Apps and Gadgets

Getting spammy texts has become one of my pet peeves. They come at all times of the day and night and sometimes disturb my sleep. And beyond getting unwanted texts, it also makes me wonder how my number and that of many of my friends seem to be openly available to these text blasters. If you're using an Android phone like me, here's an app that I have been using because of its many nice features but which I now have also activated as a spam blocker - GO SMS Pro . GO SMS Pro comes as a free version and as a paid version. I only have the free version but it is already more than enough. There doesn't seem to be any need to upgrade to Pro. Besides, I read some reviews of the Pro app on Play Store and there were a few unhappy people who upgraded and recommended we stick with the free version. I made some screenshots of the Spam Blocker feature. Just look at all these features within GO SMS Pro. I don't even use half of them yet. So far I've only used themes,...

It's been a while since I have been on any device running Windows. I used to be a Windows user for years and years. Till I got my first Macbook in 2008. And in the last year or so, my phones have been running on the Android operating system. My techie son who's taking Computer Science has had good words to say about Windows 8 which he has had the chance to play around with as part of his course work. So when I attended Samsung's event  for their Windows 8 lineup, my curiosity was pretty hyped up. My surprise for the night was this. Samsung did not just introduce a Windows 8 laptop but a whole slew of devices running on Windows 8. The Windows 8 lineup is under the brand name ATIV (or the reverse of VITA which means "Life" in Latin). Samsung is all about lifestyle convenience in many different ways, after all. There were 3 different devices introduced that all run Windows 8: the Samsung All-in-One PC Series 7, the ATIV Smart PC Pro and the ATIV S (smartphone...

For several months now, I've been using a Swedish brand of headphones called Urbanears . The one I have now is the Bagis, the most portable and lightest of their headphones line. Because of the soft rubbery ends that go into the ears, I still get crisp, clear sound any time because the soft rubber automatically adjusts to my ear canals' shape. The 2 ends of the earphones can be snapped in place to transform it into a necklace so the earphones hang around your neck when you are not using them. The Urbanears Bagis lies on top of my Macbook Urbanears recently opened their first concept store at Podium, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City. The store was not that big but you just could not miss all the eye candy lining its white walls. COLOR is a large part of Urbanears' identity. Every collection has 10 colors of which 5 are permanent. The other colors are interchangeable and usually reflect the season. Urbanears also has what they call the Editions Line -- usin...

The power and portability of a notebook combined with creative tools that are made for digital artists was recently unveiled at a press event. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is, as its size bears you out, both a tablet and a phone. It comes with a stylus called the S-Pen. Let's check out some of its features. On the Outside The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 comes in black and white variants. Black White

"Unleash the inner reporter in you. Turn your mobile phone into a tool for change!" That is the introduction you see on the FAQ button after downloading the InstaPatrol app (currently on Android; coming on iOS). Harnessing the power of netizens with smartphones, this app was created precisely to allow netizens to take snapshots of whatever it is they want to call attention to, post it via this app, and tag the agency/ies involved. Based on its writeup , the app's features allow you to: Create a report using your phone that can be viewed by other InstaPatrol users Share your reports with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter Comment on the reports of other InstaPatrol users Get notifications on the reports you post

My very first trek to the newly opened Robinsons Magnolia mall in Quezon City was for the launch of Samsung's concept store. With Odette Velarde of Samsung and friend Noemi Dado Celebrities at the ribbon cutting ceremony A Peek inside the Concept Store The Samsung Concept Store is located on the al fresco area of the mall on the 3rd floor. At first, Noemi and I got lost and thought the Samsung store inside the mall on the same level was it. Apparently that one was just for mobile phones. Upon entering the store, we found that it contained all the appliances one would need for the home. We saw the inverter airconditioners, washing machines and refrigerators which we had previously seen up close in another event. My post on that is  HERE . But the star of the event on that launch was Samsung's series of Smart TVs for 2012. The Samsung plasma TV sets These TV product offerings center around 3 'Smart' pillars: Smart Interaction, Smart Conte...

Look at this. I saw this being tested by a blogger at a recent event. Can you guess what it is? All you have to do is touch the middle part and this is what you get. Meet the Mutewatch - a digital watch that can easily pass for a mere bracelet.  It turns on when you touch the middle part. Or just turn your arm 90 degrees and the movement activates the watch to turn on. The Mutewatch lets you set an alarm. Yes, you're limited to just one alarm but it can be set to go off daily at the same time. It's also got a Timer mode and is charged by plugging it into a USB port. According to the blogger who was using the review unit, it runs 2-3 days on a full charge. Watch this video. I saw boxed versions of the Mutewatch at Digital Walker in V-Mall. This comes in 2 variants: Charcoal Grey (which is shown above) and Poppy Red (below). I was thinking this would be great for frequent commuters who are afraid that their watches could be a targ...