughts about it and if it is really living up to its name as your "Life Companion"

Till Next Time...

-Metz- 

Budget Android Smartphone of Choice: The New Cherry Mobile Hyper

There are so many things that one can expect from the local branded mobile phone maker Cherry Mobile. With their latest release called the Cherry Mobile Hyper, you are given something that can be considered mid-ranged in terms of specs but extremely cheap in terms of pricing.  At P4,999 the Cherry Mobile Hyper is Cherry Mobile's cheapest Android phone of its class.

The Cherry Mobile Hyper sports a 5-inch display, a 1.2GHz a dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB internal storage expandable via microSD, 5-megapixel rear camera, VGA front camera and 2,000mAh battery.  

One of the downsides to Cherry Mobile's phablet phone is that it uses an 800 X 480 screen resolution thus you could almost make out the individual pixels. Camera is pretty much the same as that of the Cherry Mobile Titan, thus it is important to always have ample lighting to avoid getting too much of a grainy feel to your photos. 

The Cherry Mobile Hyper will run on on Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich.  There’s no word if a Jelly Bean update is available in the future.

Cherry Mobile Hyper Specifications:

• Dual SIM / Dual Standby
• 5-inch capacitive display
• 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• 512MB of RAM 
• 4GB of internal storage 
• microSD support up to 32GB
• 5MP camera 
• VGA front camera
• 3G/HSDPA 
• Bluetooth 
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n / Wi-Fi hotspot
• FM Radio / Multimedia Player
• 2,000mAh battery

The Cherry Mobile Hyper will be available in black and white colors.  If this is the phone you are currently using, I would love to get to hear more about your user experience and share any tips that you might have here. If this is something that one can be quite Hyper about, I guess that is entirely up to the user. Tell us what you think.

Till Next Time...

-Metz-

Top Complimentary Apps for Instagram

I have been playing around with Instagram for quite some time now and I just love the way the filters bring to life photos that one would take with their camera phones and transform it into SLR like shots. But with continued usage I have often found myself wishing that there were more things that I can do to further personalize the photos that I am taking and sharing. Thankfully, there have been a lot of developers that have answered to this need and to help all of you that are as interested in enhancing your Instagram Photo experience, check out the following applications:

Photo Taken from LegoLand Malaysia edited with Snapseed and Pixlr Express

Create a Grid of Photos:

• iPhone: PicStitch
• iPhone: Diptic
• iPhone: PicFrame
• Android: Photo Grid
• Android: PicCollage

Effects:

• iPhone: PicFX
• iPhone: XnView Photo FX
• Android: PicsArt
• Android: Pudding Camera
• Android/iPhone: Pixlr Express
• Android/iPhone: Snapseed
• Android/iPhone: Cartoon Camera

Lens Boost:

• iPhone: Camera+
• Android: Camera ZOOM Fx

Now when you go off to that wild adventure you have a full armament of things you can do with your Smartphone as you snap and share away the memories. These applications with my HTC One X, makes some pretty awesome pictures like the one below:

Cheers!!! :D

Till Next Time...

-Metz-

Best Windows 8 Like Launcher for Android Smartphones

I have had the time to go through a lot of different Windows 8 Live tile launchers and many if not almost all had failed to function like the actual Windows Live Tile System. That is until the Launcher 8 was introduced into the Google Play Market. Now with 24, 000 user downloads and at an average rating of 4.5, this new Windows 8 Launcher is proving to be quite a good alternative to those that are bored with the regular Android Feel and are craving for something simplified with a Windows Live Tile feel.

Curious? Here are some of the key features of this amazing WP8 Launcher:

- You can add different size tiles;
- You can add a variety of color tile;
- You can save and restore the theme;
- You can edit the start screen layout;
- You can set the current background style;
- You can switch the application list style
- You can add Android widgets in the tiles;
- You can set the wp8 style lock screen and status bar;
- You can select more than one hundred kinds of theme colors;
- You can add special features tiles,like time ,pictures and contact photo.

Reminder:
1 shows the live contact needs to read the contact data access permission;
2 add a shortcut when direct dial call authority need the android.permission.CALL_PHONE ;
3 add send SMS shortcut operation message need permission.

Here are sample Pictures of the interface that is amazingly highly customizable:

Though there are some bugs it still proves to be one of the best new launchers out there and the really good thing about it is that the developer is allowing people to download and use it for free, that doesn't mean though that they wont stop developing and improving it. Based on the user feedback I have found that there have already been several improvements by the time I got to use it and that the developers are constantly working on getting to hit it just right. I personally have moved over to using this launcher over my Sense 4+ on my HTC One X and though some have complained of battery drain, I haven't noticed anything above the ordinary at least in the battery department. I think I'll be keeping this till HTC Sends over the updates for HTC Sense 5 with Blink Feed. 

Overall, this is a must try launcher for all of you that are tired of the User Interface that came pre-installed in your Android units. Do remember that this is still being developed further and may take some tweaking of the settings to get things right. The great thing about it is that this allows you to customize it as much if not more than what Windows Phone 8 allows its user giving it a truly more personalized feel to your phone. Even the lock screen is exactly the same way as that of the Windows Phone 8.

Here's a screenshot of how I have customized mine to my personal taste:

Here is the link for Launcher 8

Till next Time...

-Metz-

Tourist Tips for First Time Visitors to Bangkok

I had just come back from a week long celebration of Songkran in Bangkok. It was quite a fun and exhilarating experience to say the least. Songkran in Bangkok is definitely one of the best times to visit Thailand and once all the wet and wild parties are done, it is also the best place to dine and shop. I shall be talking more about my Songkran experience in a following article, but for now I have come to realize through friends that there are many questions about what one has to do and prepare for if ever they do decide to visit Bangkok. Below is a compiled list of things to take note of when visiting Bangkok, Thailand.

1. Download a Map of Bangkok and Get a Paper Copy just in case. That includes the Map of the BTS which is quite a budget saver once you figure your way around the Metro using it. Personally it isn't too hard to figure out and the Thai's are quite helpful enough to guide you to where you need to go. I also recommend checking the map but dont make it too obvious as unfortunately there are like in many countries tourist trolls waiting to catch a quick buck from first time unsuspecting travelers. There are tourist assistant stations at the airport and the hotel where you can get information on how to get around to and from your chosen destinations.

For Android users:
- Bangkok City Guide App
- Bangkok Fare Calculator

2. Drink Lots of Fluids. Bangkok is a very humid city and if you aren't too careful, you might find yourself rather dehydrated badly. Luckily there are a lot of 7/11 shops at almost every corner of Bangkok and from experience the prices aren't too far if not similar to that of the regular grocery rates. You can also buy drinks from street vendors, but be careful to only drink from sealed bottles and cans. The water from the faucets of Bangkok is not drinkable.

3. Beware of Scammers. As I have mentioned earlier, walking around with a map is like walking around with a big sign to everyone that you are a willing target for scammers. When someone asks you if it is your first time in Bangkok, even if it is, say that you have been here several times. The favorite spots for scammers are in the tourist spots and can be the most polite person imaginable saying that The Grand Palace is closed for the moment and shall direct you to another location and set up a tuk tuk ride for you. You'd be surprised as to how extensive and seemingly organized they can be at getting tourists to believe them. If you fall prey to them, you'd be lucky to simply get forced to go to souvenir shop after souvenir shop. The worst is that you might end up loosing every dime and getting swindled into buying fake jewels. The general rule is that if a Thai approaches you, they'd be after something other than just a simple chat.

4. Barter but barter gently. Bangkok is a street market culture. From the break of dawn till the wee hours of the night, you'd be greeted with a sight of street vendors, peddling products that range from local produce to clothing and accessories. You can haggle for a discount of roughly about 10-40% and if the price doesn't seem right for you, you can by all means simply walk away, though generally that'll get you a last ditch price negotiation. Be very careful though when buying gadgets off the street as you would most likely be getting a knock off.

5. Go for an Organized Tour. Even if one would have those useful travel applications that would help guide you to the best tourist spots, it is still best to go with a tour guide that can help you go through these spots with less hassle and even give you tidbits of history. You can book it with your hotel and this helps keeps the scammers at bay.

6. Always carry a photocopy of your passport and an ID. There are many times when you might encounter ID checks especially at certain establishments that need an age verification prior to being allowed entry. It also is a good thing to have in cases of emergencies.

7. When grabbing a Cab/Taxi, insist on running the meter. There will be times when a taxi driver shall try to swindle you if this isn't done. You should also have a Thai translation written on Paper of where you want to go and instructions on how to get there which can be done by the Tourist Assistant Desk in the Airport and Hotel. You are however responsible for any Toll Fees along the way so please prepare some change. There are only but a few places though that I have encountered where I needed to use a Cab/Taxi in Bangkok as most of the places like Siam and Silom are quite accessible via BTS.

Overall Bangkok is such an amazing city to visit and the food is just so good, whether it be street food or from a fine dining restaurant. The people are generally nice and quite helpful and there is always something new happening every time you get to come back for a visit. The historical sites are a must see and Songkran is a must experience. Best time to visit Thailand is practically all year round and there is no dull day as there are so many things you can get to do and visit in Bangkok. Just remember to keep an open mind and be street smart ;)

Till Next Time...

-Metz-

Boracay: Tips and Recommended Tourist Spots

Boracay has continuously been top of mind for many beach goers whether they be local or foreign. Identified globally as one of the best places to visit for the summer and popular for its powdery white sands and fantastic food and nightlife one can easily see why it has become such a popular tourist destination globally.

Finding your way from Manila to Boracay can be quite easy as there are regular boat and airline trips round the clock that are willing to take beach goers to the white sandy paradise. I personally take the plane and there are two that go straight to Caticlan which is what I recommend as it saves you travel time as compared to taking a plane ride to Kalibo. I would go with either Cebu Pacific Air or Pal Express (formerly AirPhil) to bring you to Caticlan. The fares vary depending on the season though generally I found that promo flights are best with Cebu Pacific and regular air fares are cheaper with Pal Express. 

You can also choose to go by boat and the best for this category would be with 2GO Travel. To go to Caticlan, Boracay using this mode of transport though would require you to go to Batangas Port first as the 2GO Travel Manila does not have a route that goes to Boracay directly. 

Once you get to Caticlan, the most common means of transportation is a tricycle. From the Caticlan Airport you can grab a tricyle at the tricycle station just at the exit of the airport to bring you to the boat terminal that'll bring you to Boracay. If you took the 2GO Travel, you'll find that you'd be docking right at the boat terminal itself. At the boat terminal you'll be asked to pay for your boat. There are several types of boats and the cheapest is the regular roro (Roll On Roll Off) boat which takes about 15min tops to bring you from the Caticlan boat terminal to Boracay. You can also get the fast craft boats which may take some time filling up and therefore leave at a later time compared to the regular roro boats. Aside from the boat fee, you'll be asked to pay a terminal fee and an environmental fee. Overall you'd have to prepared to shell out roughly about Php125 to Php250 per head. 

Once in arriving at Boracay boat terminal, there are two main types of transportation that you can use to get to your chosen hotel or resort. One would be a jeepney and the other being a tricycle. I personally prefer taking the tricycle as they tend to take you right to the resort entrance or at least bring you close to it. If your resort doesn't have it's main entrance at the main road, especially those that are located in station 1 beach front, I would recommend heading to the D'mall entrance and work your way to the beach front. From there it'll be quite easy to get to ask around for the location of your hotel/resort. You will most definitely find help from everyone around you just be mindful of your stuff and be ready to for quite a bit of upselling. 

Most establishments at Boracay accept credit card and debit card transactions but many of these would be quite expensive. If you want a taste of the good and yet local delights and even buffets best to have a lot of cash handy. There are some ATM machines around but it is still best to come prepared cash wise and check with your hotel/resort if your room has a safety deposit box that you can use to store your valuables and extra cash. 

There are many places that one can get to visit and do once you are at Boracay. Below are just some of the places that I would personally recommend visiting. If you have any additional spots and tips, I would strongly recommend to share them with us at the comment box below. 

First thing to visit of course is the beach front. Depending on the season though you'll be greeted with clear waters or like the Holy Week Season with seaweeds which isn't too bad. The White Sands are powdery and lots of fun to walk on. You'll also get to meet the occasional kids that would offer to make sand castles with your name on it for a cool personalized beach photo opportunity. They'd normally charge around Ph150 for their services. 

Once you get settled down, you can take your time to walk around or sun bathe a bit under the sunset filled sky. Or take a stroll through the very long stretch of white sands. 

Tribal Cafe is one of my favorite places to chill out during the afternoon as I get to enjoy ice cold beer and cocktails while watching the scenic view of the sun setting over the horizon. You can find Tribal Cafe in front of Sand Castles Resort along Station 1

As you can see you can find plenty of photo opportunities everywhere you go in Boracay :)  

The Drinks in Tribal Cafe can be quite varied and the mix is pretty good considering how down to earth things are. They also play pretty cool chill out party songs to set the mood right. 

Chilling out with a couple of beers and drinks makes the first day in Boracay really feel like a relaxing vacation

There is also plenty of time to goof around at Tribal Cafe :)  Just before the sun sets in the horizon. 

From Tribal Cafe you can walk down towards District Hotel and Check out their beach club dining called Caruso. District is also a pretty cool place to check in when deciding to stay in Boracay and they have top lounge that gives visitors an amazing top view of the beach.

There is a new mall that has opened up in Boracay called Boracay Uptown. This is a nice place to check out if you want a quick bite or a place to chill out a bit and have a bit of pastry and coffee, even a slice of pizza. 

As you walk around Boracay, this is something that you will most definitely not miss out on and should definitely try. These cocktails make it easy for you to enjoy as you walk around exploring the many shopping and dining places of Boracay. (Just be careful not to be caught drinking this on the beach front as liquor isn't allowed there)

This is the hottest place to be at when looking for a party opportunity in Boracay. Once the music starts thumping, Juice Bar can get jam packed shoulder to shoulder.  

Wave Bar is also the latest party and chill out attraction of Boracay and is worthy to check out. Entrance fees maybe dictated based on season and peak hours. 

Walking around Boracay's night scen can be quite an adventure in itself and it also gets you worked up for an amazing dinner experience.

Here is one sight you shouldn't miss as the chefs of Seabreeze give you a show of cooking and dancing skills to spice up your dinner night. 

If you can find your way to the D' Talipapa you'd be greeted with a wet market food experience like none other. I was impressed by the wide array of seafood choices one can pick from and then later bring over to the nearby cooking establishments that can turn your catch into a delectable meal. 

This is the best place to have your meal cooked in D' Talipapa. You'd often find yourself on the waiting list. It would be best to have a place reserved prior to you choosing what you want them to cook for you. 

These clams are my favorites in D' Talipapa. We often have them cooked as a soup or in butter garlic sauce or simply steamed, especially the oysters. You'd be surprised as to how cheap they are here in D' Talipapa.

There are also other alternative restaurants that offer cooking services around D' Talipapa which you can choose from, all of which have their own personal cooking styles. 

Aside for clams you get to choose from a wide array of seafood and even poultry and meat. Beside the wet market are also vegetable vendors if you fancy a full on vegetarian meal for your Boracay dinner.  

Here we had Kangkong cooked steamed in garlic and lightly sautéed. 

Clam Soup is just divine and the sweetness of the clam meat adds to the delicious flavor of the soup.

Oysters that we got for Php50 is a perfect appetizer for a full on meal. Steamed or grilled to perfection.  

Garlic Buttered Tuna was just too much to handle. It was quite good and filling. At this point I had asked for more beer. 

The next day of course is more beach play time with family and friends. Just remember to bring extra sun block. You can also ask your resort to check if they have sun bathing stations at the beach front. Otherwise be prepared to use a beach towel to lay on the sands.

This over grown tree foliage is actually quite popular in Boracay for those that would want a nice cool shade as you chill out and relax before taking a dip. You'll get to spot it once you get further into station one heading towards the Discovery Shores Area. 

Kasbah is a must visit for those that want an authentic Mediterranean feel to be added to your beach experience. The Food and Music is just utterly divine. It is also a perfect place to watch the sunset and enjoy happy hour cocktails before taking a dive into the beach and back. 

Kasba's Tabbouleh is a must try and best eaten with Hummus and Pita Bread. 

Seafood Stew and 7 Vegetable Couscous is a must try as the main dish.  

D' Mall is definitely a place you shouldn't miss out on as it provides a lot of shopping and food opportunities. It also is the most likely place where you got off to go look for your Hotel/Resort. You'll also find pharmacies and a grocery for your supplies if need be.

If you are looking for spicy yet delectable vegetarian cuisine, this is definitely the place to visit. The ambiance is also quite good. 

Le Soleil is a good option for dinner as they offer an amazing Buffet Dinner for only Php440 per head which includes unlimited Iced Tea. You get treated to the best grilled food including Oysters. 

The Dining area of Le Soliel is by the beach front and is quite cozy. The music also sets the mood of the place giving you a fun beach feel. 

Once you get to Boracay, it is not surprising that you'll immediately get overwhelmed by the beauty and activities one can get to do in Boracay. There are also many vendors that are walking around the beach offering boat and other fun water activities that you can your friends can do while on the beach. I would recommend to talk to your Hotel/Resort Front desk personel to help you choose one that is legit and even help with bargaining for the price/package.

Boracay is definitely the best island paradise this side of the Pacific and maybe even the world. I hope that everyone that gets to visit respects the laws and regulations that are implemented to safe guard the beauty of the place, so that we and the next generations can enjoy what nature can provide us fun, beach party lovers for many years to come.

Have a fantastic summer. Till Next Time...

-Metz-