Motorola has announced the latest addition to their smartwatch family, the Moto Watch 40. The Moto Watch 40 follows the design of the Moto Watch 70 that was launched in May 2023. The Moto Watch 40 features a curved 1.57-inch LCD display with more than 85 watch faces. The watch is build using a zinc alloy casing and interchangeable silicone watch strap and is IP67 rated. The Moto Watch 40 will be running Moto Watch OS that supports supports notifications but does not support message replies or on-device calls.
Moto Watch 40 Phantom Black
Moto Watch 40 Rose Gold
It has a 24/7 heart rate monitor, a SpO2 tracking and, sleep and stress monitoring that is integrated with Google Fit. Moto Watch 40 is powered by a 240mAh battery that the company claims can last up to 10 days on a single full charge, it has fast charging support that can fully charge the watch in just 25 minutes using its two-pin magnetic charger.
Moto Watch 40 will available in two colors; Phantom Black and Rose Gold colors, and will retail for $65 from Motorolaโs official website. No word yet for the global release of the Moto Watch 40.
Welcome to the era of mobile AI. Come see how Galaxy AI can empower you. Live on January 17, 2024.
00:00 Galaxy Unpacked
02:48 Opening Keynote: TM ROH
08:38 New way to get things done
21:50 Circle to Search with Google
35:08 New way to create
37:34 The Artful Awakening: The Wonder of Camera Innovation
49:29 New way to play
54:09 Design & Durability
59:50 Sustainability
64:20 New way to manage health
71:31 Closing
The biggest highlight of the event is Galaxy AI. Multitasking has never been easier thanks to Samsung’s collaboration and use of Googleโs Gemini on the device.
Feature #1: Live Translation
Several keynote speakers introduced separate features for the phone. The first feature is a live translation option, allowing users of the Galaxy S24 series to instantly understand what their contacts are saying.
The Live Translate feature has long been available with Google Assistant, but it turns out that the Galaxy S24 series will be the first set of devices to take advantage of the feature without phone users having to switch between apps.
These are the supported languages for now:
Chinese
English
French
German
Hindi
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Polish
Portuguese
Thai
Spanish
Vietnamese
Feature #2: Photomoji
There are better ways to encapsulate a response to a friend’s weekend getaway suggestion. Emojis, for example. The Photomoji feature on Samsung Galaxy S24 allows creation of stickers and emojis straight from their photos without the need for third-party apps.
Feature #3: Chat Assist
If pictures arenโt your thing, the Galaxy S24 also makes it possible to rewrite your texts to a more appropriate tone. Say you want to communicate with a Gen Z male teen, the Galaxy S24 lets you choose from several text responses.
Feature #4: Transcript Assist
Recording meetings is a hassle since you have to identify different speakers. This hurdle is minimized by Transcript Assist’s ability to provide you with a transcript, all the while detecting whoโs speaking at each turn.
Feature #5: Notes Assist
A stylus is pretty to use with any Galaxy device, but it doesn’t exactly make your handwriting any better. That’s why Notes Assist is there to make your handwriting cleaner. Notes Assist also formats the content in whatever way you like. Formatting will become a thing of the past as AI does it for you.
Feature #6: Circle to Search
Thereโs also a new way to search on the Galaxy S24 series. Circle to Search is Googleโs first gesture operated search method, all without having to manually input it onto a search bar. You can simply draw on an existing image, text, or video, and results will be delivered on the same screen of the currently used app.
However, all this sounds intrusive. That’s why Samsung allows users to choose what information is being processed by AI online.ย
Feature #7: Camera and Image Post-Processing
In their partnership with Instagram, Samsung Galaxyโs S24 series will be the first device to have HDR enabled by default. With regards to content creation and social media posts, itโs now easier to edit photos with the help of Generative AI. All edited pictures will have a watermark, though.
The camera is packed with more power, and a video demo by Mr. Beast shows the cameraโs stunning clarity on a 10x optical zoom. Other features were also shown during the event.
Feature #8: Share with anyone with Quick Share.
If youโre still using Bluetooth to share files, youโre missing out on Samsungโs Quick Share function. The update is itโs compatibility with a multitude of devices so you only have to press one button to share to other phones. Or PCโs. or TVโs.
Feature #9: Pro-visual Engine.
Gaming-wise, the Galaxy S24 seriesโ NPU can handle the heaviest. The addition of Ray Tracing make the experience more immersive, as told by guest and streamer Pokimane.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 series will be available for pre-order starting January 17 until the end of the month. Check out the price list below.
After leaking and being announced last year, the Lego Polaroid is now available for PHP 5,999.00.
The Lego Polaroid is made up of 516 pieces and includes many of the design features that made the original OneStep Camera so popular among fans, captured in a unique display model with functional features. Also included alongside the camera is a buildable Polaroid Time-Zero Land Film pack and three LEGO Polaroid illustrated โphotosโ.
If you’re a photographer, whether a professional or hobbyist, the Lego Polaroid is a addition to your collection. It is currently available in all Bankee Bricks retail stores in the Philippines and online.
After 7 months of waiting, Apple has finally launch the Apple Vision Pro, at least in the US, which will be available on Friday, February 2nd, pre-orders for the device will begin Friday, January 19th. The Apple Vision Pro is priced at $3,499 and is Appleโs first new major product category since the Apple Watch in 2015.
The Apple Vision Pro is a compact pair of glasses that lets you navigate, interact, and enjoy content in a spatial way. It features a custom micro-OLED display, a 3D camera, Spatial Audio, and a dual-chip (M2 and new R1 chip) system with advanced technology and design. The device is designed to blend digital content with the physical world, using visionOS, the worldโs first spatial operating system. It offers an infinite canvas that transforms how you use the apps you love, allowing you to arrange apps anywhere and scale them to the perfect size, making the workspace of your dreams a reality. You can browse the web in Safari, create a to-do list in Notes, chat in Messages, and seamlessly move between them with a glance. The device also has augmented reality capabilities, but can also switch to virtual reality seamlessly by using the dial on the headset.
The Apple Vision Pro is Appleโs first 3D camera. You can capture magical spatial photos and spatial videos in 3D, then relive those cherished moments like never before with immersive Spatial Audio. Your existing library of photos and videos looks incredible at remarkable scale. And panoramas wrap around you โ making you feel like youโre standing right where you took them. You can also take spatial videos with iPhone 15 Pro, then view them on Apple Vision Pro.
Apple Vision Pro will be available starting at $3,499 (U.S.) with 256GB of storage. Pre-orders for Apple Vision Pro will begin on Friday, January 19, at 5 a.m. PST, with availability beginning Friday, February 2.
Apple Vision Pro will be available at all U.S. Apple Store locations and the U.S. Apple Store online.
ZEISS Optical Inserts โ Readers will be available for $99 (U.S.), and ZEISS Optical Inserts โ Prescription will be available for $149 (U.S.).
Apple Vision Pro comes with a Solo Knit Band and Dual Loop Band โ giving users two options for the fit that works best for them. Apple Vision Pro also includes a Light Seal, two Light Seal Cushions, an Apple Vision Pro Cover for the front of the device, Polishing Cloth, Battery, USB-C Charge Cable, and USB-C Power Adapter.
Samsung and Hyundai just announced that signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on January 3 to develop solutions for future lifestyles that fully integrate the smart home and connected cars.
The two S.Korean-based company are developing “the next-generation smart home” to connect Samsungโs SmartThings with Hyundai and Kiaโs connected cars, including EVs, to develop the โHome-to-Carโ and โCar-to-Homeโ services as well as an integrated home energy management service.
This means that the “Home-to-Car” and “Car-to-Home” services connect the smart home with in-vehicle infotainment systems, allowing for remote control in both directions. Using Samsung’s SmartThings platform, users will be able to perform a variety of actions pertaining to their cars while at home, like remote starting them, controlling air conditioning, opening and closing windows and checking their battery charging status. And from EV cars, users can control of home appliances such as TVs, air conditioners and EV chargers will also be possible.
โThis is an opportunity to make the connected carโs Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car services more convenient in various fields,โ said Haeyoung Kwon, Vice President of Hyundai and Kiaโs Infotainment Development Center. โWe plan to accelerate our technology development to continuously make global Hyundai and Kia customersโ journeys meaningful.โ
Tiktok just announced that the company has updated the app, so users will have enhanced app experience for viewers using devices with large screens like tablets and foldable smartphones.
The company explained that viewers will now have a better experience watching Tiktok videos using large screen devices, since viewers will have clear video feed, streamlined navigation bars and support for both landscape or portrait view.
The update is a clear indication that not all viewers are using mobile phones to watch TikTok and there may be a growing number of users that uses tablets and foldable smartphones to watch and may be even created tiktok videos.
Sony Playstation are currently on Sales in the Philippines for a limited time, they offer discounted price for PS5 Console, Peripherals and Game Titles. The offer will be available at participating retailers, which you can find by going to https://www.playstation.com/en-ph/local/retailers/.
Sony PlayStation also have deals available in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. If you’re from these country, check out the source link to know the
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 โฑ14,000.00. 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 weโre now changing private chats and calls across Messenger to be end-to-end encrypted by default. This has taken years to deliver because weโve 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. Weโve 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 โ MONOPOLY GO!, Gardenscapes, and EA Sports FC Mobile โ 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 customersโ stringent requirements, Amazon Q can personalize its interactions to each individual user based on an organizationโs existing identities, roles, and permissions. Additionally, Amazon Q never uses business customersโ 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 7.4โ 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.
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 14โinch 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 14โinch and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Both the 14โinch 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 14โinch and 16-inch MacBook Pro; The 14โinch 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 14โinch 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 14โinch 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 16โinch 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 14โinch 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.)
14โinch 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 โ 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 ร 2268 pixels and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The outer display has a resolution of 2484 ร 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 โ supporting up to 80 Gbps of bi-directional bandwidth.
Let your imagination run wild and create something revolutionary with the new #IntelCore 14th Gen Processorsโour 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 โ 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 โYouโve been hacked. Have a nice Day! Happy April Fullz Kahit October Palang! Fix your website.โ 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 canโt 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 companyโs 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 UKโs Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was the last regulator to approve the deal. The CMA stated that the concessions made by Microsoft were a โgame-changerโ 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 โ 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 ร 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 โฑ159,999.00.
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 (60โ120 Hz), Corningยฎ Gorillaยฎ Glass Victusยฎ cover glass and Always-on display with At a Glance and Now Playing features. Google claim that it is brighter than the Pixel 7โs 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 (1โ120 Hz) and just liek with the Pixel 8, it features “Always-on display with At a Glance and Now Playing”, this is Googleโs 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 โ 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 Googleโs 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-Cยฎ 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 โInfinite 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 Asgardโs Wrath 2 will be included. For those preordering the the 512GB model, and you get the game plus six-month Meta Quest+ subscription.
