15 January, 2012

TechPinas

TechPinas

Samsung Galaxy Note Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread OTA Firmware Update, Out!

Posted: 15 Jan 2012 07:42 AM PST

Have you upgraded your Samsung Galaxy Note to the latest firmware?!

I have!


To download Android Gingerbread version 2.3.6 over the air and install it on your SGNote, first you have to make sure you're connected to a fast internet connection, either Wifi or 3G, then go to Settings, About Phone, Software Update then Check for software updates. If the OTA firmware upgrade is already available for your device, you will get a notification. You will then have to accept the terms and conditions and proceed with downloading the the needed files; the whole update weighs 62.31 MB.


After downloading the files, your Note will prompt you to start the installation. Just click on the button and let it do its thing. The whole process takes around 10-15 minutes. Once done, the phone will restart on its own.

So what's new with Android 2.3.6? It's been two days now since installed the update and I haven't really noticed a big change -- save for smoother animations - if a bit - and ever slightly longer uptime. It's not much. But I'd still suggest you update your SGNote to the latest firmware as this will prepare your phone for the more exciting upcoming Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade.

White BlackBerry Bold 9900 Price Philippines Php 31,690 - Specs, Release Date, Features

Posted: 14 Jan 2012 09:59 PM PST

The BlackBerry Bold 9900 is currently RIM's top-of-the-line handset.

white blackberry bold 9900

It is the finest business phone, the cream of the crop, and the most expensive mobile device that the Canadian company has to offer -- excluding the limited edition BlackBerry Porsche, that is. As featured in an earlier TP article, customers who'll get BB Bold 9900 - which succeeds BB Bold 9780 - will enjoy the following features:
  • Classic BlackBerry exterior design made of premium choice of materials which includes a brushed stainless steel frame
  • A 2.8" high resolution capacitive touchscreen. This would enable users to navigate using double-click, tap, swipe, and pinch-to-zoom gestures on the screen. Fans of the classic BB design would still have the option to use the optical trackpad.
  • It has the largest physical QWERTY keyboard on a BlackBerry handset ever. This naturally improves faster thumb-typing of e-mails, text messages, BBM and status updates.
  • The phone is equipped with a 1.2 GHz processor. This is currently the most powerful processor that runs any BlackBerry smartphone. It ensures the Bold 9900 user the best experience when it comes to multitasking and running applications.
  • The phone features the new BlackBerry OS 7, which is the latest BlackBerry smartphone OS optimized for touchscreens.
  • Near-Field Communications or NFC is a new technology that allows your phone to do things such as exchanging data with other NFC equipped devices and make payments using only the touch of your phone. In the future, it can replace credit cards but today, it is still not widely used especially in our country.
Released in the Philippines in October last year, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 is now available in white. The market response to their previous white BB models have been, according to RIM, overwhelmingly successful.

white blackberry bold 9900
 Mr. Francois Mahieu, Research in Motion's Senior Director for Product Management in Asia Pacific, presenting the White BlackBerry Bold 9900 to Philippine Media.

So why white? This has been the trend in gadgets nowadays. The market sees white devices as beautifully stylish and a fashion statement. There's also the feeling of exclusivity since previously, not many models are available in white. In addition, I noticed that second hand 'white models' can be resold at a much higher premium, about Php 1,000 to Php 2,000 more.

 The white BlackBerry Bold 9900 retails for a premium price of Php 31,690, which is - interestingly - same as the black variant. If you are looking for the top BB handset, and you want to make a fashion statement and assure a premium resale value of your phone, then I recommend this model -- Just make sure that you take extra care in keeping it away from dirt and discoloration.

TP Contributing Writer Profile: Mon Arguelles is a graduate of Environmental Management, a joint program of the Ateneo De Manila University and University of San Francisco. He's currently taking up his MBA. He is a part-time professor and environmental researcher but considers being updated about the latest technological trends to be one of his favorite pastimes.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)
Name White BlackBerry Bold 9900
Type Touch and Type - Thumb-type Full QWERTY Candybar with Capacitive Touchscreen Display
Price Category High-End (Flagship Release)
Dimensions115 x 66 x 10.5 mm
Weight 130 grams
Available Colors White
Operating System BlackBerry 7 OS
Display 2.8 inches (~286 ppi pixel density), 640 x 480 pixels, TFT, capacitive touchscreen,16M colors
Processor 1.2 GHz QC 8655 processor
Camera 5 MegaPixels, 2592x1944 pixels, fixed focus, LED flash
Video Capture High-Definition, 720p, fixed focus
Audio and Video Playback MP4/WMV/H.263/H.264 player, MP3/eAAC+/WMA player
Ports microUSB 2.0, 3.5 mm audio jack
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, EDR, NFC, 3G
HSDPA 14.4Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps
Network 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 1900 /
2100
Memory 8GB storage, 768 MB RAM, expandable via microSD, supports up to 32GB
Sensors Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity
Battery Li-Ion 1230 mAh
Uptime Standby of up to 307 hours and Talk time of up to 6 hours 30 minutes on 2G Talk
time of up to 5 hours 50 minutes on 3G
Value-Added Features Optical Trackpad, BlackBerry Messenger, BlackBerry Maps,
Facebook for BlackBerry, Twitter for BlackBerry
Announcement January 10, 2012
Availability January 13, 2012
Price Php 31,690


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