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Steph Curry powers Team USA for a Gold Medal Finish Against France (98 – 87)

The USA Men’s Basketball team, led by Steph Curry, has won the Olympic gold medal at the 5×5 Basketball tournament. Curry scored a team-high 24 points, making 8-of-12 shots from the three-point line, and added 5 assists. Teammates Booker and Durant each scored 15 points apiece, while LeBron James contributed 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists. James was also awarded the tournament’s MVP.

It was a dramatic finish for the Americans, as France mounted a comeback by scoring 7 straight points, cutting the United States’ 14-point lead to a single possession game, thanks to a Wembanyama tip-in. But then Steph Curry showcased his greatness with a dagger three-pointer, defended by two French players. He then celebrated with his trademark “Night night” gesture while returning on defense.

Victor Wembanyama led the French team with 26 points but lacked his usual defensive presence compared to the semi-finals against Germany. Guerschon Yabusele added 20 points for France, while no other player scored more than 9 points. Considering the number of young French players entering the NBA, future Olympic medal games could become regular showdowns between the USA, France, and Serbia.

It’s official realme 12 4G price starts at ₱13,999

RealMe Philippines has officially launched the realme 12 4G and the starting price will be ₱13,999 for the 8GB RAM + 256GB Storage model, at a realme Official Store or partner stores.

In a nutshell, realme 12 4G is a mid-range smartphone equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 processor, a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a high refresh rate of 120Hz. The device offers 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. In terms of camera features, the realme 12 4G has a dual rear camera system with a 50MP main sensor and a 2MP depth sensor.

For selfies, it has a 16MP front camera. Powered by a 5000mAh battery with 67W fast charging, the device runs on realme UI 5.0 based on Android 14. The realme 12 4G comes in two color options: Skyline Blue and Pioneer Green.

Specs

  • Display: 6.67-inches E4 AMOLED (FHD+), 2400×1080 resolution, 92.65% Screen-To-Body Ratio and 120Hz Refresh Rate
  • CPU: Qualcom Snapdragon 685, Octa-Core; 2x ARM Cortex-A73 Cores at up to 2.8GHz; 6x ARM Cortex-A53 Cores at up to 1.9GHz
  • GPU: Adreno 610
  • RAM: 8GB (Up to 8GB Dynamic RAM Expansion)
  • Storage: 26 GB (expandable via up to 1TB via microSD)
  • OS: realme UI 5.0, Android 14
  • Battery: 5000mAh with 67W SUPERVOOC Charging Adapter (80W SUPERVOOC Adapter Included in the Box)
  • Rear camera: 50MP Sony LYT600 OIS Portrait Camera, f/1.88, 4096×3072 (Standard); 8192×6144 (High Resolution Mode)2MP Mono Camera, f/2.4, 88.8° field of view (FoV)
  • Front: 16MP Selfie Camera, f/2.45,4640×3844 resolution
  • Connectivity: 4G LTE, GSM, WCDMA
  • Wireless: Wifi 5 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 5.0
  • Navigation: GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo and QZSS
  • Sensors: Flicker, Magnetic Induction, Dual Light, Proximity, Gyrometer, Acceleration and In-Display Fingerprint scanner
  • Audio: Hi-Res Dual Stereo Speakers, Dual Microphones (Noise Cancellation)
  • Ports: 3.5mm Headphone Jack, 2 nano SIM Cards OR 1 nano SIM Card + 1 microSD Card (Hybrid SIM Tray), USB Type-C Port
  • Dimension: 162.95mm x 74.75mm x 7.92mm (LxWxD)
  • Weight: 187 grams
  • Colors: Pioneer Green, Skyline Blue

Here’s the unboxing video the the company has published on their Youtube channel;

Steph Curry lead Team USA in a come-from-behind win over Serbia, advances to the Finals of the Men’s Olympic Basketball (95-91)

A Steph Curry exploding for 36 points, Lebron James triple-double and a 19-point game from Joel Embiid proved too much for Serbia to overcome, despite leading the game for the first three quarters (76-63). At one point, Serbia was ahead by as much as 17 points and seemed to be hitting every shot, especially from the 3-point line.

Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Serbian national team with 20 points, while Nikola Jokic added 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 11 assists. Aleksa Avramovic scored 15 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. However, as a team, they shot 38.5% from the 3-point line, especially in the final period when their shots started to miss.

As much offensive firepower as Team USA possessed, it was their defense that secured the win. Trailing by 13 points entering the fourth quarter, Team USA clamped down on Serbia, allowing just 15 points in the quarter after surrendering an average of 25.33 points in the first three quarters. Embiid and James made several stops that led to 9 fast-break points, and it was the bench players who helped turn the game around for the Americans.

Steph Curry led the team with 36 points and 8 rebounds, falling just one point short of tying Carmelo Anthony’s 37-point record at the 2012 London Olympics. LeBron James contributed 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, his second triple-double in the Olympics. The “crowd-favorite,” Joel Embiid, scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

Team USA will face Team France in the gold medal game this Saturday, August 10th, while Serbia will play Germany for the bronze medal.

realme C61 now in the Philippines

Realme Philippines has officially announce the C61 smartphone, a new member of realme C-series.

realme C61 is a 6.74″ HD+ LCD display (720×1600) with a 90.3% screen-to-body ratio and a refresh rate of 90Hz and up to 180Hz touch sampling rate. It is powered by Unisoc T612 Processor and ARM Mali GPU. It will have up to 6GB RAM and up to 256GB of storage that is expandable up to 2TB via microSD card slot. It will have 5000mAh battery with 15W quick charging adapter.

It has a dual rear camera with a 50MP AI Camera and a 0.08 MP, f/3.0 auxiliary lens. As for the front camera, it will have a 5MP selfie camera that supports CIF@ 30fps.

For coverage, the realme C61 will support 4G dual standby and support for Wifi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac. Not supporting 5G connectivity could be a deal breaker for some but it could also be the reason why the phone has a low price tag.

The realme C61 will be running realme UI (Android 14) out of the box. The C61 will be available in Sparkle Gold and Dark Green colors and the starting price will be ₱6,299.00 for the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage model.

realme C61 Dark Green

realme C61 full specs;

  • Display: 6.74″ HD+ LCD, 720×1600 resolution, 90.3% screen-to-body ratio and 90Hz refresh rate
  • Memory: 6GB (Up to 12GB Dynamic RAM Expansion) ; 8GB (Up to 18GB Dynamic RAM Expansion)
  • Storage: 128GB; 256GB (Up to 2TB expandable via microSD)
  • Processor: Unisoc T612 chipset, Octa-Core; 2x ARM Cortex-A75 Cores at up to 1.8GHz; 6x ARM Cortex-A55 Cores at up to 1.8GHz
  • GPU: ARM Mali-G57
  • OS: realme UI, Android 14
  • Battery: 5000mAh Battery with 15W Quick Charging Adapter (USB Type-C)
  • Dual-rear Camera: 50MP AI Camera, f/1.8, 80° FoV and 0.08 MP, f/3.0 ,(auxiliary lens)
  • Selfie Camera: 5MP camera with 2592×1944 resolution, f/2.2 apperture and 77° PoV
  • Connectivity: 4G LTE, WCDMA Bands 1/2/4/5/8 and GSM 850MHz/900MHz/1800MHz/1900MHz
  • Wireless: Wifi802.11a/b/g/n/ac (Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 4), Bluetooth 5.0, SBC, AAC, LDAC
  • Navigation: AGPS/GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo
  • Audio: single downward-firing speaker and single microphone
  • Ports: 3.5mm Headphone Jack, USB Type-C Port
  • Sensor: Magnetic Induction, Light, Proximity, Gyrometer and Acceleration
  • Dimension: 167.26mm x 76.67mm x 7.84mm (LxWxD)
  • Weight: 188 grams
  • Colors: Sparkle Gold and Dark Green

There will be a free TechLife Power Bank S101 (10,000mAh) and 2 years of realme Care support if you order on or before Aug 18th from realme tiktok shop you can also go to Shopee to buy the phone.

HONOR Pad X8a now available for Preorder in Saudi Arabia

Honor Arabia latest tablet is now available for preorder in Saudi Arabia. The HONOR Pad X8a is available for preorder for SAR 599.00. The tablet is discounted from its original price of SAR 749. Plus if you preorder before Aug 14th, you will get a free HONOR Pad X8a Cover and a 12 Months Screen Protection Service-Pad X8a, both are worth SAR228.

You can preorder the HONOR Pad X8a directly from HONOR KSA website.

HONOR Pad X8a

Here’s the specs of the HONOR Pad X8a;

  • Display: 11 inches TFT LCD (IPS) display, 1920 x 1200 resolution 16.7 million colors
  • CPU: Snapdragon 680 4G Mobile Platform, Octa-core 4*Cortex-A73@2.4GHz + 4*Cortex-A53@1.9GHz
  • Storage: 64GB/128 GB
  • OS: MagicOS 8.0 (Android 14)
  • Rear camera: 5MP camera (Fno2.2 AF)
  • Front camera: 5MP camera (Fno2.2 FF)
  • Connectivity: Wifi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz, 5GHz), BT5.1 Supported BLE, SBC, AAC, LDAC, OTG and USB Supported
  • Sensors: Accelerate, Ambient Light and Gravity sensor
  • Audio: 1xmicrophone, 4xspeaker, (HONOR Histen)
  • Dimension: 256.97mm x 168.46mm x 7.25mm (WxHxT)
  • Battery: 8300 mAh lithium ion battery
  • Weight: Approx. 495g (with battery)
  • Colors: Space Gray

Google TV Streamer Announced

Together with the discontinuation of the Chromecast, Google announced the new Google TV Streamer as the Chromecast’s replacement and a smart home hub for your Google Home and Matter devices.

Google did not provide much information on the device’s specifications, but we know it supports “up to 4K HDR @60 fps” videos with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. It will have Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2.4 GHz/ 5GHz) connectivity with Bluetooth® 5.1. It will have 4GB of RAM but only 32GB of storage, which is surprising considering it’s a streaming device.

Google TV Streamer Ports
The device will have a USB-C port for power/data, HDMI 2.1 (Type A), and ethernet for a more stable and reliable connection. Unlike the Chromecast, the new Google TV Streamer will be powered by the Android TV OS.

As a smart home hub, Google TV Streamer supports Matter and has a built-in Thread border router, enabling quick and secure connections for smart home devices like locks and motion sensors. Google TV Streamer is available in two neutral colors: Porcelain and Hazel (exclusively available on the U.S. Google Store). Its low-profile design allows it to fit neatly between your TV and media console, while still providing access to the handy ethernet port.

Beyond hardware, the new Google TV Streamer is AI-powered to personalize and curate content across all your subscriptions in one place. The device can also access your Google Photos to create unique screensaver art using generative AI.

Google TV Streamer is available for pre-order today, August 6, and will be available on September 24 for $99.99 from the Google Store and other third-party retailers.

Google to discontinue Chromecast after 11 years

Google, in a blogpost, announced that the company will be ending the production of Chromecast after 11 years and more than 110 million devices sold. The company explained that when they first launched the Chromecast, most, if not all, TVs were not as smart or integrated as today’s models, and they had few to no apps. The connectivity of these TVs was also limited.

Despite discontinuing production, Google said that Chromecast will still be available while supplies last. The search giant will also continue to provide software and security updates for the newer Chromecast models.

I still own the 2nd-gen Google Chromecast, and it still works perfectly. It’s the best, easiest, and most affordable way to convert a “dumb” TV into a smart TV and connect it to a smartphone.

Current Model: Google Chromecast with Google TV (HD)

When we launched Chromecast, most TVs had few (if any) apps, streaming was unreliable and complicated and connecting your TV to your phone, tablet or laptop was clunky and hard. Chromecast was our answer to this problem, a simple and affordable way to cast your favorite online content right on your TV screen. It was as easy as plugging in the device and hitting play. Chromecast’s small dongle form factor made it easy to hide behind a TV, and the affordable price made it accessible to millions and the perfect gift for many.

Since then, technology has evolved dramatically. Streaming and smart TVs abound. We invested heavily in embedding Google Cast technology into millions of TV devices, including Android TV. Android TV has expanded to 220 million devices worldwide and we are continuing to bring Google Cast to other TV devices, like LG TVs. Thousands of apps support casting, making it easier than ever to watch your content from your phone and tablet on the big screen. So we are taking the next step in evolving how streaming TV devices can add even more capabilities to your smart TV, built on top of the same Chromecast technology.

Ford announces Mustang and Bronco branded eBikes

Ford is partnering with N Plus North America Corp to manufacture and develop the Mustang and Bronco branded eBikes. Both eBikes are basically the same, except for some branding and minor aesthetic differences. Both eBikes will be using the Ford branded suspension system called G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain).

Both eBikes will also have a 750W Motor that offer a top speed of 28 MPH and 85Nm of torque. The motor will also have 4 modes; Eco, Normal, Sport, and Track (Mustang)/Baja (Bronco). With the 48V, 15Ah battery both Mustang and Bronco eBikes are capable of reaching 60 miles of range on a full charge. Both will also have a Aluminum alloy 6061 integrated handlebar with full color display and front light (2000Lm output, 180Lux). The frames of both eBikes are also made from Aluminum alloy 6061.

Ford Bronco eBike

As for the difference between the two; you will immediately notice the motocross-style rear linkage and trailing arm of the Bronco and the moto-style saddle, while the Mustang eBike will feature the Mustang’s iconic LED Sequential Taillights, “carbonized gray” paintwork, red “start” button, and distinctive pony badges. Mustang eBikes will be using  2.25″ Pirelli Angel Urban GT tires, while the Bronco eBike be sporting a 27.5″x2.6″ Pirelli Scorpion Enduro M Hardwall Tires.

Ford Mustang eBike

Neither eBikes will not come cheap; the Mustang eBikes will have a pricetag of $4,000.00 (USD) and the Bronco eBikes will be on the expensive side of $4,500.00 (USD). It’s unclear if Ford will be sell these two eBikes outside the United States but considering the high price of both ebikes, I’m not entirely sure if people will go and buy these new ebikes as soon as they become available in their market.

This article was first published on electrified.blog.

Kevin Durant passes Lisa Leslie as the USA’s All-Time Leading Scorer in the Olympics

Kevin Durant is now the all-time highest scorer in United States Olympic basketball history, passing Lisa Leslie’s record of 488 points. Durant’s total Olympic points is 494 points. KD lead Team USA in bagging the gold medal in 2012 London Games, 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and the 2020 Tokyo Games. He averages nearly 20.6 points in three Olympics.

This is what KD said regarding the record and emphasis that winning a gold medal in Paris is more important.

Lisa Leslie also gave Durant his flowers for passing her in the USA’s All-Time Leading Scorer list.

Kevin Durant is currently the 8th post for the scoring leading in Olympic basketball history and have a chance to the move to the top 5 of the All-Time Olympics Scorer. Assuming that Team USA will advance to the Gold Medal Game, KD just need to average 18 points for the next two games to over take Argentinian national team legend Manu Ginobili is fifth with 523 points.

The leading All-Time Olympics Scorer is Brazilian basketball legend Oscar Schmidt (1,093 points), he did it in 5 Olympic Games.

Semi-Finals Bracket for the 2024 Paris Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament

We are now down to 4 teams, this sets up the Semi-Finals Bracket for the 2024 Paris Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament.

Semi-Finals of the 2024 Paris Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament

  • USA versus Serbia
  • France versus Germany

How they got here?

Team USA are undefeated (4-0) and have been winning with an average 24.75 points margin. It be a rematch against Serbia, a team they played and defeated in the Group games. Serbia on the other hand, after getting the “L” from Team USA went undefeated including an overtime win against Australia in the quarter-finals. Serbia will try and avenge their loss as they try to win and eliminate Team USA in their coming rematch.

France with only one loss, advances to the semis after defeating/eliminating Canada – the second team that has the most NBA players in their roster. Spurs Rookie Victor Wembanyama was a defensive problem for the Canadians, grabbing 12 rebounds with 3 steals and this monster block on Dillon Brooks.

Germany, just like Team USA, are also undefeated, even after facing Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Greeks in the knock-out games.

Every semi-finals games of the 2024 Paris Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament will be this Thursday, August 8th at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France.

Team USA steamrolled Brazil to advance to the semifinals of the Men’s Basketball Paris Olympics (122 – 87)

Team USA advanced to the semifinals of the Men’s Basketball Paris Olympics after they defeated Brazil in the quarter finals.

The game which was decided by the end of first half after the Americans went on a 15-0 run finishing a dominant second quarter. In the second half, Team USA was never threatened as Brazil’s National Team could not cut the deficit to below 20 points.

Score by Quarter

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr Total
USA 33 30 31 28 122
BRA 21 15 35 16 87

It was a team effort for the Americans, with six players scoring in double digits. Led by Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker with 18 points, Team USA was followed by Anthony Edwards’ 17 points and 5 rebounds. Kevin Durant scored 11 points off the bench and passed Lisa Leslie (488) for most points all-time in USA Olympic history.

Game Stats via FIBA

Brazil led by Bruno Caboclo scored 30 points with 6 rebounds, Georginho De Paula added 15 points and 8 rebounds. No other Brazil players scored more than 9 points. Team USA will face Serbia in the semis this Thursday, August 7th.

Watch the first trailer of Terminator Zero, coming to Netflix this 29th of Aug

Watch the trailer of Terminator Zero, an 8-episode anime series from Netflix, set in the “Terminator universe.” The series follows Eiko, a resistance fighter sent back in time to stop Malcolm from launching an AI system that is designed to compete with Skynet’s war against humanity.

Trailer

2022: A future war has raged for decades between the few human survivors and an endless army of machines. 1997: The AI known as Skynet gained self-awareness and began its war against humanity.

Caught between the future and this past is a soldier sent back in time to change the fate of humanity. She arrives in 1997 to protect a scientist named Malcolm Lee who works to launch a new AI system designed to compete with Skynet’s impending attack on humanity. As Malcolm navigates the moral complexities of his creation, he’s hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future, which forever alters the fate of his three children.

Series Poster

Terminator Zero Poster

Terminator Zero is produced by Skydance, Japan animation studio Production I.G., and creator Mattson Tomlin. Tomlin, also serve as the showrunner and writer for the series. Terminator Zero will feature the voices of Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson, André Holland, Sonoya Mizuno, and Ann Dowd. Terminator Zero will premiere on Netflix this August 29th.

Realme Philippines to launch the realme 12 4G this Aug 10th

RealMe Philippines is set to launch the realme 12 4G this 10th of Aug. The realme 12 4G will join the already-available realme 12 Series 5G in the country. The phone was first announced last June and Pakistan.

Spec-wise the realme 12 4G is a mid-range smartphone that’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 685 4G chipset and a Adreno 610 GPU. It features a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate protected by a tempered high-strength glass. The display offers a 1080 x 2400 pixels screen resolution with 120Hz refresh rate and a 2,000 nits (peak brightness). The realme 12 4G will have a 8GB RAM and will be available in 128GB and 256GB internal storage.

The realme 12 4G will have a dual rear-camera system that’s compose of a 50MP f/1.88 Sony LYT-600 OIS camera sensor and a 2MP mono camera with f/2.4. It will have a 16MP f/2.45 selfie camera that supports up to 1080P 30fps video recording.

The realme 12 4G will have a 5000mAh (typ) battery that supports 67W SUPERVOOC charge. It will be running realme UI 5.0 (Based on Android 14) right out of the box. The realme 12 4G will be in two colors; skyline blue and pioneer green.

Realme 12 4G in Pioneer Green.

No pricing have been announced and we’ll get more details this Aug 10th. You can checkout the full specs of the realme 12 4G here.

Smart offers Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 and Galaxy Z Fold6 on the Signature Plan+ 1499

Just like Globe, Smart Telecom is also offering the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 and Z Fold6 via their postpaid plans. But compare to Globe, Smart is offering to not just for its postpaid subscribers but also for prepaid.

Both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and the Z Flip6 will be available to Smart’s Signature Plans+, Signature Device Plans and for Prepaid users.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

The Signature Plans+ for the 256GB model of Galaxy Z Fold6 will start at Plan 999 that will have 3 options; option 1 is a one-time cashout of ₱89,560, option 2 will be 0% installment for ₱96,200 and option 3 will be a down payment of ₱46,100 and a monthly installment of ₱2,000. Both option 1 and 2 will be a 12-months lock-in contract, while Option 3 will be a 24-month lock-in plan.

As for the Signature Device Plans for the 256GB model of Galaxy Z Fold6, it will also start with the Plan 999 but it will only have one option of a ₱82,800 one-time cashout.

For those planning to get the 256GB model of Galaxy Z Fold6 Prepaid plan, there will be two options; a one-time cashout of ₱100,699 and a 0% monthly installment for ₱105,990.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 is available in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB model. You can checkout the other Signature Plans+ and Signature Device Plans for the Z Fold6 by going to https://smart.com.ph/Postpaid/GalaxyZSeries6.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6

Just like with the Galaxy Z Fold6, the 256GB model of the Galaxy Z Flip6 will start with the Plan 999 that will also be available in 3 options;

  • Option 1 – One-time cashout of ₱58,200
  • Option 2 – O% Installment of ₱62,300
  • Option 3 – down payment of ₱30,000 and a monthly installment of ₱1,300

Both option 1 and 2 will be have 12-months lock-in contract, while Option 3 will be a 24-month lock-in plan.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 (256GB model) under the Signature Device Plans will also be available in the Plan 999 and will have a one-time cashout of ₱53,000.

With the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Prepaid, there will be two options; the one-time cashout of ₱67,499 and the 0% monthly installment for ₱70,990.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 is available in 256GB and 512GB model. There are other plans that you can available for the device by going to https://smart.com.ph/Postpaid/GalaxyZSeries6.

Source: @LiveSmart

Globe now offers Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 and Z Fold6 on Postpaid Plans

Globe telecom just announced that Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 and Z Fold6 is now available thru their postpaid plans.

The new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 will be available thru their GPlan 1799; a device cash-out of ₱40,600 for the 256GB model of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 and ₱47,600 for the 512GB variants. If the cash-out is too big for you, you can available of the 0% installment for the device, which will be spread throughout the 24 months lock-in period of the plan in addition to the ₱1,799 price of the plan;

  • ₱1,692 per month for 256GB model
  • ₱1,983 per month for 512GB model

For the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6, this will be under the GPlan 2499 and Platinum GPlan 4999.

Under the GPlan 2499 there will be a device cash-out of ₱63,700 for the 256GB model, ₱70,700 for the 512GB and ₱83,700 for the 1TB model. Just like with the Z Flip6, you can also available of the 0% installment (in 24 months) for the device in addition to the ₱2,499 price of the plan.

  • ₱2,654 per month for the 256GB model
  • ₱2,946 per month for the 512GB model
  • ₱3,488 per month for the 1TB model

As for the Platinum GPlan 4999, the device cash-out will be much smaller; ₱49,200 for the 256GB model, ₱56,200 for the 512GB and ₱69,200 for the 1TB model. If you will go to the 0% installment (in 24 months) route for the device in addition to the ₱4,909 price of the plan.

  • ₱2,050 per month for the 256GB model
  • ₱2,342 per month for the 512GB model
  • ₱2,883 per month for the 1TB model

Globe will be giving freebies worth up to ₱33,765 to those who will order the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and up to up to ₱15,889 for Galaxy Z Flip6. To know more about Globe’s offering of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 and Z Fold6, you can go here.

Carlos Yulo Wins Second Gold Medal in the Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Vault

After bagging the gold medal for the Men’s Floor Exercise, Carlos Yulo took home the gold medal for the Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Vault.

Carlo Yulo scored a convincing 15.116 points, over Armenian Artur Davtan’s 14.966 (silver) and the 14.949 (bronze) of Harry Hepworth from UK.

“Last night I couldn’t sleep. This morning I was so sleepy.. I slept in the bus, I slept after the podium training.” Carlos Yulo said. “I slept before going to the competition area… But I did it today.”

Carlos Yulo’s first vault was a standout, earning a 15.433 points. With a top-tier difficulty score of 6.000, he flawlessly executed a handspring double front half out in pike position, setting a high bar for the competition.

His second attempt, a Kasamatsu double twist, was slightly less perfect, but he managed to control his landing and scored a respectable 14.800 points. Yulo’s final score of 15.116 points is more than enough for him to take home the gold medal.

Here’s the Quarter-Finals Bracket for the 2024 Paris Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament

Now that the group stage is done, the Quarter-Finals for the 2024 Paris Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament are now set.

As the top seed, Team USA has drawn the most favorable matchup, playing against Brazil, which only has one NBA player on its roster.

The first game will be between Serbia and Australia, followed by USA versus Brazil. On the other side of the bracket, Germany will face Greece, and the host country, France, will take on Canada.

Aside from Team USA, Team Canada has the second-most NBA players with 10.

The Quarter-finals will be on August 6th at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France.

Team USA Sweeps Group Games after a convincing victory over Puerto Rico (104 – 83)

Team USA advances to quarter finals of the men’s 5 x 5 basketball tournament after defeating Puerto Rico in their last group game. The win also earn the USA men’s basketball team the top seed giving them the best possible matchup in the Olympic knockout games.

Six Team USA players scored in double figures lead by Anthony Edwards’ 26 points, Joel Embiid added 15 points and Kevin Durant chipped in 11 points and 4 rebounds. The game was highlighted by Edwards’ windmill jam early in the 4th qtr.

No other Puerto Rico player scored more than 10 points aside from Pelican’s Jose Alvarado with 18 points, Ismael Romero with his 12 points and 10 rebounds. Then Aleem Ford with his 10 points and 5 rebounds.

Team USA will face Brazil in the Quarter finals this 6th of Aug at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France.

Carlos Yulo bags Philippines’ First Gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Carlos Edriel Yulo etched his name in Philippine sports history by clinching the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Floor Exercise at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Yulo defeated Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat (silver) with a score of 14.966 points and Jake Jarman of Great Britain (bronze) with 14.933 points. Yulo’s score was 15.000 points, a mere 0.067 points difference between the bronze and gold medal.

Yulo’s gold medal is the Philippines’ second Olympic gold medal since Hidilyn Diaz won the weightlifting gold in the previous Tokyo Olympics. The Filipino gymnast still has a chance to win another medal for the Philippines as he is set to compete in the Men’s Vault Finals.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus Officially Announced

Nothing has officially announced the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus, a larger and more powerful version of the Nothing Phone 2a.

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus features a flexible 6.7” AMOLED display with a screen resolution of 1084 x 2412 (@395 PPI) and 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate. The display is protected by Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5.

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G SoC and ARM Mali-G610 MC4 GPU. The phone will only have 12 GB + 256 GB configuration and will be available in two colors; black and grey.

The phone will be running the company’s Nothing OS 2.6, which is powered by Android 14. Nothing also said that their mobile OS will have 3 years of Android updates and 4 years of security patches.

MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G

For its camera, the Phone (2a) Plus will sport a dual rear-camera system of 50 MP for the main and 50 MP Ultra-wide camera (F2.2, 1/2.76″ sensor and 114° FOV). As for the front shooter, it will also have a 50 MP camera with f2.2, a 1/2.76″ sensor and 81.2° FOV.

The Nothing Phone (2a) plus will have 2 high-definition mics and dual stereo speakers. It will be powered by a 5,000 mAh with 50W of wired fast charging. To checkout the full specs, you can head to Nothing.Tech.

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus Closeup

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus starts at $399/£399 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage trim. The company will launch the phone at their Nothing Store Soho on 3rd August. Nothing will provide further details regarding the market availability of the Phone(2a) Plus in September. The availability of the phone in Saudi Arabia is yet to be announced.

Source: GSM Arena

Team USA cruises past South Sudan, Qualifies for Quarterfinals (103 – 86)

Just like in their first game, Team USA demolishes their opponent showing no signs that they almost lost their exhibition game against the South Sudan Men’s National Basketball Team.

Led by Bam Adebayo’s 25 points and 7 rebounds, with both Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis adding 17 points apiece, the game was decided in the first half. Team USA went on a 25-4 run that started at the 5:30 mark of the 1st quarter, where the Americans trailed by 2 points, and ended at 8:07 of the 2nd quarter (33-14), building a 19-point lead en route to victory.

But the Sudanese stayed on course and was able to cut the 19-point lead to just 10 points in the 3rd period, thanks to the hot shooting of Nuni Omot (24 points) and Bul Kuol (16), both players made a combined 7 three-point shot out of the 10 that they shot. Aside from Omot and Kuol, South Sudan also got a lot of help from Carlik Jones, scoring 18 points and dishing out 7 assists.

Team USA will play against Puerto Rico, their last opponent for the group games, while South Sudan will face Serbia.

Expatriate Dependents Can Now Seek Employment in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has announced a new program allowing expatriate dependents holding dependent visas to find employment in the country, particularly in the healthcare and education sectors. This initiative aims to regulate the employment of dependents within the country without requiring a sponsorship transfer.

To apply for this free service, individuals can log in to the Ajeer platform, complete the required contract, and obtain a dependent’s permit. Eligibility criteria include the employer being registered and compliant with Ministry regulations, and the dependent being at least 18 years old with necessary qualifications.

The Ministry has also released a comprehensive guide outlining services provided to expatriates by various government agencies, including information on residency, healthcare, education, and more. This guide details all the services provided to expatriates by other governmental entities. The report includes services from the Ministries of Human Resources and Social Development, Interior, Health, Commerce, Education, Foreign Affairs, Municipalities and Housing, Justice, Media, Hajj and Umrah, Communications and Information Technology, Environment, Water and Agriculture, Tourism, and Islamic Affairs, as well as from the authorities of Zakat, Tax and Customs, Human Rights, Communications and Space Technology, and the Capital Market Authority, along with the Board of Grievances and the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA).

Source: Saudi Gazette, Okaz

Esports World Cup Draws Large Crowds

Esports World Cup is still on going and will not conclude until 25th August, so the numbers are still under wraps but as of today, the Saudi Press Agency is reporting that Esports World Cup, which is currently being hosted in Riyadh Boulevard City, saw a large number of “guests and visitors from Gulf and other countries.”

There are a total of 500 clubs from different countries and more than 1,500 players participating in the Esports World Cup, the largest event in the history of the gaming and esports sector.

via SPA;

Amer Al-Marri, a visitor from Qatar, expressed his fondness for the distinguished and global organization of the tournament, indicating that coming from Doha along with a group of friends was specifically to attend this global event. He praised the professional level of competitions thanks to the participation of skilled players and qualified teams around the world. The visitor also expressed his admiration for the atmosphere in the Boulevard Riyadh City, through various entertainment activities and events that fit everyone’s taste.

Mohammed bin Mubarak, a visitor from Bahrain, explained that he came with his brothers and other relatives to attend the Esports World Cup. He hailed the great efforts of the Kingdom in receiving the participants and the professional and wonderful organization of the tournament, noting that Riyadh has become a global destination for tourism, entertainment, and sports.

Aside from the usual spots in Boulevard Riyadh City, tourists also explored historical and tourist sites in Riyadh.

Ad agency and Wellspring issue Public Apology for the “Gil Tulog” Marketing Stunt

The ad agency and company behind the controversial “Gil Tulog” marketing stunt has issue an apology, this is after Puyat Clan files complaint against the ad agency for doing ‘Gil Tulog’ campaign.

Gigil, the ad agency behind the “Gil Tulog” campaign, said “Even as all the necessary permits and clearances were secured, our approach had resonated differently and so the campaign was immediately discontinued.” The agency ended their statement with “Our agency will be putting in place more stringent measures to ensure this does not happen again.”

Wellspring, who commissioned the marketing agency, also issued an apology saying;

We made a misstep in our campaign and we are sorry.
We recognize and deeply regret the insensitivity of our execution and we offer our sincerest apologies to the Puyat family, the Makati City government, and the public.
We have learned from this mistake and are committed to doing better.

Gigil is not new to viral videos and trending topics, since they are the company behind some of the most viral ad like the RC cola’s commercials and this Grab Ph Ad. And if you believe that there is not bad publicity, then Wellspring got their money’s worth for doing the marketing stunt no matter how short it is, they will forever be connected to Gil Tulog a.k.a. Gil Puyat Ave.

Russo Brothers to direct the next two Avengers films

Marvel’s Kevin Feige just announced that the next two Avengers films will be directed by none other than the Russo Brothers. The announcement was made at Hall H of the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC).

Together with the announcement of the Russo Brothers, Marvel also unveil the titles of the two Avengers films that the Russo Brothers will be directing: Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Both films will be released one year apart, on May 2026 and May 2027, respectively.

Anthony and Joseph Russo, collectively known as the Russo brothers, are credited with four Marvel films: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. All four Marvel films earned a total of $6.72 billion globally, so it’s not surprising that Marvel is bringing back the Russo Brothers to lead the team for their next two Avengers films.  

Team USA Routs Serbia Behind Durant’s Near-Perfect Game (110-84)

Team USA routed Serbia in their first group game at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kevin Durant delivered a near-flawless performance with 23 points, shooting 8-of-9 from the field, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. LeBron James added 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists.

It was a basketball clinic by the Americans, firing on all cylinders. Offensively, they shot 62% from the field, made more than half of their 3-point attempts, and tallied 24 assists. On the defensive end, Team USA recorded 3 blocks, 9 steals, and 39 rebounds. The team also forced Serbia into 13 turnovers, converting 25 points from those turnovers.

Nikola Jokic led Serbia with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 14 points and 6 rebounds. Serbia kept the game close in the first half, but the Americans pulled away when Serbia’s outside shooting cooled down. They made only 9 of their 37 attempts from beyond the arc.

Team USA will have a rematch with South Sudan, while Serbia will face Puerto Rico on July 31st.

Marvel unveil Robert Downey Jr. as the next Big Bad Villain of the MCU

At the San Diego Comic Con, Marvel announced that the next big bad boss the MCU is none other than Dr. Doom, which will be portray by none other than Robert Downey Jr. Dr. Doom will replace Kang the Conqueror, as the main villain of the MCU, played by Jonathan Majors, Majors was booted off the MCU after being convicted of misdemeanor assault by a Manhattan jury last December 2023.

Together with the announcement, Marvel also announced the return of the Russo brothers who will be directing the next two Avengers film aptly named “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.” It’s unclear if RDJ’s Dr. Doom will be a variant of Tony Stark, a result of the MCU Phase 5 – Multiverse Saga or the traditional Dr. Victor Von Doom.

Apple Maps on the Web in Public Beta

Apple Maps is now available on the web. Users can access Maps using their web browser to get directions, find places, order food, and explore cities. The service is currently in beta and available in English on Safari, Chrome, and Edge.

Apple also said that developers using MapKit JS, can link out to Maps on the web, so their users can get driving directions, see detailed place information, and more. Support for additional languages, browsers, and platforms will be expanded in the future.