Here’s something for the gamers, the Sony PlayStation Portal Remote Player is now available for pre-order in Saudi Arabia.
First announced last August, The Sony PlayStation Portal Remote Player is more of an accessories to the PS5, since you can use the device to stream and play PS5 games from your console to the PlayStation Portal. The Portal connects to the PS5 via Wi-Fi and supports all PS5 games that are compatible with Remote Play. This includes both first-party and third-party games, as well as VR games. The Portal also includes a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired audio.
You can pre-order your Sony PlayStation Portal Remote Player from Extra and Sony World, for SAR 949 or around ₱14,000.00. Customers who will pre-order the Sony PlayStation Portal Remote Player will receive their devices by February 2024.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Messenger, just announced that it is rolling-out end-to-end encryption on 1-on-1 chats and calls on Messenger. End-to-end encryption have always been available on Messenger but this roll-out the company is making end-to-end encryption on Messenger by default. End-to-end encryption means that only you and the other person you are sending the message to, can see the messages and calls, not even Meta can view them.
Loredana Crisan, Head of Messenger explains;
Since 2016, Messenger has had the option for people to turn on end-to-end encryption, but we’re now changing private chats and calls across Messenger to be end-to-end encrypted by default. This has taken years to deliver because we’ve taken our time to get this right. Our engineers, cryptographers, designers, policy experts and product managers have worked tirelessly to rebuild Messenger features from the ground up. We’ve introduced new privacy, safety and control features along the way like delivery controls that let people choose who can message them, as well as app lock, alongside existing safety features like report, block and message requests. We worked closely with outside experts, academics, advocates and governments to identify risks and build mitigations to ensure that privacy and safety go hand-in-hand.
Aside from the end-to-end encryption, new features have been introduce to Messenger like Editing messages that are sent, Set a message to disappear after 24 hours, read receipt control, photos and video upgrades, speed control on voice messaging and additional security technology to make the Messenger platform more secure.
Song: Love Is A Long Road
Artist: Tom Petty
Written by Thomas Earl Petty and Michael W. Campbell
Published by Universal Music Works on behalf of Wild Gator Music (GMR) and Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Gone Gator Music (ASCAP) and NotoriousJBPSongs (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Universal Music Enterprises, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
The trailer confirmed a number of rumors surrounding the game, first is that it confirmed the first female protagonist ala Bonnie and Clyde, then the release of the game which will be in 2025 and that the game will be available in both PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
The GTA VI is the eighth main Grand Theft Auto game, following Grand Theft Auto V, and the sixteenth entry overall. The game have been in development for 10 years.
Apple is once again partnering with (RED) to raise awareness and funds for the fight against HIV/AIDS. In line this with this, Apple has release the new Apple Watch Series 9 (PRODUCT) RED, it’s the new Apple Watch Series 9 but everything in RED.
The Apple Watch Series 9 (PRODUCT) RED will include a new palette and solar analog watch faces in red, joining Metropolitan, World Time, Numerals Mono, Gradient, Stripes, and Typograph in a collection of specially customized watch faces celebrating World AIDS Day.
Aside from the portion of the sales of (PRODUCT) RED that goes in goes directly to the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS. Apple also said that the starting December 1 to 4, App Store will donate all proceeds from select, exclusive in-app purchases for three amazing games — MONOPOLY GO!, Gardenscapes, and EA Sports FC Mobile — to the Global Fund, including playful avatars, cool shields, and star soccer players.
Additionally, starting on December 1st until December 8, Apple will donate $1 for every purchase made using Apple Pay on apple.com, through the Apple Store app, or at an Apple Store location.
Amazon just announced Q, a generative AI-powered assistant that aims to “answers to pressing questions, solve problems, generate content, and take actions using the data and expertise found in your company’s information repositories, code, and enterprise systems.”
From their press release;
Amazon Q provides information and advice to employees to streamline tasks, accelerate decision making and problem solving, and help spark creativity and innovation at work. Designed to meet enterprise customers’ stringent requirements, Amazon Q can personalize its interactions to each individual user based on an organization’s existing identities, roles, and permissions. Additionally, Amazon Q never uses business customers’ content to train its underlying models. Amazon Q brings generative AI-powered assistance to customers building on AWS, working internally, and using AWS applications for business intelligence (BI), contact centers, and supply chain management to help organizations of all sizes and across industries use generative AI safely. Amazon Q is available to customers in preview, with Amazon Q in Connect generally available and Amazon Q in AWS Supply Chain coming soon.
Amazon Q will compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard and Microsoft’s Copilot, which is also powered ChatGPT. Amazon Q will be available in 2 Pricing plan; Amazon Q Business for $20/month/user, while the Amazon Q Builder will be $25/month/user.
Ayaneo has officially launched their latest handheld gaming PC – the Ayaneo Slide, the first handheld gaming PC from Ayaneo to feature a full keyboard.
The Ayaneo Slide is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U cpu. with 6-inch 1080p IPS display, It also has a full QWERTY (RGB) keyboard, a QWERTY physical RGB keyboard will appear when you sliding the display up, similar to the Sidekick. The Ayaneo Slide also features a touchpad, and a hall-sensing joystick with up to 64 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 4TB M.2 NVMe SSD for storage.
OS: Windows 11 Home with AYASpace 2 Software Manager
Dimension: 226 x 90 x 28.5mm (37.5mm at controller)
Weight: 650g
Battery: 46.2Wh battery
Colors: Sunrise White, Bright Black
The Ayaneo Slide will allow you to access and download games from various game platforms, including but not limited to Steam, Xbox, Origin, Epic, and Ubisoft Connect. The Ayaneo Slide is available for pre-order now on Indiegogo. The starting price is US$899 for the 16GB + 512GGB model and US$1,5999 for the 64GG + 4TB variants. A special discount will available to those who will preorder the Ayaneo Slide.
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.
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.
يسرنا أن نعلن عن افتتاح أول متجر معتمد لـ HONOR في #السعودية والشرق الأوسط يوم الأربعاء الموافق 1 نوفمبر, والذي سيكون مقره في مدينة الدمام بالحياة بلازا. يسعدنا ويشرفنا زيارتكم والحصول على عروض خاصة بمناسبة الافتتاح#HONORpic.twitter.com/bt8J8yCYJT
افتتحت HONOR أولى متاجرها في #السعودية بالدمام لتعزيز تجربة المستخدمين والتزاماً منها بتقديم أحدث المنتجات, ويأتي هذا الافتتاح تلبية لاحتياجات المستهلكين في المملكة. واستمتع الحضور بالعروض الترويجية المقدمة بمناسبة الافتتاح والتي مازالت مستمرة لرواد المتجر خلال الأيام القادمة pic.twitter.com/OrqwpdFJyN
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.
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 viewMacbook Pro Side viewMacBook 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.)
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.
OPPO has officially announce the Find N3, the first horizontal foldable by the company to be available outside China. The Find N3 features a number of improvements over the previous generation, including a more powerful processor, a larger and brighter display, and a better camera system.
The Find N3 is powered by the Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which is the fastest mobile processor on the market. The phone also has 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of storage.
The Find N3 has a 7.82-inch AMOLED display on the inside and a 6.31 inches display on the outside. The inner display has a resolution of 2440 × 2268 pixels and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The outer display has a resolution of 2484 × 1116 pixels and a refresh rate of 120Hz, Min 10Hz.
The Find N3 has a triple-lens rear camera system with a 48MP Sony LYTIA-T808 “pixel stacked” sensor, 48MP sensor ultrawide lens with autofocus and then 64MP zoom camera sensor with a 3x 70mm f/2.6 stabilized periscope lens. AS for the front shooters, the OPPO Find N3 uses dual-selfie cameras; 20MP Main screen and 32MP for cover screen.
The Find N3 runs ColorOS 13.2, which is based on Android 13. The phone has a 4805mAh battery that supports 67W SUPERVOOC 2.0, SUPERVOOC, VOOC 3.0, PD3.0 (9V/2A) fast charging. You can find the full specs here.
The OPPO Find N3 is available Classic Black and Champagne Gold colors. Even though the device was launched globally, it will initially be available in Singapore for SGD 2,399 (SAR 6,552.67, converted). Preoders will be open tomorrow October 20, 2023.
Xeleqt AI, a startup that develops artificial intelligence-powered solutions for the financial industry, has won the Grand Prize at the Start-up Innovation Challenge at the PH Digicon 2023.
Xeleqt AI is an IoT-enabled business-to-employee platform that helps businesses automate their operations, improve productivity and services. The company’s platform is already being used by a number of leading companies in the Philippines and around the world.
Together with Xeleqt AI, Mylo Speech Buddy and Vison Technologies won the contest, placing 1st and 2nd runner-ups, respectively.
The winners of the Start-up Innovation Challenge receive a number of prizes like; cash prizes of Php250,000 (1st), Php200,000 (2nd) and Php150,000 (3rd); mentorship, and access to resources and support from PLDT Enterprise and Smart Communications.
Xeleqt AI wins the Grand Prize at the Start-up Innovation Challenge at #PHDigicon2023!
Congratulations as well to Mylo Speech Buddy and Vison Technologies for winning 1st and 2nd runner-ups, respectively.
The PH Digicon is the largest digital technology conference in the Philippines. The conference brings together leaders from the government, industry, and academia to discuss the latest trends and developments in digital technology.
Intel has officially announced the launch of its 14th Generation Core desktop processors. The new lineup, based on the refreshed Raptor Lake architecture, includes the Core i9-14900K/KF, the Core i7-14700K/KF, and the Core i5-14600K/KF2.
The 14th Gen Core desktop processors come in a variety of configurations, delivering up to 24 cores and 32 threads and up to 6 GHz of frequency right out of the box. The top-of-the-line Core i9-14900K processor has a boost frequency of up to6 GHz speeds, making it the fastest desktop processor from Intel to date.
In addition to the performance improvements, the 14th Gen Core desktop processors also include a number of new features, such as support for DDR5 5600 and DDR4 3200 memory speeds. The processors also feature Intel’s new Thread Director technology, which intelligently allocates workloads to the right cores at the right time.
The new 14th gen chips will feature integrated support for Wi-Fi 6/6E and Bluetooth 5.3, as well as discrete support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.42. There is also support for Thunderbolt 4 as well as upcoming Thunderbolt 5 wired connectivity – supporting up to 80 Gbps of bi-directional bandwidth.
Let your imagination run wild and create something revolutionary with the new #IntelCore 14th Gen Processors—our best desktop processor to date.
Intel Core 14th Gen desktop processors will be available at retail outlets and via OEM partner systems starting Oct. 17, 2023. They will be compatible with existing 600/700-series motherboards.
Pricing for the new Intel Core 14th Gen desktop processors will be the same as the previous generations, Core i9-14900K at $589, Core i7-1700K at $409, and the Core i5-14600K for $319.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) confirms that a cybersecurity incident involving the House of Representatives (HOR) website occurred on Sunday, 15 October 2023.
The HOR immediately put the website offline to prevent further unauthorized access and reported the incident to the DICT – Philippine National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-PH).
CERT-PH is conducting an investigation to determine if sensitive data has been exfiltrated by the threat actor.
Recommendations were likewise provided to the HOR IT Team to prevent future security breaches on their website.
The DICT informs the public that the HOR website shall be online soon with its security vulnerabilities already addressed.
The next stages of the investigation on the incident, which include threat actor attribution and case build-up, shall be pursued by the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, in coordination with our law enforcement agencies.
The DICT reaffirms its commitment to be an active partner of government agencies as they fulfill the primary responsibility of safeguarding their own ICT systems and infrastructure against cyber threats.
By:
Renato A. Paraiso
Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs
DICT Spokesperson
pio@dict.gov.ph
At the sametime, DICT also release a Tagalog version of their statement.
Yesterday, the website of the House of Representative (HoR) was hacked by the hacker group 3MUSKETEERZ, defacing it with the troll face meme captioned it “You’ve been hacked. Have a nice Day! Happy April Fullz Kahit October Palang! Fix your website.” and changed its content with the same messaging.
Website of House of Representative (Congress) have been hacked and defaced by 3MUSKETEERZ.
The group used troll face meme captioned it “You’ve been hacked. Have a nice Day! Happy April Fullz Kahit October Palang! Fix your website.” The group even changed its content with the same messaging.
The official X (twitter) account (@HouseofRepsPH) already release a statement and that they are currently working with Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and law enforcement agencies concerned to investigate the matter.
PRESS STATEMENT
Secretary General Reginald Velasco
We wish to inform the public that the official website of the House of Representatives experienced unauthorized access earlier today. Immediate steps have been taken to address the issue, and we are working closely with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and law enforcement agencies concerned to investigate the matter.
While we work to restore the website fully, we ask for patience and understanding. We are committed to ensure the security and integrity of our digital platforms, and we will implement additional measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
For the moment, we advise the public to be cautious of any suspicious emails or communications that claim to be from the House of Representatives.
We will keep the public updated as more information becomes available.
As of this posting, the website is currently offline and accessing the website http://www.congress.gov.ph/ will just give you the standard “This site can’t be reached” message.
Microsoft has officially acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, the deal has now been finalized after a lengthy regulatory review. The announcement was made by both company and published official statement on their respective website. Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard, and he and his team will maintain their focus on driving efforts to further strengthen the company’s culture and accelerate business growth. Once the deal closes, the Activision Blizzard business will report to Phil Spencer, CEO, Microsoft Gaming and will be part of Microsoft’s Xbox Team.
Activision Blizzard is one of the largest and most successful video game companies in the world. It is the publisher of popular franchises such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Candy Crush, and Diablo. Microsoft is already a major player in the gaming industry with its Xbox console and Xbox Game Pass subscription service. However, the acquisition of Activision Blizzard gives Microsoft a significant boost in market share and makes it the third-largest gaming company in the world, behind Tencent and Sony.
When the deal was first announced, it faced regulatory pushback and was delayed due to concerns about competition in the cloud gaming market. To address these concerns, Microsoft made several concessions, including giving consumers in the European Economic Area free licenses to stream their Activision Blizzard games. Microsoft also signed agreements with console rivals Nintendo and Sony, promising them access to Call of Duty games for 10 years.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was the last regulator to approve the deal. The CMA stated that the concessions made by Microsoft were a “game-changer” that would allow for competitive prices and better services.
Huawei just announced its first gold edition smartwatch, the Huawei Watch Ultimate Design. The Huawei Watch Ultimate Design is a premium smartwatch with a sleek design and long battery life. It is powered by the latest Wear OS operating system and features a number of powerful features, including a built-in GPS, heart rate monitor, and sleep tracker.
Experience the Huawei's first gold smartwatch, allure of the #HUAWEIWATCHULTIMATEDESIGN. With rudder-like black nanocrystal ceramic bezel and six 18K gold inlay — radiating timeless and classic elegance for your sophisticated persona.#FashionForwardpic.twitter.com/wSwFkTo0uA
The Huawei Watch Ultimate Design has a 46mm stainless steel case with a 18K gold and nanocrystal ceramic bezel and sapphire crystal lens. The watch is available in two colors: Gold and black.
The Huawei Watch Ultimate Design has a 1.5 inches LTPO AMOLED color screen with a resolution of 466 × 466 pixels, PPI 311. The display is bright and clear, and it is easy to see in all lighting conditions.
Overall, the Huawei Watch Ultimate Design is a premium smartwatch with a sleek design and long battery life.
14-day maximum battery life
8-day typical battery life
4-day battery life with Always On Display enabled
You can checkout the full specs of the full specs here.
Huawei Watch Ultimate Design is now available for preorder with an SRP of AED 10,999.00 or around SAR 11,232.30. In the Philippines, the Huawei Watch Ultimate Design will retail for ₱159,999.00.
X, formerly known as twitter, just announced that it now has roll-out a feature that allows you to control you can reply to your posts. This feature will be available to your new and even old posts.
There are two ways to control who can reply/comment on your posts;
1. When composing your post, go to the EVERYONE CAN REPLY and the screen to set “WHO CAN REPLY?” will appear.
For published posts, just click/tap on the (…) that’s on the right corner of the post and go to CHANGE WHO CAN REPLY.
The new feature is a good way to filter our users who does nothing but spam in the service and also limit those who can interact with you in X/twitter. For now, the features appears to be available to everyone using the service and won’t surprise me if in this will only be available to verified accounts.
Google has recently announced its latest flagship smartphones, the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. These devices are engineered by Google and built with AI at the center for a more helpful and personal experience.
Design and Display
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are elegantly designed with softer silhouettes, beautiful metal finishes, and recycled materials. The Pixel 8 features a 6.2-inch Actua display with 1080 x 2400 resolution, Smooth Display (60–120 Hz), Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus® cover glass and Always-on display with At a Glance and Now Playing features. Google claim that it is brighter than the Pixel 7’s display. It comes in Rose, Hazel, and Obsidian colors.
The Pixel 8 Pro, on the other hand, boasts a 6.7-inch Super Actua display with 1344 x 2992 resolution, Smooth Display (1–120 Hz) and just liek with the Pixel 8, it features “Always-on display with At a Glance and Now Playing”, this is Google’s brightest display yet with up to 1600 nits (HDR) and up to 2400 nits (peak brightness). It comes in Porcelain, Bay, and Obsidian colors.
Google Pixel 8
Performance
The Pixel 8 comes with a basic 8GB RAM package, and up to 256GB of storage. The Pixel 8 Pro gets a more muscular 12GB of RAM, with 128GB, 256GB or 512GB storage by default — while a 1TB option will be offered in certain markets.
Both phones are powered by the Google Tensor G3, which is based on a nine-core CPU configuration (1×3.0 GHz Cortex-X3 & 4×2.45 GHz Cortex-A715 & 4×2.15 GHz Cortex-A510) and an Immortalis-G715s MC10 GPU, and Titan M2 security coprocessor.
Camera
Every camera on the Pixel 8 Pro has been upgraded. The main 50 MP Octa PD wide camera captures better photos and videos in low-light settings. The bigger 48 MP Quad PD ultrawide camera with autofocus delivers even better Macro Focus, the 48 MP Quad PD telephoto camera captures 56% more light and takes 10x photos at optical quality, and the front-facing 10.5 MP Dual PD selfie camera now has autofocus for the best selfies on a Pixel phone.
The Pixel 8 has the same updated 50 MP Octa PD wide camera, plus a new 12 MP ultrawide camera with autofocus that enables Macro Focus. It uses the same 10.5 MP Dual PD selfie camera, as the Pixel 8 Pro.
Google Pixel 8 Pro
Battery
The Pixel 8 Pro is equipped with a Li-Ion 5050 mAh battery, while the Pixel 8 uses 4575 mAh, both provides long-lasting performance.
Software
One of the key selling points of Google’s Pixel phones is their software support. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will get seven years of software updates, including Android OS upgrades, security updates, and regular Feature Drops.
Additional Features
Both phones come with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance (up to 1.5m for 30 min). They also support Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2.4GHz+5GHz+6GHz,2×2+2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, NFC and USB Type-C® 3.2.
For the full specs of Google Pixel 8, you can go here and for Google Pixel 8 Pro, you can check it out here.
The Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are now available for preorder; the Pixel 8 will start at $699 for the 128 GB variant and $759 for the 256 model. The Pixel Pro 8 will retail for $999.00 for the 128 GB, $1,059.00 for the 256 GB and $1,179.00 for the 512 GB model.
Counter-Strike 2, the sequel to the popular first-person shooter game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, was released on September 27, 2023. The game was developed by Valve and is available for free on Steam.
Counter-Strike 2 features a number of new features and improvements over its predecessor, including:
Built on the Source 2 engine, which provides sharper graphics, more realistic physics, and better performance.
Includes a number of new maps and weapons, as well as updated versions of classic maps and weapons from the 10 year old Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Together with the updated classic game mode, there will be new modes available in the CS 2.
Meta has just announced the Meta Quest 3, the next generation of its popular virtual reality headset. The Quest 3 is scheduled to be released next month, and it is expected to be a significant upgrade over the current Quest 2 headset.
One of the most notable improvements in the Quest 3 is its display. The Quest 3 has a higher 4K “Infinite Display,” a up to 30% increase compared to Meta Quest 2 along with better spatial audio. The Quest 3 also has 110 degrees horizontal and 96 degrees vertical field of view, which is wider than the Quest 2, which will make VR games and experiences feel more realistic.
Another major improvement in the Quest 3 is its performance. The Quest 3 is powered by a new Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor, which is double the GPU processing power for faster load times and more seamless gameplay compared to Meta Quest 2. This will allow the Quest 3 to run VR games and experiences at higher frame rates and with better graphics.
Meta Quest Touch Plus Controllers
Meta Quest 3 Interior
Meta Quest 3 Front
From L to R: Meta Quest 3 Headset, 2 Touch Plus Controllers with wrist straps and 2 AA Batteries, Charging cable & power adapter
The Meta Quest 3 also has a number of other improvements over the Quest 2, including:
A more comfortable, lightweight and ergonomic design
A longer-lasting battery;
Up to 2.2 hours of usage on average
Gaming: 2.4 hours of usage on average
Social: 2.2 hours of usage on average
Productivity: 1.5 hours of usage on average
Media: 2.9 hours of usage on average
A new hand tracking system that is more accurate and responsive
A new pair of Touch Plus Controllers that are more ergonomic and easier to use
You can check the full specs of the Meta Quest 3 here.
Price for the new Quest 3 is $499.99 for the 128GB model and $649.99 for the 512 GB model. It is available for preorder and will be shipped by mid October, and for those will be preorder, a free copy of Asgard’s Wrath 2 will be included. For those preordering the the 512GB model, and you get the game plus six-month Meta Quest+ subscription.
vivo Philippines has officially announced the V29 5G and V29e smartphones in the country. The two new devices come with improved cameras and performance over their predecessors, making them attractive options for those looking for a new mid-range smartphone.
The vivo V29 5G features a 6.78-inch mid-hole curved screen with a 2800×1260 pixels resolution it supports refresh rates of up to 120Hz and 2160Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, for a vivid and smooth visual experience. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor, paired with 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage.
The vivo V29 5G has a triple-camera system on the back, consisting of a 50MP main sensor with OIS, an 8MP ultrawide sensor, and a 2MP monochrome sensor. On the front, there is a 50MP AF selfie camera.
Image: vivo V29e
The vivo V29e has a similar design to the vivo V29, but it features a slightly smaller 6.78-inch AMOLED display with 2400 × 1080 (FHD+) resolution. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor, paired with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage.
The vivo V29e has a dual-camera system on the back, consisting of a 64MP main sensor with OIS and an 8MP wide-anglesensor. On the front, there is a 50 MP AF selfie camera.
The battery for vivo V29 and V29e will be 4600 mAh (TYP) and 5000 mAh (TYP), respectively. Both vivo V29 and V29e supports 80W fast charging. They also run on Android 13 with Funtouch OS 13 right out of the box.
You can checkout the unboxing video below:
The vivo V29 is priced at ₱24,999 for the 12GB/256GB model and ₱26,999 for the 12GB/512GB model. The vivo V29e is priced at PHP 16,999 for the 8GB/256GB variant.
Together with the Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus, Xiaomi also announced the Redmi Note 13 and 13 Pro, the latest additions to its popular Redmi Note series. The new phones feature a number of upgrades over their predecessors, including improved displays, cameras, and performance.
The Redmi Note 13 and Note 13 Pro have the same 6.67” FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1080 x 2400 resolutions. It has a 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio and Touch sampling rate of “Instantaneous up to 2160Hz.”
RedMi Note 13 Pro
The Redmi Note 13 is powered by MT Dimensity 6080 chip while the Note 13 Pro will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen2 and come with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage.
The Redmi Note 13 has a dual-lens rear camera system with a 100MP main sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. The Redmi Note 13 Pro has a tri-lens rear camera system with a 200 MP Samsung HP3 flagship main sensor, an 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide sensor and a 2MP macro sensor.
Both phones have a 16MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls.
The Redmi Note 13 and 13 Pro both have large battery capacity, 5000mAh and 5100mAh batteries, respectively with both supporting 67W fast charging.
RedMi Note 13
Here is a summary of the key features of the Redmi Note 13 and 13 Pro:
RAM: Up to 16GB (Note 13 Pro)/ Up to 12GB (Note 13)
Storage: Up to 512 GB (Note 13 Pro) / 256GB (Note 13)
Rear camera: dual-lens system with 100MP main sensor (Redmi Note 13), triple-lens system with 200 MP Samsung HP3 flagship main sensor (Redmi Note 13 Pro)
The Redmi Note 13 and 13 Pro are now available in China on September 22, 2023. Global availability and pricing have not yet been announced. As for the price, the Redmi Note 13 starts at CNY 1,199 (SAR 616.27) that’s for the 6GB+128GB model, while the Redmi Note 13 Pro model of 8GB+128GB is priced at CNY 1,499 or around SAR 770.47.
The Redmi Note 13 and 13 Pro are great options for mid-range smartphone buyers who are looking for a phone with a good display, camera, and performance. The phones are also well-priced, making them a good value for money.
The Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus is the latest and most powerful model in the Redmi Note 13 series. It features a number of upgrades over the Redmi Note 13 and 13 Pro, including a larger and more powerful display, a more advanced camera system, and a faster processor.
The Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus has a 6.67-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1220 x 2712 resolution. The display is also HDR10+ certified, which means that it can display content with a wider range of colors and 1800 nits (peak) brightness, all covered in Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.
The Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Ultra CPU, which is one of the fastest processors available by MediaTek. It has up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. The phone also the series’ first-ever model to feature an IP68 water and dust resistance rating.
The Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus has a tri-lens rear camera system with a 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP3 sensor, an 8MP ultrawide sensor, a 2MP macro sensor. The 200MP main sensor is the highest-resolution sensor ever used in a smartphone.
The Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus also has a 16MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls.
The Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus has a 5000mAh battery with support for 120W fast charging. The company boasts that the phone can be fully charged in a matter of minutes.
Here is a summary of the key specs/features of the Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus:
Display: 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and curved design
Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Ultra CPU
RAM: Up to 16GB
Storage: Up to 512GB
Rear camera: tri-lens system with 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP3 main sensor
Battery: 5000mAh with 120W fast charge.
The Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus is scheduled to be released in China on September 26, 2023. It has a starting price of CNY 1,999 (around SAR 1,027.47) for the 12GB + 256GB model and CNY 2,299 (SAR 1181.66) for the 16GB + 512GB model. Global availability and pricing have not yet been announced.
If you are in Saudi and want to preorder the new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, below are the pricing from the top retailer in the Kingdom.
Apple Watch Series 9 Aluminum 41mm
GPS – SR1,849.00
GPS + Cellular – SR2,249.00
45mm
GPS – SR1,969.00
GPS + Cellular – SR2,379.00
Stainless Steel 41mm (GPS + Cellular)
Rubber Band – SR3,149.00
Stainless steel Band – SR3,349.00
45mm (GPS + Cellular)
Rubber Band – SR3,379.00
Textile Band – SR3,379.00
Stainless steel Band – SR3,579.00
Apple Watch Ultra 2 on ALL BANDS – SR3,599.00
Just like with the new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pros, the new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be available on Sept 22nd.
For those in Saudi Arabia, the iPhone 15s and iPhone 15 Pros are now available for preorder and will be available in retail store on the 22nd of September. While there is no Online Apple store for Saudi Arabia, you can place your preorder to any of the local retailers in the country.
If you are planning to buy the new iPhone this year, then you can checkout the Philippines pricing released by Apple or as posted in the Philippines Apple Online Store (https://www.apple.com/ph/store).
iPhone 15 Pro Max
256 GB – ₱84,990.00
512 GB – ₱96,990.00
1 TB – ₱106,990
The availability of new iPhone 15s and iPhone 15 Pro is yet to be announced for the Philippine market. To know about the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, you can go here and for the new iPhone 15 Pro and Iphone Pro Max, just read about the device here.
The new iPhones will have USB-C ports. This is a major change from previous iPhones, which have used the Lightning connector. The switch to USB-C is being made in order to comply with a new European Union regulation that requires all new smartphones to have USB-C ports.
The USB-C port, as mentioned by Android users, is a more versatile port than the Lightning connector. It can be used to charge devices, transfer data, and connect to external displays. It is also the standard port used by many other devices, such as laptops, tablets, and cameras. This means that you will be able to use the same charger and cable for your iPhone 15 and other devices. It is however not yet confirmed if the new iPhones will be able to support external displays.
The switch to USB-C is a welcome change for many iPhone users. It is a more modern and versatile port that will make it easier to connect the iPhone to other devices and accessories. It is also a step towards reducing e-waste, as there will be no need to have separate chargers for different devices.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will have USB-C ports that support USB 2.0 speeds, though this is yet to be confirmed. This means that the new iPhones be capable to transfer data at a maximum speed of 480 Mbps. However, it is possible that Apple may release a later version of the iPhone 15 with a USB-C port that supports faster speeds.
Overall, the switch to USB-C is a positive change for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. It is a more versatile and modern port that will make it easier to connect the iPhone to other devices. It is also a step towards reducing e-waste.
