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DICT to launch the sixth Philippine Startup Challenge 2021 this September

September 5, 2021

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is set to launch the sixth (6th) Philippine Startup Challenge 2021 (PSC 2021) this September.

The event is an annual startup competition started in 2016 which aims to encourage and support Filipinos to create innovative and relevant ICT products and services that may develop into viable business ventures and potentially solve social problems.

“Through this initiative, we hope to promote the entrepreneurial spirit among Filipinos that will surely help our country advance in the global digital economy,” DICT Secretary Gregorio “Gringo” B. Honasan II said.
As part of the Republic Act No. 11337 or the “Innovative Startup Act” which was enacted last 26 April 2019, the Philippine Startup Challenge seeks to aid in strengthening, promoting, and developing the Philippine Startup Ecosystem.

The event also aims to bring together experts in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) from across the country to help establish a network of innovators, foster a culture of entrepreneurship in ICT, and discover the endless opportunities catering to vigorously advance science, technology, and innovation.

This year, the competition will be open for submission of entries that cover software and internet-based innovations and will cater to all startups in the ideation to minimum viable product stage.

Ms. Emmy Lou V. Delfin, Director IV of the ICT Industry Development Bureau (IIDB), encourages Filipino professionals and students to participate in the startup competition.

“We are taking the Philippine Startup Challenge 2021 to the next level as we include another category for Filipino professionals in the competition. Hopefully, with our Bureau’s initiatives, we can support Filipino professionals and students further so they can continue to improve their startup ideas,” Director Delfin said.

The Philippine Startup Challenge will be divided into two (2) categories for professionals and students, with a maximum of four (4) members per team. For the entire duration of the competition, the DICT together with its partner organizations and ICT councils, will be guiding and mentoring the winners in preparation for the next rounds.

This nationwide competition will start from regional pitching competitions where three (3) regional winners will be assessed and chosen by the Regional Selection Committee. Regional winners will then advance to the Semifinal Round, where the top ten (10) teams shall move on to the national competition. The Finals for the professional category is set on the third week of November, with the five (5) winners to receive funding proposals.
The PSC 2021 is to be held in partnership with Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA), Ignite, QBO, StartUp Village, Spring Valley, Huawei, and Microsoft, among others.

For more information on the sixth (6th) Philippine Startup Challenge 2021, please visit https://dict.gov.ph/philippine-startup-challenge-2021.

Source: @DICTgovph

Tesla announces Tesla bot, a humanoid robot right out of science fiction

August 22, 2021

Tesla just concluded their AI Day and one of the highlights of the event is when Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the company is building a Tesla bot, humanoid robot that the company named “Optimus.”

According to their website, Tesla bot is a bi-pedal, humanoid robot capable of performing tasks that are unsafe, repetitive or boring. Tesla bot will be five feet, eight inches tall and will weigh 125 pounds, and have a screen for a face.

Elon Musk added that a prototype will be available “sometime next year” and will take advantage of Tesla’s experience with AI that powers the company’s Autopilot driver assistance software in their products.

You can watch the full video of Tesla’s AI day on the company’s Youtube Channel. You can watch the Tesla bot part of the event in the ebedded video below;

Samsung now accepting pre-orders for Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

August 18, 2021

Samsung has announced that consumer can now pre-order the latest folding smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3. In a Facebook page post, the S. Korean company said that those who pre-order can receive discounts and freebies worth up to ₱27,400.

There are four ways or options to pre-order;

  1. Galaxy Z Fold3 5G from Samsung Experience Stores and Authorized Stores. Get discounts and freebies worth up to ₱27,400.
  2. Galaxy Z Flip3 5G via Samsung Experience Stores and Authorized Stores. Get discounts and freebies worth up to ₱24,900.
  3. Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and Galaxy Z Flip3 5G from Samsung Authorized Online Partners like Lazada, Shopee, Abenson and MemoXpress. Receive discounts and freebies worth up to ₱27,400.
  4. Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and Galaxy Z Flip3 5G thru official Samsung Online Store, the discounts and freebies will be worth up to ₱20,400.

The pre-order period will be from Aug 19. 2021 to Sep 21. 2021.

Both the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and Galaxy Z Flip3 5G were announced last week at the Samsung Galaxy UNPACKED 2021 event, you can checkout the highlights of the event below;

Microsoft officially announce Windows 11

June 25, 2021

Microsoft has officially the next version of Windows, the Windows 11. Even though the company previously said that Windows 10 will be the last version of Windows, if unclear why the company branded the next version of their operating system to “Windows 11”.

Windows 11 will feature a new UI, updated window management system, and support for Android applications, which is a similar move that Apple made with the “Project Catalyst“.

Here’s a 2-min introduction video that Microsoft release for Windows 11.

Just like with Windows 10, Windows 11 will be a free update to all users running Windows 10 but there’s a caveat, you need to meet the system requirements of Windows 11.

Windows 11 minimum system requirements;

  • Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC)
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Storage: 64 GB or larger storage device
  • System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable
  • TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0
  • Graphics: DirectX 12 compatible graphics / WDDM 2.x
  • Display: at least 9” with HD Resolution (720p)
  • Microsoft account and internet connection is also needed to upgrade.

If you are unsure if your PC meets these requirements, you can use the PC Health Check app, which you can download here.

RuneScape releases mobile version of the game

June 22, 2021

RuneScape, a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Jagex Games Studio, just release the mobile version of their iconic PC game, which was first released in January 2001.

In their official announcement, the company said;

Today is a significant moment in RuneScape’s history, ushering in the next chapter of our cross-play vision and our quest to bring RuneScape to everywhere we can. We have finally arrived on Mobile!

Moments ago, we finished our final pre-launch checks and they are all green. Deployment of RuneScape around the world has begun, marking June 17th as our official launch day for iOS and Android.

Before the release, Jagex launched a pre-registration campaign which has reached more than 1.8 MILLION registrations in all 5 tiers.

RuneScape can be downloaded on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

This article was first posted on Extradot.Net.

Vivo Y12A now Official

June 22, 2021

Vivo Thailand has officially announce the Vivo Y12A, which is the latest addition to the Vivo Y-series of smartphones in Thailand.

The Y12A is an entry-level smartphone that features a 6.51-inch HD+ display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB for storage and dual-rear camera system paired with a 8-MP front camera. The smartphone will be powered by a 5,000mAh battery with 10W fast charging. Vivo Y12A is be available in Mint Green and Phantom Black colors.

The Y12A will initially be available in Thailand and retail for TH฿ 4,499 or around Php 6,900. Availability in other markets will be announced.

Source: Yugatech
This article was first posted on extradot.net.

Rewatch the WWDC21 Apple Keynote

June 8, 2021

If you missed the live stream of the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2021 (WWDC21), Apple Keynote, I embedded the whole video above.

True to the name of the event, Apple showcase the changes that they made and what’s coming to the iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, macOS, AirPods, Siri and Privacy, and how developers and users can benefit from these changes.

Sadly, no new hardware was discuss even though there were rumors that Apple is working on a new M1-powered Macbook Pro and a new augmented reality (AR) headset.

If the video above is too long for you, you can watch this compressed version by MacRumors.com.

Lenovo announces Legion Phone Duel 2

April 9, 2021

Lenovo officially announces Legion Phone Duel 2, their next gaming phones.

The Legion Phone Duel 2 features a 6.92-inch screen that is powered by two batteries, two USB-C ports, and two actual spinning fans. Together with the two fans, the Legion Phone Duel 2 also have a vapor chamber to cool the new Snapdragon 888 processor that’s powering the phone.

The phone will feature a 44MP pop-up camera with an ultra-wide 84-degree autofocus lens that Lenovo claims can be used by streamers for its incredible detail plus excellent low-light performance.

Legion Phone Duel 2 will have up to 18GB of RAM (LPDDR5) and up to 512GB (UFS 3.1) of storage. As for its OS, it will run Lenovo’s ZUI 12.5, based on Android 11, right out of the box.

The phone will be available in two colors; Titanium White and Ultimate Black, and will initially be release in China this month, and select markets in Asia Pacific and Europe in May, with the following price tag; €999 (around ₱57,625) with 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and a bundled charging dock; €799 (around ₱46,088) as a standalone phone with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage.

Lenovo has yet to announce if the Legion Phone Duel 2 will be release in the Philippines.

Here’s the full spec sheet of the Legion Phone Duel 2;

Special features · ATA 2.0 (Advanced Technology Architecture)
· Octa-Trigger in a ‘console controller-like’ array with Quad Ultrasonic Shoulder keys, Dual pressure touch buttons, Dual Capacitance keys input
· Nearly 16.8M possible RGB lighting color combinations
· Dual HaptiX – Dual X-Axis Haptic Vibration Linear Motors
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Mobile Platform with 5nm processor technology
CPU: 8 cores Kryo™ 680 (1@2.84G + 3@2.42G + 4@1.8G)
GPU: Adreno™ 660 @840MHz
Display 6.92″ 20.5:9 (2460 x 1080) 144 Hz AMOLED 8-bit HDR gaming display
720Hz touch sampling rate
Delta-E < 0.514
800 nits outdoor-readable brightness (1300 nits peak)
111.1% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage
1,000,000:1 contrast ratio
Pixelworks i6 AI tunning
HDR10+ certified
TÜV Low Blue Light certification
DC dimming
Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5
Design 176mm x 78.5mm x 9.9mm (12.56mm mid)
Weighs 259g
Colors: Ultimate Black and Titanium White4
RAM + ROM 12GB/16GB/18GB LPDDR5
256GB/512GB UFS3.15
Cooling system Integrated, Active, Twin Turbo-Fan Cooling System
Area of Air-duct: 3000mm²
Intake fan with 29 fan blades 12,500 RPM; Output fan with 29 fan blades 15,000 RPM
Passive cooling components
Vapor Chamber liquid cooling area: 4730mm²
Fans Max speed noise: 27dB (30cm distance)14
Thermal cooling area: 62573mm2
Front camera 44MP Samsung® GH1+ Camera, f/2.0 aperture, 0.7 µm, 5 lens, 84˚ wide angle
Auto focus and live stream-ready
AI beauty mode / Background remove or replace/ Virtual avatar/ Counting-down selfie / Portrait photography/ Night mode/HD photo
Video recording: 4K video recording at 30 fps, or 60 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps, or 60 fps, 720p HD video recording at 30 fps / Slow motion mode: 720P@240fps, 720P@120fps, 1080P@120fps
Rear Camera 64MP OmniVision® flagship OV64A image sensor, f/1.9 aperture, 1.0 µm pixel, 7 lens, 82° field of view
16 MP f/2.2 aperture and 123° field of view 1.0 µm pixel
Digital zoom up to 10x
Photo shooting: Portrait mode/Wide angle photo/RAW photo/Super night mode/Photo geotagging/Panorama/Time-lapse/Macro Mode/Pro mode
Video recording: HDR 10+ video recording at 4K@30fps, 8K video recording at 24 fps, 4K video recording at 30 fps, or 60 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps, or 60 fps, 720p HD video recording at 30 fps / Slow motion mode: 720P@240fps, 720P@120fps,1080P@240fps, 1080P@120fps /Audio Zoom/Director mode /Dual mode
Operating System ZUI 12.5 based on Android 11
Battery Battery: 5500mAh (2750mAh x 2)
Turbo Charging: up to 90W quick charging (sold separately); Fast Charging: 65W quick charging14
Audio · Dual front-facing speakers and Dolby Atmos®
· 7-magnet stereo speaker with dual smart amplifier for louder, deeper and less distorted sound effect
· Equivalent to dual 1.6 cc speakers
· Audio Output: 48 kHz / 16-bit standard (USB-C output)
· Game Mode for better in-game sounding experience with localization capability
· Four Microphones with noise reduction technology
Sensor Fingerprint sensor, 3D motion sensor, Electronic Compass, Gyroscope, Proximity, Ambient Light Sensor, Quad Ultrasonic Shoulder keys, Dual Capacitance keys, Dual Force Touch sensor
Navigation GPS (L1+L5)／AGPS／GLONASS／BEIDOU (L1+L5)/ Galileo(L1+L5) / QZSS

LG to close its Smartphone Business Unit, promises OS updates for 3 years

April 8, 2021

LG just announced the South Korean tech giant will close its mobile business unit, which was approved by its boar of directors (BoD).

In their official announcement, LG made the decision to exit the smartphone business because it’s been an “incredibly competitive mobile phone sector” and that it “will enable the company to focus resources in growth areas such as electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics, artificial intelligence and business-to-business solutions, as well as platforms and services.”

LG is expected to complete its “exit” the smartphone business by July 31st.

In a follow-up announcement, LG will support “all premium LG smartphones currently in use will receive up to three iterations of Android operating system updates from the year of purchase.” which means that all LG premium phones released in 2019 and later (G series, V series, VELVET, Wing) while certain 2020 models such as LG Stylo and K series will receive two OS updates.

The company will still manufacture smartphone phones through the second quarter to meet contractual obligations to carriers and partners.

Salesforce to acquire Slack for $27.7 billion

December 2, 2020
Salesforce to acquire Slack for $27.7 billion

Salesforce, provider of cloud-based CRM, is acquiring Slack for $27.7 billion. The combined company of Salesforce and Slack will be able to better compete with Microsoft, Oracle and other companies in the cloud enterprise space.

In a press release, “Under the terms of the agreement, Slack shareholders will receive $26.79 in cash and 0.0776 shares of Salesforce common stock for each Slack share, representing an enterprise value of approximately $27.7 billion based on the closing price of Salesforce’s common stock on November 30, 2020.”

“Stewart and his team have built one of the most beloved platforms in enterprise software history, with an incredible ecosystem around it,” said Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO, Salesforce. “This is a match made in heaven. Together, Salesforce and Slack will shape the future of enterprise software and transform the way everyone works in the all-digital, work-from-anywhere world. I’m thrilled to welcome Slack to the Salesforce Ohana once the transaction closes.”

“Salesforce started the cloud revolution, and two decades later, we are still tapping into all the possibilities it offers to transform the way we work. The opportunity we see together is massive,” said Stewart Butterfield, Slack CEO and Co-Founder. “As software plays a more and more critical role in the performance of every organization, we share a vision of reduced complexity, increased power and flexibility, and ultimately a greater degree of alignment and organizational agility. Personally, I believe this is the most strategic combination in the history of software, and I can’t wait to get going.”

You can read the full text of Salesforce press release here.

Twitter reacts to ABS-CBN Christmas ID 2020 – #IkawAngLiwanagAtLigaya

December 2, 2020
Twitter reacts to ABS-CBN Christmas ID 2020 – #IkawAngLiwanagAtLigaya


These are just a few of the twitter reactions, you can go here for more.

You can now pre-order the new Macbook Air, 13-inch Macbook Pro and Mac mini with M1 chip in Saudi Arabia

November 18, 2020

If you’re in Saudi Arabia, you can now preorder the new Macbook Air, 13-inch Macbook Pro and Mac mini with M1 chip. To be more specific, you can preorder the new Macs powered with the M1 chips at Extra. The announcement was made via the social media account of the retail store.

Here are the pricing below;

Macbook Air;
8GB RAM + 256GB SSD storage: SAR 4,899.00
8GB RAM + 512GB SSD storage: SAR 6,199.00


13-inch Macbook Pro;
8GB RAM + 256GB SSD storage: SAR 6,299.00


Mac Mini;
8GB RAM + 256GB SSD storage: SAR 3,499.00
8GB RAM + 512GB SSD storage: SAR 4,499.00

The new Macbook Air, 13-inch Macbook Pro and Mac mini with M1 chip was first announced last week and from the reviews that are already out, it looks these new Macs with are great for first time Mac buyer and may be be so good if you are a professional and already have an established work flow.

Here’s the price of the new Macbook Air, Mac Mini and 13-inch Macbook Pro with the M1 chip in the Philippines

November 14, 2020

Apple just release the Philippine pricing of the new Macbook Air, Mac Mini and 13-inch Macbook Pro with the M1 chip.

MacBook Air;
8GB RAM with 256GB SSD – ₱54,990.00
8GB RAM with 512GB SSD – ₱68,990.00

13-inch Macbook Pro;
8GB RAM with 256GB SSD – ₱71,990.00
8GB RAM with 512GB SSD – ₱83,990.00

Mac mini;
8GB RAM with 256GB SSD – ₱37,990.00
8GB RAM with 512GB SSD – ₱49,990.00

*Display, keyboard and mouse are not included.

Since you can configure to have a bigger RAM and storage for all 3 Macs, the price will also increase. No word as to when the new Macbook Air, Mac Mini and 13-inch Macbook Pro with the M1 chip will be available in the Philippines.

You can rewatch Apple’s “One More Thing” event here

November 13, 2020

Apple has officially announced the custom ARM-based chip the Apple Silicon M1 chip and the three (3) computing devices; new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, that will be powered by the M1 chip.

If you missed the event but have 50 mins to spare, you can rewatch the whole event from the embedded video below;

Watch the special Apple Event and learn about the next generation of Mac. Now with the Apple M1 chip, the new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini each take a huge leap forward.

00:00 Introduction
04:39 Apple Silicon
14:00 macOS Big Sur
22:45 MacBook Air
29:50 Mac Mini
35:06 MacBook Pro

‘Fly Away’ by Tones and I http://apple.co/FlyAway
‘Take Back The Power’ by Raury http://apple.co/TakeBackThePower
‘Music To Clean The House To’ by Nick Leng http://apple.co/MusicToCleanTheHouseTo
‘Playing Your Game, Baby’ by Barry White http://apple.co/PlayingYourGameBaby
‘Ya Ya Power’ by KingupingU http://apple.co/YaYaPower
‘Bring The Drums Back’ by Noisy http://apple.co/BringTheDrumsBack
‘Wave’ by Whethan http://apple.co/Wave
‘Back It Up’ by Alison Wonderland X AWE http://apple.co/BackItUp
‘Show Me How’ by Beacon
‘Alright With Me’ by Memba & Ricky James http://apple.co/AlrightWithMe

Apple introduces the new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini powered by the M1 chip

November 13, 2020

Apple has officially unveil the new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini powered by the M1 chip.

Design-wise the new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini looks very similar to the previous models and most of the upgrade made by Apple is under the hood, specifically by switching from Intel to their very own M1 Chip.

With the new M1 Chip with the new Mac OS Big Sur, the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini all perform significantly better than the previous generations.

  • up 3.5x faster CPU
  • up to 6x faster GPU
  • up to 15x faster machine learning (ML) capabilities
  • up to 2x longer battery life
Mac mini

Mac mini;
The base model of the Mac mini will retail for $699, that includes 8GB unified RAM and 256GB SSD storage, with different assortment of ports, including HDMI 2, two Thunderbold/USB 4, 2x USB-A, an Ethernet and a 3.5 mm headphone jack, that can support two displays including Apple’s Pro Display XDR in full 6K resolution. It supports Wifi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, it also has a built-in speaker. You can checkout the full specs here.

Macbook Air with M1 Chip

Macbook Air;
The Macbook Air still sports that wedge-shape design and similar dimension as the previous model. One brave change that Apple made with the Macbook Air is that they remove the fan, which means it’ll be very very quiet no matter how hard your Macbook Air is working.

The Macbook Air will retail starting at $999.00, and the starting model will have 256GB SSD of storage and 8GB RAM, both are configurable if you require more RAM and more storage. It also supports Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and Touch ID. It also have two (2) Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports for charging, and DisplayPort, and a 3mm headphone jack. If you want to know more about the specs of the new Macbook Air with M1 chip, you can go here.

13-inch Macbook Pro with M1 Chip

13-inch Macbook Pro;
This was a surprise from Apple, since I did not expect Apple to switch any of their Macbook Pro to the new Apple Silicon M1 chip. I was expecting the iMac instead of the Pro, the iMac is the desktop equivalent of the Macbook Air.

Just like with the Macbook Air, the 13-inch Macbook Pro will have the same design as the previous generation. It will still have the Touch-bar and Touch ID. Compare to the Macbook Air with M1 chip, the 13-inch Macbook Pro will feature an active cooling system for that intensive computing needs.

Even though both the 13-inch Macbook Pro and the Macbook Air looks similar, Apple said that the new 13-inch Macbook Pro will be;

  • up to 2.8x faster in Xcode
  • up to 5.9x faster in rendering complex 3D title in Final Cut Pro.
  • up to 3.5x faster when designing game in Unity Editor.
  • up to 11x faster in machine learning (ML) tasks in Create ML.
  • Separate out beats, instrumentals, and vocal tracks from a recording in real time in djay Pro AI, thanks to the amazing performance of the Neural Engine.
  • Play back full-quality, 8K ProRes video in DaVinci Resolve without dropping a single frame.
  • Compile four times as much code on a single charge

Speaking of charging and battery, the 13-inch Macbook Pro with M1 chip have a 58.2-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery that provides up to 17 hours of wireless web browsing and up to a staggering 20 hours of video playback.

It has studio-quality mics for recordings and calls and even though it uses the same 720p web cam with M1’s image signal processor (ISP) it offer better images, with noise reduction, greater dynamic range and improved white balance video calls. It also offer better security with the Secure Enclave in M1 and Touch ID.

The new 13-inch Macbook Pro have two (2) Thunderbolt ports with USB 4 support for connecting more peripherals and native support for Apple’s Pro Display XDR in full 6K resolution. You can checkout the full specs of the 13-inch Macbook Pro with M1 chip here.

The base model for the new 13-inch Macbook Pro with M1 chip will retail for $1,299 and it will have 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, which of course can be configure up to 16GB of RAM and 2TB of (SSD) storage.

Apple officially announce the M1, their first ARM-based Processor

November 12, 2020

In an event held last Tuesday, November 10th, Apple has officially announce the M1 chip, an ARM-based SoC that will power their laptops, desktops and other future products.

The M1 chip is a 5nm processor, similar to the A14 Bionic CPU that Apple uses in the latest iPhones and the A14 chips for Ipad Air. Apple also use an earlier version of the M1 chip, that A12Z Bionic SoC that’s inside the Developer Transition Kit (DTK) that was offered to developers during this year’s WWDC.

Here’s what Apple said about the M1 Chip;

It features the world’s fastest CPU core in low-power silicon, the world’s best CPU performance per watt, the world’s fastest integrated graphics in a personal computer, and breakthrough machine learning performance with the Apple Neural Engine. As a result, M1 delivers up to 3.5x faster CPU performance, up to 6x faster GPU performance, and up to 15x faster machine learning, all while enabling battery life up to 2x longer than previous-generation Macs. With its profound increase in performance and efficiency, M1 delivers the biggest leap ever for the Mac.

The M1 chip also include these technology that are previously available to iOS users;

  • Apple’s latest image signal processor (ISP) for higher quality video with better noise reduction, greater dynamic range, and improved auto white balance.
  • The latest Secure Enclave for best-in-class security.
  • A high-performance storage controller with AES encryption hardware for faster and more secure SSD performance.
  • Low-power, highly efficient media encode and decode engines for great performance and extended battery life.
  • An Apple-designed Thunderbolt controller with support for USB 4, transfer speeds up to 40Gbps, and compatibility with more peripherals than ever.

The new M1 chip will power the new Macbook Air, Macbook Pro and Mac Mini, and this is the first step to their two years transition to shift most if not all of their products to the new Apple Silicon Soc.

HONOR 10X Lite now available in Saudi Arabia

November 11, 2020

Honor Arabia just announced that HONOR 10X Lite is now available for pre-order to those who are in Saudi Arabia.

HONOR 10X Lite features a 6.67 inches LCD with 2400×1080 resolution at 395 ppi density. Its thin bezel offers a 84.3% screen-to-body ratio. It’s powered by Kirin 710A Octa-core CPU and Mali-G51 MP4 GPU. The HONOR 10X Lite is equipped with a quad-rear camera and a 8 MP camera on the front. As for its battery, the HONOR 10X Lite have a 5000 mAh battery that supports by fast charging.

HONOR 10X Lite specs;

  • 6.67 inches LCD display, 1080 x 2400 resolution, @395 ppi screen density and 84.3% screen-to-body ratio
  • Processor: Kirin 710A Octa-core CPU (4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A53)
  • GPU: Mali-G51 MP4
  • Storage: 128GB
  • RAM: 4GB
  • OS: Android 10, Magic UI 3.1, no Google Play Services
  • Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
  • Quad-rear cmaera: 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0″, 0.8µm, PDAF + 8 MP, f/2.4, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm + 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro) + 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth)
  • Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide)
  • 3.5mm jack
  • Connectivity: dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
  • Network: GSM / HSPA / LTE
  • Bluetooth 5.1, A2DP, LE
  • GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, NFC,
  • Built-in FM radio antenna, USB Type-C 2.0
  • Sensors: side-mounted Fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, proximity
  • Battery: Li-Po 5000 mAh with 22.5W fast charging
  • Colors: Icelandic Frost, Midnight Black, Emerald Green
  • Dimensions: 165.7 x 76.9 x 9.3 mm
  • Weight: 206 g

The HONOR 10X Lite is now available for pre-order for SAR 769.00 and those will pre-order will receive a free Honor AM61 Sport Bluetooth Earphone worth SAR199.

TV Patrol is now available worldwide on Youtube, Facebook, http://news.abs-cbn.com and ABS-CBN News app

November 10, 2020

ABS-CBN has lifted the geo-block of TV Patrol and can now be access worldwide.

Here are the direct links for the news program;

Source: Extradot

These are the official pricing of iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max in the Philippines

November 7, 2020

Apple has officially publish the Philippine pricing of their latest iPhone 12; iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max in the Philippines.

iPhone 12 mini:

  • 64GB – PHP 43,990
  • 128GB – PHP 46,990
  • 256GB – PHP 52,990

iPhone 12:

  • 64GB – PHP 49,990
  • 128GB – PHP 52,990
  • 256GB – PHP 58,990

iPhone 12 Pro:

  • 128GB – PHP 62,990
  • 256GB – PHP 68,990
  • 512GB – PHP 80,990

iPhone 12 Pro Max:

  • 128GB – PHP 68,990
  • 256GB – PHP 74,990
  • 512GB – PHP 86,990

Even though the pricing is available when you visit the Apple Philippines Store website, you still cannot place and order and local availability is yet to be announce.

WhatsApp officially rolls-out payment service in India

November 7, 2020
WhatsApp officially rolls-out payment service in India

WhatsApp has officially roll-out their payment service in India. The payment service was initially available in beta in 2018 but concern in data storage and sharing delayed its official roll-out in the country.

Here’s the official announcement from WhatsApp;

Starting today, people across India will be able to send money through WhatsApp. This secure payments experience makes transferring money just as easy as sending a message. People can safely send money to a family member or share the cost of goods from a distance without having to exchange cash in person or going to a local bank.

WhatsApp designed our payments feature in partnership with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) using the Unified Payment Interface (UPI), an India-first, real-time payment system that enables transactions with over 160 supported banks. We’re excited to join India’s campaign to increase the ease and use of digital payments, which is helping expand financial inclusion in India.

To send money on WhatsApp in India, it’s necessary to have a bank account and debit card in India. WhatsApp sends instructions to banks, also known as payment service providers, that initiate the transfer of money via UPI between sender and receiver bank accounts. We’re delighted to be working with five leading banks in India: ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, the State Bank of India, and Jio Payments Bank. People can send money on WhatsApp to anyone using a UPI supported app.

In the long run, we believe the combination of WhatsApp and UPI’s unique architecture can help local organizations address some of the key challenges of our time, including increasing rural participation in the digital economy and delivering financial services to those who have never had access before.

Just like every feature in WhatsApp, payments is designed with a strong set of security and privacy principles, including entering a personal UPI PIN for each payment. Payments on WhatsApp is now available for people on the latest version of the iPhone and Android app.

WhatsApp to introduce disappearing messages

November 5, 2020

WhatsApp will introduce disappearing messages, a new feature that will allow users to automatically delete messages that are more than 7 days. The new feature will be rolling out to all WhatsApp users this month.

Here’s the full text of their announcement;

Introducing disappearing messages on WhatsApp

Today, WhatsApp messages often live on our phones forever. While it’s great to hold onto memories from friends and family, most of what we send doesn’t need to be everlasting.

Our goal is make conversations on WhatsApp feel as close to in-person as possible, which means they shouldn’t have to stick around forever. That’s why we’re excited to introduce the option to use disappearing messages on WhatsApp.

When disappearing messages is turned on, new messages sent to a chat will disappear after 7 days, helping the conversation feel lighter and more private. In a one-to-one chat, either person can turn disappearing messages on or off. In groups, admins will have the control.

We’re starting with 7 days because we think it offers peace of mind that conversations aren’t permanent, while remaining practical so you don’t forget what you were chatting about. The shopping list or store address you received a few days ago will be there while you need it, and then disappear after you don’t. You can read more, including how to enable disappearing messages here.

We hope people enjoy disappearing messages, which will be rolling out to users everywhere this month.

This is Michael Jordan’s Racing team car for the 2021 Daytona 500

November 5, 2020

On September 21, 2020, Jordan and NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin announced they would be fielding a NASCAR team with Bubba Wallace driving, beginning competition in the 2021 season.[162] On October 22, the team’s name was confirmed to be 23XI Racing (pronounced twenty-three eleven) and that the team’s entry will bear the number 23.

via 23xiracing.com;

Toyota is pleased to announce their support of the new NASCAR Cup Series team 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and current NASCAR Cup Series championship contender Denny Hamlin. 23XI Racing will make its debut in the 2021 Daytona 500 with Bubba Wallace behind the wheel of the No. 23 Toyota Camry.

The partnership with Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) includes support from Toyota Racing Development, U.S.A. (TRD), who will build the team’s engines and provide technology, data and technical assistance.

Realme 7 and Realme 7 Pro now available at Jarir

November 3, 2020

After almost two month since it was announce, realme 7 series is now available in Saudi Arabia thru Jarir bookstore. Both the realme 7 and realme 7 Pro will be sold in the Kingdom. Realme 7 Pro will retail for SAR 1,299.00, while the Realme 7 retail for SAR 999.00.

Both the Realme 7 and Realme 7 Pro will have 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. You can checkout the full specs of Realme 7 here and the Realme 7 Pro here.

Apple announces “One more thing” event on November 10

November 3, 2020
Apple announces “One more thing” event on November 10

Apple announce their event this November 10, which they’re calling “One More Thing”, a phrase that was popularize by former CEO Steve Jobs — in keynotes for major product announcements.

Apple is expected to officially announce the first Macs powered by Apple Silicon and the launching of macOS 11 Big Sur, which the company announced last June 22, 2020 at this years WWDC. As well as other products like new iPod Air and Air tags, as well as new programs that will come to the Apple TV+.

The event will be stream online via Apple.com and its social media channels, it will be held at the Apple Park on November 10th, at 10:00 AM, PST.

PBA to resume Philippine Cup games on Tuesday, November 3, 2020

October 31, 2020

After receiving the new protocols by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), PBA announce that games will resume Philippine Cup on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Teams can resume practices tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 1, and will release a revised schedule of games.

Here are the recommendations from the IATF:

  • Completion of 10-day isolation of Blackwater player from the date of swabbing before resuming the games.
  • Completion of 14-day quarantine and testing before entering the bubble for all those who will test positive moving forward; and
  • The appointment of an independent marshall, who shall oversee and ensure compliance with health and safety protocols, as recommended by the DILG.

The league will also have a separate temporary quarantine facility within the Clark Freeport Zone, as an additional safety measure and in coordination with the Clark Development Corporation (CDC).

Grab partners with Marriott International to offer “Premium” Hospitality service in Southeast Asia

October 29, 2020

Grab announces its partnership with Marriott International that will allow both parties to offer what they’re calling “Premium” hospitality service in six Southeast Asian countries; Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.

The hospitality services will include multiple verticals including food delivery, advertising, loyalty and rewards, payment and transport services.

Here’s a full text of the announcement;

SINGAPORE, 29 October 2020 – Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading super app and Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR), today announced a wide-ranging strategic partnership that will see both companies integrating their offerings to bring the premium hospitality experience into the hands of millions of consumers in Southeast Asia. This is Marriott International’s first extensive integration with a super app platform in Southeast Asia, and Grab’s most comprehensive agreement with a hospitality group to date.

Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Marriott International will integrate into Grab’s platform in phases across food delivery, payment, transport, loyalty and rewards, as well as advertising. Marriott International will have access to Grab’s sizable customer base via GrabFood, GrabPay, and GrabAds, enabling them to serve a growing pool of customers who are increasingly transacting online.

GrabFood will feature approximately 600 restaurants and bars from Marriott International’s portfolio in six different Southeast Asian markets. In addition, customers will be able to conveniently pay for their dining experiences through GrabPay at selected Marriott International hotels. Customers will earn GrabRewards points for all transactions on the Grab platform, which can be converted to Marriott Bonvoy points (and vice versa). Marriott Bonvoy is the award-winning travel program of Marriott International that encompasses the company’s global portfolio of 30 hotel brands and premium home rental offering, Homes and Villas by Marriott International. Once in place, Grab customers will be able to redeem their converted points for exclusive member benefits at over 7,400 hotels and resorts in 135 countries and territories.

Through this partnership, Marriott International and Grab seek to digitally enhance the premium hospitality experience by making it more accessible, relevant and rewarding for their customers in the new normal.

“Marriott International is constantly looking for ways to innovate and bring value to travelers and Marriott Bonvoy members as part of our partnership strategy,” said Rajeev Menon, President, Asia Pacific (excluding China), Marriott International. “Our collaboration with Grab is one way we are designing a more seamless travel experience by leveraging the expertise of a super app in the region.”

Russell Cohen, Group Managing Director – Operations, Grab said: “We are excited to partner with a world-renowned hospitality group like Marriott International that is at the forefront of delivering customer-first hospitality experiences. The breadth of our collaboration reflects our value as a platform of choice in supporting global brands on their digitalisation journey in the new normal, and in particular represents a milestone for our fast-growing GrabAds business.”

Grab and Marriott International’s initiatives to bring customer experiences to a new level include:

  • GrabFood: Starting from November, customers will progressively be able to enjoy food delivery from approximately 600 different Food and Beverage (F&B) outlets across Marriott International hotels in six of Grab’s operating markets, which will be made available on the GrabFood platform in phases. This offers Grab customers access to a wide variety of premium dining options that they can enjoy from the comfort of their homes.
  • GrabPay: Piloting in Q1 2021 first in Singapore, travellers will be able to make cashless payments through GrabPay at participating Marriott International hotels. F&B outlets that accept GrabPay can soon also access Grab’s Merchant Discovery feature to notify guests in the vicinity of participating hotels about ongoing promotions and events. This will help businesses increase sales, grow customer loyalty and drive more foot traffic to physical outlets.
  • GrabAds: Grab and Marriott International will jointly create impactful marketing campaigns that are relevant and personalised to customers. With GrabAds’ solutions, Marriott International can connect with customers in a targeted way through audience data, integrate marketing communications across touchpoints, and track campaign performance in real-time.
  • GrabRewards: Grab and Marriott will link their respective loyalty programmes to offer expanded benefits to Marriott Bonvoy and GrabRewards members. Starting in Q1 2021, Grab customers and Marriott Bonvoy members will be able to enjoy two-way points transfer. This will allow consumers to convert GrabRewards points to Marriott Bonvoy points and vice versa, enjoying flexibility and benefits on GrabRewards, Southeast Asia’s largest rewards platform by users, with nearly 800 merchants.

Both companies will also launch more loyalty initiatives in the coming months, including dining rewards at Marriott’s F&B outlets. 

The strategic partnership will begin in Singapore in November 2020, with Marriott International and Grab to roll out more products and services across Southeast Asia in multiple phases.

Vivo launches X51 5G in six European markets

October 22, 2020

Vivo will now be available in six European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and UK), to kick things off, Vivo launches 4 new smartphones in the region; vivo Y11s, Y70, Y20s and their flagship phone smartphone the X51 5G, which is a rebranded X50 Pro.

Vivo will also be selling earbuds, neckbuds and other accessories likes smartphones cases and adapters, in addition to smartphones. The X51 5G will retail for £749 (PHP47,800.51) in the UK and go on sale on October 29th.

Full specs of Vivo X51 5G;

  • 6.56-inch AMOLED (FHD+) display ,90Hz, 2376 × 1080 resolution
  • Quad rear-camera: 48MP (f/1.6) + 13MP (f/2.46) + 8MP (f/2.2) + 8MP (f/3.4)
  • Front camera: 32MP (f/2.45)
  • Snapdragon 765G CPU
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 256 GB storage
  • Funtouch OS 10 (Android 10)
  • 5G wideband,4G LTE, 3G, 2G GSM/CDMA
  • AK4377A hi-Fi chipset
  • Wi-Fi2.4G + 5G Wi-Fi MIMO
  • Bluetooth 5.1
  • USB 2.0
  • OTG, NFC
  • GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo
  • Sensors: Accelerometer, Color Temperature Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Laser detection auto-focus, E-compass, Fingerprint , Gyroscope
  • Dual SIM
  • 4315mAh battery with vivo FlashCharge 2.0 (33W)
  • Weight: 181.5g
  • Dimensions: 158.46 × 72.80 × 8.04mm
  • Color: Alpha Grey

Apple announced iPhone 12 smartphone line

October 16, 2020
Apple announced iPhone 12 smartphone line

Last Tuesday, Apple officially their next flagship smartphone line, the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. The iPhone 12 line features a new squared-edges design, similar to the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4. All the iPhone 12 models supports 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) and basically have the same screen, sans their size.

Apple also brought back the MagSafe as a charging solution for the new iPhones. Here’s what Apple said about the new MagSafe Charging Solution;

Charging solutions include the MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger for use with iPhone and Apple Watch, as well as new silicone, leather, and clear cases that easily snap onto the back of iPhone, and a leather wallet. Customers can also expect innovative MagSafe accessories from third-party manufacturers.


iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12

Both the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 are basically the same phone except for their size. The iPhone 12 Mini is a 5.4-inch smartphone while the iPhone 12 measures at 6.1-inch.

The display of the iPhone 12 mini is 5.4‑inch (diagonal) all‑screen OLED display
2340‑by‑1080-pixel resolution at 476 ppi, while the iPhone 12 is a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with 2532 x 1170 resolution at 460ppi.

Both display features;

  • HDR display
  • True Tone
  • Wide color (P3)
  • Haptic Touch
  • 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio
  • 625 nits max brightness (typical); 1200 nits max brightness (HDR)

Here are the specs that both phone shares;

  • Ceramic Shield by Corning (4x better drop performance)
  • Apple A14 Bionic (5nm)
  • 64GB, 128GB, 256GB internal storage
  • Dual-rear cameras:
    • 12MP Ultra Wide: ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120° field of view
    • 12MP Wide: ƒ/1.6 aperture
  • 2x optical zoom out, 5x Digital zoom, Smart HDR 3, HDR Video, Night Mode, Night Mode Time-lapse, HDR video recording, HEIF raw file support
  • 12MP front camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture
  • 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave), 4G LTE, 3G, GSM/EDGE
  • Smart Data Mode (auto switches between 5G and LTE)
  • WiFi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou
  • NFC, FaceID
  • MagSafe
  • Lightning port
  • IP68 Water and dust resistance
  • Wireless charging (MagSafe 15W, Qi 7.5W)
  • iOS 14
  • Black, White, Product Red, Green, Blue

Preorder for both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will start this October 16th and will ship on October 23rd, with the following pricing;

iPhone 12;

  • 64 GB – $829.00 (SAR 3,109.67)
  • 128 GB – $879.00 (SAR 3,297.22)
  • 256 GB – $979.00 (SAR 3672.33)

iPhone 12 mini;

  • 64 GB – $729.00 (SAR 2734.56)
  • 128 GB – $779.00 (SAR 2922.11)
  • 256 GB – $879.00 (SAR 3297.22)

iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max have all the specs of the iPhone 12 and to differentiate these two “Pro” phones are it’s camera module, LiDAR Scanner, starting storage capacity and colors.

iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will also differ in size, the iPhone 12 Pro is a 6.1‑inch smartphone, same as the iPhone 12, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max will measure at 6.7‑inch, which is already bordering phablet size.

Both the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will feature a triple-camera configuration, the two cameras will be the one used in iPhone 12 with the addition of another 12-MP Telephoto camera with ƒ/2.0 aperture for iPhone 12 Pro and a ƒ/2.2 aperture for iPhone 12 Pro Max. Apple also included a LiDAR Scanner for augmented reality (AR) and better focusing.

The starting storage for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max have been increased from the standard 64GB to 128GB. As for the colors, instead of 5 colors, both the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available in 4 colors; Silver, Graphite, Gold and Pacific Blue.

Preorder for both the iPhone 12 Pro will start this October 16th and will be in stores on October 23rd, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max will available for pre-order on November 6th and will be available on a week later, November 13th.

Here are the pricing for both the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max;

iPhone 12 Pro;

  • 128 GB – $999.00 (SAR 3,747.21)
  • 256 GB – $1,099.00 (SAR 4,122.30)
  • 512 GB – $1,299.00 (SAR 4,872.49)

iPhone 12 Pro Max;

  • 128 GB – $1,099.00 (SAR 4,122.30)
  • 256 GB – $1,199.00 (SAR 4,497.40)
  • 512 GB – $1,399.00 (SAR 5,247.59)

MagSafe charging solution

October 16, 2020

Another new feature that Apple included in the new iPhone 12 lineup is that they brought back MagSafe, which is a new wireless charging solution that will support current Qi chargers. It offers high-powered wireless charging and an all-new ecosystem of accessories that easily attach to iPhone.

Charging solutions include the MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger for use with iPhone and Apple Watch, as well as new silicone, leather, and clear cases that easily snap onto the back of iPhone, and a leather wallet. Customers can also expect innovative MagSafe accessories from third-party manufacturers.