A peek at Alodia Gosiengfiao's fave gadgets for 2012

With 78 Million or 8 out of every 10 Filipinos using mobile phones, according to ICT Statistics News log, we can definitely say that we are in the digital age. As the time of mobile phones with intelligent talking assistants, tablets that turn into laptops, and handy video cameras with built-in projectors arise, the need to know ‘which is wise to purchase first’ is in demand. 

 

In an episode aired January 31, Pop Talk searched for the hottest gadgets to look out for this 2012. 

 

Guest reviewers Blogger and Cosplay queen Alodia Gosiengfiao; college student and Basketball varsity player Timothy Lazaro; and Gadgets Magazine online editor and Manila Bulletin feature writer John Nieves join Pop Talk host Tonipet Gaba to find out which among the gadgets are Pop (winner) and Flop (failure). 

 

Using the Pop Talk review sheet with deciding factors that include Design and Features, Wow Factor, and Price, here's the final verdict:

 

 

 

Gadget: iPhone 4S

Price: 37,690 pesos inclusive of a prepaid sim

Wow Factors: Siri - The intelligent assistant; Dual-core A5 chip - it’s the most powerful iPhone ever

Other features: 8-megapixel camera resolution; custom lens with a larger f/2.4 aperture; advanced color accuracy; face detection and reduced motion blur; 1080p amazing HD video recording; Face Time: It’s even better face-to-face; iCloud: Your content on all your devices; AirPlay: From the small screen to the big screen. (via Apple TV); AirPrint: Print everything wirelessly; Built-in apps that do just about everything so you can too.

 

Reviewers’ comments: 

“Manipis, magaan at pulido ang pagkagawa. Very compact,” says Gosiengfiao. She says she likes recommending it to friends and believes it is not only for convenience, it’s also a companion.  

Aside from Siri and the better processor. There’s nothing different about it. It’s very expensive. You can get an equivalent Android phone for about 30 thousand or less and get the same kind of features except for Siri,” says Nieves.

Lazaro, on the other hand, thinks the price is worth it.

 

Overall Verdict: 7 out of 9 POP points.

 

 

 

 

Gadget: ASUS Transformer Prime TF201 EeePad

Price: 32,995 pesos  

Wow Factors: World’s first Quad-Core CPU tablet: the most powerful tablet ever; Transforms into a notebook with full QWERTY chiclet keyboard dock

Other claimed features: Up to 18 hours battery life; 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash; Supreme sound offering by SonicMaster technology; Maximum 3D performance for games; Android Market and social media access; SuperNote: super great app for more than note taking; Magazines, newspapers and books: rich content for everyday use; Polaris Office 3.0: a professional office mobile solution; MyCloud: access to digital content - music, videos and files from the cloud; MyNet: easily streams digital media wirelessly; MyLibrary: consolidates downloaded books, magazines and newspapers.

 

"It is still the same tablet and has a keyboard dock but this is thinner and faster because it is the first Quad-core tablet in the market. This is the latest product from ASUS," says Izon de Guzman of ASUS Philipines System Tech PR.

 

Reviewers’ comments: 

Lazaro likes the speed of the gadget, “Number one for me.” 

“It’s one of the thinnest tablets out there right now, ” adds Nieves.

 

Overall Verdict: Perfect 9 POP points.

 

 

 

Gadget: Sony HDR-PJ10 Projector Handycam

Price: 39,999 pesos

Wow Factor: Sony handycam and projector in one

Other claimed features: 1920x1080 full HD recording with 3MP still image; 16GB embedded flash memory for up to 6 hours of recording; Project videos to at most 60” diagonal screen combined with Clear Phase stereo speakers; with Wide Angle G Lens & 42x extended zoom; Optical SteadyShot: image stabilization with Active mode; 3.0” touch screen Clear Photo LCD Plus display (230 K); creates movies with transitions; Event Browse group photos/videos for easy reference; Built-in USB cable for easy transfer of file and charge; Intelligent Auto (90 different scene combinations possible); up to 10 lumens; Throw distance of approximately 0.5m to 3m

 

Reviewers’ comments:

It’s not the only the projector that was upgraded, even the quality of the video, says Gosiengfiao. She also thinks the projector is cool because it’s easy to place: “You can twist it. Make it look upwards. There are angles.” 

It’s the first handycam with a projector. As a student, you can do reports or simple interviews and present them to your professors instantly, says Lazaro.

Nieves thinks the price is too expensive for a digital camera.

 

Overall Verdict: 8 out of 9 POP points

 

When asked which one of the three gadgets they would choose, Lazaro and Nieves instantly chose ASUS Transformer Prime while Gosiengfiao thinks she needs the Sony Projector Handycam Projector the most. — TJD, GMA News

 

Pop Talk airs Tuesdays, 10:00 PM on GMA News TV Channel 11.