Apps and Gadgets

(Note: I'm hosting an Epson contest with either a Picturemate PM245 or a LabelWorks label printer as giveaway so please read the entire post.) I've always connected the brand Epson with printers. And we've had our share of printers at home -- from the very simple and cheap desk printer I had beside my computer to the all-in-one printer that the whole family shared at one time to the wireless printer that we currently have. So when the SoMoms were invited to an Epson for Moms event, I was the first to sign up. Were we in for a huge surprise because the products we were introduced to that day were meant to turn ordinary into extraordinary !

As a geeky parent who has experienced just how heavy school bags can get (and they weigh a ton!), I totally embrace the growing concept of shrinking school material into ebooks and portable devices such as tablets. So when I got an invitation to the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Samsung's first smart classroom in the main campus of Philippine Science High School (PSHS) , I did not hesitate to say yes. After all, PSHS is where you'd find some of the country's most gifted student-scientists who are well known for their skills in math, science and technology. At the Advanced Science Technology Building, one of PSHS's main campus classrooms was renovated completely to house a fully digital and interactive learning environment filled with the latest in Samsung's technology solutions for learning. Not only did Samsung provide the hardware inside this classroom but they also provided the software platform upon which the learning tools ran.   Plaque right outside t...

WeChat , one of the top 3 searched apps in the Philippines, recently introduced us to their app version 5.1 and they come with more games, enhanced features that support both iOS and Android platforms, expanded group messaging and customized photos that are shareable.

It's 30 years of Mac! Happy birthday, Mac!!! Apple's official website has this image plastered all over its homepage to celebrate 30 years of Apple innovation.

Cloud storage is now becoming the way to store one's files so you can take it everywhere. Dropbox initially offered 2GB free storage with increasing storage for every new user you bring in. iCloud started with 5GB. My son told me about Box some time back so I registered for an account just as a backup cloud storage but never used it. You will want to download Box on your iPhone or iPad as soon as possible though because for a limited time, all users who download the iOS app get 50GB cloud storage FOR LIFE. Yes, it is never going away!

The holidays are a good time as any to indulge yourself after months of hard work. Or give the gift of love to someone who works just as hard. Smart, through its subsidiary Smart Broadband (SmartBro) is now offering the iPad Air and iPad Mini Retina in different affordable data plans that allow subscribers to connect to Smart's LTE network with speeds up to 42 MBPS. iPad Air Holding the iPad Air, I was really impressed with how much lighter it was. But of course, I was still the owner of the original iPad 1 (haha). But really, my hubby has the iPad 4 and the iPad Air was definitely lighter. Featuring a 9.7-inch retina display, it is 20% thinner than the iPad 4 and at just one pound, it is 28% lighter as well. Its borders also feature a narrower bezel.

Smart will be offering exclusively the first Android phone running KitKat (Android 4.4) - the LG Nexus 5 .