Day: December 18, 2014

11 of the Best-Looking Smartphones We’ve Seen in 2014

Louie Diangson Leave a comment

Lazada Philippines

We’ve seen a lot of smartphones this year, from entry-level to flagship, to the most affordable to the most expensive. Although we mostly gauge a smartphone by specs and features, looks are important as well. Here are eleven of the best-looking smartphones we’ve seen in 2014.

List is in alphabetical order.

ASUS Zenfone 5

The Zenfone 5 from ASUS is an elegant device with an affordable price. One of its attractive features is the spun metal finish at the bottom of the display which was inherited from the Zenbooks. Although the back plate is made of plastic, it looks and feel classy. The Zenfone 5 proves that premium looks don’t always mean expensive.

HTC One M8

The HTC One M8 sports a curved aluminum body with a semi-matte finish. It comes in amber gold accented with dark lines at the top and bottom.

Huawei Ascend Mate7

The Ascend Mate7 is one of the most attractive phablets we’ve encountered so far. It sports an alluminum alloy body that is smooth, chiseled, and elegant. And it comes in Rose Gold color, too.

iPhone 6

The iPhone 6, along with the iPhone 6 Plus, arrived with a different look compared to its edgy predecessors. It still has an aluminum body but is now thinner and more curvy which reminds us of the 5th-gen iPod Touch.

LG G3

The LG G3 is miles away from its predecessor, the G2, when it comes to looks and build. Instead of polycarbonate, the G3 is clad in aluminum with a brushed metal finish in dark brown color and silver trimmings.

Nexus 6

Google’s Android superphone for this year is the Motorola-made Nexus 6. It’s relatively a chunky device mostly because of its large 6-inch display. It has an aluminum frame and a curved hard plastic back. Although not totally clad in metal, the Nexus 6 is clean and sleek which matches Google’s Android Lollipop OS.

Nokia Lumia 930

Nokia is known for making devices that are both attractive and durable. One good example is the Lumia 930. It sports an elegant yet industrial look thanks to its edgy alluminum alloy frame and Gorilla Glass 3 that slightly curves at the edges. And it comes in bright color options as well.

OnePlus One

The OnePlus One is the unicorn of the smartphone world. Like the Zenfone 5, the “flagship killer” is also affordable for its caliber but the looks and design screams high-end. It’s thin, ergonomic, and comes in Silk White or Sandstone Black which has its own unique textures.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

Samsung’s Galaxy Note Edge enters this list not just because it looks premium but also because it looks different. As you can see, the Note Edge sports a display and glass that curves down on the right side. Samsung definitely pushed the boundaries of phone design with this large smartphone.

Sharp Aquos Crystal X

If you hate bezels on a smartphone, then you’ll certainly love the Sharp’s Aquos Crystal. This Android KitKat-powered smartphone claims to have a borderless 5.5-inch Full HD display. It doesn’t have much metal to flaunt but given the great screen to body size ratio, we’re not complaining.

Sony Xperia Z3

The Xperia Z3 is the refined version of the Xperia Z2 which was also launched this year. It sports Sony’s OmniBalance design which features a slim aluminum frame with rounded sides, glass front and back, and comes in White, Black, Green, and Copper colors.

Got something to add to our list? Write down what you think is the best-looking smartphone for 2014 in the comments field below.

The post 11 of the Best-Looking Smartphones We’ve Seen in 2014 appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

11 of the Best-Looking Smartphones We’ve Seen in 2014

Louie Diangson Leave a comment

Lazada Philippines

We’ve seen a lot of smartphones this year, from entry-level to flagship, to the most affordable to the most expensive. Although we mostly gauge a smartphone by specs and features, looks are important as well. Here are eleven of the best-looking smartphones we’ve seen in 2014.

List is in alphabetical order.

ASUS Zenfone 5

The Zenfone 5 from ASUS is an elegant device with an affordable price. One of its attractive features is the spun metal finish at the bottom of the display which was inherited from the Zenbooks. Although the back plate is made of plastic, it looks and feel classy. The Zenfone 5 proves that premium looks don’t always mean expensive.

HTC One M8

The HTC One M8 sports a curved aluminum body with a semi-matte finish. It comes in amber gold accented with dark lines at the top and bottom.

Huawei Ascend Mate7

The Ascend Mate7 is one of the most attractive phablets we’ve encountered so far. It sports an alluminum alloy body that is smooth, chiseled, and elegant. And it comes in Rose Gold color, too.

iPhone 6

The iPhone 6, along with the iPhone 6 Plus, arrived with a different look compared to its edgy predecessors. It still has an aluminum body but is now thinner and more curvy which reminds us of the 5th-gen iPod Touch.

LG G3

The LG G3 is miles away from its predecessor, the G2, when it comes to looks and build. Instead of polycarbonate, the G3 is clad in aluminum with a brushed metal finish in dark brown color and silver trimmings.

Nexus 6

Google’s Android superphone for this year is the Motorola-made Nexus 6. It’s relatively a chunky device mostly because of its large 6-inch display. It has an aluminum frame and a curved hard plastic back. Although not totally clad in metal, the Nexus 6 is clean and sleek which matches Google’s Android Lollipop OS.

Nokia Lumia 930

Nokia is known for making devices that are both attractive and durable. One good example is the Lumia 930. It sports an elegant yet industrial look thanks to its edgy alluminum alloy frame and Gorilla Glass 3 that slightly curves at the edges. And it comes in bright color options as well.

OnePlus One

The OnePlus One is the unicorn of the smartphone world. Like the Zenfone 5, the “flagship killer” is also affordable for its caliber but the looks and design screams high-end. It’s thin, ergonomic, and comes in Silk White or Sandstone Black which has its own unique textures.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

Samsung’s Galaxy Note Edge enters this list not just because it looks premium but also because it looks different. As you can see, the Note Edge sports a display and glass that curves down on the right side. Samsung definitely pushed the boundaries of phone design with this large smartphone.

Sharp Aquos Crystal X

If you hate bezels on a smartphone, then you’ll certainly love the Sharp’s Aquos Crystal. This Android KitKat-powered smartphone claims to have a borderless 5.5-inch Full HD display. It doesn’t have much metal to flaunt but given the great screen to body size ratio, we’re not complaining.

Sony Xperia Z3

The Xperia Z3 is the refined version of the Xperia Z2 which was also launched this year. It sports Sony’s OmniBalance design which features a slim aluminum frame with rounded sides, glass front and back, and comes in White, Black, Green, and Copper colors.

Got something to add to our list? Write down what you think is the best-looking smartphone for 2014 in the comments field below.

The post 11 of the Best-Looking Smartphones We’ve Seen in 2014 appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

11 of the Best-Looking Smartphones We’ve Seen in 2014

Louie Diangson Leave a comment

Lazada Philippines

We’ve seen a lot of smartphones this year, from entry-level to flagship, to the most affordable to the most expensive. Although we mostly gauge a smartphone by specs and features, looks are important as well. Here are eleven of the best-looking smartphones we’ve seen in 2014.

List is in alphabetical order.

ASUS Zenfone 5

The Zenfone 5 from ASUS is an elegant device with an affordable price. One of its attractive features is the spun metal finish at the bottom of the display which was inherited from the Zenbooks. Although the back plate is made of plastic, it looks and feel classy. The Zenfone 5 proves that premium looks don’t always mean expensive.

HTC One M8

The HTC One M8 sports a curved aluminum body with a semi-matte finish. It comes in amber gold accented with dark lines at the top and bottom.

Huawei Ascend Mate7

The Ascend Mate7 is one of the most attractive phablets we’ve encountered so far. It sports an alluminum alloy body that is smooth, chiseled, and elegant. And it comes in Rose Gold color, too.

iPhone 6

The iPhone 6, along with the iPhone 6 Plus, arrived with a different look compared to its edgy predecessors. It still has an aluminum body but is now thinner and more curvy which reminds us of the 5th-gen iPod Touch.

LG G3

The LG G3 is miles away from its predecessor, the G2, when it comes to looks and build. Instead of polycarbonate, the G3 is clad in aluminum with a brushed metal finish in dark brown color and silver trimmings.

Nexus 6

Google’s Android superphone for this year is the Motorola-made Nexus 6. It’s relatively a chunky device mostly because of its large 6-inch display. It has an aluminum frame and a curved hard plastic back. Although not totally clad in metal, the Nexus 6 is clean and sleek which matches Google’s Android Lollipop OS.

Nokia Lumia 930

Nokia is known for making devices that are both attractive and durable. One good example is the Lumia 930. It sports an elegant yet industrial look thanks to its edgy alluminum alloy frame and Gorilla Glass 3 that slightly curves at the edges. And it comes in bright color options as well.

OnePlus One

The OnePlus One is the unicorn of the smartphone world. Like the Zenfone 5, the “flagship killer” is also affordable for its caliber but the looks and design screams high-end. It’s thin, ergonomic, and comes in Silk White or Sandstone Black which has its own unique textures.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

Samsung’s Galaxy Note Edge enters this list not just because it looks premium but also because it looks different. As you can see, the Note Edge sports a display and glass that curves down on the right side. Samsung definitely pushed the boundaries of phone design with this large smartphone.

Sharp Aquos Crystal X

If you hate bezels on a smartphone, then you’ll certainly love the Sharp’s Aquos Crystal. This Android KitKat-powered smartphone claims to have a borderless 5.5-inch Full HD display. It doesn’t have much metal to flaunt but given the great screen to body size ratio, we’re not complaining.

Sony Xperia Z3

The Xperia Z3 is the refined version of the Xperia Z2 which was also launched this year. It sports Sony’s OmniBalance design which features a slim aluminum frame with rounded sides, glass front and back, and comes in White, Black, Green, and Copper colors.

Got something to add to our list? Write down what you think is the best-looking smartphone for 2014 in the comments field below.

The post 11 of the Best-Looking Smartphones We’ve Seen in 2014 appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Heartbreaking

Ellen Leave a comment
Funeral scene. Photo from CNN.

Funeral scene. Photo from CNN.

The world is no stranger to heinous crimes but nothing is more abominable that the massacre of schoolchildren in Peshawar, a large valley close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border,Tuesday.

This is excerpts from a New York Times report:

“First the Pakistani Taliban bombed or burned over 1,000 schools. Then they shot Malala Yousafzai, the teenage advocate for girls’ rights.

“But on Tuesday, the Taliban took their war on education to a ruthless new low with an assault on a crowded school in Peshawar that killed 145 people — 132 of them uniformed schoolchildren — in the deadliest single attack in the group’s history.

“During an eight-hour rampage at the Army Public School and Degree College, a team of nine Taliban gunmen stormed through the corridors and assembly hall, firing at random and throwing grenades. Some of the 1,100 students at the school were lined up and slaughtered with shots to the head. Others were gunned down as they cowered under their desks, or forced to watch as their teachers were riddled with bullets.”

Taliban terrorists pose in front of their banner before the murders. Photo from the Daily Mail.

Taliban terrorists pose in front of their banner before the murders. Photo from the Daily Mail.

The Taliban, a brutal Islamist fundamentalist movement in Pakistan and Afghanistan, proudly claimed responsibility for the heinous crime.

NY Times said, “A Taliban spokesman said the attack had been retaliation for the continuing military operation against the group in the North Waziristan tribal region.”

The UK-based Daily Mail reported that the depraved killers even proudly posed for photos in front of a Taliban banner declaring ‘There is no God but Allah.’

“Clutching an array of rocket launchers and machine guns, the crazed gunmen are shown both in traditional clothing of Taliban fighters and the Pakistan military uniforms they wore to avoid suspicion immediately before storming the Army School in Peshawar.

“The pictures – apparently taken in the hours before Tuesday’s attack – were released yesterday by the Taliban, together with a threat to carry out similar attacks despite the outrage at the horrific, carefully planned massacre in which 132 children and more than a dozen teachers were killed.“

The Taliban, whose creation was supported by Pakistan and the United States Central Intelligence Agency in the mid 1990s against the Soviets, tried to justify the attack by claiming that the Pakistani army has long killed the innocent children and families of Taliban fighters.

The Daily Mail said “The Peshawar atrocity is said to have been ordered by Maulana Fazlullah, head of the Taliban in Pakistan and the man who ordered the shooting of teenage education campaigner Malala Yousafzai, this year’s winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

“The firebrand militant, whose thick black beard reaches halfway down his chest, took control of the Pakistani Taliban 13 months ago. It is thought the massacre may have been his barbaric revenge for Malala, 17, being award the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this year.”

School principal Tahira Kazi set on fire by Taliban terrorists. Photo from The Daily Mail.

School principal Tahira Kazi set on fire by Taliban terrorists. Photo from The Daily Mail.

Pakistan is in a funeral mood now. The Daily Mail reported that the best attended of the funerals was that of teacher Afsha Ahmed, 24, who confronted the gunmen when they burst into her classroom and told them: ‘You can only kill my students over my dead body.’ She was burned alive as she stood in front of her pupils.

Accounts of the funeral scenes are both harrowing and heartbreaking with “ dozens of small wooden coffins carried for burial together with those of their teachers. Rows of children and fellow pupils stood in silence, some weeping, and their hands clasped in front of them beside the lines of caskets draped in blankets.”

A CNN report quoted Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif saying,“The smaller the coffin, the heavier it is to carry it. And we’ve been carrying smaller coffins today, more than a hundred small coffins we’ve been carrying, the Pakistani nation.”

We bow our heads in prayer.