Google Play’s Offline Game Section

As the title suggests, Google Play now has an Offline Games section. 

This is perfect for casual gamers which is, in my opinion, the majority. Most of the smartphone users play with their downloaded games as way to consume extra time and are not exactly committed to the game itself.

Most games from the Playstore nowadays may require internet connection before you can start playing. But not all of the time, especially in the Philippine setting, there is WIFI available. Those supposedly cool games we downloaded online just end up eating up our phone’s memory and of course, in most cases gets deleted.

We understand that internet connection is essential for a lot of games. For example, to counter piracy or for those which require in-app purchases and those which support multiplayers. However, casual gamers don’t look for those types of games but instead for the much simpler ones and the Offline section makes it a lot easier for them (us!) to find these kinds of games.

Popular titles in this section include Asphalt 8, Adventure Town, Tank World War, Air Alert, Ninja Revenge, Zombie World and more! All of which you can play anywhere in the world.

I hope this move by Google would inspire more game developers to cater to the needs of the casual gamers and make single player games that don’t require internet connection.

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3 Google Play Edition Devices now available in PH

3 Google Play Edition devices are now in stock in the Philippines, as posted in Widget City's Facebook page. The three devices are the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S4, and LG G Pad 8.3. Everything is the same in the GPE devices sans the UI customizations and bloatware installed in the regular devices. Also, the GPE devices have more access to future and timely updates provided by Google, compared to the regular devices.

Prices for the three devices are Php 16,500 for the Z Ultra GPE, Php 16,500 for the Galaxy S4 GPE, and Php 12,500 for the G Pad 8.3. For those who are interested, you may visit the official site of Widget City here.

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Xiaomi unveils new flagship smartphone: the Mi4

Xiaomi launches Mi4

Xiaomi launches the Mi4, joining the flagship war of smartphones this 2014, in an event in China today. The Mi4 sports a Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM, 5-inch screen at 1080p HD, 13MP rear camera and 8MP front camera.

The latest smartphone from the Chinese company has the same screen size of 5” as its predecessor, the MI3, but has upgraded hardware and front camera as stated in the specs given above. It also has a slightly better battery capacity of 3080mAh (as opposed to MI3’s 3050mAh) and comes with 16GB and 64GB variants.

Yes, what looks like the fruit company’s smartphone you see in the promo video is actually the Mi4! The product launch emphasizes how the Mi4 is made up of metal and even showed a video of its manufacturing process sticking to the event’s tagline “The journey of a piece of steel”. It is, contrary to previous leaks, not entirely metal. Its back cover is made of removable plastic for customizations. Options available would include wooden and marble-effects rear covers.

The Mi4 runs with the latest Android 4.4 KitKat via the latest version of Xiaomi’s own custom skin, the MIUI version 6. Pricing for the Mi4 starts at RMB 1,999 (around PHP 14,000) for the 16GB variant and RMB 2,499 (PHP 17,500) for the 64GB version.

Mi4 wooden rear covers

The Mi4 only however doesn’t support 4G. (update: 4G(LTE) variant will be available later this year ).

The device will start populating the market on July 29, 2014 and approximately 1 million Mi4's will be provided in 2 months.

Mi4 quick specs:

• Stainless steel frame, unbelievable craftsmanship & polish
• Snapdragon 801 chipset, 3GB RAM, 16/64GB Flash
• 5-inch 1080p IPS display, very high color gamut (84% of NTSC range)
• 13MP rear camera, f1.8, real-time HDR, 4K video recording (Sony IMX214)
• 8MP front camera, f1.8, 80-degree wide angle (Sony IMX219)
• 3080mAh internal battery, quick charging at 9V/1.2A or 5V/2A
• Swappable back plate
• Weight: 149g
• RMB 1999 (~PHP 14,000) for 16GB Version; RMB 2499 (~PHP 17,500) for 64GB Version

Xiaomi also launched its first wearable tech, a fitness band, today priced at RMB 79 (approx. PHP 550). The MiBand unlocks your phone via bluetooth without the need of passwords. It also monitors your movements and sleep quality. Aside from being waterproof, Xiaomi boasts that the device has a standby time of 30 days.

Xiaomi MiBand fitness wearable

For more details on the event, check out the official Xiaomi live blog.

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Asus Launches Zenfone on the Philippines | Specs and Price list

 

ASUS Zenfones 4, 5 & 6 with Intel inside

Asus has finally launched the Zenfone in the Philippines! A media event at Hyve Bar in Taguig City yesterday officially unveiled the Zenfones 4, 5 & 6 to the Filipino people. 

The price starts at PHP 3,995 for the Zenfone 4, PHP 6,495 and PHP 11,995 for 5 & 6 respectively.

The Zenfones come with the ZenUI, Asus’ own Android skin which looks simple and pretty. Another feature is “What’s Next” which like Google Now, helps you keep track and manage your schedule.

But what makes the Zenfones unique is that they have Intel inside. The 4-inch model runs on a 1.2GHz Intel Atom z2520, and the 5- and 6-inch models pack a 2GHz Atom Z2580. Intel says that these chipset is capable of hyper threading which enables the processor to be more efficient and run multiple tasks at the same time. The Hyper-Threading Technology basically means that there is an improvement in productivity by doing more simultaneously without slowing down.

Asus also boasts its products’ PixelMaster, a camera technology that can function well in low-light environments.

Zenfone 4 Specs:

• 4” WVGA 800x480 display
• Intel Atom Z2520  1.2 GHz Dual-core processor with Hyper-Threading Technology
• 5 MP Rear Camera, PixelMaster / VGA Front Camera
• 1 GB RAM
• 8 GB Memory with MicroSD card slot (up to 64 GB)
• 1600mAh Battery
• Android 4.3 JellyBean(will update to 4.4 KitKat)
• Price: PHP3995

Zenfone 5 Specs:

• 5” 720x1280 IPS display
• Intel Atom Z2560 Processor 1.6GHz with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology
• 8MP Rear Camera with LED flash, PixelMaster
• 2MP Front Camera
• 2GB RAM
• 8GB Memory with MicroSD card slot (up to 64GB)
• 2110 mAh Battery
• Android 4.3 JellyBean(will update to 4.4 KitKat)
• Price: PHP6495

Zenfone 6 Specs:

• 6” HD 1280x720 IPS display
• Intel Atom Z2580 2.0 GHz with HyperThreading Technology
• 13 MP Rear Camera with LED Flash, PixelMaster
• 2 MP Front Camera
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB Memory with MicroSD card slot (up to 64GB)
• 3200mAh Battery
• Android 4.3 JellyBean(will update to 4.4 KitKat)
• Price: PHP11995

The Zenfones 4, 5 & 6 can be bought online through Lazada at the moment but will be available on retail stores starting next week.

Complete phone specifications here!

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Nokia X2: Your last chance for a Nokia Android Phone

Nokia X2 Dual Sim

Not even a month after Nokia has released the Nokia X2, an affordable smartphone running on Android, Microsoft (Yes, Nokia is under Microsoft now) has announced that they will be ending the company’s work on Android.

According to Stephen Elop’s, Microsoft’s Devices Executive Vice President, memo, the Android-powered Nokia products are just not in line with Microsoft’s strategic direction and that the company will be focusing more on the market for the Windows Phone. Also they plan to deliver additional lower-cost Lumia devices by shifting select future Nokia X designs and products to Windows Phone devices. The existing Nokia X products, however, will continue to be sold and supported.

This announcement was in line with the company’s big move to layoff 18,000 of its jobs over the next year. Satya Nadella said in his email that 12,500 of the jobs will be coming from Nokia including both professionals and factory workers. Another product line to be shutdown following this layoffwould be the Xbox Entertainment Studios.

The Nokia X product line was introduced to the world last February (before Nokia was acquired by Microsoft) showing off its interesting combination of an Android-powered phone with the look and design of a Windows Phone.  This experiment however is short-lived.

For the fans of both Nokia and Android, X2 will be your last chance to have a device with both the big names in it.

Nokia X2 specs:

• 4.3-inch, 217 ppi with 480×800 resolution display 
• 5-Megapixel rear-facing camera
• 0.3 Megapixel front-facing camera
• 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor
• 1 GB of RAM, 4 GB memory 
• SIM card type: Micro SIM 
• Dual SIM: Dual Standby SIM 
• Battery Capacity: 1800mAh

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iPhone 6 clones on the market ahead of Apple

Months before the awaited announcement and release of Apple's next flagship phone (rumored the iPhone 6), clones of the device, dubbed the Wico i6 and Goophone i6 have already surfaced on the market.

Chinese clone handset makers beat the Cupertino based company in releasing their latest products even before the final specifications of the rumored iPhone 6 have been officially released.

Wico i6 was announced by 86digi.com accompanied with a video showing a demo of the actual device. Aside from the interesting background music, the video shows a device that, at first glance, looks a lot like the ‘leaked’ 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6. The said clone features a 960x1704 resolution and runs with a quad-core processor with 32GB memory and 2 GB or ram.

As you can see on the video, Wico i6 is very detailed as its body closely resembles (aside from its side-mounted power button) the leaked design of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 with its slightly modified volume buttons and curved edges. Its interface also closely resembles that of an iPhone but of course, what you see is not the anticipated iOS 8 but rather a heavily modded Android KitKat.

Another iPhone 6 clone that has been making a buzz over the internet (via GizChina.com) recently is the GooPhone i6 which is set to be on the market next month. When you look at their website, you can see that GooPhone.net not only sells the iPhone copy but also clones of HTC and Samsung products.

GooPhone i6 boasts a 4.7-inch IPS display with a 960x540 resolution, a 5 MP front and 13 MP rear camera. The iPhone clone is said to run on a quad-core Mediatek MT6582 chipset with 1 GB or RAM and 8 GB memory. Similar to the other GooPhone clones, the GooPhone i6 is powered by Android.

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With the iPhone 5s nearing its first birthday, and basing on recent events concerning next-generation releases of the iPhone, Apple is set to announce their next flagship device this September. But even before the smartphone innovator has commented about it, leaks of their supposed new devices have been circulating over the internet. Yes, devices. Leaks have shown that the Apple iPhone 6 would come in 2 variants: 4.7- and 5.5-inch models. But everything is still yet to be confirmed by Apple itself. The leaked pictures, however, have been the sources of the design and looks of the iPhone 6 clones that we have today.

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Week Calendar: Free on the App Store for Two Days

One of the best calendar apps for your IPhone, the Week Calendar (IPhone version only), goes for free for two days on the Apple App Store. This special promo is only available on July 15-16, 2014. If you still don't have this app, be sure not to miss this awesome opportunity before its price goes from zero back to USD 1.99.

This calendar app is loaded with tons of features such as relocating events and appointments via drag and drop and viewing all of them in one glance. Also, you can set icons on events for easier recognition. You can also link your contacts to an event so that you will be able to quickly call and/or text the persons related to your appointments.

Another cool feature, though a paid add-on, is the addition of holidays which is of course, country specific and game schedules of selected sports. And yes, there is one for Philippine Holidays! The add-ons cost USD 0.99.

I will update the features and add a review for this app once I get the chance to experience it. For now, download Week Calendar in the App Store today while its free!

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