I am not a techie, not in the sense that I keep up with the latest gadgets or know the difference between a Froyo and a Gingerbread. I only buy tech stuff when I need them and then forget about them as I use them. There are only two things I look out for: the functionality and look, all the other specs aside. And of course the price has to be reasonable.

The new SMART Netphone, I believe, fits the bill! As a thoroughly kikay person with moderate tech kung fu, I think the Netphone is something that can complement whatever I wear while still keeping me connected to my social networks and email for only P20 a day.

The SMART Netphone is a solid Android phone that's fully integrated with Smart's services. The thing that sets it apart from other Android phones though is the Blackberry Messenger-like network called Smartnet that SMART built around it. It allows you to look for people using their Global Directory (given that who you're looking for is on the Netphone) and then add them with their permission.

And now, for the unboxing!

I recently bought a Blackberry. My boss uses one, an acquaintance swore by it, and Robert Langdon kept on mentioning it in The Lost Symbol (I have a feeling those are sponsored mentions though, hrhr). What was that advertising idea that claimed that if you hear positive things about a product three times in separate sources, you're bound to buy it? Anyway, when I was looking for a new phone, I thought a Blackberry would be a pefect fit for me.

Well, I instantly regretted my purchase a couple of hours after. :/ The Blackberry felt like a dinosaur. I've been using a Samsung Corby this past year and I thought that was a dinosaur too; apparently not! Not to sound like a snob but I'm used to the Apple paradigm. If you want something done, the OS opens up to reveal the quickest and most convenient way to do it. The Blackberry not only looked like a brick, it functioned like a brick, apps-wise.

A couple of days after using this though I have come to regard it with a certain fondness.

Opus was "THE" place to be that night Smart officially launched its partnership with mobile phone giant HTC. The popular club was full of celebrities, media personalities, and bloggers who wanted to find out what Smart x HTC has up their sleeves. I normally don't go to tech events, but I just wanted to say hi to the other beauty/fashion bloggers and of course, Jayvee, who I've worked a lot with in the past.

The willowy Sarah Meier-Albano hosted the event

Now, aside from the brand partnership, Smart and HTC also launched the "Facebook phone" - the HTC ChaCha. The main feature of the phone is the Facebook button that, once pressed, immediately updates your Wall according to the context of your activities. For example, if you take a photo and press the FB button, the photo is automatically uploaded to your Facebook wall. It can also post the music you're listening to, your location, and even updates your contacts' profiles on your phone to match the contacts' FB updates.

Photo grabbed from abuggedlife.com

If you're addicted to Facebook, then yes, the HTC ChaCha was invented for you. You can read more about it here. It'll be exclusively distributed by none other than Smart.

Here are photos of the event!

I was initially torn between getting a MacBook Pro and a 128 gig Air (they're priced about the same), but after watching great reviews online and seeing Marco loving his 13" Air, I decided that the Air is a better match for me. My work doesn't really require me to use heavy software so I don't need something as powerful as an MBP. I do need something portable and super fast, which is where the MacBook Air comes in.

As expected, I was wowed by the performance of this slim (to the point of skinny) and lightweight laptop. Heavy apps like iPhoto and Garageband open in three seconds with no fuss. Basically, doing ANYTHING is a breeze in this machine. It's now my work computer! It's a bit smaller than I'm used to, at 11 inches, but the high screen resolution more than makes up for it.

I have received a lot of emails and comments asking me about the camera I use. When I tell them, they're always surprised that I'm not using a DSLR! I take pride in my clear macro shots which is indispensable to good beauty blogging. So if you've always wondered, meet my camera:

I use a three-year old (pushing four) Canon Powershot A710 IS. I would recommend this to everyone, but I'm pretty sure that Canon doesn't sell this model anymore. Now I'm not a photography enthusiast and I don't want to pretend I am so I can't help you with the specifics. What I do know is that this camera takes pretty awesome pictures and it's as tough as a diamond cookie. It's almost four years old but it's working perfectly!

Thus, I didn't have second thought when Canon Philippines asked me to take one of their latest PowerShot models, the Canon PowerShot SX210 IS, for a spin.

In this post I pledge to not buy anything kikay-related (except for toiletries and random thrifted pieces) for the rest of July. I've been spending waaay too much lately for things that I don't really need. I'd like to think of myself as a thrifty person, so the rate I've been spending this past month is already scaring me. Besides, I need to save up for two things: the Clinique Moisture Surge and the new Urban Decay Naked palette! Priorities, priorities.

Have you guys been to the Zara sale? The prices are batshit insane! Most of the stuff on the store were either 50% or 70% off. I visited the branch in Glorietta and couldn't help but buy this ultra-soft Trafaluc long cardigan and pink tiered skirt.

The devil is in the details

Last Tuesday Asus launched its latest netbook incarnation - the Eee PC™ Seashell Karim Rashid Collection (1008P). It's pink, it's small, it's stylish! After that one can't really say a lot. It's got the usual specs that an average netbook has except that the latest Eee PC packs a lot of spunk in terms of design. It promises six hours of battery life, too. (Read after the cut to see the complete specs)

Karim Rashid, a world-renowned industrial designer was tapped to create the newest look of the Eee PC. The design is the realization of his vision of computing—one that is more sensual, more human, more hip. The hot pink laptop is targeted towards the younger, more mobile market. If you're not the sort who wants to get caught in tacky hot pink, never fear! There's a coffee brown version for guys and older women.

Dreamy light show and ambiance courtesy of Icon in Hotel Intercontinental

The most interesting thing during the launch was the fashion show parading R.A.F. Plains & Prints's Summer 2010 Collection. I loved most of the oufits featured! The Karim Rashid Eee PC is such a great accessory to the clothes, don't you think? 

Globe launched the world’s lightest phone, modu, last night at Felix restaurant and Paul Smith in Greenbelt 5. The event was fab - I got to hang out with some of the coolest bloggers ever, Lauren (Ukay Manila Store co-owner), Helga, Bim, Phoebe, and Madz. So you might be thinking, what the hell is a modu phone? It is the world’s lightest and truly modular phone. You can use it as a basic phone and mp3 player by itself (it’s smaller than a credit card) but if you want added functionality, you can slip it into modu-enabled digital picture frames, speaker docks to play music, digital cameras or DECT phones. There are also phone jackets which can give your modu different features and different looks (it’s so fasyon). Cool yeah? It’s like everything in one! It’s cheap at around P8,000 and will be available only in Globe centers starting today. As usual, here are some pics from last night. Click more down here to see all the pics. Enjoy! Obligatory outfit photo, outside Felix Yum! Didn’t like the leaves inside the fish fillet though. Too chewy. What I did love was the dessert - I wish I took a photo! Inside Paul Smith Easily my favorite outfit from the show! I would totally wear this. The silhouette is so classic and flattering. Any body type can pull this off.