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Public Investment Fund (PIF) launches Riyadh Air, a new national carrier to expand Saudi’s local and global aviation industry

March 15, 2023

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) just announced the launching of a new national airline Riyadh Air. Wholly owned by PIF, Riyadh Air will leverage Saudi Arabia’s strategic geographic location between the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, enabling Riyadh to become a gateway to the world and a global destination for transportation, trade, and tourism.

Riyadh Air will be chaired by His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of PIF, while Tony Douglas, will be its Chief Executive Officer. Douglas brings more than 40 years of experience in the aviation, transportation and logistics industries.

The newly established airline is expected to add US$20 billion to non-oil GDP growth, and create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Ramadan 2023 working hours announced for Saudi Arabia’s Private and Public Sector

March 15, 2023

Ramadan, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is just less than 10 days away and all workers in both public and private sector will have shorted working hours.

As announced by Saudi’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD), the working hours in the public sector will reduced to 5 hours a day, from 10 AM to 3 PM, while those working in the private sector, it will have a 6 hours workday, flexible time from 9 to 10 in the morning and 3 to 4 in the afternoon.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community.

Source: Saudi Gazette 1, 2

New cockroach species named after Pokémon

March 14, 2023

A newly discovered species of cockroach in Singapore have been named after a Pokémon. The name of the roach is Nocticola pheromosa first discovered during an insect survey in 2016 at a nature reserve to uncover the diversity of insects in Singapore. The cockroach was name after the Pokémon, Pheromosa.

In an article on Lee Kong Chian Natural History Muse (LKCNHM), Cristian Lucañas of the University of Philippines Los Baños, Museum of Natural History, and Foo Maosheng of LKCNHM, published a paper describing a new species of delicate cockroach, Nocticola pheromosa. The Pokémon Pheromosa was inspired by the freshly-moulted American cockroach, because of its pale body. The new species, together with the other cockroach under the Nocticola species, shares a similar features with Pheromosa such as their elongated appendages, reduced coloration and fast speed.

Both Cristian Lucañas and Etymologist Foo Maosheng share the same sentiments regarding people’s perspective on cockroaches and naming the new cockroach after a Pokémon will “change people’s perspectives on cockroaches and realise their value as part of a richer biodiversity.”

Foo also noted that “of attention is often given to other insects like butterflies, beetles and bees that are deemed more charismatic in nature. Cockroaches, on the other hand, face an ongoing stigma as pests that are viewed as off-putting. However, this delicate cockroach is not one to be overlooked! In fact, one might even appreciate how cockroaches administer their own kind of care to the environment—some assisting pollination while others facilitate nutrient cycling in the ecosystem.”

Source: LKCNHM

DICT announced that 44,298,445 subscribers registered

March 13, 2023

Department of Information and Communications technology (DICT) just announced that there have been a significant increase in the number of subscribers registering their SIM cards since the implementation of the SIM Registration Act. To date, a total of 44,298,445 subscribers registered their SIM cards, 26.22% of 168,977,773, which is the total number of mobile subscribers subscriber in the country.

Here’s the breakdown of all the registered subscribers;

  • Smart Communications – 22,673,630 registered or 33.35% of their 67,995,734 subscribers subscribers
  • Globe Telecom – 18,280,107 registered or 20.80% of their 87,873,936 subscribers
  • DITO Telecommunity – 3,344,708 registered or 25.52% of their 13,108,103 subscribers.

In their announcement, DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy thank the public for their cooperation in the SIM Card registration “The Department has been actively working with the PTEs to ensure that all SIMs are registered and verified. This initiative is in line with the government’s efforts to improve national security and curb the rising incidents of fraudulent activities, including scams and identity theft”

DICT Undersecretary and Spokesperson Anna Mae Lamentillo echoed the same sentiments and added the need to create a safe digital environment for everyone, to protect everyone’s personal information from being used in any illegal activity. Lamentillo said ““We appreciate the public’s cooperation in complying with the SIM registration process. With only a few weeks left before the April 26 deadline, we urge unregistered citizens to take the necessary steps to comply and to avoid any inconvenience. We assure you that your safety and security are our top priorities,”

For those who have not register, you can visit the official link of your respective provider to register your SIM Cards;

List: Winners of the 95th Academy Awards

March 13, 2023

The 95th Academy Awards which took place in Los Angeles on Sunday, 12th of March and broadcasted live on ABC television. The biggest winner is the film Everything Everywhere All At Once, which took home 7 awards including the Best Picture, Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh), Best Director (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), Best Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan), Best Supporting Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis), Best Original Screenplay (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) and Best Film Editing.

Another big winner is Brendan Fraser for taking home the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Charlie in ‘The Whale’ and Top Gun: Maverick for taking home the Best Sound award.

Below are the list of winners for this year’s Oscars;

  • Best Picture: Everything Everywhere All At Once
  • Best Actor: Brendan Fraser (The Whale)
  • Best Actress: Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once)
  • Best Director: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All At Once)
  • Related video: Nominees and Hollywood darlings dazzle on the carpet ahead of the Oscars ceremony (Dailymotion)
  • Best Supporting Actor: Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All At Once)
  • Best Supporting Actress: Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All At Once)
  • Best Original Screenplay: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All At Once)
  • Best Adapted Screenplay: Sarah Polley (Women Talking)
  • Best International Feature Film: All Quiet On The Western Front (Germany)
  • Best Animated Feature Film: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
  • Best Film Editing: Everything Everywhere All At Once
  • Best Cinematography: All Quiet On The Western Front
  • Best Costume Design: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
  • Best Visual Effects: Avatar: The Way of Water
  • Best Original Song: “Naatu Naatu” from RRR
  • Best Original Score: All Quiet On The Western Front
  • Best Sound: Top Gun: Maverick
  • Best Makeup and Hairstyling: The Whale
  • Best Documentary Feature: Navalny
  • Best Documentary Short Film: The Elephant Whisperers
  • Best Live Action Short Film: An Irish Goodbye
  • Best Animated Short Film: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

Notable winner:
Michael J. Fox for the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

Disney release the official trailer of the Little Mermaid with a new Movie poster

March 13, 2023
Disney release the official trailer of the Little Mermaid with a new Movie poster

Disney just release a new trailer of the live-action adaption of The Little Mermaid with a theatrical release date this 26th of May 2023.

The trailer is a 2 minute and 20 seconds trailer starts with Ariel (Halle Bailey) saving Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) from drowning after their ship collided with rocks. Then later we see Ariel being persuaded by Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) to “become a human” in order to be with the Prince. The last part of the trailer are different clips from the film most where we can hear Ariel signing the official theme song of the film – “Part of Your World.”

Together with the trailer Disney also release the latest movie poster of the film were Ariel is sitting on a rock surrounded by King Triton, Ursula and Prince Eric with all their aquatic friends.

The live action adaptation of the Little Mermaid is directed by Rob Marshall with screenplay by David Magee. The songs feature music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, and new lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The film is produced by Marc Platt, Lin Miranda, John DeLuca and Rob Marshall, with Jeffrey Silver serving as executive producer.

The Little Mermaid stars are;

  • Halle Bailey as Ariel
  • Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric
  • Daveed Diggs for the voice of Sebastian
  • Awkwafina for the voice of Scuttle
  • Jacob Tremblay for the voice of Flounder
  • Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina
  • Art Malik as Sir Grimsby
  • Javier Bardem as King Triton
  • Melissa McCarthy as Ursula

The Little Mermaid is the latest Disney property to get the live action adapation treatment and despite the controversy surrounding the casting it looks like the film will be a great one!

Yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus now available for Pre-Order in Saudi Arabia

March 11, 2023

The recently announced ‘yellow’ iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus is now available for pre-order in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The pricing of the Yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are as follows;

iPhone 14

  • 128 GB – SAR 3,799.00
  • 256 GB – SAR 4,299.00
  • 512 GB – SAR 5,299.00

iPhone 14 Plus

  • 128 GB – SAR 4,199.00
  • 256 GB – SAR 4,699.00
  • 512 GB – SAR 5,899.00

You can place your pre-order to your favorite retailers; Jarir, Extra, Xcite and Virgin Megastore.

Twitter Blue now available in the Philippines

March 11, 2023

Twitter Blue, the company’s premium subscription service is now available in the Philippines. Twitter Blue is an opt-in, paid subscription that adds a blue checkmark to your account and offers early access to select and exclusive features, like Edit Tweet, 1080p video uploads, Reader, custom navigation, Bookmark Folders, Top Articles and more.

Twitter Blue offers two price plan; An annual plan of Php 383.33 per month, which will be billed annually, and a monthly plan of Php440 per month.

Since the first roll-out of Twitter Blue, impersonation have been a problem by Twitter, it’s unknown how will this affect the problem if fake news in the country, since anyone with enough money and motivation can have their account verified and spread fake news.

Source: Yugatech

Apple officially announce the ‘yellow’ iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus

March 9, 2023

Apple has officially announce the ‘yellow’ iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. The yellow colorway will only for the non-pro models, unlike last year. The yellow color is an addition to the 5 colors; midnight (black), blue, purple, starlight (white), and red, when the iPhone 14 was first announced last September 2022.

This is not the first time that Apple released a iPhone color, last year they introduced the green iPhone 13, then the purple iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini, a year before.

Spec-wise, the yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will have the same components; Super Retina XDR display, A15 Bionic chip, up to 512GB of storage, Dual-rear camera system and 12MP front camera and up to 20 hours of battery life.

Colors of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus: midnight, starlight, (PRODUCT)RED, blue, purple, and yellow.

The new yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will be available to pre-order this 10th of March and will be in retail store starting Tuesday, March 14th. Pricing will be the same as well; iPhone 14 starting price will be $799 (US) and $899 (US) for the iPhone 14 Plus.

Michael Jordan’s Six NBA Championship Shoes are now on sale at Sotheby’s

March 8, 2023

Michael Jordan’s Six NBA Championship Shoes or popularly known as the “Dynasty Collection” are now on sale by Sotheby’s. The Dynasty Collection is composed of the six individual shoes worn and autographed by Michael Jordan on the night the Chicago Bulls captured each of the franchise’s six championships.

MJ’s six championship shoes consists of an “Infrared” Air Jordan 6 (1991), a “Charcoal” Air Jordan 7 (1992), a “Playoffs” Air Jordan 8 (1993), a “Bred” Air Jordan 11 (1996), a “Playoffs” Air Jordan 12 (1997) and a “Last Shot” Air Jordan 14 (1998). Truly the rarest collection of Air Jordans ever.

According to Mark Salzberg, chairman of the Certified Collectibles Group, the rarest collection of Air Jordans ever and “contemporary Ruby red slippers, only rarer.”

Sotheby’s is offering the Dynasty Collection via private sale and not in an auction, which means anyone could purchase the collection at any time upon the agreement between the seller and buyer. It is projected that figures could reach into the hundreds of millions.

You can read more about the “Dynasty Collection” in an article by Sotheby’s – The Dynasty Collection: The Complete Set of Michael Jordan’s ‘Air Jordan’ Six Championship Sneakers.

Source: Andscape

Happy Bear MilkTea, an authentic taste of bubble tea from Taiwan to Saudi Arabia

March 6, 2023

Craving for milktea?

If you’re in Riyadh, KSA you can checkout Bubble TEA, a milktea shop that started as a home business and now a full blown business with 4 partners around the country. Their shop in Riyadh is located in the Sulimaniyah district, less than 1 km from Prince Sultan Medical City.

This is their location via Google Maps – https://goo.gl/maps/esVNSkkax3RdX6rj7

Happy Bear MilkTea offers dine-in or take-out.

You can checkout their full menu here.

Huawei announces Nova 10 Youth Edition in China

March 6, 2023

Huawei just announced the Nova 10 Youth Edition, specs wise it looks similar to the specs of Huawei Nova 10 SE.

The Nova 10 Youth Edition features a Snapdragon 680 chipset for CPU, a 108MP main camera, and 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB storage. It features a 6.78-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display at 90Hz refresh rate. Nova 10 Youth Edition will have a 4,000 mAh battery slightly smaller than the one in the Nova 10 SE but with the same 66W fast charging. The Nova 10 Youth Edition will run HarmonyOS 2.0 right out of the box and will be available in Crystal Blue and Midnight Black colors.

Full Specs;

  • 6.78-inch FHD+ (1080 x 2388 resolution) @387 ppi with 90Hz refresh rate
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 680G 4G SoC/Adreno 610 GPU
  • 8GB RAM
  • 128 GB and 256GB storage
  • Triple-rear cameras; 108MP F1.9 High-Res Wide Camera, 8MP F2.2 Ultra-Wide Depth Camera, 2MP F2.4 Macro Camera, with LED flash, HDR, panorama
  • Selfie camera: 16MP f2.2
  • Dual-SIM Support
  • Network: GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / 4G LTE
  • WiFi 5 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
  • Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE
  • GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS
  • USB-C
  • Fingerprint side-scanner
  • HarmonyOS 2.0
  • 4,000mAh battery w/ 66W fast charging
  • Crystal Blue, Midnight Black

The Huawei Nova 10 Youth Edition will initially be available in China for CNY 1,699 or around SAR 920.00 for the 8GB + 128GB variant and CNY 1,899 (SAR 1028.16) for the 8GB + 256GB model. Local pricing is yet to be announce by Huawei.

Source: GSM Arena, Yugatech

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte slams PISTON and ACT for supporting “communist-inspired” transport strike

March 6, 2023

There is currently a week-long transport strike in the Philippines due to the government transport modernization program to phaseout dangerously dilapidated and old passenger jeepneys and vans with modern vehicles. The strike not only affected workers but students as well and forced schools to conduct online classes this week.

In a social media post, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte slams PISTON and ACT for supporting the week-long transport strike and calling it “communist-inspired.” VP Duterte pointed out that the strike “will hurt our learners, and the inconvenience that it may cause comes with an enormous price deleterious to learning recovery efforts — and this is a price that learners will have to pay.”

She added that “If you (PISTON and ACT) cannot understand our position, or refuse to understand our position, or even pretend not to understand our position, this is only because of your unbelievable propensity to push a hardline agenda that punishes the general public.”

Here’s full test of VP Duterte’s message;

The week long nationwide transport strike launched by various Philippine transport groups is their way to protest against the government transport modernization program, even with the promised government financial aid, a majority of drivers could not afford to purchase new passenger jeepneys due to the high price of the modern/new passenger jeepneys.

Apple plans to release a yellow iPhone 14

March 5, 2023

It appears we will see another yellow iPhone will be as reports of a yellow iPhone 14 and 14 Plus have been floating around the net.

In an article on macrumors.com, Apple plans to release a yellow iPhone 14 and 14 Plus this spring, which is according to a Weibo post shared by Japanese blog Mac Otakara. As with any report outside Apple, we need to take this report with a grain of salt, since it’s hard to confirm the credibility of the Weibo account.

According to numerous sources, Apple’s PR department is preparing a product briefing for next week. On Tuesday, March 8 of last year, Apple introduced new Green hues for the iPhone 13 series, so there is a potential the briefing is connected to the announcement of a new iPhone color, but the topic of the briefing has not yet been confirmed.

The last time Apple released a yellow iPhone was in 2018 and 2019, when the company release the iPhone XR and iPhone 11, respectively. So far, the yellow color appears to be exclusive to iPhone 14 and 14 Plus and it’s unclear if it will find its way to the iPhone 14 Pro line, since yellow is very similar to the gold color.

Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant in hot waters after flashing a gun in one of his IG live

March 5, 2023

Memphis Grizzlies All-Star guard Ja Morant is in hot waters after flashing a gun on in one of his Instagram Live Video. In an article by ClutchPoints, Morant posted an IG live early Saturday morning, he and his friends appeared to be in a nightclub when he flashed on what appeared to be a gun. The video have been taken down and social media accounts of Ja Morant are now inaccessible to the public.

Morant through his agent Jim Tanner released a statement; “I take full responsibility for my actions last night. I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down,” it read. “I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”

NBA is also investigating the incident and released the following statement via NBA spokesman Mike Bass.

Morant’s team also released their own statement stating that Morant will miss two games; Sunday against the LA Clippers and/or Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers;

The IG video is just one of the current issue that Ja Morant is facing, including the Washington Post report detailing Morant’s involvement in punching and threatening a teenager. The other incident was a confrontation with a mall security guard in a parking lot, as well as the red laser pointer incident with members of the Pacers last February 5.

PRC: Mechanical Engineering Board Exam Results with 62.17% Passing Rate

March 5, 2023

Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) just announced the Mechanical Engineering Board Exam Results. Out of the 6,070 examinee, 3,774 passed that exam, which is a 62.17% passing rate.

The top performing University is University of Science & Tech of Southern Philippines Cagayan De Oro with 100% passing rate, followed by Iloilo Science and Tech. University with a 97% passing rate.

The top 10 examinees are as follows;

  1. Reynell Villanueva Sanchez, Rizal Technological University – 94.90%
  2. Mark Francis Manalad Sedano, Technological University of the Philippines – Manila – 94.30%
  3. Jhon Maghanoy Crispino, Technological University of the Philippines – Manila – 93.95%
  4. Nikko Perez Martirizar, Iloilo Science and Tech. University – 93.50%
  5. Laurence Lee Pajarillo, Mindanao State University – Gen. Santos City – 93.35%
  6. Jayson Patrick Buenaventura Bantog, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and Eunice Durango Santiago, Rizal Technological University – 93.25%
  7. Jann Marino Lloren Labiano, Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Main – Sta. Mesa and Kyle Clouie92.90%
  8. Sescon Meseños, Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Taguig – 92.90%
  9. Neil Bartolome Piquero Maglinte, Central Mindanao University – 92.80%
  10. Jerson Cervantes Ocera, Technological University of the Philippines – Visayas – 92.70%
  11. James Estabillo Nuval, Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Main – Sta. Mesa and Karl Andree Baconga Olaivar, Xavier University – 92.65%

PRC encourages board passers to register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.

The date and venue for the oathtaking ceremony of the new successful examinees in the said examinations WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER.

Here’s the full text of the Official Mechanical Engineering Board Exam Results;

Kyedae revealed to fans that she has Acute Myeloid Leukemia

March 5, 2023

Twitch streamer and content creator Kyedae Shymko a.k.a. Kyedae, has revealed to her fans that she has Acute Myeloid Leukemia (cancer). Kyedae made the announcement on her twitter account in early hours of March 3, 2023.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults. AML if not treated gets worse quickly. AML is also called acute myelogenous leukemia and acute nonlymphocytic leukemia. There are a number of treatment for AML such as; cemotherapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy with stem cell transplant, targeted therapy and drug therapy.

Kyedae, whose real name is Kyedae Alicia Shymko, is a Japanese-Canadian Twitch streamer and content creator of 100 Thieves.

Saudi Arabia to celebrate Flag Day on March 11 every year

March 5, 2023

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud announced in a royal decree that the Kingdom will celebrate March 11 every year as a special day for the Saudi flag named “Flag Day”.

Here’s the full text of the royal decree;

The decree said that this is based on the value of the national flag extending throughout the history of the Saudi state since its founding in 1139 AH corresponding to 1727 AD, which symbolizes the testimony of monotheism (There is no God but Allah) in its middle which is the message of peace and Islam on which this blessed state was based; and the sword symbolizes strength, dignity, the height of wisdom and status. For nearly three centuries, the flag is a witness to the country’s unification campaigns waged by the Saudi state, and the citizens of this country have considered it as a banner of pride and lofty out of belief in the great importance of the flag as a manifestation of the state, its strength, sovereignty, and a symbol of cohesion, coalition and national unity.

Whereas, the 27th of Dhu al-Hijjah 1355 AH corresponding to March 11, 1937 AD, is the day when the Founder late King Abdulaziz endorsed the flag in the form that we see today fluttering with its great connotations that refer to monotheism, justice, strength, development and prosperity.

Xiaomi announces Wireless AR Glass at MWC 2023

March 1, 2023

Xiaomi just unveil the Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023, an unexpected device to announced at the event.

Xiaomi said that its AR glasses is a new prototype Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition, will weigh 126 grams and has a “retina-level” display. The company explained that when angular resolution or PPD (pixels per degree) approaches 60, the human eye cannot distinguish the individual pixel. The PPD of the Xiaomi Wireless AR Glasses is 58, which is the closest to AR glasses to meet this quality specification.

Instead of a built-in computing module, which make an AR Glasses look bulky, the Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition will connect wirelessly to Xiaomi 13 series phone or any phones that uses Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 Platform. The device is using Xiaomi’s own communication link to achieve full link latency as low as 50ms and 3ms1 with other smartphone devices.

Lei Jun, Xiaom’s Founder and CEO also explained;

Xiaomi is not only company dipping their foot in the AR Space, Apple have been preaching that AR is the next wave of computing and not VR, while Oppo is also showcasing its Air Glasses 2. which they launched in China last year.

The Xiaomi Wireless AR Glass Discovery Edition is only available for developers and no details have been provided on the price and how to get a hold on one of these device.

Realme official announce the Realme GT3 with 240W SuperVOOC charging

March 1, 2023

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Realme has announce the Realme GT3, a phones that can fully charge its 4,600mAh battery in just less than 10 minutes.

Aside from its ridiculous fast charging, the Realme GT3 is powered by Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 for CPU with up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB for storage. It will feature a three-rear camera that’s compose of a 50 MP (primary wide), a 8 MP (ultrawide) and a 2 MP microscope, it also have the “Pulse Interface,” a little RGB lighting rectangle that is adjacent to the rear cameras. The “Pulse Interface” can light up in different colors for notification, charge indicator, as well as for incoming calls and count down timer for camera shot. The front shooter on the other hand is a 16 MP wide camera.

The Realme GT3 will have a 6.74 AMOLED display with 1B colors, at 144Hz, which make the phone ideal for gaming. Just like with newer Android phones, Realme removed the 3.5mm audio jack and it will have an under-display fingerprint scanner for its biometrics.

The Realme GT3 will have a starting price of $650 for an 8/128GB model, making it the cheapest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 phones available. Going back to its fast charging, Realme explained that their “special sauce” for fast charge is the three “industry first” charging technologies. The Realme GT3 uses three 100W charging chips to achieve 98.5% transfer efficiency during charging. The power comes from a dual GaN charger that is the same size as Realme’s 150W charger from its previous smartphones, and third, is the first 12A USB cable since no one needed to push that much current over USB before.

Source: GSW Arena, RealMe

Golden State Warriors rally from 23-down to beat the Portland Trail Blazers

March 1, 2023

Golden State Warriors just won on what could be a start of a run by beating the Portland Trail Blazers, after being down by 23 points in the first half. Led by Jordan Poole’s 29 points, six assists and five rebounds, and Klay Thompson’s 23 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assist and a steal. The Warriors also survived a hot-start by Lillard, contributing 25 points and seven assists, after scoring a franchise record of 71 points in the previous game against the Rockets.

Warriors made their comeback in the 3rd quarter after holding the Blazers to just 17 points in the quarter and at the same time making 39-points. Their 3rd quarter run was energized by Jonathan Kuminga’s high-flying one-handed dunk from the middle lane.

Draymond Green returned from a two-game absence with a bruised right knee, Andrew Wiggins still out due to family issued, while Steph Curry is expected to return this Thursday, against the Clippers after working out with Santa Cruz Warriors in G League.

Six Warriors players scored in the double-digits and the team are 40% from the three-point line. Steve Keer said during the post game press conference “It just feels like we’re coming together. Like there’s some chemistry. Some energy that’s forming,” which is a good sign, since the team have bene struggling the whole season.

Warriors will host the Clippers on Thursday night, while the Blazers will face New Orleans this Wednesday evening to complete their road-home back-to-back.

Lea Salonga joins cast of Broadway musical ‘Here Lies Love’

February 28, 2023

Lea Salonga just announced on her social media accounts that she will be joining the cast of the Broadway musical ‘Here Lies Love.’ According to wikipedia, Here Lies Love is a biographical “poperreta” musical, based on the concept music album by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim. The concept album is based on David Byrne’s research on the life of former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos.

Lea Salonga will play Aurora Aquino and as Broadway producer, for a five-week run from July 11 to August 13. For those who are not familiar, Aurora Aquino is the second wife of Benigno Aquino Sr. and mother of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.

DICT welcomes Starlink to the Philippines

February 26, 2023

Two days after Starlink announced it availability in the Philippines, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) posted a message on their facebook page welcoming Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellite Internet.

DICT posted;

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) today announced that Starlink of Elon Musk’s SpaceX is now in the Philippines, the first country in Southeast Asia to enjoy its services that promises to provide download speeds of up to 200 Mbps.
DICT Secretary Ivan John E. Uy said that Starlink’s entry to the Philippines will be a gamechanger, stressing that Starlink will augment and complement existing broadband capacities, enabling faster broadband speed and better connectivity, particularly in areas where connectivity has been difficult or impossible.
“In welcoming this new technology that is Starlink, our BroadBand ng Masa can now provide free high-speed internet access to our geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas in the Philippines, ensuring that no Filipino will be left behind,” said Uy.
With its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network constellation, Starlink can improve internet access in unserved and underserved areas in the country.
As of February 2023, Starlink is comprised of over 3,580 operational satellites. But the company aims to have as many as 40,000 satellites to be able to deliver high-speed, low-cost internet to remote regions across the globe.

Starlink is a division of Elon Musk’s SpaceX that provides broadband internet using low Earth orbit satellites. Starlink offers a download speed up to 200mbps on a ₱2,700.00 per month subscription. The only disadvantage is that Starlink does not provide any subsidy for its hardware, since you need to pay ₱29,320, compare to local provider that offers free hardware as long as you have contract commitment.

President Bong Bong Marcos Jr. posted a message of “reconciliation” on the 37th anniversary of EDSA Revolution

February 25, 2023

On the 37th Anniversary of EDSA revolution a.k.a. People Power Revolution, President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Jr. posted a message on his personal social media account, offering a “hand of reconciliation.”

He said;

As we look back to a time in our history that divided the Filipino people, I am one with the nation in remembering those times of tribulation and how we came out of them united and stronger as a nation.

I once again offer my hand of reconciliation to those with different political persuasions to come together as one in forging a better society — one that will pursue progress and peace and a better life for all Filipinos.

The 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution is known around the world as a bloodless revolution where millions of Filipinos gathered along the main arteries of Metro Manila which led to the ouster of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. due to fact that the Philippines have been under martial law for 14 years and the poverty rate rose from 41% in the 1960s to 59% right before he was removed from power.

During the 14 years of being under Martial Law, there have been 3,257 known extrajudicial killings, 35,000 documented tortures, 77 forced disappearances, and 70,000 incarcerations.

It was the assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr. that triggered the uprising of the Filipino and led to the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution and the rest as they say is history.

For more reading regarding 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution, you can go here, here and here.

Nokia announces its latest entry level smartphone – the Nokia C02

February 25, 2023

Ahead of this year’s MWC that will be held in Spain, HMD the maker of Nokia smartphone, just announce their latest entry level smartphone, the Nokia C02. The phone features a removable battery, IP52 rating and a headphone jack.

The Nokia C02 features a 5.45-inch display with FWVGA+ resolution and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The Nokia C02 features a 2 MP front facing camera and a single 5 MP rear camera. The phone is made out of a polycarbonate frame and the replaceable 3,000 mAh battery will have a nano-texture. The C02 have a dual SIM slots and a microSD card slot to expand its 32 GB storage up to 256 GB. The phone will also have 2 GB of RAM.

On the software side, the Nokia C02 will be running the Go edition of Android 12 and will receive two years of security updates. Colors for the Nokia C02 will be Dark Cyan and Charcoal colors. The pricing and availability will be announce locally.

Source: Nokia, Yugatech

Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellite Internet now available in the Philippines

February 22, 2023
Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellite Internet now available in the Philippines

It’s official, Elon Musk’s Starlink ISP is now available in the Philppines. The announcement was made by Starlink’s official twitter account.

The monthly fees for the service is only ₱2,700.00 but the hardware, the Starlink Kit will cost ₱29,320, a bit pricey for hardware will include a self-orienting Starlink phased array antenna, WiFi router, cables and base. It promises to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband internet and a download speeds up to 200 Mbs.

In an archipelago like the Philippines, a space-based internet provider is the most ideal, since you do not need to invest in any cell sites and cables. It’s still unknow how’s the performance of Starlink in the Philippines and since it’s summer in the country, those who ordered it will be able to get a good connection.

Jordan Brand announces Jayson Tatum’s First Signature Shoe – the Tatum 1

February 21, 2023

Jordan Brand just announced the first signature shoes of Boston forward Jason Tatum – the Tatum 1. In their official announcement, the Tatum 1 is the lightest performance shoe in Jordan Brand’s performance line this season.

The Tatum 1 is built out of a lightweight, strong TPU frame, the shoe is wrapped by a ground-contact foam that also acts as an integrated traction pattern, with minimal rubber on the toe and ball of the foot for Tatum’s predominantly forefoot game. This detail allowed designers to cut back on the weight of the shoe while also providing tight court feel. A large, uncaged Zoom Air bag in the forefoot helps provide high energy return without sacrificing court feel. The mesh knit upper is strong yet lightweight, while the collar is padded for ankle support.

The Zoo Colorway Zoom Air Sole
The Zoo Colorway TPU frame
The Zoo Colorway Mesh Finish
The Zoo Colorway
The St. Louis Colorway
The Pink Lemonade Colorway
The Barbershop Colorway

The shoe will also include as an apparel collection; hoodies and tees for men, women and kids, inspired by the Zoo and Barbershop colorways of the Tatum 1. The Tatum 1 will be available at Nike.com and at select Jordan retailers for $120, this 7th of April in full family sizing.

Jason Tatum wore the Tatum 1s at the 2023 NBA All Star Games, he was later named the 2023 Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP and scored a new All-Star record 55 points.

Source: Nike

Netflix Philippines announces new pricing for Basic and Standard Plan

February 21, 2023
Netflix Philippines announces new pricing for Basic and Standard Plan

Netflix Philippines just announced a new pricing for its Basic and Standard Plan in the country that will take effect this 21st of February 2023.

From ₱369 per month, the new price for the Basic Plan will now be ₱249 per month, and Standard Plan will now be ₱399 from ₱459 per month. The new price changes will apply to both new and current subscribers. The Basic and Standard Plan are basically the same plan except that the Standard Plan will offer Full HD (1080P) resolution, while the Basic Plan only have HD (720P).

The price adjustment appears to be Netflix PH answer to the increasing competition in the country, since subscription to other streaming service available in the Philippines offer a much lower monthly plan.