Month: June 2014

Epson celebrates success in an island in Cebu

Kevin Bruce Francisco Leave a comment

We were once again privileged to be invited by Epson Philippines Corporation (EPC) to an annual event for its media partners — the Epson Fusion. Now on its 5th year, we were flown to Cebu to be part of the company’s celebration. They also let us experience canyoning and swimming with the gorgeous whale sharks.

DCIM101GOPRO

Sumilon Island, Cebu — the island where Epson celebrated its achievement and introduced new lineup of products.

EPC is celebrating success since they have achieved the position of being the number 1 brand in three different categories (projectors, inkjet printers, and dot matrix printers). During the three-day event, they also launched a slew of new products from 4 different categories including:

Visual Instruments/Projectors
Epson EB-500 Series that are the world’s 1st 3LCD, touch-enabled interactive projectors

Inkjet Printers
Epson L120 – the affordable document printer with super high ink capacity
Epson L555 – ink thank multi-function printer (MFP) with fax, auto document feeder (ADF), and wireless printing capability
Epson L13000 – reliable high-quality super high ink capacity A3 printer with borderless printing

Commercial & Industrial
Epson SureColor F7170 – Dye-sublimation transfer printers for final fabric production
Epson Ultrachrome DS Ink – all-new dye sublimation ink development by Epson
Epson dye sublimation papers – all-new dye sublimation media development by Epson

POS/Business Systems
Epson TM-I/TM-DT Intelligent Printer series – designed for running businesses on the Cloud. They are future-proof, customizable, have hassle-free connectivity, flexible platform, and have smaller footprint.

585Wi_3

Epson EB500 series

On top of these new products, EPC also announced the latest results that showed the company’s achievement of number 1 market share in the projector category in the Philippines. They attained 31.84% market share for the 1st quarter of 2014. Globally, Epson is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its 3LCD projector technology – a celebration made more special with its unmatched achievement of 13 consecutive years as the world’s number 1 projector brand.

Epson Philippines has also retained the number 1 Value Share Leadership in the inkjet printer category with a Value Share of 35.50%.

“Every year, we are inspired to plan Fusion activities that promote friendship and exciting challenges. With the help and support of our partners in business and the media, Epson continues to enjoy the overwhelming support of Filipino customers, making many of our champion products the “People’s Choice” in their respective categories,” concludes EPC President/Country Manager Toshimitsu Tanaka.

Talk about exciting challenges, here’s what we did during the Epson Fusion V:

The video was shot using a GoPro Hero 3+ (Black edition) and a Sony HDR-GWP88.

The post Epson celebrates success in an island in Cebu appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

SOL Republic Steve Aoki Tracks HD Quick Review

Ronnie Bulaong Leave a comment

Hot on the heels of its local debut, Pismo Digital sent us a SOL Republic Steve Aoki Tracks HD to take for a spin. And after spending a few days with it, we’re ready to share our thoughts to you guys about this sleek set of cans.

Tracks HD Steve Aoki Philippines

Before we dive in any deeper, it’s worth noting that unlike the Master Tracks XC, the difference between a Steve Aoki Tracks HD and an ordinary Tracks HD doesn’t go beyond the fancy paintjob on the headband and on the ear cups.

But despite of that, the “Special Edition” model actually costs twenty bucks (Php1,000 here) more than the not-so-special ones. So unless you’re really a fan of Aoki, deadmau5 and/or Michael Phelps, then you’re better off getting the plain Tracks HD. It’s slightly cheaper, yet you still get the same sound.

Sol Republic Steve Aoki philippines

Alright now that’s straightened out, let’s get down to business. The Tracks HD, in a nutshell, is a miniaturized version of the Master Tracks XC. It has the same modular design which consists of a pair of removable ear cups which attaches to a “virtually indestructible” headband dubbed as the FlexTech, and a removable audio cable with an in-line microphone and a small control panel with three buttons for turning the volume up and down and pausing/playing your tunes on the fly.

However, unlike the Master Track XC, the Tracks HD is a supra-aural headphone which means that it sits on top of your ear rather than around it. Another thing worth noting here is that the latter has a more modest build than the Master Track XC which is evident on the materials used in making the Tracks HD.

SOL Republic Tracks HD

The Tracks HD is billed as bass-heavy headphone, and let me tell you upfront, it does live up to that reputation. In fact, it pumps out so much bass that there’s already a noticeable spill-over on other parts of the sound spectrum, particularly on the highs. Furthermore, it drowns out most, if not all of the minute sound details on the tracks that we’ve listened to.

To its credit though, the vocals remained clear despite of the forceful bass. However, the snare drums were almost non-existent and the times that we did hear it, it sounded very unnatural.

Test environment:

(24 hours of burn-in was done prior to the actual test)
Device: 5th Generation iPod Classic 60GB
Volume: 80%
Equalizer: Off
File format: Combination of .mp3 and ALAC (.m4a)
Track bitrate: 256Kbps and above

Tracks:
• Moves like Jagger – Maroon 5 (Best)
• If I could be like that – 3 Doors Down (Good)
• Love Generation – Bob Sinclair (Best)
• Bulls on parade – Rage Against the Machine (Poor)
• Drive – Ziggy Marley (Poor)
• Headlights – Eminem Ft. Nate Ruess (Best)
• Ho Hey – The Lumineers (Best)
• 68 Dr. Sixto Ave. – Eraserheads (Good)
• Procrastinator – Sandwich (Good)
• Around the World – Daft Punk (Best)

Conclusion

We had high hopes for the SOL Republic Tracks HD. Sadly though, it had a lot of shortcomings, particularly its inability to cater to a wider range of music genres, that hindered us from giving it our wholehearted approval.

Tracks HD Steve Aoki

This is not to say though that this headphone is rubbish through and through. Apart from its rather durable make and minimalist design, one of the things that’s going for the SOL Republic Tracks HD is its price tag. It’s by no means cheap compared to other on-ear headphones in the market, but if you compare it with the likes of the Beats Solo HD, this headphone is worth a second look.

What we liked about it:
Compact and lightweight design
Durable headband design
Comes in individual parts/replaceable cable
Comes with leather carrying case

What we didn’t like:
Too bass-centric
Cups doesn’t swivel or rotate
Flimsy cable
A bit pricey

The The SOL Republic Steve Aoki Tracks HD is available at Pismo Digital Lifestyle store located at the East Wing of Shangri-La Mall and is being retailed for Php9,500.

The post SOL Republic Steve Aoki Tracks HD Quick Review appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

SOL Republic Steve Aoki Tracks HD Quick Review

Ronnie Bulaong Leave a comment

Hot on the heels of its local debut, Pismo Digital sent us a SOL Republic Steve Aoki Tracks HD to take for a spin. And after spending a few days with it, we’re ready to share our thoughts to you guys about this sleek set of cans.

Tracks HD Steve Aoki Philippines

Before we dive in any deeper, it’s worth noting that unlike the Master Tracks XC, the difference between a Steve Aoki Tracks HD and an ordinary Tracks HD doesn’t go beyond the fancy paintjob on the headband and on the ear cups.

But despite of that, the “Special Edition” model actually costs twenty bucks (Php1,000 here) more than the not-so-special ones. So unless you’re really a fan of Aoki, deadmau5 and/or Michael Phelps, then you’re better off getting the plain Tracks HD. It’s slightly cheaper, yet you still get the same sound.

Sol Republic Steve Aoki philippines

Alright now that’s straightened out, let’s get down to business. The Tracks HD, in a nutshell, is a miniaturized version of the Master Tracks XC. It has the same modular design which consists of a pair of removable ear cups which attaches to a “virtually indestructible” headband dubbed as the FlexTech, and a removable audio cable with an in-line microphone and a small control panel with three buttons for turning the volume up and down and pausing/playing your tunes on the fly.

However, unlike the Master Track XC, the Tracks HD is a supra-aural headphone which means that it sits on top of your ear rather than around it. Another thing worth noting here is that the latter has a more modest build than the Master Track XC which is evident on the materials used in making the Tracks HD.

SOL Republic Tracks HD

The Tracks HD is billed as bass-heavy headphone, and let me tell you upfront, it does live up to that reputation. In fact, it pumps out so much bass that there’s already a noticeable spill-over on other parts of the sound spectrum, particularly on the highs. Furthermore, it drowns out most, if not all of the minute sound details on the tracks that we’ve listened to.

To its credit though, the vocals remained clear despite of the forceful bass. However, the snare drums were almost non-existent and the times that we did hear it, it sounded very unnatural.

Test environment:

(24 hours of burn-in was done prior to the actual test)
Device: 5th Generation iPod Classic 60GB
Volume: 80%
Equalizer: Off
File format: Combination of .mp3 and ALAC (.m4a)
Track bitrate: 256Kbps and above

Tracks:
• Moves like Jagger – Maroon 5 (Best)
• If I could be like that – 3 Doors Down (Good)
• Love Generation – Bob Sinclair (Best)
• Bulls on parade – Rage Against the Machine (Poor)
• Drive – Ziggy Marley (Poor)
• Headlights – Eminem Ft. Nate Ruess (Best)
• Ho Hey – The Lumineers (Best)
• 68 Dr. Sixto Ave. – Eraserheads (Good)
• Procrastinator – Sandwich (Good)
• Around the World – Daft Punk (Best)

Conclusion

We had high hopes for the SOL Republic Tracks HD. Sadly though, it had a lot of shortcomings, particularly its inability to cater to a wider range of music genres, that hindered us from giving it our wholehearted approval.

Tracks HD Steve Aoki

This is not to say though that this headphone is rubbish through and through. Apart from its rather durable make and minimalist design, one of the things that’s going for the SOL Republic Tracks HD is its price tag. It’s by no means cheap compared to other on-ear headphones in the market, but if you compare it with the likes of the Beats Solo HD, this headphone is worth a second look.

What we liked about it:
Compact and lightweight design
Durable headband design
Comes in individual parts/replaceable cable
Comes with leather carrying case

What we didn’t like:
Too bass-centric
Cups doesn’t swivel or rotate
Flimsy cable
A bit pricey

The The SOL Republic Steve Aoki Tracks HD is available at Pismo Digital Lifestyle store located at the East Wing of Shangri-La Mall and is being retailed for Php9,500.

The post SOL Republic Steve Aoki Tracks HD Quick Review appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Acer announces Liquid X1 octa-core LTE smartphone

Abe Olandres Leave a comment

Acer has just announced what could be one of the first LTE octa-core smartphone yet — the Acer Liquid X1. The 5.7-inch phablet uses Mediatek’s octa-core chip and got it running with Kitkat out of the box.

Mediatek already announced its LTE modem back in January, the MT6290, so it’s likely that this is the one that came with the Liquid X1′s MT6592 chip.

acer liquid x1

Acer Liquid X1 specs:
5.7-inch IPS display @ 720×1280 pixels
MediaTek MT6592 1.7GHz octa-core processor
Mali-450MP quad-core GPU
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD card
LTE 100Mbps
HSPA+
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS with aGPS support
FM radio tuner
13MP rear camera with LED flash
2MP front-facing camera
Li-Ion 2,700mAh battery
Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

The 13MP sensor has an f/1.8 aperture and 0.3s autofocus which is pretty impressive in its category. We’ll check this out once we get to Taipei this week for Computex 2014.

Acer has not mentioned any suggested retail price for the Liquid X1 but promises to ship the handset by 3rd quarter of this year.

The post Acer announces Liquid X1 octa-core LTE smartphone appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Hands-on with the LG G3

Ronnie Bulaong Leave a comment

During the launch of the LG G3, members of the media got to play around with the device and its accessories for an hour or so before we headed back to our respective hotels. We took this opportunity to be up close and personal with the new handset and give you guys a brief overview of LG’s new flagship smartphone.

LG clearly had one thing in their mind when they were designing the G3; SIMPLICITY. Gone are the over-the-top trappings you’d typically see on flashy flagship devices. Instead you’re left with a simple, yet elegant handset that’s almost all-screen at the front and has a curved back panel (“Floating Arc”) which makes it easier to grip it despite of having a fairly large display.

LG G3 Philippines

The LG G3 inherits the “Rear Key” button placements of its predecessor, albeit more refined and fits perfectly into the overall design of the device. These buttons, as well as the other notable components such as the 13MP rear camera and the accompanying LED flash, are surrounded by a removable polycarbonate case which is treated with a thin sheet of scratch-resistant coating.

Not only does this back cover prevent light scratches, it emulates the feel of a brushed metal finish which adds a hint of sophistication to the otherwise glossy plastic back panel.

LG G3 front

In comparison with the previous model, the LG G3 is slightly taller and wider to accommodate the larger display. It also has put on a little bit of weight, but it’s not really that noticeable when you hold the phone.

The LG G3 feels very nice to the touch thanks to its “Floating Arc” design and the faux-metal finish of its back cover. Also, because of these new design implementations, navigating through the phone’s various menus and settings is possible (and comfortable, if I may add) without the need to hold the phone with two hands.

LG G3 official specs:
5.5-inch QHD IPS display @ 2560 x 1440 screen resolution, 538 ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor
2GB/3GB DDR3 RAM
16GB/32GB internal storage
Expandable up to 128GB via MicroSD card
13MP rear camera with OIS, laser autofocus, and dual LED flash
2.1MP front camera
4G LTE
NFC
Wi-Fi 802.11ac, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Miracast
Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX support
GPS w/ A-GPS support
Wireless Charging support
1-watt Speaker with Boost AMP technology
3000mAh battery
Android 4.4.2 KitKat
146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm
149g
Colors: Metallic Black, Silk White, Shine Gold, Moon Violet, Burgundy Red

We really have to give it to LG for stepping up their game in designing their new flagship smartphone. From the choice of materials, down to every nooks and crannies, you can easily tell that the company really went out of their way to make sure that their latest creation will be a stand out.

It’s still early, but we think we got a keeper on the LG G3. It’s got great looks to match its very respectable feature set that brings it at par, if not ahead, with the rest of the flagship smartphones in the market. Needless to say, we’re really excited to spend more time with the LG G3 and share with you guys our full review.

The post Hands-on with the LG G3 appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.