Two days after Starlink announced it availability in the Philippines, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) posted a message on their facebook page welcoming Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellite Internet.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) today announced that Starlink of Elon Musk’s SpaceX is now in the Philippines, the first country in Southeast Asia to enjoy its services that promises to provide download speeds of up to 200 Mbps.
DICT Secretary Ivan John E. Uy said that Starlink’s entry to the Philippines will be a gamechanger, stressing that Starlink will augment and complement existing broadband capacities, enabling faster broadband speed and better connectivity, particularly in areas where connectivity has been difficult or impossible.
“In welcoming this new technology that is Starlink, our BroadBand ng Masa can now provide free high-speed internet access to our geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas in the Philippines, ensuring that no Filipino will be left behind,” said Uy.
With its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network constellation, Starlink can improve internet access in unserved and underserved areas in the country.
As of February 2023, Starlink is comprised of over 3,580 operational satellites. But the company aims to have as many as 40,000 satellites to be able to deliver high-speed, low-cost internet to remote regions across the globe.
Starlink is a division of Elon Musk’s SpaceX that provides broadband internet using low Earth orbit satellites. Starlink offers a download speed up to 200mbps on a ₱2,700.00 per month subscription. The only disadvantage is that Starlink does not provide any subsidy for its hardware, since you need to pay ₱29,320, compare to local provider that offers free hardware as long as you have contract commitment.
Ahead of this year’s MWC that will be held in Spain, HMD the maker of Nokia smartphone, just announce their latest entry level smartphone, the Nokia C02. The phone features a removable battery, IP52 rating and a headphone jack.
The Nokia C02 features a 5.45-inch display with FWVGA+ resolution and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The Nokia C02 features a 2 MP front facing camera and a single 5 MP rear camera. The phone is made out of a polycarbonate frame and the replaceable 3,000 mAh battery will have a nano-texture. The C02 have a dual SIM slots and a microSD card slot to expand its 32 GB storage up to 256 GB. The phone will also have 2 GB of RAM.
On the software side, the Nokia C02 will be running the Go edition of Android 12 and will receive two years of security updates. Colors for the Nokia C02 will be Dark Cyan and Charcoal colors. The pricing and availability will be announce locally.
The monthly fees for the service is only ₱2,700.00 but the hardware, the Starlink Kit will cost ₱29,320, a bit pricey for hardware will include a self-orienting Starlink phased array antenna, WiFi router, cables and base. It promises to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband internet and a download speeds up to 200 Mbs.
In an archipelago like the Philippines, a space-based internet provider is the most ideal, since you do not need to invest in any cell sites and cables. It’s still unknow how’s the performance of Starlink in the Philippines and since it’s summer in the country, those who ordered it will be able to get a good connection.
Netflix Philippines just announced a new pricing for its Basic and Standard Plan in the country that will take effect this 21st of February 2023.
From ₱369 per month, the new price for the Basic Plan will now be ₱249 per month, and Standard Plan will now be ₱399 from ₱459 per month. The new price changes will apply to both new and current subscribers. The Basic and Standard Plan are basically the same plan except that the Standard Plan will offer Full HD (1080P) resolution, while the Basic Plan only have HD (720P).
The price adjustment appears to be Netflix PH answer to the increasing competition in the country, since subscription to other streaming service available in the Philippines offer a much lower monthly plan.
Meta just announced that they’ll be testing a new verification service called Meta Verified, for both Facebook and Instagram. On his Facebook account, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said “this week we’re starting to roll out Meta Verified — a subscription service that lets you verify your account with a government ID, get a blue badge, get extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you, and get direct access to customer support.”
Meta Verified accounts will enjoy the following features;
A verified badge, confirming you’re the real you and that your account has been authenticated with a government ID.
More protection from impersonation with proactive account monitoring for impersonators who might target people with growing online audiences.
Help when you need it with access to a real person for common account issues.
Increased visibility and reach with prominence in some areas of the platform– like search, comments and recommendations.
Exclusive features to express yourself in unique ways.
Zuckerberg also added that the new Meta verified service “is about increasing authenticity and security across our services.” Also, there will be no changes to accounts on Instagram and Facebook that are already verified based on prior requirements, including authenticity and notability.
Meta Verified will be first roll-out in Australia and New Zealand later this week, then to the rest of the world. Meta Verified is available for direct purchase on Instagram or Facebook in Australia and New Zealand starting later this week. Users can purchase a monthly subscription for (USD) $11.99 on the web and (USD) $14.99 on iOS and Android.
realme Philippines has officially announced 2 new smartphones under the realme 10 smartphone series; the realme 10 pro 5G and the larger realme 10 pro+ 5G.
The realme 10 pro 5G is now available for order from Shopee and Lazada, and in local retailer;
8GB RAM and 256GB of storage – ₱16,999.00
While the availability of realme 10 pro+ 5G is yet to be announce;
Steamdeck is now available in Saudi Arabia. You can purchase Valve’s handheld gaming computer – Steamdeck from Xcite, which from a quick lookup, appears to be the only local retailer to sell the gaming device. Before, if you want to purchase Steamdeck, you can either need to contact someone from the United States or buy it from the gray/black market.
The Steamdeck is a handheld gaming computer developed by Valve Corporation. Released on February 25, 2022, the Steam Deck can be played as a handheld or connected to a monitor in a similar manner to the Nintendo Switch. Steamdeck is designed to designed for playing Steam-based game, but can also support third-party storefronts like Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, or Origin. The user can also replace the preinstalled SteamOS with a different operating system entirely, since it supports multi-booting.
Here are the pricing of Steamdeck, based on Xcite’s website listings;
SAR 2,498.99 – Steamdeck 64GB eMMC
SAR 3,199.00 – Steamdeck 256GB NVMe SSD
SAR 4,199.00 – Steamdeck 512GB NVMe SSD
Here’s the full specs of the Steamdeck;
Compute
Processor
AMD APU
CPU: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)
GPU: 8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz (up to 1.6 TFlops FP32)
APU power: 4-15W
realme Philippines will soon launch their realme 10 Pro Series 5G on 14th of Feb. 2023.
This is what they posted on their Facebook page;
First announced late last year, realme 10 Pro 5G is the latest flagship smartphone from the Chinese Smartphone maker. realme 10 Pro 5G features a 6.7-inches FHD+ display, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Processor with 108MP and 2MP dual rear camera, and a 16 MP front-facing selfie camera.
As for the rest of the specs, you can check them out below;
Google just announced the availability of Android 14 Developer Preview 1, which can be downloaded from Android for Developers website. The Android 14 Developer Preview 1, as the name suggest, is mainly for Android developers and Android hardware manufacturers to make sure that their apps and devices are fully compatible with the Android 14.
We released the first Developer Preview of #Android14!
It includes changes to streamline background work, along with enhancements to privacy, personalization, security, and more.
Notable features of the upcoming Android 14 are; support for tablets and foldable form factors, enhancements to performance, privacy, security, and user customization. Google plans to release the beta version of Android 14 in two months and release the final beta version by June 2023 and the candidate release up to the stable release by 3rd qtr of this year. It’s still unclear what features will be available in the final release but if you want to take a sneak peek at what is new with Android 14, then you can get the Android 14.
Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra with Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ last Feb 1, 2023 at their Galaxy Unpacked 2023. In a nutshell, the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ are the same phones with different screen size while the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the premium version that supports S-Pen and features a 200 MP camera.
You can read more about the new Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ here.
Aside from the new Galaxy S23 phones, Samsung also announced in their Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event, the Galaxy Book3 series; the Galaxy Book3 Ultra, Book3 Pro 360, Book3 360 and Book3 Pro. Except for the Galaxy Book3 Ultra all other Galaxy Book3 features similar specs.
Samsung describes the Galaxy Book3 Ultra as a “premium PC” with “ultra-high-performance computing,” while the Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 is a 2-in-1 convertible that supports S Pen functionality and the Galaxy Book3 Pro will be the the thinnest laptop in the series. The new Galaxy Book3 Ultra and Pro series will have a full aluminum frame and parts built from recycled plastics.
All Galaxy Book3 will be connected to an assortment of services like the Windows / Microsoft Phone Link; Windows / Microsoft Phone Link’s to Recent Websites; Instant Hotspot; Samsung Multi Control, Samsung Pass and much much more.
The Galaxy Book3 Ultra will be Samsung’s entry to the gaming space, since it features Intel’s 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 processor and NVIDIA® RTX Geforce™ 4070 laptop GPU. Both the Galaxy Book3 Ultra and Pro series will be available in 14-inches and 16-inches displays, that uses Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, first used in Galaxy premium smartphone lineup display. The display supports 3K (2880×1800) resolution, and 120Hz refresh rate. It is also VESA ClearMR and DisplayHDR TRUE BLACK 500 certified, and has received SGS Eye Care Display certification.
As for its availability, the new Galaxy Book3 series will be available for purchase this February 17th, 2023, starting with the Galaxy Book3 Pro and Pro360 models in select markets.
The Galaxy Book3 Pro will start at $1449.99, available in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes with Graphite and Beige color options. The Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 will start at $1899.99, available in 16-inch size with Graphite and Beige color options, and Galaxy Book3 Ultra will have a starting price of $2,399.99, available in a 16-inch size in Graphite.
Here’s the specs of the 16-inches Galaxy Book3 Pro 360.
Last Wednesday, Feb. 1st, at the Galaxy Unpacked 2023 – Samsung has officially announced their next line of smartphones, the Galaxy S23 Ultra. It composed of 3 new smartphones; the Galaxy S23 and the larger Galaxy S23+, then there’s the premium version the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S23+
The Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ are basically the same phones, the only difference is on the display, storage and battery. The Galaxy S23 features a 6.1-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display and a 3,900mAh battery, while the Galaxy S23+ will have a 6.1-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display and a whopping 4,700mAh battery.
Both phones will use Corning’s latest Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and Quamcomm’s Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform.
Both Galaxy S23s will have same 8GB RAM, the storage offerings of the smaller Galaxy S23 will start at 128GB, up to 256GB of storage, while the larger Galaxy 23+ will be 256GB and up to 512GB of storage.
Both the Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S23+ will be available in 4 colors; Cream, Lavender, Phantom Black, Green. Plus 2 online exclusive colors; Lime and Graphite. The starting price of the Galaxy S23 will be $799.99 and the Galaxy S23+ will be $999.99. Samsung is already taking pre-orders.
Samsung Galaxy S23 & Galaxy S23 Plus
Here are the specs for both the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+;
Galaxy S23
Galaxy S23+
Display
6.1-inch FHD+*
6.6-inch FHD+*
Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display
Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display
Super Smooth 120Hz refresh rate (48~120Hz)
Super Smooth 120Hz refresh rate (48~120Hz)
240Hz Touch Sampling Rate in Game Mode
240Hz Touch Sampling Rate in Game Mode
Vision booster
Vision booster
Enhanced comfort
Enhanced comfort
Dimensions & Weight
2.79 x 5.76 x 0.3in, 5.93oz
3.07 x 6.43 x 0.35in, 6.91oz
Camera
12MP Ultra-Wide Camera
• F2.2, FOV 120˚
50 MP Wide Camera
• F1.8, FOV 85˚
10MP Telephoto Camera
• 3x Optical Zoom, F2.4, FOV 36˚
12MP Front Camera
• F2.2, FOV 80˚
Processor
Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy
Memory & Storage
8 + 256GB
8 + 512GB
8 + 128GB
8 + 256GB
Battery
3,900mAh
4,700mAh
OS
Android 13
One UI 5.1
Network and Connectivity
5G*, LTE**, Wi-Fi 6E***, Wi-Fi Direct Bluetooth® v 5.3
Security
Samsung Knox, Samsung Knox Vault
Water Resistance
IP68
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Samsung also announced a premium smartphones that they’re calling the Galaxy S23 Ultra. From the looks of its specs, Samsung went all-out on this device. Just like the Galaxy S23 and the Galaxy S23+, the Galaxy S23 Ultra uses Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform. It supports the S Pen, for productivity, notetaking, hobbies, etc.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra will also have the largest battery capacity with 5,000mAh and the main rear camera will use a “new 200MP Adaptive Pixel sensor” for taking that “epic” photo.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra will be available in 3 configuration; 12GB RAM with 1TB storage, 12GB RAM and a 512GB storage, and 8GB RAM with 256GB storage. The phone will be available in available in 4 colors; Cream, Lavender, Phantom Black, Green; and 4 online exclusive colors; Lime, Graphite, Sky Blue, and Red.
The starting price for the Galaxy S23 Ultra will be at $1,199.99 for the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage configuration. Pre-order for the Galaxy S23 Ultra is now available.
Here’s the specs of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra;
Galaxy S23 Ultra
Display
6.8-inch QHD+ Edge*
Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display
Super Smooth 120Hz refresh rate (1~120Hz)
240Hz Touch Sampling Rate in Game Mode
Vision booster
Enhanced comfort
Dimensions & Weight
3.07 x 6.43 x 0.35 in , 8.25oz
Camera
12MP Ultra-Wide Camera
• F2.2, FOV 120˚
200 MP Wide Camera
• F1.7, FOV 85˚
10MP Telephoto Camera
• 3x Optical Zoom, F2.4, FOV 36˚
10MP Telephoto Camera
• 10x Optical Zoom, F4.9, FOV 11˚
12MP Front Camera
• F2.2, FOV 80˚
AP
Snapdragon® 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy
Memory & Storage
12GB + 1TB
12 + 512GB
8 + 256GB
Battery
5,000mAh
OS
Android 13
One UI 5.1
Network and Connectivity
5G*, LTE**, Wi-Fi 6E***, Wi-Fi Direct Bluetooth® v 5.3
Official Unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Series
EA’s Respawn Entertainment, the makers of Apex Legends, just announced that they will sunset the the mobile version of Apex Legends. In their announcement, the company said that players with existing Syndicate Gold can keep playing the full game until 4 PM PDT on May 1st, 2023, which is when the game will stop operating on all regions.
The game publisher did not provide any reason for the decision except that the game “fall short of that bar for quality, quantity, and cadence.” The company added that both “Respawn and the Apex Legends team remain excited about mobile as a platform and look forward to new opportunities to serve players there in the future.”
We have made the decision to sunset Apex Legends Mobile.
Nissan and New Balance just create a one of a kind car that both car-lovers and sneaker heads will surely like. It’s not uncommon for car manufacturer to partner with fashion and lifestyle brands to create a “new” product; like the Puma Ferrari shoes or the Porche Design Huawei Mate 40 RS, but with Nissan and New Balance collab it’s the other way around, instead of the car-inspired shoe design, they created a “shoe-inspired” car design. Both Nissan and New Balance literally created a Nisan Kicks, one that they’re calling Nissan Kicks 327 Edition.
Nissan Kicks 327 Edition is “Nissan Kicks e-POWER 4WD” wrapped with New Balance “327” specifications. The car was wrapped material to represent the suede fabric texture of the “327” shoes and the tongue part was carefully created from the reproduction of the shape to the texture of the shoe.
Nissan did not mention if they will mass product the Nissan Kicks 327 Edition but it was exhibited at NISSAN CROSSING (Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo) starting last Tuesday, January 24th until this Wednesday, February 1st.
For reference, this is what the New Balance 327 looks like.
Queen of All Media, Kris Quino, Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino in real life, took to social media in sending her message for the 90th birthday of Former President Cory Aquino.
In her 10-minute Instagram video, Kris shared how she copes with four autoimmune diseases, showing how challenging her medical situation has been and also explain the conditions she is dealing with, even though she believes her mother can see everything from heaven.
Together with the new Mac mini, Apple also announced a new MacBook Pro powered by the new M2 Pro and M2 Max. With the new M2 Pro and M2 Max, the new Macbook Pros’ “battery life will be up to 22 hours — the longest battery life ever in a Mac.”
The new Macbook Pro features Liquid Retina XDR display, 16GB unified memory that’s configurable up to 96GB RAM, a 22 hours battery life, 512GB SSD storage which you can upgrade up to 8 TB. As for expansion slots, you’ll find SDXC card slot, HDMI port, 3.5 mm headphone jack and MagSafe 3 port for charging. It also have Thunderbolt 4 for charging and display. Its backlit magic Keyboard will have an integrated Touch ID, ambient light sensor and force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and multi-touch gestures.
For connectivity it supports Wi-Fi 6E 802.11ax and Bluetooth 5.3. The new Macbook Pro will have a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, six built-in speakers with force-cancelling woofers and wide stereo sounds. If you’re concern about the weight there a very small different between the weight of the Macbook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max. Right out of the box, the new Macbook Pro will run Apple’s latest macOS Ventura.
The new MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max are now available for order in 27 countries and they will begin arriving to customers and will be in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers starting Tuesday, January 24.
The new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro starts at $1,999 (USD) and the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro starts at $2,499 (US).
MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max will be available in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, New Zealand, and Singapore beginning Friday, February 3.
Apple just announced an updated version of the Mac mini powered by their very own M2 and the all-new M2 Pro Soc.
Mac Mini with M2 chip
The new Mac mini with the M2 features an 8-core CPU with four high-performance and four high-efficiency cores, along with a 10-core GPU — perfect for users looking for superfast performance and incredible productivity at an even more affordable starting price of $599. It supports up to 24GB of unified memory and 100GB/s of bandwidth and the M2 model can also simultaneously play up to two streams of 8K ProRes 422 video at 30 fps, or up to 12 streams of 4K ProRes 422 video at 30 fps.
Specs of Mac Mini with M2 chip;
Apple M2 chip
– 8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
– 10-core GPU
– 16-core Neural Engine
– 100GB/s memory bandwidth
8GB unified RAM, configurable to 16GB or 24GB
256GB SSD, configurable to 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB
2x Thunderbolt 4 ports
2x USB-A ports
HDMI port
Gigabit Ethernet ports
3.5 mm headphone jack
Built-in speaker
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Ethernet Connectivity
3.58cm x 19.70cm x 19.70cm dimension
1.18 kg weight
Apple Mac mini with Studio Display and Magic accessories.
Mac Mini with M2 Pro chip
The new Mac mini with the M2 Pro will provide pro-level performance with up to 12-core CPU with eight high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores, together with an up to a 19-core GPU. It supports up to 32GB of memory, a faster Neural Engine and a powerful media engine for streaming 8K ProRes 422 video at 30 fps, or up to 23 streams of 4K ProRes 422 video at 30 fps. The M2 Pro-powered model is up to 14x faster than the fastest Intel-based Mac mini.
Specs of Mac Mini with M2 Pro chip;
Apple M2 Pro chip
– 10-core CPU with 6 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
– 16-core GPU
– 16-core Neural Engine
– 200GB/s memory bandwidth
16GB unified RAM, configurable 32GB
512GB SSD, configurable to 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB
4x Thunderbolt 4 ports
2x USB-A ports
HDMI port
Gigabit Ethernet ports
3.5 mm headphone jack
Built-in speaker
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Ethernet Connectivity
3.58cm x 19.70cm x 19.70cm dimension
1.28 kg weight
The new Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro is now available for order and will start arriving to customers, and in Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, starting Tuesday, January 24. Mac mini with M2 will have starting price of $599, while the Mac mini with M2 Pro will be $1,299. Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro will be available in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, and New Zealand beginning Friday, February 3.
LinkedIn, the social media network for professionals and businesses just reveal the 15 fastest-growing job titles in the Philippines. The list is a good reference for those who are planning to switch jobs or gauge if there’s long term opportunity in the industry where you’re at.
LinkedIn explained that the list was published by “LinkedIn Economic Graph researchers examined millions of jobs started by LinkedIn members from January 1, 2018 to July 31, 2022 to calculate a growth rate for each job title.” and added “To be ranked, a job title needed to see consistent growth across our membership base, as well as have grown to a meaningful size by 2022.”
Here’s the full list of LinkedIn’s 15 fastest-growing job titles in the Philippines;
Clinical Research Associate
What they do: Clinical research associates are responsible for the setup, conduct, and supervision of clinical trials and studies designed to determine the effectiveness and safety of drugs, products, and procedures.
Most common skills: Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Clinical Monitoring, Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS)
Most common industries: Manufacturing, Professional Services, Hospitals and Health Care
Business Development Representative
What they do: Business development representatives help both the marketing and sales departments of a company by identifying, connecting, and nurturing new clients in order to generate new revenue.
Most common skills: Lead Generation, Business Development, Cold Calling.
Most common industries: Technology and Media, Professional Services, Entertainment Providers.
Insights Analyst
What they do: Insights analysts are responsible for translating a company’s financial, customer, and market data into insights that can help the business make informed decisions.
Most common skills: Microsoft Power BI, Business Insights, Data Visualization
Most common industries: Professional Services, Manufacturing, Technology and Media
Delivery Specialist
What they do: Delivery specialists manage projects on behalf of clients, making sure that projects are completed within deadlines and budgets and that projects meet every client specification.
Most common skills: Service Delivery, Alteryx, Business Process Improvement
Most common industries: Professional Services, Technology and Media, Administrative and Support Services
Anti-Money Laundering Analyst
What they do: Anti-money laundering analysts help organizations comply with anti-money laundering regulations by monitoring financial transactions and investigating any suspicious activity.
Most common skills: KYC Verification, Anti-Money Laundering, Due Diligence
Most common industries: Financial Services, Professional Services, Technology and Media
Media Analyst
What they do: Media analysts measure the success of advertising campaigns and other marketing activities through the monitoring of media channels and analysis of media data.
Most common skills: Media Analysis, Media Monitoring, Data Analysis
Most common industries: Professional Services, Technology and Media, Financial Services
Customer Success Specialist
What they do: Customer success specialists help businesses retain existing customers by responding to inquiries, resolving issues, and providing other support that ensure customer satisfaction.
Most common skills: Account Management, Customer Success, Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Most common industries: Professional Services, Financial Services, Technology and Media
Virtual Medical Assistant
What they do: Virtual medical assistants take care of many administrative and clerical duties for clinics or hospitals, including the maintenance of medical databases, appointment scheduling, patient billing, and insurance coverage processing.
Most common skills: Virtual Assistance, Medical Assisting, Appointment Scheduling
Most common industries: Professional Services, Hospitals and Health Care, Administrative and Support Services
Salesforce Consultant
What they do: Salesforce consultants help companies use the Salesforce CRM software, providing expert guidance during the setup, implementation, and optimisation of the tool to suit the company’s needs.
Most common skills: Salesforce.com Administration, Apex Programming, Salesforce Sales Cloud
Most common industries: Professional Services, Technology and Media, Manufacturing
Data Engineer
What they do: Data engineers work with raw data and transform it into a format that’s more accessible and usable for further analysis by data scientists.
Most common skills: Data Engineering, Load (ETL), Python (Programming Language)
Most common industries: Professional Services, Financial Services, Oil, Gas, and Mining
Security Operations Center Analyst
What they do: Security operations center analysts protect a company’s computer network by monitoring system activity, identifying and responding to threats, and patching any system security flaw.
Most common skills: Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Security Operations Center, Cybersecurity
Most common industries: Professional Services, Financial Services, Technology and Media
DevOps Engineer
What they do: DevOps engineers sit between software development and software operation teams to improve end user experience, balancing the rollout of new features with maintaining the stability and security of the software.
Most common skills: DevOps, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Kubernetes
Most common industries: Professional Services, Financial Services, Technology and Media
Product Owner
What they do: Product owners take the lead in all aspects of new product development and are responsible for setting the vision for the product, deciding what features the product should have, and managing the whole process from start to finish.
Most common skills: Agile Methodologies, Scrum, Product Management
Most common industries: Financial Services, Professional Services, Technology and Media
Cloud Engineer
What they do: Cloud engineers manage a company’s cloud-based systems and are responsible for setting it up, ensuring its stability, implementing updates, and customizing its features to suit end users’ needs.
Most common skills: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Cloud Computing
Most common industries: Professional Services, Technology and Media, Manufacturing
Tax Associate
What they do: Tax associates help organizations file their taxes correctly, find opportunities for tax deductions, and provide guidance on tax-related matters.
Most common skills: Tax Preparation, Tax Compliance, Accounting
Most common industries: Professional Services, Financial Services, Real Estate and Equipment Rental Services
Apple just announced that they are adding karaoke features to Apple Music. The company said that they’re calling this new feature Apple Music Sing, “a new feature that allows users to sing along to their favorite songs with adjustable vocals and real-time lyrics.” It added that “Apple Music Sing offers multiple lyric views to help fans take the lead, perform duets, sing backup, and more — all integrated within Apple Music’s unparalleled lyrics experience.”
The new feature will be available this month to all Apple Music Subscribers worldwide and can be access using compatible iPhones, iPads, and the new Apple TV 4K. Apple will also create 50 dedicated companion playlists featuring all of the karaoke friendly songs all around the world to sing and it’s fully optimized for the Apple Music Sing experience.
The compatible devices that Apple Music Sing will be available are; iPhone 11 to the latest iPhones; iPhone SE (third-generation, 2022); the iPad 9, 10, iPad mini 6, iPad Air 4 and 5; the M1 and M2 iPad Pro, and the said devices needs to updated to the latest iOS 16.2, which will be release this December 2022.
Singapore-based Carousell just announced that it will layoff 10% of its staff or around 110 employees. The company made the announcement to all its staff via email and an official blogpost on their website. The company operates in 10 markets; Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Quek Siu Rui, Carousell’s Co-founder and CEO said in the post “I am deeply sorry for this outcome, and I take responsibility for the decisions that have led us here. Parting with teammates, whom we are grateful to for joining us on this mission, is a very difficult decision. We will be sure to treat everyone impacted with compassion and to lend as much support as we can to them.”
The company’s goal for the “impacted” employees is to help them in their job search by allowing them to keep their office laptop and continue their LinkedIn Learning membership until June 30, 2023; provide at least 3 months of compensation and, extend medical benefits and insurance coverage for employees and their dependents up to June 30, 2023, subject to approval by local insurers and medical service providers.
Carousell was founded in 2012, backed by Sequoia Capital India, Naver, 500 Global and Rakuten Capital, has raised a total of $372.6 million and acquired another of companies including OLX Philippines, after receiving an investment from Naspers.
Apple just announced this year’s App Store Award winners and looks like games dominated this year’s winners. Apple also announced the winners for apps that have the most Cultural Impact, which are apps that “impacted people’s lives in awesome ways.”
The winning apps are selected selected by Apple’s App Store editorial international teams for their technical innovation, user experience and design, and the impact these apps have had on our lives. You can checkout the complete list below;
2022 App Store Award winners
iPhone App of the Year: BeReal
iPhone Game of the Year: Apex Legends Mobile
iPad App of the Year: GoodNotes 5
iPad Game of the Year: Moncage
Apple Watch App of the Year: Gentler Streak
Apple TV Game of the Year: El Hijo
Apple TV App of the Year: ViX
Mac App of the Year: MacFamilyTree 10
Mac Game of the Year: Inscryption
Apple Arcade Game of the Year: Wylde Flowers
China Game of the Year: League of Legends Esports Manager
Cultural Impact winners
Dot’s Home – Game(Free).
How We Feel – emotional wellbeing journal (Free).
Inua – Free Game.
Locket Widget – Social network and photo sharing (Free).
Waterllama – Health & Fitness (Free with in-app purchases).
After it failed to reach an agreement with China’s Netease Games, US gaming giant, Blizzard Entertainment will suspend most, if not all of its services in China starting this January 2023. Both Netease Games and Blizzard Entertainment where not able to extend their 14-year licensing agreement, since started 2008.
It’s unclear how failed extension will affect both companies and but all is not lost, since Blizzard’s mobile game Diablo Immortal will continue operating under a separate agreement with NetEase.
IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 16, 2022– Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that it will be suspending most Blizzard game services in mainland China due to the expiration of the current licensing agreements with NetEase, Inc. on January 23, 2023. This includes World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, Warcraft® III: Reforged, Overwatch®, the StarCraft® series, Diablo III®, and Heroes of the Storm®. Diablo Immortal® co-development and publishing is covered under a separate agreement between the two companies.
Blizzard Entertainment has had licensing agreements with NetEase since 2008, covering the publication of these Blizzard titles in China. The two parties have not reached a deal to renew the agreements that is consistent with Blizzard’s operating principles and commitments to players and employees, and the agreements are set to expire in January 2023.
We will suspend new sales in the coming days and Chinese players will be receiving details of how this will work soon. Upcoming releases for World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, Hearthstone: March of the Lich King, and season 2 of Overwatch 2 will proceed later this year.
“We’re immensely grateful for the passion our Chinese community has shown throughout the nearly 20 years we’ve been bringing our games to China through NetEase and other partners,” said Mike Ybarra, president, Blizzard Entertainment. “Their enthusiasm and creativity inspire us, and we are looking for alternatives to bring our games back to players in the future.”
Partnership like this is not uncommon in the gaming industry, since Riot Games partnered with Chinese gaming company Tencent distribute League of Legends in the country before the Chinese company acquired Riot Games for around $400 million.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced the launching of Ceer – “the first Saudi electric vehicle brand that will contribute to Saudi Arabia’s automotive manufacturing sector.” The announcement is part of PIR and Saudi’s plan to diversify the country’s economy, as it moves away from oil dependency.
Ceer will also contribute to Kingdom’s “efforts towards carbon emissions reduction and driving sustainability to address the impact of climate change.” In the official announcement published by Saudi Press Agency (SPA), his Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) said;
Saudi Arabia is not just building a new automotive brand, we are igniting a new industry and an ecosystem that attracts international and local investments, creates job opportunities for local talent, enables the private sector, and contributes to increasing Saudi Arabia’s GDP over the next decade, as part of PIF’s strategy to drive the economic growth in line with Vision 2030.
Ceer is the first Saudi automotive brand that will will design, manufacture and sell a range of electric vehicles for consumers in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region. It is projected that Ceer will attract more than US$150 million of foreign direct investment, and create up to 30,000 direct and indirect jobs. Ceer is projected to directly contribute US$8 billion to Saudi Arabia’s GDP by 2034.
Ceer motors, the company behind Ceer, is a joint venture between PIF and Foxconn, will be using technology from BMW for its vehicle development process. Foxconn will also develop the electrical architecture of the vehicle, to power its infotainment, connectivity and autonomous driving technologies. Each vehicle will be designed and manufactured in Saudi Arabia, and will be tested to the highest global automotive quality control and safety standards. Ceer vehicles are expected to be on the road by 2025.
If you are still high on the recent announcement of the new iPhone 14 series, and want to immediately order the device, then you’ve come to the right place.
There are a number of ways you can pre-order the iPhone 14; you can preorder the device thru your carrier or thru a retailer.
These are the leading carrier in Saudi Arabia where you can preorder the latest Apple smartphone;
Mobily – orders will be released 16/09/2022 except for iPhone 14 Plus which will be available on October 7th, 2022.
STC – you can order via mystc app, which means that you should be a current STC subscriber in order to have an active MY STC account.
Virgin Mobile – they offer a limited number of of iPhone 14s for pre-order. You can also pre-register your interest and once iPhone 14 are available they will notify you over SMS.
Virgin Mobile – you can pre order thru their mobile app.
Zain – Stock is limited, 1 order per customer and the iPhone will be released on 16 September 2022, while the iPhone 14 Plus will be available by 7th of October .
If you want to go and place your pre order thru a retailer, then these are the leading retailers in the Kingdom;
All retailers said that the the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max will be release on September 16, 2022, while iPhone 14 Plus will be available by October 7th.
If you’re like me, who is just catching up on the latest gadget/tech news for past two weeks, then you’re on the right place. Samsung recently help their annual unpacked and announced the latest products namely the Galaxy Z Flip4, Galaxy ZFold4, Galaxy Watch5 and Watch5 Pro and Galaxy Buds2 Pro.
To relive the experience, you can watch replay of the event below;
Golden State Warriors secured their homecourt by taking game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. It was a classic third quarter game by the Warriors by erasing a 19-pt lead by the Mavs and reducing it to just 2-pts entering the 4th quarters.
The Golden State 3rd quarter run was fueled by Kevon Looney’s 20-points games, which also includes 12 rebounds and 2 assists. Otto Porter Jr. and Jordan Poole helped swing the momentum by contributing 11-points and 23-points, respectively.
Kevon Looney (@Loon_Rebel5) continues to come up BIG for the @warriors this postseason!
🔥 21 points (Playoff career high) 🔥 10-14 shooting 🔥 12 rebounds 🔥 2-0 lead in the WCF pic.twitter.com/psC8GeBhWx
Just like in game 1, all of Golden States’ starters scored double-digits points; Curry (32); Thompson (15); Wiggins (16); Looney (21); Porter Jr. (11) and Poole (23).
Compare to game 1; Mavs played a much better game getting a 42-points game from Luka Doncic and a 31-points contribution from Jalen Brunson. As a team, Mavs made 46.7% (21-45) of their shot from beyond the arc, but in the 3rd qtr, the team only made 2 of their 13-shot in the 3-point area.
Game 3 will in Dallas, where they’ve been playing great in the past two series.
To commemorate the 35th anniversary of the original The Legend of Zelda game, Nintendo recently launch the Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda system, it’s a standlone Game & Watch handheld system that where you can play three retro Zelda games; The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.
If you have the Game & Watch: Super Mario, then this device is the exact same thing, like the screensize, metalic finish and those rubbery buttons, the main difference is the green color theme and has “The Legend of Zelda” plastered on the front and center of the device.
In the United States, the Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda retails at $49.99 or around SAR 187.50, but you can expect it to be priced in the Kingdom the same as Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros which is around SAR 400.00.
A remastered version of Grand Theft Auto Trilogy; GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas is now available for Switch users.
All three games are collectively available as ‘Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition’ which is available on Nintendo.com and Nintendo eShop on your device for $59.99 or around SAR 255.00.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition includes:
Grand Theft Auto III
It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man’s rise to the top of the criminal pile. Grand Theft Auto returns with Tommy Vercetti’s tale of betrayal and revenge in a neon-soaked tropical town full of excess and brimming with possibilities.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Five years ago, Carl “CJ” Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas…a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption. Now, it’s the early ‘90s. On his return to the neighborhood, CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and to take control of the streets.
After officially announcing Netflix Games for Android, Netflix Games will now be available for iOS users as well. The new gaming service will be available to Netflix subscribers with no ads, no extra fees and no in-app purchases.
Netflix Games is coming to iOS! Starting tomorrow, you can access Netflix Games through the Netflix app on any mobile device, anywhere in the world. pic.twitter.com/LoHYFi4xBX
There are of course some things that you need to keep in mind when you play Netflix Games using your Netflix account and your Netflix profile.
Since Netflix Games have a maturity rating, you cannot use a Netflix profile to a Netflix Games with a high maturity rating.
Netflix Games can be played on multiple devices on the same account and just like with your Netflix account, there will be a limit on how many device you can use the same Netflix account. If you ever hit your limit, you can sign out of devices not in use, or remove them from your download devices.
From the looks of things, Netflix will make Netflix Games free as long as you are a subscriber, which is not a bad thing and could be a good strategy to grew and keep its subscribers.
After officially announcing Netflix Games for Android, Netflix Games will now be available for iOS users as well. The new gaming service will be available to Netflix subscribers with no ads, no extra fees and no in-app purchases.
Netflix Games is coming to iOS! Starting tomorrow, you can access Netflix Games through the Netflix app on any mobile device, anywhere in the world. pic.twitter.com/LoHYFi4xBX
There are of course some things that you need to keep in mind when you play Netflix Games using your Netflix account and your Netflix profile.
Since Netflix Games have a maturity rating, you cannot use a Netflix profile to a Netflix Games with a high maturity rating.
Netflix Games can be played on multiple devices on the same account and just like with your Netflix account, there will be a limit on how many device you can use the same Netflix account. If you ever hit your limit, you can sign out of devices not in use, or remove them from your download devices.
From the looks of things, Netflix will make Netflix Games free as long as you are a subscriber, which is not a bad thing and could be a good strategy to grew and keep its subscribers.
