Motorola Moto G appears on Amazon for $179

Annnounced just over 2 weeks ago, Motorola’s latest Moto G smartphone has just appeared on Amazon and is being sold for just $179.99.

It’s not really a flagship-class smartphone but with only a price tag of $179.99, it’s been considered as a worthy handset to own (note that this does not include state tax and shipping).

Motorola Moto G specs:
4.5-inch 720 x 1280 display, 329ppi
1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 CPU
Adreno 305
1GB RAM
8GB, 16GB internal memory
WiFi
Bluetooth
FM Radio
5 megapixel camera with LED flash
720p HD video
1.3MP front-facing camera
Android 4.3 Jellybean, upgradable to 4.4 KitKat
2,070mAh battery

Motorola sent us a tweet confirming that the Moto G will be available in the Philippines early next year.

You can order it from the Amazon listing here.

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Study Predicts One Billion LTE Connections by 2017

The number of 4G-LTE connections worldwide is forecast to pass one billion by 2017, according to a new study by GSMA Intelligence. By 2017, it is expected that LTE will account for about one in eight of the more than eight billion total mobile connections forecast by that point, up from 176 million LTE connections at the end of 2013. Nearly 500 LTE networks1 are forecast to be in service across 128 countries, roughly double the number of live LTE networks today.

“Since the launch of the first commercial 4G-LTE networks in late 2009 we are seeing deployments accelerate across the globe,” commented Hyunmi Yang, Chief Strategy Officer at the GSMA. “Our new report highlights a number of factors that are driving LTE growth: the timely allocation of suitable spectrum to mobile operators; the availability of affordable LTE devices; and the implementation of innovative tariffs that encourage adoption of high-speed data services. Mobile operators in both developed and developing markets are seeing LTE services contributing to a significant increase in ARPU.”

The study calculates that about 20 per cent of the global population is currently within LTE network coverage range. As operators continue to expand LTE coverage over the next few years, it is forecast that LTE networks will be available to half of the world’s population by 2017. In the United States, LTE networks already cover more than 90 per cent of the population, compared to 47 per cent population coverage in Europe and 10 per cent in Asia.

The United States currently accounts for almost half (46 per cent) of global LTE connections; the United States, South Korea and Japan combined account for 80 per cent of the LTE total today. However, Asia is expected to account for almost half (47 per cent) of all LTE connections by 2017, as LTE networks are rolled out in major markets such as China and India. Half of total mobile connections in South Korea are now running on LTE networks — compared to 20 per cent in Japan and the United States — making South Korea the most advanced LTE market worldwide.

The study also found that:

-  In most cases, the migration to 4G-LTE is happening considerably faster than the earlier migration from 2G to 3G

-  LTE users consume 1.5GB of data per month on average2 – almost twice the average amount consumed by non-LTE users

-  In developing economies, operators have noted that LTE users can generate ARPU seven to 20 times greater than non-LTE users. In developed markets, operators have found that LTE can generate an ARPU uplift ranging from 10 per cent to 40 per cent

-  Four out of five mobile operators that have acquired ‘new’ spectrum since January 2010 have been allocated airwaves aimed at supporting the launch of LTE networks

-  LTE networks worldwide have been deployed in 12 different frequency bands to date; four out of five live LTE networks today are deployed in one of four bands: 700MHz, 800MHz, 1800MHz or 2600MHz

-  The average retail price (before discounts and subsidies) of LTE smartphones in developed markets such as the US has remained unchanged at around US $450 for the last few years

-  Handset subsidies have contributed considerably to the increase in LTE penetration over the last two years, but operators have also become more innovative in their pricing

Skyscanner reveals the tricks Filipinos do to avoid jetlag

According to a recent survey by Skyscanner, a leading global travel search site, 54% of Filipinos have flown with long distance transmerdian flights. This often results to desynchronisis or what is commonly known as jet lag, which results to poor sleep upon arrival, poorer mental performance and increased fatigue.

“In an ideal world, to prevent jetlag we should begin taking on the habits of destination time zone before we leave home,” says Tony Gherardin of National Medical Adviser at the Travel Doctor – TMC. “That is, eating at the same time and sleeping or resting at the same time as what you would be doing at that destination. Of course this isn’t always possible at home or even while flying.”

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Test Drive: Hyundai Santa Fe 2013 2.2L R-eVGT 6AT

We were part of the Hyundai Santa Fe test drive in Siargao earlier this year as well as the Hyundai Forum in South Korea a couple of months ago but never really got to drive the unit of our own.

So when the opportunity came that we can bring home and use the Santa Fe for an entire week, we took it for a spin — and as the odometer reading says, it was a full 900 kilometers (or thereabouts).

Having owned a Tucson since 2009, I’ve long been a fan of Hyundai’s line of cars — from the Santa Fe, Sonata and the Genesis Coupe.

The unit that we tested has been on the road for some time, clocking in a little over 19,000km by the time we returned the unit back. We reckon it’s been thru a lot of reviewers and long drives.

It’s a 2.2L 4-wheel drive that runs on diesel. It’s the first time we’ve driven a diesel-fueled SUV but from experience, it is still very powerful, has good acceleration and with comparable top speed. During our trip to Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna we were able to reach speeds of 160kmph without much effort. I think that’s one benefit of having a 4-wheel drive rather than a 2WD.

Here’s a YouTube video we created for the Santa Fe.

Based on the 7 days that we’ve been using the Santa Fe, we’d like to share the top features we really liked about it.

1) Push-to-Start. No more keys in the ignition, just step on the brakes and press the start button, and you’re good to go. You still have a wireless key for the door locks and the car can also detect if the key is nearby the vehicle when you start it (the Smart Key or Proximity Key has some sort of proximity sensor). And oh, there’s no hand-brakes or foot-brakes as well (it has an Electronic Parking Brake).

2) Panoramic Sunroof. The sunroof extends from the front seat all the way to the backseat giving you a panoramic view of the sky. You can either retract the ceiling to expose the glass roof or retract the whole glass roof entirely so you can peek out of the car.

3) Rear Video Camera and Back Sensor. For easier navigation when in reverse drive, a rear camera displays a wide view from the posterior of the vehicle and a back sensor when there’s low visibility.

4) Automatic Seat Adjustments & Reclining Back Seats. The driver’s seat automatically adjusts its position from the steering wheel when mounting or alighting the vehicle. The back seats can also recline if you need to get a comfortable nap while on the road.

5) Four-wheel Drive. The Tucson I was driving for the last 4 years was just a 2WD so moving to a 4WD SUV is a huge difference in terms of power, grip and, of course, the obvious off-road advantage.

The re-designed body of the Santa Fe makes it look like a cross between the new Tucson and the more elegant Sonata, especially with the sunroof. It feels smaller though and a little lower, considering it came with a 19-inch wheels.

As for fuel consumption, we had a mix of city and highway drives which spans from Paranaque, Makati, Taguig, Mandaluyong to QC and then a full round trip drive from BGC to Nuvali. Based on a total trip of around 850 kilometers and a full tank of 64L, we estimate the average fuel consumption at about 14km per liter.

The entire ride is enjoyable, smooth and comfortable. We were thoroughly satisfied and the Santa Fe didn’t disappoint, not even a bit. It’s a solid performer, has a beautiful exterior and interior design, with a sprinkle of technology niceties here and there.

This specific model is the more well apportioned one (Hyundai Santa Fe 2013 2.2L R-eVGT 6AT 4WD) and has a suggested retail price of Php2,228,000.

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HTC outs Desire 700, dual-SIM midrange smartphone

Along with the two new affordable dual-SIM smartphones under the HTC Desire lineup, the Taiwanese firm also announced the Desire 700 – a midrange quad-core handset with 1GB RAM.

htc desire 700

The HTC Desire 700 comes with all the basic features that you’d typically look for in a smartphone in this category including a 5-inch qHD display sandwiched in between a pair of front-mounted BoomSound speakers.

HTC Desire 700 specs:
5-inch qHD (960 x 540) display, @220ppi
1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor
Adreno 305
1GB RAM
Expandable 8GB internal storage
8MP f2.0 autofocus rear camera w/ LED flash
1080p video recording
2.1MP AF front-facing camera
3G/HSPA
Dual-SIM, Dual-Standby
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC
GPS w/ A-GPS
2,100mAh non-removable battery
Android 4.2
145.5 x 72 x 10.3 mm
149g

It’s a pretty decent feature set, no doubt. But it’ll have a hard time slugging out with its contemporaries, especially with a price tag that’s a little over twenty grand (NTD13,900) in our local currency.

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