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OFW in Saudi can now request ‘Employment / Experience Certificate’ through Qiwa portal.

November 19, 2023

Saudi’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has announced that workers in the private sector can now request their Employment/Experience Certificate online using Qiwa. The announcement (written in Arabic) was posted on the Ministry’s official X (twitter) account.

Here are the steps on how to request for your Employment/Experience Certificate;
1. Login to your Qiwa account
2. Under SERVICES, go to EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATES
3. Click the “APPLY FOR CERTIFICATE” button on the top right section of the page.
4. From there, choose your work experience, from which youwant to receive the certificate then go to “NEXT STEP.”
5. Select the experience certificate type, then click “NEXT STEP.”
6. From there you can review the summary finalizing the request by clicking on “SUBMIT REQUEST”.

Amazon partners with Hyundai to Sell Cars Online with Alexa built-in and AWS

November 19, 2023

Amazon just announced that it has entered a broad strategic partnership with Hyundai Motor Company. The partnership will allow Hyundai auto dealers to sell the automaker’s vehicles online in Amazon’s U.S. store in 2024. Then there’s the AWS part, since Hyundai has selected Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its preferred cloud provider to accelerate its digital transformation. In connection to the selling cars on Amazon, starting 2025, Alexa will be built-in to Hyundai’s next-generation vehicles.

You can read the full text of Amazon and Hyundai’s announcement below;

As shared by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Amazon and Hyundai Motor Company have announced a broad strategic partnership.

“Hyundai is a very innovative company that shares Amazon’s passion for trying to make customers’ lives better and easier every day,” said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. “Our broad, strategic partnership should do just that, from changing the ease with which customers can buy vehicles online to making it simple to use Alexa in Hyundai vehicles for entertainment, shopping, smart home adjustments, and calendar checks to enabling Hyundai to transform their customer experiences and business operations by moving to AWS. We look forward to inventing together for many years.”

José Muñoz, global chief operating officer for Hyundai and president and CEO of Hyundai and Genesis Motor North America, and Marty Mallick, Amazon’s vice president for Worldwide Business and Corporate Development, revealed three key pieces of the announcement at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Here are three key pieces to know about this announcement.

1. In 2024, auto dealers for the first time will be able to sell vehicles in Amazon’s U.S. store, and Hyundai will be the first brand available for customers to purchase.
This new digital shopping experience will make it easy for customers to purchase a new car online, and then pick it up or have it delivered by their local dealership at a time that works best for them. Customers will be able to search on Amazon for available vehicles in their area based on a range of preferences, including model, trim, color, and features; choose their preferred car; and then check out online with their chosen payment and financing options—all within the Amazon experience they already know and trust. This new shopping experience will create another way for dealers to build awareness of their selection and offer convenience to their customers.

2. Hyundai has selected Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its preferred cloud provider to accelerate its digital transformation using broad and industry-leading AWS capabilities—from compute, storage, database, and analytics to artificial intelligence (generative AI) and Internet of Things (IoT).
As part of a new multiyear agreement, Hyundai will become a more data-driven organization with a cloud-first technology strategy, migrating its current on-premises applications—which support everything across research, product engineering, and customer engagement—to AWS. Hyundai will prioritize business cases like manufacturing and supply chain to help optimize production and minimize costs, security, and disaster recovery for resiliency, and connected vehicle development to bring new features to drivers around the globe. In addition, AWS and Hyundai designed and implemented a Master Builder training and certification program to train Hyundai engineers in critical cloud skills.

3. Next-generation Hyundai vehicles will be even more responsive and interactive with Alexa Built-in.
Starting in 2025, customers who purchase Hyundai’s next-generation vehicles will be able to access the hands-free Alexa experience they have at home, while in their car. Hyundai drivers will be able to ask Alexa to play music, podcasts, or audiobooks; set reminders; update to-do lists; and check calendars. Customers will also be able to control their smart home from the road, such as asking to warm up the house on their way home, double-checking doors are locked, and managing smart lighting and Alexa routines. Drivers will also be able to ask Alexa for up-to-date traffic updates or weather reports, and use voice-control with the in-vehicle media player or navigation system—with certain Alexa features accessible even when internet connectivity is intermittent or unavailable.

“We’re excited to be working with Hyundai—the third-largest carmaker in the world and a leading innovator in the industry,” said Mallick during the onstage press conference in LA. “Together, we will provide customers with more of the buying experiences they want—and support dealers with an efficient and effective selling platform.”

“This is a transformational journey we are on together, and we look forward to a very productive long-term relationship with Amazon,” said Muñoz.

Miss Universe 2023 is Nicaragua’s Sheynnis Palacios

November 19, 2023

This year’s Miss Universe is none other than Ms. Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua. Ms. Palacios is the first contestant from Nicaragua to win the Miss Universe pageant. Before joining the pageant circle, the 23-year-old, worked as a TV host and model, she beat first runner-up Anntonia Porsild from Thailand and second runner-up Moraya Wilson from Australia.

What did Ms. Sheynnis Palacios won?

Via Marca;

…the winner will take home several prizes, in addition to cash and the coveted Mouawad crown, an iconic jewel that is valued at $5 million, and is made of diamonds and gold.

The winner will be gifted, almost immediately, a year of commitments, purposes and many objectives that support her participation in the contest, for which she will have an annual salary of around $250,000.

In addition, they will have access to first class products such as makeup, skin care, exclusive clothing, jewellery and all the necessary products to look like a true beauty queen with trips around the world.

Warriors loss to Thunder even after Curry returns, 130-123 in OT

November 19, 2023

OKC gave the Warriors their 6th straight loss, even though the Golden State Warriors got the services of Steph Curry back after missing two games because of a right knee sprain. Curry got the much needed help with Wiggins scoring 31 pts.

It was a close game in the 1st half then in the 2nd half, the Warriors played their signature 3rd qtr game, leading as much as 18 points, then the Thunder ended the qtr with a 24-8 run, cutting the Warriors lead to just 2 points.

It was then a close game in the 4th qtr until Andrew Wiggins made 24-foot three point jumper to give the Warriors a 3-point lead and with just 3 secs left in the game. Then to tie the game rookie Chet Holmgren beat the clock with his 25-foot three point shot, that setup by Josh Giddey.

In the overtime, the Warrior only managed to score 6 points, while the Thunder made 10 points, all by Shai Gilgeous Alexander, who lead OKC by scoring 40 points, 7 rebs and 6 assists. Aside from SGA, Four OKC players also scored double-digits points, Chet Holmgren scored 36 pts, 10 rebs, 5 assts with 2 steal and 2 blocks, followed by Jalen Williams contributing 22 pts, 6 rebs and 3 assists.

Warriors will host the red hot Rockets this Monday, while the OKC will visit the Trailblazers this on Sunday evening.

Microsoft’s Windows app now available macOS, iOS and iPadOS

November 19, 2023

Microsoft just release the preview version of Windows App, an app that acts as a central hub to access Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Microsoft Dev Box, Remote Desktop Services, and remote PCs, securely connecting you to Windows devices and apps. Aside from macOS, iOS and iPadOS, the Windows app is also available for Windows OS and web browsers. Windows app is not currently available for Android.

The Windows app support multiple monitor, custom display resolutions, dynamic display resolutions and scaling, with device redirection, such as webcams, audio, storage devices, and printers. Windows app also supports Microsoft Teams optimizations. Windows App is available to when you have an active Microsoft business account, features to use a personal account is not yet available.

If successful, Windows app could signal’s Microsoft ambitions to move Windows as a cloud service than an OS that’s installed locally in our devices. To learn more about the Windows App, you can head over to the Windows App documentation page.

Marvel announces December 22 premiere of ‘What If…?’ Season 2

November 18, 2023

Marvel just announced that season 2 of ‘What If…?’ will this 22nd of December. Just like the first season, season 2 will have 9 episodes and each episode, the series will travel to different world throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe answering the series question – What if..?

Checkout the series trailer below;

Season 2 episodes are directed by executive producer Bryan Andrews with executive producer AC Bradley as head writer. ‘What If…?’ Season 2 will begin streaming on Disney+ this December 22nd.

Disney announces new theatrical release of 4 Marvel films

November 16, 2023

Disney/Marvel Studios just announced that they’ve reschedule 4 of the upcoming Marvel films, while are part of phase five and phase six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The 4 MCU films are; Deadpool 3, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts and Blade.

MCU Phase 5

  • Deadpool 3; from May 3rd, 2024, it was changed at a later date to July 26th, 2024.
  • Captain America: Brave New World; from July 26th, 2024, it was moved to Feb 14th, 2025.

MCU Phase 6

  • Thunderbolts: from Dec. 20th, 2024 to July 25th, 2025.
  • Blade: from Feb 14th, 2025, it was move to Nov. 7th, 2025.

Disney/Marvel Studios did not provide any reason for the rescheduling but it could be related to the recently concluded 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.

Sony release first trailer of Madame Web

November 16, 2023

Sony just release the first official trailer of Madame Web, the 4th film from in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU). From the 3 mins video, it has Spider-man written all over the film. It also appears that this is a origin story of 3 women with a “Spider-Man” like power, as well as Cassandra Webb a.k.a. Madame Web who appears to be taking the mantle as their leader/mentor. Even the villain is dressed like Spiderman.

This is what Sony wrote in the video description;

“Meanwhile, in another universe…” In a switch from the typical genre, Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing’s most enigmatic heroines. The suspense-driven thriller stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in Manhattan who may have clairvoyant abilities. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a relationship with three young women destined for powerful futures…if they can all survive a deadly present.

Madame Web is directed by SJ Clarkson with screenplay by Claire Parker & SJ Clarkson, and story by Kerem Sanga. The film still star Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb/Madame Web, Sydney Sweeney as Julia Carpenter / Spider-Woman, Celeste O’Connor as Mattie Franklin / Spider-Woman, Isabela Merced as Anya Corazon / Araña / Spider-Girl and Tahar Rahim as Ezekiel Sims, the villain of film. Mike Epps, Emma Roberts, Adam Scott and Zosia Mamet have been cast in unknown roles.

No release dates have been announced yet, except for the usual COMING SOON!

Timberwolves defeat Warriors two in a row after 3 players got ejected early in the game

November 15, 2023

Warriors guard Klay Thompson and Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels both got 2 technical fouls after getting into a shoving match, resulting in Thompson’s jersey being ripped. While Warriors’s Draymond Green got ejected after head locking Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert, from the same incident.

Warriors leading scorer, Steph Curry did not play after experiencing right knee soreness and still waiting for the MRI results.

Even though the Warriors was playing without their 3 veterans, they still dominate the game leading as much as 12 points in the 3rd quarter and Timberwolves only took control of the game in the last 6 mins of the 4th quarter, where Warriors committed crucial turner and a 33 points, 11 rebs and 2 assists game from Karl Anthony Towns, scoring 11 points in the 4th qtr, including the 3-points at 1:09, to give Minnesota the lead and the win.

Golden State Warriors leading scorer is rookie Brandin Podziemski with 23 pts, 7 rebs and 5 assits. Dario Saric helped with 21 pts, 4 assists and 4 rebs.

Together with KAT, Timberwolves got plenty of help from Anthony Edwards with his 2 pts, 4 rebs, 4 assists and 3 steals, and 13 pts and 8 assists from Mike Conley.

This will be the last game between the Warriors and the Timberwolves this year and the next time they face will be on March 25th, by then we already have a clear picture of the playoffs matchups.

Timberwolves will be going to Phoenix on Thursday, while the Warriors will be facing OKC for a back-to-back game this Friday (Nov 17th) and on Sunday (Nov. 19th).

Sony release the official trailer of the Garfield Movie

November 14, 2023

It was 17 years ago when we last saw Garfield in the big screen, today, Sony just release the first official trailer of ‘the Garfield Movie.’ This new Garfield film is different from previous two film, which are live action adaption, while this new one is an animated film.

The Garfield movie will be a CGI animated film based on the Jim Davis comic strip, the film is produced by Columbia Pictures and Alcon Entertainment, and animated by DNEG Animation. The film will be distributed by Sony Pictures.

This is the premise of the animated film, as posted on the film’s website and the trailer’s description;

Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt), the world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure! After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.

The film is directed by Mark Dindal and screenplay by Paul A. Kaplan, Mark Torgove and David Reynolds.

Below are the ‘voice’ cast of the film;

  • Chris Pratt
  • Samuel L. Jackson
  • Hannah Waddingham
  • Ving Rhames
  • Nicholas Hoult
  • Cecily Strong
  • Harvey Guillén
  • Brett Goldstein
  • Bowen Yang

The Garfield Movie is scheduled for a theatrical release in May 24th, 2024.

Watch the Final Trailer of Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

November 14, 2023
Watch the Final Trailer of Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

This is one of the Netflix shows that I’ve been waiting for.

Here’s the video description;

This is the love story of a generation. Get ready to rock your heart out with SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF.

Scott Pilgrim meets the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers, but learns he must defeat her seven evil exes in order to date her. Then things get even more complicated. Based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is coming soon to Netflix on November 17th.

Based on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s hit graphic novels, which were adapted into the 2010 live-action film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is set to premiere on Netflix on November 17, 2023. The show is produced by Science SARU, the studio behind the critically acclaimed anime series Devilman Crybaby and Star Wars: Visions.

Arcane Season 2 will be release after 1 year

November 12, 2023

If you’re wondering what happened to the Arcane Netflix series, then wonder no more, since Netflix just teased Arcane fans that season 2 of Arcane will hit the streaming platform next November 2024. Netflix announced the release of Arcane season 2 on its official X/twitter account with a 15 secs video of Jink walk towards the Bridge of Progress, carrying her signature minigun nicknamed “Pow-Pow.”

Arcane is based on the popular multiplayer online battle arena game League of Legends, was developed and released by Riot Games in 2009.

The Arcane season 1 was constructed by co-creators Christian Linke and Alex Yee and was produced by the French animation studio Fortiche in partnership with Riot Games. Both Fortiche Studios and Riot Games will remain as the producer of the series. Voice Actors of season 1 will be returning; Hailee Steinfeld as Vi, Ella Purnell as Jinx, Katie Leung as Caitlyn, and probably a rest of the voice-cast.

Netflix release first trailer of the Live Action Anime Series of ‘YuYu Hakusho’

November 12, 2023

During Netflix’s Geeked Week, the streaming company release the first trailer of the live action adaptation of ‘YuYu Hakusho,’ that is scheduled debut on December 14th.

Fans of the anime series will recognize some of scene in the trailer; the death of Yusuke Urameshi after being hit by a truck while saving a young child, then there’s recruitment of Urameshi by Koenma. We can also see Kurama, Hiei and Kuwabara battling a number of ‘demons’ from the spirit world. Then we see one of the most popular villain of the series the Toguro Brothers and Bui, with Sakyo. Finally, we find Yusuke Urameshi doing his signature attack the ‘Reigun.’

Based on the manga : Yoshihiro Togashi “Yu Yu Hakusho” (Shueisha Jump Comics)
Director: Sho Tsukikawa
Cast: Takumi Kitamura, Jun Shison, Kanata Hongo, Shuhei Uesugi
Screenplay: Tatsuro Mishima
VFX Supervisor: Ryo Sakaguchi (Scanline VFX)
Executive Producer: Kaata Sakamoto (Netflix)
Producer: Akira Morii
In Association with：THE SEVEN
Production: ROBOT
Produced by: Netflix

Valve announces Steam Deck OLED with bigger display and better battery life

November 11, 2023

Valve just announced the new Steam Deck OLED, a update to the 2 year old Steam Deck. Like what the name suggest, the new Steam Deck OLED will feature a 7.4” HDR OLED Touch screen and up to 1,000 nits in brightness.

Spec-wise the new Steam Deck OLED will feature a 7.4-inch OLED Display with 1280 x 800 x RGB resolution with 1,000 nits peak brightness (HDR) and up to 90Hz; a new 6 nm APU,
16 GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM (6400 MT/s quad 32-bit channels), support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, and a 50Wh battery that will last for 12 hours of gameplay. You can checkout the full specs of the new Steam Deck OLED here.

The new Steam Deck OLED will be available this Nov. 16th with a $549.00 price for the 512GB model and $649.00 for the 1TB variant.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Teaser Trailer features the Spengler family and the Original Ghostbusters

November 9, 2023
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Teaser Trailer features the Spengler family and the Original Ghostbusters

Sony just release the teaser trailer of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and for at least 100 seconds, you’d think that the trailer is about a superhero film, since the video features an unseen villain with the power to freeze anything including the power to create ice spikes that’s so strong that it can pierce thru a car and even lift it atleast 4 feet off the ground.

The trailer also gives us a glimpse of Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson, the original Ghostbusters with the Spengler family. From the way Dr. Raymond “Ray” Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) talks about the unseen enemy, it appears as though they’ve already encountered the said “ghost”.

This is what’s written as the description of the trailer;

In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.

The film is based on the 1984 film “Ghostbusters,” it’s directed by Gil Kenan, co-written by Jason Reitman & Gil Kenan.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will star Paul Rudd as Gary Grooberson, Carrie Coon as Callie Spengler, Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace, as the Spengler siblings; Trevor and Phoebe. Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Bill Murray will be reprising their role as the original Ghostbusters; Dr. Raymond “Ray” Stantz, Dr. Winston Zeddemore and Dr. Peter Venkman, respectively.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is scheduled to be released in the United States on March 29, 2024, under the Sony Pictures umbrella.

Nintendo developing a live action adaption of The Legend of Zelda

November 9, 2023

Nintendo has announced that they are developing a live action adaption of The Legend of Zelda.

The film will be produced by Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, who co-created The Legend of Zelda and Avi Arad, former head and CEO of Marvel Studios, now the Chairman of Arad Productions Inc., who has produced many mega hit films like ‘Iron Man (2008),’ that started the MCU; ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ and ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,’ as well as ‘Venom’ and its sequel, just to name a few.

Nintendo also announced that Wes Ball, will be the director of the film. Ball is known for directing all three Maze Runner film and the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

The film will be co-financed by Nintendo and Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., with more than 50% financed by Nintendo. The theatrical distribution of the film will be done worldwide by Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.

With the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it’s not surprising that Nintendo will be looking at their other IP and developing them into film franchise.

Sony unveil the Alpha 9 III – the world’s first full-frame camera with a Global Shutter

November 8, 2023

Sony has once again raised the bar with the release of the Alpha 9 III, its latest flagship mirrorless camera. The Alpha 9 III is the world’s first full-frame camera with a global shutter, which enables the camera to shoot at burst speeds at up to 120 fps with no distortion or camera blackout. The camera also boasts a newly developed 24.6MP stacked CMOS sensor, with the latest image processing engine BIONZ XR®, and an improved AI assisted autofocus system.

Global Shutter

The most significant feature of the Alpha 9 III is its global shutter. Unlike rolling shutters, which read the image sensor from top to bottom, global shutter full-frame image sensor enables the camera to shoot at burst speeds at up to 120 fps with no distortion or camera blackout. This eliminates rolling shutter distortion, which can occur when shooting moving subjects. It also allows for blackout-free shooting, which means that the viewfinder does not black out during continuous shooting.

Sensor, Processor & AF

The Alpha 9 III’s 24.6MP stacked CMOS sensor is designed to deliver high-quality images with excellent low-light performance. The sensor is paired with a new Bionz XR image processor, which is eight times faster than the processor in the Alpha 9 II. This allows for faster continuous shooting, as well as improved image quality and dynamic range.

The new Alpha 9 III is equipped with high-density focal plane phase detection AF. A Designated AI processing unit uses Real-time Recognition AF (autofocus) to recognise a wide variety of subjects with high precision. By combining high-speed performance of up to 120 frames per second with highly accurate subject recognition performance, it is possible to easily photograph decisive scenes and moments that cannot be captured with the naked eye4. The AI processing unit in the Alpha 9 III supports movies as well as stills with accurate subject form and movement recognition, providing a significant improvement in human eye recognition performance with Real-time Recognition AF and Real-time Tracking automatically recognising, tracking, and focusing on the eyes of a specified subject. The Alpha 9 III is equipped with 8.0 stops[v] of optical 5-axis in-body image stabilisation, allowing for high-quality image rendering.

Other Features

The Alpha 9 III is also packed with other features, including:

  • A high-resolution 9.44 dots Quad-XGA OLED electronic viewfinder
  • 2 million-dot multi-angle 8.0 cm (3.2-type) type TFT touchscreen
  • 5-axis in-body image stabilization system
  • 4K video recording at up to 60fps with 6K oversampling
  • Dual CFexpress Type A card slots

Product Image

You can find the full specs of the Alpha 9 III here. The Alpha 9 III camera will be available in selected countries in Asia Pacific from Q1 2024 with a retail price of $5,999.

Stephen Curry and Jason Tatum named the NBA Players of the Week

November 8, 2023

After two weeks of basketball, NBA named Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Jason Tatum from Boston Celtics, as NBA Players of the Week of the 2023-24 season.

Stephen Curry

In their second week of the league, Stephen Curry helped the Warriors to a 3-1 week, where he averages of 30.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists. In just 7 games, Curry already made 40 3-pointers, the most in the league. Curry made his case of the player of the week after he torched the Pelicans with his 42-point, 5-assist, 5-rebound performance.

Jason Tatum

On the East side, Tatum powered the Celtics to be 3-0 this week. Stat-wise, the 25-year-old Celtic forward averages 30.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists over the first five games. Topping his performance with a 155-point win against the Pacers.

NBA announces that San Francisco Bay Area will host the 74th NBA All-Star 2025

November 8, 2023

Good news to all basketball fans in the Bay Area, since NBA has officially announced that the 74th NBA All-Star 2025 will be in San Francisco Bay Area at Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors. This will be the first time that the NBA All Star will be held at Chase Center, which opened in 2019.

NBA All-Star on-court events will tip off on Friday, Feb. 14 at Chase Center with NBA Rising Stars, an annual showcase for top rookies and second-year NBA players. On Feb. 15, the fourth NBA HBCU Classic Presented by AT&T will feature men’s basketball programs from two historically Black colleges and universities followed by State Farm All-Star Saturday Night which will feature the Kia Skills Challenge, the STARRY 3-Point Contest and AT&T Slam Dunk. NBA All-Star 2025 will culminate with the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 16.

You can watch the video below as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver make the announcement.

The 73th NBA All-Star 2025 will be in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Diana Zubiri posts photos of the original Sang’gres in full costume

November 7, 2023

Diana Zubiri just posted a photo to tease the fans of the original Encantadia. In the photo, we can see Diana Zubiri, Sunshine Dizon, Iza Calzado and Karylle in character, as Karylle’s guest for her Magpasikat 2023 performance.

Encantadia is a popular fantasy teleserye which first aired in 2005. It follows four sisters or sang’gre, played by Iza Calzado, Sunshine Dizon, Karylle, and Diana Zubiri, as they control their powers and manage their kingdom. GMA recently announced ‘Sang’gre,’ which is an Encantadia’ spin-off that will star Bianca Umali for the lead-role Terra.

Source: @dianazubirismith

Marvel release final trailer and movie poster of The Marvels

November 7, 2023

Three days before its release date, Marvel Studio release the final trailer of The Marvels and its film poster. The trailer started with clips from the first Capt. Marvel film and some of her scene in Avengers: Endgame, which believe it or not, was released 5 years ago.

We can also hear the voice of Nick Fury, Tony Stark/Ironman with Steve Roger with their “WHATEVER IT TAKES’ line in End Game. From there we can hear Carol Danvers/Capt. Marvel, on how even after destroying Thanos, the fight is not over and at the same time Thanos saying that there will always be someone who will continue his ‘work,’ which is, spoiler alert, to collect all six Infinity Stones and, and disintegrates half of all life in the universe.

Trailer

The clip then switch back to the new film, which features Brie Larson, Iman Vellani, and Teyonah Parris reprising their roles as Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau, respectively. The trailer also features the return of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and the introduction of Zawe Ashton as the villain of the film, who wears other half of Ms. Marvel’s bangle, and appears to have the ability to absorb any attack (power blasts) and bounce it back to its wearer’s opponent. Aside from the old clips that they used in the trailer, the final trailer teased that the film will also delve into “Multiverse” territory, which is the whole theme of Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universs (MCU).

Together with the final trailer, Marvel also release a new movie posters, which is an artwork by Liza Shumska;

Directed by Nia DaCosta and co-written by Nia DaCosta, Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik. The Marvels will star Brie Larson, who will reprise her role as Carol Danvers a.k.a. Captail Marvel, Teyonah Parris returning as Monica Rambeau, returning from the WandaVision series, Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel from the Disney+ series with the same title and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. The film will also star Zawe Ashton as Dar-Benn as the film’s baddie and Park Seo-joon as Prince Yan.

The Marvels will be theaters this Friday, 10th of November.

HONOR opens its first authorized store in Saudi Arabia

November 5, 2023

HONOR Saudi just open its first authorized store in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East earlier this month. The store is located in Al Hayat Plaza in Dammam, Eastern Region of the Kingdom. Those who visit the store’s opening day received special offers.

Here are some photos as posted by @HonorKSA;

Arm to acquire minority stake in Raspberry Pi

November 5, 2023

Arm announced that it had acquired a minority stake in Raspberry Pi. This investment is a significant development in the partnership between the two companies, which has been ongoing since 2008. Raspberry Pi has used Arm-based CPUs in all of its single-board computers (SBCs), and the two companies have collaborated on a number of initiatives, including the development of the Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller.

The acquisition of a minority stake in Raspberry Pi is seen as a strategic move by Arm. Raspberry Pi has sold over 40 million SBCs to date, making it one of the most popular platforms for IoT development.

The partnership will benefit to both companies; Arm gains access to Raspberry Pi’s large and active community of developers, which can help to accelerate the adoption of Arm-based chips in IoT devices, Raspberry Pi, in turn, benefits from Arm’s expertise in chip design and its global reach.

“Arm and Raspberry Pi share a vision to make computing accessible for all, by lowering barriers to innovation so that anyone, anywhere can learn, experience and create new IoT solutions,” said Paul Williamson, SVP and GM, Internet of Things Line of Business, Arm. “With the rapid growth of edge and endpoint AI applications, platforms like those from Raspberry Pi, built on Arm, are critical to driving the adoption of high-performance IoT devices globally by enabling developers to innovate faster and more easily. This strategic investment is further proof of our continued commitment to the developer community, and to our partnership with Raspberry Pi.”

“Arm technology has always been central to the platforms we create, and this investment is an important milestone in our longstanding partnership,” said Eben Upton, CEO, Raspberry Pi. “Using Arm technology as the foundation of our current and future products offers us access to the compute performance, energy efficiency and extensive software ecosystem we need, as we continue to remove barriers to entry for everyone, from students and enthusiasts, to professional developers deploying commercial IoT systems at scale.”

The acquisition of a minority stake in Raspberry Pi is also seen as a sign of Arm’s commitment to the open-source community. Raspberry Pi is a popular platform for open-source software development, and Arm has stated that it will continue to support the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s commitment to open source. Financial details of the deals was not disclose.

Marvel Releases First Trailer for Echo Series on Disney Plus and Hulu on Jan. 10, 2024

November 4, 2023
Marvel Releases First Trailer for Echo Series on Disney Plus and Hulu on Jan. 10, 2024

Marvel Studios has released the first trailer for Echo, a new original series coming to Disney Plus and Hulu on January 10, 2024.

The series stars Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez, a deaf Native American vigilante who is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship. Echo is a spin-off of the Hawkeye series, and will likely pickup where we last saw Echo in the series.

The trailer shows Maya struggling with her identity and her place in the world. She is haunted by the death of her father, and is determined to find out who is responsible. The trailer also shows Maya using her skills to fight crime and protect her friends and loved ones. We also see Wilson Fisk a.k.a. Kingpin surviving the gunshot by Lopez during Hawkeye and ending up blind in one eye.

Echo Series Poster

Echo is a highly anticipated series, and the trailer has generated a lot of excitement among Marvel fans, since appearing in the Hawkeye series. The series is expected to be one of the biggest Marvel Studios releases of 2024. Echo will debut on Disney+ and Hulu on Jan. 10, 2024.

Disney Plus to increase subscription plan in the Middle East

November 4, 2023

Disney Plus, the popular streaming service, has announced a price increase for its subscription fee in the Middle East. The new pricing will take effect starting 21 November 2023. This means all the existing users signed up on or before 17 October 2023 and set to renew every month, will be charged at the revised subscription prices starting 21 November 2023. If the payment fails, the billing retries that happen on or after 21 November 2023 will be billed at the new price.

The monthly subscription fee for Disney Plus in the Saudi Arabia increase from SAR 29.99 to SAR 39.99. The annual subscription fee will now be SAR 354.99. The price increase appears to be part of the company’s plan to “accelerate profitability for the business.”

Below will be the new price plan of Disney Plus subscriptions in the Middle East;

Compare to Netflix’s Standard plan of SAR 43/month, the new SAR 39.99/month price of Disney is still low.

Disney release first look image of Snow White and new release date

November 2, 2023

Disney just release the first look image of the live action remake of Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler as the beautiful princess and Gal Gadot as the evil queen.

The released image includes Rachel Zegler, who is in character with 7 dwarves. Disney originally announced that the dwarves would be reimagined as “magical creatures” without specifics but it appears that the “magical creatures” will be animated rather than using actual actors.

Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson wrote the screenplay for the film, Marc Webb is the director and Marc Platt is the producer. Together with the image, Disney also announced that the film’s new release date will now be March 21st, 2025, instead of the original date of March 22, 2024.

Source: Variety, CBR

Apple announces new 14‑inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 chips

October 31, 2023

Together with the new iMacs, Apple also announce the 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M3 chips, the 16-inch Macbook Pro will also be updated with the new M3 Processors. Aside from the refreshed Macbook Pros, Apple also release a new Space Black color for both the 14‑inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Both the 14‑inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro will share the following parts;

  • 14.2-inch (diagonal) Liquid Retina XDR display;1 3024-by-1964 native resolution at 254 pixels per inch
  • SDXC card slot
  • HDMI port
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • MagSafe 3 port
  • 1080p FaceTime HD camera

There are also a number of differences that buyers needs to consider when choosing between the 14‑inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro; The 14‑inch MacBook Pro will be available in M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max processors while the 16-inch Macbook Pro will only support the M3 Pro and M3 Max CPU.

Macbook Pro Keyboard view
Macbook Pro Side view
MacBook Pro Cover

The 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M3 CPU;

  • Color – Space Gray and Silver
  • CPU – Apple M3 chip, 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
  • GPU – 10-core GPU
  • Storage – 512GB or 1TB; Configurable to: 1TB or 2TB
  • RAM – 8GB unified memory; Configurable to: 16GB or 24GB
  • Battery – Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback and up to 15 hours wireless web
  • Ports – 2x Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports with support for: Charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40Gb/s) and USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s)

The 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro and M3 Max CPU;

  • Color – Space Black and Silver
  • CPU – Up to 12-core CPU with 6 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores
  • GPU – up to 18-core GPU
  • Storage – 512GB or 1TB; Configurable up to 8TB.
  • RAM – 18GB unified memory; Configurable up to 128GB (M3 Max with 16-core CPU)
  • Battery – Up to 18 hours Apple TV app movie playback and up to 12 hours wireless web
  • Ports – 3x Thunderbolt 4 ports with support for; Charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40Gb/s) and USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s)

The 16‑inch MacBook Pro with M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max CPU;;

  • Color – Space Black and Silver
  • CPU – 16-core CPU with 12 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
  • GPU – up to 40-core GPU Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
  • Storage – 512GB, 1TB; Configurable to 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB
  • RAM – 18GB, 36GB and 46GB; Configurable up to 64GB or 128GB
  • Battery – Up to 22 hours Apple TV app movie playback and up to 15 hours wireless web
  • Ports – 3x Thunderbolt 4 ports with support for; Charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40Gb/s) and USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s)

Both the 14‑inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro are now will be available with the follow prices;

  • 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 starts at $1,599 (U.S.)
  • 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro starts at $1,999 (U.S.)
  • 16‑inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,499 (U.S.)

Apple announces new 24-inch iMacs powered by M3 CPU

October 31, 2023

After announcing the new CPUs, Apple announces the new 24-inch iMac powered by the M3 chips.

The new iMac with M3 is up to 2x faster than the prior generation with M1.1 And for those upgrading from an Intel-based iMac, the new iMac is up to 2.5x faster than the most popular 27-inch models,2 and 4x faster than the most powerful 21.5-inch model.3 It also features an expansive 4.5K Retina display with 11.3 million pixels and over a billion colors, faster wireless connectivity, and a seamless experience with iPhone. Combined with its best-in-class camera, speakers, and mics, along with macOS Sonoma, iMac with M3 is better than ever — perfect for everyone, from families to small businesses, aspiring creatives, students, and gamers. Customers can order the new iMac starting today, with availability beginning Tuesday, November 7.

The new iMacs will be available in 7 colors; Blue, Green, Pink, Silver, Yellow, Orange, Purple with a starting price of $1299 for the iMac with 8-core GPU and $1499 for the iMac with 10-core GPU and 256GB SSD model.

Here are the key specs of the new 24-inches iMac.

  • 24-inch 4.5K Retina display
  • 1080p FaceTime HD camera
  • Apple M3 chip (8-core CPU and up to 10 core GPU)
  • Up to 24GB unified memory
  • Up to 2TB storage
  • Thunderbolt 3 digital video output
  • Native DisplayPort output over USB-C
  • 2x Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
  • Gigabit Ethernet
  • Two USB 3 ports (up to 10Gb/s)
  • Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
  • Bluetooth 5.3
  • Colors: Blue, Green, Pink, Silver, Yellow, Orange, Purple

You can checkout full specs of the new iMacs here.

Apple announces new M3 Family of Processors

October 31, 2023

In an event called ‘Scary Fast,’ Apple officially unveil the next general M-series processors; M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max.

The M-series processors based on a 3nm manufacturing process, which will allow Apple to pack more transistors onto a smaller die. This will lead to significant performance and efficiency.

The M3 is expected to be a direct successor to the M2 chip, which is currently used in the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac. The M3 feature an 8-core CPU, offers up to 35% faster than M1 for CPU performance, and a 10-core GPU, which is 65% faster than M1 for graphics. The M3 CPU supports 24GB of unified memory.

As powerful as the M3 CPU, the M3 Pro and M3 Max are expected to be even more powerful than the M3. The M3 Pro will feature a 12-core CPU and a 18-core GPU while the M3 Max will have 40-core CPU and a 16-core GPU. Both the M3 Pro and M3 Max will support up to 36GB and up to 128GB of unified memory, respectively.

In addition to the performance and efficiency improvement, the M3 family is also expected to bring a number of new features to the Mac. The M3 family will support AV1 decoding, which would allow users to watch high-resolution AV1 videos without using much battery life.

As more performance gains, the new M3 Processors also have an enhanced Neural Engine to accelerate powerful machine learning (ML) models. The Neural Engine is up to 60 percent faster than in the M1 family of chips, making AI/ML workflows even faster while keeping data on device to preserve privacy.

“Apple silicon has completely redefined the Mac experience. Every aspect of its architecture is designed for performance and power efficiency,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies. “With 3-nanometer technology, a next-generation GPU architecture, a higher-performance CPU, faster Neural Engine, and support for even more unified memory, M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max are the most advanced chips ever built for a personal computer.”

The M3 family will be powering new MacBook Pros and iMacs, which was also announced at the event, and is expected to be in the next generation MacBook Air and Mac minis, as well as future generations of Macs.

Bucks Star Giannis Antetokounmpo signs 3-years extension worth $186M

October 24, 2023

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has agreed on a three-year, $186 million contract extension with the team, announced on his social media accounts. The extension includes a player option for the 2027-2028 season. The deal will run through the duration of guard Damian Lillard’s contract and ends the possibility of him entering free agency in 2025. Bucks acquired Damian Lillard in a 3-team blockbuster trade this summer.

In a recent interview published on NY Times, Giannis said that we won’t sign any extension until he knows that the Bucks can continue to contend for a championship. This may have prompted the team to trade for Damian Lillard. Bucks as in a similar situation in 2020, where he signed a five-year, $228 million supermax extension, after the Bucks acquired Jrue Holiday from Pelicans. That same season, the Bucks became the NBA Champion, Giannis was named Finals MVP, after being awarded the regular season MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year award. Only two other player have ever won all 3 awards in the same season; Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon.