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By Yahoo – Mon, Mar 2, 2015 (Philippine time)

You can exhale now. They're official.

Samsung has finally taken the wraps off the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, successors to its flagship Galaxy S line, at the ongoing 2015 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. And as expected, the two smartphones pack headline-grabbing specs and features that raise the stakes for everyone in the cutthroat mobile industry. Bleeding-edge silicon is what makes Samsung's top-tier Galaxy handsets so attractive, after all, life savings be damned.

Unlike in previous years, though, Samsung is putting an emphasis on design in 2015, hence the somewhat unfamiliar slabs of metal and glass you see on your monitor, phone, or tablet. This year, it has done the unthinkable yet inevitable: take bolder steps to come out with something different, something better-looking, and, for the Korean company's sake (note that the Galaxy S5 failed to meet sales expectations), something genuinely compelling.

Meet the Samsung Galaxy S6

To Samsung's credit, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge do seem to fit the bill. From what we've seen so far, they're no-brainers for loyalists due for an upgrade—and that's not something we can say about just any flagship successor. Owners of previous-gen iPhones, meanwhile, probably need more convincing than any other flagship-phone shopper, because they're used to designs that incorporate premium materials.

Samsung is well aware of this; thus, key elements of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge's design include an all-metal frame and front- and rear-glass panels that are said to be 1.5 times more durable than Gorilla Glass 3. 

You're looking at the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge's back

There are a lot of words we can use to describe the company's latest efforts, but “cheap-looking” or anything along that vein isn't one of them. The fact that the devices are lighter and slimmer than the Galaxy S5, which measures 8.1-mm-thick and weighs 145 grams, is likewise an impressive feat. Wireless charging comes standard as well, although you'll have to spring for a special charger sold separately.

For the second year running, Samsung has fitted its premium offerings with built-in heart-rate and fingerprint sensors, except this time around, the latter has been integrated into the home button, as opposed to last year's design, which can be tricky to use. While we wouldn't say we prefer it to Apple's Touch ID, we have to admit it's a vast improvement on what came before it.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge gets curvy

And how could we forget the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge's curved screen? Forget ultra high definition—though, to be clear, both handsets are capable of 1,440 x 2,560 resolution—curved displays, regardless of which way they bend, are as ambitious as it gets for smartphones today.

The similarities don't end there either. Both devices run a custom version of Android Lollipop on an octa-core Exynos processor with LTE Advanced support, 3GB of RAM, and from 32GB to 128GB of built-in storage. Also onboard are 16- and 5-megapixel rear and selfie cameras with optical image stabilization and F1.9 aperture for improved performance in dim situations.

Sample photo taken with the Samsung Galaxy S6

Another picture taken with the Samsung Galaxy S6

Finally, the 2,600mAh non-removable battery inside the Galaxy S6 has a marginal advantage over its sibling's 2,500mAh cell. Not that it matters a whole lot given their quick-charging capabilities. We're told it only takes three hours to recharge the batteries from zero capacity.

Samsung Electronics Philippines has yet to reveal the local pricing of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. We'll probably know the phones' respective SRPs a week or two before their mid-April launch in the country. What we do know is that the S6 version that will go on sale here will be dual SIM. If you want to pre-order now, just email [email protected].

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge preview

The Meizu m1 Note, one of today's most desirable phones, is getting a low P7,990 price tag as soon as it becomes available in the Philippines.

By Yahoo – Fri, Feb 6, 2015

If you've been eyeing a budget LTE smartphone to make the most of your telco's data packages, you may want to reconsider your top pick, whatever it is. On the sidelines of the Meizu Mx4 Pro mini-launch at Gateway Mall, Meizu local distributor Novo7 Tech said the Meizu m1 Note is headed for the Philippines as early as March 2015.

So why all the fuss about another smartphone from another Chinese manufacturer? (As if the market isn't saturated enough with all kinds of devices from China, right?) The short answer: On paper, the m1 Note is one of the most desirable smartphones now. Meizu's "OnePlus One"—except much, much cheaper. And to think the elusive yet wildly popular One starts at just $299 (about P13,000).

Just how affordable is the Meizu m1 Note? Novo7 Tech execs told us to expect a P7,990 asking price for the white 16GB variant at launch.

For almost half the price of the One, you're getting dual-SIM slots; a 5.5-inch 1080p display fronted by Gorilla Glass 3; a 64-bit, octa-core processor from MediaTek with 2GB of RAM and an LTE radio; 13- and 5-megapixel rear and front cameras; and a delightfully intuitive interface based on Android KitKat in Flyme 4.1. An update to Lollipop is reportedly coming in March. Also, the 3,140mAh integrated battery is decent enough for a phone this large.

Meizu m1 Note beside an iPhone 5c (via ePrice). Main image above via TeknoUp

What you just read are (mostly) the specs of a product that can pass as an early-2014 flagship model at a fraction of the cost, with the exception of a very few handsets; one that also closely resembles a bigger iPhone 5c—or what the love child of an iPhone 5c and 6 Plus would look like. Now you know why we sound giddy.

We'll keep our ears close to the ground as March approaches and report back to you. If you've got questions, though, tweet us at @aloraguerrero (Alora Uy Guerrero) or @monchlopez (Ramon Lopez).

Specs of the Meizu m1 Note (Price in the Philippines: P7,990; Availability: Most likely March 2015): * Dual SIM * LTE * 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6752 CPU * Mali-T760 GPU * 2GB RAM * 16GB internal storage * 5.5-inch IGZO display (1,080 x 1,920 resolution) * 13-megapixel rear camera with dual-tone flash * 5-megapixel front camera * 3,140mAh battery * Android KitKat 4.4.4

On February 4, 2004 (February 5 in the Philippines), Facebook was born. Here's how it changed over the years.

By Jillian D'Onfro | Business Insider — Thu, Feb 5, 2015

Happy 11th birthday, Facebook!

If you’ve been a loyal Facebook user since the beginning, you might remember how drastically different the site used to look. If not, we’ve got you covered.

From a private social network for Harvard students to the mammoth site that it is today, Facebook has evolved its design and capabilities accordingly. 

Who knows what the next major change will be, but you can bet that users will complain about it, just like they did about every other change in the site’s history. And then they decide they love it.

1. Remember when Facebook was called Thefacebook? It started at Harvard and slowly opened up to other colleges.

2. This is what a Facebook group page looked like in 2005.

3. For comparison, this is what a Facebook group page looks like today.

4. Back in 2005, before the News Feed launched, Facebook was essentially just a collection of disconnected profiles.

5. Check out Mark Zuckerberg’s profile in 2006.

6. Facebook launched the News Feed to display all your friends’ activity in a single timeline in 2006.

7. At the same time, Facebook introduced the Mini-Feed. But the entire concept of a News Feed resulted in some very public outrage. Some users even went so far to call one of Facebook’s product managers the devil.

8. In 2009, Facebook’s home page got a facelift. It started to creep onto Twitter’s territory with the addition of a real-time News Feed. That same year, Facebook also introduced its algorithm for determining the order in which status updates should be displayed.

9. In 2010, Facebook brought notifications to the top navigation bar following yet another redesign.

10. Facebook rolled out a new, more visual profile in 2010. It added a row of recently tagged images below your name and basic profile information.

11. Facebook launched the News Ticker in 2011 so users could keep up with their friends while browsing through other parts of Facebook.

12. The Facebook Timeline feels as though it’s been around since the beginning. But it launched in 2011 to act as a virtual timeline of your entire life.

13. Facebook started flooding the News Feed with sponsored stories in January 2012.

14. Here’s what Facebook’s News Feed looks like today.

15. This is what Facebook’s mobile app looked like when it first launched.

16. It has been completely redesigned.

Now, check out early Facebook from a DIFFERENT perspective.

The post appeared first on Business Insider. 

How has Facebook helped you? Do you find it better than other social networks? Let us know in the comments, or tweet us at @aloraguerrero. 

VIDEO YOU MAY WANT TO WATCH

Oppo Philippines releases a mid-tier offering whose main attraction is its camera.

By Yahoo – Tue, Feb 3, 2015

Scoot over, Meizu. As it turns out, another Chinese smartphone is making the rounds today, following the announcement of the price and release date of the Meizu MX4 Pro in the Philippine market. This time, we're shining the spotlight on the Oppo Mirror 3, which became official just a few weeks ago.

But while last year's Oppo N3 and R5 caught our attention with their motorized rotating camera and "world's thinnest smartphone" title (for a brief period), respectively, by contrast, the Mirror 3 seems to be a strictly mid-tier affair.

That's not to say it isn't worth the trouble, as it does come with a future-proof Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor capable of 64-bit computing, along with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable storage.

Of course, the Mirror 3's main draw, according to Oppo, is still its 8-megapixel main camera, which is powered by a Sony IMX179 Backside Illuminated sensor, the size of which is 1/3.2 inches. Take note also that the sensor has a pixel size of 1.4μm and a F/2.0 aperture.

Rounding out the key specs are a 4.7-inch, 720p IPS display for a pixel density of 312 dots per inch, a 5-megapixel selfie camera, and a 2,000mAh battery. 

We're assuming the Oppo Mirror 3's namesake comes from its rather shiny rear cover, which may appeal to some but turn off others. It actually reminds us of Samsung's early designs, before the Korean company's shift to synthetic leather.

The Oppo Mirror 3 retails for P10,990 and is now available in Philippine stores.

Specs of the Oppo Mirror 3
 (Price in the Philippines: P10,990): * Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor * 1GB RAM * 8GB internal storage * microSD card slot * 4.7-inch IPS display (720 x 1,280 resolution) * 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash * 
5-megapixel front camera * 2,000mAh battery * Android KitKat

Got questions? Tweet us at @aloraguerrero (Alora Uy Guerrero) or @monchlopez (Ramon Lopez).

VIDEO YOU MAY WANT TO WATCH

Cherry Mobile makes the Fuze S, a phone with 4,000mAh battery, official.

By Yahoo – Sat, Jan 31, 2015

Local tech company Cherry Mobile officially announced something big. And by big, we mean an Android phone with a huge, tablet-grade 4,000mAh battery that's supposed to last up to 500 hours (yes, 500 hours!) while on standby mode. That's at least double the category standard, mind you. Meet the Cherry Mobile Fuze S, or as we like to call it, the smartphone equivalent of the Energizer Bunny that was leaked weeks ago.

It's no slouch in the computing department either, courtesy of an octa-core MediaTek chipset that comes with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of built-in storage. If 8GB is not enough for your needs, there's an option to expand the memory via a microSD card slot. Android KitKat 4.4 and 8-megapixel and VGA rear and front cameras, meanwhile, are par for the course for a current budget offering.

Measuring five inches diagonally, the 480 x 854 touch display is big enough for a comfortable viewing experience. Sadly, the Cherry Mobile Fuze S doesn't pack nearly enough pixels to give other octa-core smartphones a run for their money. The device is aimed at bargain hunters, after all.

Taken from a video posted on Cherry Mobile's Facebook page

Of course, the most impressive spec here is still the 4,000mAh battery, which, as you may know, outclasses most releases on the market today. And while battery-life claims don't necessarily translate well into real-world use, our previous experiences with phones like the Cherry Mobile Fuze S are generally positive. It should go without saying, too, that units with lower-res screens require less power simply because there are fewer pixels to light up.

The Fuze S retails for P4,499 and is out now in Cherry Mobile stores and resellers nationwide. For hard-nosed power users who want longer phone runtimes, this one's certainly worth a look.

Specs of the Cherry Mobile Fuze S (Price: P4,499): * 1.4GHz octa-core MediaTek processor * 1GB RAM * 8GB internal storage * microSD card slot * 5-inch IPS display (480 x 854 resolution) * 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash * VGA front camera * 4,000mAh battery * Android KitKat 4.4

(Image via Cherry Angel)

Got questions? Tweet us at @aloraguerrero (Alora Uy Guerrero) or @monchlopez (Ramon Lopez).

VIDEO YOU MAY WANT TO WATCH

Meizu's phone with fingerprint scanner, the MX4 Pro, will finally be on Philippine shores starting February 5.

By Yahoo – Tue, Feb 3, 2015

Following the local release of the Meizu MX4, distributor Novo7 Tech is bringing another flagship phone to the Philippines come Thursday, February 5. This time, it's the Meizu MX4 Pro, which quickly replaced the MX4 as the company's most advanced smartphone to date.

Announced in November 2014, the Pro is priced at P20,990 for the 32GB variant, P6,000 more than the original MX4 when it first arrived in the country. Early adopters get a P1,000 discount until Sunday, February 8. Not bad at all considering the MX4 Pro represents a significant upgrade over the MX4, as the "Pro" moniker would have you believe. It even includes a fingerprint scanner that doubles as a physical home button, presumably to the chagrin of Apple.

Specs-wise, you're looking at a 5.5-inch IPS display with a 2K resolution—still the sharpest in the business and on a par with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, the LG G3, and the Xiaomi Mi Note Pro, to name a few.

The Meizu MX4 Pro also carries a Samsung-made Exynos chipset with an octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM. The rear and front cameras have 20- and 5-megapixel sensors, respectively.

In contrast, the MX4 sports a 5.36-inch, 1080p IPS display, alongside an octa-core MediaTek processor paired with 2GB of RAM and 20- and 2-megapixel main and secondary cameras.

Both phones run Meizu's Flyme OS on top of Android KitKat, though several reports indicate that an update to Lollipop is due in March.

Specs of the Meizu MX4 Pro (Regular price in the Philippines: P20,990): * LTE * Fingerprint scanner * Octa-core Exynos 5 processor * Mali-T628 GPU * 3GB RAM * 32GB internal storage * 5.5-inch IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (1,536 x 2,560 resolution) * 20.7-megapixel rear camera with LED flash * 5-megapixel front camera * 3,350mAh non-removable battery * Android KitKat 4.4.4

(Image via Engadget)

Got questions? Tweet us at @aloraguerrero or @monchlopez.

VIDEOS YOU MAY WANT TO WATCH

Expect Samsung to announce the Galaxy S6 phone at the Mobile World Congress on March 1.

Samsung will most likely announce its new flagship Galaxy phone on March 1 at an event in Barcelona.

The company sent invitations to the press for one of its “Unpacked” events, which are used to launch its most important products, like the Galaxy S and the Galaxy Note line of phones.

Sources familiar with Samsung’s plans said the so-called Galaxy S6 will be made of metal, a departure from the plastic designs the company has used in the past.

There will also be a version of the Galaxy S6 with a curved screen, similar to the Galaxy Note Edge, which was unveiled last year.

The invitation appears to give a glimpse at part of the device, and it does look like metal will be part of the new design.

Looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, right?

Finally, Samsung will announce a new smartwatch with a round design, according to sources.

Samsung’s rival HTC is also expected to reveal its new phone, the follow-up to the One M8, on March 1 at a separate event in Barcelona.

Read more stories on Business Insider, Malaysian edition of the world’s fastest-growing business and technology news website.

Find out why drug dealers are stocking up on vintage Nokia 8210 phones, not iPhone or Android devices.

By James Cook | Business Insider – Sun, Feb 1, 2015

Drug dealers don’t want the latest iPhone or Android phones.

Instead, "Vice" reports, drug dealers in the UK are stocking up on vintage Nokia 8210 phones because they are less easy to track. 

"Vice" claims that “every source” the publication spoke with has one of the vintage Nokias.

"Vice" spoke to a drug dealer known as K2 about the phones he uses. “I’ve got three Nokia 8210 phones and have been told they can be trusted, unlike these iPhones and new phones, which the police can easily [use to] find out where you’ve been.”

K2 went on to explain to "Vice" that drug dealers use the Nokia phones because of their long battery life and fears over police surveillance. “At least I can trust an old Nokia,” he said.

"Vice" also spoke to a crack addict who recalled being offered money for his old Nokia 8210 phone. He eventually exchanged it for some crack cocaine worth around $50 or around P2,200. Another person Vice spoke to was a phone shop owner in Birmingham. He said that the phones sell “straight away” when they come in stock.

It’s not just a long battery life that drug dealers like about the Nokia 8210, though. It also has an infrared port, which means that dealers can send contacts between phones easily without swapping out SIM cards.

Nokia 8210s are popular sellers on eBay, too. A quick search of the used-cellphone section shows that the 16-year-old phones are selling for around £30 or roughly P2,000— a high price for outdated technology.

The post Drug dealers are snapping up this vintage Nokia phone appeared first on Business Insider. Image via Flickr/James Whatley.