Samsung monitors now have TV, 3D functions

By: Raquel P. Gomez
Philippine Daily Inquirer

After reinventing the TV, making it so thin and equipping it with 3D and Internet capability, Samsung has set its innovative eye to the PC monitor by providing it with some features found on its latest line of televisions.

The Korean electronics giant recently introduced three PC monitors, whose functions have gone beyond just providing a display for a desktop CPU.

3D capability is now introduced in the new Samsung SyncMaster SA950 monitor, a 27-inch LED display with an unusual design—the wide screen is bordered by a thin strip made of glass-like material and connected to a crystal-clear acrylic stand on its right side rather than on the center of the monitor.

The new 3D monitor features Samsung’s 3D HyperReal Engine that enables the rendering of vivid 3D images without causing dizziness to the viewer. The monitor is also capable of transforming 2D content—photos, movies or games—into instant 3D with a push of a button.

An energy saving feature is incorporated into the 3D monitor. With Eco Light Sensor, the monitor can detect the amount of surrounding light to automatically adjust the brightness of the screen. When the monitor is placed on the window side, the sensor will increase the brightness of the screen so as to minimize glare. When the surrounding light is back to normal, the brightness of the screen will automatically revert back to its normal comfortable level.

The SyncMaster SA950, which comes with 3D Active Glasses, is also equipped with Ultra Clear Panel, which enhances color contrast for sharper images and features a wide range of ports to support different connectivity, such as DisplayPort, HDMI and DVI.

The 19-inch SyncMaster LT23A350 is the first Samsung monitor to have an internal HDTV receiver. It’s a full HD monitor capable of PIP (picture-in-picture) technology, allowing the user to view TV shows while browsing the Web or writing documents.

The monitor’s internal HDTV receiver also provides digital TV functions such as TV guide and auto-channel search.

As an entertainment monitor, the SyncMaster LT23A360 features Dolby Digital and SRS TheaterSound for an extraordinary audio experience.

Samsung also introduces the monitor that serves as a central hub for connections that used to be accommodated by the PC desktop.

The Samsung Central Station monitor features a docking base with ports such as USB 3.0, HDMI, and LAN to connect external devices such as external hard drive, camera and printer.

The dock’s USB port is also capable of charging cell phones or music players even when the monitor is turned off.

Also, this monitor can connect with a laptop via a Wi-Fi USB plug (to be plugged onto the notebook), turning it into a larger, extended monitor for the notebook.

The Samsung Central Station monitor, which will be available in August, will retail for P19,990.

The new 3D monitor and the multi-function monitor are currently available and may retail for P31,990 and P14,999 respectively.

Facebook launches video calls, group chat features

Associated Press

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, left, watches a demonstration of Video Chat during an announcement at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif., on Thursday (AP Photo)

NEW YORK  — Quick on the heels of Google’s launch of its latest social-networking venture, Facebook said on Thursday that its 750 million users will now be able to make video calls on the site.

The feature will be powered by the Internet phone service Skype. Facebook also redesigned its chat feature, so that the people a user messages the most often show up first.

To make video calls, Facebook users with webcam-equipped computers have to select the friends they want to chat with. In the chat window that pops up, clicking on a small blue video icon brings up the video chat feature. Currently there is no option to video chat more than one person. That feature is available on Google Plus, a social service that Google began testing last week with a small number of invited users.

Facebook is also adding a group chat option. This works much the same way as the group chat on Google Plus. Once you are chatting with one friend, you can click an icon to add more people to the conversation.

Facebook’s new products come after a relatively quiet period for the world’s largest online social network. Zuckerberg, 27, said the company is embarking on “launching season 2011.” Users can expect “a lot of stuff coming out” from Facebook in the next couple of weeks and months, he said at an event at the company’s Palo Alto, California, headquarters.

Facebook updated its user count — to 750 million users worldwide — for the first time since last summer, when it reached half a billion people. Zuckerberg said that’s because “we don’t think it’s a metric to watch anymore.”

Rather, Facebook is paying more attention to how much its users are sharing with one another. That number is growing at a much faster rate than its monthly user base. Currently, people share 4 billion items, such as photos, status updates and links, every day using Facebook.

Without mentioning Google by name, Zuckerberg said that “independent entrepreneurs and companies focused on one particular thing will always do better than companies that try to do everything.”

For Facebook, that one thing has been creating an online social infrastructure that other companies, such as Skype, can then add their own products to.

Skype has agreed to be bought by Microsoft Corp. for $8.5 billion in a deal expected to close by the end of the year. Microsoft owns a small stake in Facebook.

Your memories in high definition with the HP 5560u Camcorder

By JUN VELASCO

HP 5560u Camcorder

MANILA, Philippines -- It is fair to assume that more and more people will be looking to migrate to High Definition camcorders with HDTV becoming more the staple.  Having the choice and flexibility of shifting between still capture and video gives camcorders more advantage than single function devices.  So it becomes a more obvious choice, to capture those important moments and view them with the best choice of camcorder that you can afford.
Just to set a point aside, price can be a clear factor regarding the overall quality delivered by your camcorder.  And as you go higher in the price range, you will get to enjoy more and more functions that is more than just ‘nice to have’.
But for those looking for a ‘no frills’ camcorder that can capture and playback or view in high definition, then the HP 5560u is a definite choice.

Not Created Equal
HP 5560u presents a 1080P High Definition format, which is definitely an eye catcher.  But what does 1080P actually mean?
Current HD camcorders have several formats -- alternatively, there are 720P, 1080i and 1080P.  The number refers to the resolution or detail of the frame.  In the case of 720P, it normally means 1280 columns and 720 rows of pixels.  And “P” refers to Progressive or the refresh rate that is at 25 times per second.
So you can deduce that the higher the numbers, the higher the resolution.  With the 1080i or 1080P, the standard pixel resolution is 1920 x 1080 with a refresh rate of 50 or 25 respectively.
Thus, it is technically ‘higher definition’ when a camcorder displays the numbers 1080. And the HP 5560u still capture resolution is also on the high end, with up to 12 MP still image capture capability.

Three Capture and Playback Options
There is a choice to do still, video and even audio capture.  Shifting from one mode to another is a simple turn of the dial, literally.
The still mode does provide additional functional choices from the standard ‘with flash’ to the equally useful EV setting that is visibly indicated in the LCD screen with their respective icons.
Useful for video capture is the Motion Detection Mode, which can help reduce ‘hand shakes’.  But it will not really replace a very steady hand during recording.
Important to note however, that in order to have a good capture experience, it is still good to set the right conditions for optimal capture like improving lighting conditions particularly during video capture.
Also, it will be a good practice to bring the charger along or an extra charged battery, if you intend to use it on extended periods.
The audio mode seems a bit ‘out of place’, but could be useful with a little more imagination.

Comes Standard
The HP 5560u comes standard with an optical zoom of up to 20X and a three-inch wide touch screen, gives more control in ‘setting up’.  There is a media card slot that can hold up to 16GB and if you happen to forget about it, HP 5560u comes with a 32 MB internal storage for those quick videos and snapshots.
HP did not save up on some essentials, providing all the necessary cables for file transfer or playback.  There is a HDMI cable for video playback with an HDTV, a USB cable for photo viewing and a composite A/V cable for audio listening, that can also double up for video/still playback.
HP5560u is a true high definition camcorder that will fit the bill for capturing those loving moments with family and friends.

House approves on final reading bill banning cell phone use while driving

By Cynthia D. Balana

Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a proposed law prohibiting motorists from using mobile phones while driving.

House Bill No. 4571, to be known as the “Anti-Mobile Communication Devices Use while Driving Act of 2011,” called the ban necessary to promote road safety.

Tarlac Rep. Susan Yap, one of the bill’s authors, said that while cellular phones have become an integral part of both business and personal lives, the alarming figures on cell phone-related accidents have transformed this technological gadget into a dangerous device.

“The danger is not only to the lives and limbs of the general driving public but also to the innocent pedestrians,” Yap said, adding that the necessity of using mobile phones could not prevail over the need to prevent road accidents.

Exempted from the ban are drivers of motor vehicles who use cell phones with the aid of hands-free devices and those that perform urgent, emergency and official functions where such limitations will result in greater injury or impair their performance.

Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, another author of the bill, said operating cellular phones while driving in some instances and situations would pose not only inconvenience to other people but danger as well.

“While some cities have enacted local ordinances prohibiting its use by drivers, there is a need to institute a similar measure on a nationwide scale to protect life, limb and property,” Gonzales said.

Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, another author, said multi-tasking behind the wheel would pose danger not only to the driver and his passengers but to other motorists and pedestrians as well.

“Distracted driving, or using a cell phone or other electronic device while driving, particularly texting and reading messages, effectively removes the visual focus of the driver on the road and diminishes his degree of concentration on the safety of his driving,” Acop said.

Under the measure to be known as the “Anti-Mobile Communication Devices Use while Driving Act of 2011,” the use of mobile communications devices while driving a motor vehicle is regulated and penalties are imposed for violation thereof in order to promote road safety.

Motor vehicles include wheeled agricultural machineries, construction equipment and other forms of conveyances, regardless of whether machine, animal or human-powered as long as operated or driven in public thoroughfares under circumstances where public safety is under consideration.

The bill requires the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO), in coordination with related functions as well as the private sectors, to undertake a nationwide information, education and communication campaign for six months from its effectivity.

It also mandates the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other government agencies to render assistance to the implementing agency to carry out its effective implementation.

Violators will be slapped with a P10,000 fine and their licenses will be revoked.

Other co-authors of the bill are Reps. Augusto Syjuco, Jr. (2nd District, Iloilo), Diosdado Arroyo (2nd District, Camarines Sur), Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2nd District, Pampanga), Irwin Tieng and Michael Velarde (Party-list, Buhay), Ma. Theresa Bonoan-David (4th District, Manila) and Roger Mercado (Lone District, Southern Leyte).

Sustainable, eco-friendly materials for all seasons

By: Emman Cena

Philippine Daily Inquirer

HIGH-QUALITY roofing system should be in place, as well as all first-rate fittings for ceilings, walls and home flooring.

Two years ago, tropical storm “Ondoy” wrought its havoc in most parts of the country, submerging—and uprooting—thousands of houses in deep murky waters. The damage it created cost P11 billion.

Two years later, some of the houses have not been restored, roofs are still dilapidated and walls are still wrecked.

So how can one sleep soundly at night when Ondoy-like scenarios are bound to happen any time soon? How do we avoid roof leakages and keep our ceilings intact in the thick of the typhoon season?

For building materials maker, SCG, picking the right materials for your home and building needs, can help lessen the fear of another disaster that could have us wince in dread and panic. High-quality roofing system should be in place, as well as all first-rate fittings for ceilings, walls and flooring.

“The building solutions that we deliver are both well-designed and environment-friendly, those that minimize the impact on the environment and cause minimal or no negative effect on the customers,” says Surasak Kraiwichaichareon, president of Mariwasa Siam Ceramic Inc. (SCG Building Materials) in an interview with SundayBiz.

Take for example SCG Monier, a concrete roof tile that promises to deliver protection against water leakage or intense heat. The high-quality Monier Collection is

THE SMARTBOARD promises strength, durability and elasticity.

well-designed and comes in curves and colors. It is produced using high-technology to ensure superior tile quality, company officials say.

The Roman Tiles Collection, on the other hand, doesn’t’ contain asbestos and are made from Portland cement with special cellulose and synthetic fiber. With non-asbestos formula, Roman tiles have five times less conductivity value than its counterparts.

The roof tile collections were unveiled in the recent Worldbex Exhibition at the World Trade Center along with other building materials under the SCG brand. The SCG Building Materials provide ceiling and wall, surface covering and bathroom applications.

3D digital printing technology

Another interesting collection presented to the media was the Excella, SCG’s top-class roofing alternative that reflects elegance with its smooth and glossy texture especially designed for discerning buyers. It is made from high-quality ceramic material.  In the Cotto Collection, a 3D digital printing technology is installed and features a technology that transfers every design detail onto whatever surface of tile.

“We believe that our total building solution will add value to Philippines’ architectural works and create a better living solution for Filipinos while promoting awareness of the nature and environmental conservation,” furthers Kraiwichaichareon at the Hotel Sofitel Philippine Plaza.

THE SMARTWOOD is a termite-free building product made of special cellulose fibers.

Aside from having the best tiles for your roofing, there has to be insulation installed to minimize the heat that radiates down to the room, SCG officials suggest.

For your insulation needs, SCG has come up with the Thermal Insulation Collection that can be applied to either homes or buildings. This insulation can help save energy as it uses 100 percent recycled glass (sand substituted) as a major raw material thus reducing energy consumption from the glass melting process and cutting carbon dioxide emissions.

To address noise problems the Acoustic Insulation is perfect to absorb noise and reduce sound reverberation for both ceiling and wall in the rooms. For ceiling, wall siding and flooring applications, SCG SmartBOARD will be a great choice. As a fiber-cement board made from special cellulose fibers, it is known for its strength, durability and elasticity. For wood finishing, the building firm offers the termite-proof SmartWood.

SCG is Thailand’s largest manufacturer of building and decorative products and provider of building materials brands in the global market. It also operates business in Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.