As of this writing, the nominations for this years Globe #TattAwards are open for the public. What that means is that online personalities, bloggers (like us), and social media gurus are currently being championed in by their fans into one of the biggest awarding events in the business – kind of like our Emmy’s, if you will. During its awards ceremonies last year, it named a few powerful bloggers, fashionistas, video bloggers, indie rockers, and thought provokers. This year, Globe has expanded the categories into 10 from last year’s seven – allowing for more styles of online media to be recognized.

The ten new categories include:

1. Stylisimo – Nominations here would include popular fashion and style blogs. We particularly like Mr. Kevin Yapjoco’s BespokeManBlog.com.
2. The Explorer – Nominees for The Explorer should include travel blogs and other social media personalities that promote tourism or “exploring”.
3. Game Changer – This category is supposed to be taken literally as it refers to sports blogs and athletics.
4. The Visualizer – Photography blogs and other photography related social media personalities.
5. #Thought-Mover – Not sure why its called this, but the #Thought-Mover category is supposedly for the most trending hashtag online.
6. Video Slinger – Vote your favorite online video personalities here. Familiar people in this realm would be Petra Mahalimuyak, Bogart the Explorer, and Mickey Bustos. (Who won the award last year.)
7. Indie Rocker – A spot for your favorite indie band trying to break it into the social media streams
8. The Advocate – The official tag is that this category is for “do-gooders”. We say you can be an advocate of anything and that should be the only requirement, right?
9. Tech Junkie – A category we might even say we belong to. This is awarded to the technology-related blog site or social media personality that the judges, voting, and nominations would believe to be the best. If you’re so inclined, we’d love for you guys to nominate TheTechnoclast.Com for it.
10. The One – Supposedly the most coveted social media award that can be given to any social media influencer. We suppose this means you surpass even your own category and become influential everywhere.

For a quick rundown on the mechanics, you can check out a video by Petra Mahalimuyak herself just below.

And there you go. As we’ve previously mentioned, nominations are ongoing now and up until May 20th – so you’ve only got a few days left to nominate yourself, your favorite blogs and personalities, or even us. Hop on over to TattAwards.com to do that now, or read more about it.

For more pictures of the launch event and the celebrities that graced it, check out our gallery below.

		Globe #TattAwards Launch Night VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Your favorite fake telenovela / TV show / YouTube unboxing videos are back! And this time, Cherry Mobile Diaries Episode 3 presents the Cherry Mobile T12. It is a Dual-SIM touchscreen phone with the usual multimedia features and games built in. But what’s unique with the T12 is that you can hold the phone upside down or right-side up and it would still work – even for calls! The phone has an inherent reversible design that adopts to however which way you hold it in portrait mode – so you don’t have to find out which way is up, just hold it any way you like. Finally, a surprising addition to this phone would be the upgrade to a capacitive screen. Most phones of this caliber sport a resistive screen which most people will not like. So its refreshing to see Cherry Mobile equip the T12 with the much more preferred choice. But let us not delay, you can check out the unboxing video (and a bonus check back on the Spark 3D) after the jump!

So there you have it guys, a rather longer-than-usual unboxing of the Cherry Mobile T12. The features are actually pretty decent and the capacitive screen is quite impressive for the price of PHP 3,899. So if you’re interested in picking one up, head over to a Cherry Mobile store near you!

LG have recently updated their line of Cinema 3D Smart TV’s – with improvements that include a new voice-sensitive Magic Remote; much thinner bezels in the new “borderless” design; and an improved PenTouch stylus technology. The new 2012 lineup will also feature improved apps and software that were introduced in the 2011 line. Of course, you’ll still get the much touted “flicker-free” Cinema-style 3D glasses. These are exactly like the ones they lend you at the theatre – lightweight, no batteries, and no flickering. Rounding out the features include the fast TruMotion 240hz refresh rates, the 2D to 3D conversion software, and online content like the K-POP Zone and certain local sources like iWanTV, Yahoo, Inquirer, and so on.

The 2012 edition of the Cinema 3D Smart TV’s from LG are the newest high-end offerings from the Korean manufacturer and offers a lot of improvements over the previous years’ models. For one, the upgraded Magic Remote now has a microphone for a new voice search functionality. These new models also feature a near borderless design created by renowned interior and furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue. And finally, you also get improvements in the form of updated Smart TV apps and improved content portals like the 2D to 3D converter, K-POP Zone (a good source for 3D content), local content applications, and a Social Center for keeping up with your loved ones through Twitter, Facebook, and even through Skype video chats.

The LG TV’s are of course known for several features that is more or less unique to the brand. A combination of a Film-Pattern Retarder technology, a polarized 3D display, and TruMotion 240hz refresh rates ensure flicker-free viewing and inexpensive, lightweight 3D glasses. It also allows for 2 player full-screen gaming by having two pairs of glasses showing a different view on the whole screen each. The aforementioned Magic Remote control is a motion sensitive remote that allows you to move an onscreen cursor for faster menu navigation. You can also use a different pointer called a PenTouch stylus which will allow you to interact with the screen like it was a pen – giving rise to apps like the Sketchbook or possibly taking notes or doing presentations. You can see these in action in our video below.

The new LG Cinema 3D Smart TV’s should be available now from accredited LG retailers nationwide and the prices range from PHP 80,000 to PHP 300,000+ with sizes ranging from 42” to 65”. Check them out if you’re so inclined!

For more pictures of the event, check out our gallery below.

		LG Cinema 3D Smart TV 2012 Launch VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Looks like the minimum spec for a sub-10k Android phone is changing once again with Cherry Mobile at the lead. In terms of price / performance ratio, the newly released W900 model is one of the higher spec units out there. Fitted with a 1.2Ghz Snapdragon processor and a 4.0” screen, what was once flagship top-dollar specs has now reached the budget-price segment. Not one year ago, PHP 10,000 would only land you 600Mhz Android phones with 3.5” 320×480 screens at the maximum. That’s why the Cherry Mobile W900 Dragon Phone looks like a pretty sweet deal indeed.

The Cherry Mobile W900 “Dragon” is a new entry-level priced Android phone from local manufacturer. Aside from the aforementioned specs that include the higher-than-usual 1.2Ghz processor and 4.0” 800×480 screen, it also packs a 5MP camera in the back, a front facing one for video calling, and all the usual Android connectivity options. It is running on a custom Gingerbread UI that has a lot of premium features built-in – like an upgraded Camera with panorama and scene modes; a Media Popup Menu when you plugin a 3.5mm headset; a custom Task Killer; Slide-up Shortcut bar; Battery management and uptime estimation; and even a dedicated Eco Button for better battery life management. This is one of the more customized UI’s we’ve seen from the manufacturer, and one of the more sophisticated-looking skins from any Android device we’ve seen. Coupled with the snappy 1.2Ghz processor, ample screen size, and the affordable sub-10k price range, the W900 sounds like a great phone for budget-conscious consumers.

The W900 Dragon Phone is available now in all Cherry Mobile Kiosks and Stores nationwide for the SRP of PHP 9,999. Grab one if you’ve been looking for that 10k Android that just has the right amount of specs and UI sophistication. Or if you’d like to see more, check out our video preview of the device below. We’ll also be doing an unboxing and review of this phone in the weeks to come, so stay tuned!

For more pictures of the phone and the event, check out our gallery below.

		Cherry Mobile W900 Dragon Phone Launch VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

In the realm of competitive video gaming – or even casual gaming – more often than not your equipment means everything. We’ve certainly had days when something was amiss – the mouse, the keyboard, the mouse pad, the headset, or even the monitor was just not exactly comfortable enough for us to play the right way. And we’re sure that’s definitely one of the major concerns for professional eSports teams. Of course, not everybody is a Pro StarCraft II player or FPS competitor, but we all want the same thing – the equipment that will give you exactly what you need to perform to the best of your gaming abilities. Enter BenQ’s new line of gaming monitors – the XL2420T, XL2420XT, and the RL2450HT. These were designed specifically with FPS and RTS gaming in mind, with special modes and features that would give you just that slight edge when playing against Pros and Noobs alike. Chief of which is the new Black eQualizer technology that brightens the dark spots without blowing out the bright areas – a unique advantage to the BenQ gaming monitor line.

The BenQ XL2420T

The new BenQ XL2420T and TX versions are the higher-end, FPS-designed models of the new lineup and features the same popular 120hz refresh, 2ms GTG response time, 12M:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 1920×1080 resolution, and various new features that are much improved from the XL2410 units that came before it. It has more than the usual pivot and tilt adjustments for comfortable use, and an upgraded touch control panel on the side for changing settings. But when it comes to fiddling with the settings, the included S Switch – a quick-access scroll wheel with customizable display profiles – will easily let gamers switch screen options in the press of a button. Both the XL2420T and the TX support NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 for viewing your games in three dimensions, but the TX does come with the IR emitter and glasses ready for use. Prices for these monitors are estimated to be around PHP 18k for the XL2420T and PHP 21k for the TX 3D-ready version.

The BenQ RL2450HT

The BenQ RL2450H & HT is the recently released RTS-optimized version of the 24” panel from the Taiwanese manufacturer. It was co-developed by popular SC2 e-Sports team StarTales and even comes with a preloaded mode specifically designed for RTS gaming. In terms of specs, it has a 60hz refresh with 2ms GTG response, 12M:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and 1920×1080 resolution. The RL2450T has a tilting mount, while the HT version comes with an upgraded Tilt, Pivot and Swivel mount. The price for the RL2450HT is estimated to be around PHP 12,000.

Of course, both the XT2420 and the RL2450 models both feature the much touted Black eQualizer technology. What this is in practice is actually a shadow area adjust – similar to post processing images – where the brightness of darker areas is increased but not the highlights in the same image. This creates less difference in between bright areas and dark areas, and hopefully will let you see more details in the dark. In video games in general, its similar to having a bit of nightvision but only for the dark areas of the image – giving you that slight bit of an edge in seeing the details in a relatively dark area of the screen.

Both the XT and RL models should be available now from BenQ retailers nationwide, so check them out and get gaming screen you’ve always wanted to dominate on.

For more pictures of the event, check out our gallery below.

		BenQ Gaming Monitors Launch VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Shortly after the launch of Globe’s Nokia Lumia 800, Smart followed with its own exclusive Nokia Windows Phone device. The Lumia 710, a mid-range model for the Finnish-company’s current line of Windows Phones is now exclusive to the carrier and is now available through their postpaid subscriptions. Chief of which is the Special Edition Plan 1000, which comes with 500 texts to all networks, 500 minutes of calls to Smart / Talk ‘N Text, and 1GB of mobile data. With this, the “Lumia Fever” is finally in full swing and will hopefully usher in a new era of Windows Phone users here in the Philippines.

The Nokia Lumia 710

The Nokia Lumia 710 is the other half of the first batch of Windows Phones from the Finnish mobile phone maker. It is one of the more affordable offerings from this mentioned first batch, but its features aren’t really all that bad compared to its Lumia 800 brother. It still packs the same 1.4Ghz processor; 3.7” 800×480 screen albeit in LCD form; a 5MP camera with LED Flash, 720p video recording, and 8GB of onboard storage. Its main difference from the Lumia 800 is that it packs the aforementioned LCD screen and 8GBs of storage. One advantage that we think the 710 has is that the SIM slot is still the standard one and not the newer Micro SIM – which means that old users of SIM cards don’t have to cut their cards just yet. With the 1.4Ghz processor, its just as fast as the top end of the line and should promise an unparalleled Windows Phone performance in a mid-range, affordable body.

The Nokia Lumia 710 is available now through Smart’s Special Edition Plan 1000 and of course should be available through other plans as well. You can grab one now or check them out at Smart Stores nationwide, or online through Smart’s website at Smart.Com.PH. And if you want to see more of the phone or a sneak peek at the Lumia 900, check out our video below.

For more pictures of the event, check out our gallery below.

		Smart Nokia Lumia 710 Launch VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Clamshell phones are definitely still around these days. Of course, they’re not as popular as back when the original Motorola Razrs were introduced, but they still have a place in the mobile phone landscape of today. For one, they’re still quite popular in movies as a phone prop since they easily convey an action of answering the phone (opening it) or hanging up (closing it). Aside from that demographic, the clamshells have also evolved to have smaller displays on the outside of the flip cover. This allows the user to see ambient information like the time, messages received or missed calls. One such example of this is the subject of our next unboxing video the Cherry Mobile X9. It’s a clamshell phone with the aforementioned external LCD screen, but with some extra chimes and lights surrounding it. To top it off, our unboxing unit came in a shade of plum – suggesting that the phone is more catered to the female demographic. So for those of you who are looking for a new flip phone with an interesting outer screen feature, check out our unboxing video just after the jump.

And there you have it ladies and gentlemen, our video unboxing of the Cherry Mobile X9. It is available in the Purplish-Pinkish Plum color that we’ve just unboxed, and a black one which might be for the guys out there as well. You can grab one right now from Cherry Mobile stores for the SRP of PHP 3,999.

Globe, in partnership with Nokia, have just taken the first step for all Nokia Lumia kind here in the Philippines – as they have just launched the Lumia 800 Windows Phone 7.5 device just slightly ahead of competing telcos and of  the manufacturer’s unlocked offerings. The new Windows Phone is one of the first from the Finnish mobile phone maker, and is considered their highest model from their first batch of WP7 devices. From what we understand, Globe has got the exclusive rights to have the Lumia 800 in plan form so you won’t find it from competing network providers. You can get it for free on their Unlisurf Plan 1799, or with a little bit of an outlay with plans below it.

The Nokia Lumia 800

The Nokia Lumia 800 is no stranger to us of course, and we recommend you check out our (pretty epic) video unboxing of the device back in January here. Its taken a while to get here, but at least it was worth the wait. The phone packs a 1.4Ghz processor, 3.7 AMOLED screen with ClearBlack technology, 8MP camera with Dual LED flash (no front facing though), 720p video recording, and the usual host of smartphone features. Of course, we’ve all seen Windows Phone before, but the Lumia 800 is popular because of its polycarbonate unibody design (similar to the N9) and choice of colors. Nokia Windows Phones also come with Nokia Drive software, which worked pretty well the last time we tried it in the Philippines.

With this launch, we can finally say that the Nokia (Lumia) Windows Phones have finally arrived. We’ve been waiting a year and some change, but thankfully its here and Nokia’s new mobile OS bet is now in full swing. Globe wears the Lumia 800 proudly and should be a good choice when looking out for that next phone – Windows Phone or other. No prepaid units were declared though, so it looks like you’ll need to get on their postpaid plans. For more details, check out Globe’s page on the Lumia 800 here.

As far as local game offerings go, there’s admittedly not a lot that we can talk about. Of course, we featured something like PoofDeFuze in a developer documentary before, but otherwise its been fairly thin – at least from where we’ve been sitting. Thankfully, our friends from Komakasi Enterprise have recently come up with a free Android game in the form of Starstruck – a sort of celebrity slapping game inspired with what seems to be fighting game elements. Of course, its all proudly Filipino-made, and you’ll even notice some familiar celebrity name-a-likes. Its all quite interesting to check out at the very least, so we urge you to see it in action. After all, its free. If you’re on the fence though, you can check out our video quick look just after the jump. Hop on over!

And there you have it guys, a little slapping action that looks pretty fun for people who would really love to slap the antagonists in our local telenovelas (or maybe the protagonists). Anyway, the game is pretty short so far – as they’re calling it a demo for the final product. Though for a free game to waste a few minutes with on your Android phone, its pretty worth it. After all, you’ll be supporting an honest-to-goodness Filipino indie game.

You can grab Starstruck from the Google Play store here. Or you can check out the trailer for the game below.

We’ve all seen 3D, haven’t we? We’ve seen it in movies, televisions, superhero holographic cards and the like. But have we seen it on a phone before? Well yes, we have. However, we haven’t seen it in something quite like this – the Cherry Mobile Spark 3D. It is a Dual-SIM touchscreen phone (resistive) that packs a special feature – a glasses-free auto-stereoscopic 3D display. What this means is that it can show you three dimensional images without needing those clunky 3D glasses. For a phone that has a price of only PHP 2,899, that seems like quite an interesting deal. You don’t have to take our word for it though – watch our Unboxing and Quick Look below to see the phone in action!

Now that’s gotta be something quite remarkable, isn’t it? A phone that can display and show 3D images and video. And not only that, it can take 2D pictures, and display them in 3D as well. We start to wonder if it could also show pictures that weren’t taken from the phone. If so, we would love to put in pictures of our friends and see them in three dimensions. That would be quite interesting to say the least.

The Cherry Mobile Spark 3D is available right now in your local Cherry Mobile retailers for the price of PHP 2,899. Other than the mind-blowing 3D screen, it’s a pretty decent phone as well. We suggest you go check it out at your nearest Cherry Mobile stores.