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Converge gears up its pure fiber internet service for nationwide rollout

Can Converge solve the Philippines’ internet problems?

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Converge has made their commitment to delivering better internet service to Filipinos. The company’s pure fiber internet services are already sought after since they offer faster speeds with cheaper monthly fees. But, their service area has been pretty limited in Central Luzon and Metro Manila. In the next five years though, that’ll change as Converge will soon go nationwide.

The internet service provider has made strategic partnerships will local and foreign companies such as Korea Telecoms, LSI-Fibernet Konstruk Corporation, and TE Connectivity Subcom to fast-track their network rollout in the Philippines.

The new partners will help build and deploy necessary infrastructures to provide pure end-to-end fiber internet connectivity at a nationwide scale. The goal is to create an advanced and reliable fiber optic backbone.

In a press briefing, Converge believes that their five-year nationwide rollout plan has the potential to reach more than 13 million of the 22 million households nationwide, particularly in the major islands situated in Visayas and Mindanao.

The network backbones are targeted to be completed by 2021 but would be operational through different phases to enable the project to become complete prior to 2021. To be exact, here are the network backbone completion dates shown during the briefing: South Luzon by January 2019, Visayas by July 2019, and Mindanao by February 2020.

When asked if Converge is set to become the Philippines’ third major telco, Converge President and CEO Dennis Uy responded that there are no current plans to become a wireless provider and their focus is on fixed broadband services, specifically FTTH (fiber to the home). He firmly stated that their game, for now, is to serve the public with faster broadband service. Government support also plays a key role in their future plans as Uy has concerns about existing telco measures such as availability of frequency, red tape, number portability, and interconnection fees.

SEE ALSO: Converge launches new FAST plans for businesses

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Sony WF-1000XM6 was accidentally leaked online

The design suggests some interesting changes.

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Despite how small they are, the unannounced Sony WF-1000XM6 has just made a huge appearance, albeit accidentally, in an online retail store. Though the leak doesn’t reveal all the technical details about the device, the scant photos and specs are enough to paint an interesting picture about Sony’s next earbuds.

Via The Walkman Blog, an online retailer called Power Buy accidentally released a store page for the WF-1000XM6. The page contains extensive photos and a few specs for the device. Now, the specs don’t reveal much. As we can already ascertain based on previous releases, the earbuds will have Active Noise Cancelation and IPX4-rated water resistance.

The photos, however, are telling. For one, the WF-1000XM6 will return to a completely matte texture after a brief switch to a glossy texture for the current generation. The overall design is more elongated or pill-shaped, too. Previous earbuds feature a more circular or compact design.

Conversely, the charging case switches from a pill-shaped design to a more angular one, featuring flat bases. The flatter design should make the case stabler while on a surface but might make it clunkier when inside a pocket.

The leak caps it all off by including a price: THB 11,990 (or roughly US$ 381), which is a lot higher than the current generation. Either Sony went crazy with the price increase, or this is just a placeholder price. Only time (and an official launch) will tell. The leak, unfortunately, doesn’t reveal a launch date, so it might still be quite a wait.

SEE ALSO: Sony WH-1000XM6: Master of sound quality and noise cancellation

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Apple is reportedly considering a clamshell iPhone

They will likely wait if the first foldable will be popular.

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Apple’s current foldable strategy is just one guy going “wouldn’t it be nice if we had a foldable phone” and everyone else nodding along. For years, Apple has constantly teased the development of its own entry into the market but failing to produce anything other than rumors. Now, while we’re still missing the mythical foldable, the company is reportedly considering a second foldable already: a clamshell iPhone.

Currently, all the previous rumors pointed to a traditional book-style foldable phone from Apple. The forecast says that the device might finally launch this year, but they do say that every year. In the meantime, according to Bloomberg, a clamshell version is already “under consideration.”

It hardly needs reminding that “under consideration” doesn’t mean anything other than “it might happen.” In contrast, the traditional foldable is probably in a “we’re just making sure everything is perfect” phase.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is likely evaluating whether there is enough demand for the first foldable. If, as the company predicts, it takes off, the company will want to capitalize on the hype immediately.

There’s a lot of expectations riding on Apple’s mythical foldable. Sometimes, it even feels like the unreleased phone has reached a point where it can’t possibly meet everyone’s standards. But, at the very least, we hope it does launch this year.

SEE ALSO: An analyst has revealed the iPhone Fold’s price, and it’s insane

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Samsung is teasing smart glasses again

The brand is experimenting with more form factors.

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What comes next after the smartphone? For years, brands hunted for an answer. Apple, for example, placed its bet on the Vision Pro, a wager that hasn’t paid off yet. Samsung, on the other hand, is betting on a different horse: augmented reality.

In a new earnings call (via Seeking Alpha), Samsung’s Seong H. Cho, the brand’s head for mobile marketing, confirmed that they will experiment more with “diverse form factors such as next-generation AR glasses.”

Samsung has been teasing a pair of glasses for a while now. However, with an impressive lineup already in the works (including the brand’s first trifold smartphone), it’s understandable that hype for the teased glasses took a bit of a backseat.

But, with an official word now about the wearable, the game is once again on to create an impressive pair of smart glasses.

The only question here is the “next-generation” part. Since Samsung doesn’t really have a pair out in the market right now, it’s a bit difficult to determine what the next generation might mean.

Of course, it could simply be a marketing term that implies smart glasses are the next generation of technology. If it pertains to what’s already out in the market, it could mean a pair that comes with a camera or even a display. Of note, most smart glasses today (or, at least, those accessible to most users) use only audio for its smart functionalities.

SEE ALSO: Samsung teases anti-shoulder surfing privacy feature

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