Back in December during the yearly PinoyXbox Christmas party, we met some guys who were looking forward to let us try their iOS game currently in development. The team, Lazy Loris, turns out to be a completely independent group of Filipino guys who were trying to break into the world of app and game development. Their game – PoofDeFuze – is a twitchy whimsical game that reminds us of popular smartphone games, while at the same time bringing a unique concept and gameplay to the table. As huge supporters of local game development here in the Philippines, we felt it was our duty to check it out and try to do our part – and that’s by creating a short feature video about the trials and tribulations of a local startup game developer. We now present “DeFuzing the Bomb: The Making of Filipino iOS Game PoofDeFuze” Episode 1 for your enjoyment. Hop over the jump to watch it!

And that would be a wrap for Episode 1! We’ll be checking in with Lazy Loris soon and see how everything is going, which will hopefully lead to another episode for you guys. PoofDeFuze looks to be coming out sometime in February if everything works out, so if you got a recent iOS device feel free to check it out!

Note: There were some typographical errors in the video – “PoofDeFuze” is the correct spelling. The Technoclast regrets any misunderstandings that may have been caused by this error.

If you asked us today what phone we thought was the most gorgeous one we’ve seen, then its got to be the Samsung Galaxy Nexus – Google’s fourth flagship Android device. The device claims our “most gorgeous” award primarily because of an amazing design that puts a ridiculously beautiful 4.65” 1280×720 Super AMOLED screen front-and-center and scaling everything else back – a wise choice given that you’ll spend most of the time staring at that screen. The rest of the specs are flagship-level as well, giving you a 1.2Ghz dual-core processor; 5MP Camera with LED Flash capable of 1080p video; 1.3MP Front Facing camera capable of 720p video; and all running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. All these combined create a stunning device that’s sure to turn heads and make people smile. So with what better way to show you this than by our trademark HD video, right? Hop over the jump to check it out!

So now that you’ve basked in the glory of that Galaxy Nexus video, do you agree? One thing is for sure – the device looks elegant and sophisticated with its buttonless design and completely black, logoless, glass-covered front. The deep Super AMOLED blacks complete the look by creating the illusion that the screen doesn’t end at all where it does – and that just makes it shine in our books.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is currently exclusive to Smart, and you can pre-order from them here. Plans available include the UnliData Plan 2000 and the All-In Plan 3500, which also gives you the phone free as part of the contract. If you prefer unlocked devices, Widget City has been offering them for a while now and you can get them for PHP 29,500 here. (Screenshot this article to get freebies/discounts on Widget City.) Whichever the case, you’ll be getting a great phone that you’ll no doubt addictively stare at for long periods of time – pondering if this is what the blackness of space looks like.

When we were invited to check out the latest movie in the Alvin & The Chipmunks franchise, we were silently hoping that the series would deviate from the musical carriers of the double trio of (male & female) chipmunks that propelled the first two movies before it. Thankfully, this wasn’t the case. Alvin & The Chipmunks 3: Chipwrecked delves a little bit more into these character’s adventures as they try to survive in their latest predicament – of course caused by none other than the infamous Alvin and his antics. This time, the ‘munks find themselves in a deserted island, trying to survive in a relatively-harsher environment for the typical singing troupe. So does the third chipmunks movie sink, or swim? Read on to find out.

“Alvin & The Chipmunks 3” stars Jason Lee as Dave Seville, parent and guardian to the the furry singing sensations, Alvin, Simon & Theodore (Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney) – including their female counterparts, the Chipettes. (Amy Poehler, Anna Faris, Christina Applegate) On a cruise ship headed for an international music award ceremony, tragedy strikes as one of Alvin’s seemingly brilliant ideas lands the Chipmunks stranded on a deserted island. Dave, with the help of an unexpected returning character, set out to find his lost ‘kids’. Will the ‘munks be able to survive until he gets there? You’re going to have to watch to find out.

Primarily shot on a cruise ship and of course the aforementioned deserted island, Alvin & The Chipmunks 3 features the typical antics and humour of the previous movies. Thrust into their current predicament, the movie spends less time with musical performances, and more time with character development – allowing the audience to connect more with what’s happening in the story. The story itself is relatively simple and doesn’t pull any punches, except for some new characters thrown in here and there to rock the proverbial boat.

Alvin & The Chipmunks 3 proves to be an enjoyable, if rather simple, 87 minutes. It’s worth a watch, especially if you have kids – even more if they enjoy a popular song or two.

To see more of Alvin & The Chipmunks 3, check out the trailer below.

Nokia sure has been busy lately haven’t they? They’ve recently introduced a well-accepted Nokia Lumia 900 (4.3” Windows Phone 7) at CES last week, and they brought out the Lumia 800 / 710 and N9 late last year as well. Their local counterpart has also been blazing their own trails: at a recent Nokia media event, it was announced that a Mr. Dharmesh Goshalia will be taking the General Manager reigns of Nokia Philippines, as well as formally introducing the first manufacturer-based carrier billing in the Philippines – which would finally introduce premium (paid) apps to the Nokia (Ovi) Philippine App Marketplaces.

Mr. Goshalia, or Gosh to his colleagues, will be taking on the General Manager position here in the Philippines, having been a 6 year veteran with Nokia and bringing with him a total of 16 years experience in the telecom industry. Hopefully with Mr. Goshalia at the helm, we’ll be seeing Nokia’s Philippine chapter advance even more in our local landscapes. And with what better way to start than by finally bringing in a pioneering feature when it comes to local mobile app purchasing systems – carrier billing. Otherwise known as the capability to buy premium apps and games through your carrier’s credits and/or bills.

Another satisfied Nokia N9 user! =)

With the aforementioned carrier billing capability, the already huge amount of Nokia’s Symbian / S40 / Maemo / Meego users in the Philippines will finally be able to experience premium (paid) apps – a luxury that has been exclusive to iOS and Androids thus far – albeit requiring a form of online payment like credit cards. Nokia’s version of the payment system will effectively let anyone pay for their apps through either their bills on postpaid, or through their prepaid credits. This, we think, is a unique advantage for Nokia users since there’s still a vast majority of us who as of yet do not have any forms of electronic payment. The service is currently available for Globe subscribers, with Smart slated to be following soon after.

Finally, we asked around for some extra information about their Nokia Windows Phone devices, which are already out in some parts of the world. It turns out that the arrival of Nokia’s Lumia line is targeted to happen around the second quarter of this year. (Apr-June) Specific handsets are not yet decided, but we’re pretty sure the Lumia 800 & 710 will be brought in, with a slight chance for us to see the Lumia 900 as well. (If you’re interested, you can check out our unboxing of the Nokia Lumia 800 here.)

So if you’re a current Nokia owner, check out the Ovi/Nokia store right now. You should finally be able to see premium apps for sale in Philippine Pesos and actually start buying the apps you’ve been eyeing since you got your phone. Just make sure to save some of the load so you can still be able to call & text. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

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

		Nokia Thanksgiving Party 2012 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Ladies and gentlemen, history has just been made here in The Technoclast as we unbox something really quite historical – the world’s first Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet. And what’s the brand? It’s not Samsung, not HTC, not Motorola, and certainly not Sony – but a lesser known brand called Ainol. The product is the Nova 7 Paladin tablet and it’s a 7” device that doesn’t look too dissimilar to the original Galaxy Tab or BlackBerry PlayBook. What sets this little guy apart is that it runs on the still very brand new Ice Cream Sandwich Android update – which to this day is only commercially available through the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone. What’s even better is that this device is ridiculously cheap, and you can get one for just PHP 5,800. For something quite priced so low though, you’re getting some decent specs – 800×480 7” capacitive screen, 1Ghz processor, 8GB storage, WiFi b/g/n and the usual options. It does sacrifice on 3G, cameras, and other things, but its hard to complain when the device itself is cheaper than a Galaxy Y – but we digress. Hop over the jump and check out our video unboxing below.

And there you have it! A full 15 minutes of the Ainol Novo 7 Paladin tablet. Hopefully we’ve touched up on most of the parts you’re curious about, but if you still have more questions, just drop us a line and we’ll try to include it in our review which will come later on.

Though if you’re convinced and are interested in picking one up right now, head over to Widget City and place an order for this little badboy. We hear its selling pretty well right now, so get those orders in if you’re interested. Also, make sure to screenshot this article or any of our Novo 7 Paladin articles to get some freebies or discounts with your purchase. You wouldn’t want to miss out now, would you?

Aspiring game developers, you know you’re out there. I’m sure that at some point in your life while you were playing your favorite video game, you were suddenly struck with an awesome concept of your own – a masterpiece known only inside your head. You then keep it in there in the resolve to one day have the time to work on it, but you never do. Well, its time to get those cobwebs out of your system and get those ideas down because its Global Game Jam time. And here in Manila we have our own participating local Game Jam, which is brought to us by IGDA Manila. It is a 48-hour game hackathon which will be held on January 27-29 (straight) in the goal of having something playable at the end of the 2 days. Individuals who wish to join will be teamed up in the event itself with other participants and a theme will be revealed. Once that’s done the game, as they say, is on.

Participants of all skill levels are welcome to join but of course experience in fields like programming, design, art, and other video game related professions provide advantages. A number of students, enthusiasts and professionals join the event every year to improve their skills, meet like-minded individuals, and potentially start the next big Angry Birds sensation. This year, the event will be held at De La Salle University – College of Saint Benilde (DLSU-CSB), and at the University of the Philippines’ Information Technology Training Center (UP ITTC). Awards will be provided by sponsors which include smartphones, software licenses, games, and even conference passes to game development conventions in Singapore.

Interested parties can still join the Manila Game Jam this year – which will be held this Friday (Jan 27) – by simply registering on their website here. We’ll be there covering the event, so if you see us (if you somehow know what we looked like) feel free to say hi. We wish the best of luck to all the participants and are very interested in seeing what kind of games will come out at the end.

To learn more about the Manila Game Jam, just head over to their website here. MGJ 2012 is co-presented by Boomzap and Nokia, with additional  sponsorship from Microsoft, Anino Games, Proudcloud, Zachtronics Industries, Introversion Software, Casual Connect, Globe Labs and Unity 3D. For more insight into what you should expect at the event, check out our interview with the Pre Game Jam Speakers below.

Thanks to our blogging friend Mr. Jerome Ancheta and the guys at Nokia Connects, we were able to borrow a Nokia Lumia 800 to unbox for you today. The Lumia 800 is one of the first Windows Phone devices from the Finnish company, and has been popular in the regions that is has been out in. Unfortunately, the device isn’t yet available in the Philippines at the time of this writing, but we hope that it’ll be headed to our shores soon. With the popularity of the Nokia N9 form factor, there’s no denying that the Lumia 800’s similar design will no doubt attract a dedicated fanbase. With a relatively powerful (for WP7 devices) 1.4Ghz processor, 3.7” 800×480 AMOLED ClearBlack display, and 8MP Camera + Dual LED Flash, it should be a shoe-in for the new era of smartphone consumers – especially those looking for that trademark Nokia build quality and design. So without further ado, hit the jump for our unboxing video. (We made it extra special/epic to watch just for the heck of it.)

Alright! That about does it for the unboxing of the Nokia Lumia 800. We hope to see it again, maybe for a full review – if we can get a hold of one for a longer period of time. (Note: The Lumia 800 was provided as a review unit by Nokia Connects to Mr. Ancheta and we had a chance to meet him to record an unboxing for our site as well. For his full review on the device, check out his site at JeromeAncheta.com.)

For guys who don’t mind buying a Gray Market unit, you can snag one of these devices right now from Widget City for PHP 23,500. If we understand correctly, you can also get a freebie/discount from Widget City if you take a screenshot of this webpage and show it to them when you collect your device.

So did you like that unboxing video? ‘Cause we sure had fun making it. Be sure to check back for more!

Ladies and gentlemen, the phone that would hopefully make Samsung Galaxy Y fans shut up is finally here. Alcatel OneTouch Philippines have recently launched their two new devices in their lineup of affordable mobile devices. The first is one of the most affordable droids in the market – the Blaze Glory 918N¹. (¹among devices with capacitive screens and 600Mhz+) Priced at only PHP 5,999, the 918N beats the Galaxy Y at the same price point with a better display and dual-SIM capability. While the other new phone Alcatel is the Glam 810D – a feminine “powder case”-like clamshell for PHP 3,999. While some of the fairer sex might be interested in having the 810D in their purses, most of us are probably very interested in one of the cheapest Androids to date – both of which we have coverage for after the jump.

The Alcatel Blaze Glory 918N (pictured above) is the company’s newest Android device which brings with it Alcatel’s pedigree of affordable smart devices. Essentially priced at PHP 6K, it matches the Galaxy Y’s pricetag and yet surpasses it in multiple specifications. The device features a 650Mhz processor, 3.2” 320×480 screen (larger and twice the resolution of Galaxy Y), and a 3.2MP camera among the usual Android accoutrements. All this running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread and offering the much appreciated Dual-SIM/Dual-Standby capabilities. We’ve tried the device for ourselves at the launch and we came away impressed – the device runs at a decent clip for a 650Mhz processor droid, and the custom Alcatel UI and Dual-SIM handler works pretty well. Beyond a full review and further scrutiny of its capacities, we think the 918N is one of the most affordable, promising Android devices out there – and that’s saying a lot.

The Alcatel Glam 810D

And from there we move on to the ladies’ phone. While we try not to stereotype people here in The Technoclast, one look at the Glam 810D will convince you its definitely for the ladies out there. The device is a clamshell phone designed to look like some sort of powder case. On the top cover of the phone is a hidden LED array that makes fancy shapes and letters to tell its users if they have new messages or other notifications. Open the cover and you’ll see the QWERTY keyboard and the 2.4” 320×240 screen inside. The device runs on Alcatel’s proprietary OS which supports Java games and other such apps. There’s a lack of WiFi or 3G, but to its merit the device still has its own 2MP camera, QCF (176×144) video recording, music player, games, and applications like Facebook or Twitter. The Glam 810D is available now in Victorian Blush (pink) or Light Chrome (silver) for PHP 3,999.

To see more of these two devices, check out our video preview below.

Sometimes a clever product can also serve a good environmental issue. Such is the case for a revolutionary car wash system that uses absolutely no water but will give you amazing results regardless of our dependence for that life sustaining H₂O. The new service is called the GreenRides Waterless Car wash and as advertised, uses absolutely no water to clean your car. What’s better is that the wash includes Carnauba wax that provides your whip with a natural level of protection from the elements – even keeping beads of water from drying on your car. That’s not all though, as they’re giving customers an unprecedented offer of a total of 3 extra optional washings within one month of your first – meaning you can get up to 4 washes (and waxes) for only their initial price of PHP 400. Sound too good to be true? That’s why we went ahead and checked it out for you!

“Before” shot of our hood (Notice the oily gunk)

For this test, we brought along our trusty white Corolla XE – a typical workhorse car that has taken us through floods, rain, rough roads, and the most horrible of all: Metro Manila traffic. On this particular day, the GreenRides guys had their work cut out for them – as we haven’t had the car cleaned in a while. What’s more, there’s a terrible splotch of oil that was smeared onto our hood from a friend’s unfortunate attempt to clean it with some baby wipes. This left a very serious residue that wouldn’t come off through regular soap & water scrubbing – trust us, we tried. We were assured by the technicians at the Shopwise Libis GreenRides that they can easily wash that out, and so they went to work.

Our hood after the cleaning

The process involved is relatively interesting yet simple. A special waterless compound, loaded into bottles, is sprayed onto the car in small areas each. Then after the solution dutily lifts the dirt from the surface, it is wiped off with a clean cloth. This is significantly better than wiping your whole car with a rag, dragging all the dirt around it and scratching the surface – as water and soap doesn’t prevent the particles from contacting the car’s body at all. Finally, the solution includes a layer of Carnauba wax which is then buffed to make the car shine and protect it from the elements.

“Before” shot of our trunk (There’s drops of dirt from trees and other organic things)

Our whole car took about 45 minutes to clean, and the results can speak for themselves. As you can see from the pictures, the grimy hood has been turned into a pristine shiny white. While at the same time, our trunk’s dots of dirt have clearly been removed. Also, it usually takes a lot more time to wash and wax a car, but since the wax is built into the solution all it took was a little buffing near the end to complete the process. And all this without using up gallons of water – which you can confirm this by seeing that the floor is still very dry. Overall the quality of the cleaning and workmanship was quite impressive. The technicians were also friendly and courteous, despite our incessant asking of so many questions.

All cleaned up!

Thankfully, by talking to the technicians we actually found out the best part about the GreenRides service – it costs PHP 400 for a first wash & wax, but it avails you of up to three of the same within a month period. This means that you can get up to 4 washings in a month, effectively costing you only PHP 100 for a wash AND wax. Getting the same treatment from one of the local malls will cost you PHP 360+ for just one wash+wax service, and that piles up if you avail of another cleanup a week or so later. GreenRides therefore, is offering a comparable service that can keep your car clean for the entire month for only PHP 400. Assuming you get your car cleaned about 2+ times a month, you’ll get a pretty good deal with GreenRides – plus you’ll be saving water too!

The final product!

We’re quite convinced that GreenRides has a good idea going here – so much so that we’ll be availing their services again soon. Our plan is to get washed at least at the start of a month and at the end, so that it’ll take at least a month and half before we’ll need to pay up another PHP 400. It just saves money, saves water, and saves time.

You can check out GreenRides Waterless Car Washes at Shopwise Libis, Shopwise Commonwealth, Shopwise Cubao & Shopwise Sucat. Or you can find more information at their website here, or their Facebook Fan Page here.

For more pictures during our car wash service, check out our gallery below. (Note: The pictures were not edited except to remove our plate numbers and improve exposure.)

		GreenRides Waterless Car Wash VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

iPhone this and iPhone that. Siri this and Siri that. It seems that Apple still has a bit of that Steve Jobs’ reality distortion field left, because not a lot of people seemed to have noticed that humble voice recognition assistants have been on Android for quite a while now. But let’s leave it to the iPhone 4S and its new touted Siri voice recognizing assistant to popularize the genre and make it some sort of feature that we apparently shouldn’t live without. Despite the not-so-mindblowing nature of Siri’s capabilities, you can’t discount the hype that its garnered for the rest of the industry. And so here we are – about to show you the apps that you may have missed. Here are a few Siri Alternative apps for Android and Windows Phone 7 devices – and they’re free. Peep our video feature after the jump!

So if you’ve watched the video then you’ll know our alternatives are:

 
Vlingo (Android)

 
Iris (Android)

SpeakToIt Assistant (Android)

Ask Ziggy (Windows Phone 7)

Alright, there you have it! Hope you found a new app for yourself to tell all your iPhone 4S friends where to shove it!

Note: All apps shown here requires an internet connection to function and search for answers.