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Jueves Jugete : Pantech Matrix Pro

6:44 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Features|Tech · Comments Off

12 Mar 2009

c820-image_5f00_0811101 Oh how did I ever live without a smartphone? Recently I was given the opportunity to try the new Pantech Matrix Pro available from AT&T and now I am officially hooked. What was it about the Pantech Matrix Pro? Well I’ve never had a smartphone so the experience of having a device that let me access my email, check out VivirLatino, use twitter, take pictures to post on twitter and make phone calls has changed me for life even if it is a Windows Phone.

Yes the Pantech Matrix Pro uses Windows Mobile 6.1 pero I got over that quickly besides, Windows Mobile is handy for edting Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, which you can do on this phone.

The Matrix Pro is not a touch screen phone pero it is shiny and pretty enough that my AT&T touch screen phone user hermana wanted to play with it. The steel-blue metallic finish of the phone also makes it susceptible to fingerprints, especially toddler prints, pero the phone comes with a felted protective cover that is also good for wiping off greasy dedito marks.

One of the selling features is a dual sliding backlit keyboard. One is a regular numerical one for all your calling needs. The other is a full QUERTY keyboard for all your texting, tweeting, emailing and surfing needs. A downside to the dual keyboard is that it makes the phone a little bulky and it feels a little heavy in your hand (2″ x 4.2″ x .9″ (WxHxD) and weighs in at 4.3 ounces to get all specific).

The Matrix Pro features a large LCD screen, which produces great images and video if you are surfing You Tube.

Speaking of surfing, the Matrix Pro does not have wifi on it, which worried me at first since I had heard from AT&T users that the 3G network was a little, um, unreliable. Pero, I must say that in the days I was playing with the phone, I never had a problem once getting online.

Other features include a MicroSDHC slot for additional storage, a proprietary USB connector to synchronize and charge the phone, which means yes another cord to carry around. However I must say that the phone charge lasts a pretty long time even with near constant use.

It’s a quad-band GSM and tri-band UMTS phone which means you can use it globally. It supports Bluetooth 2.0.
Oh and it has a camera, a 1.92 Megapixel digital camera that takes good quality pics and video.

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Apparently you can also do video sharing with AT&T Video Share to send live video during a phone call to a user with a compatible phone. Also, the Matrix Pro has GPS support for location-based services such as AT&T Navigator and other online direction programs for the chronically lost.

All in all, I really like this phone for a smartphone novice like me, or for a more experienced smart phone user, it’s a good option.

You can check out an online device simulator for the phone aqui and then buy it here.

You’ll have to drop $179 on a 2 year AT&T contract after a $50 mail in rebate.

While VivirLatino was Down, Mala Was Out

21 Feb 2009

While behind the scenes an entire team was frantically dealing with hackers and figuring out how to get VivirLatino back online, your truely was also engaging in a little fashion frivolity and networking gracias to Buzz Corps, HP and Vivienne Tam.

First on the agenda: A visit to Vivienne Tam’s boutique at 40 Mercer Street, NYC, on February 18, 2009, for a look at her Fall/Winter 2009 collection which revolved around the theme of an Exploration of Nothingness.

One of the reasons I was there is not cuz I’m such a fashionista. I was sent the HP Mini Vivienne Tam edition to review and this was all part of the marketing and promotional fun, porque carajo, especially when our site was down and we were pulling our hair out trying to get it up for you, the VL team needed some fun.

Ay pero lest you think that as I was having fun that I wasn’t paying attention to the multiple ironies around me, I’m working on a follow up that will go into the politics of this adventure porque you know mala, I make everything personal and professional political.

Salud!

Post Valentine’s Giveaway : HP Vivienne Tam Edition Wireless Optical Mouse

9:43 am By Maegan La Mala · Fashion|Marketing|Tech|VivirLatino · 7 Comments

17 Feb 2009

Last week I wrote about the HP Mini Vivienne Tam Edition that HP had sent for me to play with.

Originally, I had gifts to give away for Valentine’s day, pero since we were under a not so loving attack that took us offline, let’s just call this VivirLatino’s post-Valentine’s Day/Fashion Week Giveaway.

This week in NYC is Fashion Week, and I will be at the Vivienne Tam boutique tomorrow for a fashion show. Since I can’t bring all of you with me (although it looks like I’ll be able to live blog the event), we are giving away 3 HP wireless optical mice with the Vivienne Tam peony design.

It’s ready to use, with a micro USB receiver, and batteries. Apparently you can’t even get these in the U.S. Pero, sorry Apple heads (this even applies to me), the mouse only works with Windows.

The first three comments with email addresses will win.

Jueves Jugetes : HP Mini Vivienne Tam Edition

12:20 pm By Maegan La Mala · Fashion|Tech · Comments Off

12 Feb 2009

That’s yours truly at a reading last month and no I am not looking into my makeup case to read poetry. I am reading off the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam edition sent to me to test out and review.

Netbooks are all the rage now and after a few weeks of playing around with this one I can see why. The HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam edition is super light and portable and yes it’s pretty too, with is red background/purple peony cover design.

I don’t care much about the pretty pero when others see me using it, they notice, and usually want it. Pero pretty comes at a cost.

More Latin Americans Logging onto the Internet

11:52 am By Maegan La Mala · Latin America|Tech · Comments Off

13 Jan 2009

Access to the internet in parts of Latin America is growing. According to a survey conducted by Pyramid Research for Google, the reasons include more affordable computers and an expanding broadband network.

In 2007, for example, Colombia added 5.4 million Internet users, or about 12% of its population of 45 million — an 80% increase in the number of Colombia’s Internet users that year.

Brazil added 7.4 million Internet users in 2007 (17% growth), Mexico more than 2.2 million (an 11% increase) and Venezuela 1.58 million (38% growth).

Domestic Violence Over the Wii?

12:01 pm By Maegan La Mala · Bizarro|Family|Games|society|Tech · Comments Off

30 Dec 2008

Last week Mala told us that some experts think that Nintendo’s Wii could be dangerous for your health. Also dangerous for one’s health is domestic violence, and the Wii was at the center of at least one heated incident in which two people were arrested. GameTab reports

Blom and his 24 year-old girlfriend, Randi Young, were both arrested for misdemeanor “domestic-related” assault charges. An altercation broke out over Christmas presents. Police arrived at the Blom residence on Christmas Day to discover the couple bruised and battered.

“Heath Blom wanted a remote-controlled airplane for Christmas, and not the Wii,” said Sgt. Kuffer Kaltenborn. Blom’s grandmother gave him a Nintendo Wii, which he scoffed at, causing his girlfriend to call him names “for not liking the Wii.”

According to Young, “He [Heath Blom] said he hated it. It hurt her [his grandmother's] feelings… When he didn’t get the plane, he got really upset. He acted like a 10-year-old kid.”

A fight ensued with Blom supposedly dragging Young down two flights of stairs — by her hair. Blom claims Young punched him in the eye three times.

Turns out it wasn’t Wii’s fault. The guy was just an ungrateful bastard, and violent to boot.

Via / GameTab

We Think Wii is Dangerous

4:50 pm By Maegan La Mala · Health|Tech · Comments Off

26 Dec 2008

As I write this, my older daughter is playing Animal Crossing: City Folk. My sister is playing with the Wii Fit. Wii and it’s games were hot items in my family this navidad, but doctors are saying that the Nintendo game system is bringing business, with up to ten people coming into the hospital with Wii related injuries.

“There has been a 100 percent increase in patients complaining of Wii-itis,” Dr. Dev Mukerjee of Broomfield Hospital, Essex, told The Sun newspaper.

Most patients are admitted after playing tennis or running games which involve sudden movements, resulting in tendon stretching or tearing.

“It’s possible Wii-itis may lead to rheumatism or arthritis later in life. Patients often have inflamation of the shoulder or wrist,” said Dr. Mukerjee.

Another common injury is dubbed Wii-knee, blamed on the bending of the knee from the Wii-Fit game. This involves a special platform and a series of movements ranging from yoga to strength-training moves.

In extreme cases, the kneecap can be dislocated or pop out of joint.

Maybe it’s just the English that are too out of shape to play with the Wii? Or maybe people are just playing the Wii too damn much and need to step away from the videogames.

Via / Orlando Sentinel.

Wii Throw Shoes at the Soon to be Former President Bush

9:22 am By Maegan La Mala · Spain|Tech · 1 Comment

17 Dec 2008

Spanish blogger Polonio 210 credits President Bush’s shoe ducking skills to the latest Wii game : “Wii Zapatilla”.

Now if only there was a game where we could throw shoes at Bush. My kids would love it and so would I.

Via / Mi Blog es Tu Blog

Tagging The Sexual Activities of Indonesia’s HIV/AIDS Population

9:06 am By Maegan La Mala · Health|Indonesia|Politics|sex|Tech · Comments Off

25 Nov 2008

I say it was only a matter of time before a class of those monitored because of their “dangerousness” happen. Not surprisingly this dangerousness has been linked to sex.

Indonesia’s Papua province is set to pass a bylaw that requires some HIV/AIDS patients to be implanted with microchips in a bid to prevent them infecting others, a lawmaker said on Saturday.
Under the bylaw, which has caused uproar among human rights activists, patients who had shown “actively sexual behavior” could be implanted with a microchip to monitor their activity, lawmaker John Manangsang said…

If a patient with HIV/AIDS was found to have infected a healthy person, there would be a penalty, he said without elaborating.

Who does this really protect?

VivirLatino