With Android phones now becoming more accessible even to students and “tweeners”, Symantec released their Norton Safety Minder: Mobile Edition, a free app that allows parents to keep an eye on their kids’ smartphone activities. The application is part of Norton Online Family, the online family safety service for PCs and Macs.  Through the new app, parents can avail themselves of several tools to teach kids safe and age-appropriate digital habits on their mobile devices.

The application provides web monitoring and blocking features for free, allowing parents to see what sites their kids are visiting and block content they feel is inappropriate.  Applied through their Norton Online Family account, parents can use the same set of web filtering settings for the child’s PC and apply them to the child’s Android phone.

To get started, parents download the app on their child’s Android phone, login to their Norton Online Family account (or create one from within the application) and can then centrally manage the “House Rules” on that device through the onlinefamily.norton.com website.  More than a dozen phones can be easily added to the same account at no charge, with unique settings for each, allowing parents a single point to manage varied settings for kids of different ages.

Pricing and Availability

Norton Safety Minder: Mobile Edition is available for free in the Android Market at market.android.com, and can be downloaded in English, Japanese, German and Polish.  Android version 2.2 or 2.3 is required on the device.

Parents must have a Norton Online Family account in order to activate the application, which they must first install on their child’s device.  A free, basic Norton Online Family account will activate the mobile web-filtering and monitoring within Norton Safety Minder for Android.  A paid subscription to Norton Online Family Premier, currently only available in the US, will unlock the application’s additional advanced features, such as SMS text monitoring.

In these times when everybody is going to the cloud, Buffalo takes a step to bring your files into the cloud too, or having your very own personal cloud storage solution. Buffalo designed a storage solution that partners well with smartphones and tablets. It provides a place to securely store and share data for all Droids, tablets, PC’s and iDevices, allowing you to access photos, videos, audio files, or documents anywhere in the world.

The Buffalo CloudStation is a simple plug-and-play cloud storage solution that comes with everything you need to get started. Installation is an easy two-step process that invites users to plug the storage device into any Wi-Fi router, access Buffalo CloudStation’s website and click ‘activate’ to register the device.

It leverages the PogoPlug streaming service for photos — indeed professional photographers will be the first to appreciate the combo of storage and uploading service that Buffalo has brought. Buffalo CloudStation does not need any software for installation.

Buffalo CloudStation enables users to decide what, where and when to share data stored on the appliance. Similar to a hard drive that operates inside the computer, Buffalo CloudStation is accessible from a PC or Mac computers as well as via browser from your smartphone or tablet. And with Pogoplug apps for mobile devices (Apple / Android), users are only seconds away from their valuable content.

The Buffalo CloudStation is available in two models:  CloudStation (Single Bay) and CloudStation Pro Duo (Two Bay). The CloudStation  (Single Bay) 1 TB and 2 TB SRP is Php9,270 and Php11, 160, respectively, while the CloudStation Pro Duo 2TB and 4TB is Php19,380 and Php23,250, respectively. It also comes with a three-year warranty.

CloudStation is distributed by MSI-ECS in the Philippines. For product availability, pricing and technical infos, go to their website, or check their Facebook page.

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.

When you hear the term “cloud computing”, a lot of people think it is something new and has something to do with services or solutions for the enterprise space. It’s not, in fact there are a lot of cloud services out there that’s built for regular consumers.

Not a lot of people are aware that they’ve been using the “cloud” more than a decade ago, although it wasn’t coined as such. Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing as service via the internet. And what are the first popular cloud services that appeared when we first saw web browsers? Web mails. Take your pick, there’s Hotmail, Rocketmail, Lycos (now Yahoo!), etc. These folks is a simple example of cloud computing.

Now with a lot of people having all sorts of means to access the internet, from desktops to laptops, tablets and smartphones, cloud services are becoming more popular. Another example would be online file storage. Instead of using flash drives, a lot of people are using online storage to move files between machines, whenever and wherever. We got the all-too popular Dropbox, the 25GB SkyDrive, Box.net, Amazon S3 and what have you to store your files and not worry about disks crashing are losing external drives.

Another example of cloud computing available to the regular consumers are productivity web apps. These will replace the need for purchasing and installing applications on your machine. First there’s Google Docs which a lot of people are already taking advantage of. You can create and edit spreadsheets, documents, forms, presentations, etc. Another similar set of web apps is from Microsoft which is attached to their SkyDrive service. Here you can have the all-familiar Office Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Note right from your web browser. No need to install Microsoft Office to work on that Word document of yours, simply upload it to your SkyDrive and you can start editing.

Cloud computing is not just for business and these are just a few samples that should make you aware that the “cloud” has always been there for everyone to make use of.

How connected to the cloud are you? Aside from your e-mail, what other cloud services do you use? I have Dropbox, SkyDrive,

Following the footsteps of Angry Birds, the popular Cut the Rope game made the transition from mobile devices to your web browser. Now you can feed the cute, candy-gobbling monster, Om Nom straight from your browser simply by going to http://www.cuttherope.ie/.

The game, which has been downloaded over 60 million times on the iOS and Android platform is converted to HTML5 and optimized for Internet Explorer 9 (although Chrome, Firefox and other modern web browser users can also play). This web version is developed by a partnership between Microsoft, web design agency Pixel Lab and ZeptoLab’s lead creative team to showcase the rich interactive capabilities of the HTML5 web standard.

IE9 users get more fun though. Aside from being able to pin the game to your Windows 7 task bar for one-click access, you will also unlock 7 unique levels that’s not available to other browsers. I just wonder how it will reflect those levels where you need two fingers to swipe at the same instant when all you have here is a mouse.

Go check Cut the Rope now on your web browser.

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

MyMusicStore.com.ph is now open for business. Attended by local artists yesterday, MyMusicStore which is an online music store officially launched its website. Filipino artists like Bamboo, Ely Buendia, Richard Poon and Gary Valenciano were there to grace and support the event.

MyMusicStore offers very affordable music in the form of MP3 file format which you can download for as low as Php20.00. Yes, for less than a dollar, you can now start listening to your favorite music and you can boast that what you have in your playlist is not illegal.

The most budget friendly song starts at Php20 while the more premium and popular ones is at Php35. If you are a follower of a band or solo artists like Richard Poon or Gary V, you can download their entire album at the MyMusicStore. The lower-priced songs are OPMs to make it easy for Filipinos to support the local music industry while the higher priced ones are from international artists.

Now, how do we purchase?

The guys at MyMusicStore have three different ways. One is by credit card but if you’re not comfortable using it for online purchases, you can use your phone’s load. You can do mobile payment using your Smart load. Lastly, you can also pay via Paypal.

Right now you can only purchase music via their website which will be downloaded to your hard drive. They’re coming up with an app for the iOS and Android which lets you download music while on the go.

I was told that when you buy your song, you have 24 hours to download and re-download (in case you lose the file) your MP3. After that, you have to buy the song again. So having your hard drive crash without backup won’t be a good thing. I wish they would just tag the songs you purchased so you can download it wherever you are whenever you want to.

Currently, the store has about 160,000 songs available for sale and more than 10 local labels which include Alpha Music, EMI, GMA Records, MCA Music, Star Records and many more.

Another thing, I hope the store would undergo some sort of redesign. It looks old-fashioned and amateurish in its current state that it’s hard to take it seriously. Most of the images aren’t high-quality either.

MyMusicStore.com.ph is managed by MobileCash Inc. and Rising Tide Mobile Entertainment Inc. Together, they teamed up to create the biggest online digital music store in the Philippines, focusing on making music affordable and accessible, and delivering quality service to music lovers everywhere.

Check their Facebook page here which already has 10k followers since it was launched last week. You can also follow them on twitter – @mymusicstoreph.

[MyMusicStore]

It’s the start of the year and you might be wondering what’s in store for us from the IT industry in 2012. Will there be a new breed of computing device that will change how we perceive computers? Like the netbooks a few years ago or tablets last year? What will the mobile phone industry look like this coming year? 

Allow us to share to you what we think are the top 5 tech trends this coming year here in the Philippines.

Rise of the Ultrabooks

The Ultrabooks are super thin, light, and powerful with decent battery life notebooks. We saw a teaser of what Ultrabooks are capable of, their design, and price in the last quarter of 2011.

Expect for manufacturers to kick it up a notch by introducing newer design or more affordable configurations for Ultrabooks this year. A decent Ultrabook at 40k or under would entice a lot of users to switch from a regular laptop or netbook to one of these sexy beasts.

Tablets and smartphones continuity

Sadly I’m not foreseeing any new innovations or features when it comes to tablets and smartphones. Instead, companies will just continue to extend and enhance their current lineup.

What a lot of people are expecting is the emergence of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich devices and Nokia’s Window Phones. The most interesting is Android 4.0 because it will force manufacturers to push for dual-core processor devices. Maybe we’ll be seeing affordable dual-core Android phones this year and with that, really cheap entry-level smartphones. More Galaxy Y variant from all manufacturers perhaps?

In the case of tablets, the upcoming iPad 3 should be interesting while we’re going to see even more new Android tablets in all shapes and sizes.

Windows 8

Microsoft’s Windows 8 is expected to be released this year. We’ve seen the beta a few months back and the large-scale Metro UI looks to be a really nice fit for tablets. Unlike Android’s issues with fragmentation, Windows 8 can easily interface with Windows Mobile phones so we’ll probably be seeing Windows-based tablets and phones to be a seamless extension of your desktop/laptop.

Getting into the Cloud

Probably the major factor hampering the use of cloud computing in the Philippines is bandwidth (which is also the source of other tech-related problems) but with Apple’s introduction of the iCloud late last year, more people would see the value of doing common tasks online.

I still see a lot of people are not aware that they can create/edit Word and Excel files online with just their browser. Dropbox is immensely popular with smartphone users and we’ll see more features built into it with their Automator which allows you to automate tasks whenever you upload files. We’ll probably see cloud computing become more popular not only to consumers but also to the enterprise.

Emergence of NFC applications

NFC or near field communications is like Bluetooth but made easier and more secure. NFC-enabled devices can communicate with each other by just being near one another. We’ve seen this feature in Nokia smartphones, new BlackBerries, and the Samsung Galaxy S2 just to name a few.

Right now, the only application we’ve seen is pairing Nokia phones to NFC-enabled speakers and headphones but this year, newer application for the technology could crop up. We could probably see NFC applications for gaming, file management and to what I think the best use of NFC is… mobile payment. Want to pay for gas? Just tap your phone onto an NFC scanner and key in your secure code. I do hope we could see Google Wallet here in the country.

Conclusion

Of course, some of these are just speculations based on news that we heard in 2011 but still they’re pretty much what we’ll have for 2012. Sadly, I’m not seeing any innovations when it comes to photography. It’s been stale since 2 years ago when micro 4/3rds came out. Same with gaming, Microsoft Kinect was awesome last year and I’m not seeing anybody topping that this year. Augmented reality perhaps but it’s still a long way.

So what are you excited about for 2012?

In its effort to consistently be up to date with the newest technological trends, ClickTheCity, the Philippines’ definitive online entertainment and lifestyle guide has rolled out the latest update to its Lifestyle App. Dedicated to both iOS and Android devices, ClickTheCity’s Mobile Ordering lets you order your favorite food with just a few taps on your phone.

After giving its Lifestyle app users discounts through Privileges, ClickTheCity now gives its app users more perks by introducing Mobile Ordering. Users can now access through their phone the menu of McDonald’s, Shakey’s and Quick Delivery’s partner restaurants. Order to your stomach’s content with the wide food selection – from fast foods to Pinoy comfort food. The app’s sleek and user-friendly interface makes order taking fast and easy – perfect for people on-the-go.

To use Mobile Ordering, users can just create an account then set a delivery address. Those with existing Privileges account can opt to use the same account for Mobile Ordering. Users can also save unlimited number of delivery addresses – order food whether you’re at home, at the office or at school or wherever you are!

Aside from tech-savvy consumers, Mobile Ordering offers businesses a lot of opportunities as well. Businesses can experience functional brand presence through Mobile Ordering by promoting their products and services through an innovative medium. This also serves as another sales channel for them. With over 120,000 downloads, businesses can instantly reach CTC Lifestyle App’s growing user-base.

“We are so excited to share this new update to our users. We were extremely overwhelmed by the positive response that we got when we first launched the CTC Lifestyle App. With this update, we want to enhance our users’ experience by giving them an all-around app that’s fit for the city life”, says Bea Acosta, Product Head, CTC Lifestyle App.

The app is locally-developed by Surf Shop, Inc. and has consistently been one of the most popular apps in the App Store (Philippines) since its launch.

The new version of the ClickTheCity Lifestyle app can be downloaded for free on iOS devices (iPhone, iPad and iPod touch) and Android phones.

To learn more about the CTC Lifestyle App, visit http://www.clickthecity.com/mobile-ordering.

The world as we know it has achieved greater things over time; things which really started from small ideas. Steve Jobs had a vision of technology’s future and his legacies only proved people’s sense of the possible.

You must be wondering why we would be writing about a leading healthcare provider. As an advocate of programs that give people a voice like how blogs are essentially all about, PTB wants to help Unilab spread the word about a country’s first, web-based crowd sourcing facility called Link-Up. United Laboratories, Inc., or UNILAB is a leading Filipino healthcare and wellness company with its success rooted in the Filipino tradition of working together called Bayanihan. Inspired by this tradition, UNILAB introduces Link-Up to collaborate directly with consumers.

Meeting up with the company’s key people last Monday over a hearty meal at Milky & Sunny in Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig, I found a sincere desire in them to hear what it is that people really need and make it happen. Unilab’s Link-Up innovation does not only encourage ideas for new products, but is also open for ideas that can help them reach wider markets faster and better through the use of technologies we have at hand.

If you have something in mind that you strongly believe can improve lives; may it be something that caters to your health and wellness like a new product, innovative packaging or even a mobile application like a health tracker on your Android phone, Unilab has opened its doors outside of its boundaries to find better solutions for our changing health needs.

Share your idea by registering to their website: http://unilablinkup.com and it will be evaluated through a 4-level review process. If your idea passes the second review stage by which you will become UNILAB’s Innovation Partner, Unilab shall grant Php5,000 worth of gift pack. Again, your idea will undergo another set of review process and if meets the quality standards of Unilab, you will receive Php50,000 after the commercial launch of your innovation.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a consumer, a supplier, or simply an inspired individual concerned with enriching Filipino communities but lacking the resources – simply put, your ideas count and Unilab’s willing to help you put them into action.