Elco Post - Electronic & Computer e-Magazine

Samsung officially unveiled the Galaxy Beam (GT-I8530), a projector smartphone that comes with an integrated projector capable of 15 lumens of brightness and can project HD image up to 50-inches wide. The Galaxy Beam also comes with a dual-core 1GHz processor, 4-inch WVGA (480x800) display, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 6GB RAM 768MB RAM, 8GB of internal storage, MicroSD slot up to 32GB, 5MP and 1.3MP cameras, 720p HD video playback and recording, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi, GPS, and 2,000mAh battery.

Update: The Samsung Galaxy Beam 6GB of RAM is just a typo and the device is actually coming with a 768MB of RAM.


Source: Samsung Mobile Press

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Good news to all Cherry Mobile Magnum 2X users, Cherry Mobile just announced on their Facebook page that the Cherry Mobile Magnum 2X can now be upgraded to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. To upgrade just follow these steps after the jump.

How to upgrade your Cherry Mobile Magnum 2X to Android 2.3 Gingerbread:
Step 1
Download the software update - Magnum2X_softwareupdate.zip (119MB)
Step 2
Extract the ZIP file.
Step 3
Follow the instructions on the Word File - magnum 2x software download manual revised.doc
Step 4
Upgrade will start. You can see the progress of the update while you wait.
Step 5
Congratulations, your Cherry Mobile Magnum 2X is now updated to its latest software.

Source: Cherry Mobile

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Italian industrial designer Federico Ciccarese, announced on Google+ this iPhone 5 concept that he made after analyzing various iPhone 5 rumors. Ciccarese’s vision of the iPhone 5 predicts a slightly curved back that looks like Apple’s Magic Mouse and a MacBook like metallic silver back finish. More on Ciccarese’s iPhone 5 concept design after the jump.

Would you like the iPhone 5 to look like this?

Source: CiccareseDesign

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Nokia Philippines just announced that the third and last of the Asha series called Asha 300 is now available here in the Philippines for Php4,980 only, making it in the middle of the Asha family, between the Asha 200 and the Asha 303 in terms of affordability.

The Nokia Asha 300 is a dual-SIM, touch and type phone that comes with a single-core 1GHz processor, 2.4-inch QVGA (240x320) resistive display, 128MB RAM, 140MB of internal storage, microSD up to 32GB, HSDPA support, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, FM radio with RDS, 1110mAh battery and a 5-megapixel camera. It also comes pre-installed with Angry Birds and available in three colors - white, red and graphite.

Source: Nokia Philippines (Facebook)

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Samsung Galaxy Ace 2

Samsung has officially announced two new Android smartphones, the Galaxy Ace 2 and Galaxy Mini 2 and are taking over Samsung’s Galaxy Ace and Galaxy Mini devices with an upgraded display, camera and processor. Both smartphones are also running Samsung's TouchWiz 4.0 on top of Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

The Galaxy Ace 2 comes with a dual-core 800MHz processor, 3.8-inch WVGA (480x800) display, 768MB RAM, 4GB of internal storage, 5 megapixel rear camera with 720p video recording, VGA front camera, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, GPS/GLONASS and a 1,500mAh battery.

Samsung Galaxy Mini 2

The Galaxy Mini 2 comes with a single-core 800MHz processor, 3.27-inch HVGA (480x320) display, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, 3 megapixel fixed-focus rear camera with VGA video recording, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA, A-GPS and a 1,300mAh battery.

Both devices will ship first to Europe with the Galaxy mini 2 in March for $265 and the Galaxy Ace 2 in April for $460, before being available to other markets.

Source: SammyHub

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LG just unveiled the 5-inch tablet smartphone hybrid with stylus input capability called Optimus Vu, a direct competitor to Samsung's Galaxy Note. The LG Optimus Vu was expected to be unveiled at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) but it appears that the Korean company simply just couldn't wait.

The LG Optimus Vu comes with a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, Adreno 220 GPU, 5-inch XGA (1024 x 768) IPS display with a 4x3 aspect ratio, Android 2.3 Gingerbread (Upgradable to Ice Cream Sandwich), 1GB RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 8 megapixel auto-focus rear camera with LED flash, 1.3 megapixel front camera, LTE, HDMI, DLNA, Wi-Fi, 2,080 mAh battery and a 8.5mm thick frame.

The Optimus Vu will be available on SK Telecom and LG+ carriers in South Korea in early March and the rest of the world should be able to see this device shortly thereafter. Pricing is still unknown.


Source: LG

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From the creators of The Sims 3 series of best-selling mobile games, EA's The Sims FreePlay for Android that comes with a complete Sims experience is now available to download for free on Android Market. To download just visit Android Market at the source below.

The Sims FreePlay Features:
• Create up to 16 customized Sims from head to toe
• Design dream homes or get fully-furnished houses for your Sims
• Care for pets, grow gardens, even bake a cake
• Give your Sims careers and earn Simoleons to improve their situations
• Complete goals for Lifestyle Points, then spend them on hip items
• Live with your Sims in real-time (when it’s day or night for you, it’s the same for your Sims)

Notes:
- This all-new experience of The Sims is designed for play on Android devices and is not connected to our Facebook game.
- You must have an Internet connection to play, so please make sure your device is connected.
- Due to the rich, immersive quality of this game, we recommend connecting to WiFi to download and play.


Source: Android Market

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Alcatel unveiled today their new QWERTY Android smartphone for the upcoming Mobile World Congress called the OT-915. The Alcatel OT-915 comes with a 2.8-inch QVGA (240 x 320) display, Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, 5-megapixel camera, WiFI, FM radio and a 11.9mm thick body.

There are no details about the price and availability of the device yet, but according to Electricpig, it will be available in the UK this year.

Source: Electricpig

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Nokia just announced that Nokia Belle update for Nokia 500 owners will start to be rolled out today in most countries. So, what are you waiting for, check for the Nokia Belle update on your Nokia 500 by connecting it to Nokia Suite via USB, and if the update doesn’t show up yet, Nokia warns that it will be released in phases, country by country as soon as each relevant variant of the latest Symbian software is available.

Nokia Belle update for Nokia 500 here in the Philippines:

According to Nokia, this version of Nokia Belle has been optimized for the Nokia 500 to make do with its not-so-stellar hardware and includes only 4 home screens, but still promises fluid navigation.

Learn how to update your phone software to Nokia Belle by following these easy steps.

Source: Nokia Conversations

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According to GSMArena, the Samsung Galaxy Mini Plus (It is called Pop in India while globally it is called Mini), the successor to the original Galaxy Mini was found in an Indian online store called Flipkart. The only difference between the Galaxy Mini Plus (S5570i) compared to the original Galaxy Mini (S5570) is the 832MHz processor, an increase from the 600MHz processor of the original device.

The Samsung Galaxy Mini Plus has a price of $170 (Rs. 8330) and currently out of stock at Flipkart.

Source: Flipkart via GSMArena

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Good news for those who didn't have a gift for their loved ones tomorrow, Alcatel Mobile just announced that their entry level dual-SIM Android smartphone called OneTouch Blaze Duo 890D is now priced at Php3,999 only, that's Php400 more savings than last week price drop of Php4,399.

Alcatel OneTouch Blaze Duo 890D Specifications:

• 2.8-inch QVGA (320×240) display
• 420MHz processor
• 150MB of internal storage
• MicroSD up to 16GB
• WiFi 802.11 b/g
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
• 2 megapixel camera
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• GPS w/ aGPS support
• 1000mAh Li-Ion battery
• Android 2.2 Froyo
• Php3,999

Source: Alcatel Mobile Philippines (Facebook)

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LG Mobile Philippines recently announced their latest mobile promo for the upcoming Valentine's day this week entitled "Show your Sweet Luvin' with LG Mobile!" Which you can get an instant freebie like exclusive original jelly covers or micro SD cards for every purchase of Optimus Black, Optimus Hub, Optimus Pro, or Wink Wi-Fi II. LG's Sweet Luvin' promo is available from February 10 to 26 only.


Source: LG Optimus PH (Facebook)

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Acer just announced that its upcoming flagship smartphone the CloudMobile has just received the iF design award 2012, in recognition of outstanding achievement in design. According to Acer, CloudMobile is the first smartphone to offer AcerCloud technology, which securely connects personal content from Cloud PCs through CloudMobile anytime, anywhere.

There's no detailed spec about the device at this point, but it will come with a 4.3-inch HD display, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Dolby sound and a body less than 10mm thick. The Acer CloudMobile will be unveiled at the end of February 2012 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and will be available in Q3 of the year.

Source: Pocket-lint

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Samsung 5.3-inch phone tablet hybrid Galaxy Note will now come with "Berry Pink" color which is repainted at both the front and the back of the device. According to GSMArena, Samsung is trying generate enough interest to lure the ladies with the Galaxy Note.

The specs of the device is the same and scheduled to be released later this month, but the price and availability of the device is still unknown,

Source: GSMArena

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Samsung successor to the Galaxy Mini called Galaxy Mini 2 (S6500) was leaked today by tipster on GSMArena, codenamed Jena the device features a bigger screen, bigger internal storage, better resolution and faster processor than the first-generation Galaxy mini and sits between the low-end Galaxy Y and Galaxy Ace.

The Galaxy Mini 2 will come with a single core 800MHz processor, 3.3-inch HVGA (480x320) TFT display, 3GB of internal storage. Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, HSDPA 7.2Mbps support, 3 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, ChatON messaging service and the device might be announced at MWC this February 2012.

Source: GSMArena

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Alcatel Mobile just announced that the dual-SIM Android smartphone called OneTouch Blaze Duo 890D is now price at Php4,399, down from its original price of Php5,999 last year. Thus becoming Alcatel's cheapest dual-SIM Android smartphone here in the Philippines.

Alcatel OneTouch Blaze Duo 890D Specifications:

• 2.8-inch QVGA (320×240) display
• 420MHz processor
• 150MB of internal storage
• MicroSD up to 16GB
• WiFi 802.11 b/g
• Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
• 2 megapixel camera
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• GPS w/ aGPS support
• 1000mAh Li-Ion battery
• Android 2.2 Froyo

Source: Alcatel Mobile Philippines (Facebook)

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Google just released the Chrome browser for Android, which brings many of the desktop features of the Chrome browser to your Android devices like omnibox, unlimited tabs, incognito mode and more. Currently the Chrome browser is still in beta and available for free in the Android Market, but only to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich devices. If you have an ICS device and want to try it out, just visit the Android Market at the source below.

Chrome Beta Features:
- Browse fast with accelerated page loading, scrolling, and zooming
- Search and navigate directly from the omnibox
- Open and switch between unlimited tabs in an easy-to-view stack
- Sign in to Chrome to sync your bookmarks and view tabs you have open on your computer
- Send pages from desktop Chrome to your smartphone or tablet with one click and read them on the go, even if you’re offline
- Browse privately in Incognito mode


Source: Android Market via Google Blog

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Samsung is celebrating Valentine's Day next week and to celebrate that special event, Samsung is giving away a bunch of paid apps for free for Android and Bada users until February 21. If you download all the apps, you can get a chance to win a free $5 voucher for your next apps.

To download just visit Samsung Apps at the source below.

Supported Android devices:

• Galaxy S(I9000)
• Galaxy 5(I5503)
• Galaxy551(I5510)
• Galaxy S Wi-Fi 5.0(G70)
• Galaxy S2(I9100)
• Galaxy mini(S5570)
• Galaxy Fit(S5670)
• Galaxy S scLCD(I9003)
• Galaxy Tab 10.1(P7500)
• Galaxy Tab 8.9(P7300)
• Galaxy Tab 7.7(P6800)
• Galaxy W(I8150)
• Galaxy Ace(S5830)
• Galaxy Y(S5360)
• Galaxy Note(I9220)

Supported Bada devices:

• Wave525(S5253)
• Wave II(S8530)
• Wave(S8500)
• Wave723(S7233E)
• Wave723(S7233E)
• Wave 3(S8600)

Source: Samsung Apps

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Learn how to update your phone software to Nokia Belle by following these easy steps below and there's even a video tutorial from Nokia that might help you update your phone to Nokia Belle. Also, don’t worry if you can’t update your phone to Nokia Belle at this moment, Nokia might still be in the process of releasing the updates for other devices.

How to update to Nokia Belle:

1. Check if the update for your device is available, here.
2. Download Nokia Suite 3.3 and install the software.
3. Connect your phone to the computer with a USB cable. 
4. Select the Software Updates icon on Nokia Suite.
5. Follow the instructions on the screen (Nokia Suite will backup your data) 
6. Enter the PIN for your phone when prompted.
7. For more info, go to www.nokia.com/support.

Note: Key in *#0000# to check for your handset’s product code.


Source: Nokia Conversations

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Eldar Murtazin just confirmed that the leaked Nokia 801, the rumored successor of the Nokia N8 which is supposed to mark the end of Symbian is real. According to the Smartphone Geeks, the design of the Nokia 801 has a unique button-less design, and looks very similar to the polycarbonate design of the N9 and Lumia 800. The Nokia 801 will also come with a 4-inch AMOLED ClearBlack Display, 1.4 GHz Processor, 512MB RAM, NFC, 12 megapixel auto-focus camera with a dual LED flash and 1080p video recording and run on Nokia Belle.


Source: Smartphone Geeks, @eldarmurtazin

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