According to All Things D‘s sources, Apple is planning to hold an event on the first week of March to announce the iPad 3, or whatever Apple is going to call the next iPad.

Looking back last year, it was also the first week of March (March 2 to be exact) when Apple announced the iPad 2. Then it was made available in less than a couple of weeks so there’s also a possibility that people will be owning the next iPad next month.

So what can we expect from the iPad 2′s successor? If rumors and speculations are to be believed, we’ll be seeing a faster processor, a better graphics chip and also higher display resolution.

Frankly speaking, if these are the improvements we’d get, then it’s going to be one unexciting update. I’ve been using the iPad 2 a lot again lately and it doesn’t seem to lag at all, and games play well for the most part. I don’t find the display lacking either despite other tablets out there have better display specs. These upgrades would just force developers to create more graphic/resource-intensive games which would then cripple previous iPad versions.

What would make a good iPad 3? iPhone 4S quality camera perhaps? Longer battery life is always a good thing. Bigger storage at a cheaper cost, or a microSD slot? We need to consider that premium iPad games are eating up a lot of storage. A slightly smaller size for more portability might also shake things up but it won’t bode well for app developers.

Anyway, the mere fact that we’re near the announcement of the next iPad is an exciting moment by itself.

So what do you like to see on the next iPad?

[All Things D]

Good news for Nokia owners waiting for Symbian Belle, the long wait for the update is now over… well for some at least. It was leaked before that the update would begin globally on Feb 8th but they decided to start early as some owners are already seeing the update for their phone.

The Symbian Belle update is available for the the Nokia N8, E7, X7, C7, E6, and C6-01. Although the Nokia 500 supports Belle, the update for it will have to wait.

Updating is pretty simple but you need to have a PC and an internet connection to do it.

1. Download and install the latest Nokia PC Suite (v3.3.86)
2. Connect your supported Nokia handset to your PC
3. Click the Software Update in the Nokia PC Suite

Now there are two things that can happen at this point. The PC Suite will start downloading the update (300+ MB, for the C6-01 at least) or it will say that your phone is already updated. You can try to click on the Update button (maybe it can’t connect to the server at that time), or just try again a different day (maybe the update is not yet ready).

Don’t worry if you can’t update your phone at the moment. You’re not alone and it’s also possible that Nokia is still in the process of releasing the updates for other devices.

To check if the update for your device is available, you may visit the Nokia Belle Availability site. (Thanks JonJon for the tip)

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

Although Window Phones are not that popular here in the Philippines, there are still a lot of loyal fans who will be happy to hear that the Windows Phone Marketplace is now open for business in our country. Along with Argentina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, the Philippines is one of the five countries who can enjoy access to free and paid apps in the Marketplace.

It was just last month that Windows Phone app submission place, App Hub, became available for developers to submit their apps to the 5 new markets including China. This opened the doors for local developers to earn from their games and apps, and also introduce localized apps that would suit the Filipino user.

With the addition of these five countries, the Windows Phone Marketplace is now available to 41 territories but not yet in China. You can however, submit your app to be made available to China once their Windows Phone Marketplace opens.

Right now, the latest Windows Phone which is the HTC Radar, didn’t get much traction in the local market but the coming of the Nokia Lumia phones in the near future may give the WP7 platform the boost it needs in the country.

[Windows Phone Developer Blog]

What once was priced at a hefty P3,995, Smart’s HSPA+ dongle is now available for just P2,345. The Smart Bro Rocket Plug-it is the first prepaid 4G dongle in the country with speeds of up to 12 Mbps.

This Rocket Plug-it now comes in a design that’s made specifically for women. Featuring a glossy pink acrylic finish, the Rocket Chic is a class of its own. The original black Smart Bro Rocket isn’t bad-looking at all but if you want something that would match your pink notebook, the Rocket Chic won’t disappoint you. What’s even nice about this design is its sliding USB plug so you don’t have to worry about losing a cap like in other dongles.

“This is a limited time offer and the timing is just right because the Rocket Chic is the perfect Valentine’s Day gift,” said Smart Broadband Internet and Data Services Manager Anne Binuya.

To purchase your very own Smart Bro Rocket Chic go to http://store.smart.com.ph or visit www.smart.com.ph/bro for more information.

TNS, the world’s leading custom research company, previewed to the members of the press some localized results of their Mobile Life 2012 study. Mobile Life 2012 is the most comprehensive research on mobile phones covering 43 markets from North America to Asia to Sub-Saharan Africa, with a total of 34,000 respondents.

For Metro Manila coverage, 500 face-to-face interviews were conducted from ages 16-60 years old across all economic classes. One of the interesting result is the brand of handset owned by Filipinos in Metro Manila, or what reflects the urban Filipino.

Source: TNS Mobile Life 2012 Report

It’s not a surprise that we are still a Nokia country but the study showed that ownership of the brand has declined from 2010. Enjoying growth is the far second, Samsung, and also the other two “pang-masa” brands, Cherry Mobile and MyPhone. Sony Ericsson took a huge dip in ownership from 2010 while BlackBerry remained stagnant.

Other results of the study showed that mobile phone ownership in the country remains stable and that they are as widely owned as the DVD player. The study also showed that there was significant grown in smartphone ownership since 2010 across all economic classes.

The full Mobile Life 2012 report will be coming in March 2012 and for those interested with the report and other studies conducted by TNS, you may inquire on their website at http://www.tnsglobal.com/.

If you find your Nokia phone getting a bit bland, you might want to check out the Nokia Store (previously the Ovi Store) where you can purchase premium apps to spruce up your phone.

Currently, purchasing is only available to Globe postpaid and prepaid subscribers.

The Nokia Store features a lot of premium apps, games and content such as ringtones and movie trailers. These content can be downloaded to a wide range of Nokia devices from feature phones to smartphones. No need for credit card as the cost for apps purchased from the store will be charged to your postpaid phone bill or from your prepaid credits.

To get started, if you’re on Globe, simply visit store.nokia.mobi from your device browser. You will be prompted to download the Nokia Store application.  Once registered, you can start downloading content and applications that is compatible with your phone.

To date, Nokia Store is seeing strong growth with more than 11 million global downloads per day. This milestone is a result of the increased demand for mobile content and the growing number of new apps and partner developers, complemented by new consumers signing up for Nokia Store.

In the Philippines, some of the most popular applications downloaded for 2011 were Facebook Chat, Skype, AdventureOfTed, and eBuddy Messenger, a chat app that allows you to talk with your friends on MSN, Facebook, Yahoo!, GTalk and more.

With the local implementation of the Nokia Store automatic billing solution, Nokia continues to pursue its commitment of providing user-friendly, affordable devices and more importantly, in providing mobile content and innovative services.

As Research In Motion’s two CEOs, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, stepped down recently, RIM’s Board of Directors named Thorsten Heins as President and Chief Executive Officer as part of the succession plan its Co-Chief Executive Officers submitted to the board.

Mike Lazaridis, former Co-Chair and Co-CEO, has become Vice Chair of RIM’s Board and Chair of the Board’s new Innovation Committee. As Vice Chair, he will work closely with Mr. Heins to offer strategic counsel, provide a smooth transition and continue to promote the BlackBerry brand worldwide.

Mr. Heins said he looks forward to continuing to work with Mr. Lazaridis, globally recognized as a technology pioneer. He said, “Mike created a whole new way of communicating and I look forward to continuing our close collaboration.”

On the transition to CEO by Mr. Heins, Mr. Lazaridis said, “There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the Board and told them that we thought that time was now.  With BlackBerry 7 now out, PlayBook 2.0 shipping in February and BlackBerry 10 expected to ship later this year, the company is entering a new phase, and we felt it was time for a new leader to take it through that phase and beyond.  Jim, the Board and I all agreed that leader should be Thorsten Heins.”

Jim Balsillie remains a member of the Board. “I agree this is the right time to pass the baton to new leadership, and I have complete confidence in Thorsten, the management team and the company,” he said. “I remain a significant shareholder and a Director and, of course, they will have my full support.”

Mr. Lazaridis said that he decided to move from Co-Chair to Vice Chair of the Board in order to return the public’s focus to what is most important: “the great company we have built, its iconic products, global brand and its talented employees.”

Mr. Lazaridis added, “Thorsten has demonstrated throughout his tenure at RIM that he has the right mix of leadership, relevant industry experience and skills to take the company forward.  We have been impressed with his operational skills at both RIM and Siemens.  I am so confident in RIM’s future that I intend to purchase an additional $50 million of the company’s shares, as permitted, in the open market.”

Mr. Heins said he believes that RIM has tremendous potential.  He joined RIM from Siemens Communications Group in December 2007 as Senior Vice President for Hardware Engineering and became Chief Operating Officer for Product and Sales in August 2011.

This development may be what RIM needs to steer the company to a more successful future but it’s not what their shareholders think as stocks fall 8.47 percent following this transition. Not to speculate anything but I hope RIM can turn it around with Heins on its helm.

To start the year of the Water Dragon, Smart is giving its valued subscribers free 25mb worth of mobile internet every Monday. That’s every Monday until Smart knows when (maybe end of the year?).

So what can you do with 25MB worth of internet? That’s enough to tweet, update FB status, Foursquare for the rest of the day. This promo is equivalent to the Php20 ALWAYS ON package of Smart.

To avail of this freebie, simply text FREE 25MB to 2200 every Monday. This promo applies to both prepaid and postpaid subscribers.

Well that was quick. Yesterday, Smart started accepting pre-orders for the world’s first Android 4.0 smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Not a day has passed and the first batch of units are already sold out.

Does this mean that there are only a few units available for reservations in the first place? Or is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus really that hot? I believe it’s a combination of both? Google phones are all about exclusivity when it comes to the Philippine market. Not to mention the gorgeous design and specs the phone  comes with – 4.6” HD Super AMOLED screen, 1.2GHz dual-core processors, HSPA+ support and Full HD video recording capabilities.

The first batch of Smart’s Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be available for pick-up on January 28th. Afterwards, it’s time to wait again for the next batch.

Smart is offering the Samsung Galaxy Nexus free on Smart All-In Plan 3500 or UnliData Plan 2000. If you can’t wait for the next availability, grey market units are selling for almost Php40k.

You may also want to check out Yugatech’s first impressions on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

The Resistance Begins Now.

Globe Tattoo calls for ‘Resistance’ as it launched bolder and better products along with its newest brand ambassadors at Ayala Museum Thursday night. Globe Tattoo’s campaign expresses going beyond limitations, and not settling for anything less, which is why their newest set of Tattoo products, Tattoo Sonic, Tattoo 4G Flashes and Tattoo 4G SuperStick, would empower its users through stronger bandwidth and wider coverage.

Globe Tattoo’s new set of products

Providing the techno-savvy, social media enthusiasts with prepaid or post-paid options, Globe Tattoo pars with their fast-paced lifestyles with add-ons to the already powerful products. These are the Speed and Volume Boost that will maximize the potential of the newly-launched set extending the internet speed up to 12, 21 or 42 mbps and widen its volume for the kind of broadband power that suits your needs.

“Join the Resistance” is Globe Tattoo’s campaign call

Who can better represent resistance than Globe Tattoo’s newest faces, “Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire Jr., Chicosci vocalist Miggy Chavez and supermodel Georgina Wilson, who are now at the peak of their chosen careers because they resisted mediocrity, uniformity and limitations.

Miggy and Georgina answers Q&A about what they have resisted. They also picked the winners of 3 Blackberry phones.

The event, hosted by Sarah Meier-Albano, showcased people who are known for making a name in the industries they are in. Prominent personalities and the media have been invited to “join the resistance.” Bloggers and retailers were invited as well.

Globe’s Management with the brand ambassadors for a photo op.

As Globe leaders reiterate, the company has taken on to the challenges of the future as it recognizes the growing need to let go of traditional and begin with the new. Globe Tattoo’s campaign is expected to create a louder call for resistance in the next months. For more information about the products, you may visit: http://tattoo.globe.com.ph