The Mystical PS3 Slim: A Black Market Sighting

Another first for the Philippines! A few months back, leaked photos surfaced from the alleged assembly plant of the PS3 Slim in China. Many speculated it was fake, but here's another 'evidence' of its existence -- the world famous footage of the new PS3 Slim being sold in the streets of Manila. Sony must be furious but there's nothing wrong with a little publicity right? Most people in the internet say the 'PS3 Slim' in the video is also fake -- probably another China-made DVD player or something. But who knows? This might be it.

Anyway, here's the original post of the person who took the video:

The Web site this originated from (UltimatePlayStation.com) has been shut down by Sony to kill any evidence of it's existence. However, they have not taken down the YouTube video (below) yet. Enjoy!

To quote: "I'm sorry the video is very short and very low quality, but my phone is ancient and the memory is very low, but I hope you believe me when I say this is in now way a fabrication."

The details are as follows, taken from the Web site now seized by Sony:

• It has a 120GB HDD.
• Two USB Ports
• The 'touch' button for eject and on seems to be gone, and there are now these random buttons.
• The PS icon is now white instead of colored.
• No more card reader
• PLAYSTATION 3 is gone, rather its PS3. It says this on the bottom as well for some reason.
• The guy was selling it with a DualShock 3. Whether it is compatible is another matter.
• The guy was selling it for 20,000 pesos, which is roughly £250, which is roughly $410

If there's any other information on this unit, let us only hope, someone will snatch it up and leak more info on it!!

Read more: http://www.ps3news.com/PlayStation-3/ps3-slim-console-surfaces-on-black-market-in-the-philippines/#ixzz0LOmxxBQx

The Sony Bravia WE5: Greener than your Usual HDTV

It’s an inconvenient truth that the world is losing resources quickly. Well, thanks to some manufacturing giants, eco-friendly devices are fast becoming a norm. One of which is Sony, and their WE5 line of flat panel televisions that aims to cut power consumption to up to 40% than that of current LCD TVs.

The Sony Bravia 40WE5 is a full-HD 40-incher that belongs to Sony’s line of eco-friendly and energy saving LCD TVs. We all know that the majority of the energy goes to lighting up the panel, so Sony developed a new kind of lighting called the Hot Cathode Florescent Lamp which uses 50% less electricity to produce the same amount of light. And with higher efficiency, translates to lesser number of bulbs – significantly lowering your electric bill!

This Sony WE5 HDTV features a Presence Sensor that uses heat and motion to constantly monitor if there’s a person in the room watching. If no one is present, it automatically turns-off the backlight but the sound remain; and if no one comes back for a longer period of time, it puts itself into standby mode. Also, it has an Ambient Light Sensor which adjusts the brightness of the picture according to the brightness of the room. If you choose not use it for a long time, a power saving switch completely cuts energy consumption to zero.

Despite the eco-friendly features packed into this set, picture quality is uncompromised. The Sony Bravia 3 engine delivers vibrant colors, crisp visuals, and stunning clarity to HD and SD programs alike and the Motionflow 120Hz eliminates ‘LCD ghosting’ during fast-moving games and action scenes. It also promises to deliver a 100,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, but compared to other sets with the common CCFL bulb, the WE5’s blacks aren’t black enough. But on the brighter side, there are no backlight inconsistencies throughout the panel.

The Sony Bravia KDL-40WE5 is an awesome product that combines earth-friendly features with great performance. And for P139,999 for the 40-inch model, it will definitely pay for itself in energy savings.

Oh and did I mention that it comes in a box made from recycled paper? Yep. Cool.

My Christmas Wishlist

This was my Christmas wish list for the holidays. I received/bought 0 out of 7. :-(

Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch Laptop – P153,000

Apple Macbook Pro is one of the best, if not the best, laptop Apple has ever produced. Be it on style and specifications, Apple Macbook Pro is surely THE laptop to have. It comes with 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, up to 4GB DDR3 RAM, Nvidia GeForce 9400M GT graphics card, next generation wireless 802.11n technology, and the breakthrough 8-hour internal battery with 1000 charge cycles -- not to mention that it is the thinnest and lightest 17-incher to date!

Sony PlayStation 3 – P22,000


This year, Sony announced the release of a new 160GB model of the PS3, as well as the upgrading of the 40GB version to 80GB - ensuring this gaming console with Blu-ray player a place on even more Christmas lists. The stunning HD games and movies in this one nifty package will surely tickle your fancy.

Logitech EX100 Cordless Keyboard and Mouse – P1,500


This stylish keyboard and mouse combo comes in a sexy black finish and has programmable keys that instantly take you to your favorite applications, folders, and Web pages – even from several feet away. If you want an ergonomic, cord-free work space, this is definitely a good buy.

Apple iPod Touch 32GB – P24,000

When it comes to best gadgets for this Christmas, Apple iPod can't be beat. The latest Apple innovation is the iPod touch. It comes with an above average battery, intuitive touch interface, Wi-Fi, a large selection of games and applications and, of course, the iconic sleek form factor.

Toshiba AV502 32” LCD TV – P35,000

This new entry-level 720p LCD TV series offers high-gloss black cabinet and a thinner bezel than its successful predecessor, the AV500. Plus it has two HDMI inputs and a PC input, creating a very feature rich television for an unbeatable price.

Apple iPhone 3G – P40,000

With the addition of 3G and the introduction of the color white, it’s a much stronger smartphone contender. It has made a lot of the big mobile names like Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson sit up as the user interface and minimalistic design of the iPhone are truly heads and tails above any of their current phones on the market.

MSI Wind Netbook – starts at P16,000

Netbooks have taken us by storm this year with the introduction of the revolutionary Intel Atom processor. The MSI Wind stands out because of its no-fuss, simple-yet -elegant design, and its ability to unofficially run Mac OSX Leopard with no issues whatsoever.

A Basic HDTV Buying Guide

I've been planning to buy an LCD TV for the past 6 months and after long hours of reading, this is what I learned so far. I believe this would help buyers choose the right television set for their needs. This is not a comprehensive guide BTW for what I included here are just the most common questions a not-so-techie-soon-to-be HDTV owner must know.

If you’re having problems deciding on which HDTV to buy, listen-up because Headstart will help you comprehend all that “High Definition” gibberish and misconceptions.



Is getting a television with a higher contrast ratio better than the one with a lower one? In theory, it is better to get a higher contrast ratio. But a problem with current models is that we will never know the real score when it comes to contrast ratios since different manufacturers employ different techniques to test it. Independent tests prove that current TVs have no more than a 1500:1 contrast ratio so it is best not believe the outrageous numbers posted.

Is it worth having a 1080p capable TV? The answer is a big NO. Use the money you’ll save to buy a kick-ass BlueRay player or a sound system to get the most out of your movie experience. Tests show that common individuals can’t distinguish between 780p/1080i (‘p’ means progressive, ‘i’ means interlaced) and 1080p on a 60-inch screen! Since most of today’s HDTVs play 780p and 1080i natively, you can just choose the best that fits your budget.

Another thing is the choice between Plasma and LCD. There is no clear winner between the two because each technology has its own advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to contrast, plasma wins hands down because each pixel produces its own light and just turns itself off to produce black. On the other hand, LCD has a backlight to produce images, so if you want black, each pixel needs to block-off the light from behind. Added to that, plasmas have wider viewing angles unlike LCDs which would look bad when viewed off-axis. But despite these disadvantages, LCD panels consume less power, run cooler, and will probably last longer than most plasma panels in the market today.





Lastly, make sure you test each brand and model and get the one that pleases you (and your eyes). Never rush to buy an HDTV just because you were overwhelmed by its posted specifications. Also, it is important to set a budget for a particular screen size. LCD TVs are your best bet on 32-inchers and below; but if you want 47” and above, plasmas are cheaper to buy than LCD.

That's it, I hope I clarified some things. Don't forget to listen in every Friday at 9PM to Headstart on NU107 -- the newest tech and lifestyle show on radio! (This article will be broadcast there.)