SM Megamall Now an iButterfly Mall

SM Supermalls released the SM iButterfly, an Augmented Reality Application on your IOS and Android mobile devices last May 5, 2012 at select SM Supermalls. SM Mall of Asia, SMMegamall, SM North EDSA, SM City Fairview, SM Southmall, SM City Baguio, SM City Davao andSM City Cebu simultaneously launched the iButterflies. Catching iButterflies at SM Supermallsis a fun and entertaining mobile information and couponing experience when you are at an SMMall.

It uses 3 technologies: Augmented Reality, for seeing the iButterflies in the real world, Motion Sensors for catching iButterflies using your phone and your phone’s Global Positioning System or GPS for finding where the iButterflies are. It is definitely a unique way of enjoying promosfrom our te nant partners such as Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, Forever 21, David’s Salon, Kenny Rogers, Jollibee, Mang Inasal, Chowking, Red Ribbon, Greenwich, Smart, BDO andMc Donald’s! 

Catching an iButterfly is easy. First, download the application by connecting to the free SM WIFI or the SM_iButterfly SSIS at the participating malls you may also use your phone’s 3Gconnection. Using your gadget, simply download the App via Google Play and App Store’s, just search for the iButterfly Asia App. Once downloaded, open the App and start catchingiButterflies. These turn into instant prizes. Simply claim your prize at participating mall stores.

Related: MY IBUTTERFLY EXPERIENCE AT SM NORTH EDSA

As a sustaining effort, SM MEGAMALL launched its own iButterfly campaign offering instantprizes from concepts unique to Megamall, namely: Yabu, Akiba Café, J.CO Donuts & Coffee,Papa John ’ s, Cha Time, Marithe Francois Girbaud, and SM Megamall Cinema.

An iButterfly catch-up event was held at the SM Megamall Mega Atrium on June 8, with specialguests like Tim Yap, Tessa-Prieto Valdez, Jenni Epperson, and more. Guests enjoyed anibutterfly tutorial from YouTube sensations Petra Mahalimuyak and Bogart the Explorer andhad a fun SM ibutterfly experience.

For more information, you can visit their dedicated iButterfly website at: www.smibutterfly.com or visit SM Megamall Facebook page at www.facebook.com/smmegamall 

Download, catch and win now!

My iButterfly Experience at SM North EDSA

SM Supermalls bloom the flowers of May as they free the second batch of iButterflies at the virtual garden of The Block Atrium, SM North EDSA last May 5, 2012 morning.

Hosted by Raymond Gutierrez, the launching of the iButterfly app is the beginning of another way of enjoying unique shopping experience at SM Supermalls in the metro!

The event was surprisingly star-studded! Among the celebrities that were present include the Magalona family, all-girl rock band General Luna, DJ Callum (The DJ during the recently concluded Bb. Pilipinas 2012), Youtube sensation Bogart the Explorer and others! (see the pictures at the end of this post)

I was lucky to be one of the participants invited to witness and catch these wonderful iButterflies that don’t just give you great collection of attractive virtual butterflies but also give you cool freebies and discounts if you catch those "special" iButterflies in their participating branches.

iButterfly is indeed ideal for todays modern shopping as the concept allows you to experience both the magic of modern technology (augmented reality, motion sensor and GPS) and spending your money wisely (lots freebies and discounts from participating sponsors such as BDO, Forever 21, Red Ribbon, McDonalds, Jollibee, Yellow Cab, TIMEX and many more!)

Using my android device, I easily downloaded the iButterfly app at the Google Play for free. There’s also an app available for apple devices which can be downloaded at iTunes. Once installed, I immediately launched the iButterfly app and prepared myself for some awesome catching!

Within the app are the three main functions namely: The Map, the Catch and the Collection. I knew that the map can be used to indicate where iButterflies are currently fleeing. I can just navigate the map anytime to see if there's some iButterfly available. Catching iButterfly is available at the participating SM Supermalls branches including  SM North Edsa, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM City Cebu SM, City Fairview, SM Southmall, SM City Davao and SM City Baguio.

I clicked the catch menu in my screen and my phone turns into iButterfly catcher. I noticed the cyan square at the middle of the screen while my phone is searching for some iButterflies. There’s an instruction below the screen saying that when the word catch appears, I can shake my phone forward to catch the iButterfly. While enjoying the moment, I finally happen to see some iButterflies flying on my screen so I immediately move my phone to position the iButterfly at the center - within the square - and tilt my phone forward then catch the iButterfly!

I really enjoyed catching iButterflies so I keep looking for some more until I completed the collection that gave me hints and instructions on how to catch and redeem iButterflies.

I was also lucky to catch one special iButterfly – the BDO ATM Debit / Cash Card iButterfly which is equivalent to 1000 pesos! – Thanks BDO! :)

Clicking the special iButterfly shows the instruction on how I can redeem the price. I only have until June 30 to claim my prize.

Now watch me as I catch iButterfly at SM North Edsa. By the way, I would like to thank SM Cyberzone, SM Supermalls and SM North EDSA for holding such a wonderful event! I hope all the  customers will love it!

To learn the complete information about the iButterfly, you may visit their website at http://smibutterfly.com/

Raymond Gutierrez Hosts the iButterfly Launching at The Block, Atrium SM North EDSA	Celebs grace the event during the iButterfly app launching (Photo courtesy of Azrael)
iButterfly is another way of enjoying unique shopping experience at selected SM Supermalls branches	Bloggers take a pose after covering the iButterfly launching event. (Photo  courtesy of Azrael)
iButterflies carry exciting freebies that can be redeemed at participating sponsors!	Azrael took a photo of me while I'm busy finding some iButterfly at the place
A Fox correspondent reporting about iButterfly app launch	SM North EDSA provided the venue for the iButterfly app launching.
Me at the iButterfly app launch	A huge butterfly wings at the side of  the stage allow audiences to take a  photo and look themselves as if they're  wearing it
Everyone enjoying the food at  the launch courtesy of Forever 21!	Everyone enjoying the food at  the launch courtesy of Forever 21!
Still busy looking for some iButterfly	Bloggers enjoying the app at the launch

[Infographic] Facebook Reaches 488 Million Mobile Users

About fifty percent (50%) of the total Facebook users have the Facebook mobile app installed in their phones according to the recent IPO (Initial Public Offering) filing of Facebook company, showing that their mobile application has reached an outstanding 488 million users across the globe, with United States recorded to be the top country of the mobile app and Nigeria recorded to have the highest Facebook mobile penetration at 81.2%. 

The infographic below courtesy of SocialBakers show the current statistics of the facebook mobile application across all platforms, the top 10 countries with the highest Facebook mobile app users and the top countries with highest penetration of the said mobile app based on the recently submitted IPO of Facebook.

iOS 5.1.1 Software Update now Available for Download

An update to apple gadgets' (iPad, iPod touch and iPhone) operating system, which fixes some of the bugs in the software including the Airplay video playback and switching between 2G and 3G network, is now available for download starting today. 

The update contains improvements and bug fixes, including: 

• Improves reliability of using HDR option for photos taken using the Lock Screen shortcut;
• Addresses bugs that could prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks;
• Fixes bugs that affected AirPlay video playback in some circumstances;
• Improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List and
• Fixes an issue where 'Unable to purchase' alert could be displayed after successful purchase

You can download this 47 MB size software update directly through your apple device via WiFi or via iTunes.

Angry Birds Space Hits 50 Million Downloads, Sets new Record Pace

Mobile game developers has a new record mark to beat: 50 million downloads within 35 days! The record was set by Angry Birds Space, which is now, after the massive downloads, the fastest growing mobile game in history!

Angry Birds Space did even beat the records set by its predecessors- Angry Birds, Angry Birds Rio and Angry Birds Seasons.

Rovio, the team of developers behind Angry birds said they were thrilled to see such a fantastic reception for the game and thanked the avid Angry Birds fans for their support. The team also concluded that they   will bring something even bigger soon.

"We extend our deepest gratitude to all fans of Angry Birds everywhere. While numbers like this certainly say something about the popularity of Angry Birds, for us the main goal is to keep creating fun new experiences that everybody can enjoy! We just launched the first free update for Angry Birds Space, with plenty more surprises in stock." - Rovio

It said that the simultaneous release of the game to different mobile and pc platforms including Android, iOS, Windows and Mac has benefited the game from its success and continuous popularity.

Acer Iconia Tab A200 vs iPad 2 (wifi only) | Price and Specs - Philippines

Acer Iconia Tab A200 has finally arrived in the Philippine market at Php 18, 900 price tag after having announced last February 7, 2012 on Acer Philippines Facebook page that it will be available very soon.

Acer Iconia Tab A200

The Ice Cream Sandwich -running tablet, upon seeing its features and specs is comparable to iPad 2 (wifi only), which was notable of its price marked down after the new iPad was launched last month.

Let's take a closer look at some of the features that distinguish the two tablets from one another. Take note the the blue represents the iPad 2 (wifi only) and the red represents the Acer Iconia Tab A200

PROCESSOR SPEED

Both processors of iPad 2 (wifi only) and Acer Iconia Tab A200 are running at 1GH speed which is impressively fast for a tablet already. But the processor of iPad 2 is ​dual-​core ​Apple ​A5 ​custom-​designed,​ ​high-​performance,​ ​low-​power ​system-​on-​a-​chip while Iconia Tab A200 is NVIDIA ​Tegra ​2 ​250.

SCREEN SIZE

Diagonally measuring the two tablets, Iconia Tab A200 is a little bit bigger at 10.1 inches with dimensions 6.90" x 10.20" x 0.48" while the iPad 2 is measuring 9.7 inches with dimensions 9.50" x 7.31" x 0.34". The difference comes in the display technology used since Iconia Tab A200 is  made of LCD while iPad 2 is made of LED.

CONNECTIVITY

Both tablets have Wifi and USB support but Iconia Tab P200 has an additional Bluetooth support for connecting and communicating with a quite range of mobile devices.

CAMERA

Both the iPad 2 and Iconia Tab A200 have a back and front HD cameras which are perfect for chatting applications such as Skype, Yahoo Messenger, Google Hangout etc. the iPad 2 though stands out with its 0.7 megapixels camera (back) while the front camera is 0.3 megapixels. On the other hand, Acer Iconia Tab A200 has 0.3 megapixels camera at the back and a 0.2 megapixels front camera.

PRICE

At less than Php 1900 in your pocket, you can already have one of this tablets at your hand. The Iconia Tab A200, as mentioned earlier, is costing Php 18, 900 while the iPad 2 wifi only (16 GB) costs not so far at Php 18, 990.

SUMMARY

Both the iPad 2 (wifi only) and Acer Iconia Tab A200 has an incredible features that will make every user satisfied of its overall performance. For this comparison, The iPad 2 is still the winner however, if you're an Android lover and wants to find a  nearest counterpart of the first at the price you can reach, definitely, Acer Iconia A200 might be your best option.

Hunger Games Soundtrack Leads iTunes

The Hunger Games is set to hit the movie screens on 23rd this month and the soundtrack of the young adult novel is topping the iTunes (US), one of the largest online store for music, just a day after the release.

With 16 mostly heart-touching songs from greatly selected artists including The Civil Wars (Kingdom Come), The Decemberists (One Engine), Taylor Swift (Safe and Sound and Eyes Open), and many others, the album is truly a collection that speaks of the emotion and feeling of the movie.

The plot of the hunger games started at the Panem,  the aftermath of an apocalyptic event somewhere in North America, that is composed of the capitol and the 12 district that surrounds it. Each year, every district of Panem send out participants selected through a lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, a public reality TV show, where participants fight for their lives (that means, to kill the rest of participants) until only one survives the game. Watch out how Katniss, the main  protagonist, represents the 12th district, in place of her younger sister, to fight in the outdoor arena and eventually win the 74th hunger game and see how she hold her love set aside for the sake of playing a good game. 

Meanwhile, here is the Safe and Sound music video performed by Taylor Swift, one of the official soundtrack of the movie. You can buy the complete Hunger Game soundtrack on iTunes at $11.99 only.

The new iPad Official Release

From the launching of the new iPad earlier this month (March 7, 2012), the countdown of the release date began and today is the day every apple fans is waiting for! The release date of Apple's newest product 'The new iPad' has finally arrive and  this high-end gadget is now ready for shipping right through your door (in US and nearby countries) and in the different shores worldwide!

As assumed, Apple's tablets are one of the best tablet in the market, and The new iPad's specs as revealed from the keynote has specs and features that are way far from its 'competition'.
From its boasting retina display (that is 2,048 x 1,536 resolution) to the ever promising enhanced 4G LTE connectivity for data use, down to serving as a hotspot host for up to five devices (carrier support dependent), the new iPad indeed is setting a new high standard for a better mobile computing experience!

If you're not having make up your mind yet to buy this latest apple product, see this slideshow below for you to get familiarize more with the new iPad:




What do you think of the new iPad? Let's see in the comment box below:

posted from Bloggeroid

iPad 3 Launching Coverage

At 2:00 AM tomorrow (March 8, 2011), Philippine standard time, Apple is set to launch their another highly anticipated gadget, the iPad3! And we are excited to bring this coverage to all Filipino audience out there and the rest of the world to get updates of the launching event live! Thanks to USTREAM, we were able to bring the channel in this site! Check out the video below:

While the channel is not yet available, what can you say about the iPad3 release? Have you heard about the following rumors regarding iPad3 specs? Here are some of the reasonable and unreasonable predictions:

Reasonable predictions:

1. That 2048 x 1536 pixel "retina" display in the same dimensions (no alternate screen size options)
2. Better cameras, but perhaps not iPhone good (what Frankspin said)
3. Home button--and all other buttons--intact.
4. Improved processor
5. More RAM (not that Apple will actually mention this in Wednesday's event)
6. It's now a gigantic remote and second screen for Apple TV!
7. Siri

Unreasonable prediction:

• It's not an iPad... it's the MacPad, running an iOS/OS X amalgamation that supports apps for both platforms!!

Join the coverage by leaving a comment below:

Globe iPhone 4S Postpaid Plans and Pricing

Globe starts offering iPhone 4S today, December 16, 2011, as part of their Globe postpaid plans revealing their pricing and consumables with lots of freebies!

At plan 1799, you'll have the iPhone 4S 16GB with a cashout of P4,800 only. Availing the unit in Plan 2499 or Plan 3799 lets you have the unit for FREE! See the table below for the complete iPhone 4S postpaid plans available from Globe.

Globe iPhone 4S Plans

For consumable postpaid plans, the fee will be charged on top of your monthly service fee. The table below shows the amounts available for consumables - postpaid plan:

Globe iPhone 4S Consumables

With a minimum of three (3) freebies consumable monthly, there are reasons to enjoy getting the iPhone 4S unit. You'll get 3, 5 and 7 freebies of your choice for Plan 1799, Plan 2499 and Plan 3799 respectively.

Globe iPhone 4S Freebies

Interested customers who may want to get this unit can submit a reservation here: http://iphone4s.globe.com.ph/iphone4sApplication

Smart iPhone 4S Postpaid Plans and Pricing

Smart Communications finally revealed their latest offering, iPhone 4S, today, December 16, 2011, for both postpaid and prepaid. The highly anticipated smartphone comes in a most affordable offering yet from one of the biggest networks in the country.

It is quite surprising that Smart is giving away this amazing phone for just P999 per month with plan P999. At plan P2999, you'll have the iPhone 4S 16GB phone for free! See the table below for the complete information.

Smart iPhone 4S Postpaid Plans

If you want an unlimited data plan, you'll get one iPhone 4S 16GB with cashout of only P12500 under Plan 1500, but you'll get it for FREE for both plan 4000 and plan 3000.

Smart iPhone 4S Unlimited Data Plans

Couldn't get much enough? Add more to your plan by availing these bundled services available:

You may rather prefer to have the smartphone without being locked up for two years, Smart is also offering the phone in prepaid with the folowing price deals:

• P33,200 for 16GB
• P38,200 for 32GB
• P43,200 for 64GB

Apply now for a reservation by redirecting to: http://www1.smart.com.ph/postpaid/iphoneapply

Globe, Smart Set To Release iPhone 4S Tomorrow

Two of the biggest telecommunication networks in the Philippines, Globe Telecom and Smart Communications are set to release the much anticipated smartphone, iPhone 4S, tomorrow, December 16, 2011 in their respective stores nationwide.

iPhone 4S

iPhone 4S is the latest smartphone version released by Apple after iPhone 4 with not so much difference in terms of functionality to the latter model. It's main features include the dual-core A5 chip which brings optimum power, an 8MP camera with all-new optics that can shoot an 1080p HD video, the iCloud that lets you store your music, photos, apps, mail, contacts, calendars, documents, into the 'cloud' and the intelligent assistant named Siri who can make phone calls, sends messages, schedules meetings, sets reminders, and more by simply talking or making direction in a conversational way.

Both networks will be offering the gadget in prepaid and postpaid plan. Interested customers who want to get the said phone can have reservation and know more about the pricing by redirecting to:

Globe: http://iphone4s.globe.com.ph/

Smart: http://www1.smart.com.ph/postpaid/iphone4s

Top Apps and Games 2011 for iPhone | iPad | iPod Touch

Apple's annual year-end retrospective for apps and games revealed that Instagram made it to the top and be heralded as defenitive 'top iPhone application of 2011' while Tiny Tower is this year's 'Top iPhone Game of 2011'. For iPad, Snapseed held the 'top iPad application for 2011' while Angry Birds HD earned both this year's 'top paid selling and top grossing' tablet app.

Instagram is a free photo-sharing application that allow users apply different effects and filters to captured photos and share it on different social networking sites including Twitter, Facebook, Tumbler, Flickr, Foursquare and Posterous. Its major update included more features like instant tilt shift, four new filters, high resolution photos, optional borders, one click rotation, an updated icon and use of hashtags for user and photo discoverability, The app has already reached an outstanding 14 million+ users who posted about 400 million photos online.

This year's apple game of the year Tiny Tower is a freemium, highly engaging and addictive game. It was released to iTunes on June 22, 2011 and the game was well-received by users and was even featured as game of the week. The goal of game is to upgrade a small building into a skyscraper, brimming with both residential and commercial establishments. The game requires a sense of strategic thinking, cost and time efficiency and a decent amount of commitment which made this game a winsome.

Snapseed has some similarities to Instagram that let's you add flavors to your photographs but more features to offer. Snapseed enhances your photos with one tap, tweak photos to perfection with Tune Image or selectively adjust only a part of your photo with revolutionary Control Points. User can also add incredible effects with innovative filters like Drama, Vintage, and Grunge and share photos with friends and family with social network support, or print photos directly in Snapseed.

Other categories in the 'iTunes Rewind 2011' include 'Artist of the year' which was took by Adele with her song 'Rolling in the deep' also as the top-selling song and her '21' as the best selling album.

The top-selling movie of 2011 was the Oscar winner 'The Social Network.' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 was also awarded 'Best Blockbuster', while 'Bridesmaids' was named best comedy. Woody Allen's 'Midnight in Paris' was best indie, and 'Beginners' took best romance. 

"Steve Jobs", an authorized biography by Walter Isaacson was this year's best-selling nonfiction title of 2011 while other books that also made it in the market include 'The Tiger's Wife' by Tea Obreht (best novel), 'The Help' by Kathryn Stockett (best-selling fiction novel) and 'Boomerang' by Michael Lewis (best nonfiction).