Samsung Galaxy Studio Spotlights On The New Gear S2

Few days ago, Samsung Philippines has unveiled a new point of interest for its techie and non-techie consumers.  That is the Samsung Galaxy Studio, which was first introduced to media practitioners and celebrities both from fashion and showbiz industries.  It was strategically located at Cyberzone in SM Mall of Asia (MOA), Manila.

Prior to the Studio’s opening, a short presentation of its stellar product was introduced and the spotlight showered its rays to the new Samsung Gear S2.  An avant garde, top-of-the-line kind of smart watch that suits your impeccable lifestyle.  Every owner of this Samsung Gear S2 watch takes pride of sporting one, not only of its looks but more-so of its great features which makes it smart.  It’s truly a great fusion of innovative technology and fashion flair.

The presentation and introduction of Samsung Gear S2 took place right at the grounds where the MOA Globe was located. Samsung welcomed members of the media and celebrities to a unique visual display which transformed the SM Mall of Asia LED Globe into the world’s largest smartwatch, with real-life interactive stunts that demonstrated just how the Gear S2 gets better with every turn.

Galaxy Studio PH ribbon-cutting

The exclusive event also saw the introduction of Samsung’s latest ambassadors and partnerships for Gear S2. Demonstrating how it perfectly complements the stylish set as a wearable tech accessory were internationally-recognized fashion-designer Francis Libiran, Top Fashion Photographer BJ Pascual, global Fashion Journalist & Blogger Ingrid Chua-Go, international model Kelsey Merritt, Radio DJ Andi Manzano, Top Lifestyle Bloggers Cecile Zamora Van Straten & Kelly Misa, and Club DJ & model Callum David. Bringing to life how the Gear S2 supports the active lifestyle of fitness enthusiasts were actor and triathlete Victor Basa, Top Fashion & Sports photographer and fitness evangelist Xander Angeles, together with the rest of his TriSixFiv triathlon team, as well as five of the top coaches from CrossfitMNL.

Joining the Samsung Gear S2 ambassadors at the event were Samsung Galaxy brand ambassador Liz Uy, as well as Rajo Laurel, Bubbles Paraiso, Carla Humphries, and many others who also celebrated the successful launch of the Galaxy Studio and unveiling of Samsung’s latest innovation in wearable technology.

To showcase how the Samsung Gear S2 most-fittingly blurs the line between wearable technology and fine fashion, the world’s most precious strap for the Gear S2 was also revealed to the guests. Masterfully created by leading jeweler Marilou Co of Marilou Jewellery, the strap is encrusted with 200 VVS diamonds meticulously hand-set on genuine black calfskin leather, and supported by an 18K platinum white gold lockset, the precious piece exclusively on display that evening was valued at PHP20million.

 “We wanted to highlight what makes the Gear S2, a stunning, fashionable piece of wearable technology, and to underscore that, we paired it with a stunning diamond strap designed by acclaimed jeweler Marilou Co,” said Digs Dimagiba, Business Unit Head for IT & Mobile Business of Samsung Electronics Philippines.

Galaxy Studio at SM Cyberzon, SM Mall of Asia

Guests were also given a preview of Gear S2 technology currently in-development. On display was a Limited Edition Volkswagen Beetle 1.4L Turbo connected to the Gear S2. Through a third-party app, users were able to lock and unlock the vehicle from his or her Gear S2.

The opening of the Samsung Galaxy Studio celebrates the arrival of Gear S2—wherein its hub is the crowning glory of the Studio.  The Gear S2 hub allows guests to experience the revolutionary rotating bezel control that marks a great shift in the user experience of wearable technology. Visitors will be treated to a white-gloved service to appreciate the fine craftsmanship, design, and features of the sporty Gear S2 and versatile Gear S2 classic that both feature a bright 1.2-inch Super AMOLED display perfect for customizing watch faces to suit your look, mood, or occasion. Both devices run on an app-rich ecosystem, including the built-in S Health app which constantly monitors your vital signs and activity levels. Active guests can experience the fitness tracking capabilities of the Gear S2 through a stationary bike provided by Trek Bikes.

Moving on, Samsung’s flagship smartphones, the Galaxy Note 5 hub will allow visitors to experience the all-powerful S-Pen. Inspiring creativity, a badge-making contest and caricature art-making activities will be held using the S-Pen. Definitely more than just a stylus, the S-Pen  not only works like a real pen, but also as a powerful digital precision tool, allowing users to experience the ultimate choice in mobile productivity.

Meanwhile, consumers will have an immersive multimedia experience like no other at the Galaxy S6 edge+ hub where they can try & experience virtual reality with Samsung Gear VR. Using it with the 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display of the Galaxy S6 edge+, guests will be able to watch movies and play games in virtual reality, which is a preview of what Samsung’s connected mobile & multimedia devices have to offer.

Not leaving out audiophiles and music enthusiasts, the Samsung Level On Pro hub will give visitors an aural experience of Samsung’s premium wireless headphones, earphones and speakers – with music spun through Samsung’s new music production & mixing app for smartphones - Samsung Soundcamp.

Visit the Samsung Galaxy Studio until December 5, 2015 at the SM Mall of Asia Cyberzone to experience the latest in Samsung’s mobile device innovations -- and see how the new Gear S2 gets better at every turn.

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iTrueMartPH officially launches in Manila, offers hassle-free shopping

Thailand's leading e-commerce retailer, iTrueMart was officially launched in the Philippines through iTrueMart.ph, providing an easier to shop and buy items w/o getting stuck in traffic

iTrueMartPH currently sells different branded gadgets and peripherals that are perfect gift ideas. They also offer FREE DELIVERY, MONEY BACK, and RISK-FREE RETURNS which is a necessity for hassle-free online shopping. iTrueMartPH serves Metro Manila and Luzon, and should expand to the country in due time.

We're eyeing for Cherry Mobile Alpha Morph, which a tablet and laptop in one, is available at a discounted price of PHP 5,999.00 and can be delivered in our office for free! Well, this is just one its great deals for gadgets on the go.

There's already a lot of brands available on iTrueMart.ph. You can find brands such as Toshiba, Neo, Cherry Mobile, Razer, Sandisk, Huawei, Asus and a whole lot more.

Here's the official Press Release:

iTrueMart, Thailand’s leading e-commerce retailer, has launched the iTrueMart.ph e-commerce website to serve the Philippine market and bring an unrivaled shopping experience with access to a variety of products, various payment channels, and competitive pricing.

Under the slogan “Great Value, Everyday,” iTrueMart.ph works only with authorized distributors of international brands and act as authorized dealer of local brands so customers can be assured that all products on the website are genuine. The current focus of the site is on smartphones and gadgets and it will expand into consumer electronics, computers and laptops, health and beauty and moms and kids in the future. iTrueMart.ph also caters to the Filipinos' love of bargains and offers lower prices with the use of vouchers. Moreover, it provides free delivery and free returns with cash on delivery payment as an option for customers.

Mr. Punnamas Vichitkulwongsa, CEO of Ascend Group, says, “e-commerce will have huge potential when the AEC fully materializes. According to a study by Ystats SE Asia eCommerce, the volume of ASEAN’s mobile Internet users rose 56% in 2015. Up to 56% of the Thai and Vietnamese populations are now accessing the Internet via their smartphones, a figure close to the Philippines’ 50% rate. Recognizing the growing number of mobile-Internet users, we are confident that online shopping in the region will also grow. The AEC is an emerging and interesting market for e-commerce through which entrepreneurs can expand their businesses."

Mr. Vichitkulwongsa adds, “At present, iTrueMart has already been tapping into the AEC market with over 150 million US Dollar investment planned for 2016. The investment will be used for e-commerce optimized fulfillment centers, logistic hubs, expansion of our own fleet, marketing, and ramping up assortment and inventory. We are debuting our operations in the Philippines and that will be followed by Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore later in 2016. We are committed for long-term success in the Philippines and everywhere else that we go to.”

Mr. Seubsakol Sakolsatayadorn, General Manager of the iTrueMart division at Ascend Commerce, says “iTrueMart.ph is not a newcomer to the market as the team is backed by the strong success of iTrueMart in Thailand. During the past year, the number of visits to iTrueMart.com has increased by as much as 424%. Since October 2014, the average number of visits recorded was 4.6 million per month. iTrueMart.com receives 7,000 orders per day on average, with the highest volume of daily orders at 10,000. This marks the highest record in Thailand’s online retail industry, which puts iTrueMart.com at the forefront of Thailand’s e-commerce sector. Moreover, iTrueMart.com’s delivery averages at two days throughout Thailand and it enjoys the lowest e-commerce return rate in the country which confirms the trust and shows the high quality of the products offered on the website.”

Mr. Dean Krstevski, Chief Operating Officer E-Commerce of Ascend Group, says, “The decision to launch in the Philippines stemmed from the fact that competition in the e-commerce sector in the Philippines is still considered low. With the market still in its infancy, there are still plenty of opportunities for new players. Now that the e-commerce market is being developed, brands are increasingly looking for partners to sell their products online, which we see as a great advantage that will help us speed up our market entry. We are confident of our success in the Philippines because we have a strong team with extensive experience in both online and offline retail.”

Mr. Krstevski adds, “iTrueMart.ph is determined to become the dominant e-commerce player by 2017 and the second largest e-commerce player by the end of this year through partnerships with key local brands and authorized distributors, as well as attractive Christmas campaigns, where customers are offered great value and guaranteed delivery before Christmas Eve. Our goals are to be the top-of-mind e-commerce brand, to have great assortment at best prices, to provide the best end-to-end customer experience and to become the most trusted online shipping platform.”

To deliver the best possible end-to-end customer experience, iTrueMart.ph is starting off delivery in the Luzon area and will further expand from the beginning of next year. iTrueMart.ph is targeting to have 100 vehicles in its delivery fleet by the year-end, operating out of its own fulfillment center in Pasig. In addition, with 45% of the traffic coming from mobile devices, iTrueMart.ph has a mobile version while a mobile application will be rolled out by the first quarter of 2016.

iTrueMart.ph is the answer to Filipinos' shopping woes, offering various products, easy payment methods, and great deals with just a click of a button. It allows shopping from home or the office, using a desktop computer, tablet or smartphone - definitely an easier and faster way to shop. Online shopping is the future and iTrueMart.ph is here to stay.

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Bose's next-generation SoundTouch wireless systems unveiled

Bose announces next-generation soundtouch wireless systems with bluetooth and wi-fi

Just recently, I witnessed the unveiling of the newest, high-end gadget addition toBOSE family. That is, the next-generation SoundTouchwireless systems.  The unveiling of the new products for the selected media people happened at the Aruga by Rockwell in Makati City.  The place showcased BOSE’s multi-media devices in various forms, shapes and colours at their showroom located at the 3^rd floor of the building.  Later on we were ushered to experience the full capacity of the entire SoundTouch wireless systems installed at the model unit at the 5^th floor.

The immersive experience you will get the way the music is streamed flawlessly amongst the rooms will send shivers to spine. In addition, it is not only the music that you will enjoy with these SoundTouch wireless systems, but also the surround sound it makes if you are watching TV.  It completes your home theatre set and you would not ask for more.

The SoundTouch system includes the new little SoundTouch 10 speaker – all have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi built right in for the best of both worlds, perfect for instant music and multi-room listening.  With Bluetooth, you can stream any song, playlist, music service, and YouTube directly from your phone or tablet.  With Wi-Fi, you can broadcast it to as many SoundTouch speakers you have, or use the intuitive SoundTouch app to explore integrated music services, set personalized presets, and enjoy different music in different rooms.

“SoundTouch has always been about the experience -- what listening to streaming music at home should be like,” said John Roselli, General Manager of Bose Wireless Speakers.  “We engineered everything around that simple idea.  So, SoundTouch systems are easier to use than anything else available, they sound incredible, and now they let you listen to anything from your phone or tablet in as many rooms as you want.  There’s nothing else like it, and the SoundTouch 10 is a great way to get started.”

The SoundTouch 10 speaker is the new addition to SoundTouch family of products which is the most comprehensive in the industry.  It’s ideal on its own, you can add more over time, or mix and match with other SoundTouch systems. The SoundTouch 10 speaker joins the new SoundTouch 20 and 30 Series III speakers, new SoundTouch soundbars, and new SoundTouch home theater systems. 

SoundTouch makes music streaming flawlessly as it also has the world’s most popular music services built in -- Spotify and Deezer -- each accessible through the intuitive SoundTouch app. 

With just a few taps, the SoundTouch app turns your phone or tablet into a powerful controller, letting you listen to the same music everywhere, or different music in different rooms.  But there’s even more freedom with SoundTouch systems.  The app lets you set six personalized presets to any music service playlist, artist or internet radio station, and change them whenever you want.  Each time you do, every SoundTouch speaker in your home remembers them automatically -- so when you don’t want to use the app, you don’t have to.  Just press a corresponding button on the SoundTouch speaker or the included remote, and with that one touch, your music starts playing -- no phone needed.  Charge it, text, take a call, turn it off, or never take it out.  Filling the room with your tracks takes a second, as fast and simple as turning on a light.

SoundTouch 20 in Black & White

Through new 802.11n dual-band Wi-Fi, the SoundTouch connection is stronger and more reliable with less interference and drop-outs.  The addition of 5 GHz compatibility also offers a better streaming option in crowded environments like apartment buildings in the city.  

Later this year, BOSE will begin offering features to make SoundTouch systems the best way to listen to Spotify at home.

SoundTouch systems will offer new in-app integration with Spotify alongside Spotify Connect.  From the SoundTouch app you’ll be able to search for any song, album, artist, or playlist from Spotify or Spotify users. And from the Spotify app, you’ll control SoundTouch systems directly.  Switching from the SoundTouch app to the Spotify app is seamless; you’ll pick up wherever you left off.

  “The home is one of the places where we want to deliver music fans innovative experiences,” said Jorge Espinel, VP, Global Business Development at Spotify.  “This partnership with Bose enables us to provide users with a ready-to-use music experience in the home, which blends Spotify's favorite features and playlists with Bose's innovative technology and incredible sound quality.” In which Roselli added, “SoundTouch systems are a great example of what we care about. We obsess over the big and little details that no one else has, and that includes our integration of Spotify.  With SoundTouch, you’ll be able to play it through Bluetooth, from our app or theirs, or at the touch of a button.  And that gives the millions of Spotify users all over the world more flexibility and control than they’ve ever had before.”

Bose SoundTouch 30

The new Bose SoundTouch 10 wireless music system is available for Php 13,000.00, and the new SoundTouch 20 Series III system and SoundTouch 30 Series III system are available for PHP 25,000.00 and Php 35,000.00, respectively.  Bose SoundTouch soundbars and home theater systems are also available and starts at PHP69,000.00.  All new SoundTouch systems are sold at select authorized Bose dealers and Bose retail stores.  

This November, in-app Spotify integration will be included in new systems and available to existing SoundTouch customers via a free software upgrade.

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Meet your MOJO - Mobile Joy for everyone

LOOKING FOR A STUDIO-GRADE SOUND QUALITY FOR SMARTPHONES AND CONNECTED DEVICES? JUST ADD MOJO!

Last Nov 24th 2015, Chord Electronics together with their exclusive distributor Beyond Innovations, Inc, has launched Mojo, a British-built headphone amplifier and DAC that enables your smartphones and connected devices to deliver recording-studio sound quality from any headphone.

Chord Electronics, a world leader in digital audio, has launched Mojo. Mobile Joy or Mojo is a headphone amplifier and DAC (digital-to-analogue convertor) that allows your smartphone to deliver music contents at up to studio-master-tape quality. You can experience this with Mojo because of Chord's advanced digital signal proprietary processing technology.

Low-cost, widely available apps, such as Onkyo’s HF player (iOS and Android), now make high-resolution music file playback easy from all smartphones. Mojo connects to these devices digitally, processing the files using the most advanced conversion technology available, to deliver genuinely unrivalled sound quality to up to two pairs of headphones.

Mojo is entirely designed and manufactured in England using British expertise. It distils 27 years of high-performance audio know-how into a single mass-market device designed to empower the smartphone. Mojo is the most advanced device of its kind in the world.


Get in the groove and let your Mojo do its magic

Mojo can connect digitally to any smartphones or similiar devices using Micro USB, optical and a 3.5mm coaxial input. Input selection is fully automatic: if you have more than one active input, Mojo prioritizes USB first, followed by coaxial last is optical.

A Micro USB to USB cable is supplied with each Mojo and Chord Electronics will be offering consumers a range of approved, low-cost connecting cables for iOS devices and various other digital connections.


Mojo comes with fast charging capabilities

Mojo was designed with a new high-temperature battery technology under its belt, giving much faster charging (up to twenty hours’ faster than competitor units). You can fully charge your Mojo in just 4 hours via USB and giving around 10 hours playback.There is a charging light indicator found on its Micro USB port.


Compact, portable, aircraft-grade aluminium

Mojo’s ultra-compact form, based on Chord’s award-winning Hugo platform, has been designed to be easily operated with no confusing or superfluous switches. Its simple design means that anyone can listen to high quality sounds without worrying about configurations or what buttons they need to press.Mojo's built is made from solid aircraft-grade aluminium and sports a Matt-Black finger mark proof finish making it an elegant piece of  technology.

High-resolution file playback

Mojo is capable of playing all of today’s music formats, including the very latest high- resolution standards. It can deliver breath-taking realism from any digital music file: PCM; WAV; AAC; AIFF; MP3 and FLAC. It is designed to work with all smartphones and music players and covers specialist high-resolution formats such as DoP DSD files: DSD 64; DSD 128 and DSD 256. Mojo’s three high-resolution digital input options comprise optical (to 192kHz), plus Micro USB and RCA (mini-jack) which operate at up to an incredible 768kHz.


Proprietary technology

Mojo uses the new Artix-7 FPGA chipset from Silicon Valley’s Xilinx, making Mojo the most advanced DAC of its type on the planet! Unlike other audio products, that process digital files using crude off-the-shelf chips from Asia, Chord uses an FPGA — a programmable circuit that enables its skilled engineers to directly implement its own digital audio expertise, making Mojo unique in the marketplace.

Spherical coloured buttons

Mojo uses spherical buttons for power on/off, volume control and file frequency information. The spheres illuminate and cycle through a range of rainbow colours. The file frequency is shown clearly by an indicator colour option on the power switch: from CD- quality (44.1kHz, red), 48kHz (orange) and so on, up through a rainbow of colours to bright white for DSD. Volume levels are similarly represented using colour.

Technical specification

Digital inputs
-1 x Micro USB 768kHz/32-bit capable
-1 x 3.5mm jack coaxial 768kHz/32-bit capable
-1 X Optical Toslink 192kHz/24-bit capable

Outputs
2. x 3.5mm headphone jacks

Charging
1 X Micro USB charging port

Output power @1kHz: 600 ohms 35mW; 8 Ohms 720mW Output impedance: 75m ohms
Dynamic range: 125dB THD: @3V 0.00017% Weight: 180g
Dimensions: 82x60x22 (LxWxH mm)

Pricing and Availability

Mojo carries an SRP of Php 30,990.00 and it is available in the following JBL showrooms and
stores:

• A. Refinery in UP Town Center – Level 2 (7185135)
• A. Refinery in Ayala Center Cebu – Level 3 (987017)
• Egghead in Robinsons Galleria – Lower Ground Floor (6310431)
• JBL Digital Dreams - 3rd Floor SM North EDSA Annex (216-4985)
• JBL Acoustical Space - 4th Floor Cyberzone SM Megamall Bldg B (919-6012)
• JBL Sound Gallery - B3 Bonifacio High Street (799 9344)
• JBL Kiosk - 3rd Floor TriNoma (959-3552)

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Chord MOJO DAC/ Amplifier now in the Philippines, Priced at PHP30,990.00

One of the most sought after DAC amplifier brands due to its great quality and features, make its debut in the Philippines. And its all official, Chord MOJO is finally here!

November 24, Beyond Innovations officially unveiled Chord Electronics' Mojo Amplifier in the Philippines. Mojo or Mobile Joy, is an amplifier which is must-have for every audiophile. Audiophiles know how crucial an amplifier is, to their music, as it amplifies the sound, as if your ears are listening just right beside the artist in a recording studio.

The Chord Mojo official launch in Manila, was joined by John Franks himself, Chord Electronics Managing Director. John compared the Mojo DAC Amplifier to an F1 Supercar in terms of what can it can do to making our listening beyond par. It's also too advanced for its competitor, yet reasonably priced.

So what's in a Mojo Amplifier - Technical Specs

Input ports
-a microusb port
-3.5mm jack
-optical Toslink( for optical audio cable)
-microusb(for charging)

Output
-Two 3.5 headphone jacks(for earphones/headphones or even multimedia speakers)

The Mojo amplifier is just 180G(0.4 LBS), and truly a portable amp that is a good partner to your current mobile phone or music player.

This MOJO DAC/Amplifier can turn any music into the best listening experience possible ever, even on a compressed formats like mp3s and the likes. What more, if you play FLAC or uncompressed formats...

The Mojo by Chord Electronics retails at PHP30,990.00. It's now available to all JBL Stores nationwide

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Infobyte is coming to Owasp Appsec Rio de la Plata!

The AppSec Rio de la Plata 2015 Conference is a meeting of Information Security leaders in the LatAM region, where the attendees are able to share cutting-edge ideas. OWASP events attract a worldwide audience interested in “what’s next”. This year´s event will be held December 1st- 3rd in Montevideo, Uruguay. This year´s event consists of one day of trainings and the last 2 days are filled with spearkers. The conference is expected to draw 300-400 technologists from Government, Financial Services, Media, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Technology, and many other verticals.

Our Chief Operating Officer, Martin Tartarelli, will be presenting about our research on continuous scanning. Doing a security audit for your infrastructure, web site or services whether it be annually or every six months is a great first step to better securing your systems, but in many cases it is not enough. Adding to that, if the audit only involves one tool, our attack surface unfortunately is pretty small. Martin in his talk will show how to easily automate many of the most common tools on the market to increase coverage for organizations. 

If you are going to be in Montevideo for the event, come on by! We would be happy to show the scanning tool or Faraday and answer any questions you might have. If you are can't make it to our presentation but are going to be in the area, send us an email at communications@infobytesec.com and we can set up a time to talk.

Hope to see all the OWASPers there!

ekoparty 2015 Wrap-up

As many of you probably know Infobyte is one of the co-organizers of the ekoparty, the biggest offensive cyber security conference in Latin America. The eko for us is really a labor of love, as it is an event that has grown organically over the years from just being a group of friends basically screwing around on the internet to a major date on the international IT sec calendar.

The 2015 edition which took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 20th to the 25th. This year (the 11th edition), had the best turn-out yet with over 2,500 attendees. While many attendees are people from the local hacker scene every year we are surprised by the increasingly large contingent from other countries not only from the LatAm region but from all over the world.

This years slogan ''Back to Roots'' had like many things in Argentina a double meaning. As many will remember for the 10th edition we had decided to change it up and move the location of the event to another venue. While we were really happy with how year 10 turned out, a lot of people thought the venue was a little too commercial and didn't properly capture the soul of the ekoparty. Because of that we decided we needed to get ''back to our roots'' and we returned to the Konex Cultural Center (which is actually a converted cooking oil factory). The Konex (even after there being some modifications made to accommodate a bigger crowd) has a little bit more of an underground vibe and many consider it the spiritual home of the ekoparty. I can say the staff and the organization was amazing and everyone was happy to be back.

The other meaning for the slogan had to do with the eko just so happening to fall on the same day that Marty Mcfly traveled to in the 80's classic, Back to the Future. This gave us an excellent theme for the year and the production staff didn't disappoint. It was pretty crazy to walk into the auditorium and see the Dolorian on stage with smoke coming out and the flux capacitor. Everywhere in the event you could find little trinkets having to do with theme from the merch and posters on the wall about saving the clock tower to even the bathrooms!

The eko always begins with two days of exclusive technical trainings and this year we had an excellent turnout with over 140 participants congregating in Fundación Proydesa to learn the latest techniques used in the industry.There were 9 different trainings with topics ranging from "A practical introduction to Hacking Hardware", "Hacking Mobile Apps" to "Introduction to Software Vulnerability Exploitation". The trainings are given by well-known instructors or by different companies in the field. This year there was a surprisingly large contingent of international training attendees as well.

On Wednesday, the doors opened to the public with A LOT of anticipation and enthusiasm (people were lining up to get in at 7:30 AM). The day started off with a corporate breakfast, which we do to forge a link between the ekoparty and the corporate security decision makers in the region. Besides a quick meet and greet (with some of the best "Arab" empanadas I've ever had) there was also a panel about Integrated Security Incidents. Panel participants included Colonel Juan Benitez, Chief of Cyber- Defenses for the Argentine Army, , Ondřej Vlček, COO of Avast, Lucas Coronel, CSIRT Chief of Prisma Payments, Leonardo Huertas Casas, CSA of Eleven Paths and Aaron Portnoy Founder, & VP of Exodus Intelligence.

After that there was the official kick-off and the Keynote Speaker, Iván Arce, curent Director of Security Programming in TIC (STIC) from the Fundación Sadosky who presented "Winter is coming". From there we started with "Turbo" talks consisting of 25 minutes and in the afternoon there was another round of workshops. There were 12 different 120 minutes workshops going on in different parts of the Konex and there really was something for everyone with trainings including “RFID/NFC for the Masses”, "PowerShell for Pentesters" o "Arm your SkyNet with PARLADUINO".To close off the day there was the famous "War Driving" where people drove around the city in a party bus looking for unsecured wireless networks to hack into.


Day 2 started bright and early with a talk about North Korean spies by Moonbeom Park from South Korea's CERT: After, there were a number of intriguing talks throughout the day. Some of the talks that really caught people's attention were Vot.Ar: A bad election, given by Iván Ariel Barrera Oro and Javier Smaldone, in which they talked about the pitfalls of electronic voting machines. Others that were big hits included, Faux Disk Encryption: Realities of Secure Storage on Mobile Devices by Drew Suarez and Daniel Mayer from NCC group, Stick That In Your (root)Pipe & Smoke It by Patrick Wardle from Synack and Fuzzing browsers for finding exploitable bugs by Nico Trippar. When all the talks finished up (almost 11 hours of talks throughout the day!), attendees were invited to stay as there as a mixer in the Konex and some tastings of Argentine craft beer.


Day 3 on Friday, is always a mixed bag of emotions. First, people are tired (things go late in Argentina). Even though people are tired everyone makes that final push the last day and the attendance is always the highest. There were all around solid talks and one that was especially well received was Secure DevOps is possible: How osquery is built, by Teddy Reed and Javier Marcos, from Facebook, where they talked about a a methodology facebook uses to make sure githubs code contributions for C/C++/bash for their CI to make a safer devel process.

Besides the talks and workshops, there was a lot of challenges and activities to do. One of the events that has already become traditions in their own right is the lockpick.ar challenge that the guys from ekoparty's hackerspace set. up sponsored by Infobyte.

Besides the challenge in the Infobyte stand their is a lockpicking station where peocple can practice beforehand. The challenge involved breaking psychical locks, hacking biometrics readers and encryptions. For the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners, Infobyte for the second year in a row awarded cash prizes. This year´s 1st place winner was Deloitte with an impressive 13 parts of the challenge completed. The first runner up was MFSEC with 12 parts completed and in 3rd place K-rancio team of Patricio Dominguez, Iván Manili and Lucas Ferrando . Congrats to the winners and everyone that participated
Another that is a fan favorite is the CTF which was organized by the 2014 winners, NullLifeTeam. This year there were two divisions, one being for people not physically at the event and the other on-site.
The winners from abroad were More Smoked Leet Chicken from Russia and SecuritySignal was the local winner and the winner of $10,000.

When all the talks finished, there were the closing ceremonies and the much anticipated ekoparty Awards. This is the 2nd year of the ekoparty awards and much like the Oscars they are highly coveted but only a few can win. The winner of the award for Best Talk went to Jaime Restrepo for his talk "hacking cars in Latin America", for his talk discussing how to hack a popular car model in the LatAm region. The winner for the lifetime achievement award went to Ricardo Narvaja who has had a huge impact in the community over the years. Finally, the winner of the Golden Badge award which confers a lifetime pass to all ekoparty was given to Joaquín Sorianello, which along with being a more than deserving individual was a way for the ekoparty community to support him (a couple months ago he was warranted for speaking to the media about voter fraud for electronic voting machines in Argentina).

Finally, I wanted to thank all the participants, speakers, sponsors and everyone on the staff. As one speaker said to me, "a lot of events have a great technical part but are lacking in the social aspect or viceversa". Because of everyone involved I think most would agree that the ekoparty has the best of both worlds and that's because of the incredible participation and enthusiasm all around. So on that note. Thank you and see you next year!

GrabHeli by GrabTaxiPH launches in Manila: Skip City-traffic aboard a Helicopter

GrabTaxi Philippines officially launched its Grab-a-Helicopter service aka GrabHeli to the public today. From sharing a private car as means of transport, nice comes the aerial service.

Last week, GrabTaxiPH promotes this new service by using the #GrabHeli promo code. Who doesn't want to get a chance to ride a helicopter. Probably some, have been dreaming to get a chopper ride since they're still kids. Now, it's already a reality, by just using the GrabTaxiPH app and availing the GrabHeli service. We're still in the know how many choppers will be available to serve the public.

Uber also launched its own Helicopter service, UberCHOPPER. They're giving away 50% off by using the Uber's UberCHOPPER promo code UBERCHOPPERMNL, which is valid till November 30th of this Year. Offered to new Uber users and valid for its first two trips!

GrabHeli has a fixed rate of PHP3,890 pesos for now, per GrabTaxiPH app and will require the use of credit/debit card to continue.

If you're not seeing the GrabHeli option yet, just update the app via Appstore or Google Play.

FREE #GrabHeli ride? Why not! Retweet this photo to get a chance to ride #GrabHeli with a friend on Nov 24! :) pic.twitter.com/yWv0z0Oc7d

— GrabTaxi Philippines (@GrabTaxiPH) November 18, 2015

Have you tried the #GrabHeli ride already? Share to us your experience by commenting below. 

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Samsung Gear S2 - Top 10 Features we love the most!

Christmas is just around the corner and Samsung wants us to feel special during this festive season. Aside from the Christmas bundles they are offering they have another surprise in store for us.

Looking for the perfect watch to match your Samsung Galaxy Phone? Check the Samsung Gear S2 and its Top 10 Features we like, about this new smart wearable.

At the launch of 2015 Great Samsung Giveaway bundle, Samsung gave away their upcoming product the Gear S2. We were lucky to be picked to receive this gorgeous item and one of the first few who owns it. We had enough time to review the watch days before its launch.

Top 10 Samsung Gear S2 features we love about this smartwatch.

10. Watch strap – Unlike its predecessor, the watch strap of the Gear S2 is removable so you have the option to switch straps depending on your liking, aside from this you also have the option to go sporty or classic as the Gear S2 also offers the watch in leather strap.

9. Looks like a traditional watch - I like the idea that Samsung decided to go with the traditional looks of a watch, matching it with stainless steel bezel and build, it takes on the look of an elegant and sporty watch. Aside from having the Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, the bezel is also rotatable for easier application and data browsing.

8. Customizable clock face – When I had the Gear application installed on my phone I had fun changing the face of the clock. You have the option to make the face look like an analog watch or you can also go with digital looks. You have a lot of built in designs and you can purchase other designs from the Samsung store. You also have the option to add up to two applications on the clock's face. so if you want to keep count of your total steps for the day while knowing how much battery is left on the watch you can do it by adding the pedometer and the battery meter on the clock's face.

7. Various health apps – exploring the watch I found out that aside from S health and heart rate counter the Gear S2 also have a pedometer, it can also monitor your daily activity, water and caffeine intake. The watch also have a Nike+ Running application for running aficionados, this watch is very suitable for sports enthusiast as its also dust and water resistant.

6. Fast Charging – When I received the watch I decided to check how long it will take for it get fully charged. The watch comes with a Li-Ion 300 mAh battery and can be fully charged within 2 hours. I’m not sure how long it should usually take but I think it’s fast charging.

5. Long battery Life – Having the battery fully charged after 2 hours, I only  needed to recharge the watch after 2 days, this was with mix usage of having the Bluetooth and the wifi turned on for a certain time and utilizing the health apps available in the Gear. This has a lot to say about the juice the battery has to offer as you dont need to have it constantly connected to the charger.

4. Wireless charging – I was amazed and intrigued at the same time when I heard this watch can be charged wirelessly. It didn’t fail me when I tried it out myself. You just need to place it on its docking station and let it do its thing. the charging dock has a magnet so when your place your watch on the docking station it wont come off easily.

3. Find my gear/phone – When the watch and phone is paired up via Bluetooth, you have the option to find whichever is missing. I find this really handy especially for me who tends to lose stuff inside my room. When you are searching for the watch using your phone the Gear S2 vibrates and lights up until you stop your phone from searching. On the other hand, searching for your phone using your Gear S2, depending on your phone settings your phone will ring and vibrate until you stop your gear from searching.

2. Sending messages using Gear S2 – When the phone is paired with the gear via Bluetooth, you will have the capacity to read, reply, and create sms messages using the watch. I find this very useful as you don’t have to take out your phone every time a message comes in.

1. Music Player – You can play music directly from your watch via bluetooth headset. The Gear has an internal memory of 4GB so you have the leisure to listen to your groove even without the phone. You just need to transfer your music files from your phone to your gear and you should be good to go.

See the Samsung Gear S2's Rotating bezel in action:

I still haven’t fully utilize the watch yet, so I’m still not familiar with all its features but I think I cover up most of the features you need to know to consider buying this piece of beauty. It wouldn’t be fun if everything was handed to you. Go buy the Samsung Gear S2 and get ready to discover the other features it has to offer.

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JBL Cinema SB250: Features, Availability & Pricing

JBL Cinema SB250, is the new soundbar and wireless subwoofer from JBL, that provides stunning home theater audio for any TV, Phone, or media player. Just by the name itself, you already know that this JBL Cinema SB250 is made to entertain and bring home the great surround sound only heard and felt in high-end cinemas.

HARMAN Philippines, globally known as HARMAN introduces its latest wireless soundbar system: JBL Cinema SB250. A sound duo that is made to fit any home while providing superb sound and great listening pleasure.

Notable Features of JBL Cinema 250

The SB250 is bluetooth-enabled home audio system and outputs 200-watts of power, bringing that home theater sound and amplifies the viewing experience for any TV

The JBL Cinema SB250 gives viewers a fully immersive, big-movie experience through its Dolby Digital and Harman virtual surround sound.

Wireless.One appealing feature of the SB250 is its wireless subwoofer. Turning on the power will automatically connect the soundbar to the wireless woofer. No need for tiring setup, as it can be enjoyed in minutes for that out-of-the-box experience.

Boasting a sleek, compact design, the SB250's separate subwoofer wirelessly connects to the soundbar, and smartly complements any wall mounted or table stand TV installation. The soundbar connects easily using a single optical or analog cable connection, allowing viewers to watch their favorite shows or movies, with cinema quality sound, in minutes.

Bluetooth-enabled. The SB250 can easily pair and stream audio from smartphones, tablets  whether it's iOS, Android or other mobile operating system. It can remember up to 10 different Bluetooth-enabled devices. This means that once a device is already paired, the SB250 can easily detect, connect and play using the same device.

Harman Volume. Don't you just hate it when the movie/tv series takes a commercial break, the sound just goes crazy loud. The JBL Cinema SB250 uses the Harman Volume feature, that takes care of this common problem. It quickly adopts to volume changes from disrupting the experience — no more suddenly loud commercials —and the system can learn any TV remote volume control, giving simplified control over the entire experience.

JBL SoundShift™ technology. For TV viewers who keep a smartphone or tablet nearby to enjoy the second screen experience, the JBL Cinema SB250 allows users to automatically switch audio playback from a TV to a smart device and back - seamlessly.

Rather than dealing with the competing sounds of a TV and smartphone, or needing to turn the TV volume down when checking out an online video clip, JBL SoundShift™ technology instantly swaps audio sources for the ultimate second screen experience.

Pricing and Availability

At PHP15,990 SRP, the JBL Cinema SB250 Soundbar and Wireless Subwoofer is already a good starter kit if you're planning to switch from a regular 2.1 setup via multimedia speakers. As of now, JBL SB250 is exclusively available at the JBL Lazada shop. But, should be available soon nationwide.

The soundbar and wireless subwoofer are already packaged as one, just waiting for it to be connected to its audio source.

Just like you, we(at Benteuno.com) also can't wait to bring home one and test this new JBL wireless soundbar, the JBL Cinema SB250.

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Great Gadget Sale 2015: What you need to know!

The much awaited sale from the biggest brands in tech, gadgets and peripherals is here. The Great Gadget Sale 2015 is 3-day event where gadgets and and people who love gadgets collide!

This year's Great Gadget Sale will cater 20 Brands from computers, monitors, gaming accessories, laptops and even mobile phones.

From November 24 to November 26, 2015, expect that the Auditorium of PSE Ortigas (Philippine Stock Exchange Center) in Tektite Tower, Ortigas Center will be jam packed with people. The Great Gadget Sale 2015 opens at 10AM and closes at 8PM.

Pariticipating brands in the Great Gadgets Sale:

• O+
• ABS CBN TV plus
• ASUS
• Lenovo
• Razer
• ArcMobile
• Hewlett Packard
• Toshiba
• CREATIVE
• Belkin
• JBL
• Harman Kardon
• SanDisk
• Western Digital(WD)
• LG
• Logitech
• Sennheiser
• intel
• Wacom
• ZUK

Better prepare and be the early worm, as last year's event was a mayhem(in a good way) as lots of people swiped the place! We also spotted companies who bought bulk items, and probably raffle them out during their year-end party.

The Great Gadget Sale 2015 will only run for 3 days, we suggest you be there early.

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BROTHER WINS 2015 PCMAG’s READERS’ CHOICE AWARD AND BUSINESS CHOICE AWARD

It's definitely a good and pleasant year as it bag two awards from PC MAG. Brother Printers proved that its already a powerhouse brand and a trusted name in producing prints and hard copies.

Brother International Philippines Corporation (Brother Philippines), a leader in home and business IT peripherals that focuses on the ‘Customer-First’ approach, is pleased to announce that its Printers and Multi-Function Centers have won the PCMag Readers’ Choice Award in its seventh straight year.

According to PCMag.com, “Brother stands atop the ratings in overall satisfaction, satisfaction with reliability, and likelihood to recommend. In each of these key measures, Brother clearly outdistances all its competitors.”

Likewise, Brother won the PCMag Business Choice Award three years in a row. The Business Choice Award for Brother states, “Brother's streak continues. For home or business, it's the perennial favorite now for PCMag readers. It's strong in reliability, has a low percentage of products that need a fix, and the absolute highest score when it comes to being recommended to colleagues who need a new printer.”

PCMag.com, a US based website, is a trusted source of IT industry reviews which regularly asks its readers to rate the companies they think make the best products and provide the absolute pinnacle of technical support and customer service.  The Reader’s Choice and Business Choice awards are based on surveys of PCMag readers about their experiences with products and how they feel about the companies behind these products.

For more information on Brother’s Printers and Multi-Function Centers, visit www.brother.com.ph

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SAMSUNG WINS 38 CES 2016 INNOVATION AWARDS

Samsung Wins 38 CES 2016 Innovation Awards, Bringing its 10-year Total to 309 including 22 Best of Innovation Awards

Three Best of Innovation Awards along with 35 other prestigious recognitions for 2016 reflect Samsung’s continuing leadership and achievements in design and technology

TheConsumer Technology Association™ (CTA), producer of CES 2016 and also the global gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies has honored Samsung with one more Best of Innovation Award this year.  As Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. a global leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, semiconductors and telecommunications, announced that to date, it has already won 38 prestigious International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 Innovation Awards.

  

AmongSamsung’s 38 CES 2016 Innovation Awards are three Best of Innovation Awards. Products entered in the CES Innovation program are judged by a pre-eminent panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the trade media to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting-edge consumer electronics products across 27 categories.

  

As Gregory Lee, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America says, “We are honored that CTA and the industry recognizes our ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence in consumer experience as we look forward to demonstrating our latest achievements at the 2016 International Consumer Electronics Show.”   He furthers that, “Samsung continues to deliver unique experiences for our consumers worldwide through the many products that help people lead more connected lives. 

  

Samsung’s award-winning products span 18 categories including, TV, Monitor, Mobile, Tablet, Digital Imaging, Wearable, Home Appliance and Memory.   Many of Samsung's award-winning products will be on display at CES 2016, which will run on January 6-9, 2016, in Samsung booth #11906 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.  Some of the winning products will be showcased at Samsung’s CES press conference, scheduled for 2 p.m. on Tuesday January 5, 2016.

The following are details on some of Samsung’s award-winning products:

Samsung Gear S2– A completely re-designed smartwatch that centers on an intuitive circular design with a rotating bezel that allows users to easily and precisely navigate the UI with the turn of a dial. The Gear S2 provides at-a-glance notifications to check calendars, e-mails, send texts and more.

Galaxy S6 edge+ – With an immersive, 5.7-inch dual-edge display, the Galaxy S6 edge+ breaks conventional smartphone design and delivers industry leading features, including Samsung’s most advanced camera for high quality photos and videos, fast wireless and wired charging, powerful processor and Samsung Pay.

Samsung Galaxy View– Re-imagining mobile entertainment, the Galaxy View provides a movable, touchable, immersive TV experience. With a unique, video-centric user interface, the Galaxy View makes it easy to access and enjoy streaming content, interactive video games, books and other digital content.

Samsung Gear VR– Powered by Oculus, the Gear VR is compatible the Samsung Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, leveraging each device’s Quad HD Super AMOLED display to provide the color, clarity and performance needed for an amazing virtual reality experience.

ATIV Book 9 Pro – Offering a stunning 4K display, cutting-edge performance from its Intel Core i7® processor, and magnificent quad speakers, this laptop is ideal for professionals and multimedia enthusiasts alike.

Samsung 950 PRO 512GB – This solid state drive (SSD), the first Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) M.2 form factor SSD with vertical NAND (V-NAND) technology, is designed to meet the demands of high-performance consumer and business PCs and laptops. Ideal for projects such as computer-aided design, data analysis and engineering simulation, the 950 PRO provides users with cutting-edge performance, higher bandwidth and lower latency from their workstations, even under intensive workloads.

Samsung 850 PRO 2TB – As the world’s first 2 terabyte consumer SSD, the Samsung 850 PRO 2TB is a high-performance, high-density storage device that delivers rapid data access times and program load times, as well as industry-leading power efficiency. With V-NAND technology at its core, the 850 PRO 2TB yields excellent reliability and superior performance throughout its lifetime.

Samsung SleepSense Sleep Monitor:  The Bluetooth and IoT-enabled Samsung SleepSense device uses a complex set of sensors in a smart, innovative, and simple way to track and provide information on your sleep habits and deliver personalized expert tips directly to consumers’ smartphones to help you take control of the most important aspects of health and wellness: how well we sleep.

Samsung 128GB UFS – As the first mobile memory based on the much-anticipated Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 2.0 standard, this ultra-fast package is the highest capacity, highest performing, thinnest and smallest embedded storage memory for mobile devices. It allows for quick access to pictures from 20MP+ cameras and to 4K video files, as well as embracing 5G connectivity and delivering shorter application loading and response times.

Samsung 12GbLPDDR4 – The world’s highest density mobile DRAM chip allows for packages of up to 6GB, delivering 34.1GB/s bandwidth – three times as fast as the industry’s previous highest performing mobile DRAM. The chip can accommodate the real-time multitasking scenarios of today’s flagship smartphones and tablets having UHD displays, while providing 50% greater power efficiency and the optimal density for new high-end 64bit-system smartphones.

To discover more, please visit our official website at www.samsung.com.

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