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We here at Gadgets hope this year has been good to you. Plenty of things have happened and are happening that are less than ideal to say the least, but hey, you’re still here reading this, so congratulations! The world is changing at a rate that we couldn’t have imagined mere decades ago, but one thing that stays constant is the people. We are here, and we are the reason the world has changed the way it has. It’s an amazing time to be alive, with possibilities that were mere science fiction not too long ago. I hope that’s something we take with us into the new year: We are the reason for most of the things happening right now, both good and bad. Humanity is capable of shaping the world in ways we might not often realize, so use your abilities to change things for the better. Merry Christmas to you and yours, and may all of us strive to make the world better in the year to come. Ren Alcantara Editor-at-Large
MARIBELLE M. ALBA
PRESY ALBA
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
EDITOR-AT-LARGE
#GIRLBOSS
I don’t travel light, I lug too many gadgets, I can walk for miles exploring and I never say no to the local fare.
@bellealba
@presy1121
REN ALCANTARA
ARNEL DORIA
Question EVERYTHING.
Marketing guru. Automotive industry veteran. Road safety advocate.
EDITOR-AT-LARGE
@hisnameisren
MOBILITY CONSULTANT
JEWEL STA. ANA
JOSE ALVAREZ
People say you can’t live without love, I think oxygen is more important. @monsterjewfloat
Jose loves football, video games, computers, and history, but not necessarily in any order.
GABRIEL JOHN PE
GERRY GAVIOLA
Let the scarlet moon guide you.
Cineaste. Audiophile. Gadget addict.
@pe_gab
@gerry.g626
JERICO LUTRANIA
PAULA CANDOY
“Ceeeeeeeeeeeb!”
“You do note.”
@_easyo
@polacandoy
CHINI YU SORIANO
JEFF DANIEL RINGON
GRAPHIC ARTIST
CONTRIBUTOR
I love dogs.
Self-proclaimed marketer. Pop culture fan. Sleeper, er, sleeping agent.
@chinisoriano
@hefedanyel
ZEIL ROMERO
CLIFFORD DELA PAZ
GRAPHIC ARTIST
ASSISTANT GRAPHIC ARTIST
Let it be.
Mugiwara no Rufi
@zeil_heyo
@iamclifford._
JUNIOR EDITOR
STAFF WRITER
DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER
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CONTRIBUTOR
@josealvarez
PRESIDENT & CEO
Maribelle Alba
SALES AND ADVERTISING MANAGER ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Marisa Consuelo
ACCOUNTING MANAGER ACCOUNTING STAFF
Maritess Pascua-Maulion Lorie Bernardo
HR & ADMIN MANAGER ADMINISTRATION STAFF
PR & MARKETING STAFF DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER
LEGAL COUNSEL
Carol Agabin
Amy Christine Giray Ramil Almojano Clifford Dela Paz Paula Candoy Jerico Lutrania Alba Law Office
CONTRIBUTOR
CONTRIBUTOR
GADGETS Magazine is published monthly by Great Minds Media Inc. Address all correspondence to Unit 801-802, The One Executive Office Bldg., #5 West Ave., 1104 Quezon City. Our telephone number is: 8288-8588 Our website is: www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
All unsolicited manuscripts, illustrations and photos submitted must be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope if they are to be returned. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Every care is taken to ensure that the content of Gadgets is fully accurate; however, the publisher and printer assume no responsibility for the effects arising therefrom. Gadgets Magazine is a registered trademark of Great Minds Media Inc.
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DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020 | Volume 20 No. 5
30. Cover Story
Present Perfect Gifts you didn’t know you wanted to give.
08
Parade
22
Gadgets Lab
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Cover Story:
4
Make way for the newest gadgets and gizmos!
See if these gadgets are worth investing in.
Present Perfect
Bring the holiday cheer with these underrated gift ideas.
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Gift Guide
48
Photofeature:
53
Mobility
For your last-minute Christmas shopping.
Have a Merry Holiday Season Lorena Arantes the star atop the tree.
Out of the way, Rudolph!
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Feature:
66
Apps:
68
Wellness
National Arts and Crafts Fair 2019
This is where Pinoy Pride applies perfectly.
YouTube Music Music Streaming from Google.
Looking for some good fitness bands? Here are your options.
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78. Music Corner
74
Gaming
76
Travel:
78
Music Corner
6
Hello, Holidays!
An Epic Ride Across the Philippines Mel Enguerra explores 81 provinces with his Petron-fueled bike.
Meet the up-and-coming OPM artists of 2020.
DECEMBER 2019-JANUARY 2020
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Enterprise
84
Cybersecurity
86
Bits and Bytes
Let’s get down to business.
92
Relic: Napster Life Before torrents.
Even Santa doesn’t like malware.
Here’s what made waves this past month.
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
PARADE
HP Neverstop Laser MFP 1200w Laser Printer The perfect companion to any office, the HP Neverstop Laser MFP 1200w is a versatile laser printer that can print, copy, and scan up to A4-sized documents. The printer is also very fast, capable of printing up to 20 pages per minute. Scanned documents are also sharp thanks to 600 x 600 dpi scan resolution, with a 150 sheet capacity input tray. Reloading is hassle-free with the Pause and Reload function cartridges. As part of the Neverstop series, the HP Neverstop Laser MFP 1200w utilizes HP’s toner tank system which makes replacing toners hassle and mess-free.
PHP 15,290
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Vivo S1 Pro Smartphone
Vivo recently launched its latest mid-range phone in the market, the Vivo S1 Pro. The newest model in the S series features unique diamond-shaped, rear quad cameras. Available in stylish colorways, the Vivo S1 Pro’s camera system at the back consists of 48 MP main, 8 MP secondary, 2 MP wide-angle, and 2 MP macro camera sensors. It provides an uninterrupted visual experience through its 6.38-inch Super AMOLED display, and strong hardware performance from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC. Mated with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB internal storage, the smartphone offers plenty of memory, good for storing media and other important files. It also features a dual engine fast-charging 4500 mAh battery that can last throughout the day.
PHP 15,999
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Epson Ecotank Monochrome M3170 Laser Printer
The Epson Ecotank Monochrome is a versatile laser printer perfect for office use. The M3170 is a multi-functional printer capable of print, copy, scan, and fax, and is powered by Epson’s PresionCore technology allowing it to functions and deliver fast printing speeds of up to 20 images per minute. The scanner also delivers sharp images with a maximum scan quality of 600 x 600 dpwith wireless connectivity enabling for printing over WiFi or WiFi direct.
Philips Hue
Smart Lighting Light switches are so last century. Take your home lighting into the future with Philips Hue. The Philips Hue Starter kit includes three smart lightbulbs and the Philips Hue Bridge for wireless control from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection. Controls for your lights can then be accessed through the Philips Hue app, allowing you to change the color (for the colored LED bulbs) and intensity of the lights. You can also lump lights together for group control, set timers, change the mood according to what you’re listening to, watching, or playing, as well as choose from a suite of more than 700 third-party apps for greater utility and control.
(white and color ambiance starter kit) PHP 10,390 (white ambiance starter kit) PHP 7,490
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Asus ROG Phone II Gaming Phone
The ROG Phone II continues the legacy of its predecessor as a smartphone dedicated to taking your gaming to the next level. It has an immersive 6.59-inch AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. The ROG Phone II is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855+ SoC paired with an Adreno 640 GPU to tackle any mobile game with no problems. The ROG Phone II has a massive 12 GB of RAM and up to 1TB of internal storage. Asus has also fitted the ROG Phone II with new and improved cameras. At the back it sports a 48-megapixel main shooter with a 13-megapixel ultrawide angle secondary shooter. On the front is a 24-megapixel shooter. The smartphone also has a whopping 6000 mAh battery and 30W hypercharge. Asus has also fitted it with a new generation of Air Triggers and a suite of new accessories to aid in your gaming dominance.
PHP 49,995 (512 GB variant) PHP 59,995 (1 TB variant)
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Fujifilm X-Pro3 DSLR
The Fujifilm X-Pro3 is the Fujifilm’s latest flagship rangefinder-type digital camera. The camera is a beautiful mix of analog and digital with its many analog dials and a powerful 4-inch 26.1-megapixel X-Trans CMOS sensor and X-Processor 4 image-processing engine. The X-Pro3 is also durable with its top and bottom panel being made from Titanium with the DR variants adding extra Duratect hardening technology. The X-Pro3 also has a high-resolution tilting LCD screen at the back to make framing shots easier. You also get an advanced hybrid viewfinder with an electronic viewfinder sporting 3.69 million dots. The camera is also the first to feature an AF Range-limiter within the camera itself instead of the lens.
PHP 104,990 (black variant) PHP 116,990 (DR black and DR silver variants)
TCL Plex
Smartphone The global television brand has ventured into the world of smartphones. With a dedicated chipset for its display, the TCL Plex is equipped with the brand’s NXTVISION technology that delivers a more cinematic viewing experience for users. It adapts tones and display brightness according to its environment, ensuring great images on its 6.53-inch FHD+ TCL Dotch display. The TCL Plex also shines in the video department. It can record videos with HDR, and slow-motion videos up to 960 fps. It runs on TCL UI, the brand’s dedicated user interface, which is based on Android 9. It can turn into a remote controller through T-Cast (a universal remote control and smart TV assistant app), cast videos, music, games, and photos; and connect up to four audio devices on the phone for surround-sound audio. Just like any other smartphone, the TCL Plex sports a rear triple camera setup with 48 MP main, 16 MP super-wide angle, and 2 MP regular camera sensors. It gives the users freedom to shoot even in low-light and landscapes, thanks to its Super Night and Ultra-Wide modes. On its upper left corner lies the 24 MP front camera.
PHP 15,990
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Canon Pixma G7070
Wireless All-in-one Printer The newest member of Canon’s G series printer line, the Pixma G7070 is made for businesses that need a quick printer capable of large yields. It churns out 13 images per minute in monochrome and 6.8 images per minute in color. It has a two-way paper feeding system and is capable of auto duplex printing. It can scan, print, and copy documents, as well as produce high-resolution prints at 4800 x 1200 dpi, and high-resolution scans at 1200 x 2400 dpi. The G7070 has wireless connectivity and can print using the Direct Wireless connection or via the dedicated Canon app.
Canon WG7750F
Business Inkjet Printer The Canon WG7750F is part of the brand’s first-ever A3 business inkjet printer line-up. The WG7750F is made for small and medium enterprises with its multiple functions. It can print, scan, copy, and fax documents up to A3 in size. It has a Head Line Design for high-speed printing and is designed for high volume printing. This printer can print 50 pages per minute in both colored or monochrome at default speed and 80 pages per minute in both colored or monochrome in print speed max mode. It is also user-friendly with its 5-inch color touch screen.
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Canon EOS M200 Camera
The Canon EOS M200 is the latest mirrorless camera to come out of the Japanese camera giant’s R and D. The camera is lightweight and packs a ton of user-friendly features perfect for individuals who want better content for their social media profiles. At the heart of the EOS M200 is a 24.1-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor. Powering the EOS M200 is a DIGIC 8 image processor which makes the camera capable of ISO 25600 and expandable to ISO 51200 so you can shoot in dim theaters and rooms. The DIGIC 8 processor also lets the camera shoot 4K videos at either 24p or 25p. The EOS M200 also has “Creative Assist” functions where users can easily adjust the look of photos. To easily upload your photos, the EOS M200 also has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
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DECEMBER 2019-JANUARY 2020
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Sharp Healsio Hotcook Waterless Cooker
Keep yourself healthy with this waterless cooker from Sharp. Equipped with a stirring unit, the Healsio Hotcook allows even cooking of ingredients in their own juices, which lets flavors blend together. It has automatic temperature control to cook your food at the optimal temperature and keep the food warm and safe from bacteria, seven cooking modes that let users make sumptuous dishes and desserts, and steam circulation technology to let the natural flavors blend into the dishes being prepared. Ideal for busy bees, the Healsio Hotcook is a great gift to give this holiday season.
PHP 27,998
Sharp AQUOS Sound Partner AN-SX7A Wireless Shoulder Speakers Have your own personal cinematic sound system with the latest wearable from Sharp. Compatible with a wide variety of devices, the AQUOS Sound Partner AN-SX7A is extremely portable. It can rest comfortably on one’s shoulders, thanks to its acoustic vibration system that provides powerful sound and heavy bass for an immersive audio-visual experience while gaming and binge-watching movies and TV series from streaming services.
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Ambi Climate 2
Air Conditioner remote The Ambi Climate is a device made to turn your air conditioner smart. This smart device uses AI technology to optimize the temperature of your AC to your preferences, along with smart sensors to note surrounding conditions such as humidity and time to adjust your house or room temperature. It works with voice assistants Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. You can set timers and maintains your desired temperatures throughout the day. It also has multi-user geolocation to know when to increase or decrease temperature. It also provides valuable data about your AC and AC usage.
Konzert SBx-3x4W Bluetooth Soundbar
Konzert knows that audio is an important part of the entertainment experience, so they’ve created the SBx-3x4W Bluetooth Soundbar to give you the best wireless audio for your home entertainment needs. The 2.1-channel soundbar comes with its own wireless subwoofer, so you get full, powerful tunes, without the need to mess with wires. Should additional inputs be necessary there is also an option for optical input, an auxiliary jack for other music players, and even a USB port for MP3 playback. With 4500W of output, you won’t be short of power for your next night in.
PHP 5,999
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DECEMBER 2019-JANUARY 2020
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Realme XT Smartphone
Redefining the mid-range segment, the realme XT is packed with flagship features. Apart from its 64 MP Samsung GW1 main camera, it boasts 4-in-1 intelligent pixel binning, large f/1.8 aperture and 6P lens with superior light-gathering capability. The phone’s quad cameras consist of a 64 MP primary lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, a macro lens, and a portrait lens which enables all budding photographers to capture the world in new and exciting ways. Under the realme XT’s hood is a powerful Snapdragon 712 AIE with an improved clock speed of up to 2.3Ghz for 10 percent overall performance. Its 3.0 AI engine greatly enhances speech recognition, image processing, and optimization efficiency. Among the new features included were a light-flowing 3D curved glass design, a sharp 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display, and the latest optical fingerprint scanner module from Goodix 3.0.
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D-Link COVR-2022 Mesh router
Promoting ease of use with its powerful features, this sleek and compact mesh router is equipped with high-power amplifiers that can cover up to 557 square meters with ultra-high-speed Wi-Fi. With six powerful antennas and powered by MU-MIMO technology, Wi-Fi dead zones at home become a thing of the past. D-Link COVR-2202’s smart backhaul feature automatically optimizes the signal between the cover points to make the whole home network perform better overall. A system that is truly perfect for bandwidth-hungry homes, users can get more power for faster downloads, lag-free 4K streaming, and truly seamless networking with the router’s high-speed AC2200 Tri-Band Wi-Fi and 11ac Wave 2 with MU-MIMO.
PHP 18,520
Fujitsu fi-800R
Scanner
The Fujitsu fi-800R was made for enterprises who need to scan documents as fast as possible. This A4-compatible scanner can scan piles of documents and is perfect for Auto Document Feeding (ADF) scanning jobs. The fi-800R can scan documents at 40 pages per minute or 80 images per minute at either 200 dpi or 300 dpi. The fi-800R also has automatic skew correction to correct skewed documents one by one and prevent jamming and missing scans. The scanner’s Active Separation structure also prevents multi-feed errors by applying optimal pressure to separate documents from each other.
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DECEMBER 2019-JANUARY 2020
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ThinkBook 14 and ThinkBook 15 Laptop
The Thinkpad 14 features an Intel Core i5 10210U processor mated with 8 GB of RAM, a large 512 GB SSD, Windows 10, and a 14-inch FULL HD IPS display, while the Thinkpad 15 retains the same hardware, but bumps the processor up to a Core i7 10510U, has discrete Radeon 620 graphics, and includes a larger 15.6-inch screen. Both devices also include a fingerprint scanner integral to the power button, Windows 10 out of the box, and business grade Lenovo Services, for user convenience and additional peace of mind. They’re new devices for a new workforce.
ThinkBook 14: Starts at PHP 48,990 ThinkBook 15: Starts at PHP 57,490
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Honor 20 Lite Smartphone
The Honor 20 Lite is the little brother of the brand’s flagship Honor 20. The Honor 20 Lite is powered by a Kirin 710 SoC and runs on Honor’s EMUI 9.0, based on Android 9.0. The Honor 20 Lite has 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage which is upgradable via the hybrid sim card slot. It offers a 6.29-inch HD dewdrop display with a 1080 x 2340 resolution. In charge of snapshots is a triple camera setup with the main shooter sporting a 24-megapixel sensor. The secondary ultra-wide lens has an 8-megapixel sensor and the depth sensor is a 2-megapixel deal. The front camera has a powerful 32-megapixel sensor perfect for selfies. The phone is powered by a 3400 mAh battery for all-day performance
PHP 9,990
Honor 9X
Smartphone The Honor 9X is powered by the Kirin 710FSoC paired with 6GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage, but If the internal storage is not enough for you, the Honor 9X has expandable storage of up to 512 GB via the Hybrid sim card slot. The Mali-G51 MP4 GPU is also boosted by Honor’s Gameboost 3.0 for a faster and smoother gaming experience. The Honor 9X has a 6.59-inch HONOR FullView display with a 2340 x 1080 resolution and a triple camera setup with a 48-megapixel main camera at the back. It also has a secondary ultra-wide lens that has an 8-megapixel sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The Honor 9X also sports a 16-megapixel pop-up selfie camera. All of this is kept running by a 4000 mAh battery.
PHP 12,490
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GADGETS LAB
ASUS ROG Phone II Reviewed by Gabriel Pe
More and more gaming phones have entered the consumer market ever since the arrival of the first ROG Phone. Now in its second incarnation, can the ROG Phone II exceed what its predecessor started? DESIGN The ROG Phone II is almost an exact copy of its predecessor, albeit a bit larger. The ROG Phone II has 6.59-inch AMOLED display capable of HDR10 and up to 120Hz refresh rate. The display and back are covered by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 6 while the sides are made of aluminum for rigidity and grip. Not much is happening on the top side of the phone except some microphone holes, but on the left side is the extra USB-C port dedicated for the extra accessories. At the right are the volume and power buttons and the Air Trigger II capacitive buttons. On the bottom is the USB-C port for charging and the 3.5 mm audio jack. At the back is the dual camera set-up, the RGB logo, and the great-looking exhaust port.
HARDWARE Hardware is where the ROG Phone II shines. It runs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855+ mated with an Adreno 640 GPU. This combo gives the phone its gaming prowess. Pair that with a massive 12GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal storage, you’ll have a monster of a device even if you’re not into gaming. Another impressive upgrade Asus equipped on the new ROG Phone is the cameras. The ROG Phone II has a dual-camera setup at the back but now the main shooter is a 48-megapixel camera with a Sony IMX568 sensor. The secondary camera is a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens capable of 125-degree ultraview. The front camera also got an upgrade to a 24-megapixel selfie shooter. You’ll never have any downtime with this phone, courtesy of its monstrous 6000 mAh battery capable of up to 60W fast charging. Another great hardware addition is two front-facing speakers which can easily fill up a small room.
USER EXPERIENCE Let me start things off by listing the things that I didn’t like about the phone. None. Now that’s done let me tell you that the ROG Phone II is a gaming phone done right.
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During the month I spent with the phone, it served as my daily driver and personal gaming console. The ROG Phone II performs as advertised. When gaming, I always forgot that it was a phone rather than a console with its performance. The 120 Hz screen and Air Triggers were a great help in playing games. Honestly, I can’t play Call of Duty Mobile the same way after experiencing it on the ROG Phone II. Not all games are optimized to use the 120 Hz refresh rate though. The Air Triggers are a huge quality of life upgrade and I hope more phones implement a version of it soon. The great thing about Asus’ gaming devices is the added software, and the Armoury Crate app on the ROG Phone II continues that tradition. Like its computer counterpart, the Armoury crate lets users set the status of the phone and tweak clocking speeds and temperature control with the included Aero Active Cooler fan. I found myself having almost zero downtime with this phone. The 60W Hypercharging was amazing, charging the 6000 mAh battery in just over an hour. As for battery life, it lasted me two days with minimal use and a whole day in the max setting, 120Hz refresh rate, max brightness, and a fair amount of gaming time. Camera performance is not a strong suit in gaming phones. The ROG Phone II punches above its class and has a decent camera. The quality is not flagship level but the pictures were decent.
you’ll definitely want to buy this phone as soon as possible. SPECIFICATIONS: • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ • GPU: Adreno 640 • Display: 6.59-inch AMOLED with Gorilla Glass 6, up to 120 Hz refresh rate, DCI-P3 108 %, HDR10 • OS: Android 9.0, ROG UI and ZEN UI • RAM: 12 GB • Internal Storage: 512 GB UFS. • Camera: Main: 48-megapixel f/1.8 Sony IMX568, Ultrawide: 13-megapixel f/2.4, Front: 24-megapixel f/2.4 • Battery: 6000 mAh • Connections: Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi, NFC, USB 3.1 Type-C • Features: Indisplay Fingerprint scanner, Air Triggers • Dimension: 171 x 77.6 x 9.5 mm • Weight: 240 g What’s Hot: • Great processor and GPU combo • Massive memory • Hyper-charge • Accessories galore • Air Triggers What’s Not: • A bit large to put in a small pocket • Could have had a better camera • Display is not in Super AMOLED
If I want to nitpick, there are surely things that Asus could improve upon on the next generation of the ROG Phone. There’s the screen, for instance— the next generation could have at least a Super AMOLED screen. The camera could see an upgrade to at least a triple camera setup with an additional telephoto lens. Other than those the phone was a joy to use.
VALUE Overall, Asus has truly outdone themselves and has built a phone that is worth every cent you might want to spend on it. The ROG Phone II retails at PHP 49,990 which is at par with most flagship smartphones. But If you’re an avid mobile gamer and in the market for a new phone, then
BOTTOMLINE It’s a looker that has decent camera performance for the segment, at the cost of a little extra cash.
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Lenovo ThinkBook 13S Reviewed by Ren Alcantara
If you’re in the market for a laptop, you’re in for a treat. There are so many available to the consumer right now, so you’re totally spoiled for choice. One of the most aggressive in the laptop space is Lenovo, and they recently sent us the ThinkBook 13S to try out. Is it worth your time and hard-earned money? We find out.
DESIGN The ThinkBook 13S is a quietly understated laptop that presents itself as a work laptop which isn’t a plain, unremarkable black. It’s got a slick mineral gray color to it, which goes great with the rest of the metallic finish that’s smooth, but not slippery, and pleasingly resistant to fingerprints. The combination of aluminum and magnesium in the body and frame make for a solid laptop, without excessive weight. Being a Lenovo laptop, they of course built in a 180-degree hinge to make sharing the screen across the table much easier. Some might find the overall design a little vanilla, but it at least will fit nicely into any environment.
HARDWARE Narrow bezels on the 13.3-inch, FHD IPS display make for a screen that appears a little bit larger than it is, and the anti-glare coating makes it stand up well against bright indoor lights. There’s also a bit of oomph to this laptop. While our review unit came with 8GB of RAM, you can have it configured with up to 16 GB. Pair this with the Core i5-8265U (or up to a Core i7 running at 1.6GHz) and you have a light but very capable laptop. You can also have it configured with up to 512 GB of SSD storage. The cherry on top is discrete AMD graphics care of the Radeon 540x and 2 GB of VRAM. It’s not super hardcore, but you’ll be able to fire up a lot of games on medium settings when nobody is watching. Nice little touches such as a backlit keyboard, fingerprint scanner in the power button, and the aforementioned 180-degree hinge round off the spec sheet nicely.
USER EXPERIENCE Because of the nature of our work, I find myself on the road a lot. This would normally not be a problem, until you consider that my personal laptop is made for gaming, and it (along with the power brick) weighs more than I care to lug
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around on a daily basis. As such, I will always appreciate small, thin laptops. The ThinkBook 13S is the perfect example of a laptop in this segment. It has the smallest practical laptop screen size, tips the scales at a mere 1.39 Kg, and has a wonderfully tiny charging brick.
extra thanks to discrete graphics. There’s room for expandability, and Lenovo’s solid reputation and software suite give it that little extra something that sets it apart.
The keyboard, with which I am quite particular, is pleasant to use. It’s a little on the shallow side, but offers positive keypresses—you’re not going to have any trouble banging out a novel on this thing. Backlighting on the keys also works great, and is a feature you won’t know you needed until you switch back to a plain keyboard.
• Display: 13.3-inch (1920x1080) IPS anti-glare (non-touch) • Processor: Intel 1.6GHz Core i5-8265U (Whiskey Lake) (as tested); 1.8GHz Core i7-8565U • Graphics: Intel UHD 620, Radeon 540X 2 GB VRAM • Memory: 8 GB DDR4 2400MHz, up to 16 GB • Storage: Up to 512 SSD Storage • Ports: 2 USB Type A (USB 3.1 Gen 1) 1 USB-C (Gen 2, DisplayPort), HDMI 1.4b, 3.5mm jack • Wireless: 802.11ac (2x2); Bluetooth 5.0 • Dimensions: 12.11 x 8.52 x 0.63 inches (15.9mm) • Weight: 2.9 lbs
Screen angles are pleasantly wide, which works with the smaller screen and keeps people from having to crowd too tightly around when you’re attempting to show off a spreadsheet or cat video. Performance is more than anyone will need for basic office tasks such as text documents, spreadsheets, or browsing the Internet. It does have more hardware than all these office tasks will need, even concurrently, so that’s no real surprise. What I did find pleasant though, was that it ran lighter or older games without too much complaining. When struck with writer’s block as we journalists often get, I was able to fire up Overwatch, and play a few rounds. There are a few compromises that have to be made with graphics quality, but for the size, and particularly, weight of the laptop, I have literally zero complaints about that.
SPECIFICATIONS:
What’s Hot: • Great portability • Discrete graphics • Solid build quality What’s Not: • Plain-ish styling
Battery life is acceptable, offering about 8 hours of non-gaming power over the course of a workday. The charger, as we mentioned earlier, is reasonably sized, so it’s not too much of a pain to take it with you anyway.
VALUE At a shade under PHP 60,000, this isn’t a bad laptop for what it is able to do. It has a solid, if basic set of features made for work use, and a little
BOTTOMLINE This is going to be a no-frills, no nonsense performer that’ll get the job done with Lenovo reliability.
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Garmin Fenix 6 Multisport Watch Reviewed by Ren Alcantara
Technology constantly makes its way into more and more of our lives. Tech gets smaller and more efficient, allowing it to accompany us to places it couldn’t in the past. Garmin, one of the biggest names in wearable technology, particularly in the realm of the great outdoors, knows this, and continues to innovate in ways we didn’t think possible. The latest offering from the brand is the Fenix 6, a multisport watch that gives you the most effective weapon in improving your game: information. DESIGN There’s no denying it. The Fenix 6 looks rugged. A large face, wide bezel, and thick, beefy case all point to its host of capabilities. It’s not over the top though. Garmin was clever enough to keep the design as quiet as possible while still looking the part of a multisport watch. We got the Sapphire model with a 47 mm case that came out of the box with a gorgeous red nylon band, and a spare rubber strap for more rugged outings. It has a gorgeous black finish to the case, that Garmin claims to be particularly ruggedized, and made to handle the rigors it is expected to face outside. Buttons are large, easy to find without looking, and offer good feedback even through gloves, if you need them.
HARDWARE This watch has so much going on, I struggle to even pick a place to start discussing it. It has a 1.3-inch fully round, color display, three buttons on the left side, and another two on the right side of the case, making it look curiously like a traditional chronograph. Charging is done via a small, proprietary port on the back of the case. The watch has a bit of heft to it, tipping the scales at 83 grams, and sticks out a fair amount, being 14.7 mm thick. You do get used to it rather quickly though. The Fenix 6 is veritable sports lab on your wrist. Heart rate and pulse ox sensors determine just how hard you’re working, GPS maps out routes and times, you even have music streaming capabilities to Bluetooth headsets right from the watch. If you’re the type, you also have maps for ski runs and golf courses all over the world.
USER EXPERIENCE The first thing you’ll notice upon strapping this on to your wrist is the weight. There’s quite a bit of heft to it, but not so much as to be uncomfortable. You’re going to feel this again if you take it out for a run, particularly if you’re used to something lighter, but it’s totally worth the extra grams. That large 1.3-inch display, while not a touchscreen, is quite nice. It doesn’t
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have smartphone resolution, but it’s not meant to. More important than the resolution is readability in sunlight, and here, the Garmin Fenix 6 shines. No matter the brightness outside, the screen remained perfectly readable, down to the notifications from my phone. Since it lacks a touch screen, controls can be confusing at first. Navigating the menus is achieved via the use of the various buttons on the sides of the device. You then press another button to make a selection, or to bring up another set of menus to navigate. It does have a bit of a learning curve, but it all makes sense. The Fenix 6 takes into account a whole slew of factors, from sleep, to workout distance and duration, exertion levels, pulse ox and heart rate, and even the kind of workout you’re trying, and lets you know how not just how much time you’ll probably need to recover, but a clever Body Battery metric which shows you how much you still have on tap, before you’re tapped out. Another feature I appreciated was incident detection and tracking assistance. If you need to, you can send a message through your connected phone to a set contact. This message contains your location, and can be sent easily with the press of a button. Should you crash, there is also an option to send the message automatically, great for when you’re doing solo rides, and well worth the peace of mind. Less critical, but undeniably handy, the Fenix 6 can control music streaming services on your phone, stream from itself, and even store tracks locally (for the Pro version of the watch). The feature is rock solid, and worked reliably for me, and I just can’t overstate how convenient it is to be able to leave your phone in the locker or even at home, and still have music for your workout. Battery life was about 10 days with my use, and while it’s advertised as being able to do longer on a single charge, I was fiddling with it so much, and using it for long stretches as my music player, that I’m very pleasantly surprised it even managed that much.
VALUE While the sticker price for this device is PHP 54,995, it’s less a fashion accessory, and more an important piece of gear, so it has to be viewed as an investment. If you’re looking to get really serious with your sport and health goals, this is a totally worthy item to add to your kit. SPECIFICATIONS: • • • • • • •
Screen: 1.3 inch, 260 x 260 MIP, Sapphire Glass Dimensions: 47 x 47 x 14.7 mm Weight: 83 G Water rating: 10 ATM GPS: yes Storage 32 GB Sensors: GLONASS, Galileo, Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate monitor, Barometric altimeter Compass, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Thermometer, Pulse Ox • Connectivity: Bluetooth (with smartphone notifications) What’s Hot: • Absolutely brimming with features • Looks great • Tough What’s Not: • Interface needs getting used to • Pricey, unless you’re really serious about your sport
BOTTOMLINE Not everyone needs this watch, but if you do, you’ll know it.
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Konzert SBx-3x4W Wireless Soundbar Reviewed by Jewel Sta. Ana
For a homebody, having a soundbar inside the room is bliss. It’s a great alternative to having a complete home audio system since it saves space, easy to set up, and delivers the same audio performance and power that most bulky speakers do. Our friends from the local audio solutions brand Konzert sent over their latest wireless soundbar. Here’s what we think of it.
DESIGN As a 2.1 channel soundbar, the Konzert SBx3x4W has a solid build that’s reminiscent of its predecessor, the SBx-2x4. It has a slim, black rectangular body which is a combination of metal grille and glossy plastic. At its upper left corner is a silver emblem of Konzert’s logo for branding. Together with the USB port, basic controls like volume rocker and the power button are ergonomically placed on its right. At the back lie the ports for an optical connection, HDMI or MCI, and an AUX cable good for connecting Smart and HD TVs. The soundbar also comes with a subwoofer, holes that allow users to mount it on a wall, rubber bases for stability, power and auxiliary cables, and a remote control. It does retain an LED display that only appears when you turn it on, right at the top center of the soundbar.
HARDWARE Compared to its older sibling, the SBx-3x4W features an audio output of up to 45000W PMPO. This is quite powerful, and ideal for those with larger areas to cover. Inside the soundbar are two 2.75-inch drivers that deliver loud, clear audio. Complementing and adding depth to the 38-inch soundbar is a subwoofer equipped with a 6.5-inch driver. The whole soundbar system can ditch the use of cables, thanks to its Bluetooth connectivity. Apart from Bluetooth, the soundbar can also play music from other media storage devices and can be linked on any mobile devices and TVs via HDMI, AUX, and optical cables. There are also preset equalizers to choose from, should users want to adjust and align the audio performance of the soundbar and the subwoofers to the environment.
USER EXPERIENCE As a 2.1 channel soundbar, the Konzert SBx-3x4W exceeds expectations. It offers convenience to
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users in terms of controlling basic controls, including four pre-installed audio settings and Bluetooth pairing. And since it is specially produced for smart TVs, it features four basic sound modes that optimize the audio output: music, movie, news, and 3D. There are three options to connect a TV with the soundbar: through an optical cable, HDMI cable, or a 3.5 mm AUX cable. Depending on your preference, you can also customize the bass and treble levels of both soundbar and subwoofers. However, eliminating wires and cables may compromise the consistency and quality of audio when the soundbar is connected to another device via Bluetooth. Expect inevitable audio delay and unequal blending of lows, mids, and highs when the soundbar is connected to a mobile device. The case is different though when it is connected to PCs and smart TVs. It seamlessly streams music, films, and TV series in sync with the main source where it is being played, bringing the cinema to your own bedroom or living room. In my case, I was able to test its power in our office and its 4500W PMPO stay true to its claims. It is loud enough yet it doesn’t lack in mids and highs.
VALUE Even with an attractive price point, the Konzert SBx-3x4W is definitely one of the few soundbars in the market that does not compromise in performance. It might not be the best one, but it works great with smart and high-definition TVs while providing wide connectivity options. At just PHP 5,999, this soundbar is an excellent find for both cinephiles and homebodies.
SPECIFICATIONS: • Dimensions: 960 mm x 78 mm x 76 mm (soundbar), 170 mmx 306 mm x 380 mm (subwoofer) • Frequency response: 80 Hz- 20 kHz • Drivers: two-way channel 2.75-inch (soundbar) + 6.5-inch subwoofer • Audio output power: 4500W PMPO • Impedance: 4 ohms * 2 + 4 ohms • Signal to noise ratio: 72 dB • Bluetooth range: up to 10 meters • Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1, AUX, HDMI, Optical, and USB • Ports: 1x USB, 1x Optical, 1x HDMI/MCI, 1x AUX • Features: Preset music equalizer, Bluetooth connectivity, and remote control
What’s Hot: • Offers various connectivity options • Presence of a preset music equalizer and remote control • Very affordable
What’s Not: • Audio can be delayed and choppy through Bluetooth connection • Sound quality varies on linked devices
BOTTOMLINE It delivers audio nirvana without breaking your bank account.
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Realme XT Reviewed by Gabriel Pe
Premium mid-rangers have started to flood the market. From the premium names to unexpected flagship killers, higher-end mid-range smartphones have captured the market’s interest. We look at Realme’s XT smartphone, the brand’s current flagship smartphone that’s part of the premium mid-range category.
DESIGN The Realme XT color schemes are eye-catching. The gradient finish on our pearl white unit was mesmerizing with the phone changing color right before your eyes. The Realme XT sports a 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED dew-drop display. The phone is covered by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 which gives users extra confidence in case they have butter fingers. Thankfully users will have a better grip on the sides thanks to an aluminum frame. You’ll find the volume rockers, as well as the sim tray, on the left side of the phone. On the right is the power button. You won’t find much on the top, only a mic hole, while at the bottom is the downward-firing speaker the USB-C port for charging, and the 3.5 mm jack.
HARDWARE The Realme XT isn’t lacking in the power department, thanks to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 712 AIE chip paired with an Adreno 616 GPU. Memory is also a strong suit of the XT, and 8GB of RAM is more than enough to run most apps and games. The 128 GB of internal storage is also UFS 2.1, so files are loaded and accessed much quicker. If that’s not enough, the Realme XT also has expandable storage up to 256 GB via its dedicated MicroSD slot. Realme has often boasted about its camera, and the Realme XT is no exception. It is carrying a quad-camera setup at the back, with a 64-megapixel main shooter. Following the main camera, it has an 8-megapixel ultrawide angle lens capable of up to a 119-degree field of view. Beneath the ultra-wide lens are two 2-megapixel sensors, one a dedicated macro lens and the other is the phone’s depth sensor. The phone is powered by a 4000 mAh battery that is capable of VOOC 3.0, and though they did leave out wireless charging, the phone does have an in-display fingerprint scanner.
USER EXPERIENCE One of the first things I noticed upon receiving the phone was its weight. The Realme XT seems
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bulky to look at, especially with the jelly case, but the phone was surprisingly lighter than my current daily driver. Speaking of daily driving, the two weeks with the Realme XT was fairly pleasant. The processor and RAM combo provided a smooth experience for me. The phone was blazingly fast in opening multiple apps. Thanks to the powerful CPU-GPU combo, the Realme XT is a surprisingly capable gaming device. Both Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG ran in high settings with no significant frame drops. Additionally, the phone was cool all throughout my heavy gaming sessions. Another thing that amazed me was the battery life. The Realme XT has a smaller battery capacity compared to its siblings the Realme 5 and Realme 5 Pro. Despite a full 1000 mAh difference, the 4000 mAh battery lasted me throughout the day, sometimes even two, despite an hour of intense gaming and an always-on Wi-Fi Hotspot. Realme is marketing the XT as a camera beast and it delivers. The 64-megapixel camera provided good details in the tests that I done. It’s not perfect though; some photos came out warmer than in real life but it was only a limited thanks to the timely update. The video department is also fairly decent, it can shoot HD videos in 60fps and 4K in 24fps. What disappointed me was the lack of optical stabilization in the camera which would have greatly helped since it already has a beast of a sensor.
SPECIFICATIONS: • Display: 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 712AIE • GPU: Adreno 616 • RAM: 8 GB • Internal Storage: 128 GB UFS 2.1 • Camera: Rear: main: 64 MP f/1.8; ultrawide: 8 MP f/2.3; macro: 2 MP f/2.4; depth 2 MP f/2.4; Front 16 MP f/2.0 • Battery: 4000mAh with VOOC 3.0 fast charging • Connections: Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi, hotspot, USB Type-C 2.0, GPS, 3.5 mm jack • Other Features: In-display Fingerprint scanner, Face Unlock • Dimensions: 158.7 x 75.2 x 8.6 mm • Weigh: 183g
What’s Hot: • Great camera • VOOC 3.0 charging • Good display • In-display fingerprint scanner • Great battery life What’s Not: • A Bit pricey • Camera lacks OIS • Button layout and speaker placement is weird • No NFC
The phone does have some drawbacks. The button layout forces unwitting uses to repeatedly capture screenshots when locking the phone. Another pet peeve I had with this phone was the speaker location. Since the downward-facing speaker is located at the bottom left of the phone, you could easily cover it with your palms when gaming. I was also left disappointed by the fact that there was no NFC or wireless charging support for the price.
VALUE Pricing is where the Realme XT takes a hit. PHP 16,990 is a bit much for the specs the phone offers. Don’t get me wrong, the phone’s camera is great but it just needs a bit more in the other department to be more competitive at the price point.
BOTTOMLINE If you’re looking for a phone with a great camera without breaking the bank too much, then this might be it.
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VT801 Vehicle Tracking Device Reviewed by Maribelle Alba
We were sending several motorcycles on a 10-day test ride from Luzon, across the islands of Mindoro, Panay and Negros, and then back. While we had a backup vehicle and support crew to assist the riders, we wanted the added assurance of knowing if the team was doing all right. This is where the VT801 Vehicle Tracking Device came in handy.
DESIGN What are the best features of the VT801? It’s compact, measuring only 100 x 48 x 20 mm and weighing only 75 g. It’s weatherproof, with an IP67 fully sealed enclosure so it can withstand exposure to dust and rain. It’s not much to look at, just a small black plastic box with a connector on one end.
HARDWARE The VT801 has a highly sensitive 72-channel GPS receiver that can receive up to 3 GNSS systems concurrently, ensuring better location accuracy and quick time-to-first-fix. Data is transmitted via an embedded sim (eSIM) soldered directly onto the device. This has two advantages: (1) the SIM cannot be removed or tampered with; and (2) it can connect to more than 450 network operators in over 190 countries. In the Philippines, it can easily switch to whichever network has the strongest signal at any given location, ensuring almost nationwide coverage. LED indicators provide information on power, GPS, and cellular status. It has a 105 mAh lithium-polymer backup battery to continue monitoring when the vehicle is turned off. It also has 4 MB of built-in memory. It has two digital inputs, one analog input, two digital outputs, a 1-Wire interface, and an RS232 interface. The VT801 can be configured and updated over the air, so there is no need to retrieve the device. In case of tampering or if it is removed, it sends an alert and also registers the last known location.
USER EXPERIENCE We installed the VT801 GPS tracking devices on two underbone motorcycles and two scooters. Since the antennas for both cellular and GPS are built-in, it could be installed virtually anywhere on the vehicle. Since motorcycles don’t have an onboard diagnostics port, the tracker also had to be physically wired to the battery for its power source. (For installation in cars, an optional OBD connector does away with direct-to-battery wiring.) With its emulated ignition mode, the VT801 does not need to be connected to the vehicle ignition to monitor if the engine is running.
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What makes the VT801 really useful is the accompanying software that serves as the command center, showing you all the registered vehicle trackers in your account. Apparently, the VT801 continuously monitors and transmits the following information: engine start, power-cut, low-battery, shock, and geo-fencing. In case of tampering, it can trigger an SOS or immediate alert. On the software dashboard, you can see the unit’s current physical location; check its travel history as well as distance traveled and even play the exact routes that it followed in any given time frame like on a certain day, week or month; generate reports which you can customize according to your requirements; and even create geo-fences so you can be notified when a vehicle leaves or arrives at designated locations. From Manila down to Mindoro then Panay and Negros, we were able to check at any given time where our test riders were located, whether they were traveling on schedule, etc. We noticed a lag in remote mountain roads without a cellular signal, but the information was quickly updated once they reached more accessible areas. Even during a patch of stormy weather, the tracker was able to transmit tracking information.
VALUE According to the local supplier, Ascent Solution Philippines Inc., the VT801 is offered on a subscription basis for about PHP 30 per day—a reasonable price to pay for your peace of mind and security. In addition to commercial fleet applications like logistics and transport companies, I think families should also consider installing this in their vehicles. Imagine your peace of mind knowing exactly what time the family driver picked up the kids from school and getting a notification when they get home. Imagine the fuel savings when your driver knows he cannot keep the engine idling while parked because you will find out. For motorcycle owners, imagine the added security of knowing that you can always easily locate your bike in case of any untoward incident.
SPECIFICATIONS: • GPS Receiver: 72 channels, GPS/QZSS L1 C/A, GLONASS L10F, BeiDou B1, Galileo E1B/C, SBAS L1 C/A: WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS, GAGAN • Time to First Fix: 26 s cold start; 2 s aided start; 1 s hot start • GPS Antenna with LNA: Built-in • Anti-Jamming: Active CW detection and removal • GSM Network: 2G and 3G • Cellular Antenna: Built-in • Dimensions: 100 x 48 x 20 mm • Weight: 75 g • Built-in Memory: 4 MB • SIM: MFF2 embedded • Protocol Support: TCP, UDP, SMS, USSD • Operating Temperature: –20 to +75 degrees Celsius • Humidity: 5% to 95% non-condensing • Enclosure: Waterproof IP67 compliant • Input Voltage: 9-50 V DC with surge suppressor • Backup Battery: Li-Polymer 105 mAh What’s Hot: • Compact and weatherproof, suitable for motorcycles • Built-in SIM is not network-dependent; nationwide coverage • Can be installed on any 12/24V vehicle, including motorcycles What’s Not: • No standalone mobile app for on-the-go monitoring • Occasional tracking lag in areas without cellular coverage
BOTTOMLINE For your peace of mind, this is a very affordable, easy-to-use tracker. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
COVER STORY
Present Perfect Gifts you didn’t know you wanted to give. The season of giving is here, and it can be a real cause of anxiety for some people. If you know nothing about the interests of the person you’re trying to get a gift for, you’re likely going to settle for a pair of reindeer-patterned socks. We’re here to help. If you’re short on ideas and time, read through our little guide, and figure out what it is you can get your homemaker, cinephile, gearhead, or photographer friend. With any luck, these less conventional gifts are items they don’t have yet, or maybe haven’t even considered getting. Have fun, and good hunting!
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DECEMBER 2019-JANUARY 2020
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Car-Moto Enthusiasts Words by Ren Alcantara
Next to the traffic, one of the greatest causes of holiday anxiety is gift shopping. If your loved one is into something that you know nothing about, it truly is a daunting task. Fortunately, we at Gadgets are here to give you a hand. If you’re looking for something to give to the gearhead in your life, prepare to take notes. We’ve got you covered.
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For two and four wheelers: A battery conditioner
For two-wheelers: Armored riding jeans As much as we hate to admit it, comfort and style usually take a back seat to safety when it comes to motorcycle gear. We’re fine with that though, as safety should always be paramount. Lately though, there have been more and more brands trying to close that gap. A number of manufacturers now make armored riding jeans that look like regular jeans except under closer scrutiny. Practical, comfortable, and discreet, these are the perfect gift for those who ride their motorcycles daily.
It’s no secret that both cars and motorcycles use batteries. What you may or may not know though, is that the life of those batteries can be extended significantly with the right device. A battery conditioner has immediate and lasting benefits for a vehicle’s battery. Aside from keeping it topped up, these also condition the battery, allowing them to better keep a charge, and extending their lifespan. It also has the added benefit of being an item that the average enthusiast would necessarily have, putting it in perfect Christmas gift territory.
For two-wheelers: Hi-Viz Safety Gear Bicycles, motorcycles, and as a little bonus, runners, could do a lot to be more visible on the road. Even with tail lights and lamps, all these non-cars need as much help being visible as they can. A reflective vest, battery-powered blinker, or a pack of reflective stickers for helmets are great stocking-stuffers for anyone travelling on anything smaller than a car.
For everyone: A flashlight
Two- and four-wheelers: A tire patch kit
It will happen a few times in your life that your vehicle will refuse to cooperate in some form or another, just when darkness has set in. Sure, you can use a smartphone to illuminate what needs illuminating, but that’s really not ideal. A decent light (skip the PHP 88 deals), ideally powered by commonly available AA or AAA cells will be a huge help should your giftee need to change a tire, check a belt, or even just find a phone that has slipped between the seats. While you’re at it, toss in a fresh pack of batteries, and they’ll be ready for the dark. Mostly four-wheelers, but sort of two wheelers too: a battery-powered jump starter
If the person you intend to gift is reasonably handy, this is a nice little thing that you can get for them. These kits come with everything you will need to patch a puncture, from the plug, reamer, pliers, and carbon dioxide cartridges to reinflate the tire. The beauty of this kit is that you just keep it in your vehicle, whether it’s a bike or car, and hope never to need it. Since hoping isn’t a valid strategy, when it finally becomes necessary, they can pull it out of storage, fix the puncture, and be off in half an hour tops. Be sure to let them know it’s not a permanent fix, and they should get the tire checked professionally, but they’ll at least be able to limp to a shop rather than wait for a tow truck. Mostly four-wheelers, but sort of two wheelers too: A battery-powered jump starter This one comes with a pretty important caveat that bears saying at the very start: if you’re going to give one of these as a gift, make sure it’s a good brand with a reliable reputation. Cheap specimens run the risk of being a massive fire and electrocution hazard. That being said, a battery-powered jump starter is a huge boon for those who return to their cars to find the battery too flat to start the engine. This is particularly important to cars with automatic transmissions, as you can’t just get it rolling and pop the clutch like a manual or a motorcycle. It’s handy, keeps a charge, and is perfect for packing in an emergency bag when going on long trips where battery delivery places can’t reach. Just to be extra clear, if you’re going to get one as a gift, get a good brand, or it will be more trouble than it’s worth.
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The season of giving can be stressful, particularly if you don’t share their interests, so we hope this guide has been helpful. Above all though, a heartfelt expression of your appreciation will make any gift worthwhile.
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Cinephiles Words by Jewel Sta. Ana
They say that no matter how well you know a person, getting the right list of tech gifts can still be tricky. It’s even harder when you’re the polar opposite of your loved ones, having different interests from them. Everyone probably has a cinephile friend, or maybe one of those people who just enjoy the comfort and safety of indoors while parked firmly on the couch. If you want to take the extra mile and make their Christmas more special, these options should be added on your holiday shopping list.
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Subscriptions to streaming platforms Streaming devices
Living as a cinephile means wanting access to digital streaming platforms wherever you go. Whether you’re on the road or on a staycation, having subscriptions to video streaming services provides a lot of options. Viewers can choose from thousands of local and international films from various genres and stream it on differens devices such as gaming consoles, smartphones, and smart TVs simultaneously. These streaming services, however, differ on the type of subscription plan and the content it delivers to the audience. There’s Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+ for those who seek global and exclusive content, Disney+ for comic geeks and child at heart, HOOQ and VIU Premium for Asian chick flicks and heart-wrenching Korean movies, FOX+ for award-winning titles, and HBO GO for classic and modern films.
Projectors and wireless soundbars Who says no one can turn their room into a cinema? Turn your walls into screens with projectors, and add wireless soundbars for surround-sound audio. The projector can maximize your mobile or PC screen, giving a more cinematic experience without breaking the bank. Meanwhile, ditching cables on the sound system provides more connectivity options for the users. One of the keys in building a mini home theater at home is investing in the right products that could last a lifetime. Make sure to do your research on the different brands and classes of soundbars that would fit the needs of your loved ones. Tablets are also a good gift idea to those who frequently travel, because it serves as their multimedia and productivity companion.
When it comes to streaming content, there’s no shortage of devices to choose from. Apart from optimizing the video quality of the digital content users watching on their devices, these also grants access to video streaming apps on older TVs and PCs. This cuts the cost down and at the same time, upgrades the older piece of tech they currently own. The list can go a long way depending on its special features, but these slick smart boxes and sticks provide fast, simple and affordable streaming options. For Apple users, there’s the Apple TV 4K which streams content across Apple devices. Android users also have the Google Chromecast Ultra which offers up to 4K video streaming and boasts voice recognition capabilities when linked with the Google Home ecosystem. If a wide variety of digital content apps is what you’re looking for, then the Roku Streaming Stick+ is a must-have on your shopping list. Streamlining the Internet connection within the confines of your home should also be a priority if you’re a movie buff. Beat those dead spots with efficient mesh routers to improve network coverage and stay connected. These have the dual benefit of boosting the speed of your home’s Wi-Fi connection and extending its range with a simple device. This allows seamless streaming of your favorite movies from mobile devices to smart TVs.
Comfy sofa bed Finding yourself in the middle of a binge can lead to extended periods of sitting down, and prolonged sitting can give you back pain. That’s why lying on a comfortable sofa is just as important as everything else on this list. For people flying solo, there are affordable bean bags available should they want a piece of space-saving furniture. If they want a more premium experience, there are soft reclining sofa beds that come with a soft cushion which is good for lounging. To top it off, you can add memory foam pillows and a fleece blanket.
Kitchen tools Wouldn’t it be nice to munch on some snacks and sip a refreshing beverage during your movie marathon? Make sure to get a quick fix of popcorn and chill your sodas with an electric popcorn maker and a mini-refrigerator that are both compact and handy. Nostalgia products range from popcorn and cotton candy makers to chocolate fondue fountains, ice slush makers, and personal refs—all in a bright red and white retro look.
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DECEMBER 2019-JANUARY 2020
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SHUTTERBUGS Words by Gabriel Pe
We all have that one friend who is a photography junkie: someone who lives, breathes, and sleeps everything about imaging. We love our photography geek friends but, let’s be honest, they’re some of the hardest friends to find gifts for. Fret not! I’m here to give you some ideas on what to get your friends this Christmas.
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Film
Portable/ Pocket Printer
If your friend is a die-hard photo geek then chances are he or she owns an old-school film camera. Giving them rolls of film for Christmas is one way to go up in their friendship ranking.
While everyone likely already has a printer at home, sometimes you just can’t wait long enough to get there for a copy. A pocket printer is not necessarily a replacement for a full-sized desktop printer, but it is a great device to add to a photographer’s arsenal. A pocket printer lets you print photos from your devices usually via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi direct. The prints they produce are also pocket-sized, so it’s perfect for someone who will want to immediately print and keep the memories they shot.
When film is developed, the photo takes on a distinct tone and color. These quirks are the origin of the different types of photo filters we see in digital cameras and image-sharing platforms. A great tip is to buy different types of film to let them experience on which one they’ll like.
Stylish Camera Bag / Accessory Organizer While everyone with a camera will already have a camera bag, a good reason you’ll want to get them another one is for a sense of choice. Your friend will thank you when they step outside toting their new bag. I’ve also included accessory organizer here if you’re a bit hesitant giving them a new camera bag. A new accessory organizer or case would let them hoard for more of their favorite camera gears and goodies.
Memory Cards
Photography Books
Ah, memory cards; the digital equivalent of film. Shutterbugs definitely have their own memory cards, they probably have more than a few. The reason why I’m including it in this list is because you just can’t have too many of them. Memory cards are frequently overlooked when buying gifts for your cameraman friend, but memory cards can frequently break or get corrupted. Giving him or her new memory cards, especially ones with a larger storage, will definitely make them extremely happy.
If you’re friend really wants to improve his craft, there’s a great chance he’ll love you when you give new resource materials. Most shutterbugs take inspiration from some of the world’s great photographers to help find their own distinct style and composition. By giving your friend a photography book, you allow them another means to broaden their own horizons. Fair warning though, they may already have some of the items on this list, so be sure to keep those gift receipts in case they want to switch it for something else.
Flash Gels If your friend has a professional studio, or at least shoots in a professional studio, it would be a great idea to give them some gels for their flash. Flash gels are great artistic tool that will take their photos to the next level. And if they already have some, don’t fret. No sane lighting geek would decline a couple of extra gels for their next shoot.
Film scanner A film scanner is the perfect gift for lensmen who are starting out to explore films. Chances are they still rely on a shop to digitize their negatives. By giving them a film scanner, especially the portable one, will definitely encourage them to shoot more. Scanning their negatives would also help them since it opens up the possibility of post-processing.
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DECEMBER 2019-JANUARY 2020
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Homemakers Words by Mia Carisse Barrientos
One of the best things about coming home is you get to relax in a space that has everything you need, picked out by you and for you. Whether you’re into extravagant details, minimalism, or quirky characters, a home lets you build a lifestyle that’s uniquely you. If you need help in making your space more home-like or one that simply reflects who you are, here are a few appliances worthy of landing a spot in your holiday shopping list.
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Morphy Richards 9-in-1 Upright and Handheld Steam Cleaner
Eufy BodySense Smart Scale
Nothing is better than a deep clean. Knowing your home is free of dirt and bacteria can get you in a relaxed mood. This is where you can trust Morphy Richards’ Upright and Handheld Steam Cleaner. This device does a good job at sanitizing with a quick push of a button. It features a 30-second heat-up time and boils immediately to provide a thorough clean for sealed hardwood floors, work surfaces, shower doors, tiles and grouting, ovens and hobs, taps and carpets, upholstery and garments. The steam cleaner can accommodate 400 ml of water,has a 14-minute running time, and various accessories for added convenience. Best of all, it only retails for PHP 7,899.75.
Whether you’re into fitness or just looking to live healthy, Eufy’s BodySense Smart Scale can help you do just that. A nifty device to put in your room or the bathroom, this smart scale provides accurate measurements and body insights through four auto-calibrating sensors. It pairs with any iOS 8.0+ or Android 4.3+ device through the EufyLife app where its records and organizes your health data. A quick weigh in can give you a diagnostic on 12 different measurements within seconds as well as detect fluctuations in your weight. Plus, its rounded corners is a thoughtful design detail to prevent accidents. The Eufy BodySense Smart Scale is priced at PHP 2,995.
Coocaa 40S5G Smart TV Who doesn’t want a smart TV in their home? With access to countless apps and pairing support with other devices, getting one in this age of connectivity just makes sense. While it’s nice to have a smart TV, it is not exactly budget-friendly. This is where relatively new player, Coocaa aims to stake its claim. Coming in hot with smart TVs that won’t break the bank, options for your next living room centerpiece abound. One that’s just right is the Coocaa 40S5G. This 40-inch Android 8.0-powered smart TV banners a Full HD display framed by thin bezels, giving you an immersive viewing experience whether it be streaming movies or watching local television. It features wireless connectivity, HDMI support, and USB ports. As it is an Android device, you can download fitness and cooking apps, as well as games to get your stay at home days going. It can even serve as a smart home hub and is available for only PHP 13,990.
LG XBOOM RK7 If you’re into unique-looking design and good music, LG’s XBOOM RK7 might just be the audio solution for you. The RK7 has an industrial-style speaker with its dual tweeters visible through its grilles. Another great thing about the device’s design is whether you position it horizontally or vertically, it will automatically adapt to the orientation to give you a nice sound field. It amplifies the fun with built-in multi-color LED lighting that pulses to the music.
Mi Mosquito Dispeller Insect bites, most especially from mosquitoes are not only inconveniently itchy but also life-threatening. Be secure from diseases that mosquitoes may bring into your home with the Mi Mosquito Dispeller. This quaint device can sit atop the coffee table or drawers without taking away from the design of your home. It comes with a refillable mosquito-repelling liquid made of odorless, natural herbal extract that is mild enough to be breathed in by humans but is lethal for mosquitoes. A full container can last about a month and cover up to 15 square meter of space. While its main purpose is to repel mosquitoes, it can also double as a dim night light and has other convenient features such as a 10-hour automatic timer and low noise production. Best of all, it’s available for only PHP 500.
The RK7 creates powerful beats with its 550 watts of power. This enables its tweeters and dual woofers to deliver quality sound for house parties or movie nights. It is aptX HD-enabled, which simply means you’ll get quality audio streaming over wireless, Bluetooth transmission. The RK7 also has an integrated DJ App and Karaoke Star that allows you to sing along with you favorite songs by removing the vocals in them. And if you have more than one RK7, you can link up to 10 of them for groundshaking music. The XBOOM RK7 is available for PHP 17,990.
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The end of the year is once again upon us, and if you’re the kind who doesn’t want to rely on the kindness of St. Nick to get a great present, we’ve put together a small list of presents you might want to consider giving yourself at the end of this long, trying year. Take a look at the latest from some of our favorite manufacturers, because nobody deserves a treat more than you.
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Skydrive Sport Matte Series • 4-stroke, SOHC, 2-valve engine • 113 cc • CVT • 6.7 kW @ 8000 RPM • Disc/Drum brakes • Euro 3 compliant • Electric and kick start • Available in matte blue and matte black
PHP 67,900
Raider R150 Fi Matte Series • 4-stroke, Liquid cooled, DOHC (twincam), 4-valve engine • 147.3 cc • 6-speed manual, constant mesh transmission • 13.6 kW @ 10,000 RPM • Disc (wavy)/ Disc (wavy) brakes • Euro 3 compliant • Electric and kick start • Available in matte blue and matte red
PHP 109,900
Smash Stylish Colors • • • • • • •
4-stroke, Air cooled, SOHC, 2-Valve engine 112.8 cc 4-speed automatic clutch transmission 6.4 kW @ 8000 RPM Drum/Drum brakes Euro 3 compliant Electric and kick start
PHP 58,400
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Pioneer HDJ-X10
Pioneer HDJ-X5BT
Flagship professional over-ear DJ headphones
Wireless over-ear DJ headphones
• Closed, dynamic headphones • 50 mm dome-type drivers • 5- 40,000 Hz frequency range • Military-grade drop protection and nano-coating • Solid and refined design • Also available in black
• Closed, dynamic headphones • 40 mm dome-type drivers • 5 - 30,000 Hz frequency range • Bluetooth Specification Class 2, Bluetooth 4.2 • Military-grade drop protection and nano-coating • Also available in red and black
PHP 19,990
PHP 7,490
Pioneer DDJ-200
Pioneer DDJ-1000
Smart DJ controller
Professional 4-channel controller for rekordbox DJ
• Lightweight and compact • Supports WeDJ, djay, edjing Mix, and rekordbox dj • Switches songs and matches phrases smoothly with Transition FX
• • • •
PHP 8,990
With customizable LCD jog display Equipped with a club-style controller layout Has improved magvel fader With 16 back-lit performance pads
PHP 66,990
Pioneer DDJ-400
Portable 2-channel controller for rekordbox DJ • • • •
Unlocks rekordbox DJ software Equipped with a club-style controller layout Has rekordbox DJ’s tutorial feature for mastering professional DJ techniques Plug and play
PHP 19,990
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All-New Honda Genio • • • • • • • • •
4-Stroke, Air-Cooled, SOHC, 110cc engine 6.6 kW @ 7,500 RPM maximum power 9.3 Nm @ 5,500 RPM maximum torque ACG starter (electric and kick) Automatic V-Belt transmission Telescopic Fork front suspension Monoshock - Unit Swing rear suspension Hydraulic Disc front brake Color variants: Ross white with red stripes, and Ross white with blue stripes
SRP PHP 72,900
• • • • • • • •
Full Digital Meter Panel Mechanical leading trailing rear brake Cast wheel Combi-Brake system Power outlet 4.2 L fuel tank capacity PGM-Fi fuel system Equipped with Park Brake Lock and Side stand switch • Fuel consumption: 59.1 Km/L
All-New Honda Supra GTR150 • 4-Stroke, 4 Valves, DOHC, Liquid Cooled with Auto Fan, 150cc engine • 11.5 kW @ 9,000 RPM maximum power • 13.6 Nm @ 6,500 RPM maximum torque • Electric kick start system • Manual 6-Speed Constant Mesh transmission • Telescopic front suspension • Swing Arm - Monoshock rear suspension
SRP PHP 102,900
• • • • • • • • •
Full Digital Meter Panel Equipped with Bank Angle Sensor Hydraulic Disc brake (front/rear) Cast wheels PGM-FI Fuel system 4.5 L fuel tank capacity Tubeless tire type Fuel consumption: 42 Km/L Color variants: Valiant Red, and Black
All-New Honda ADV 150 • 4-Stroke, Liquid-Cooled, SOHC, 150cc engine • 10.7 kW @ 8500 RPM maximum power • 13.8 Nm @ 6500 RPM maximum torque • ACG Starter (electric) • Automatic V-Belt transmission • Telescopic Fork front suspension • Twin Shock-Sub Tank rear suspension • Console box with power outlet • Idling Stop System • Emergency Stop Signal
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SRP PHP 149,000
• • • • • •
Hydraulic Disc Brake (front/rear) Cast wheels ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) 8L fuel tank capacity 28L U-Box capacity Equipped with Smart key, alarm and Answer Back System • Fuel consumption: 46.6 Km/L • Color variants: Winning Red and Matte Meteorite Brown Metallic
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ROG Swift PG65UQ
ROG Zephyrus S GX531GX
Gaming Monitor • • • • • •
High-resolution 4K UHD panel Nvidia G-Sync compatible Variable Refresh Rate compatible 144-Hz refresh rate Massive 65-inch display Full Array Local Dimming across 384 zones
PHP 265,480
Ultra-slim Gaming Laptop • 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-8750H • Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q (8GB GDDR6 VRAM) • 16GB DDR4 (2,666MHz) • 1TB M.2 PCIe x4 SSD • 15.6-inch, Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS, Pantone Validated (144Hz refresh rate) • 2 x USB 3.1 (USB Type-C), 3 x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI 2.0b, headset jack
PHP 129,995
ROG STRIX GTX1660S O6G
ROG Zenith II Extreme
Graphics Card
Motherboard
• 1408 NVIDIA CUDA cores • OC mode Boost Clock: 1875 MHz • Gaming mode Boost Clock: 1845 MHz • 6 GB GDDR6 memory • Memory Clock: 14002 MHz • PCIe Interface: 3.0 • 2 x Native HDMI 2.0b Output • 2 x Native Display Port 1.4
• 5 M.2 slots • 8 Sata ports • Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 compatibility • 7 USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, 10 Gbps • USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C, 20 Gbps • ESS Sabre 32-bit DAC, DTS Sound Unbound support • AMD sTRX4 Socket for 3rd Gen Ryzen Threadripper processors
PHP 13,460
Starts at
PHP 31,520
ROG Phone II
Gaming Phone • • • • • •
6.59-inch AMOLED display Snapdragon 855+ SoC, 2.96 GHz 512 GB storage 12 GB RAM Up to 675Hz Qualcomm Adreno 640 GPU Innovative air trigger control system
PHP 49,995
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Mio Gravis • • • • •
Air-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, 2-valve engine 125cc engine 7.0 kW (9.5 PS) @ 8000 RPM 9.5 Nm @ 5500 RPM Equipped with smart motor generator and electric power socket • With Smart Front Refuel system • Available in matte black, matte green, and matte red
PHP 85,900
Mio i 125S • • • • • • • • •
4-stroke, Air cooled, SOHC, 2-valve engine 125cc Blue Core engine 7.0 kW @ 8000 RPM 9.6 N-m @ 5500 RPM Intergrated key shutter & answer back system Stop & Start system Reflectorized graphics 3D emblem Available in matte black, and white
PHP 75,900
Mio Soul i 125S • • • • • • • •
4-stroke, Air cooled, SOHC, 2-valve engine 125cc Blue Core engine 7.0 kW @ 8000 RPM 9.6 N-m @ 5500 RPM Stop & Start system Answer back key 3D emblem Available in matte gray, matte green, and new burgundy
PHP 83,900
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Yoga S740
Yoga C940
Premium Ultrabook
Premium Convertible Laptop • 360-degree hinge for multiple form-factors • 10th gen Intel Core i7 1065G7 processor • 14-inch HD IPD screen • Up to 18 hours of battery life • Rotating sound bar for clear audio in all configurations • 512 GB storage
• 15-inch 4K VESA400 HDR display • NVIDIA GTX 1650 discrete graphics • Dolby Atmos sound • Up to Intel i9-9980H • Facial recognition login • 15 hours battery life • Up to 1 TB SSD storage
Starts at
PHP 74,995
PHP 99,995
Legion Y740
ThinkBook 15
Gaming Laptop
Laptop
• 15.6-inch display • 16 GB Ram • Intel Core i7-9750H Processor • NVIDIA RTX 2060 graphics • 6 GB VRAM • 1 TB SSD storage • RGB Lighting
• Core i7 10510U processor • 8 GB RAM • 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display • Radeon 620 graphics • 512 GB SSD • Accidental Damage Protection warranty
PHP 119,995
PHP 57,490
H500 Pro 7.1
Gaming Headset • • • • • •
USB 2.0 or 3.5mm 4-pole 350 g 7.1 surround sound internal omni-directional microphone 50 mm drivers Dedicated audio profiles
PHP 4,995
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Vivo V17 Pro Smartphone
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 AIE processor • 8 GB RAM • 128 GB internal storage • Funtouch OS 9 (based on Android 9.0) • 6.44-inch Ultra FullView display • 48 MP main + 8 MP wide-angle+ 2 MP macro + 2 MP bokeh rear quad cameras, 32 MP + 8 MP dual front cameras • 4100 mAh battery
Vivo Nex 3 Smartphone
• • • • • • •
PHP 39,999
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus processor 8 GB RAM 128 GB internal storage Funtouch OS 9.1 (based on Android 9.0) 6.89-inch Waterfall FullView display 64 MP + 13 MP wide-angle + 13 telephoto, 16 MP front camera 4500 mAh battery (with Vivo FlashCharge technology)
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Vivo S1 Pro
PHP 21,999
Smartphone
• • • • • •
PHP 15,999
Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor 8 GB RAM 128 GB internal storage Funtouch OS 9.2 (based on Android 9.0) 6.38-inch Super AMOLED display 48 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP + 2MP quad camera set up, 32 front camera
Vivo Y19 Smartphone
PHP 10,999
• Mediatek Helio P65 • 4 GB RAM • 128 GB internal storage • Funtouch OS 9.2 (based on Android 9.0) • 6.53-inch FHD+ Halo FullView display • 16 MP + 8 MP super wide-angle + 2 MP super macro rear triple camera, 16 MP front camera • 5000 mAh battery
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HP Smart Tank 615 Hero All-in-one wireless inkjet printer
PHP 11,990
• With auto-feeder and fax • With mobile printing capability via HP Smart, Apple AirPrint, and HP ePrint • 2.2-inch touchscreen display • Maximum print speed up to 22 ppm (black) and 5 ppm (colored) • Supports A4 and borderless printing (up to 11 ppm) • Scanning resolution up to 1200 dpi • Equipped with HP Thermal Inkjet technology
HP Smart Tank 519 Wireless inkjet printer
PHP 9,295
• With Wi-Fi connectivity and mobile printing capability via HP Smart, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print 2.0, HP ePrint, and Android printing • 7 segment + 2-inch icon display • Maximum print speed up to 22 ppm (black) and 5 ppm (colored) • Supports and borderless printing (up to 11 ppm) • Scanning resolution up to 1200 dpi • Equipped with HP Thermal Inkjet technology
HP Pavilion x360 Convertible laptop
PHP 62,990
• 14.0-inch diagonal FHD IPS micro-edge WLED-backlit touch screen (1920×1080) • 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8565U processor • NVIDIA GeForce GPU • 8 GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM • 128 GB SSD + 1TB HD • Runs on Windows 10 Home • Bang & Olufsen Play dual speakers • HP Wide Vision HD Camera with integrated dual array digital microphone
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Oppo Reno2 Smartphone • 6.5-inch AMOLED display (2400x1080 resolution with Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection) • Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G processor • 8GB RAM • 256GB of internal storage • 48 MP main + 13 MP telephoto + 8 MP wide-angle + 2 MP mono quad cameras (with up to 20x digital zoom) • 16 MP pop-up camera • ColorOS 6.1 (based on Android 9.0) • 4000 mAh battery (supports VOOC Flash Charge 3.0 technology)
PHP 28,990
Oppo A9 2020 Smartphone
• • • • • • •
6.5-inch waterdrop sunlight display (1600x720 resolution) Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor 8GB RAM 128GB of internal storage 48 MP rear quad cameras with Ultra Night Mode 2.0, 16 MP front camera ColorOS 6.1 (based on Android 9.0) 5000 mAh battery
PHP 15,990
Oppo Reno2 F Smartphone • 6.5-inch AMOLED (2340x1080 resolution with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection) • Mediatek Helio P70 processor • 8GB RAM • 128GB of internal storage • 48 MP main + 8 MP wide angle + 2 MP mono + 2 MP portrait quad camera • 16 MP pop-up camera • ColorOS 6.1 (based on Android 9) • 4000 mAh battery (supports VOOC Flash Charge 3.0 technology)
PHP 19,998
www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
PHP 19,990
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PHOTO FEATURE
The holidays are here, and it’s the perfect time to catch up with family, friends, and if we’re lucky, on a little bit of sleep as well. You’ve done great for the year, and it’s time to treat yourself with gifts and a much-deserved break.
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Striped sweater, Pleated midi skirt, Asymmetric stiletto shoes by MANGO
ART DIRECTION BY
Jezeil Romero PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Raphael Yu HAIR AND MAKE-UP BY
Ayra Salvador STYLING BY
Paula Candoy ASSISTED BY
Chini Yu Soriano Jerico Lutrania
Jewel Sta. Ana Gabriel Pe
MODEL
Lorena Arantes of Women’s Folio Management COVER CREDITS
Lurex opening dress and Silver heeled shoes by Mango www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
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Pockets pinafore dress, Ribbed t-shirt by MANGO
Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming A gaming laptop that does so much more
Vivo S1 Pro Shoot like a pro while slaying in style
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Fujifilm X-Pro3 The perfect camera for rangefinder lovers
Garmin Fenix 6
Chunky-knit sweater by MANGO
A multi-sport GPS watch made for fitness buffs
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Interviewed by Jewel Sta. Ana Christmas and New Year is a global occasion that is widely celebrated. Yuletide season is all about sparkling lights all over the town and busy shoppers rushing on the cool wind of December. But for Lorena Arantes, it is when she spends quality time with her loved ones. She is more than her angelic face and proportional physique. As soon as she walks into the room, everyone will be filled with her vibrant energy. Her smile could definitely light up the whole room as if she’s the shining star placed right at the top of the Christmas tree. She may be shy at first, but she definitely knows what she needs to do.
She usually celebrates the holidays just by hanging out and having dinner with her family and friends in her hometown in Goiânia. As a certified fashionista, she always received clothes as gifts for Christmas. However, one gift that she treasures the most is a locket necklace that she got from her mom and a t-shirt from her best friend. This Christmas though, she’ll let fate decide and give her the things that the universe thinks she deserves. It may be the first Christmas that she’ll be away from her family, but the charming lass looks forward to witnessing the festive celebration of Filipinos during this time of the year. She’s excited to experience Noche Buena with her newly found friends. “I just hope that this Christmas will be special for everyone,” she shares as she flashes her bright smile.
Corduroy belt dress, Silver heeled shoes by MANGO
Carrying an impressive portfolio since she was 10-years-old, the Brazilian muse has been working with various international fashion and lifestyle brands. Her neighbor discovered her potential at a young age which motivated her and her mom to take risks and fulfill the dream of conquering the world.
Unlike any other foreigners, Lorena feels at home when she’s in town. She said that the Philippines is pretty much alike in terms of weather, landscapes, and friendly people. “It’s like a home away from home,” she said. On her third time in the Philippines, she was able to do some modeling stints with Avon.
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MOBILITY
NLEX taps DMCI to build the PHP 8 billion road link project NLEX Corp. formally awarded the contract to D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI) for the construction of the eight-kilometer elevated expressway. Aiming to provide an integrated expressway connection between the North and South Luzon expressways, the infrastructure will be an all vehicle class and elevated expressway that stretches from Grace Park in Caloocan City to España St. in Sampaloc, Manila. The said road link project will then be connected to Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 located at PUP Sta. Mesa in Manila. The PNR right-of-way will be shared by the NLEX Connector project and the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) which is currently under construction. According to the contract, DMCI covers the main civil works for the Caloocan-España section. The new Caloocan Interchange will serve as a strategic converging point for the 5.65-km NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, the 2.6-km R-10 section, and the 8-km NLEX Connector.
DPWH secretary Mark Villar with NLEX and DMCI officials.
DPWH Secretary Mark Villar inspected the NLEX connector construction site along the Philippine National Railways tracks in Caloocan City. He was joined with officials from NLEX Corporation and construction company DMCI. The formal awarding was attended by Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) president and CEO Rodrigo E. Franco NLEX Corporation president and general manager J. Luigi L. Bautista, NLEX corporation chief operating officer Raul L. Ignacio, DMCI president and CEO Jorge A. Consunji, DMCI associate managing director Christopher R. Rodriguez, DMCI SVP for Business Strategy & Development Rebecca E. Civil, and DMCI VP and the Infrastructure Business unit head Dwight Taa-la. Also present at the future site of Caloocan Interchange were other Cabinet Secretaries of the “Build Build Build” team. “Upon full completion in 2021, the NLEX Connector will significantly cut travel time from NLEX to SLEX by at least 60 percent. Instead of the usual 2 hours, travel time will now be reduced to about 20 minutes. It will also provide improved accessibility for cargo trucks bound for the Manila Ports (North and South Harbor) and the international airports such as NAIA and Clark,” Villar said. The NLEX Connector is one of the first Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects awarded by the Duterte administration in 2016. Seen as a crucial infrastructure needed to solve traffic congestion in Metro Manila, the NLEX Connector is expected to motivate the economic development in the cities of Manila, Caloocan, Malabon, and Navotas, as well as its surrounding areas. Once the expressway is done, around 35,000 motorists, especially cargo trucks, who are expected to benefit from the project, will be spared using Metro Manila’s congested city roads.
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Audi Philippines has launched the award-winning 2020 Audi Q3.
T
he all-new Q3 is an all-around SUV that’s spacious, versatile and packed with technology. It looks sportier than its predecessor, having rigid surfaces and sharp edges that radiate power. As with the other new Audi SUV models, the latest Q3 has a wide Singleframe grille with an octagonal design surrounded by a sturdy frame and supported by sharp LED headlights which taper inwards.
“In its second-generation form, the Audi Q3 appears not only visually more confident, but is also roomier and more versatile. It has great all-around talents,” said Audi Philippines head Benedicto Coyiuto. “The all-new Q3’s introduction definitely strengthens our position in the country’s luxury SUV segment. We are quite excited to have this model in our lineup.” Highlighting the side view of the all-new Q3 are the symmetrical graphics of the headlights and rear lights. The shoulder line connects these elements and provides an athletic overall impression. The vehicle’s wheel arches and sculpted rear is divided into two zones by a horizontal line and L-shaped rear lights in the upper section, improving visibility. The all-new Q3 has grown in virtually all dimensions and is positioned in the upper SUV segment. At 4,484 millimeters, it is 96 millimeters longer than its predecessor. Its width has grown by 18 millimeters, or to 1,849 millimeters—the widest in its segment. At 1,585 millimeters (without a roof antenna), it is five millimeters shorter. It is also more spacious than before because its wheelbase has extended by 77 millimeters, or to a total of 2,680 millimeters.
The interior of the 2020 Audi Q3
The interior design of the all-new Q3 continues the dynamic look defining its exterior. The architecture of the dashboard echoes that of Audi’s parent-class models as it also harmonizes with the digital operating concept. Just like in Audi’s top-of-the-line models, the all-new Q3 features the Audi Virtual Cockpit and a 10.1-inch MMI touch display which is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Numerous infotainment solutions from the full-size segment connect the compact SUV with its environment. Its central element is the MMI touch display, which is almost imperceptible against the high-gloss black glass-look surround when it is in a deactivated state. With an octagonal shape, it echoes the motif of the Single-Frame grille, and is bordered by a wide chrome
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strip. The driver can call up to two different views on the screen, including a “dynamic” screen where the engine and road speed can be seen in square instruments which have red graphical elements. The luggage compartment has also substantially benefitted from the increase in size of the all-new Q3—it is the largest in the segment with a total capacity of 675 liters. When the backrests are folded down, the figure rises to 1,525 liters. The electric tailgate provides effortless access to the luggage compartment. In conjunction with the convenience key, the driver can also open and close it with a kicking motion. Powering the all-new Q3 is a 1.4-liter, inline-four, turbocharged gasoline engine that delivers 150 hp and 250 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a seven-speed, S tronic dual-clutch transmission. The combination allows the SUV to accelerate from 0 km/h to 100 km/h in 8.7 seconds, and on to a top speed of 220 km/h. The all-new Q3’s array of safety features and driver assistance systems include electronic stability control, electromechanical power steering, hold assist, hill descent control, park assist with parking aid plus, and a rear-view camera. The second-generation, all-new Q3 offers bumper-to-bumper safety as it has achieved a five-star rating in the Euro New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), one of the most important automobile safety tests in Europe. The model has succeeded in the following categories: adult occupant protection, child safety, passenger protection, and vulnerable road user protection. Aside from the NCAP, the all-new Q3 has also acquired the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick Plus rating, where it scored “Good”, the highest rating a car can achieve, in all crashworthiness tests. The Q3 has also won Readers’ Choice of “Best Cars 2019” by German technical magazine Auto Motor und Sport.
The all-new Audi Q3 has spacious leg room
For more information on the all-new Q3, call Audi Philippines at 8727-0381 or 0917-813-9064. You may also visit Audi showrooms in Greenhills, Global City, Westgate Alabang and SM Seaside City Cebu. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
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The All-New Isuzu Traviz Words by Maribelle Alba
Isuzu Philippines Corporation, the country’s leading manufacturer and distributor of brand-new trucks, debuted its newest lightweight truck, the all-new Isuzu Traviz, at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City last November 12. With key IPC officials, dealer representatives, and local motoring media in attendance, the all-new Isuzu Traviz was unveiled as the truck that would “Transcend Your Business”. IPC President Hajime Koso, in his speech during the media launch, explained at length the reason for being of the all-new Isuzu Traviz.
(L-R): Mr. Masato Kagami, chief engineer of Travis, Isuzu Motors Ltd-Japan; Mr. Hirokazu Okubo, sales executive officer, Isuzu Motors Ltd-Japan; Mr. Hajime Koso, president, Isuzu Philippines Corporation; Mr. Shojiro Sakoda, executive vice president, Isuzu Philippines Corporation; Mr. Shigeru Wakabayashi, division chief operating officer of Isuzu Business Division, Mitsubishi Corporation-Japan; and Mr. Daisuke Takagi, general manager of Isuzu ASEAN Department, Mitsubishi Corporation-Japan.
“The All-New Isuzu Traviz continues our tradition of providing not just reliable products but business solutions—reasons why, in the Philippines, Isuzu has been at the number one spot for more than 19 years.” Mr. Koso added that the 2020 Isuzu Traviz answers the three most pressing and current customer needs, based on detailed market survey and IPC’s extensive on-the-ground experience in the Philippines. For big manufacturers, needing reliable trucks for their ‘last mile’ delivery of items to retail stores or door-to-door deliveries; for the increasing number of SMEs (small to medium enterprises) and rising business owners; as well as for transportation solutions especially the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), the All-New Isuzu Traviz is engineered with durability, big cargo capacity, fuel efficiency and modern design. The all-new Isuzu Traviz is so named using the words ‘transport, trading, and transcend’ combined with the word ‘biz,’ the shortened term for ‘business.’ The all-new Traviz design concept combines the best qualities of Japan’s best-selling truck (hexapod design, fuel-efficiency, capacity, rigidity) with the flexibility and stability of Isuzu pickups in order to produce the two variants of the 2020 Traviz: The Traviz S (short wheelbase) and the Traviz L (long wheel base). Powered by the Euro 4-rated 4JA1 2.5-liter direct injection common rail Blue Power diesel engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission (the same engine used in the popular and reliable Crosswind AUV). The all-new Isuzu Traviz is rated to carry up to 1.6 tons of pay load, the heaviest in the lightweight truck category. IPC says the all-new Isuzu Traviz would be ideal for use in food businesses, utility companies, and in cargo and logistics, in transport and delivery services, and in open load use in agriculture, construction, and equipment. The 2020 Isuzu Traviz also offers marked advantages in many other important aspects, such as interior cab spaciousness, engine brake
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performance, maneuverability, and overall modern design, backed by strong aftersales support. Its turning radius, at 4.5 meters, is the shortest in its class, helping drivers maneuver in tight spaces even while carrying heavier loads. The Traviz offers a wide cabin with better legroom, more ergonomic and comfortable—thus safer—driving position. The all-new Isuzu Traviz is currently produced in Isuzu’s world-class assembly facilities
in Indonesia, where the Traviz (locally named as Traga) has enjoyed up to 46% share of the market segment within a year of its introduction. The all-new Isuzu Traviz comes with a 3-year or 100,000 km warranty, whichever comes first. For more information, please visit your nearest Isuzu dealership, or log on to www.isuzuphil.com
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Honda launches new Supra GTR 150 motorcycle Honda Philippines Inc., recently launched its latest sporty underbone motorcycle offering, the Honda Supra GTR150 at Robinsons Novaliches.
Honda Philippines Inc. execs and riders with the Supra GTR 150
Dubbed as the “speed agressor,” the Honda Supra GTR150 has both striking good looks, and a powerful 150cc engine that delivers about 16 hp at 9000 RPM and 13.5 Nm of torque at 6,500 RPM. The engine is mated to a 6-speed constant mesh manual transmission so riders can feel fully in control. Honda also claims that the Supra GTR150 has a maximum speed of 110 kph. Running on a 4-stroke 4 valve DOHC engine, the Supra GTR150 also fuel-efficient with Honda claiming that the bike can do 42km to a liter.
Legendary races Makoto Tamada
Mitsuishi poses with Tamada and Alberto
“The All-New Honda Supra GTR150 will give customers a more aggressive look in tougher style at the right price. Designed to ensure that it fits with the Filipino lifestyle, this new model delivers speed, comfort, and Honda’s top-notch technology and design, making every ride a thrilling experience. The launch of this new product is also in line with our ONE DREAM campaign, which aims to make Honda motorcycles serve as a partner in achieving one’s dream,” said Honda Philippines president Susumu Mitsuishi. As part of the launch, Honda brought MotoGP and Superbike legend Makoto Tamada and racing prodigy Troy Alberto to try out and talk about the new motorcycle. The duo also had the opportunity to showcase the bike’s capabilities through an impromptu lap session on the test-drive track.
Honda Philippines Inc. president Susumu Mitsuishi
“Before, I got a chance to try out this motorcycle, it has power and the handling was very smooth,” said Tamada, who is also serving as Honda Asia’s Racing team’s team manager. “What stands out for me is the aerodynamic styling, aggressive look, and top-notch technological innovations. This morning we had the chance to try out the Supra GTR150 and for me, it delivers speed and comfort,” said Alberto who is the only Filipino to earn a podium finish in the Honda Thailand Talent Cup. The Honda Supra GTR150 comes in two colors: valiant red and black, and is available in all Honda Philippines dealership with a price tag of PHP 102,900.
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Kia introduce Seltos Crossover
K
ia Motors Philippines recently introduces the latest global crossover from the brand, the New Kia Seltos. Whether it’s an out of town trip or simply a city cruise, the Kia Seltos is sure to spark that thirst to drive. Here are a couple of features that’ll make you want to drive this one of a kind dynamo. The Kia Seltos is confidence supreme on the road. It has a wide body stance with a 4,37mm x 1,80mm x 1,61mm dimension and a long wheelbase that measures at 2,63mm. Its athletic contours make it look like it’s ready for the challenges of the road. The roads ahead bring in a lot of surprises. And with every brand-new wonder comes the challenges you have to boldly face. The Kia Seltos is exactly the vehicle for these tasks. It’s welded and crafted with advanced high strength steel for enhanced body rigidity and maximum occupant security. The car is also equipped with a drive mode select system (Normal, Eco, or Sport Mode) to adapt the road conditions ahead. This subcompact SUV also comes with a rearview camera which is useful for which parking. With one press of a button, your journey begins with the car’s smart entry and push start (SX) features. The ride has a 2.0L In-Line 4 DOHC D-CVVT Atkinson Cycle engine and all-new Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT). These were developed by Kia Motors as an answer to the adventurer’s thirst for improved power, response, smoothness, and fuel economy. The IVT features a continuous gear shift for improved drivability. The designers of the vehicle also made sure noise, vibration, and harshness are in check by adding provisions to ensure a smooth and quiet ride. The SX model also has an electronic stability control to make driving stable. With all these bold qualities, drivers are in for an action-packed trip. The Kia Seltos comes in three variants: the LX, the EX, and the SX. It is priced at PHP 1,048,000, PHP 1,148,000, and PHP 1,448,000 respectively. The SX is available in dual tone combinations: starbright yellow, cherry black and clear white, and cherry black. The monotone colors are starbright yellow, mars orange, iron grey (LX, EX); dark ocean blue (LX, EX, SX); and gravity grey (LX, SX). For more information, log-on to https://www. kia.com/ph/ or visit any of its dealerships nationwide.
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Say yes to Subaru’s year-end surprises
If you’re in the market for a Subie, this is the time to take out that checkbook. Subaru is offering huge discounts on some select 2018 models, including the awesome (and now discontinued) 2018 Forester XT that we loved so much when we tested it earlier this year. Discounts ranging from PHP 120,000 for the XV GT Edition, to PHP 350,000 for the Forester 2.0 XT and Outback 3.6 R-S ES await those who avail of these select Subaru vehicles. The rest of the discounted lineup can be found in the table below. The vehicles include over 100 safety features, and a five-year comprehensive warranty, so it’s quite a steal. The deal only goes until 31 December 2019, and until supplies last, so head over to your nearest Subaru dealership to give the vehicles a look, and take advantage of these deep discounts.
Forester 2.0 XR
XV 2.0
XV GT
Outback 3.6 R-S
Honda releases a new, affordable City variant
Honda cars Philippines has just introduced a new variant of the City, the 1.5 S CVT. This is designed for customers who wish to own Honda’s best-selling model in a more affordable package. The Honda City is Honda’s best-selling nameplate in the Philippines. It enjoys the trust of Filipinos looking for a practical, stylish and comfortable sub-compact sedan, equipped with a powerful and efficient engine, spacious interior and cargo capacity.
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The New City 1.5 S CVT is Honda’s most affordable variant in the City model lineup to be equipped with a Continuously Variable Transmission. Together with the City’s 1.5-liter SOHC i-VTEC engine that produces a maximum power of 120 ps and a maximum torque of 14.8 kg-m, the synergy of the engine and the CVT transmission provides a smoother ride with uncompromised fuel efficiency. Combined with the various safety and convenience features such as LED daytime
running lights, front driver and passenger airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), 1-DIN audio with usb and aux inputs, and keyless entry as standard, the City 1.5 S CVT aims to give customers one of the best value for money propositions in its class. The New Honda City 1.5 S CVT is now available at all Honda dealerships at an SRP of PHP 820,000, and will be available in lunar silver, modern steel metallic, crystal black pearl, and taffeta white.
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T
hrough more than 85 years, Petron has been an integral part of the Filipino narrative, through all the ups and downs and in the best and the worst times. Since 1933, it has remained resilient in the face of overwhelming challenges and rejoicing in the soaring successes of the Filipino nation.
Fueling the Nation With its vast network of service stations, ranging from mega stations on major thoroughfares and highways to small, strategically stations in remote, rural areas, Petron has been serving the fuel needs of Filipinos. Keenly aware of evolving industry trends and the latest technological advances, Petron has always been at the forefront of fuel innovation. It has taken the lead in introducing fuel products that help protect the environment while ensuring optimum driving performance and delivering improved fuel efficiency. All Petron fuels – Petron Blaze 100 Euro 6, Petron Xtra Unleaded, Petron XCS, Petron Turbo Diesel, and Petron Diesel Max – are formulated and produced locally at Petron’s Bataan refinery, the largest and most advanced refining facility in the country. Petron was the first to offer a full range of Euro 4 gasoline and diesel fuels well ahead of the government’s deadline. Most recently, Blaze 100 was acknowledged as the best gasoline in the country, as 60
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certified by international laboratory tests and proven in actual field tests on local road conditions. Fueling Journeys Petron always puts the needs and welfare of consumers at the heart of its endeavors. This year, it launched its Fuel Wise campaign to help empower a more informed and more responsible population of Filipino motorists. Since the campaign’s launch, Petron has been traveling across the country to enjoin more motorists to learn and benefit from the campaign. The spirit of service is embodied by the country’s longest-running motorist assistance program, Petron Lakbay Alalay. Manned by Petron employee-volunteers and now on its 33rd year, it has evolved into a road safety advocacy to ensure that holiday travelers enjoy safe and worry-free journeys. Especially on long holiday weekends when families and friends embark on road trips to neighboring provinces, Petron employees offer their time to serve at designated Petron Lakbay Alalay locations. There they offer free service checks to ensure vehicle roadworthiness, free medical assistance, clean rest rooms, and even free goodies from partner establishments. Fueling Hope As a responsible corporate citizen, Petron is deeply committed to making a positive impact on
the lives of others, especially on those who have less. Its flagship CSR program Tulong Aral ng Petron (TAP) provides a brighter future for the Filipino youth by fueling HOPE (Helping the Filipino Children and Youth Overcome Poverty through Education). It has provided scholarships to more than 16,000 students in elementary, high school, and college since 2002. Petron also helps its communities build the foundations for a better life through its programs on environment, health, entrepreneurship and livelihood. Kasabay sa Lakbay As a Filipino company, Petron has withstood the test of time and proven its steadfast commitment to Filipino motorists. Spanning almost three generations of drivers since 1933, it has been an integral part of our grandparents’ journey as the country recovered from the ravages of war and gained independence. It fueled our parents’ adventures through the rest of the century, and advanced with us into the new millenniumpowered by new technologies. Just as it has been a reliable and constant presence in our life journeys, Petron—Kasabay sa Lakbay—will continue to be there for the future generation of Filipino drivers. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
Suzuki announces Matte series for Raider R150 FI Suzuki Philippines has announced a new matte color scheme for its hyper-underbone motorcycle, the Suzuki Raider R150 FI. The new color schemes will come in two colors, Matte Blue and Matte Red. According to Suzuki Philippines Inc, the exuding passion, energy, excitement with the right amount of menace - Red is a match for the Raider R150 Fi riders who enjoy attention for having a fierce-looking bike. While Blue’s wisdom, confidence, stability and intelligence, on the other hand, is perfect for riders who would like to keep it cool while letting the bike do the talking with its power delivery. With both flaunting a matte finish design, the Raider R150 Fi looks more premium perfect for riders who want to make a statement on the road both on looks and performance especially this holiday season. The Raider R150 Fi is priced at an SRP of PHP 109,900 and is also available in Black and MotoGP Blue.
Suzuki Philippines Inc. opens first 3S Shop in Ozamis City Suzuki Philippines Inc. has partnered with Saga Motors Corporation to open the first Suzuki 3S Shop in Osamis city. The Suzuki Saga 3S Shop is located at Rizal Ave., Baybay Triunfo, Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental. It is also the first 3S Shop of Saga Motors Corporation and Suzuki Philippines Inc. Even though it is the first 3S Shop, the two companies already had a partnership since 2010. With Suzuki motorcycles being housed in Saga’s two Suzuki Moto Centers and multi-brand shops. The shop hosts the latest line-up of Suzuki’s fashionable and stylish motorcycles - from Scooters - the fashion scooter Skydrive Sport, the beauty of speed Skydrive Fi and the global Suzuki scooter Address, to backbone - the revolutionary GSX-R150, GSX-S150 and Gixxer Fi and business model GD110 to the well-loved underbones, the Underbone King – the Raider R150 Fi and Carburetor, Shooter 115 Fi and the no.1 selling Underbone Leisure motorcycle - Smash Stylish Colors.
The facade of the new 3S in Ozamis City
The shop is also adorned with the brand’s latest campaign – “Suzuki, Para sa Lahat ng Trip Mo” featuring Suzuki endorsors Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil. Present in the opening ceremony were Saga Motor Corporation Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Ma. Katrina Francesca H. Roleda, Vice President for Operations and Sales James Omandam, and Area Head Mr. Jonald Estallo. Representing Suzuki Philippines Inc. were General Manager for Motorcycle Sales and Marketing Jun Bulot, National Sales Manager Mitsunori Shiraishi, Senior Regional Sales Manager for Mindanao Joel Martin, Sales Supervisor for Mindanao Dave Obrial, and Motorcycle Dealer Development Head Mr. Joey Salavarria www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
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Toyota Ends 2019 Vios Racing Festival with a bang
TMP executives with the racers
Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) concluded the 2019 season of the Toyota Vios Racing Festival last November 9 at the Clark International Speedway. Over 70 drivers competed in the Circuit Race and Autocross Challenge. The 2019 Toyota Vios Racing Festival marks the sixth year of the series in the country. The addition of the Autocross Challenge for this season transformed the event into a more inclusive and accessible race by opening slots for more car club members, motoring journalists, social media personalities, and even regular drivers or Toyota fans who joined TMP’s social media contests.
Winners of the sporting class
Winners of the celebrity class
“Toyota appreciates your heartfelt support over the course of the Vios Racing Festival. Together, we all contribute to the growth of motorsports in the Philippines, and we’ll continue to do so for more years to come,” said TMP President Satoru Suzuki during the race’s opening ceremonies attended by the race participants and spectators. It was the series front-runners who once again delivered podium finishes, but there were also surprise podium finishers such as Celebrity racer Gerald Anderson who bagged two podium finishes on Saturday. Race one saw husband and wife tandem Troy Montero and Aubrey Miles finish first and second in the Celebrity class followed by TV Personality and former Volleyball superstar Grethen Ho in third. For the Promotional Class, it was Francis Adriano who finished first with Darrel Garbes and Julian Tang following in second and third. It was John Dizon who top the Sporting class in the first race, he is followed by Marc Soong and Red Diwa in second and third. Race two saw a repeat from the Monteros as the duo once again took first and second. This time it was Actor Gerald Anderson who finished third, earning his first podium of the season. The Promotional class was also the same with Adriano
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Podium finishers for the social media personalities
taking top spot and Garbes finishing behind him, but girl power prevailed as Elysse Menorca ended the race in the third spot. The Sporting Class was a showdown between the competitors, but it was Lord Sena who stood on top with Marc Soong defending his second place and Gel Napat finishing third. The last race was the most exciting as racers tried to finish the season on top. Troy Montero still reigned in the Celebrity class but it was Gerald Anderson who finished second and Actor Model Daniel Matsunaga rounding out the final Celebrity race podium of the season. The Promotional class saw Tang finish first with Menorca successfully repeating in second, Ian Rosales rounded out the last podium for the Promotional class. John Dizon
was the final first placers in the Sporting class, he is followed by Red Diwa in second and Eggy Ong in third. For the final Autocross Challenge, it was Vince Vandorpe who topped the Social Media Personalities, he is followed by Jun Sunga and Reph Bangsil. For the media, it was Anjo Perez who placed first with Jose Luis Altoveros and Raymund Figuerres rounding out the podium. Lastly, it was the prodigy Carlos Iñigo Anton who placed first in the Car Clubs and followed by Sean Kody Ng at second and Mickie Carbonell at third. The overall winners of the TMP Vios Racing Festival will be announced later this month in an awarding night.
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“You’ve been using our products for years. You just didn’t know it”-AISIN Aiming to be an irreplaceable global partner, AISIN joined the 13th Manila Auto Salon at the SMX Convention Center last November 14-17, 2019 to showcase their aftermarket products. Founded in 1965, AISIN SEIKI Co., Ltd. is a Tokyo stock exchange public listed company which was recognized as the world’s leading Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) in the automotive industry, and ranked 6th as the largest automotive parts supplier in terms of sales of original equipment parts globally. The AISIN GROUP of companies manufacture more than 10,000 types of automotive parts and supplying to leading car manufacturers around the world. AISIN products are highly soughtafter by the customers as AISIN holds true to its corporate principles of “Quality First”. Leveraging on its technological expertise and comprehensive automotive manufacturing plants worldwide, AISIN is able to offer high quality automotive products to meet the needs in the aftermarket field. AISIN has widened its aftermarket product range to serve the customers from replacement, repair, to customization. With Riken Motor Sales, Inc. as its sole distributor in the Philippines, the extensive aftermarket products ranges are categorized as: Drivetrain-related products which include clutches, clutch hydraulic cylinders, steering & suspension parts, free wheel hub, and manual transmission, etc;
AISIN executives at the 13th Manila Auto Salon
Engine-related products composed of the water pump, oil pump, fan clutch, timing chain cover, fan blade, hydraulic belt tensioner, fan pulley bracket, oil filter, etc. Brake-related products under the “ADVICS” brand consisting of brake booster, brake master & wheel cylinder, brake disc and pad, brake shoe, brake caliper, caliper piston, and seal kit.
Aside from automotive parts, AISIN also supplies lubricant products including engine oil; automatic transmission fluid for conventional AT, CVT, and twin-clutch transmission, long life coolant (LLC), gear oil, multi-purpose grease, brake fluid, and hydraulics fluid. AISIN’s regional head office AISIN ASIA Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) has put up an office in Manila to support their partners and customers in Philippines.
HMR Auto Auction to open biggest auction facility for third anniversary HMR Auto Auction is set to open the country’s biggest purpose-built auto auction facility on December 7, at Bicutan, Paranaque. The facility aims to be a one-stop-shop for buyers to bid on premium used vehicles. The grand opening is part of HMR Auto Auction’s third anniversary. The new facility will provide comfort for bidders with its new fully air-conditioned registration and bidding area.
HMR execs with union bank execs
Apart from the new facility, HMR is also launching its brand new finance partnership with UnionBank which will open new financing options for buyers. “I am incredibly excited for the Grand Opening of our new auto auction facility in Bicutan. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team over the past three years since our first live public auto auction; and an affirmation that the buying public has embraced HMR’s sales method, to provide an easy, safe and transparent environment to purchase used vehicles. I am also proud to announce our new partnership with Unionbank which will offer affordable finance options for cars purchased with HMR Auto Auction, extending the savings to more www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
Filipinos,” said Sam Powell, CEO, HMR Auctions. HMR will also hold a grand auction to mark the occasion. It will feature motorcycles, compacts, sedans, MPV’s, pickup trucks, SUV’s, and light commercial trucks from premium brands at heavily discounted prices.
HMR Auto Auctions will also be providing plenty of giveaways on auction day, including raffle prizes, promotions, and even games and food trucks for the whole family.
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FEATURE
T
agged as the “Philippine Artisans Show,” the 2019 National Arts and Crafts Fair (NACF) was held from October 24 to 27 at the Megatrade Halls of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City. The four-day event lived up to its objective to promote our rich cultural traditions and national heritage, while at the same time expanding the market presence of MSMEs engaged in the creative industries.
This celebration of authentic Filipino artistry and ingenuity showcasing the best collection of high-quality indigenous materials, heritage crafts, and artistic mastery attracted close to 30,000 visitors, and garnered excellent reviews with 94 percent expressing satisfaction. Preliminary reports peg total sales at PHP 33.6 million. During the formal opening held last October 24, Undersecretary Abdulgani Macatoman of the Trade Promotions Group delivered the inspirational message. The keynote address of Deputy Speaker and Antique Congresswoman Loren Legarda was delivered by her representative Ms. Maribel Ongpin, Chairperson and Founder of HABI The Philippine Textile Council. In addition to the 269 exhibitors from all of the country’s 17 regions, there were special settings and pavilions by the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) featuring natural fibers and fabrics; the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) focusing on Philippine tropical fabrics; and the Philippine Forest Honey Network showcasing forest honey varieties from different parts of the country. From the province of Antique, the thriving artisan communities and their traditional patadyong, hablon weaves, bariw handicrafts, and other specialties were highlighted with the participation of 27 exhibitors from all of the province’s 18 municipalities. A special section was also devoted to the Bangon Marawi initiative, with their brassware, gongs and bells, woodcraft and textile products. Selected beneficiaries of the DTI’s Shared Service Facilities (SSF) program were also among the exhibitors. The ubiquitous KAPEtirya offered choice local coffee blends from the regions, with a selection of native delicacies. There was also the usual leathercrafts workshop manned by the differently-abled workers of Handcrafted by Harl’s, while Baybayin experts rendered text in the traditional Tagalog script, and craft artists conducted brush calligraphy and mixed media art workshops. Following the formal opening on Thursday, October 24, there was a daily program of activities focusing on business talks on Friday, October 25; arts and crafts activities on Saturday, October 26; and the performing arts on Sunday, October 27. A special focus of the daily program were the cultural presentations and live demonstrations of the arts, crafts, and practices that are being transmitted by cultural masters to the next generation through community managed learning programs of the Schools of Living Traditions (SLT) under the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). The 2019 NACF was organized by the Department of Trade and Industry – Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion (DTI-BDTP) headed by Director Marievic M. Bonoan in cooperation with the Regional Operations Group, with support from the Office of Deputy Speaker Legarda. 64
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APPS
Words by Ren Alcantara
Music streaming is where it’s at right now. The appeal of being able to listen to an absolutely massive library of content without having to store files locally cannot be denied. Google, through YouTube is getting in on the action here in the Philippines with the recent launch of YouTube Music. We are all familiar with the resources big G has at its disposal, and it’s no surprise that they’re taking on the music streaming space all over.
We were given a trial subscription to YouTube Music, and while I was apprehensive to give up my usual music streaming app for the duration, I decided there was no way to do it without going all in, so I swapped to using the YouTube Music app solely until I felt the need to switch back. I’m quite happy to report that I have had no regrets so far. The first time you start the app, it’ll go through a long list of artists, asking you to pick your favorites. This lets it build an initial set of suggestions. It’s a comfortingly comprehensive list, and one that I actually enjoyed browsing. Genres were well-represented, from foreign to local, down to artists I had neither heard of, or listened to before. This made the initial selection process more fun than it had any right to be. It was like looking for the red Skittles in a big bag of skittles— unusually rewarding. The YT Music app itself is straightforward, with an artist list that’s as complete as one might imagine from a Googlebacked endeavor. I have a fairly eclectic taste in music, with a fair share of obscure acts, and I found that even the lesserknown artists showed up with a quick search (Khruangbin, anyone?). A little niggle I did find was that whenever you tap on a song in the list after running a search, the player immediately goes into full screen mode, so you lose sight of the rest of the list. It makes hunting for songs a little less convenient, though swiping down does return you to the entire list. On its own, without a paid subscription, you do have access to all the music, though you’re going to run into ads, and background play will be disabled, meaning you need to keep the app open to keep listening, putting a damper on listening on your phone while browsing the Internet, for example. The paid subscription also enables downloading tracks for offline listening, such as on a plane, or where you won’t have access to an internet connection.
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Home
You can, of course, use the web player at music. youtube.com, which lets you listen to the music you want while doing things in the background. There is, unfortunately, no way to control the desktop player from the phone, and vice-versa. Settings are rather sparse, with no option to change the equalization, though there is an option to choose the quality at which you would like to stream, both over mobile data, and over Wi-Fi. Even standard quality is perfectly fine over headphones (I used a pair of Sony MDR-1000X cans over Bluetooth), and I doubt one would have any complaints even with a more hardcore setup, though at that point, I would imagine better options would be available to you.
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Just as one would expect from a modern streaming app, there are curated playlists, both generally for everyone, and for individual listeners based on their own listening habits. It’s quite good at picking tracks that fit the mood, or based on your recent tracks, though it doesn’t quite feel as slick and low-key as Spotify, the main competitor in the space. Where the YouTube Music app shines though, is the integration of videos. The combination of music and music videos is surprisingly involving, and, just like Wikipedia links, and channel surfing, listening leads to watching, which leads to more watching, and more listening. This can be both a good and bad thing, so be aware of
this phenomenon before you get sucked into the void. I discovered some music videos I had no idea existed until I started browsing on the YT Music app. Inevitably, there will be some unofficial videos in the mix, but better search results via AI should be right around the corner. So, is it worth the PHP 129 monthly subscription fee? I would actually argue that it might be. PHP 129/month is the same price as Spotify Premium, and while the content is about the same as far as I can tell over the first few days of trying it out, you do get the seamless inclusion of videos, giving YouTube Music a solid advantage. The interface, YouTube integration, and overall experience makes it a solid contender, and is honestly worth trying out.
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WELLNESS
BUDGET TRACKERS: HIGH IMPACT, LOW PRICE Words by Gerry Gaviola
A good combination of consistent motivation and good habits can come a long way, and it doesn’t have to cost much. Here and there, we see high-end fitness trackers that tickle us with their shiny new features. They dominate the market, double as smart watches, and demand a high price. There are Apple Watches and Samsung’s Galaxy Watches, but do you really need these if your only main objective is to stay fit while having some minor smart tools right at your wrist?
Probably not. Those features are a luxury, and many can go about with simple fitness trackers which do the job. It’s easy to digress from your fitness and lifestyle goals if it’s hard to visualize the outcome, or if motivation and good habits just seem out of reach. Thankfully, there are fitness trackers that do a good job at hacking our brains to stay motivated and consistent with our good habits. Think of these little things as self-automated journals that collect data. When you’re able to recall your motivations, your goals, and your weaknesses, it’s easier to be encouraged. You can stay lazy all you want and let the realization pass, but if you’ve got a device right at your
wrist reminding you how lazy you’ve been, boy will you be motivated to take action. Fitness trackers need not be expensive. Most, if not all, already offer the classic pedometer feature; other features are just bonuses. And one good thing to rejoice about is that many of these powerful fitness trackers do include simple push notifications, heart monitoring, and sleep analysis on top of the usual tools that measure your steps, distance, and calories. Here we take a look at three budget fitness trackers that you can take full advantage of.
The Huawei Band 3 Pro is a surprise in all sorts. Many fitness trackers, especially those in the budget tier, rely on the phones GPS to track workouts. What’s unique about the Huawei Band 3 Pro is that it comes with its own GPS so you can leave your phone at your home, if you wish, and still have your outdoor workout tracked and mapped. There are many more features you’d find in this tracker, and considering its competitive price, it’s a steal. Unlike other budget trackers, it also features a colored AMOLED display, a waterproof
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design, and continuous heart rate tracking. This translates to a much more pleasing visual experience, even under the sun, and an array of fitness tracking modes that include swimming. You’ll get about 12-14 days of battery life with this fitness tracker, so tracking your sleep and taking advantage of the continuous heart rate monitor shouldn’t be an issue. Many confuse this tracker for the Fitbit Charge 3 because it looks nearly identical, but one big difference is the price. If you’re looking for an all in one budget fitness tracker, this is one to consider.
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Tech behemoth Xiaomi has always been popular due to its cheap pricing and quality products. Its fitness tracker offerings do not fall far from the tree. Oftentimes, when you buy a cheap fitness tracker, you’ll soon realize that you get what you pay for. The battery, UI, and overall performance eventually act up until you need a replacement. Well, investing in the Mi Band 4 saves you from that predicament. Despite being one of the cheapest trackers in the market, it offers a lot, and delivers without missing much. The Mi Band 4 comes with a beautiful AMOLED display. Unlike its previous iteration, it’s much more vibrant and clear. Adding to this is interactive music controls — perfect for quick song changes during workouts. Although absent of a GPS feature, it’s still able to latch onto your phone’s GPS for
Sometimes the most basic of trackers simply get the work done. There are no distractions, no notifications, and no gimmicks with the Garmin Vívofit 4, which is a good and bad thing in itself. It allows you to focus on just the essentials. If there’s one thing the Vívofit 4 is, it’s minimalist. There’s a simple screen on the tracker, and a single button that lets you cycle towards the different pages. It displays common data such as steps, calories, distance, and standing hours, with the weather and temperature being the only special page.
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location mapping. Fitnesswise, it features Xiaomi’s new six-axis sensor for much more accurate running pace tracking and swimming workouts. Yes, you read that right, you can take this tracker with you into the pool or at the beach and it can have it track specific swimming exercises such as the crawl, butterfly, backstroke, among others. The Mi Band 4 just gets all the essentials right. It features 20-day battery life, a slim yet stylish design, and all the important fitness and sleep tracking features you’d need. It’s far from a basic fitness tracker, and this is definitely the one to get if you’d want to maximize your every cent.
Because it is stripped from GPS and heart tracking features, and only focuses on the basics, it’s able to offer a year long battery life. So if you’re into causally tracking your everyday activities and even your sleep, and want to worry less about battery charge, then the Garmin Vívofit 4 may be the one for you.
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EXECUTIVE PROFILE
Sarah Lim Sanchez CEO and Founder, Browlab Inc.
Words by Jewel Sta. Ana | Photos by Jezeil Romero
D
ressed in a white buttoned vest dress paired with heels, and with a very welcoming demeanor, Sarah Lim-Sanchez walks into the room to check on us as we prepare our equipment for the interview. Through years of serving as the head of a health and wellness brand, she knows how to attend to her customers’ needs and have them feel at ease. The woman behind the success of Browlab Inc. shares with us her secrets for in keeping her business strong in the beauty and wellness industry, along with her future plans for Browlab, and the value she places on her biggest assets: emphasis on quality and her well-trained employees.
COMPANY PROFILE Established in 2014, Browlab Manila arose from the growing need for brow grooming. A beauty aficionado since her teenage years, Sarah Lim-Sanchez wanted to offer a brow salon that would provide premium service at an affordable price. She initially started her growing chain of beauty salons with Lash Wishes which focuses more on eyelash extensions, and Bare Skin which offers waxing services, in 2009. Her third brand, Browlab, now has twelve branches in Luzon. Completing the brands under her wing is Beauty Box, a nail salon. Apart from being a loving mother and a busy entrepreneur, Sarah is obsessed with beauty. Being an only child, she grew up witnessing how her own mother would apply makeup. Her curiosity eventually led her to pursue her passion. She currently holds a semi-permanent makeup certificate from Hong Kong and Korea. And with encouragement from her father, who she considers her mentor, she started her first business. The rest grew from there.
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ON BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS AND FOSTERING CAMARADERIE Just like anyone who actually gathers the courage to chase their dreams, Mrs. Sanchez is goal-oriented. She’s very hands-on when it comes to the operations of Browlab and her other businesses. “I usually meet with my managers and supervisors monthly to set our goals. There, we discuss our sales targets, the number of customers we can accommodate, and new services that we can add over the coming months,” she shares. Among the things she’s proud of, aside from her established beauty brands, are the people who helped bring about her success. Her employees are well-trained both in terms of skills, and customer service. It doesn’t stop there. She ensures that her people are always up-to-date on the latest trends, so they can meet the changing needs of their customers. As a businesswoman, she also knows the importance of investing in the best machines and supplies, as well as delivering service without compromise. CHALLENGES Before it became the go-to brow salon for people who look for value for money, the radiant Mrs. Sanchez faced some obstacles on her journey. “When we started Browlab, we weren’t known at all. It was really hard to get the trust of customers as a newbie player. That was the hardest challenge for us. We had to gain our customers’ trust and make sure that they would come back.” But after months of planning and working hard with her team, they were able to make their mark in the beauty and wellness sector. PERSONAL AND CORPORATE GOALS Innovation has always been one of the keys to Mrs.Sanchez’s success. She never gets tired of educating herself through regular trips to beauty fairs and exploring the latest technologies in the aesthetics industry. Technologies she then brings back to her businesses. Recognizing the rising demand for having one’s eyebrows on fleek, the gorgeous Browlab CEO and founder draws her inspiration from her clients and employees. She’s more motivated to implement improvements for the brand by adding more services and exploring the wonders of laser hair removal. “By 2020, customers can look forward to not only the same quality service we offer but also to more exciting offerings and promos,” she stated. ROADMAP TO 2020 With their upcoming branches in SM Mall of Asia, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Bonifacio High Street, Vista Mall Malolos, and Vertis North, the charming leader of Browlab Inc. sees 2020 as a prosperous year. She plans to expand her businesses nationwide through franchising and open a new skin clinic to add to her list of niche beauty brands. When asked about her message to her fellow beauty enthusiasts who want to build their own brand and business, she left an inspiring statement. “If it’s your passion and you love what you do, take a chance. Just work hard, study your market, be up to date with the trends, never compromise on quality, and have faith that everything will turn out fine.”
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DECEMBER 2019-JANUARY 2020
71
GAMING
Words by: Gabriel Pe
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sports has seen a meteoric rise over the past decade. Once labeled as a waste of time, competitive gaming is now considered as a profession in many countries around the world. In fact, those same countries, esports athletes are now as popular as traditional sports superstars. As the decade comes to an end, esports will also end it with a bang. The push to legitimate esports as a regular sport will be taken to the next level with esports being a medal sport in the 30th Southeast Asian Games which is being held in the country at the time of this writing. Here’s a brief look at the titles our cyber athletes will be competing in.
DoTA 2
Objectives:
DoTA 2 is a Multiplayer Online Battle Area (MOBA) developed and published by Valve for PC. It is based on the popular Warcraft III mod, Defense of the Ancients or DoTA for short. First announced back in 2009 when DoTA designer IceFrog was hired by Valve to produce a remake of the game, the game’s annual The International tournament also holds the record for the largest prize pool in esports with this year’s run surpassing the USD 34 million dollar mark.
Two teams of five fight one another to destroy each others’ base. Sounds easy right? Well, the game is much more complicated than that. Each player plays a specific hero with its own unique strengths and abilities. In order to beat their opponent, the players must level their heroes up, earning gold in the process. The gold is then used to purchase items that will help players get stronger or outplay their opponents. The team needs great communication and solid teamwork to win.
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Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Objectives:
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is a MOBA for your mobile phones. The game was developed by Chinese studio Shanghai Moontoon Technology and hit Android and iOS devices back in November 2016. Mobile Legends is one of the fastest rising games in Southeast Asia, amassing millions of followers and creating its own professional leagues in different countries.
Just like DoTA 2, Mobile Legends is a MOBA wherein two teams of five fight one another one to secure objectives. Games are usually fast-paced since gold is earned even without killing minions.
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Arena Of Valor
Objectives:
Arena of Valor or Honor of Kings as it is known in China, is also a MOBA created for Android and iOS. The game was created by Chinese gaming studio TiMi Studio and published by Chinese tech giant Tencent in 2017. The game is widely popular in Chinese and some Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Myanmar.
You’ll probably be tired of hearing this, so I’ll cut it short. Two teams of five fight each other to destroy each other’s bases. What makes AoV so unique is, unlike ML, you’ll need to kill minions to earn gold to buy resources. And if you’re familiar with another PC MOBA, League of Legends, you might want to try this game out since it’s mechanic is the nearest to that, for now, at least.
Starcraft II
Objectives:
Starcraft II is the successor of Blizzard’s highly successful Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game Starcraft. Starcraft is undoubtedly the OG when it comes to esports. The first iteration of the game was so widely popular in South Korea that tournaments were played in jam-packed stadiums. Starcraft II was released in 2010 and has become an instant hit for RTS fans everywhere.
Two players are placed on a map where they need to gather resources and build an army with the goal of annihilating the other player. There are three races players can choose to play and each has its own advantages and weakness. Starcraft has always had a steep learning curve and really needs quick thinking and fast hands in order to outplay your opponents.
Tekken 7
Objectives:
Tekken 7 is the seventh iteration of Bandai Namco’s highly popular fighting game. The game was released June 2017 for the PS4 and Xbox. Tekken is the only console game that will take stage in the 30th SEA Games. The game is widely popular in arcade meccas Japan and South Korea.
Being a fighting game, Tekken is about beating the other player in 1v1 combat. To get the job done though, players must have a deep knowledge of their character and their combos. You’ll also need to get into your opponent’s head and try to read their next move in order to block or counter their own attacks.
Hearthstone
Objectives:
Hearthstone was the last addition to the lineup of titles for the SEA Games. The game was just announced as the sixth and final title for the SEA Games last August during the official reveal of Sibol as the national team for esports.
The objective of Hearthstone is simple, two players face off with their 30 card decks. Each player has options of playing from nine different classes, each with their own abilities and playstyles. The main objective is to beat the other player by slowly reducing their health points via minions summoned onto the battlefield. Each card has unique abilities with offensive and defensive properties.
Hearthstone is a digital card game created by Blizzard as a supplement to their popular MMORPG World of Warcraft (WoW). The cards are all based on the characters of WoW. The game was released back in 2014 and has become one of the largest digital card games in esports, with players coming from all over the world.
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DECEMBER 2019-JANUARY 2020
73
GAMING
Developer(s): Neilo, Ys Net | Publisher(s): Deep Silver Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4 Words by Jose Alvarez
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Think of all the games you have had to wait for over the course of your childhood. Duke Nukem Forever is probably the most famous example of video games in development hell when it went into development in 1997. It was released in 2011 to mostly negative reviews. Other media have also suffered from long production times and being in development hell, notably Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy which was considered one of the most expensive albums ever made, with USD 13 million in production costs over 10 years of recording and multiple lineup changes when it was released in 2008. Shenmue III is another one of those games, but there were several things going for the game: it was a cult classic on the Sega Dreamcast, and game director Yu Suzuki himself continued to push for Shenmue III long after the demise
Shenmue, much like the aforementioned Chinese Democracy, was noted for its expensive production costs, with estimates ranging from USD 47 to USD 70 million in 1999 (USD 72 million to USD 108 million in 2019 dollars). A 2015 Kickstarter campaign revived the hopes of Shenmue III; Sega also licensed the game to Suzuki’s Ys Net. Further funding came from Sony, Deep Silver, and other crowdfunding efforts. After a few more setbacks, Shenmue III was finally released on November 19, 2019, for the PC and PlayStation 4. The game takes place in 1987. Protagonist Ryo Hazuki journeys from Japan to China to search for his father’s killer. If you have played the first two games (which are also available on PC), you may have an idea of what is already going on. Having already played the first two installments in anticipation for the third, I immediately dove in expecting much of the same. After all, Sega is no longer developing consoles in addition to software, and game
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director Suzuki’s personal touch resonates in Shenmue III as well. Shenmue III holds true to its 20-year past; I have no complaints as far as story and character development goes. Many games today often hold your hand, while Shenmue III throws you into the deep end of the pool when it comes to learning how to play the game. Your stamina meter also doubles as your life meter, so you don’t want to waste time walking around towns and other areas. You have to eat before battle and grind out meaningless tasks to acquire money in the game. All in all, you’re fighting not only the enemies, but the environment as well because of that staminaas-life meter element that Suzuki put in the game. However, one area that Suzuki did not bring into 2019 is the combat system. While Dark Souls and even action-as-RPG games such as Final Fantasy XV have some element of challenge, Shenmue III operates more like an old-school beat-’em-up game reminiscent of Double Dragon (a much older
game that also needs a meaningful reboot). There is far less satisfaction in pummeling enemies in this game compared to action games of today, although that satisfaction comes in bursts. Suzuki, after all, has had a reputation of storytelling over designing combat systems, which is characteristic of cult classics such as Shenmue. For fans of the series, Suzuki has more games planned in the series now that the intellectual property is under his control. While we may not have to wait almost 20 years to see Shenmue IV, there are a lot of things that Suzuki can improve on in the next installment, namely the outdated combat system. There’s no doubt that Suzuki can tell a good story, but Shenmue III clings to the past far too much despite having plenty of time to develop the game and adopt it to the current era of video games. It’s a good video game for the year 1999, but the preferences of gamers have changed significantly since 1999, and thus needs a shot of the present to keep the series going.
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TRAVEL
Words by Belle Alba | Photos by Mel Enguerra
Waiting at the port for the next boat out of Siquijor Island in the Visayas
#iaminwar
A play of words from his name en-‘guerra,‘ which is Spanish for war. Quite appropriate, given the way he approached the planning, preparation, and implementation of this epic solo ride across all 81 provinces of the Philippine archipelago. In 2016, our protagonist, Rommel ‘Mel’ Enguerra, a nursing graduate who worked in corporate security, learned that nobody had yet ridden a motorbike all over the country and visited every single province along the way. A passionate rider who enjoys exploring and discovering destinations off the beaten track, he was gripped by a burning determination to accomplish this feat. Of course, it was not a simple matter of getting on a bike and riding off into the sunset. First, there were a thousand little details that needed to be considered, like what motorcycle would be reliable enough to handle all types of terrain and have easy-to-source parts during the journey. How many days would it take to go to all 81 provinces? What brand of fuel and lubricants would have service stations every 300 kilometers or so, all over the country, particularly in remote locations? Where would he stay? How much did he need to cover all his expenses? How would he manage the inter-island crossings? How would he get to Batanes?
Racuh a Payaman, also papularly known as ‘Marlboro Country’ in Batanes
At the Km-0 marker in front of the Rizal Monument in Luneta
In 2017, as part of his preparation, Mel did a test ride through Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, almost getting caught in the outbreak of the Marawi siege. By 2018, he was ready. His ride was a Kawasaki z125, a nimble supernaked bike powered by a 125-cc engine. It was light From Tawi-Tawi, you can almost see Malaysia
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enough to carry and load onto bancas in case of water crossings, parts were readily available, and its aggressive styling made it a head-turner. To fuel his ride, he chose Petron XCS, a trusted fuel brand that he knew was available everywhere. “Yun ang kagandahan sa Petron. Buong bansa talaga. From Petron Basco, Batanes to Petron Bongao, Tawi-Tawi. Up to standards ang mga Petron na napuntahan ko. Kahit ang maliliit, lalo na sa Petron Tagudin, Ilocos Norte. Grabe may pakape pa at pan-de sal.” (That’s the beauty of Petron. It’s really nationwide. From Petron Basco, Batanes to Petron Bongao, Tawi-Tawi. All the Petron stations I went to were up to standard. Even the small ones, especially Petron Tagudin, Ilocos Norte. They even served coffee and pan de sal.) He did two oil changes over the course of his journey, using Petron Sprint 4T Premium Multigrade Enduro 15w-40 because “tested lalo sa long duration ride. Reliable at hindi nag-iba ang andar ng motor ko lalo sa mahabang takbuhan.” (It’s tested especially for long duration rides. It’s reliable and my bike performs well especially over long distances.)
The man-made forest of Bohol
To cover expenses, he estimated he would need about PHP 1,500 for each day that he was on the road, approximately PHP 20,000 to PHP 25,000 for 15 days. The entire trip lasted 69 days, from May 20 to July 28, 2018, covering a total distance of 11,650 kms. The most challenging part of his adventure was how to cross over to Batanes, the northernmost group of islands, as the only options were via cargo ship from Pangasinan or Manila, or by plane. Luckily, he was able to hitch a banca ride from Cagayan, which was not the usual tourist route.
On the grounds of Malacañang Palace in Manila
Perhaps the adversities he had to overcome to reach Batanes made this part of the trip more precious, and Mel considers Batanes the most beautiful destination of the entire journey. Riding through the island of Batan was, for him, an unforgettable experience. Having reached the island, his problems were not over. There was no boat available, and he was told he would have to wait 20 days for the return trip. Again, divine intervention was on his side. He had a classmate on a navy ship passing through, and he was once again able to hitch a ride back to Cagayan after only 2 days on the island. For Mel, this epic adventure was not easy. He needed to be patient, accepting circumstances he had no control over. He needed to be resourceful to find solutions to problems. He had to count on the support of friends in times of need. And most of all, he says, he kept faith with God to help him achieve his goal.
Reaching the summit of Mt. Apo, the highest mountain peak in the Philippines Km 2018 marker in Zamboanga del Norte
Mel hopes his achievement will inspire other riders to embark on their own journeys of discovery across the Philippines and has these words of advice: “Be courteous to all road users. Each place has its own culture and characteristic behaviors. We are just passing through on our journey, so respect every road user and pedestrian as well.” With its latest ‘Kasabay sa Lakbay’ campaign, Mel says Petron was an integral part of his odyssey, as his fuel and engine oils were the least of his worries. “May peace of mind ako kasi Petron ang gamit ko.” (I had peace of mind because I used Petron.)
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In front of the provincial capitol in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi
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77
MUSIC CORNER
Words by Daniel Ringon | Art by Chini Soriano
If the slew of artists that came out in 2019 is any indication, it’s likely that even more will appear at the start of the new decade. However, there are still a whole lot of artists that have yet to be given the spotlight in the local scene. Thankfully, the resurgence of interest in OPM, as well as the boom of alternative and more distinct tastes, opened the doors for recognition for the ironically phrased unsung heroes. Making headlines at gigs and festival performances, these are a couple of the artists that have largely swam under the radar, at least on our airwaves, that we hopefully get to see more of in the coming year!
Indie darling Autotelic enjoys a newfound appreciation of their music nowadays. But what some might not realize is that the band has released their songs a few years ago with the album Papunta Pabalik in 2016. The band’s peculiar tune is the lovechild of Japanese and dance music influences that sounds like sentient instruments having a good time. Know Them Better Through: Papunta Pabalik (2016) The entire album can be summed up in the title of their fourth track Laro. The entire album features playful songs that seem to toy around with the listeners’ feelings. With great lyrical content and instrumental accompaniment, the album will leave you singing along and swinging your hands around like a deranged maniac.
Originally a blues-rock outfit that played gigs around the metro, MilesExperience as they are known today is the result of the band almost breaking up on the verge of reinventing their music. Now known for their trippy rock-infused sound, the band came up with two albums in 2017: Soberhaul and Again and Against. The band recently released an EP entitled Cyber World War with a more classic rock approach. Know Them Better Through: Soberhaul (2017) Imagine an entire album that plays out like a movie soundtrack with atmospheric instrumentals and songs. Tracks like Hero and All The Love are instant roadtrip classic anthems while Time, and Spaces feel like an out of body experience.
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One of the few indie-electronic artists to break out into the limelight, B.P. Valenzuela, produces her own songs. This does not come as a surprise as she started her career at the age of 19. Making music with the lyrical complexity of poetry and the beeps and pings of machines, the resulting sound is like your 3AM thoughts put to music. Know Her Better Through: The Neon Hour (2015) Working with Nick Lazaro of MOONWLK, B.P. Valenzuela recorded her debut album as an independent artist while still in college. Featuring the now minted classics Steady, Early Late, and Even if You Asked Me, the album deserves more attention and rightfully so. As soon as you play the first track, you are taken on an electronica roller coaster of feels and early morning emotions. Watch out for her side project Half-Lit as she came out with an EP entitled Paradigm Shift featuring a musical alter-ego of sorts, returning to her roots with a raw, grittier take.
A self described popwave outfit, Brisom’s sound is reminiscent of the 80s tracks that your parents keep playing on Sunday morning. One thing that stands out with the band’s music is the synth. Exploiting the range of emotions the instrument can evoke, the resulting tracks will keep you on your toes with the highs and lows. With an album released in 2016, the band releases singles every now and then and as with most of the artists on this list, has been spotlighted by Coke Studio’s collaborative project. Know Them Better Through: Limerence (2016) The best compliment that can describe this album is that it is the equivalent of your parent’s Sunday music routine. It’s head bopping, sometimes speaks of romance, and it beats the heat.
Newly minted recording artist Arthur Nery dropped his first original song Life Puzzle, and people noticed. His relaxed and cool voice meshed perfectly with the beating tune of producer Yuuki Tacastacas, sent listeners into a frenzy. His career in music was faced with many challenges, but his time has now come, and his first album dropped this year. Know Him Better Through: Letters Never Sent (2019) Arthur Nery continues to leave fans starving for more R&B goodness with the release of his first album. Featuring his first singles, the breakout hit Life Puzzle and follow-up Binhi, along with eight new tracks such as Got Me Tangled and I’d Still Kiss You, Letters Never Sent is a perfect companion on a chill day, or as an ode to a particular person.
From rap to rock to folk, it’s clear that we are in another golden age of music, incorporating details and styles from various influences to create new sounds for an equally adoring public. It’s a great time to share and explore music as part of the audience or as an artist. Who knows? Maybe in a few years, people will be singing your songs.
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DECEMBER 2019-JANUARY 2020
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ENTERPRISE
HP and Go Negosyo collaborate to support local MSMEs
HP Inc. Philippines and Go Negosyo, a local non-profit organization, have announced plans to collaborate over the next 12 months to drive the adoption of digital technology across the Philippines. By delivering technology innovation, knowledge and resources to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) customers at the Go Negosyo Mentor Me launch and Summit events, HP aims to encourage Filipinos to address poverty through entrepreneurship and the building of an online presence for their business. The collaboration addresses a key challenge facing MSMEs, many of whom own their own businesses that showcase locally-made products and a wide range of services. The customer reach for these local products and unique services can be further extended through digitization and personalization of their offers, as this makes them more accessible for the rapidly evolving Philippine market that embraces digital methods of commerce. Many MSMEs today lack the knowledge, know-how or
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technology expertise to build a digital presence, and this presents a barrier to further growth for many local entrepreneurs. At the Go Negosyo and the Department of Trade and Industry’s Kapatid Mentor ME (KMME) Program and the recently held SIGN UP Summit, HP was able to educate MSMEs on a range of technology innovation that they can access as they position their business for success. This includes devices from the latest lineup of HP PC and Printers, such as the EliteBook x360 laptop, EliteDesk Desktop Mini PCs, and Engage One Prime Retail POS which are built for SMBs in mind, focusing on HP’s innovation platform: Security, Design, and Collaboration. Complimenting HP PCs are HP Printers that are designed for SMBs as well with the HP Neverstop Laser Multifunction printer, HP Smart Tank printer, HP Laser printer, and HP OfficeJet Pro printer. All these provide great value for money by driving down costs without sacrificing quality while maximizing functionality, making them ideal for MSMEs.
Participants in the Go Negosyo events will also be able to access dedicated HP resources like HP LIFE (life-global.org), a set of free online self-paced training courses designed to help entrepreneurs learn core skills required to establish, grow and sustain a business. The collaboration with HP and Go Negosyo is especially relevant as the Philippines embraces Industry 4.0, a world where digital transformation will disrupt the physical and digital worlds for a range of industries including business, finance and government. The Philippines is home to over 900,000 MSMEs, and these businesses play a critical role in the advancement of the nation towards Industry 4.0. Through technology innovation and dedicated resources, HP empowers MSMEs to transform to the future of business. To learn more about how HP can help your business, visit HP.com/PH
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IT solutions company Yondu aids local companies to grow through cloud technology
As businesses continue to adapt in the digital age, it is important for companies to optimize their operations, and at the same time, safeguard confidential information. Since data is so valuable, it should be stored in a secure and accessible place. This is where cloud services come in. Businesses that incorporate cloud services in their processes are able to maximize their potential. Cloud services deliver on-demand storage, applications, and other services through the Internet. The cloud is a global network of remote servers hooked together online and is meant to operate as a single ecosystem. These services are made available by global cloud providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure. In the Philippines, meanwhile, there is the Globe Telecom-subsidiary Yondu. The IT solutions company accelerates the digital transformation
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of companies by offering a full suite of solutions that focuses on client engagement, as well as cloud migration, orchestration, and security. These various services help businesses transform processes, reduce costs, and simplify their employees’ tasks, all leading to the increased performance of a business’ IT infrastructure. When disaster strikes, Yondu is able to provide business continuity plans to ensure that there would be no disruptions to the important work being done. Their top-of-the-line security standards protect information from any potential security breaches. Since its inception, Yondu has been leading the digital shift and empowering businesses to use cloud services for work efficiency and overall productivity. Through the cloud, Yondu has connected countless people all over the Philippines. Today, it is one of the top IT players in the Philippines, promoting a digitally-savvy society and delivering solutions designed to improve
people’s experiences with technology and equip amazing talents with the necessary knowledge and skills through various upskilling programs. “Cloud services make companies agile and help them handle the growing amount of work,” said Joy Go, chief technology officer, Yondu. “By embracing cloud services, businesses can increase overall productivity, reliability, and performance in service delivery. This is the gamechanger in this ever-evolving business landscape.” Businesses need a proactive partner who will help them seamlessly integrate cloud solutions into their daily operations. Yondu takes charge of managing the cloud so that businesses can focus on growing and serving their clients better.
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CIMB Bank PH wins ‘Best Consumer Digital Bank’ in 2019 Asia-Pacific Global Finance Awards CIMB Bank Philippines was named ‘Best Consumer Digital Bank’ in this year’s 2019 Asia-Pacific Global Finance Awards presented at New York, beating out Philippine domestic competition. Winners were selected by a world-class panel of judges with the following criteria: strategy for attracting and servicing customers digitally, success in recruitment and growth of clients, breadth of product offerings, value-exchange of digital initiatives between clients and servicing partners, and digital platform design and functionality. The recognition comes in less than one year of CIMB’s operations in the Philippines. Within their first ten months, they have since recruited over 1 million Filipino customers onto their new digital banking model and platform. In line with their vision of financial inclusion and freedom, they have set up product offerings such as interest-bearing savings accounts of up to 4 percent, free insurance benefits up to PHP 2 million, quick and hassle-free loan and account applications, and 24/7 access to their money through the CIMB Bank PH mobile app.
remove the barriers of traditional banking and give their clients back the power to manage their own money.
Unlike other banks, their services do not require maintaining balance or transaction fees, to
Chief executive officer for CIMB Bank Philippines Vijay Manoharan shares, “We are humbled by this
Officers of CIMB Bank Philippines accept the award for Best Consumer Digital Bank in the Philippines at awarding ceremonies in New York. (L-R): Head of product Jonathan Lee Zheng Yan, head of channels Aisha Stephanie, marketing manager Patricia Lim, and product manager Chew Jien Kit.
award and are honored to have been recognized in just our first year in the market. We owe many of our milestones to our clients, for trusting us and our services, as their financial partner. We look forward to empowering more Filipinos and bringing them closer to financial freedom.”
MAPFRE Insular rebrands into MAPFRE Insurance In celebration of complying with the minimum net worth requirement set for 2019 by the Insurance Commission, MAPFRE Insular recently rebranded to MAPFRE Insurance. Owned by MAPFRE Sociedad Anonima Spain at 75 percent and Insular Life at 25 percent, MAPFRE Insurance is one of the non-life insurance companies with the highest capital and solvency in the Philippines. It has raised capital to PHP 900 million to fulfill the requirements mandated in the New Insurance Code of the Philippines (RA 10607). According to the law amended in 2013, any domestic life or non-life insurance company should have at least a net worth of PHP 250 million by June 30, 2013, PHP 550 million by December 31, 2016, and reached PHP 900 million by December 31, 2019. Last year, it has introduced a number of digital services and innovations that offer convenience both to its agents and customers. These include the MAPFRE INSULAR Virtual Office where partners can access accounts for renewal, draft quotations instantly, and make online payments; centralized policy services
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and claims, QR code for verifying policies, 24/7 claim reporting, and expanded payment channels. The company mainly offers general insurance for optimum financial protection and risk management covering fire and allied lines, motor vehicles, personal accident, casualty, liability, engineering, marine cargo, and surety. Heading MAPFRE Insurance in the country is President & CEO Mr. Tirso Abad who shared the company’s milestone during the press conference held on November 26, 2019. “This development shows the strengthened presence of MAPFRE Insurance in the Philippines, with a significant investment that will contribute to the industry and most especially improve the lives of Filipinos,” he shared. Marking its 85 years in the business, the company is anchored on three main objectives: to offer non-life solutions with relevant products, to be efficient in claims service, and to better serve the Filipino people. “As we leap towards the digital future, we are presented with more choices to connect with people. This is a great opportunity to be more
efficient and agile to serve our client’s unique needs. Since our launch last year, we have been continuously developing our channels and we look forward to be a digital leader as well for the insurance industry,” Mr. Abad said. The company has now 10 branches nationwide with 16 sales offices in NCR, Isabela, Lipa, Iloilo, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao, among many others. For more information about its services, visit MAPFRE Insurance’s website or email info@ mapfreinsular.com. DECEMBER 2019-JANUARY 2020
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CYBER SECURITY
Palo Alto Networks announces its first cybersecurity academy in the Philippines
Honoring APC faculty with CHED, PAN, & APC Executives.
Global cybersecurity leader Palo Alto Networks partners with Asia Pacific College (APC) to launch its first cybersecurity academy in the Philippines. Established to solve the scarcity of talents in the field of cybersecurity, the educational institution will start to offer cybersecurity courses by February 2020 across senior high school students of Asia Pacific College. The subjects, which focus on cybersecurity gateway, defense and countermeasures, and infrastructure configuration, will be embedded in the curriculum of the students. Through the course, students will see the current cybersecurity landscape and learn how to combat threats. There will be a set of classroom discussions, as well as technical and hands-on lab training, to further monitor the progress of the students. APC’s college students under the School of Management, School of Multimedia and Arts, and School of Engineering may also enroll in other cybersecurity-related courses. Upon their graduation on their chosen degrees, each student who took and passed the said courses has the opportunity to get a certification
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as cybersecurity associate or network security administrator. To make learning easier and fun for the students, Palo Alto Networks also built a new facility within the school’s premises. Dubbed as the APC Cybersecurity Sandbox, the state-of-theart laboratory secured by Palo Alto Networks is equipped with the latest computers and reliable software that will help students in doing their cybersecurity-related exercises. For the last two years, APC was declared as the Center of Development in Computer Engineering and the Center for IT Education by Commission on Higher Education. The SM Foundation and IBMfounded academic institution also takes pride in its competent set of faculty members. Meanwhile, Palo Alto Networks has forged similar academic partnerships with colleges and universities in more than 40 countries in the US, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific. Asia Pacific College president Dr. Ma. Teresita Medado recognizes the importance of cybersecurity in the technology-dependent society and expresses gratitude with the school’s partnership with Palo Alto Networks.
“The vision of APC is to develop talent who have the skills and mindset to take on any challenge in any environment – in both the local as well as international market. With the shortage of cybersecurity professionals being a global challenge, we recognize the importance of cybersecurity education as a fundamental skill that must be learned and applied in various aspects of our daily lives, early on. It is a great honor to be Palo Alto Networks pioneering Cybersecurity Academy in the Philippines, and we look forward to building on this mutually rewarding relationship for many years to come,” she shared. Also present in the launch of the cybersecurity academy and the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the APC Cybersecurity Sandbox were Palo Alto Networks country manager Oscar Visaya, Palo Alto Networks field chief security officer Kevin O’Leary, Asia Pacific College chairman Ramon Yap Dimacali, and CHED OIC for supervising education program Dr. Bellaflor Coronado. For more information, please visit the Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Academy page at https:// www.paloaltonetworks.com/services/education/ academy
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Keep your Facebook account safe from hackers Whether you’re a public personality or a private citizen, there are bad actors out there who might try to gain access to your social media accounts. Hackers are an ever-present danger online. They exploit gaps in your security, either cracking your password, exploiting a vulnerability in a downloaded app or website or malicious software program to access your personal information or in some cases exploit your computer’s processing power. Like other applications you use, Facebook can be targeted by hackers too. Once they have broken through, they might try to lock you out of your account. If you think you’ve been hacked, there are a number of steps you can take to recover your account. And once you’re back in, it’s important that you review your security settings and make it harder for a hacker to get through your defences next time. Here’s a quick guide on what you can do if you lose access to your account and how to better secure it. Report it! If you no longer have access to your account, it’s likely that a hacker has removed your logged in session or they have changed your login details. If you suspect this has happened, you can go to https://www.facebook.com/hacked and report a compromised account. Facebook will then help you recover it, searching for your account using either the email address or phone number associated with it. Set up Trusted Contacts If you’ve set-up your trusted contacts, you can use this to reclaim access to your account too. Under this security function, you can select between three to five trusted confidants, who can grant you access back into your account.
and second, enabling two-factor authentication or 2FA in Security and Login in Settings. Fortify your defenses Next thing you should do is check and remove any suspicious applications that have access to data available in your Facebook account. This will help ensure that any possible cracks in your account security are addressed. Do this at Apps and Websites in Settings and specifically check for apps that you no longer use, or you don’t recognize, and remove them. Get alerts about unrecognized logins to your Facebook account. Once you opt-in to these alerts, Facebook will let you know if anyone logs in from a device or browser you don’t usually use and will guide you through steps to secure your account. When someone from a drastically different IP address tries to login with the correct username and password, at the same time as you, Facebook can also trigger a Social Verification function. Pictures of close friends will appear and the person logging in will have to recognise and name the friends shown in the picture.
Activate this function by selecting “Forgotten account?” on the login page and then searching your account by entering an email or phone number. Once located, you are then able to type in the name of one of your trusted contacts who are then alerted with a link only they can access. Once your contact opens that link, they can provide you with a recovery code to regain access to your account.
Notify your friends
Change the locks
Take extra precautions
Once you’ve recovered your account, it’s important that secure your account by first, changing your password with a stronger one;
Prevention is always better than cure, so here are a few other tips so you can avoid possible future attacks:
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Alert your friends that your account had been compromised. Give your friends a heads up that any suspicious links and posts sent via your account while it was being controlled by a hacker should not be accessed or clicked. Hopefully, this will prevent them from falling victim to the same ordeal.
1. Don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know Scammers may create fake accounts in an attempt to befriend and manipulate people. Accepting requests from scammers could lead to spam being posted on your timeline and shared with your friends. Scammers may also tag you in posts and send malicious messages to you and your contacts, so it’s best to be careful and more discerning when accepting friend requests. 2. Review Page roles and permissions For page owners and admins, be sure to familiarize yourself with the different page roles that exist and the permissions they have. Regularly review who has admin access to your Page in settings, and when you add your Page to a Business Manager, take a moment to understand the permissions you allow. Make it a point to have more than one admin for your page, so that in case you ever lose access to your page, someone you trust can help keep the Page up and running, and get you back in. 3. Spot the signs of malicious software To avoid infecting your device or computer network, it’s good practice to read up on ways you can protect your devices from malicious software. And remember to keep your devices, web browsers, and applications up to date and remove any suspicious applications or browser add-ons. As technology continues to evolve, new vulnerabilities appear quite fast. As you browse your Facebook feed and share moments with loved ones, always remain vigilant, actively manage your security settings, and understand what to do if you suspect you’ve been hacked.
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BITS & BYTES
BPI brings back online appointment scheduling, introduces upgrades Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) recently brought back its online appointment scheduling service, and announced additional new features for its online banking and mobile app to give clients more control and convenience over their banking transactions. First introduced in 2012, setting of branch appointments in advance with BPI Online gives clients the freedom to transact at their preferred branch and time. Clients can log on to www.bpi. com.ph, give the transaction details, and get the queue number. Clients can then visit their chosen branch on their scheduled time hassle-free. “We want to be agile. When we launched our all new mobile app and online facility, we started with the basic functionalities. Now, it has more functionalities than ever before and we continue to add more and more features as we continue to develop these platforms,” said Noel Santiago, BPI chief digital officer. As part of the new features, clients can manage enrolled billers and prepaid accounts under a single location. They can also enroll prepaid phones and prepaid accounts for reloading real-time via
OTP (One-time PIN). Third party accounts can be enrolled by emailing a signed form. The bank also brought back the feature that allows clients to manage the visibility of their bank accounts. Under the “Manage My Account” section, clients can add, show, or hide their accounts without the need to visit a branch or call the hotline.
Furthermore, clients with investments can now subscribe to and redeem investments via the mobile app. BPI has been continually updating and upgrading its online channels because the bank believes in the importance of providing a delightful banking experience for clients.
Visa launches Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 campaign in the Philippines The Visa Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 contest started on 11 November and will end 15 February 2020. All Visa cardholders, including credit, debit and prepaid cardholders in the Philippines will be entitled to participate in the campaign by spending a minimum of PHP3,000 on their Visa cards at seven participating SM supermalls. Dan Wolbert, Visa country manager for the Philippines, said: “As a proud sponsor of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, we are pleased to run this campaign for Visa cardholders. We are excited to offer Visa cardholders in the Philippines the chance to win one of four trips for two to Tokyo, with flights and accommodation fully funded. Moreover, they get to watch the skateboarding and basketball events at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we are glad to provide our cardholders these amazing benefits and rewards when they spend at participating SM Supermalls and SM affiliates using their Visa cards. Such campaigns enable us to promote the use of cashless payments and grow our digital payments footprint in the country.”
2020 Olympics Games. The trip includes flights and accommodation for four days three nights, and tickets to attend two events at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. In addition, Visa cardholders in the Philippines have a chance to win Visa original Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 goods whenever they make a purchase at an SM affiliate store.
Filipino Visa cardholders stand a chance to win one of four trips for two to Tokyo for the Tokyo
The participating SM Supermalls include SM Aura Premier, SM Megamall, the Podium, SM North
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SM Supermalls SVP of marketing Joaquin San Agustin and Visa country manager for the Philippines Guam Dan Wolbert take part in a Japanese Gong ceremony to kick-off the campaign
EDSA, SM Mall of Asia, SM Southmall, and SM Seaside CIty Cebu. Participating SM affiliate stores include The SM Store, Ace Hardware/ Ace Builders, Our Home, Toy Kingdom, Pet Express, Kultura, Surplus Shop, Sports Central, Adidas/Nike Shop/ New Balance, Levi’s Mall, The Body Shop, Crocs, Miniso, Bata, Under Armour, Innisfree, Dyson, Crate & Barrel, Baby Company, Joseph, CK Platinum.
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Poly brings new generation of Savi office headsets in the Philippines
Poly Executives with the Savi 8210 mono headset and Savi 8220 Stereo headset.
In the Philippine launch of Poly, following the acquisition of Polycom by Plantronics, the brand launches the latest generation of Savi office headsets in the local market. The two enterprise-grade headphones, the Savi 8210 and the Savi 8220, are both equipped with active noise cancelling, multiple device connectivity, and offers diverse wearing styles to boost productivity. The former is a mono headset while the latter is a stereo headset. Offering office mobility, the Savi 8200 office series has a wireless connectivity range up to 55 meters that can extend up to 180 meters if the users are in an unblocked line of sight from the base station. It includes a number of unique features including close conversation limiting which lets the caller hear only the person talking into the headset without interfering background noise and easy call merging with support for desk phones, mobile devices, and PCs. Dubbed as Poly’s first enterprise headset with a DECT certification, the Savi 8200 office
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Savi 8210 mono headset
Savi 8220 stereo headset
series ensures high-standard audio quality and security.
manage the deployment of every product registered, including firmware updates and policy compliance.
The headsets also work with the Plantronics Manager Pro, a software that allows IT teams to
Both the Savi 8210 and the Savi 8220 are now available in the Philippines.
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Bose Professional taps Versatech International Inc, as official distributor in the Philippines Bose Professional, Bose’s professional and enterprise sound solutions arm, has tapped Versatech International Inc. as its official distributor in the Philippines. Versatech International Inc. is an ICT solutionbased distribution and marketing company that has built long-standing partnerships with renowned global brands for the distribution of information and communication technology products in the country. “Versatech is proud to partner with Bose Professional. This partnership fits in line with our overarching direction to complete our company’s premier audio video distribution portfolio. Moreover, we have noticed a sizable market demand for enterprise audio and have the perfect blend of resources and capabilities for Bose to leverage in order to significantly improve its Philippine market share,” said Stephen Yu, executive vice president, Versatech International Inc. With the new partnership, Bose Professional will now be available in more than 1,800 Versatech International Inc. partner resellers.
Bose Professional executives and Versatech International Inc. Executives at the launch event of the partnership.
“I’ve been asked many many times why did we consider Versatech as the partner for Bose. And the word partner is really the key to the whole equation. It’s not about distribution, it’s not about putting products on the market place, it’s really about how we can work together in the market place and add value to customers, to business partners to anybody in the value chain,” said
Christian Liebenberg, regional manager, Bose Professional. As part of the launch of the partnership, Versatech and Bose Professional also demonstrated the capabilities of the brand’s professional grade loudspeakers. They also demonstrated their upcoming EdgeMax and DesignMax loudspeakers.
Philips Hue makes home lighting smart Home is a place where we’re supposed to be able to kick back and relax. Whether it’s after a long day at work, or a nice stretch of staying in, it should be a place where we feel comfortable and recharge. Philips aims to make the home experience even more inviting and convenient with Hue. Philips hue lighting gives you the option to adjust the intensity of the light, as well as choose from 16 million colors, all from the convenience of a smartphone app. The wireless bridge, included in the Home Kit, takes this connectivity even further, allowing you to control the lights from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection–no more wondering if you left the lights on while you’re on vacation. For even greater conveience, Philips Hue can be controlled through a variety of third-party services and devices, including Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Microsoft Cortana, If This Then That (IFTTY), Nest, and a whole number of others. Automation, either through a separate motionsensing module, or schedules, allows you to take better charge of your lighting, so you don’t have to stumble your way through the dark, or worry about home when you’re away. Additional features such as entertainmentsensitive lighting lets your lights fit the mood
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(L-R) Host Vince Velasco, Philips Hue influencers Steph Kienle Gonzalez, Wil Dasovich, and Abe Olandres, product marketing manager of Signify Philippines, Inc. Regine Ubalde, country leader of Signify Philippines Inc. Jagan Srinivasan, and country marketing manager of Signify Philippines Inc. Pam Mallari-Valenzuela
of what you’re playing, watching, or listening to, greatly enhancing the experience. “The future belongs to connected living, with smart homes being a key driver today. We at Signify endeavor to deliver a human centric approach to our innovations and Philips Hue is a perfect example as it can be the first step to turn any home into a smart home, creating never-before experiences with lighting that can be customized
around your lifestyle. Filipinos are known to be quick-adopters of technology, and we are excited to introduce the cutting-edge Philips Hue system to help usher in an emerging technological trend the rise of smart homes,” said Jagan Srinivasan, country leader of Signify Philippines, (formerly Philips Lighting). Get Philips Hue in select PowerMac, Abenson, Nifty, Electroworld, and iStore outlets or purchase online via Lazada.
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Acer Predator, TNC sign three year partnership deal
From Left to right: Jerome Matti, Consumer Sales Lead, NVIDIA Philippines, Sue Ong-Lim General Manager, Acer Philippines, Eric Redulfin, Founder and CEO, TNC, Manuel Wong, Managing Director, Acer Philippines, Jim Paulo Sy, VP for Operations, TNC
Acer Philippines general manager Sue Ong-Lim and TNC CEO and Founder Eric Redulfin signing the partnership agreement.
Acer Predator has inked a partnership agreement with TNC, one of the country’s largest gaming group and cybercafé franchises. The contract signing was held last November 14 at Romulo Café in Makati. Present in the contract signing were Acer Philippines Managing director Manuel Wong, Acer Philippines General Manager Sue Lim, TNC Group of Companies Founder and CEO Eric Redulfin, TNC VP for Operations Jim Paulo Sy, Nvidia Philippines Consumer Sales Lead Jerome Matti.
Acer Philippines managing director Manuel Wong, address media men about the partnership.
been in partnership for three years and for this another contract signing we extend our partnership with Acer and Predator,” said Eric Redulfin CEO and Founder, TNC Group of Companies. “The purpose is to strengthen the esports community. With the support of these two companies, eto hindi lang naman TNC, but whole of esports,” he added.
The partnership deal, which will last for three years, will make Acer Predator the exclusive gaming products in TNC’s upcoming Ground Zero esports lounges and TNC Premium cafés.
According to TNC VP for operations Jim Paulo Sy, the cybercafe giant is planning to open 11 Premium cafés and 8 Ground Zeros esports lounges during the three-year period. He added that all future branches will utilize Acer Predators Orion and Acer Predators Nitros as the main gaming rigs.
“It is an honor and privilege to be partners with the number one gaming machine, Predator. We’ve
Both Acer Predator and TNC has already been partners in the past three years. As
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a testament to that, Predator is the major sponsor in TNC’s multi-awarded Dota 2 esports team. “More than the benefits and commercial aspects of this contract signing, we just want to emphasize on the partnership that we have with TNC all throughout the years. We feel that we both share the values our two companies, I think that how the partnerships works from here and beyond,” said Sue Lim, general manager, Acer Philippines. “Three years ago, I would like to emphasize what Paulo said awhile ago, they were still not there and so were we. Three years ago Predator was just starting and now I am proud to say that this partnership with TNC and Nvidia we are now the biggest gaming brand in the country,” she adds.
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Fr. Pierre Tritz Institute-ERDA Tech offers new post-high school course
The sensory technology and power electronics laboratory is built with Dave and Bess Cruz Foundation.
Jemicah Vicente, a batch 4 electromechanical technology student, shows how the proximity sensors detect materials on their sensory technology and power electronics laboratory
Fr. Pierre Tritz Institute-ERDA Tech, a voc-tech school that provides free quality education for the marginalized but deserving youth, introduces a new course that is in line with the shift in demands of industries and the labor market. Located at Pandacan in Manila, the institute recently reconstructed its program offerings. Replacing the two-year senior high tech-voc courses is a 6-month-long, post-high school electromechanical technology short course program. The new program encompasses the previous three major voc-tech strands: electrical installation and maintenance, mechanics, and automotive servicing. Students are required to take on a 6-week incampus learning program then undergo intensive in-plant training with FPTI-ET’s industry partners for 4 months. This work experience program helps them to adapt to their future work environment and prepared for employment immediately after graduation while cultivating relationships with prospective employers. Some of FPTI-ET’s notable industry partners for their work immersion program include Pag-Asa Steel, PGA Cars, Victory Liner, Empire East, Baker’s Fair, CM Pancho Construction, and MacroAsia. 90
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Other male students present the technicalities happening inside of a fuse box.
As part of Xavier School’s outreach arm, generous benefactors from the Xavier community have also been instrumental in keeping FPTI-ET’s operations running. Companies like SM Foundation, AY Foundation, Philippine Cabin Crew Charities, Jollibee, and Chevron have supported FPTI-ET throughout the years. With the vision to provide free quality education for the marginalized but deserving youth and mold them to become upstanding contributing members of society, Fr. Pierre Tritz InstituteERDA Tech aims to elevate public opinion of the technical-vocational industry. While tech-voc continues to be viewed as an educational track mainly for men, FPTI-ET advocates for women to take the path towards tech-voc careers. From the very beginning, the school has welcomed female students and faculty in recognition of their strengths and important contributions to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Throughout the years, the institution consistently had 6 female students out of 10, and have seen numerous female graduates thrive in their chosen fields—the recently
proclaimed Ms. Eco Teen Philippines 2019 Mary Daena Resurreccion being one such remarkable alumna. Admission requirements for the electromechanical technology program are as follows: • Must be a Senior High School (SHS) graduate or at least a Junior High School completer, or a High School Graduate of the Department of Education’s Alternative Learning System (ALS) • Must be at least 16.5 years old, but not older than 25 years old upon application • Must have a total combined monthly family income not exceeding Php16,000 The 5th batch of students for Tritz Institute’s electromechanical technology course recently began the program last November 2019 with the previous batches either undergoing their in-plant training or taking up their TESDA National Certification Assessments. To-date, FPTI-ET has produced close to 2,000 graduates that have gone on to improve their quality of life. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
Filipino teams join first-ever Mobile Legends World Championship Two Filipino teams joined the first-ever M1 Mobile Legends World Championship held last week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sunsparks and Onic Philippines fought it with some of the world’s best Mobile Legends players for a shot at the USD 250,000 (more than PHP 12 million) prize pool the chance the call themselves the first-ever Mobile Legends world champions. Out of the two teams, it was only Bren Esport’s Sunsparks who escaped the group stage with their 2-1 victories over their three group opponents. The six points earned them the second seed out of group C and straight on the lower bracket of the tournament. Onic Philippines, on the other hand, weren’t so lucky, the Pinoy squad bombed out of groups following two quick 0-2 against Indonesia’s Evos Legends and Japan’s 10second Gaming+. The Pinoys would salvage their tournament with a 2-1 win against Russia’s Deus Volt to finish in
9th to 12th place and take home USD 4,000 or more than PHP 200,000. During the main stage, Sunsparks showed why they were the reigning MPL-Philippines champions sweeping (2-0) round one opponent
Vietnam’s VEC Fantasy Main. But their run ended in the next round following a 1-2 defeat against Myanmar’s Burmese Ghouls. Sunsparks would end the tournament in 5th to 6th place winning USD 8,000 (more than PHP 400,000) in the process.
TNC Predator wins first Dota 2 Major of the Season After a series of ups and downs throughout the year, TNC Predator has finally won the country its first DOTA 2 major with 3-1 stomp of China’s Vici Gaming. With the win, the group of Kim “Gabbi” Villafuente, Timothy “Tims” Randrup, Armel “Armel” Tabios, Damien “Kpii” Chok, and Park “March” Tae-won will pocket USD 300,000 or more than PHP 15 million. Winning the major has also earned the Pinoys, Australian, and Korean 4,850 DPC points; almost enough point for a guaranteed invite for The International 2020. The Pinoys were dominant in their run at the group stage of the tournament, not dropping a single game. The group continued their tear in the tournament’s upper bracket beating Europe’s Alliance (2-1) and sweeping North America’s J-Storm (2-0). The Filipino squad’s dominant run the tournament’s upper bracket hit a wall when they were swept by Vici Gaming (2-0) in the upper bracket finals. Opening the final day of the tournament, the majority Pinoy squad found themselves against two hometown teams, Invictus Gaming at the lower bracket and Vici awaiting the victors in the Grand Finals. TNC eliminated IG with a quick convincing sweep (2-0) to arrange the grudge match against Vici.
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Photo from TNC Predator’s Facebook; TNC Predator lifting the “Battle Fury” inspired trophy.
Learning from their mistakes the previous day, TNC managed to take game one thanks to crucial misplays from Vici in the early and mid-game snowballing their way to a 32-minute victory. The Pinoys furthered their lead with a game two win; abusing the Morphling and Earthshaker combo to end the game in 33-minutes. Needing just a win to secure the title, TNC banked on an Alchemist and Ursa cores in game three. Unfortunately, the Pinoys lacked team fight
potential against Vici’s Keeper of the Light and Nightstalker combo losing control of the game and yielding in 37-minutes. Hoping to avoid a rubber match, TNC turned back to the Morph and Earthshaker combo. This time the Chinese were prepared picking up Puck, Lion, and Templar Assassin for early aggression against TNC’s carry Morphling. But despite the Chinese team’s best effort, TNC managed to overrun them in a 63-minutes victory. DECEMBER 2019-JANUARY 2020
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RELIC
Words by Jose Alvarez
20 years ago, the process of sending files through the Internet was a slow and painstaking affair. Music files would take minutes (or even hours) to send. Today, we have all the conveniences of streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, as well as Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and more for movies. In 1999, Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker would drastically change the landscape of buying music from your favorite artists, forcing well-known bands and the legal system to respond to this very disruptive method of acquiring music.
Fanning and Parker founded Napster in 1999 as a peer-to-peer file sharing service. The technology allowed people to easily share MP3 files with other people who had downloaded the application. While file-sharing existed in various forms such as IRC, Hotline, and Usenet, Napster was one of the first to take intellectual property and spread it like hotcakes online. Napster members often had hard-to-find songs from various musicians, studio recordings, unreleased recordings, and older songs that were not available on CD or cassette tapes, the two most popular formats of listening to music at the time. College dorms, which had some of the fastest internet at the time (after all, college campuses were the precursor to commercial Internet) reported as much as 61 percent of external traffic coming from MP3 file transfers. Colleges had to block Napster, but this didn’t stop the file-sharing service from permeating all avenues of the Internet. By 2000, heavy metal band Metallica found a demo of an unreleased song, I Disappear, on the service, and immediately filed a lawsuit against Napster. Other high profile artists requested that Napster remove their works from the service, such as rapper and producer Dr. Dre. Napster use peaked at around 26.4 million users in 2001. One beneficiary of Napster was English rock band Radiohead. Some unreleased tracks from their 2000 album Kid A were leaked on Napster before its release. Radiohead had never had a top 20 hit in the United States. Upon its release in October 2000, Kid A was number one on the Billboard 200. Artists who were not signed to major labels had their works or did not have access to mass media such as radio and television were also prominent on Napster. Chuck D of Public Enemy supported Napster, saying in the New York Times, “We should think of (Napster) as a new kind of radio—a promotional tool that can help artists who don’t have the opportunity to get their music played on mainstream radio or on MTV.” 92
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However, the pressure from the music industry and individual artists forced Napster to cave. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) filed a lawsuit in 1999, which eventually evolved to the case A&M Records, Inc., v. Napster, Inc. There were fears at the time that even having Napster on the computer or a single file from Napster could result in hefty fines that one could not even afford. Even after the downfall of Napster, there were reports of the music industry suing grandmothers and children whose computers had copyrighted material.
Fanning and Parker and are still involved in the tech industry to this very day. Fanning and Parker even reunited in 2011 to found Airtime.com, where users share videos and respond to them in real-time (much like streaming services do today). Parker went on to greater successes. He became the president of Facebook in 2004, but resigned in 2005. Parker went on to invest US$15 million in Spotify in 2010 in hopes of reviving the concept of Napster, and was even ranked on the Forbes 2016 list of the world’s billionaires, coming in at #722 with a net worth of $2.4 billion.
After the downfall of Napster in July 2001, the service was revived multiple times as a paid service. In September 2008, Napster was purchased by U.S. retailer Best Buy for $121 million, and merged with Rhapsody in 2011. In 2016, Napster came back into existence as a subscription service, albeit less visible than the Napster from 1999-2001.
Napster’s invention accelerated innovation on the Internet. Many companies were forced to react to illegal file-sharing and copyright infringement, launching streaming services of their own once the technology matured. If you’re watching Netflix or Disney+ right now, you might want to thank Napster for disrupting the Internet and innovating new methods of consuming media. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
