2019 v19n10 - BACK TO SCHOOL

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J UNE2019 VOL UME19 NUMBER10

REVI EW ED

BACK TO SCHOOL Readyf ort henew schoolyear ?

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For many students out there, the coming months will be the start of a new chapter in their lives. New friends, moving away from home, living on one’s own--these are all challenges that freshmen face. It’s a daunting thing on its own, so we here at the magazine wanted to help by coming up with a few stories that might be of help. Whether it’s getting your finances fiex up, finding a new place, or getting your gear together, we’ve got you covered. As usual we’ve got reviews, news, and parades in this month’s issue, so even if university is nothing but a distant memory, we hope you’ll still enjoy!

Thanks very much, and see you again next month!

Ren Alcantara Editor-at-Large

PRESY ALBA

MARIBELLE M. ALBA

EDITOR-AT-LARGE I don’t travel light, I lug too many gadgets, I can walk for miles exploring and I never say no to the local fare.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF #GIRLBOSS @bellealba

@presy1121

MARLET SALAZAR

REN ALCANTARA

MANAGING EDITOR

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

PRESIDENT & CEO

Être fort pour être utile

@hisnameisren

JEWEL STA. ANA

MIA CARISSE BARRIENTOS

CONTRIBUTOR

Nope, I don’t live in a palace.

If you ask me a Kpop-related question, I’ll respond with an essay.

HR & ADMIN MANAGER ADMINISTRATION STAFF

Amy Christine Giray Ramil Almojano Clifford Dela Paz

@monsterjewfloat

@miaissocoollike

PR & MARKETING STAFF DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER

Paula Candoy Jerico Lutrania

GERRY GAVIOLA

LEGAL COUNSEL

Marlet is a book-lover, and can forego lunch to buy a book. @marletds

STAFF WRITER

CHINI YU SORIANO

Maribelle Alba

SALES AND ADVERTISING MANAGER ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Marisa Consuelo

ACCOUNTING MANAGER ACCOUNTING STAFF

Maritess Pascua-Maulion Lorie Bernardo

Carol Agabin

Alba Law Office

CONTRIBUTOR

GRAPHIC ARTIST I love dogs.

Cineaste. Audiophile. Gadget addict.

@chinisoriano

@gerry.g626

ZEIL ROMERO

CONTRIBUTOR

Let it be.

Self-proclaimed marketer. Pop culture fan. Sleeper, er, sleeping agent.

JEFF DANIEL RINGON

GRAPHIC ARTIST @zeil_heyo

@hefedanyel

MARK SIMON ENGRACIAL

JOSE ALVAREZ

GRAPHIC ARTIST

CONTRIBUTOR

“Pop called me chief, Gotta keep it brief Locked and load, I can see you lying through your teeth”

Jose loves football, video games, computers, and history, but not necessarily in any order.

@mark_siomai

@josealvarez

GADGETS Magazine is published monthly by Great Minds Media Inc. Address all correspondence to Unit 801-802, The One Executive Office Bldg., #5 West Ave., 1104 Quezon City.

Our telephone number is: 288-8588 Our website is: www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

All unsolicited manuscripts, illustrations and photos submitted must be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope if they are to be returned.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Every care is taken to ensure that the content of Gadgets is fully accurate; however, the publisher and printer assume no responsibility for the effects arising therefrom. Gadgets Magazine is a registered trademark of Great Minds Media Inc.

ARNEL DORIA

MOBILITY CONSULTANT

Marketing guru. Automotive industry veteran. Road safety advocate.

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CONTENTS

JUNE 2019 | Volume 19 No. 10

07

21

26

32

38

Mobility

50

Everything about wheels

Play. Respawn. Pause. Repeat

60

61

Parade Set your sights on these cool gadgets!

Photo Feature: Spread the Campus Vibe

Gadgets Lab Find out what’s hit and miss on these devices

Cover Story: Back to School Your guide to finding the right gadgets for school

Gaming

Learning with these essentials

56

Home How to choose appliances for compact homes

Apps

What apps do you need today?

Feature: Google Digital Well-Being How to live a digital life

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66

Snapshots The world from an “old soul’s” lens

Travel Boracay: A restored paradise

70

Everything Apple Productivity apps in the iOS ecosystem

72

74

78

Millennial Music

Suit up and ready your firmest handshake

News, trends, and threats in the cyberspace

81

90

92

You monthly dose of consumer-tech news and more

James Reid and Maine Mendoza at SM Fashion Hall

Do you remember the Classic Overhead Projector?

Music Corner

Bits and Bytes

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Enterprise

Events

Cybersecurity

Relic

www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

PARADE

Vivo V15 Blossom Pink Smartphone

Vivo teams up with cosmetic brand Benefit for the release of limited edition V15 Blossom Pink. The Vivo x Benefit Kit comes in a pretty pink box which contains the Vivo V15 Blossom Pink and Benefit’s Dandelion Twinkle Blush and Gold Rush Blush. The two blush powders can complement Vivo V15’s 32MP Elevating Selfie Camera, which automatically raises when users turn on the selfie mode. The handset also has beautification features and portrait lighting effects for that instant post-editing.

PHP P17,999

HyperX Alloy Keyboard

Kingston Technology introduced the new HyperX Alloy Origins Mechanical Gaming Keyboard featuring brand-new HyperX keyswitches at the Computex Taipei last month. The keyboard features a 45g actuation point, shorter travel time and is rated for up to 80 million lifetime in clicks. Alloy Origins is a full-size mechanical gaming keyboard with a space-saving layout to maximize desktop real estate for FPS gameplay. The keyboard offers up to three custom lighting profiles that can be saved directly to the onboard memory for on-the-go lighting and macro settings. Alloy Origins features dynamic lighting with exposed LED on the keyswitches, providing brighter and more radiant RGB lighting. Gamers can customize lighting effects and per key RGB control using the latest version of HyperX NGenuity software, designed with an intuitive user-friendly interface.

www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

JUNE 2019

7

Realme 3 Pro Smartphone

With the success of its previous entry-level models, Realme Philippines introduces the latest addition to its 2019 portfolio. Offering a real gaming device for the pro, the Realme 3 Pro is packed with outstanding smartphone features that are designed to elevate mid-ranger phones. It runs on a powerful Snapdragon 710 processor supported by either a 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage or 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, and has a combination of 16 MP + 5 MP rear cameras backed up with a Sony IMX 519 image sensors. It is equipped with a Snapdragon 710 processor mated with Adreno 616 GPU that delivers faster frame rates which guarantees seamless gameplay. With a large 4045 mAh battery, users can now enjoy their games for hours. Further boosting the phone’s power is the VOOC 3.0 flash technology, which charges the phone to 50 percent in just 30 minutes.

PHP 12,990 (4 GB RAM + 64 GB memory) PHP 14,990 (6 GB RAM + 128 GB memory)

Coocaa 40S5G Smart TV

Smart TVs are the current standard of home entertainment, and Coocaa wants to let you have an Android-powered Smart TV at a reasonable price. Their 40-inch Android-powered Smart TV combines a full HD display, a gorgeous frameless infinity view design, wireless connectivity, HDMI inputs, and USB ports for local storage, it’s got everything you need for your next binge-watching session. Android 8.0 support gives you access to some of the best apps available, and even lets you control your smart home devices to boot. More than just an entertainment device, it’s a smart home appliance.

PHP 13,990

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Fujifilm X-T30

Camera

Big things sometimes come in small packages. The latest in Fujifilm’s X series, the X-T30, boasts of specs that can rival DSLR workhorses. It has a 425 point phase-detection AF system with approximately 100% frame coverage, color chrome effect, and sports viewfinder. The Fujifilm X-T30 records in 6K (6240x3510) to produce stunning quality in 4K (3810x2160). It is ideal for street and travel photography because it weighs only 333 g (excluding accessories, battery and memory card). The camera’s 4K/30P videos can be recorded at 4:20 8bit to an SD card. F-log recording and 4:2:2 10 bit via the HDMI capabilities means the camera can record a video suitable for more serious videographers.

PHP 75,990 (Kit)

Garmin Instinct GPS Watch Smartwatch

Garmin has always been known for its heavy-duty sports gear specially made for outdoor wear and tear. The Garmin Instinct is designed not only for athletes or sports enthusiasts but also for people working outdoors. It boasts exceptional navigation technology that those who have to sift through nooks and crannies in the urban or rural areas won’t get lost. Its navigation features include TrackBack, Waypoints, Courses, Sight ‘n Go and coordinates plus altimeter, barometer, and 3-axis compass. Garmin Instinct features a display resolution of 240 x 240 pixels (memory-in-pixel display) with case size of 44 mm. Its monochrome screen is visible in all lighting conditions.

What’s even more amazing about the Garmin Instinct is it meets the MIL-STD-810 military standard for thermal, shock and water performance. It can be submerged in water for up to 100 meters and the battery life lasts for 14 days in smartwatch mode, 16 hours for GPS, and 40 hours in UltraTrac.

PHP 19,995

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JUNE 2019

9

Transcend JetFlash 890 OTG Flash Drive

Redefining mobile storage devices, Transcend has released a new breed of flash drives that combines unparalleled transfer speeds and efficiency. The JetFlash 890 is an OTG flash drive that works both as a connector and a storage device for smartphones and tablets. Featuring a dual-ended USB Type-C tip, it has a transfer speed rate of up to 130 MB/s ideal for backing up media files. It supports various mobile devices, including the latest models of MacBooks, and offers a hefty storage space up to 64 GB. Integrated with Chip on Board (COB) technology, the metallic flash drive is completely lightweight, splash-proof, and dust resistant.

Transcend Smart Reader RDC2 OTG Card Reader

With a sleek and slim profile, this smart card reader from Transcend is a perfect travel companion. Specifically designed for mobile devices, the Smart Reader RDC2 has a reversible USB-C Type connector that are compatible with the newest generation of mobile devices and laptops. Featuring microSD and SD card slots, the OTG device supports UHS-I SDXC and SDHC memory cards. It also has a dedicated USB Type-A port that allows simultaneous connection of flash drives, mobile phones, tablets, or other peripherals. To top it off, the Smart Reader RDC2 comes with an exclusive app dedicated for transferring files with 256-bit AES encryption, sharing of cloud storage services, and quickly backing up photos, videos, and documents.

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Transcend ESD350C Portable SSD

Transcend just released its new Portable SSD, the ESD350C, which features a USB Type-C port and supports the USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface.

The drive delivers unrivaled performance and can be used with devices equipped with USB Type-C or USB Type-A ports. The ESD350C comes preformatted in the exFAT file system and provides a storage capacity of up to 960GB. This device is perfect for saving high-resolution photos, 4K resolution videos, and other multimedia files. The SSD comes equipped with both USB Type-C and USB Type-C to Type-A cable so it can be used with legacy as well as new devices. The ESD350C comes in large capacities for more storage expansion and is compact, portable, and shock-resistant. The ESD350C comes in an elegant, navy blue silicone rubber case.

Transcend StoreJet 25M3C External Hard Drive

Storage is a big deal. Photos, important documents, and basically our digital lives all take up more space than is practical to just keep on your device’s hard drive. Transcend knows your woes, and has released the new StoreJet 25M3C. The new StoreJet is more than just a regular external HDD. With its USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface, you get lightning-fast USB C transfer speeds with compatible ports. For extra toughness, it also comes with superb three-stage shock protection with a silicone rubber case, reinforced case, and internal suspension dampers for protection from the bumps and drops of life on the road. One-touch auto backup, which works with Transcend’s own software, backs up all your local data with a single button press, and its 2 TB of storage makes sure you won’t be left wanting for more.

www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

JUNE 2019

11

Mi 9

Smartphone Xiaomi has done it again. Constantly pushing the boundaries of value and power, the brand just released its latest flagship, the Mi 9. As one of the first devices to receive the monster Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, you know the brand isn’t playing around. Couple this with 6GB of RAM, a huge 6.39-inch OLED display, and 20W fast charging for its 3300 mAh battery, and you have a flagship device that can take on any competition.

PHP 22,990

Mi 9 SE

Smartphone Xiaomi strengthens its portfolio with the arrival of its mid-ranger unit, the Mi 9 SE. The toned-down version of its current flagship phone is the first one to be equipped with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 processor. With an 5.97-inch AMOLED Dot Drop, Mi 9 SE’s size is comparable to a classic 5.1-inch smartphone. It offers the same LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 2.1 storage, holographic rainbow spectrum surface on the back, and the latest in-screen fingerprint scanner and multi-functional NFC sensor that can be found from its older siblings. It also runs in MIUI 10 based on Android Pie. To top it off, the latest addition to the Mi 9 series boasts a triple camera setup with its main lens powered by a Sony Sony IMX586 sensor.

PHP 15,990

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Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019) Tablet

Supporting the growing passion of the creatives, the Galaxy Tab A with S Pen is designed for moments of creativity and productivity that bring their goals to life. Embedded in the tablet’s sleek body is a portable S Pen that helps artists and writers to sketch and write, boosting their productivity.

Perfect for streaming online content, the tablet delivers vivid, bright, and crisp details through its 8.0-inch display. The tablet is designed with a narrow bezel for an optimal viewing experience. It also comes with a blue light filter that turns on with a single tap to reduce emissions and protect the eyes at night. The Galaxy Tab A with S Pen is powered with Samsung’s very own Exynos 7904 1.8GHz octa-core processor that can seamlessly handle multiple apps, comes with 32GB of storage space that is expandable up to 512GB, has 8-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front cameras, and is equipped with 4,200 mAh battery that can last all day with just a single charge.

PHP 15,990 (available in gray and black variants)

Pioneer DDJ-200 DJ Controller

The smart Pioneer DJ controller is compatible with a variety of music streaming apps and offers access to features that DJs or non-DJs can use to mix tracks at home or on the go. You can link the DDJ-200 to an iPhone and mix songs from iTunes via the WeDJ app or to SoundCloud Go+ and Beatport’s new Beatport LINK streaming service to access online sources of music. Download Algoriddim’s djay iOS app and users can mix tracks from Spotify, or download MWM SAS’s edjing Mix iOS/ Android app and access content from Deezer. The layout of the buttons and dials on the DDJ-200 inherits the style of professional DJ equipment to make it simple for users to get hands-on and find all the controls they need to perform. To help them get to grips with DJing as quickly as possible, Pioneer DJ added the Tutorial and Transition FX features to WeDJ for iPhone, both of which are popular with beginners.

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JUNE 2019

13

D-Link DCS-8100LH Smart Camera

Guard your humble abode 24/7 with the latest from the first name in network solutions, D-Link. Giving you a 180-degree field of view with its high-definition 720p sensor, the DCS-8100LH is designed to fit your remote camera needs. Featuring built-in night vision as well as sound and motion detection, this sleek smart camera serves as your digital watchdog day and night. Accessible through its dedicated mobile app, you can now monitor and communicate with your loved ones even if you’re away from home with its two-way audio system. Thanks to its micro-SD slot that supports up to 128 GB of storage, backing up videos and images in a flash are now easy as pie--not bad for a small Wi-Fi camera.

D-Link DCS-8000LH Smart Camera

Slim and functional, the DCS-8000LH is the smallest HD Wi-Fi camera to date. Have a second set of eyes around your home or office through its 1 megapixel CMOS sensor that gives surprisingly high-definition video quality, anytime and anywhere you go. It might be tiny, but this smart camera outsmarts other brands through its 16 foot night vision capability, as well as sound, and motion detector sensors which ensure safety day and night. You can even maximize your control with its 4x digital zoom and 120-degree wide angle lens.

Good things come in small packages, indeed!

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HP Pavilion x360 Laptop

Catering to people who are constantly mobile, the HP Pavilion x360 is a convertible personal device that can be a laptop or a tablet depending on the need or use. The 360-degree geared hinge allows it to morph into four modes; work in laptop mode, watch in stand mode, play in tent mode, and write or draw in tablet mode. It has a micro-edge bezel design which makes the 14-inch screen seem bigger and for a more immersive viewing experience. Running on up to 8th generation Intel® Core™ i7 quad-core processor, INVIDIA® MX130 GDDR5 discrete graphics options and a 512GB SSD and 1TB HHD dual storage, the HP Pavilion x360 can handle numerous photo and video editing. The hybrid laptop is available in pale gold, sapphire blue, natural silver, and mineral silver colors.

PHP 62,990

Schneider Electric Back-UPS Connect UPS and DC Adaptor

Transforming smarter and safer homes, the leader in energy automation offers a home and office solution to prevent further downtime. Powered by Schneider Electric, the Back-UPS Connect is a mini uninterruptible power system (UPS) and direct current (DC) adaptor in one that supports various IoT, surveillance, and home security devices. Coming in a small footprint, it protects Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), modems, routers, and surveillance devices during unexpected power outage. Keeping everyone connected and online even in emergency situations, it backs up battery power up to 85% and avoids unexpected network disruption. It’s energy-saving, prevents overheating, and comes with universal tips for smarter and safer establishments.

PHP 1,799

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JUNE 2019

15

AMD Ryzen Third Generation Processors

The processor is the ticking heard on your desktop PC, and AMD has gone to great lengths to create some of the best-performing, great value processors in the market today. AMD has just released the third generation of their Ryzen processors. With ground-breaking performance across gaming, productivity, and content creation, AMD Ryzen desktop processors are expected to offer more performance-critical on-die cache than ever before.

All third-generation Ryzen processors are also supported by PCIe 4.0 PC readiness, for greater future-proofing, and compatibility with the most advanced motherboards, graphics, and storage technologies available.

Kingston Data Center 500 SSD

Data centers have hardware requirements that are well beyond even commercial power users’. Kingston Technology, a global leader in memory solutions has just released the Data Center 500 Series Enterprise SSDs. With different models optimized for Read, or Mixed applications, they offer low latencies for read and write workloads.

Perfect for read-heavy cloud applications, or mixed-use AI, big data analytics, database applications, and the like, the Data Center line delivers great value for money, endurance, and unparalleled reliability.

PHP 39,995

Kingston KC2000 SSD

SSD performance increases with each generation of devices, and Kingston is at the forefront of innovation in the field. Their next-generation M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD for enterprise and power user applications delivers powerful performance using the latest Gen 3.0 x 4 controller and 96-layer 3D TLC NAND. With read and write speeds of 3,200 and 2,200 MB/s, it’s got more than enough speed for the most demanding applications. The KC2000 is also self-encrypting, with 256-bit AES, hardware-based encryption for excellent data security.

Available in sizes from 250 GB to 2 TB, there’s a KC2000 SSD perfect for your hardware needs.

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Asus TUF Gaming FX505DY Laptop

Gaming laptops are the pinnacle of mobile computing technology.

As such, this also makes them some of the most expensive pieces of computing one can own. Times are changing though. Asus’ TUF Gaming line of devices give you great hardware at reasonable cost.

The FX505DY in particular delivers a NanoEdge AMD Freesync display, with a whopping 120 Hz screen refresh rate for butery-smooth visuals no matter the title you’re on. Packing AMD’s second-generation processors, you get great frame rates, and increased battery life. TUF Gaming laptops also live up to their name, with military-grade construction for resistance against bumps and knocks that you’ll encounter in daily use. The laptop comes with 1 TB of hybrid storage for lightning fast performance, and low load times.

As a gaming laptop, the FX505DY comes with the Radeon RX 560X for your gaming enjoyment.

PHP 39,995

ROG Strix Scar III Gaming Laptop

With an e-Sports grade hardware on board, the ROG Strix Scar III boasts a gunmetal grey finish with a subtle, carbon-weave styling on the inner deck. Geared more toward FPS players, the gaming laptop is equipped with the 9th generation Intel Core i9 processor paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 that can be boosted up to 1,540 MHz at 115 W. It meets even the most demanding e-Sports requirements, thanks to its 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch displays mated with 144 Hz or 240 Hz panels which are the fastest in the world. Among its amazing features include intelligent cooling with 3D Flow Zone, four-zone RGB keyboard lighting, and the ROG Keystone, an NFC-enabled device designed with BMW Designworks that allows users to create a Shadow Drive for their important, encrypted data.

PHP 154,995 (Base Model)

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JUNE 2019

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Lenovo Legion beefs up lineup with the latest processors, graphic cards During Intel’s showcase at the 2019 Game Developers Conference, the 9th Gen processors were revealed to deliver 34% faster video editing than the previous generation and are designed to run modern games like Hitman 2 at 10% more frames per second than the 8th Gen processors.

Topping off the new features is the NVIDIA RTX 2060 graphics card. A true gaming beast, the card has up to 6X the performance of previous-generation cards and brings the power of real-time ray tracing and artificial intelligence for enhanced graphics.

Lenovo’s Back to School Promo Get exclusive Legion accessories for free. Ongoing until June 30, buyers of the Legion Y740 can get a Legion Y Gaming Headset, Legion M200 Gaming Mouse, and Legion K200 Gaming Keyboard worth PHP10,000, while those who avail themselves of the Legion Y540 will receive the Legion M200 Gaming Mouse and Legion K200 Gaming Keyboard worth PHP 7,000.

Lenovo is giving all of its latest gaming and Legion notebooks 2-Year Premium Care out of the box support. This entails services such as 24/7 support from the company’s senior tech resources, on-site warranty wherein Lenovo’s staff will go directly to the customer’s location for troubleshooting, and Zero Tolerance to Dead Pixel service, an offering that repairs displays even if it has only a single dead pixel.

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Legion Y740 Announced during the inauguration of the first Legion Concept store at SM City North EDSA, the Legion Y740 has more than enough power to enjoy games to the maximum settings with its NVIDIA RTX 2060 graphics card with 6GB VRAM, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD storage, and Intel Core i7-9750H processor. The Legion Y740 will be priced at PHP 119,995.

Tech giant Lenovo, through its gaming brand Legion, is releasing new gaming devices equipped with the latest hardware from Intel and NVIDIA that are designed to provide a truly immersive experience for gamers.

The new gaming machines come with Intel’s 9th Generation processor, whose specifications were revealed at the 2019 Game Developers Conference (GDC). Its key features include Intel Optane Memory H10 SSD which enables quicker system performance and responsiveness.

Legion Y540 Buyers of the Legion Y540 can choose among three variants: A variant with NVIDIA RTX 2060 graphics card with 6GB VRAM, 1TB SSD storage, 16GB RAM, and Intel Core i7-9750H processor. It will be available for PHP 99,995.

For Michael Ngan, country general manager, Lenovo Philippines, the update of the Legion lineup bolsters the company’s goal of providing supreme performance.

A variant with NVIDIA GTX 1660Ti graphics card with 6GB VRAM, 1TB SSD storage, 8GB RAM, and Intel Core i7-9750H processor will be available for PHP 89,995.

“Enhanced and realistic graphics are now the norm in PC gaming and those without the latest technology are simply unable to play. By providing the right tools, we at Lenovo are not only giving gamers the chance to play games, but we’re also giving non-gamers an opportunity to fully immerse themselves in a new environment,” Ngan said.

A variant with NVIDIA GTX 1650 graphics card with 4GB VRAM, 512GB SSD storage, 8GB RAM, and Intel Core i5-9300H processor will be available for PHP 69,995.

IdeaPad L340 Gaming

Ngan also said that the devices cater to gamers who want to share their experiences through online streaming.

Ideal for those looking to get the best value for their money, the IdeaPad L340 Gaming is coming out in two variants:

“Thanks to the booming popularity of eSports and gaming in general, video game streaming has become lucrative and we recognize that a lot of people want to get in on it. The boost catered by Intel and NVIDIA will surely help produce popular content since they not only provide the power needed to play new and upcoming games, which people want to see but also make the process a lot easier,” he said.

Lenovo’s Legion machines also come with NVIDIA’s GTX 16 series graphics card which provides 1.4X more power efficiency than the previous generation. High-quality streaming is assured through the card’s dedicated hardware encoders that deliver 15 percent improved efficiency and its optimization with Open Broadcaster Software (OBS).

All devices run on Windows 10. To meet the ever-increasing demands of games, all Lenovo Legion notebooks come with a standard minimum of 8GB RAM, and every device will also have a backlit keyboard for added flair. The notebooks will have 15.6” FHD IPS slim bezel display, with the Legion Y740 and the NVIDIA RTX 2060 variant of the Legion Y540 also having 144Hz support.

www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

The first one with NVIDIA GTX 1650 graphics card with 4GB VRAM, 1TB + 128GB SSD storage, 8GB RAM, and Intel Core i7-9750H processor will have a price tag of PHP 59,995.

A variant with NVIDIA GTX 1650 graphics card with 4GB VRAM, 1TB storage, 8GB RAM, and Intel Core i5-9300H processor will be available for PHP 49,995.

Legion T530 Lenovo is returning to the desktop gaming market with the Legion T530. It is equipped with NVIDIA RTX 2060 graphics card with 6GB VRAM, 1TB SSD storage, 16GB RAM, and Intel Core i7-9700 processor. The Legion T530 will have a price tag of PHP 89,995.

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Cubeam

Multifunctional light The kickstarter project under Teenome is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts. Integrated in a small, cube profile is a single LED light with 150 lumens that can lasts up to 2 hours. It has a power-saving mode that beams at 20 lumens and emergency flash that can be used to alert signals. The Cubeam also works as a fidget toy, offering three playing modes with its rotational buckle, four silicon buttons, and four silicon bars. At just 30 g, the mini flashlight is waterproof and rechargeable through a USB-C cable. Flexible and efficient, the flash light can be mounted on an e-scooter or strapped in a bag for easier storage.

Lowa Z-8S Boot Footwear

Good footwear can spell the difference between a successful trip, and hours of blistering agony. Lowa created the Z-8S to offer hours of comfort, hard use, and superb performance.

Combining the comfort of a hiking boot, with the support of a tough backpacking boot, you get footwear that’s ready to put miles of hard terrain behind you. The injected DuraPU midsole gives support, and the PU Monowrap construction provides stability, for sure footing with every step. Waterproof and breathable, with a Gore-Tex liner, this is a boot that won’t leave you stranded.

PHP 39,995

Nebo Pal + Utility Knife

The dark of night is inevitable. Why take your chances stumbling in the dark, or fumbling for your stuff. Nebo has created the Pal+, a combination light, knife, and powerbank that lets you light up the night, charge your devices, and cut open a package, all in the convenience of a single, handy tool. The 400-lumen light is powered by the same 2200 mAh battery that you can use to give your phone a little boost, and a removable 3-inch folding blade gives you a cutting tool that’s large enough for simple cutting tasks. The set includes a wall and car adapter so you can charge up even on the move.

PHP 1,450

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GADGETS LAB

D-Link Covr-C1203 Dual-Band Whole Home Wi-Fi System Reviewed by Marlet D. Salazar

Having Wi-Fi connection is now an essential part of human existence. Having high-speed Wi-Fi is a necessity not only in offices but also in homes with multiple users doing multiple things on their devices. But in an environment where internet connection is a privilege and not a right, the creation of mesh networking that can speed up wireless connection can be called Godsent.

DESIGN The trio that we got comes pretty in neon pastel colors. Like many other D-Link Covr variants, the nodes are designed to look more like an office or a house accessory rather than a functioning wireless connection. They actually look like speakers at first glance or even resemble toys for kids. It won’t ruin whatever interior design an office or a house has.

HARDWARE The nodes are made of plastic (white) and the designers put metal effects on the shield.

Moving them around may cause white spots to look messy and dirty in the long run. Still, they look modern and eye-candy. They are also lightweight and could be carried around from one spot to another. You can choose how bright you want or need the LED. It can also be disabled when necessary. The triple-unit Covr package is designed for areas up to 465 square meters or 5,000 square feet.

USER EXPERIENCE Setting up is no sweat. The nodes are compact, lightweight, and easy to install. Perhaps, among the most annoying thing in everything digital is remembering passwords. This is not something that you have to worry about using the D-Link Covr-C1203. The three nodes share just one SSID and password. So even if you move from one room to another,

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The triple-unit Covr package is designed for areas up to 465 sq m you will be connected to the node with the strongest signal. Trying this in a two-storey house, the claim seemed to work. The internet connection in the area has been problematic in the first place, so it is difficult to point out if the node causes the intermittent connection or not. However, at very few instances, the internet spiked at speeds that are beyond the subscription rate. If only internet speed per se is predictable here in the country, it would probably have garnered a perfect score since it was tested in a smaller area than it was really made for.

VALUE It’s pretty pricey if it will be used at home.

But for a price tag of almost P15,000, the D-Link Covr-C1203 is ideal for small and medium businesses in small offices. It’s an investment for business efficiency and faster office operations since most of the jobs today are dependent on the internet. It’s actually quite a small price to pay for the returns of productivity.

SPECIFICATIONS: Wireless Connectivity: Dual-band AC1200 mesh with MU-MIMO and WPS single-touch protected setup Coverage: Up to 465 sq. m. / 5000 sq. ft. with Smart Steering and Smart roaming Ports: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet LAN per node Dimensions: 109 x 117 x 51 mm (4.29 x 4.61 x 2.01 in) per node Weight: 250g (0.55 lbs) per node range, 11 film simulation modes, face detection, eye detection, touch shooting, touch autofocus, 4K multi-focus, interval timer shooting, advanced filter, motion panorama, auto red eye-removal What’s Hot: -Ultra-portable -Modern design What’s Not: -Pricey for home use -White body can accumulate dust after long use

BOTTOMLINE Anything that will augment Wi-Fi speed is heaven-sent.

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Coocaa 40S3N Smart TV Reviewed by Ren Alcantara

Everything is smart these days. The phone in your pocket, cars on the street, maybe your watch. Not to be outdone however, is the humble television. With decades of existence already behind it, TVs have gotten with the program and gotten features that let them keep up with the times. Until fairly recently, the dream of a smart TV in every home has been hamstrung by cost. But it’s 2019, and things are very different now. Up-andcoming brand Coocaa has hit the local market with smart TVs that will neither break the bank, nor break down a week after purchase. Does it stand up to the close scrutiny of the Gadgets Lab, or fall flatter than its 40-inch panel?

DESIGN The Coocaa TV in its 40-inch variant comes in standard black, and is much thinner than one might expect from a device in its price bracket.

As gorgeous on its provided legs as it is hanging on a wall, it’s a testament to how far display technology has come. Thin bezels make for more immersive viewing, and gives you a TV that’s about as nice to look at when it’s off, as when it’s on.

The remote is smartly laid out. As the main way to interact with your TV, I was pleased to find that they took some time to make this key piece in a sane, logical manner. There are a few additional buttons for the smart features, but it shouldn’t be difficult to figure out, even for your parents.

HARDWARE The Coocaa 40S3N has a full HD panel, plenty for the screen size, smart functions through its own operating system, with pre-installed apps such as Netflix and YouTube, and the requisite WiFi connectivity to power all your streaming services. It also has a LAN port for a more solid wired connection if you wish, 2 USB ports for viewing files on local storage, and 3 HDMI input ports for A/V devices. Should you want to go old-school, you have a single coax jack, and even a headphone jack, if you need it. It’s a modest package, but one that will do the job with no complaints whatsoever.

USER EXPERIENCE Once put together, we just plugged it in, and fired it up. Once it was done booting, we got to connecting it to the office network. The interface is simple. A dedicated Netflix key keeps you from having to hunt down and launch the app from within nested menus, so you can get your binge on, though other functions, such as image and connectivity settings can easily be found with a

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few button presses. The TV runs its own operating system, so if you’re looking for third-party apps, you might be a little disappointed, but all the basic functions you need for a smart, connected TV are present.

HD content streamed from the service of your choice is beautifully clear and devoid of artifacts once the show has buffered sufficiently. As can be expected from this kind of display, the blacks aren’t the deepest, but that’s really only noticeable in the darkest of scenes, and only if you really try to look very hard.

Audio quality is likewise impressive. There’s plenty of volume from the internal speakers, and while it doesn’t offer the broadest soundstage, it does get bonus points for clarity. Many less-expensive smart TVs suffer from too much bass that drowns everything else out, and makes dialogue incomprehensible. The Coocaa delivers speech clearly, without having to tweak the equalizer.

Should you want to listen to music on the device, or watch your own videos, USB support is offered.

Just plug it in, head to the file browser, and hit play on the video you want. We aren’t going to go into all the compatible file types here, but unless you’re running some odd codec (you probably aren’t), you should be fine. You can even cast from your phone in a few taps, should the need arise.

markets within the region, and now that they’re here, they’re poised to make waves on Philippine soil as well. Color me impressed. If after-sales support has you concerned, don’t be. They have over 150 service centers across the country, a call center, and a staggering 2-year warranty on their TVs. SPECIFICATIONS: Display: Full HD LCD Screen size: 40” Screen-to-body ratio: 97 percent Smart features: Phone cast, Netflix, YouTube, USB input Connectivity: Wifi, USB, HDMI, Co-ax What’s Hot: - Superb value - Actual, real smart TV functions - Great picture and audio quality, particularly at the price What’s Not: - We’ll get back to you

VALUE One of the greatest features the Coocaa delivers, however, is price. At less than PHP 13,000, you can have a smart TV delivered right to your home.

Seriously. With Lazada as an official partner, nothing is stopping you from picking up your phone, placing an order, and streaming videos to a large 40-inch panel in a few days. While this TV, and Coocaa as a brand does give a lot of great features, I do have to say that the greatest of all those is value. You’re going to be hard-pressed to find solid performance from any other smart TV in this price range. They’re a proven brand in other

BOTTOMLINE A capable TV at an affordable price. It’s exactly what you’re looking for.

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The ONE Light Smart Portable Keyboard Reviewed by Jewel Sta. Ana

They say that talents are either inherited or acquired through time, but we all know that a combination of both brings out the best results.

However, if you are not a musical child prodigy like Mozart, chances are you’re striving to learn the ropes through self-learning. Taking formal piano lessons from the experts are still the best option, but if your budget doesn’t permit it then you could search for a portable digital piano that can effectively teach you all the basics in a musical keyboard. That’s exactly what The ONE Light Smart Portable Keyboard does.

DESIGN Sporting an elegant, matte body in black, the smart piano has a total of 61 keys on board that is equipped with red LED lights. It is made mostly of plastic and comes in a portable profile. At just 11 lbs, the piano is light enough to be carried around, but it’s best when placed on a single spot in your home. To complete its sophisticated and sleek look, the musical instrument has a collapsible stand made for music sheets and mobile devices.

This reveals the main panel which includes the volume dial, tone sustain, and the power buttons. A thin bezel on its bottom part presents the piano’s embossed brand name in silver. The package comes with a power cord and two smart cables for iOS and Android devices.

HARDWARE The USB, DC, microphone, aux input, and output, as well as pedal ports, are all ergonomically placed at the back of the piano. Just above the keys and the main controls are the built-in speakers that let you hear music through Spotify, YouTube, or Pandora. It also provides more than 128 instrument sounds from festive percussion to classical violin and harpsichord. Backed up with The One’s mobile app, it makes playing piano more fun with the various modes provided in the software. This includes video tutorials, crash course, and the game mode that provides Guitar Hero-style lessons for the most stubborn music learner. There’s also the sheet music mode for those who have a more advanced skill set. Should you want to monitor your progress closely as you tickle one key to another, you can plug your headset through the audio jack at the front left part of the keyboard’s body.

USER EXPERIENCE When it comes to functionality, The ONE Light has a lot to offer. Thanks to its useful ports, musically

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inclined people can use the instrument for recording songs and compositions through a MIDI-capable app, as well as for live shows onstage. Its complementary app boasts an extensive music library, offering more than 2,000 music sheets online for both beginners and experienced pianists. All of the modes in the app are crafted specifically for each skill set, and it effectively teaches with the guide of the piano’s LED light. Redefining the way you play, The ONE Light is a plug and play piano that gives iOS and Android connectivity with the use of its smart cables. To make it work, the devices should be powered by at least iOS 9.0 or Android 4.4, and should support USB HOST or OTG feature. In terms of volume, the smart piano delivers soft yet clear audio from its 50W speakers.

SPECIFICATIONS: Keyboard: 61 keys, with red LED back-lit Polyphony: 128 Dimensions: 91.44 cm x 33.02 cm x 10.16 cm Weight: 11 lbs Sound Effects: 417 timbres, 16 folk instruments, 9 percussion sets, 603 drum sounds, and 256 GM2 tones (with 20 preset instruments) Pedals: Note sustain function Compatible devices: iOS 9.0 +, iPad 2/4, New Pad, iPad mini1/2/3/4, iPad Air1/2, iPad Pro, iPhone 5s/6/6 plus/6s/6s plus/7/7 plus/8/X, Android 4.4+ with USB Host/OTG function Ports: 1 USB, 1 DC power supply, 1 audio jack, 1 microphone input, 1 ¼-inch aux input, 1 ¼-inch aux output, 1 pedal socket Batteries: 6 AA batteries (optional, can be plugged through a DC 12V power cord)

One drawback is that it requires in-app purchases ranging from USD 0.99 to USD 3.99 to unlock new songs on the online library which I find a bit expensive. It shows the usual step-by-step guide to newbies, letting them be familiarized with the right notes to hit, but it does get difficult once you proceed to the game mode which increases the tempo as you progress.

What’s Hot: -Ideal for beginners -Portable and space-saving -Its companion app offers a wide music library

VALUE

What’s Not: -Needs to make in-app purchases to unlock other songs -It’s a bit pricey for novice pianists

Great technology at a good price is what The ONE Light is all about. With just a mobile app and a connected mobile device through the keyboard, it can make a huge difference in the way you learn and play. As a modern alternative to expensive piano lessons, the smart piano gives the same efficiency and motivation to those who want to unleash their inner Chopin.

BOTTOMLINE This keyboard is God’s answer to aspiring pianists.

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COVER STORY

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Back to School Artwork by Simon Engracial

Starting a new chapter of your life is scary enough without having to worry about all the little details. Even though college is a memory for us here at Gadgets, we’ve put together a little guide to help those of you who are just about to start this leg of their journey. From what you need, all the way to where you’re staying, and how to keep your finances in order, We’ve tried to come up with a comprehensive guide, so your time at the university can be something you can breeze right through. Start taking notes, class is about to begin!

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Looking for a second home Words by Ren Alcantara

Moving up a rung on the ladder of education can be a daunting enough experience on its own, without having to worry about moving to a new place. Should your childhood home be too far away from school to be a practical daily commute, you’ll have to find a new place to hang your hat. There are a lot of factors to consider when picking your potential home for potentially your entire college stay, and some are less obvious than others. Let’s take a quick look at some of the things you might miss during the search.

Things such as location, cost, and space are obvious, and should be considered outright. Some others are a little less obvious considerations, but are important nonetheless, so let’s jump right in.

The age of the building While you might find a room that has been recently renovated, with great amenities, that is furnished, and at a great location, something to consider is the age of the entire building itself. Now, age isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker, but it’s definitely a factor. Amenities in the building of course age with the rest of it, and if the property manager can’t stay on top of maintenance of the shared facilities, getting home is going to be more stressful than it is relaxing. All other things being equal, a newer building is going to give you a better experience.

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Amenities Home should be a place to relax, and some things are going to make relaxing much easier. Amenities in the unit you’re staying at, as well as in the building the unit is located are great bonuses that you should take into account, and use frequently. Even some of the more spartan dorms or condominiums will have a gym, and it’s been proven time and again that general well-being and mental performance can be boosted by regular exercise. If you’re something of a water baby, a pool is a great thing to have, and can be a bonus when you want to have a little fun with friends. Depending on where you go, there can also be theater or conference rooms, which are significantly more convenient than cramming

Security (including fire and earthquake) Home is a place where you should be able to let your guard down. After a long day of exams and lectures, you really don’t want to go home to a place where you are in fear of having your things stolen while you grab some well-deserved shuteye.

Guards, secure, double locks, and hallway cameras are all signs of a home. A quick side tip: try to get along with the guards. They’re just people doing their job, and you do put your security in their hands. A quick conversation, maybe a snack or a coffee might help them do their job a little better, and who doesn’t appreciate a nice gesture now and again.

Disaster security is a big factor as well. Making sure your potential abode has a plan for fires, earthquakes, or other disasters helps you sleep better at night, and offers better odds should your fortunes take a sudden down turn.

Laundry You need to do laundry. It’s inevitable. Unless you’re fond of wearing swimwear in lieu of underwear, you’re going to want to stay on top of laundry. Having a washing machine inside your unit would be great, but space constraints might not allow this. Laundry places that allow you to drop your clothing off and pick it up at a later date work ok as well, as long as you have decent clothing management skills, and enough items to carry you over until your next batch arrives. Having lived away from home myself, I found that the most attractive option was to be within (laden) walking distance to a self-service laundry place. A few bucks, a little time, and a pack of soap, and you can have a whole week’s worth of clothes ready. It’s fantastic.

several classmates in a small condo unit to complete group assignments, or entertainment rooms with various distractions when you need a little breather.

Access to a printer, perhaps through a nicely equipped meeting room, would also be a huge bonus.

As for the unit itself, it should have all the basics covered. A stove, a fridge, hopefully an airconditioner, and a bed. Extras such as water heater, maybe a TV, and an Internet connection (more on that later) are superb additions that should merit extra consideration, but not necessary if you have a good deal already anyway.

A proper internet connection Lots of places will come with an internet connection, and that’s how it should be. It’s a human right. You might be tempted to rely on a mobile connection, or a pocket wifi device, and while they might work, it’s really not the best way to get online. Check whatever internet connection is provided, and see if it suits your needs. If it happens that you have a token connection that just barely passes the definition of going online, we implore you to apply for a better one. It’ll save you late-night frustration when you’re trying to get work done in a hurry, and keep you from going insane waiting for your next show to buffer. We can’t emphasize this enough. Get a good internet connection.

The Property manager

Storage Something that’s often overlooked is storage.

You’re likely not going to be moving in with a whole lot of stuff, but trust us when we say four years of accumulated possessions will add up. You could fall back on giant storage bins, but they’re not the most attractive way to keep house, and add clutter in a space you ideally want to keep neat, for the sake of your sanity. While some may argue that additional storage will just invite more stuff to accumulate, the extra storage will prove useful regardless--just try your best not to hoard.

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The property manager is the person in charge of the daily goings-on of the building you’re in. An efficient, effective property manager will keep the building running smoothly, which is something that’s supremely important in a place you might be living in for the next four or so years.

Take a moment to speak with the property manager, so you can get an idea as to how they are. You will want someone who is helpful, patient, and generally someone you’ll want to deal with should the need arise. A few minutes of conversation will make your life a lot easier in the long run.

These are just a few ideas you will want to consider when picking a place. Remember to take these into account, don’t forget the basics such as location, cost, and size, and you should be all set!

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In Pursuit of School Gear Words by Jewel Sta. Ana

More often than not, a trip to the mall weeks before the new school year starts is a daunting experience. People are rushing in to get in line at the cashier, holding their baskets full of school supplies, shoes, and apparel. But apart from these school essentials, and the tuition that most parents prepare for in their annual budget, they also need to spend some extra money on gadgets that will help their child ace every subject.

College education is demanding physically, mentally, and emotionally. And to stay on top, every student will need to have ammunition ready for the nerve-wracking homework and exams ahead. Here are the things that you should consider when looking for the right school gear.

Know your needs Before going into the war zone, you need to form a strategic plan. Every college student should determine their needs by writing a shopping list. First, indicate the school supplies that you have to use for the whole school year. Yellow pad, binder notebook, ballpens, and a bag are the default essentials that should be on the top list. After that, narrow down the list with the gadgets that will help you in your everyday life at the university.

Courses which focus on content creation and 3D rendering such as multimedia arts, film, communication arts, journalism, architecture, interior design, and engineering need specific tool for some of their subjects. It will be practical to invest on a good brand with an average price, most especially if it will be used regularly.

Specifications Now that you know the things to put in your school bag, the next thing that you should consider in buying electronics are specifications. For those who aren’t into technology, understanding hardware can be a bit difficult. But with the right knowledge, you’ll be able to see the light and pick the right brand for your needs. So if you’re looking for anything that has to deal with electronics, Quezon City’s very own Gilmore is the destination to go. You can also schedule a trip to malls or visit authorized dealers nationwide for convenience.

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Computing machines Let’s start with the most generic gadgets that most college students rely on—laptops. Whether its for accomplishing paper work or producing content, you will need to have a laptop with a fast and large memory for running hefty software. For creatives, we highly recommend laptops powered by, at least, an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor or an AMD Ryzen 5 1600 matched with either a 2 TB or 4 TB hard drive. A hybrid storage system consisting of hard drives and solid state drives are the best choice for faster boot-up time and running software like Adobe Creative Suite. But if you’re running out of budget, you can just upgrade the memory of your previous laptop through authorized service centers. Gaming laptops, which have a higher RAM that improve processing power, are perfect match for rendering 3D models from AutoCAD and animations from Autodesk Maya. For those who want to shell out more, slim computing machines like the 13.3-inch Mi Laptop Air and MacBook Pro hit the best of both worlds. However, there’s the student-friendly Chromebooks from Acer and Asus should you want to have a lightweight laptop for web surfing and multi-tasking. Some brands offer special bundles during back-to-school season, and most of them offer freebies that range from laptop bags to inkjet printers with continuous ink system for efficiency.

Smartphones There are only four factors that matter the most when it comes to mobile phones—the memory space, image quality, screen size, and battery life. Smartphones have become our personal virtual assistants that we rely on for our productivity. Most college students pre-load their smartphones with a handful of useful apps for note-taking, monitoring their finances, and creating content, and for this reason, they would need to have a phone with at least 64 GB of internal memory paired with 4 GB RAM for storing app patches and important files like their digital lectures. And since there are some professors who still stick to the traditional ways of teaching, having a smartphone equipped with either a dual or triple camera system can make a difference in capturing important concepts and ideas written on the board.

Should you want to take photos with punchy colors and clearer details, mid-ranger phones from Huawei, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo offer from 16-megapixel to 48-megapixel advanced rear and front cameras backed up with AI technology. Through auto-scene detection, these smartphones can automatically adjust the camera settings which deliver IG-worthy photos even in poor lighting conditions. To top it off, large screen size and battery life contribute a lot to the performance of the mobile device.

If you’re into gaming and binge-watching content, you should choose phones protected by Corning Gorilla Glass to keep it from unwanted scratches and accidental drops, with a display size of 5.5-inch or more, and a minimum battery capacity of 3,500 to 4,000 mAh integrated with fast-charging features. Pocophone F1, Realme C2, Realme 3 Pro, Vivo V15, and Oppo F11 are just some of the entry-level and mid-ranger phones that students should watch out for.

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Mirrorless cameras Cameras are one of the pieces of equipment that Fine Arts and Mass Communication students use. These are DSLRs and mirrorless cameras which differ most likely in size, as well as image processing and video recording. If you want a compact camera that delivers the same quality as DSLRs and can be easily lugged inside your bag, then mirrorless cameras from Fujifilm and Sony should be in your shooting arsenal. Most of their products record in 4K resolution up to 60 fps, and comes with a 15-45 mm kit lens, built-in stabilization, autofocus capabilities, wide dynamic range and expandable ISO sensitivity up to 51200. Although most of their entry-level products don’t come with electronic viewfinders and built-in flash, these brands continue to develop more technologies that they can add to their future cameras. Should you want to find budget-friendly and secondhand cameras, you may visit the famous Hidalgo Street in Manila. Who knows, you might find cheap deals and big discounts from camera bodies and lenses to accessories.

Bags Now that the rainy days are about to come, students should invest in water-repellant, anti-theft, durable, and laptop-friendly bags.

Whether it’s made of canvas or leather, we prefer backpacks and messenger bags with padded straps and specific compartments for your gadgets to ensure their protection against other sharp object like ballpoint and gel pens. Brands that you should look for are PacSafe, Jansport, Herschel, Outdoor, and Hawk. Always opt for neutral colors like black, grey, and nude so that it could be easily matched to any outfit.

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Mobile wallet for payments, remittance, and bank transfer Words by Marlet Salazar

Gone are the days when students have to wait for days, or even weeks, to receive monthly allowance or money for tuition. Once upon a time, parents, who are miles away from their children, had to rely on financial services that either need bank clearance or a certain amount of days to be withdrawn or claimed.

Technological innovations, especially the advent of mobile apps, have made various financial transactions such as money transfer so much easier and almost instantaneous. People are slowly discovering the convenience of cashless shopping and paying using their smartphones.

There are several payment apps available for use today. Many of them cite Bangko Sentral ng 30

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Pilipinas’ call to pursue financial inclusion of the unbanked and underserved sector of society, many of whom live in far-flung areas where there are no banks at all.

While independent statistics of cashless payment adoption in the Philippines are scarce, the visibility of QR Codes and mobile payment lanes in department stores, supermarkets, and even

mom-and-pop shops, are proof that many Filipinos are embracing, albeit slowly, the ease of mobile payments.

However, GCash recently reported that it reached 50,000 QR merchant mark in the first quarter of 2019. PayMaya, on the other hand, said in news reports in 2018, that it is looking at increasing its user base to 30 million by next year. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

The apps, the cards In terms of top-of-mind recall, GCash and Paymaya are among the top mobile payment apps people are familiar with today. However, beep, a card used for paying for rapid transit fares, is now evolving to a smart card introducing other services outside transportation. Ride-hailing app Grab has been aggressively pushing users to utilize its GrabPay features. Then there are Coinsph, Okto, and the eldest in the bunch, PayPal. These apps are available for download from the App Store or Google Play. Most of the time, registration is a breeze with users asked to provide basic personal information. Once installed, it, of course, needs a load to use. Some apps offer bank-to-app money transfer while many of them have partnered with various merchants and establishments to act as loading stations.

Parents who live, say somewhere in the southern Philippines, can look for 24hour convenience stores that offer reloading services.

While these are mostly appbased payments, a number of them give users physical cards that are widely accepted nationwide.

These can be used for cash withdrawal through bank ATMs or as debit cards. Just link the physical cards to the app to monitor transactions.

Easy payments These mobile payment apps’ services are not limited to online or in-store purchases. These can also be used for bills payments eliminating the hassle of spending time and queueing at payment centers.

Students can use the app to load for telco services. Almost all of these apps offer load purchase or transfer.

Most partner-merchants have installed QR codes conspicuously located in payment counters. By logging on to the app, there’s a feature that asks users to just scan the QR code and input the exact amount.

Several e-commerce sites are now accepting prepaid cards instead of credit cards for payments.

Parents who want to send gifts to their children or vice versa can do so using these payment services.

They can also send food to their kids even if they are away .

Parents can also book their kids’ flight back home online even without credit cards. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Security While these financial services apps offer convenience, there is still the question of security with transactions done over the cloud. All of the apps require passwords to log in and users can use all the services they need. The others are becoming more careful, requiring either two-factor authentication or asking for additional passwords before completing a transaction.

For security purposes, banks that offer online services advise their clients to constantly change their passwords and make them more complicated so cybercriminals would have a hard time hacking their accounts. Other devices offer a fingerprint sensor to be able to unlock accounts on smartphones or tablets.

Maybe one of the best things to do to secure accounts and enjoy the convenience of mobile wallets is never sharing passwords to anyone and be discreet when entering them in public places.

Technology has made it way easier for society to function these days. Almost everything is at their fingertips. Mobile wallet and app payments are just a few of the innovations that have made financial transactions simple, moving toward financial inclusion nationwide.

Bank to app to bank These mobile payments apps are expanding their financial services from just payments to bank transfer. Recently, several of these apps have started offering bank transfers. For a while, the transaction fee was waived. In emergencies, parents can send money to their kids’ bank accounts even in the dead of the night, weekends, or holidays even if they are in other places or countries.

When sending their kids money for tuition, parents can use the app and the child can withdraw it using the physical card from any ATM it is accepted.

Others are also now offering credit or loans to help small and medium enterprises. Along with other services, these fintech companies also offer loans for individuals who need it for personal purposes. They promise hassle-free and quick approval based on credit scores.

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PHOTO FEATURE

Black Leggings by TOPSHOP

There is always something students look forward to during class opening. It could be the smell of new stuff or the joy of seeing school friends after a two-month vacation. Having new stuff motivates students to get used to the routine of an early morning commute. And it helps to have something to keep your mind off the traffic or when queueing to get a ride. School has always been fun. Make it even more memorable with tools to help you muster months of crunching codes or churning out words in literature class.

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ART DIRECTION BY Zeil Romero PHOTOGRAPHY BY Raphael Yu HAIR AND MAKE-UP BY Ayra Salvador STYLING BY Paula Candoy ASSISTED BY Chini Yu Soriano

Simon Engracial Marlet Salazar Jewel Sta. Ana Jerico Lutrania

MODEL Isadora Costa

of Women’s Folio Management

COVER CREDITS

Slim Single Breasted Jacket

by Topshop

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Ohh lala t-shirt, khaki denim jacket and stone-cuffed utility cargo trousers by TOPSHOP

Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive Rule No 1: Back up your files

OnePlus 7 Pro Join the pop-up selfie camera game

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Paris doodle t-shirt and pink denim skirt by TOPSHOP

Fujifilm X-T30 Capture the moment

MSI Prestige P65 Creator Unleash your creative side with this elegant laptop

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Pleated top surplice top, cotton brend drawsting shorts by FOREVER 21

Interviewed by Marlet Salazar Model Isadora Costa realized that through modeling, she would be able to travel the world. She started her modeling career four years ago and has been around most of Southeast Asia. She arrived in the Philippines in 2017 and has been based here since.

Growing up in a small town in the south of Brazil, Isadora had always wanted to see the world. This is not influenced by anyone but just sheer curiosity of a child. Her father is a cultural producer and her mother has a degree in Museology.

Her parents sent her and four of her siblings to an English school in Brazil which explains her fluency in the language, that gave her which is a huge advantage over the others because it helps her to get around the countries she loves to visit.

She also once tried working in an office but later realized that an eight-hour job does not fit her personality. Isadora is born to put those pins on the world map.

The young model was once interested in Meteorology, but that was just for a while. She was also once into Physics but decided that it’s not her thing. Isadora likes meeting people and making new friends. Her outgoing personality and instant connection with people landed her modeling jobs in countries like India, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and of course, the Philippines. She said her profile and features appeal to these Asian countries where she also professes at how good the dishes are.

Isadora, whose complete name is Isadora Beatriz Goncalves Costa, is more interested in cooking and said that when she decides to retire from modeling, her career path would be culinary. This is no surprise, though, because her mother taught her and her siblings how to cook growing up.

In the coming months, she would like to visit Japan and Korea because she wants to see the diversity of cultures, food, and popular tourist spots. She hopes to spend more time in these dream destinations.

At present, Isadora wants to work and travel more. In Brazil, her modeling management company is DN Models with global mother agency Kind Models Management.

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TEST DRIVE

2018 KTM 390 Duke Reviewed and photos by Ren Alcantara

I’m sure I’m not the only one whose heart races when they’re in the saddle of a motorcycle. Whatever the displacement, motorcycles get you to your destination in the most enjoyable way possible. Once in a while though, we find a bike that’s so much fun to ride, we look for any excuse to mount up. The Duke 390 has quite the reputation of being one such bike, and I had the pleasure of using one for a week. Here are my thoughts.

DESIGN Love it or hate it, it’s hard to argue that this naked bike looks every bit the aggressive road machine it is. The angular headlights, sharp cowl, trellis frame and pointed seat, it’s a different kind of fastlooking from the curvy sportbikes one might be accustomed to seeing. Our model came in a clean white and orange, with reasonably subdued vinyl and a deeply sculpted tank. Being a proper naked bike, there’s little in the way of fairing, and a very vertical stance. Despite this, it manages to look fast standing still. Whoever put this design down

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on paper certainly got it right. If you’re a fan of the brand, close your eyes, and imagine a scaled-down 1290 Super Duke, and you’ve got the 390 Duke.

HARDWARE This thumper comes with a single-cylinder 373.2 cc engine, a 6-speed transmission, a single, four-piston 320 mm disc brake on the front, and one single piston 230 mm disc on the rear. That might not seem like that much on paper, but it handles the 39.1 hp, and 23.6 lb-ft of torque beautifully, which I’m sure has something to do

with the bike’s wet weight of 362 pounds. You get a tank that carries about 13 liters, with about a liter and a half in reserve. There’s no quick shifter, not at this price range, but you do get a slipper clutch so you don’t have to worry about aggressive downshifts. WP provides the suspension front and rear, and the nice USD forks have 5.6 inches of travel, while the rear bottoms out at 5.9 inches.

The 390 Duke comes with ABS, which you can disable on the massive 5.2-inch, full-color TFT display and a few taps through the extremely user-friendly bike management interface. That

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same screen serves as the information system on the bike, so you get a digital gauge cluster with RPMs, speedo, fuel, and heat at a quick glance. Trip time, trip distance, and the date and time are also available, as are other alerts that might come up in the course of your trip.

USER EXPERIENCE Let me begin this part by saying that I tried my level best to not be influenced by the high praise that the 390 Duke has, and continues to get, from riders and reviewers the world over. I’ll spoil it a little and say the praise is not without basis. But I get ahead of myself.

I stand all of 5 feet 4 inches, and the seat height of this duke is 32.7 inches. Straddling the bike, I can just get both sets of toes on the ground. More often than not though, I hang off the left side with a foot down, with the other on the brake. If you’re taller in your mind than you are against a tape measure, this is something you must consider, as not being able to flatfoot can affect rider confidence significantly. Fortunately, there’s not a whole lot of weight to throw around, so it’s not too bad. Hand size is also something of an issue. I wear a Mechanix glove in size small, and the clutch on the 390 Duke, although adjustable, is on the high side. I have to stretch my hand about as far as I can to actuate it. This is thankfully mitigated by a very light pull, but the distance and travel can get uncomfortable in traffic.

But oh that engine. I can sing praises to it all day.

The 390 Duke’s powerplant gives you plenty of torque early on in the rev range, and if you can’t be bothered to change gears, you can get away with lugging the engine. Part of the experience of having a single is going through the gearbox, and thankfully, there’s a lot of feedback from the engine, and plenty of room to get dialed in. It’s responsive and very eager to get going. There are

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enough horses under the hood to get you in a bit of trouble, and cracking the throttle open will push you back in the seat, and leave you gripping the tank with your legs, but it’s not jerky. “Mischievous” would be an appropriate way to describe it. The gearbox is quality work, with positive shifting throughout, and a single false neutral which happened because I was working the shifter too gingerly.

Brakes on the bike are great, and coupled with ABS really inspire confidence, especially in newer riders. Riding in the wet, panic braking, and generally puttering about on the kinds of roads we have—ABS is just a great idea, and the 390 Duke handles it well. You can even set ABS to work on both front and rear, just the front, or not at all, depending on your mood for the day.

I’ve said a lot already, but if you’re going to take one thing away from this review, it’s that this bike is probably the most fun I’ve had on two wheels.

It’s necessarily power or displacement that gives you that, it’s a combination of approachability, the confidence the bike gives, its near-telepathic steering, and real usability. The 390 Duke has it all in spades, and is something that any rider of any skill level will appreciate.

VALUE Sure there are bigger bikes. There are also less expensive bikes than the roughly PHP 290,000 this bike is asking for. But I doubt there are any out there that offer quite the combination of fun, practicality, and value as the Duke 390. It even gets bonus points for being one of the better-looking nakeds out there. It’s hard to beat what this bike offers, and there’s a reason it’s so popular. If you’re on the fence about it, let this be the sign you’ve been waiting for.

What’s Hot: -Great styling -Superb value -Exciting, practical performance

What’s Not: -Seat is a little high for shorter riders -That tall clutch

Bottomline: It deserves all the praise it has gotten.

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MOBILITY

Subaru Forester Media Drive The Road Less Traveled Words by Ren Alcantara

The Subaru Forester is a vehicle that is beloved by those who have had the pleasure of owning one. Since the first ones rolled off the line and into the hands of owners over three decades ago, Subaru’s superb boxer engine, wonderful driveability and exceptional comfort have won people over time and time again. The newest iteration of the Forester brings even more features to the market, and Motor Image Philippines gave a few members of the press the unique opportunity to drive it all the way to La Union, and over some terrain that most Subaru owners wouldn’t even dream of tackling.

The drive started just after dawn at the Subaru showroom in Libis. After cars were assigned, the group went straight into a briefing tackling the activities for the day. We were to head straight from the showroom to NLEX, switch over to SCTEX with a brief stop at Subaru’s fuel partner, Shell for snacks, and straight to lunch at Ciudad Elmina in Dagupan City. It was then to be a ride to an undisclosed location to allow the Forester to show off its off-road and water-wading capabilities, and then a straight shot to Aureo to cap the activity off.

We were off just after 7AM, and the traffic was starting to build. I was in car 4, the 2.0i-L variant in silver, riding shotgun with Nics Calanoc of C! Magazine behind the wheel. This leg of the trip allowed us to get acquainted with the vehicle, and settle in for the long drive ahead. As a passenger, one thing became immediately apparent.

The Forester is as comfortable as ever. The boxy shape allowed for a high ceiling, and its width translated into plenty of interior room.

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Even with leg room to spare in the front seat, our rear passengers had enough space to cross their legs. While some crossovers feel little more than compact cars with a better view of the road, the Forester gives room to move around, making for a less fatiguing ride, even in Metro Manila rush hour traffic. By the time we hit NLEX and the meat of the journey began, everyone in the car felt as ready to take the trip on as when we left the dealership almost 20 km prior. This was also due in part to how quiet the cabin is. I’m not entirely

sure what kind of door seals and soundproofing they have in place, but inside the Forester was conspicuously quiet-or at least it would have been, if not for the riot four motoring journalists together in a single vehicle can generate.

The next leg would see us putting a couple of hundred kilometers on the clock, mostly on the highway. Under the watchful eyes of speed-sensing radar, the entire convoy was careful to travel within the speed limit, though concessions were, of course, given for moments when overtaking was deemed necessary.

Our vehicle’s powerplant, a non-turbo boxer, had a maximum of 182 horses on tap, and was capable of producing 176 lb-ft of torque.

While all of us missed the turbo and larger displacement of the previous model, we all agreed that this generation engine was adequate for the intended purpose. Two quick taps on the paddle shift was all the motivation the SUV needed to get the engine roaring into action to put asphalt behind us at a quicker pace. Four healthy journalists, luggage, and equipment was a lot of weight to move www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

around, and while we could feel the extra effort the engine had to put out, performance wasn’t terribly affected. This was the story through the entire highway portion of the drive. The Forester was stable, had plenty of power, and felt like a dream to ride.

time off-roaders through without a hitch.

It’s a comfortable SUV that’s meant for the city, sure, but it’s not watered down when it comes to off-road performance.

After everyone had shaken the water off their boots, settled into one last photo with the tastefully dirty vehicles, and gotten back into the saddle, we found ourselves at Aureo, in La Union, where we talked shop, had a few drinks to unwind, and rested up for the drive home the next day. While I would have loved to talk about this segment of the trip more, what happened in La Union must stay in La Union. I hope you understand.

After exiting the tollways, it was my turn behind the wheel for a run through provincial highways to our lunch destination. Being all of five feet and four inches, I was happy to find that the seat, steering wheel and mirrors could be adjusted perfectly to suit me, with a little to spare. One thing you will immediately appreciate is the commanding view of the road as you sit in the driver’s seat. The next is how comfortable it is. Subaru knows what their vehicle is capable of, and created seats that keep you firmly in place, without feeling too constrained. It’s these little things that start to matter after a few hours in traffic, or long stretches of driving.

The trip back was more of the same, but this time, I decided to take the city leg in order to test Eyesight. This was probably the thing I was most excited about, and I must say, I was not disappointed. While it still needs steering input, driving in Metro Manila traffic is made so much easier. It does everything it says on the tin. Adaptive cruise control in particular is a blessing for stop and go, and low-speed city driving. While it does sometimes make larger gaps than I would have liked, allowing for vehicles to aggressively cut in, it’s more than made up for with convenience. We’re going to be doing a more in-depth review of the car and the system once we get our hands on one for a test drive, so do stay tuned.

Once we got moving, I started to get familiar with the Forester, and was pleased to find that it was as nimble and sure-footed as ever.

Regardless if the road quality was lacking, had a sprinkling of sand or gravel, or littered with potholes, the Forester kept its grip and agility. Subaru really did a great job with their Symmetrical All Wheel Drive system, and it showed. There was some overtaking to be done on less than stellar terrain, and even though I had to gun the engine a few times, or goose

on the gas for one reason or another, I felt completely in control. Quite a feat for a vehicle this size. The brakes were firm, and bit hard early into pedal travel. It took more getting used to than I had expected, but once I had it dialed in, modulating it became less of an issue.

We learned a lot about the Forester from our drive up north. It’s capable on- and off-road, comfortable, and doesn’t suffer excessively from dropping turbo or a smaller displacement. It has sharp steering, great traction control, and far better handling than one might think looking at it. Whether for highways or off it, it’s a great vehicle to have.

Full stop.

Being a modern car, the Subaru also offers a lot of additional features, including the superb multi-information display placed right where the driver can see, and controls for the massive entertainment system and other vehicle features very easily within reach. It’s an easy SUV to drive, in every way and, far too soon, we were at our lunch venue.

After a massive seafood lunch and photo op at Ciudad Elmina, we were off once again for a short sprint through provincial highways, and to an actual river crossing. At this point, the weather was starting to turn. The scorching heat was starting to give way to heavy clouds as we made our way off the paved road and onto gravel and dirt. Uzzi Asuncion advised us all to engage X-mode, which gave everyone in the group the confidence to tackle terrain that seemed more appropriate on a dirt bike than a comfortable SUV. Before long, we caught a glimpse of the next obstacle: an actual river.

We’ll spoil it now: None of the Foresters had any problem with the rocky river that went well past halfway up the wheels. 500 mm of wading depth, and that fantastic X-mode saw even first www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

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Yamaha opens Yamaha RevZone in Cavite The Yamaha RevZone Daang Hari is inspired by the Yamaha Flagship Shop: YZONE. The facility offers top-of-the-line amenities and features a whole collection of Yamaha Motorcycles from its MIO Series up to the luxurious big bikes. On the second floor are lounges and meeting rooms for the guests.

The service area has an open view that allows customers see how the mechanics work.

The inauguration was led by YMPH and Motor Ace Philippines representatives along with the Yamaha Mio Aerox ambassador, Matteo Guidicelli. Joining the celebration were a hundred Yamaha Club riders who participated in the motorcade activity showcasing their Yamaha motorcycles all throughout Daang Hari, Cavite. The celebration continued with the Yamaha Big Bikes night, a gathering of riders that shares a comparable interest in motorcycles and riding passion. Yamaha is now on its 10th RevZone in the Philippines and is still expanding to offer premium a riding experience to every rider across the country.

Yamaha Sight Saferun Challenge repeats 147 km/L record Yamaha Motor Philippines Inc. concluded the South Luzon edition of the Yamaha Sight Saferun Challenge in grand finals contested by the Top 10 finishers from previous legs.

Held in Naga, Camarines Sur, the grand finals presented a 189 km route that stretched from RevZone Naga to Polangui, Albay, then looping back after reaching Legazpi City, Albay. Miguel Ocinar, the youngest rider in the competition who established the Saferun record, repeated the feat with 147 km/L. He was followed by Junmark Geronimo who achieved 141 km/L, besting his old record of 137 km/L in an previous run. Andrew Roman rounded out the top three with an impressive 140 km/L. This challenge was a partnership between Yamaha Motor Philippines, Motortrade Nationwide Corporation, and Adventure Team Pilipinas who facilitated the competition.

Aiming to provide Filipino riders with the best in fuel efficiency, the Yamaha Sight combines practical design with specialized technology that gives cost-savings without sacrificing performance. Its fuel-injected engine and powerful disc brake are precisely crafted for a highly efficient and safe ride.

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Petron Marketing wins Gold in PR Awards Southeast Asia 2019

Petron Corporation was the Gold winner in the “Best Event-Led PR Campaign” category at the sixth annual Southeast Asian edition of the PR Awards, which was held at Swissotel Merchant Court, Singapore.

The win is for the Petron TriAction Performance Run Regional Roadblock, which highlighted the value of having integrated, real-time media and social media PR coverage to magnify Petron’s performance run in the Philippines’ southern provinces. With the majority of campaigns focused in Metro Manila and Luzon, the regional roadblock was a game-changer as local TV, radio and social influencers provided real-time updates and excited audiences with the performance run made its way from Mindanao, across the Visayas, and back to Luzon. A first in this category, the campaign addressed the brand challenge of creating relevance, engagement, and gaining market share in target provinces.

The Petron TriAction Performance Run (Mindanao to Manila Edition) was held last May 2018 with a caravan of eight vehicles which took off from

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Davao City and traversed key cities including Malaybalay, Bukidnon; Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental; Iligan City, Lanao del Norte; Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental; and Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte in Mindanao. Crossing over to the Visayas Islands, the run proceeded to Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental; Cebu City, Cebu; Toledo City, Cebu; Cadiz City, Negros Occidental; Bacolod City, Negros Occidental; Iloilo City, Iloilo; Kalibo City, Aklan; and Malay, Aklan. From there, the caravan traveled through Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro and Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro to catch a ferry to the port in Batangas City for its homecoming to Manila. In all the major stops, local media and influencers joined the group, acting as guides and highlighting the attractions in their localities. At the same time, they were able to interview the drivers about the performance of Petron Diesel Max in all types of road conditions.

Under the direction of Petron’s Brand Marketing & Advertising Department, the award-winning regional media roadblock was arranged by media agency HuddleRoom. The actual run was

organized by Great Minds Media Inc., with official observers from the Department of Energy and the Automobile Association of the Philippines.

The Department of Tourism also provided support in key cities.

The “Best Event-Led PR Campaign” category is one of the most coveted, with the highest number of entries. In the final judging, Petron was pitted against leading brands such as Heineken Malaysia, UnionPay South East Asia, Dyson, Singapore International Cyber Week 2018, Fujifilm, Singapore Discovery Center, and Vivo City & Walt Disney Company SEA. The champions for 2019 were chosen by an independent judging panel comprised of high-caliber senior marketing, public relations and communications professionals from reputable brands.

Earlier this year, the Petron TriAction Performance Run (Turbo Diesel Edition) also earned a Silver Anvil for “Public Relations Program Directed at Specific Stakeholders – Consumers” in the 54th Anvil Awards organized by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines.

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Suzuki, Unique Motor Center open first 3S Shop in Zamboanga City Suzuki and Unique Motor Center recently opened its first 3S Shop in Zamboanga City to celebrate 19 years of partnership. The twostorey branch houses the spare parts shop, sales department, and services.

This is to show Suzuki’s commitment to providing first-rate customer satisfaction by offering value-packed motorcycles through Suzuki Genuine Parts and excellent service manned by well-trained personnel. All of these are packed in the store which is designed to represent Suzuki’s pursuit of innovation.

Unique Motor’s multibrand shop contributed 22% to Suzuki’s total sales in Zamboanga City which led to the decision of putting up the Suzuki 3S Shop under the brand’s banner to further increase market share and promote it in the area.

The shop hosts the latest lineup of Suzuki’s fashionable and stylish motorcycles from scooters, the new fashion scooter Skydrive Sport, the beauty of speed Skydrive Fi and the global Suzuki scooter; Address, to backbone, the revolutionary GSX-R150, GSX-S150 and Gixxer Fi and business model GD110; to the well-loved underbones, the Underbone King,

the Raider R150 Fi and Carburetor, Shooter 115 Fi and the best-selling Underbone Leisure motorcycle, Smash.

On top of the existing deals and freebies, Unique Motor Center and Suzuki are giving opening treats to their first customers by offering free helmet and a half sack of rice.

The launch was attended by Apple Go, administrator of Zamboanga City, and representatives of Unique Motor including Jose Diu and Arlina Diu, Emmanuel Diu, vice president, Janelyn Diu Belandres, chief finance director, Judith Diu Perez, chief operations director, and Michael Du, chief IT director. They are joined by Jun Bulot, GM for Motorcycle Sales and Marketing, and Joel Martin, senior regional sales manager for Mindanao, Suzuki Philippines Inc.

Suzuki Motorcycles posts 36% growth first quarter of 2019 Suzuki Motorcycles, a division of Suzuki Philippines Inc. (Suzuki), posted a 36% growth in the first quarter of this year compared to 22% last year. The data provided by Suzuki is obtained from the Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association Inc. The biggest contributors to the record growth are the Underbone and Scooter as a result of the brand’s integrated sales, marketing, and brand communication strategies. Suzuki will be celebrating its 100th year in 2020 and this is its biggest recorded growth of 2% in the Philippines in terms of market share.

The records affirmed Suzuki as now the most preferred Underbone maker in the Philippines, with 45% market share in the said category, due to the market domination of the Underbone King—Raider R150 and the top selling Underbone motorcycle in the Country (Underbone Leisure Category)—Smash Stylish Colors.

The data also shows the favorable reception of Filipinos to the Skydrive Sport, which is Suzuki’s latest offering in the Scooter segment. The model, launched August last year, is perfect for beginners and young riders. It has greatly contributed to the Japanese company’s growth of 357% in the Scooter category.

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Toyota ushers in PH vehicle electrification with hybrid technology Following the lead of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) in its global initiative to steer the company as a sustainable mobility provider, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) reinforced its call to position vehicle electrification as one of its long-term solutions for a greener and more energy-efficient local automotive landscape.

Toyota aims to propel the country into this paradigm shift through its lineup of self-charging Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV). Toyota officials and tech experts suggest that hybrid is currently the most suitable electric vehicle platform for the local market.

As one of its initial steps, TMP launched the Toyota Hybrid Electric Technology Conference with the theme “TOWARD SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY”. The event was jumpstarted by TMP in an effort to openly discuss the consequential effects of HEVs in the local and current landscape, aimed at promoting wider adoption of hybrids as the future of local transportation.

Partnering with government representatives, environment groups, the media, and other stakeholders, TMP has intensified its drive to push usage of its environment-friendly and energy-saving hybrid electric vehicles locally, which in the long run benefits many sectors of society such as energy, transportation, environment, and health.

Toyota highlighted the importance of partnership and mutual understanding between the public and private sectors in order to adapt to quickly changing times.

“Toyota has a whole range of electrified vehicle (xEV) technology that can help achieve sustainable mobility goals. But xEV popularization depends on many factors and varies by market. Based on current Philippine conditions, it is most appropriate to start with HEV popularization in order to accelerate the reduction of emissions and fuel consumption,” said TMP President Mr. Satoru Suzuki during his keynote address.

In attendance were TMP Vice Chairman Dr. David Go, Toyota Motor Asia Pacific EVP Mr. Vince Socco, Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Dr. Rafaelita Aldaba, and Clean Air Asia Deputy Executive Director Atty. Glynda Bathan, among others.

TMP’s stance on hybrid electric technology is strongly supported by the environmental philosophy of the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, aimed at eliminating Toyota’s carbon emissions by the next three decades. Mr. Vince Socco of TMAP reiterated: “Toyota is committed to be a part of the solution ahead of future challenges with “Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050”, where People, Cars and Nature can co-exist in harmony. Towards this direction, Toyota challenges ourselves to achieve not

just ZERO environmental impact but also a NET POSITIVE impact on Earth and Society.”

HEVs are widely known to be more fuel efficient than traditional petrol engines, and their self-charging capability require no additional infrastructure to be built in order to seamlessly start the transition. These practical and proven factors make Toyota hybrids the viable option as the Philippine transportation alternative for a sustainable future.

Aside from the conference, Toyota Motor Philippines has special projects lined up for the year to raise public awareness on hybrids, such as educational campus tours in top engineering schools in the country. TMP was the first automotive brand to make hybrid electric vehicles locally accessible in the Philippines with the introduction of the second generation Prius in 2009. Currently, TMP offers two hybrid models in its Toyota vehicle lineup—the Prius and Prius C; and six hybrid models under the Lexus brand—GS 450h, NX 300h, RX 450h, CT 200h, CT 200h F Sport, LS 500h. Official plans on expanding this selection to meet consumer and environment demand will be announced soon.

For more information, visit TMP’s official website at www.toyota.com.ph and follow the official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ ToyotaMotorPhilippines.

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Isuzu Philippines debuts Isuzu D-MAX Boondock As part of the brand’s “I Love Isuzu” campaign, Isuzu Santa Rosa branch recently opened its doors to the public. The “Open House” event sought to bring the dealership, together with its vehicles and aftermarket services, closer to its customers and potential buyers by providing fun activities, contests and promotions.

One of the highlights of the event was the launch of the new Isuzu D-MAX Boondock.

The muscular pickup truck has an overall height of 1, 900 mm, and looks tough enough for anything that comes its way. To match its premium looks, the utilitarian vehicle is fitted with 265/70 Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires engineered to provide ultimate traction across various conditions, whether rolling down the highway or leaving the pavement behind. It is equipped with monotube, nitrogen-charged performance shock absorbers that improves steering control. Adding to its premium look are the steel side steps with a honeycomb design, roof rail, cargo extender, rocker panel, over fender, and a massive Boondock decal installed at the tailgate.

From left: Isuzu Executives Mr. Joseph Bautista (IPC Sales Division Head), Mr. Shojiro Sakoda (IPC Executive Vice President), Mr. Yasuhiko Oyama (IPC Vice President For Sales), Mr. Hiroto Nakaguro (IPC Sales Assistant Division Head) poses with the new Isuzu D-MAX Boondock.

The D-MAX Boondock Edition is powered by a 4-cylinder in-line Blue Power 3.0-liter diesel engine with turbo intercooler and VGS turbo charger, mated with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission. Its engine can generate maximum power of 177 hp and 380 Nm. Available in cosmic black and galena gray variants, the Isuzu D-MAX 3.0 4x2 LS MT Boondock is priced at PHP 1,390,000. Meanwhile, the Isuzu D-MAX 3.0 4x2 LS AT Boondock is on sale for PHP 1,455,000.

Wuerth to produce Isuzu auto cleaning products Stretching the full potential of its parts sales business, Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) just entered into a oneyear partnership with the Philippine division of the Wuerth Group, which started on April 1, 2019.

In the partnership, Wuerth will manufacture the Isuzu Silicone Spray (500 mL) which removes unusual squeaking sound on window glass run channel and provides good finish on plastic and rubber; the Isuzu Brake Cleaner (500 mL), cleans and eliminates dirt and grease on brakes; and the Isuzu Brake Paste (5.5 grams) to prevent unusual noise or squeaking on brakes. Aside from these, Wuerth is also responsible for shipping these products directly to IPC’s dealer network.

Isuzu’s commitment to be a reliable partner strengthens by offering only high-quality products manufactured by Wuerth, one of the leading quality brands for assembly technology. Isuzu guarantees that through these new products, customer satisfaction will increase. Isuzu vehicle parts and cleaning items will be available at Isuzu dealerships, making it a one-stop-shop to offer customer convenience. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

The German-based Wuerth Group, founded in 1945, is a worldwide wholesaler of chemicals, electronic and electromechanical components, installation material, and automotive hardware. Its time-tested automotive parts-related products have passed the

stringent standards of both IPC and Isuzu Motors Ltd. in Japan. As such, IPC guarantees that all its authorized dealers across the country use only genuine parts, accessories, and lubricants in its trucks and light commercial vehicles (LCVs). june 2019

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Maxus Cars soon to launch in the Philippines The global manufacturer of passenger and commercial vehicles, Maxus, is having its formal launch in the Philippines. Among its initial lineup of cars include the multipurpose vehicle G10.

Known for its European origins, the Shanghai-based automotive brand debut this month under Ayala Group’s AC Industrials.

The Maxus G10 comes with either a 2.0-liter turbo petrol, 2.4-liter gasoline, or a 1.9-liter turbodiesel engine variants. However, the company is yet to disclose any specifications pertaining to the G10 unit that it will bring to the Philippine market.

As part of its debut, the Maxus G10 went on a road trip, days before its kick-off, and tested its performance in some of the country’s local destination.

The Maxus G10 spotted at Tagaytay.

Ford Philippines appoints new managing director Ford Motor Company has announced the appointment of PK Umashankar (‘Uma’) as managing director, Ford Philippines, effective July 1.

Umashankar is currently serving as director, Customer Service Division, Ford ASEAN, based in Bangkok.

Ford dealer networks and Ford customer service teams across the ASEAN markets to implement a number of successful initiatives aimed at improving and enhancing the overall Ford customer experience.

Umashankar will relocate to Manila, and will continue to report directly to Yukontorn ‘Vickie’ Wisadkosin, president, Ford ASEAN. He will replace Bert Lessard, who will repatriate to his home country of Canada.

This includes leading efforts to streamline parts sourcing and delivery across the Ford network, the appointments and launch of the Ford Authorized Parts Distributor Network in Thailand, as well as the launch of the Ford-owned Quick Lane brand in Thailand.

In his new role, Umashankar will be responsible for continuing to drive Ford’s momentum in the Philippines, including sustaining the success of Ford’s nearly fully refreshed vehicle lineup in the market, continuing the ongoing expansion of the Ford dealership network, and further enhancing the aftersales experience including driving a more competitive cost of ownership structure for Ford customers.

“Uma’s leadership and real hands-on approach, coupled with his extensive experience across the business, will help us continue to grow our business and further strengthen our brand in the Philippines,” said Wisadkosin.

In his current regional customer service role, Umashankar has been working with both the 48

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From 2015-2017, Umashankar served as brand manager, Ford Asia Pacific, based in Shanghai,where he oversaw the region-wide launch of the new EcoSport compact SUV, as well as the new Ford Figo compact car in India and the Middle East and Africa.

Prior to his regional postings, Umashankar served for nearly 19 years at Ford India in roles of increasing responsibility, including leadership positions across Customer Service, Marketing, and Operations.

Umashankar earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Madras, and an MBA in Finance from the Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA). www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Total expands retail network in Luzon and Visayas

The company opens its second branch in Boac, Marinduque

Total Philippines Corporation continues to bring sustainable products and quality service to the Filipinos with its expansion in Luzon and Visayas.

The fuel and lubricant provider for vehicles opened a total of three new stations in the towns of Bongabong in Oriental Mindoro, Pulungbulu in Pampanga, and

Boac in Marinduque. As of the first quarter of 2019, Total has recently opened 10 stations nationwide.

Present in the Philippines for 21 years, the company is upscaling its projects in the downstream oil industry.

It now records a growing network close to 500 service stations nationwide. Last year, it opened around 50 stations and intends to continue its growth trajectory.

“We are committed to providing products and services that will support the clean energy needs of the Philippines. With the undertaking of our current initiatives and plans for tomorrow’s oil and gas sector, we continue to serve as a responsible energy player,” says Total Philippines Corporation president and managing director Laurent Stouffe.

Rainchem launches Raimol Titanium Fuel Saver Rainchem International Inc. (Rainchem) is now introducing the Raimol Titanium Fuel Saver, the new and economical way to save fuel intended for diesel and gasoline engines. Raimol Titanium Fuel Saver features power and acceleration improvement. This revolutionary product does not only enhances the engine’s life but it also offers excellent corrosion protection.

As the company continues to provide cost-saving measures by extending and improving engine oil, Rainchem also wants to announce another breakthrough product: Raimol Tribofilm Oil Additive. This product prolongs engine life, reduces oil and fuel consumption for gasoline and diesel engine. It is also compatible with all types of engines.

Rainchem is a 100% Filipino-owned company managed by Robert Dela Pena, a chemical engineer and its president and CEO. Since 1995, Rainchem has been serving a wide variety of consumers of heavy industrial lubricants,

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marine transport oil, greases, motor and engine oils and of more than hundreds of corporations.

itself viable with other Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.

Rainchem has started its export business in 2017 initially in Vietnam. Negotiations with Papua New Guinea are in the pipeline. The company is making

Rainchem is also into distributing biodegradable and eco-friendly home care cleaning solutions, under our brand Nature’s Rain.

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Donal Morphy and Charles Richards were working together in an electric fire company when they saw an opportunity to use their respective skills to sell affordable appliances and form their own manufacturing company. Morphy was an engineer while Richards was a salesman.

It was in 1935 when families are realizing the ease of using portable appliances like irons and toasters albeit a bit expensive then. Morphy saw the potential of a business that deals with electrical, gas, radio and television equipment that they can offer at a much lower price tag and would serve the mass market.

After registering their new enterprise, Morphy Richards, as a private company, they started the production of new appliances at St Mary Cray, Kent in 1936. A 2kw radiant fire and electric temperature-controlled iron found their way in stores and eventually in homes. The Senior Iron produced in 1938 saw a revolutionary product wherein the pilot light indicates the temperature that was right for different fabrics. Little did they know that this innovation would be immortalized and would still be used to this day.

After completing its government contract to produce aircraft components, Morphy Richards became a publicly listed company and merged with Astral, a Dundee-based firm

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that manufactured and sold spin dryers and refrigerators.

This marked the company’s venture to bigger appliances without abandoning its roots.

Industrial group Glen Dimplex bought the company in 1985, which made Morphy Richards a global brand even if it still dominates the UK households with 90% of families owning at least one of its products or appliances.

The brand now posts ÂŁ200 million of retail sales globally where just under 50% of branded sales come from outside the UK at a compound annual growth of 7.5%. It continues its innovation with cutting-edge design and technology hub, DEPTH, to provide revolutionary products for every household needs.

From its headquarters in the UK, the brand has expanded in Australasia and Europe with plans to further reach and grow potential markets in China and India.

These new markets and others the company is eyeing is another reason for Morphy Richards to continuously innovate and come up with products that carry its unique technology and the philosophy of providing innovative, yet reasonably priced household appliances.

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MAY 2019

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HOME

BASIC

APPLIANCE NECESSITIES FOR COMPACT

HOMES Words by Marlet D. Salazar

Compact homes are becoming the norm in highly urbanized areas not just in the Philippines but in other countries as well.

Property developers have built condominiums specially geared toward university students, providing them basic amenities at affordable rates.

Unlike in the usual dormitory houses, students who choose to rent a condominium unit either alone or with friends have to furnish their units.

Although there are unit owners who provide some furniture for the students to use, still, there are some basic necessities for the kitchen and the bedroom that students can bring to their home in the next months.

MICROWAVE OVEN A microwave oven is perhaps the most basic kitchen appliance that students would need. Not everyone can cook or if there is one who can, there might not enough time because of school work. Convenience stores now offer precooked meals intended not only for students but also for urban professionals who prefer to eat out or buy cooked meals to eat at home.

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BLENDER

PORTABLE AIRCON

A blender can be a multifunctional kitchen essential in a small home. It can mix drinks or puree fruits or veggies for liquid diets. Students can use this for a quick smoothie which may contain oats and other ingredients for breakfast or a morning snack.

Some manufacturers have started making mini or portable air conditioners that need not be installed permanently in one corner. This cooling system functions like an electric fan which people can bring from one room to another. While an electric fan still works, a portable air conditioner is way better.

COFFEEMAKER A coffeemaker is a must especially for those who cannot live without caffeine in their system. Some believe that they get their “energy” from coffee when doing homework or when they need to study for an important exam. The smell of coffee filling the air can sometimes perk up one’s tired and sluggish mood.

STEAM CLEANER Steam cleaners have replaced ironing boards because they save so much space compared to the latter. Ironing clothes using a hand-held steam cleaner looks a little less daunting than ironing.

It also eases away the worry of iron burn.

Unlike ironing boards, steam cleaners can be stuffed away inside the closet.

INDUCTION COOKER

CAMPING STOVES

An induction cooker is now very much preferred over gas or electric stoves. It is one way to avoid fire when left unattended and saves so much space in a small unit.

Camping stoves have found their way inside compact homes because they are, well, compact.

Its source of heat is a small butane gas canister much smaller in size compared to the gas stove tank. It is also much cheaper compared to buying a PHP 600 gas tank.

It can be stowed away in a corner of the kitchen when not in use and can just be taken out when there’s a need for it.

VACUUM CLEANER A vacuum cleaner has become a necessity because it shortens the time for housecleaning as compared with the traditional way of tidying up a room or a condo unit. The time saved using a vacuum cleaner can be used either to study more or take the rest of the day off and relax.

As urban living evolves, manufacturers are also adapting to different lifestyle needs.

Living in a compact home doesn’t need to be inconvenient and its inhabitants can still have the living essentials as if they are living with their parents or in a bigger home. They just need to look for the best appliance that suits their budget and is certified safe for different living conditions.

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GADGETS GAMING LAB

Words by Jose Alvarez Developer: Triternion Publisher: Triternion Platform: PC

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Several years ago, I was very intrigued by a game called Chivalry: Medieval Warfare. It was one of a handful of successful mods that arose from the Half-life series. One of my biggest complaints is that combat was very clunky and the learning curve was extremely high (think trying to master rocket science in a high school physics class).

Regardless, it was one of the first first-person multiplayer medieval combat games out there. Its awkwardness and steep learning curve didn’t keep my attention for too long.

Enter Mordhau. I have never heard of Slovenian developer Triternion before, so my expectations were non-existent. Could you imagine if Electronic Arts or Activision made this game? Triternion utilizes the Unreal Engine 4 to its fullest. Melee combat games have always lagged behind their shooter counterparts, so the latest crack at a firstperson multiplayer medieval combat game on an engine such as Unreal Engine 4 was overdue. You can primarily play online, but if you prefer playing against bots to practice, you can play offline as well. Want to learn to play better? You can even spectate matches and record gameplay.

The combat in the game is realistic. Everything hits everything, just like in real life. The physics in combat have been compared to epic battles in Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. Each fight has some sort of meaning to it. They still kept the friendly fire aspect from Chivalry on board so you are fully aware of where you swing that sword or shoot that arrow. You can even use the environment to your advantage: you can bring down the castle gate on enemies or toss boulders at them as you besiege an opponent’s base. You can also fight on horseback, which can radically change the way you fight.

You can fight 1-on-1 duels or participate in army battles. The best part about army battles is you can work in cohesion with your team and develop strategies to stop the enemy team. There are numerous weapons, shields, and armor you can use, as well as healing items. You can play in battle royale mode and vote on skirmish, deathmatch, or team deathmatch. You can also play on Frontline mode, which can be won by tickets. Each time you die, you lose theirs, and you can make the other team lose tickets by killing them or capturing stations. I consider Frontline one of the more difficult modes, so newcomers should be careful when playing this mode. You can also play Horde mode, where you spawn with nothing but 20 gold with five other heroes. You can acquire equipment and weapons through paying gold, but when you die, only your co-heroes can resurrect you.

There are also multiple maps in the different modes. You can fight in the mountains, in open fields, in the snow, or in the forest. In deathmatch and skirmish modes, you can even fight in the ruins of a castle, a pit-like level with walkways and bridges for 1-on-1 combat, or even in a gladiatorstyle arena.

Overall, Mordhau is an evolution of a genre that is difficult to create games for. The growth of the genre will be sustained by games as such Mordhau, but one must spend hours learning to master the complex combat system to make the game meaningful and enjoyable.

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GADGETS GAMING LAB

Words by Ren Alcantara Developer: Hopoo Games Publisher: Gearbox Software, LLC Platform: Microsoft Windows

Risk of Rain, the breakout Rogue-like side-scrolling adventure romp of about five years ago is back, and it adds a whole new dimension to it, literally. Risk of Rain 2 is here, and has bust out of the walls of 2D to become a full-blown 3D shooter. Does it manage to bring depth to an already well-loved game, or does it, ironically, fall flat?

Risk of Rain 2 follows the same theme of the first game in that it’s basically an item search with increasingly overwhelming waves of enemies. You still get to unlock and use different classes with their own abilities to try and survive for as long as you can. It’s extremely simple, and has a surprising amount of replay value.

The game starts with a character selection screen where, if it’s your first time out, will have a single hero, the all-arounder Commando class. From this screen, you can also add up to three other friends to your party, something we recommend, as the experience is much better when shared.

A quick load screen later, and you’re in the beautifully rendered, 3D cell-shaded environment. It might not be Anthem-esque in its landscapes, but the cell-shaded treatment gives it a charm that’s all its own. Soon, enemies start warping in from the void, and what is initially a nice romp in a new 3D world creeps towards something more akin to a 3D bullet hell.

Monotony is broken through the appearance of a few different environments, each with its own set of varied opponents with their own set of abilities. Fliers, small hoards, teleporting demons, and charging buffalo all show up to try and ruin your day, all while you try to get kills for points to buy items, search for chests for more items, and try to uncover the location of the level’s teleporter.

Triggering the same will unleash a boss or three, depending on the difficulty the game has progressed to, and killing the bosses lets you move to the next level where you get to do everything all over again.

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It might sound a little boring, but trust us, it’s not.

The item hunt is where the game is at, and there are loads of items for you to grab. They all work together in odd and satisfying synergies that compliment your own character abilities, so you can go from vulnerable squishy hero to deadly bullet tornado in very short order.

Speaking of deadly bullet tornadoes, you get to unlock and choose from various classes. From

the Genji-esque Ninja, to the robotic Bastion, and turret-building engineer, along with several others, you’re bound to find a hero that suits your playstyle. To the game designer’s credit, getting through each level does change wildly depending on the class you pick, increasing replayability significantly. Being an early access title though, there are only a handful of levels and enemies for the moment, and it can happen, though not frequently, that once you’ve amassed enough

items, you become practically invincible, even with the game at highest difficulty. This is bound to change, given the overwhelming support the game has received, with more than a million downloads just a month after the game suddenly appeared in the Steam store. Even in its early access state, it’s already loads of fun, and not something you should miss if you’re a fan of this kind of gameplay.

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GADGETS GAMING LAB

Words by Mia Carisse Barrientos Developer: NetEase Games Platform: iOS and Android

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There is no better time to be a mobile gamer than now. Leveraging the capabilities of powerful processors, massive RAM, and stunning display panels, app developers continue to push the boundaries of mobile gaming to give us immersive gameplay on a pocket-sized device. There is no end to the action-packed and detail-rich titles you can enjoy; and if you’re like the rest of us, always scouring the app marketplace for the next best zombieslaying game, LifeAfter is one you’d want to sink your teeth into.

LifeAfter is a thrilling mix of different genres in one. As you can derive from its name, it is a simulation, RPG, survival, multi-player, and sandbox game set in a world overrun by zombies.

To understand the gameplay, you must first play its story-driven tutorial. In post-apocalyptic Hope Valley, players start off in the back of a truck fending off attacking undead. This is where players will get acquainted with combat controls.

There’s a virtual joystick for moving around and buttons for actions such as shooting, punching, ducking, and jumping conveniently placed on either side of the screen.

The truck that was carrying you and another survivor loses control and falls over a cliff, but you survive the crash. Having gotten away from the chaos, the player meets Aleksey, a non-playable character (NPC) that will teach you the ropes of the game. Provided with tools such as a pick and axe, you can begin gathering wood and stone by cutting down trees breaking up boulders. These are essential in fortifying your base later on in the game. There are also other resources spread

throughout the terrain which you can directly pick up.

While exploring, the player and Aleksey cross paths with an evolved mutant, which you successfully evade initially. You will encounter this pivotal mutant all through the tutorial and eventually go head to head against him in an exhilarating boss fight.

Rescue brings you to Hope 101, a developed headquarters of the last of human’s resistance against the infected. At the HQ, you’ll get the chance to go around and interact with various NPCs about game mechanics and trade. This is where you will also get your first sighting of actual players visiting shops for materials and taking on quests.

The mayor of Hope 101 commends your bravery and enlists you to be part of an elite force responsible for conquering and establishing bases to champion the human race. You will be sent over to a 101 development zone where the real action begins.

LifeAfter is a zombie game and so much more. You will have to build a manor from scratch. From the construction materials you have gathered, you can begin crafting walls, door, and even a second floor complete with a balcony—the perfect vantage point for sniping or shooting arrows at zombies. When players have already exhausted materials in 101, they can travel to other forests and zones via a helicopter in the development zone.

These areas are infested with zombie hordes and even fellow players exploring about. While these pose danger to the player, the zones are brimming with materials that will allow you a zombie-proof shelter and plenty of food for restoring energy. Exploring also boosts your skill proficiency so you can craft better quality materials unlock high in health and energy recipes.

The game also provides you with a trusty dog and friends making survival in the postapocalyptic world less daunting and more entertaining.

Image source: http://kongbakpao.com/survival-mobile-game-lifeafter-launches-build-a-home-with-friends-in-a-post-apocalyptic-world/ www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

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GADGETS APPS LAB

Student-Friendly Apps for Productivity

Words by Jewel Sta. Ana

College students, in this era of innovation are blessed to experience the abundance of technologies that they can use for productivity. For a twenty-something yuppie who grew up with diskettes and the Dewey Decimal system, the invention of Internet and smartphones redefined the way we learn. It has stretched out the capabilities of mobile devices, helping students tick one task at a time on their to-do list. Now, more than ever, possibilities are endless and infinite. These productivity apps for Android would surely help you finish your daily goals on time as you crawl toward the finish line of your college education.

Trello

Socratic

Notebloc Notebloc

Developed by a notebook company brand in Barcelona, the free scanner app lets users scan, save, and share notes, sketches, and drawings and other documents through your phone’s camera. Unlike other scanner apps, Notebloc automatically optimizes and corrects the perspective of the scanned images for clearer and brighter results. It allows users freedom to create and export the files in either JPEG or PDF formats in any desired size. Converting your notes to digital ones, it is used best with its own brand of notebooks.

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Doist

Socratic

Trello, Inc.

Keeping all the details in a group project can be cumbersome and stressful. Trello, a visual tool especially made for project management, makes it fun and appealing. As an intuitive app, it lets users make their digital bulletin boards consist of various lists. These lists then represent the progress of their tasks which can be broken down into “cards”. You can move a card to its respective phase of the project. Psychologically, visual representation makes it easier to break up complex tasks. Another good thing is, it’s free to use.

Todoist

Internet, just like people, has its own flaws.

Sometimes, it’s not as reliable as expected.

Dubbed as the digital tutor in your pocket, Socratic is an educational app that provides step-by-step help to students instantly. Powered

by AI technology, the app automatically presents a simple, bite-sized content to students that pushes students to practice their critical thinking, all of which are pooled from the organization’s community of educators and passionate people.

Covering almost everything under the sun—from Physics to Literature— the app scans homework questions from your smartphone’s camera. With the aid of machine learning, Socratic predicts the concepts that will help students solve the questions in their assignments, even long equations on statistics, geometry, and algebra.

Writing down a to-do list keeps track of the past, the things that you should do, and the future plans that you’ll be doing. Todoist helps you stay focused and organized by jotting down all the things that you need to accomplish. Thanks to its intelligent user interface, the software automatically schedules reminders and files these according to category.

It has habit and goal trackers for monitoring your progress in a certain project, as well as lists and a daily planner for effective task delegation. Apart from being a personal productivity tool, Todoist can also be used for monitoring group projects. Through its Projects tab, you can plan and discuss your thesis, assign responsibilities to your groupmates, and see deadlines all inside the app.

All-In-One Calculator

MINDBOX

Simple yet systematic, the multipurpose calculator provides users simple to complex calculations of metric units, currency conversions, percentages, volumes, areas, and even body mass index (BMI). It features up to 75 types of calculators for algebra, geometry, finance, and health. To make it more efficient, unit converters are also integrated in this app. Unlike other calculators, this app from MINDBOX provides step-by-step solutions to understand the formula better. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

FEATURE

Screening Your Screen Time Words by Ren Alcantara

Technology is a powerful thing.

As long as you have a working smartphone and an internet connection, you have all the information known to humankind at your fingertips. It can change lives in ways we don’t even realize yet. This power, however, comes at a price.

Constant connectivity tends to suck us in, holding us hostage for hours, a few minutes at a time. While it’s neither reasonable nor practical to completely disconnect, there are some measures that you can put in place to take control of your digital life.

Android Pie

YouTube

Android Pie also has an app timer, that lets you create a time bank account that ticks down based on usage, and pauses the application until the next day once you’ve used up your app minutes. While it can of course be overridden should the need arise, this lets you know when you might want to start shifting focus to other, more important things than mindlessly scrolling through a news feed.

Entertainment is another reason we stay glued to our phones, and YouTube tends to be one of the culprits. Within the app though, there exist features that let you keep tabs on, and limit your video consumption. Under account, in the YouTube app, there is a Time Watched Profile that lets you see how many hours you’ve spent on videos. You can then activate the Take A Break reminder that force-pauses videos after an amount of time that you yourself can set, which might be all you need to break the cycle.

Do Not Disturb

Wind Down Mode

It doesn’t need to be stated that notifications are a key part of the mobile phone experience.

However, they can quickly get out of hand and start to become intrusive. Google offers several ways to take control back from endless notifications From turning your device face down to trigger Do Not Disturb mode, select which notifications are worth your attention and disable the rest Manually switching on Do Not Disturb when you need to focus on something else, which is something all Android devices should be able to do right now.

One of the things anyone can do to improve quality of life is to get enough sleep. Generally speaking, phones aren’t really great for trying to get to sleep. Android Pie has that covered with Wind Down Mode, which enables Do Not Disturb mode, and then fades the screen to grayscale, making browsing and using apps a little less enticing, and helping you put the phone down and get some shuteye.

We got to spend some time with Google’s Glen Murphy, one of the people in charge of the design of some of Google’s products, to see how we can achieve that balance of connectivity and life, so that the former enriches the latter.

The phone is perhaps one of the most-used devices for staying connected, and its convenience cannot be overstated. However, when we start checking our device every other minute, it starts to take over our consciousness.

Since Android 9 Pie, Google has baked in some features to keep this habit in check. The Digital Wellbeing Dashboard gives you a summary of your usage behavior per app. You can take a look at the number of times you unlock the device, stare at it, and the time you spend on particular programs on your phone. This understanding can help you understand your habits, and start to change them, if need be.

Our devices are meant to enrich our lives, not control them. With these tools, and a little willpower, we can once again take charge. More than ever before, understanding how we spend our digital time is easier, so we can start to form better habits that help, and not harm us.

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Words and photos by Jewel Sta. Ana | Artwork by Jezeil Romero

Technology, as we all know, has brought a significant change in the way we live. It has fired up a lot of possibilities in scientific research and development, pushing various nations toward industrial and economic growth. But apart from providing employment opportunities, tech startups now tend to be incubators of innovation that motivate people forward. Organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the 2019 Spring edition of the Hong Kong Electronics Fair featured about 150 startups which showcased revolutionary products for smarter living. Here are some SMEs who stood out during the expo.

Estbrane Co., Ltd South Korea

A cold coffee brewer and speakers in one

Sonic Dutch Korea Co Ltd. South Korea For coffee aficionados, nothing can beat an artisan, cold brewed coffee. But in order to extract the unique flavor from the coffee beans, it requires a lot of process and manpower. Sonic Dutch Korea Co Ltd.’s big boss saw the growing demand for cold brew coffee in his area and used it to produce a portable cold coffee brewer for commercial and, later on, for personal use.

Powered by sound waves, the Sonic Dutch rapidly breaks down the processing time of coffee brewing to 5 minutes. To ensure equal concentration of coffee granules, it provides different settings according to the user’s coffee preference. Its impeccable features include spill-free brewing up to 500 ml of hot and cold coffee for up to an hour, ergonomic design, and silent mechanical parts. It can even double as a music player through Bluetooth connection to your mobile devices, should you want to be groovy.

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A newbie in the industry, the South Korean provider of medical machines recently ventured into consumer health products starting off with the Cerapi facial cleanser and multi-function UV sterilizer. With Koreans being recognized as the most sophisticated race in terms of beauty, their facial cleanser has become a hit. It comes with soft, removable brushes that deeply cleanses pores, thanks to its rechargeable battery that can last up to 10 hours. The Cerapi sterilizer, on the other hand, can kill bacteria in two minutes. It is also compatible to toothbrush, makeup brushes, and even knives, thanks to its adjustable metal body. To make it smarter, it can be linked to your smartphone through a dedicated app where you can monitor the status of the sterilizer. Both products are shockproof and water-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about putting them on humid areas.

Cerapi’s Multi-purpose uv sterilizer

A GPS tracker for canes

Metro Creative Inc. Limited Hong Kong Despite their age, many elderly still like to do things on their own. Some of them go out for walk and run, errands alone. However, more than half of the reported cases of missing persons consist of senior citizens. To solve this, Hong Kong’s very own Metro Creative Inc. Limited has produced a universal tracking device that can be attached to ordinary walking canes. Known as the Panic Safe, the GPS tracker is equipped with a panic button in case they get lost on their way or need assistance.

It automatically sends SOS messages and a real-time location every two to three minutes, as well as an emergency call, to the contact person or to the nearest police and hospital.

Just connect the tracker to a mobile device via Bluetooth connection, update the emergency contact through the WISO app, and attach it to the walking cane to make it work. There’s also an LED light attached underneath its grip for easier navigation during the night, and long battery life that can last up to four months.

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The second generation of Headsup with the smart remote control

Revsmart Wearable Technologies Hong Kong A lot of improvements were made to the second generation of Headsup. The wearable device for helmet is more efficient with the Piezo technology, a new tech that uses sound waves to transmit music around the helmet without eliminating background noise. Compatible with all kinds of helmets, the Headsup 2.0 is extremely compacts, you can place it inside helmet’s removable pads. It now comes with a

noise-cancelling microphone for accurate voice commands and clearer hands-free calls, as well as a smart remote that goes to the motorcycle handlebar for easier navigation of commands.

Integrating AI in a slim profile, the updated version now supports voice controls through your phone’s smart assistant. It still gives navigation directions and plays music wherever and whenever you are through Bluetooth connection.

The newest prototype is slimmer and more compact

Nasket Retail Co Ltd. Thailand Many Asian countries are gearing up on transforming their key areas into smart cities. To make this a reality, real properties would need to integrate a wireless platform or a more connected city living. This is what the clever Nasket does.

To make the device work, it requires a stable Wi-Fi connection. Targeted for condominium residents, the smart display for services allows users to purchase their groceries through a scanner or a far-field. Apart from these functions, Nasket also allows queueless payment of bills and utilities, links residents to the nearest police

The market panel in the flesh

and fire stations for emergencies, and offers logistics services through its secure software.

It also supports voice recognition and enables customers to order food, schedule medical appointments, and book housekeeping services at nearby establishments. Once the purchases are completed, the system automatically notifies the customers through text messaging to keep track of their items. The three-year-old company is currently partnering with real estate companies in the Philippines, particularly in Makati and Laguna.

These collapsible pallets can carry more than traditional ones

IPCube France Searching for sustainable raw materials to cut production costs and preserve the environment is very challenging, but this French startup proves otherwise. Optimizing supply chain, the IPCube is an on-demand cardboard pallet that is light and easy to use. It can carry up to 600 kg of cargo

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despite of its actual weight which is less than 5 kg.

It’s moisture-resistant, waterproof up to 5 m, light, and easy to recycle. Made up of 60% recycled fiber from used wood and 40% virgin fiber, the IPCube comes in different sizes. Its biggest client to date is the European pharmaceutical company AstraZenica.

The IPCubes installed to a panel board

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VISUAL SPACE

DESIGN

THINKING Words by Ren Alcantara

for it. In our stable of writers, I’m probably the least qualified to speak about the visual arts. This is why for this month’s Visual Space, I have called for help in the form of Tracy Monsod, Instructor at the Ateneo de Manila University’s Fine Arts department, and designer in her own right. Hopefully by the end of this article, both you, dear reader, and I, will have learned a thing or two about Design Thinking.

I have a confession to make.

Apart from the art of putting one word after the other, and maybe a slightly keener musical ear than most, I have very little creative ability. I prefer to wear the same thing day in and day out, I can’t draw to save my life, and if you hand me painting supplies, I’d be much better off eating the oils than contaminating the world with what I might attempt to pass off as art.

I have accepted my lot in life, and I believe the world is all the better

Before going into it though, a definition is in order. Design thinking, distilled into its core is an approach for dealing with a particular problem through design. More (but not necessarily greater) than just making something that looks good, it has a practical purpose that isn’t achieved simply by creating art.

The process involves five phases. “I don’t want to say steps,” Tracy is careful to say, “because it’s non-linear. You go from one to another and back again.” It speaks of the nature of problem-solving in that you might go in with an idea, and come out early on realizing that the problem you thought you’d be facing isn’t the problem at all.

first phase The first phase is empathy. This phase of the process involves getting to know the people affected by the problem you’re trying to tackle. It’s in the stories of these stakeholders and their experiences that you start to see the problem in better light. It’s not uncommon in this phase to realize that you were way off your mark coming in to the game.

In discussing with the stakeholders, the designer identifies patterns, and comes

up with insights necessary to move the process forward. It may even happen that the people might not even realize what they need, to say nothing of how to solve their problem. In Tracy’s eyes, this might be the most important part of the process.

SECOND phase The next phase of process is to define the problem. Unpacking the information gathered from speaking with the stakeholders, the designer can then step back, and more clearly see the problem that needs to be addressed. It may happen that the problem wasn’t what you expected, so

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the designer must also remember that the purpose of the process is to come up with something for the benefit of the stakeholders.

You might start with an idea about the problem and how to proceed, only to find that the problem wasn’t what you thought, and your original solution can no longer apply.

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Third phase With the problem identified, and insights gathered from the stakeholders, you can then think about how concretely deal with the problem. While it’s tempting to come up with a single idea and zone in on that, this could prove problematic should your hunch be proven wrong. Go wide with many possible ideas on how to solve the issue.

The potential answer might not even be a

product—it could be a process, a system, or something entirely intangible. This phase of ideation starts by bringing possibilities to light. You aren’t bound by actual production at this point, so pick some ideas and run with them—see where they would logically go.

Creativity is the key here, as the answer might not even exist yet, so there aren’t any terrible ideas.

FOURTH phase With a number of ideas available, prototyping can then begin. The variety and number of potential solutions might be impractical to test out individually, so the designer must evaluate each against the knowledge gained from time spent with the stakeholders. This is the step where the idea starts to become reality. Regardless of the

nature of the intended finished product, this step is meant to come out with the minimum viable answer to the problems found prior. Like prototyping in the mechanical sense, it doesn’t have to be pretty, you just have to see if it’ll work. If it doesn’t, then you won’t have wasted too much time perfecting it. If it does work, there will be time to refine it later on.

FIFTH phase Once a working prototype has been made real, testing can then begin.

Ideally, testing should happen with the same people the designer spoke with at the start of the process. Assuming

While there are distinct phases to Design Thinking, the process isn’t linear. As more information comes in, theories and ideas are proven wrong, or better ideas come in, it may become necessary to revisit different phases of the process. Over the course of discussing the subject, I couldn’t help but notice the similarity of Design Thinking with the scientific method. I brought what I felt was a huge difference between this process, and the idea of art, and Tracy made things much clearer.

“They’re very similar,” Tracy mused. “There’s a confusion that art and design are the same thing. Where art is expressive, and you can basically do whatever you want. Design is more structured—everything you put in design has to serve the message you’re trying to convey.” This is not to disparage art, or say that it can’t convey a message, but that design will almost always have a

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everything works, at least broadly, little details as to how to execute the final product properly start to appear. You can then start to see how the prototype can be refined to bring it closer to a finished product.

purpose greater than its own existence. This is a distinction that I will admit, I didn’t see in the past, but I have come to a greater appreciation after our chat.

you’re an illustrator, and it turns out that the best way to tackle the problem is a website, you’ll likely be better off working with a web dev to come up with the best solution.

The application of Design Thinking is everywhere. Anything that needs to get a thought or idea across will benefit from it. Apps, games, systems, processes all require great design. Something as simple as infographic can be made orders of magnitude better with the use of good design. It’s not about the whim of the designer, but a process that is engaged to better bring a point across.

The next time you find a great label, nicely made interface, or easy-to-comprehend infographic, take a moment to appreciate the work put in to make it possible. Morethan just the artistic whims of an artist, and a cold soulless process, Design Thinking marries both art and a clear process to make our lives better.

Tracy was also keen to mention that the process is a collaborative one. The time, skills, and effort involved will almost always require help from others who can do a better job than yourself. If

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KODAK PORTRA

SNAP SHOTS

) g n i d n i f ( f o t gif t h g i l the 11

Words by Marlet D. Salazar | Photographs by Apa Feliciano

Apa is known to friends as “an old soul.”

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“Old soul” is how her friends describe Alexis “Apa” Laura Feliciano, a photography hobbyist who is gifted with finding the right light when taking pictures. She can turn a simple object like an old typewriter into a work of art.

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But Apa hardly calls herself a photographer.

She just likes taking photographs.

Even as she professes her love for shooting landscapes, her Instagram photos show that she has an eye for portraits. The eyes of the people she photographs pierce through the heart of the audience.

Apa gets her inspiration from Henri CartierBresson, the famed French photographer,

clothes. Whether using DSLR or her handy Sony smartphone’s camera, Apa dishes out wonderful photographs worthy of publication.

By profession and by vocation, Apa is a writer.

Her depth of understanding Philippine culture may not be typical for someone so young.

She supports heritage conservation and loves history.

A self-confessed — and true blue Japanophile — she collects Japanese literature and has

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who popularized the idea of “capturing the moment.” He is described as a humanist photographer and is known to be an early user of the 35 mm film.

Street photography fascinates Apa. She likes photographing the streets of Manila because she finds beauty in the old house and old buildings. She memorializes her favorite Filipino architects through her photographs of run-down and dilapidated structures.

Apa, a twenty-something graduate of the University of Sto. Tomas, currently holds a corporate job. But it does not deter her from pursuing one of her first loves. Her job brings her to different places both here and abroad and gives her the opportunities to shoot whatever catches her eye.

She has been using an old Canon DSLR for a long time now. She’s not the type who upgrades her tools like changing

extensive knowledge of the country’s history. She’s been to Japan and plans to go back when the opportunity comes. Her knowledge of J-pop and Japanese films is almost unimaginable.

These days, Apa is contemplating on going beyond still photographs. Her project of capturing the lives of Philippine indigenous tribes has always been in the pipeline.

She’s always dreaming of photographing famous rice terraces around the world but her ultimate dream destination is Bhutan.

She’s in love with its culture and, of course, the country.

The young photography enthusiasts has never wavered in her love of images. It’s almost seems embedded into her DNA that when she sees that the light is good, even her morning meal turns out to be a work of art.

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TRAVEL

Words and photos by Jewel Sta. Ana

The Philippines is a country that has been blessed with abundant natural resources. Both local and foreign tourists are drawn to one of its islands which has capture the international spotlight through its crystal blue waters, fine white sand, and marvelous sunset views. Boracay has always been a crown jewel of the country’s tourism industry. However, due to commercialization and various environmental issues, it had to close its doors for extensive rehabilitation.

Now, a year later, has the shutdown really restored the majestic paradise that it was once known for? Here’s what our eyes have witnessed.

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The root of it all During a business forum attended by President Rodrigo Duterte last February 2018, he remarked on the island’s situation. A task force was formed consisting of representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Tourism (DOT), and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) which recommended a thorough cleanup for a year. This meant a total closure of the island from tourists.

Recognizing its adverse effects on the livelihood of the local residents, most senators proposed a rehabilitation in phases.

Boracay’s poor environmental conditions pushed the municipal government of Malay, the town which has jurisdiction over the island, to strictly enforce construction, sanitary, and environmental regulations. A set of rules had been enacted by various government agencies to preserve the

The island in a nutshell Visiting Boracay is best during the summer season, from March to May. A roundtrip ticket to Caticlan costs more or less PHP 7,000 including 20 kg of check-in baggage. It is best to book when airline promos are abundant so you can save more. Don’t forget to pack sunscreen, shades, and cotton scarf in your bag to protect your eyes and skin against harmful UV rays.

The island is divided into three main stations, each catering to various types of travellers. For backpackers, Station 3 of White Beach offers affordable rooms and inns as well as local, small restaurants and street sellers. You can even buy fresh coconut juice for as low as PHP 60 while sunbathing on the powdery, white sand.

Station 2, however, is the place to be if you want to see of everything. As a melting pot for cultures, it features bars, souvenir shops, and various restaurants that showcase different cuisines. Most of accommodations are located in this station, www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

natural beauty of Boracay. However, laws should be strongly executed to be efficient. This is what the local government officials who had jurisdiction over Boracay failed to do. Putting Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu at the helm to resolve the environmental issues violated by business establishments on the island, President Duterte directly ordered the temporary closure of the popular tourist attraction from April to October 2018 through Proclamation No. 475.

Airlines stopped their flights going to Caticlan, which serves as a gateway to Boracay. Soldiers and police officers were deployed at the piers and airport to turn away any visitors who would violate the proclamation. Three barangays of Boracay, Manoc-Manoc, Balabag and Yapak were declared under state of calamity due to the sewage problems that contributed to water pollution and deterioration of the island’s marine ecosystem.

which explains its popularity for tourists. The area is also famous for its nightlife.

Station 1, where we stayed, gives the best sunset view thanks to its serene vibe. Perfect for adventure seekers, the place is a home for those who want to enjoy water activities such as kayaking, paddle boarding, sailboating, and parasailing. It also houses some of the island’s luxury resorts offering a number of amenities, and is accessible to other beach destinations like Puka, Diniwid, and Ilig Illigan.

Looking forward It was my first time to set foot in the world-renowned shoreline of Boracay, and compared to the beaches that I’ve been to, it belongs to the god-tier. Algal bloom, which used to be an indicator of water pollution, is now lesser compared to the previous years according to my fellow tech journalists who frequent the island.

Upon our arrival at Cagban port, we passed along ongoing road and drainage improvements that DEWR Sec. Cimatu had vowed to finish during the tourist attraction’s soft opening after its rehabilitation. Each station has trash bins for biodegradable, non-biodegradable, and recyclable materials to encourage guests to practice responsible waste management. The locals are hospitable and nice, but they are serious when it comes to protecting their environment, which I truly admire. After all, it’s home to thousands of Aklanons as well as marine species.

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EVERYTHING APPLE

The best thing about being a student in this day and age is that you can get all the additional help you need from your gadgets so that you can purely focus on getting things done.

I could still remember the first time I held an Apple smart device, and the euphoria that followed. I was a student back then, and had saved an ample amount of my allowance for a tool that, I thought, could cure my boredom and, on the side, increase my productivity. Although devices were banned from actual use during school hours, I found myself constantly typing notes and mnemonics in the stock notes app, and making quick recordings in the voice memos app whenever had a fleeting thought I’d like to preserve and go back to a later time. Suddenly, my iPod was a hybrid notebook, a voice recorder, and more. If the basic productivity apps meant a lot back then, you could only imagine what came when the App Store opened to developers.

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Things

(iOS, WatchOS, MacOS) One habit that adults bring with them from when they were much younger is the habit of creating lists. In most cases, it’s better to work with lists and outlines so you don’t feel like a lost puppy. Keeping a list has several benefits. On top of organization, it encourages you to track your progress, and actually finish your tasks.

Many may think of Things as a simple to-do app, but it’s so much more.

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Although some may call the Apple Ecosystem a trap due to its exclusivity, many have enjoyed its simplicity and convenience.

There is now a plethora of apps in the ecosystem, but here, we look at the top apps for productivity and learning since school’s just around the corner.

As with most things, getting tasks done starts with two steps: setting a goal or objective, then actually working on the implementation by following a system of choice. Setting a goal or objective reminds you to focus on what you’re actually working to achieve, while having a system or workflow encourages you to stay efficient and be far less distracted. The following apps enhance these two steps:

With an unobtrusive design that’s coupled with powerful features, it revolutionizes the thought and goal process. Encouraging you to be your efficient self, it helps you stay organized by allowing you to categorize your goals into projects and to add the steps to achieve them.

So that you can make most out of your day, it also allows for easy customization of alerts and reminders. And if you have a ton of tasks to do, and many steps that follow, you may opt to contextualize your workflow by further adding tags and labels. So, if you’re a student, you can easily label per subject to-dos and instantly find everything you

need by simply filtering or searching for that specific label.

Decluttering the mind is one of the first things one must do to stay focused and goal-oriented. Things allows you to keep track of your ambitions, goals, and deadlines so you stay productive. Things is currently available for iOS, watchOS, and macOS devices, and are sold separately, but all stay synchronized via iCloud.

Keeping the app on the Apple Watch for quick glances on your goals can be as handy as taking a glance at the time.

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DRAFTS

(iOS, WatchOS, MacOS)

The thing about keeping your phone or Apple Watch handy is that you get to have quick and lightning access to apps. We may see a native notes app on the Apple Watch come watchOS 6 later this year, but until then, Drafts is one of the better alternatives that syncs across your iDevices.

If Things, allows you to plan first, then execute, Drafts is a unique kind of utility app that lets you quickly capture notes and ideas quickly, so you write now and deal with recordings later. Simply put, Drafts is an app that allows for quick capture and action.

Right when the app is opened on an iOS or MacOS device, you immediately see the blinking cursor— right then and there you’re ready to capture your thoughts by typing or dictation. Drafts then gives you various options to act on it. Ever written a

long draft in your notes app, or in some paper before sending it through SMS or email? Or have you ever done the same before writing a post online or a tweet? Oftentimes, there are many steps involved like highlighting the text, copying, then pasting it. With just a few taps, you get to instantly process that text and port it to your messages app, reminder app, or even your email client all thanks to automation. Drafts lets you execute powerful actions to transport your text to commonly used and popular apps. The Apple Watch counterpart of the app allows users to quickly capture to notes via voice dictations or by scribbling.

Drafts is simply a space where you can store fleeting thoughts so that you can make use of them later.

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TRELLO

instapaper

If you consider yourself as someone who prioritizes visuals and labeling when organizing, then Trello may be just for you.

Trello is a visual tool aimed at organizing tasks or anything relevant in your life. Highly customizable, Trello allows you to create various boards for your cards. Cards are where you can add your tasks and to dos. These, in turn, could be dragged across various boards to track progress, store ideas, and to further rank them. Flexible in nature due to its drag and drop feature, the app allows for better organization and prioritization of solo or groups tasks.

Perhaps one of the best apps for capturing and recording information is Instapaper which allows you to save almost anything, and read it across your iDevices. If you’d like to stay uber prepared and knowledgeable about a subject, then it’s best to read up on multiple sources to pick relevant ideas.

And when you’re a student, reading up on a subject and researching as much as you is the key to effective learning. Instapaper allows you to save almost anything on the web, be it videos, articles, inspirational

(iOS, MacOS)

(iOS)

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just press record (iOS, WatchOS)

If the work to be done is especially collaborative, I’d go with Trello over Things any day. Since it’s free and easily accessible across various devices, it may very well play a key role in group motivation. Taking a glance at group goals and the steps to achieve them serves as constant reminder that yes, that specific goal could be reached only if the steps are followed. Also, group members can add comments, assign due dates, and attach important files.

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quotes or lyrics, and whatnot, so you can go back to them later. What’s even better is that it lets you create notes so that you can easily comment on and highlight any text in an article to enhance your learning even more.

Don’t you sometimes wish to have a handy recorder with you at all times so that you never miss a thing, and so that, when needed, you can recall a specific line someone said? The goal behind the app, Just Press Record, is to allow users to instantly capture voice recordings immediately and unobtrusively, with ease.

Upon pressing the record button and, later, the stop button, your recording is stored in your Apple Watch until it connects to your iPhone.

Once your watch and iPhone sync the recording is instantly transferred and automatically transcribed.

Everybody needs to accomplish tasks, and productivity apps are there to help you become more efficient. Until you’ve developed responsibility and discipline, think of these apps as a set of training wheels for your brain that aid you in beating distractions and inefficiency the smart way.

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MUSIC CORNER

Words by Daniel Ringon Artwork by Jezeil Romero

I was 13 years old when I fell in love with OPM. I discovered then that it was more than just high-pitched love ballads heard most often in the local teleseryes. I was introduced to the Eraserheads, Parokya ni Edgar, and Gloc-9 learning full well that music can be relatable at any level. Whether it is a dear childhood memory or a jingle about a manlycologne, music can be about anything or nothing. It is a weird thought, but the same can be said about art. It can be blatantly said or downright mysterious.

Fast forward to the late 2010s and it’s an even greater time to be an OPM fan. with rumors of reunion tours and albums out and about (we’re looking at you, Eraserheads!), as well as new musicians representing every genre imaginable year after year. All the while, with Pinoy hip hop and indie bands becoming more accepted in the mainstream, one might say that with the millennial age comes renewed faith in the future of OPM. With that said, here are six artists to help you get into the mind of the millennial OPM fan.

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Soully, Yours [2017] Artist: Curtismith You may have heard of the artist known as Curtismith in his collaborations with various artists such as B.P. Valenzuala, Kiana Valenciano, Noel Cabangon, and Billy Crawford. Armed with calm and soulful beats, Soully, Yours is the type of album you listen to on the cooldown times of a Saturday night or even Sunday afternoons.

Recommended Track/s: 24 – a collaboration with Kidthrones, tells the rags to riches story of pursuing your dreams 24/7 and keeping yourself grounded even during success. With lyrics perfect for the daily grind and a melody that’ll cool you down at the same time, this song evokes the oh-so millennial feeling of running your life with your passion.

Another debut album, this time by sleeper hit Banna Harbera, the alternative soul band gives twelve tracks featuring old favorites and five new tracks. The album signals the band’s return from its five-month hiatus and has been teased since 2018. Mostly heard doing live performances in music festivals, the college-formed band has indeed come a long way from grouping up just for kicks.

The much awaited debut album of indie darlings Ben&Ben is finally out! With the twin Paolo and Miguel Guico’s vocals, Poch Barretto on electric guitar, Jam Villanueva on drums, Agnes Reoma on bass, Patricia Lasaten on keyboards, Toni Munoz and Andrew de Pano on percussions, and Keifer Cabugao on violin, this album spells out what you should expect from the band: the light in the midst of darkness. Coming from the Butuanon word masawa meaning light, everything from the album art to the tracks themselves reflects the album’s name. In keeping with the theme, the album is also released as an audio-visual, multimedia experience with the album box forming a lamp housing illustrated cards based on the tracks and the light-up glass flashdrive in place of the traditional CD!

Recommended Track/s:

Recommended Track/s:

Intuition – Revisiting painful memories is an ugly business and here comes Banna Harbera with Yzabel Torres’ vocals making it sound so, so good.

With a soulful tone oddly reminiscent of the 90s, this is the song to sing on your way to work.

Hummingbird – An ever-relatable commentary about the woes of breakups, this jazz and RNB- inspired track will make you feel secure with its high vibe and then attack you with a sad story.

As expected from the band, this track will make you bob your head as you tearfully sing along.

Kept in Mind [2019] Artist: Banna Harbera

Death to Romanticism [2016] Artist: We Are Imaginary What do you get when you mix The Smiths with The Smashing Pumpkins and Death Cab For Cutie? This album apparently, is it. With indie-pop sensibilities and influences of post-grunge music, We Are Imaginary lives up to its name and gives us an eleven-track album with poetic ramblings about Escolta, and rainy days.

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Limasawa Street [2019] Artist: Ben&Ben

Recommended Track/s: Sunny Where You Are – This is the type of song where you can confirm who the band’s influences were. Evoking the Smiths and Ben Gibbard , the song takes its time and does not try too hard. For a song that hints themes of emotional exhaustion, it’s executed perfectly with its sullen melody and vocal style.

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ENTERPRISE

Cloud computing use cases and their benefits

Words by Marlet Salazar Artwork by Jezeil Romero

Cloud storage simply means storing data, as well as the use of other services, over the internet. In the past, organizations used their own hard drive or storage within company premises to keep data and information. Adoption to cloud computing, whether public or hybrid, was slow at the start but has gained momentum upon seeing the benefits.

One of the significant benefits of cloud computing is the reduced cost. Organizations don’t have to maintain their own data center or pay additional manpower. There are many third-party vendors that are now offering public, private, and/or hybrid cloud services. Doing transactions over the cloud also gives businesses the flexibility to provide a different digital experience to clients.

Using the cloud is also easier for disaster recovery.

There will always be a backup stored somewhere.

When everything was stored in physical storage, natural disasters pose harm to the hardware. If all data are stored in just one hardware and disaster strikes, years of work can be wiped out in an instant.

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This is also true when using different devices.

People can just sync their accounts and can easily access or recover files from lost phones or laptops.

Cloud also allows companies to maximize managed services using collaborative apps.

Members of the staff who may be in different locations can easily exchange ideas and leaders can easily make decisions right there and then.

Because once in the cloud, and workers are given access to files, anyone can view and edit documents and images.

Perhaps one, if not the most, important benefits of cloud storage is the ease of data analytics. These days, data is the new currency that is crucial for companies when it comes to making business decisions.

Cloud has spawned significant changes in how organizations and society do things. Everyone is on their smartphone or mobile devices and access their data wherever they are.

While the convenience that cloud computing brings is undeniable, there is still the concern on data privacy. In recent years, companies from across all industries have been hit by high-profile data breaches affecting millions of consumers.

This has raised the question of cloud safety. In spite of this concern, people, especially digital natives, continue to do all their transactions in the cloud.

Tech giants have been offering various cloud services geared toward enterprises and individual businesses. By the looks of it, cloud computing will remain as an essential part of our digital life.

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Microsoft Build 2019: Developer conference outlines tech giant’s vision on cloud, emerging tech, cybersecurity

Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft

The annual Microsoft Build developer conference is where the tech giant usually makes its big announcements on products and services.

This year is no different as Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft, touched on many key points during his keynote address. He discussed the vision of the company for its flagship Office 365, changes and new offerings in its cloud service Azure, blockchain, Internet of Things, and security.

Azure Microsoft is positioning its cloud system Azure as “the world’s computer” with announcements of 25 major updates including Azure to the Edge, Azure Kinect, Azure Data Box, Azure IoT, and Azure Sphere. Nadella noted that the company has 54 data centers around the world with one based in South Africa.

Nadella said Microsoft is incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into Azure aiming at how developers will be able to use it for productivity and other use cases.

Blockchain While interest in blockchain has seemed to wane in recent months, Microsoft leverages Azure

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Blockchain with the Starbucks, which aims to improve customer experience. Select Starbucks shops will have smart-connected demo screens wherein customers will be able to see how the future of payments will look like. Data from previous visits will be gathered and stored and customers will get recommendations in their next visit. This is also where edge computing and machine learning comes in. Microsoft will run the entire ecosystem with coffee equipment connected directly to Azure. Then that is where Azure Blockchain is utilized, wherein customers can find out the origins of coffee beans through scanning a code on the coffee bag.

Cortana Cortana had been in hiatus while its “contemporaries” Alexa and Google Assistant are paving the way for smart assistants in the advent of the Internet of Things. Microsoft acquired Semantic Machines last year to make Cortana a multi-domain and multi-platform smart assistant.

It started with enhancing Cortana’s language understanding so it can be more useful for dayto-day life. Using machine learning, data from users will allow this smart assistant to learn new commands that can be sent to various devices

and platforms. It aims to integrate information from the user’s calendars, schedules, and other important details shared across platforms to earn its name as a universal smart assistant.

ElectionGuard Perhaps one of the most notable announcements Microsoft made was making ElectionGuard SDK available for free on GitHub in the next few months. Microsoft Research built ElectionGuard, a free open-source software development kit (SDK) from Defending Democracy Program. It was developed with the hopes of making voting secure, more accessible, and more efficient anywhere it’s used in the United States or in democratic nations around the world. Among ElectionGuard’s many benefits include enabling end-to-end verification of elections, opening results to third-party organizations for secure validation, and allowing individual voters to confirm their votes were correctly counted.

Microsoft Build 2019 has announced tons of developments that developers can use to further advance their innovations. Nadella, however, emphasized that while the ecosystem is built, focus on security as a human right must also take centerstage.

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IDC says worldwide telecoms services market prepares for 5G impact

Worldwide spending on telecom services and pay TV services totaled $1,615 billion in 2018, an increase of 0.8% year over year, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Telecom Services Database. IDC expects for the worldwide spending on Telecom and Pay TV services to reach $1,657 billion in 2023.

Mobile services will continue to dominate the industry in terms of spending, with mobile data still expanding, driven by the booming smartphone markets. At the same time, growth in mobile voice is slowly declining, due to fierce competition and market maturity. The mobile segment, which represented 53.1% of the total market in 2018, is set to post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.4% over the 2019-2023 period, driven by the growth in mobile data usage and the Internet of Things (IoT), which are offsetting declines in spending on mobile voice and messaging services.

“5G will unlock new and existing opportunities for most operators as early use cases such as enhanced mobile broadband and fixed wireless access will be gaining traction rapidly in most geographies, while massive machine-type communications and ultra-reliable low-latency

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communications will debut in more developed countries,” said Kresimir Alic, research director, Worldwide Telecom Services. “Additionally, the worldwide transition to all-IP and new-generation access (NGA) broadband will help offset the fixed and mobile voice decline. We are witnessing a global digital transformation revolution and carrier service providers (CSPs) will play a crucial role in it by innovating and educating and by supporting the massive roll-out of software and services.”

Content services Fixed data, especially broadband internet access, is still expanding in most geographies, supported by the increasing importance of content services for consumers and IP-based services for businesses. Fixed data service spending represented 20.5% of the total market in 2018, with an expected CAGR of 2.6% through 2023, driven by the need for higher-bandwidth services.

Spending on fixed voice services will record a negative CAGR of 5.3% over the forecast period and will represent only 8.5% of the total market through 2023. Rapidly declining TDM voice revenues are not being offset by the increase in IP voice.

The pay TV market, which consists of cable, satellite, IP, and digital terrestrial TV services will remain flat over the forecast period; however, these services are an increasingly important part of the multi-play offerings of telecom providers across the world. Spending on multi-play services increased by 7.1% in 2018 and is expected to post a CAGR of 3.7% by the end of 2023.

Calm stability On a geographical basis, the Americas was the largest services market, with revenues of $616 billion in 2018, driven by the large North American sector. Asia Pacific was the second largest region, followed by Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The market with the fastest year-on-year growth in 2018 was EMEA (mainly by the emerging markets), followed by the Asia Pacific.

The calm stability that currently marks the telecom services market will not last for long.

The advent of 5G is the target of massive media attention, as it represents new architectures, speeds, and services that will remake the mobile landscape.

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Google rolls out new products and updates at annual Google IO

Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google

Google rolled out several products and updates with a touch on privacy issues at its annual developer conference, Google IO. In his keynote address, Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google, hinted that the tech giant is set to further diversify by becoming a solutions company coming from being an indispensable search tool and quite recently coming up with its own smartphone.

whether it is on the user’s personal video library or on videos watched on the web or video chats.

While this solution will benefit those hard of hearing, it will also be helpful for people watching videos in public transport. Live Caption will also be available to phone calls through live transcription.

Android Q Beta

The issue of security and privacy is clearly addressed in the changes Google will implement with Maps. When in incognito mode, users can make their own private searches without being tracked and they can automatically delete the app activity after three months or 18 months. Users also have an option to keep the data until they delete it themselves.

Google dropped Android Q Beta along with tons of new and enhanced features. Aside from offering the Dark Mode theme, which is getting to be the norm in many apps, Android Q, said to be in the third version, Google added Focus Mode that allows users to disable apps that are not in use — or want to avoid — at a particular time.

As part of the extensive safety features, parents now have the ability to link their phones with their kids and monitor the apps they often use and how much time they spend on that app. This is believed to help them regulate screen time and device use especially for the young.

Q will also be offering Smart Reply to third-party messaging apps. It can also provide suggestions based on the message it was able to read. If it’s about restaurants, the Smart Reply will offer restaurant suggestions complete with the menu.

Google is also bringing Live Caption to all videos.

The company will be adding subtitles on all videos

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Maps

Sending the signal that they are serious about privacy, users now have the option to choose which apps will have access to their location information.

It will also have a prompt should an app suddenly have access to location information.

Pixel As much as people would want to focus on the software, Google’s announcement of lower-priced Pixel drew attention. Pixel 3A and 3A XL carry a price tag of $399. It will have advanced camera features that are already embedded in the DNA of Pixel phones. It will also have the standards like Night Sight, Super Res Zoom, and portrait mode on both the rear- and front-facing shooters.

However, photos stored in the cloud will only be on high quality instead of full resolution unlike in most premium Pixel phones. They are also not water-proof or does not have wireless charging.

“Hey, Google” no more Mobile device owners who use Google Assistant can just utter the command right away. If one wants to stop music playing, just say “Stop” compared to a few years ago wherein one had to say “Hey Google” in every command. This is just one of the features Google highlighted to what it calls “The NextGeneration Assistant.”

Google said it will be 10 times faster compared to the previous version. It is also built to work across apps that would give users the option to send a message or find photos using voice commands.

There were tons of announcements at the conference that would allow developers to use.

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WHAT IS MALWARE? CYBER SECURITY

WHAT IS MALWARE? Artwork by Chini Soriano

The term malware is a contraction of malicious software. Put simply, malware is any piece of software that was written with the intent of doing harm to data, devices or to people.

When you hear talk of viruses, Trojans, spyware and the like, what you’re really hearing is talk of different kinds of malware.

We all know the popular image of the rebel hacker, testing his

skills and wits against whatever system he’s decided to make his challenge. But today,“black hat” software developers often sell their skills to the highest bidder.

These can be criminal organizations looking for tools to operate in the digital world, or government intelligence agencies looking to access the data locked away in the computers, networks and mobile devices of their targets.

WHAT DOES MALWARE DO? The way malware goes about doing its damage can be helpful in categorizing what kind of malware you’re dealing with. The following is a list of common types of malware, but it’s hardly exhaustive:

VIRUS Like their biological namesakes, viruses attach themselves to clean files and infect other clean files.

They can spread uncontrollably, damaging a system’s core functionality and deleting or corrupting files. They usually appear as an executable file.

SPYWARE

TROJAN

ADWARE

No surprise here: spyware is malware designed to spy on you. It hides in the background and takes notes on what you do online, including your passwords, credit card numbers, surfing habits and more.

This kind of malware disguises itself as legitimate software, or is included in legitimate software that has been tampered with. It tends to act discretely and create backdoors in your security to let other malware in.

Though not always malicious in nature, particularly aggressive advertising software can undermine your security just to serve you ads — which can give a lot of other malware a way in. Plus, let’s face it: pop-ups are really annoying.

RANSOMWARE

WORMS

Also called scareware, this kind of malware can lock down your computer and threaten to erase everything — unless a ransom is paid to its owner.

Worms infect entire networks of devices, either local or across the internet, by using network interfaces. It uses each consecutive infected machine to infect more.

BOTNETS Botnets are networks of infected computers that are made to work together under the control of an attacker Source: AVG

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Scammers target job seekers with sophisticated money stealing scheme Kaspersky Lab experts detected a blast of sophisticated spam emails in the first quarter of 2019, featuring fake job offers that seemed to come from HR (human resources) recruiters in large corporations that traditionally attract a lot of interest from potential employees. However, the emails actually came from spammers who installed money-stealing malware on users’ devices.

Spam emails are an often underestimated threat, yet they can spread malware through social engineering methods like deception and psychological manipulation, and claim many victims.

To track such emails, Kaspersky Lab researchers use honeypots or virtual “traps” that are able to detect malicious emails and catch threat actors. For this particular operation, they tracked fraudsters trying to exploit unwary people looking for a new role.

Honeypots Analysis of the findings from the honeypots is included in the new Spam and Phishing in Q1 2019 report. This shows that recipients of the spam emails were offered a tempting position in a large company. They were invited to join a job search system for free by installing a special application on their device that would provide access to the job-search database.

To make the installation process look trustworthy, the attackers accompanied it with a pop-up window carrying the words “DDoS Protection” and a fake message that claimed the user was being redirected to the website of one of the largest recruitment agencies.

In fact, victims were redirected to a cloud storage site from where they would download a malicious installer that looked like a word file. Its function was to download to the victim’s machine the infamous Gozi banking trojan, one of the most commonly used malware for stealing money.

Kaspersky Lab detects it as Trojan-Banker.Win32.

Gozi.bqr “We often see spammers using names of large and well-known companies, it helps them to succeed in their malicious business and gain people’s trust,” said Maria Vergelis, a security researcher at Kaspersky Lab. “Famous brands with a solid reputation can become victims of fraudsters who pretend to be them and lure unsuspecting users into downloading a malicious attachment to their computers. This particular scheme involved the names of both well-known recruiting companies and respected businesses, which made it even more sophisticated. One needed to check the email address line for errors to suspect that the job offer was not authentic,” she said.

To avoid falling victim to malicious spam, users are advised to: 1. Always check the web address of a website you are redirected to or the link address and the www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

sender’s email, to ensure they are genuine before clicking on them, and make sure that the name of the link in the message doesn’t cover another hyperlink.

2. Do not click on links in emails, texts, instant messaging or social media posts if they come from people or organizations you don’t know, or have suspicious or unusual addresses. Make sure they are legitimate and start with ‘https’ whenever any personal or financial information is asked for.

3. If you are not sure that the company website is real and safe, never enter your personal information.

4. Check the company’s official website for open vacancies matching your job skills.

The report also highlighted that in the first quarter of 2019, the Kaspersky Lab’s antiphishing module prevented 111,832,308 attempts to direct users to scam websites. This is a 24% increase compared to the Q1 2018 figure, which was 90,245,060.

The banking sector has become the No. 1 target, followed by global internet portals and payment systems.

Brazil was the country with the largest share of users attacked by phishers in the first quarter of 2019 (22% compared to 19% in Q1 2018). It was followed by Austria (17%) and Spain (17%).

Spam

5. Make an additional phone call to the company to be sure that the job-offer is real.

In the first quarter of 2019, the amount of spam peaked in March (56.3%). The average share of spam in the world’s email traffic was 56%, which is 4% more than in Q1 2018.

6. Review your job offer for possible mistakes: carefully check the company name or job title and responsibilities.

China (16%) was the most popular source of spam, followed by the United States (13%) and Russia (7%).

7. Use a reliable security solution for comprehensive protection from a wide range of threats, such as Kaspersky Security Cloud

The country most targeted by malicious mailshots was Germany with 12%. Vietnam came second with 6%, followed by Russia (5%).

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McAfee reveals 61 percent of IT professionals have experienced serious data breach

McAfee, the device-to-cloud cybersecurity company, released its “Grand Theft Data II: The Drivers and Shifting State of Data Breaches,” which revealed that despite improvements in combating cybercrime and threats, IT security professionals are still struggling to fully secure their organization and protect against breaches with 61% claiming to have experienced a data breach at their current employer.

Adding to this challenge, data breaches are becoming more serious as cybercriminals continue to target intellectual property putting the reputation of the company brand at risk and increasing financial liability.

McAfee’s study demonstrates the need for a cybersecurity strategy that includes implementing integrated security solutions combined with employee training and an overall culture of security throughout the organization to reduce future breaches.

“Threats have evolved and will continue to become even more sophisticated,” said Candace Worley, vice president and chief technical strategist at McAfee. “Organizations need to augment security measures by implementing a culture of security and emphasizing that all employees are part of an organization’s security posture, not just the IT team.

To stay ahead of threats, it is critical companies provide a holistic approach to improving the security process by not only utilizing an integrated security solution but also practicing good security hygiene.”

dominating the industry. The top vectors used to exfiltrate data are database leaks, cloud applications, and removable USB drives.

have purchased additional DLP, CASB and endpoint detection solutions over the last 12 months.

• IP tied for 1st: Personally identifiable information (PII) and intellectual property (IP) are now tied as the data categories with the highest potential impact to 43% of respondents. Notably, PII is of greater concern in Europe (49%), most likely due to the recent enforcement date of the General • Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In Asia-Pacific countries, intellectual property theft is of greater concern (51%) than PII.

Respondents believe that between 65 and 80% of breaches experienced would have likely been prevented if one or more of these systems had been installed.

• Blame game: IT is looked at as the culprit with 52% of respondents claiming IT is at fault for creating the most data leakage events. Business operations (29%) follows as the next most likely to be involved. Highly regulated internal groups including finance (12%) and legal (6%) were the most secure.

• The great divide: Security technology continues to operate in isolation, with 81% reporting separate policies or management consoles for cloud access security broker (CASB) and data loss prevention (DLP), resulting in delayed detection and remediation actions.

The McAfee report highlights the following:

• Taking responsibility: There is a rift in regard to accountability – 55% of IT professionals believe that c-level executives should lose their job if a breach is serious enough, yet 61% also state that the c-level executives they work with expect more lenient security policies for themselves.

• Savvier thieves: Data is now being stolen by a wide range of methods, with no single technique

• Future proofing: IT professionals are taking action, with almost two-thirds stating they

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The stakes are higher as multiple attack methods are now used in a breach as cybercriminals continue to target personal data and intellectual property. Furthermore, IT security teams are increasingly concerned about external threat actors compromising their network, which has forced more organizations to publicly disclose when breaches occur. The severity of publicly disclosing breaches results not only in financial repercussions but damage to brand and reputation as well.

This study was conducted by MSI-ACI Europe, on behalf of McAfee. Survey respondents had to have experienced a serious data breach incident sometime in their career as an IT professional. Data was collected via online interviews between Dec. 12 and 31, 2018. To qualify for the survey, organizations had to have more than 1,000 employees and were evenly split between commercial (1,000-5,000 employees) and enterprise (more than 5,000 employees). The resulting global group represented Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom, and a wide range of industries.

www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

BITS & BYTES

ASUS ROG bundles premium items for the back-to-school season ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) gives more loot to DIY PC upgraders this back-to-school season with its latest bundle promotion. Ongoing until June 20, gamers who purchase select ROG products will get corresponding ROG merchandise or other premium items for every purchase of a select product.

Buyers must register their product at the ASUS event site <ph.rog.gg/backtoschool2019> within 10 days after the purchase.

The participating items and their corresponding gift include: - ROG Maximus XI / Rampage Extreme / Zenith Extreme gaming motherboard will get a ROG Horsem4n.

- ROG Strix Z390 or X470 gaming motherboard / ROG Rapture gaming router / ROG gaming headset will get a ROG cap.

- ROG Strix B360 or B450 gaming motherboard /ROG Thor PSU / ROG Ryujin or ROG Ryuo AIO Cooler will get a ROG shirt.

- ROG Strix GeForce RTX™ graphics card will get Logitech 2.1 speakers.

- ROG Strix GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti and 1660

graphics card / ROG gaming keyboard /ROG Strix gaming monitor will get a ROG polo shirt.

- ROG Swift 27” and up gaming monitor will get ROG pillow + ROG polo shirt.

- ROG gaming mouse or mousepad will get ROG

Sticker Set + ROG Phone Pocket.

- ASUS Zendrive U9M will get M-Disc x2.

Promotion is not applicable in conjunction with any other promotions from ASUS ROG.

Cashalo introduces Philippines’ first pre-approval feature for digital credit Cashalo, the fintech company working to accelerate financial inclusion for every Filipino, recently introduced a first-of-its-kind “pre-approval” feature for its digital credit solution—Cashacart—making it even easier for unbanked and underserved consumers across the Philippines to access the credit they need and improve their lives.

Cashacart, the country’s first true online-to-offline (O2O) basket financing offering, is designed to give underserved consumers the unrivaled ability to finance a variety of products or a basket of goods using digital credit. With it, users can now get preapproved for digital credit in the Cashalo-app even before they visit a store and purchase a variety of products or basket of goods.

With this first-of-its-kind feature, Cashalo is empowering consumers with the knowledge and tools to better plan and manage their finances more responsibly.

Cashacart is one of a comprehensive suite of financially inclusive products available via the Cashalo mobile-app, which has already helped hundreds of thousands of Filipinos unlock their financial potential. The company now has a customer base of over 1.3 million Filipinos, with the Cashalo app in the phones of more than 3 million users and counting. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

With the new feature, consumers now have complete visibility of their working budget in advance (ranging from PHP 2,250 to PHP 19,999) and applicable interest rates (as low as 0-4%), total control over their repayment schedules (monthly installments), a decision in as fast as 24 hours so they can plan their schedule, and access to a growing network of over 300 Cashalo merchant partners (including Cherry Mobile, Memoxpress, Robinsons Appliances, Robinsons Department stores, Blade,

Spyder, Mi Department stores and Uno Factory outlets).

Cashalo is a fintech platform that provides access to various financial services and is committed to building a more financially inclusive future for all Filipinos. The Cashalo app for Android and iOS underwrites customers within minutes using alternative data points to deliver fast, convenient and secure access to credit, on-demand. june 2019

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AWS Siklab Pilipinas 2019 aims to address skills gap in tech industry Talent shortage and skills gap are just a few of the reasons Amazon Web Services (AWS) holds an annual gathering of students to educate and equip them should they decide to join the cloud workforce.

“Today, you have to learn and relearn skills,” said Vincent Quah, regional head, Worldwide Public Sector, AWS, Asia Pacific and Japan.

This year’s AWS Siklab Pilipinas, a large-scale cloud technology training event for higher education institutions, will have three components: boot camp, gamified or hackathon challenge, and practical application through app building. The week-long training events will be conducted monthly, which started in May and will continue until December. It is open to students and educators.

On the last day of the event, AWS customers and members of the AWS Partners Network such as Aboitiz, Cebu Pacific, Globe, and Stratpoint, among others, will meet with the participants who completed the training to discuss possible employment or internship opportunities.

Edukasyon.ph, a social enterprise that connects students to education opportunities through an online platform, is a co-organizer of the event. AWS Siklab Pilipinas 2019 commenced in Manila on May 20. Details of the Cebu, Davao, and parts of Luzon leg will be announced in a few weeks.

(From left) Henry Motte-Munoz, CEO, Edukasyonph.ph; Mitch Andaya, VP for Institutional Planning and Accreditation, Dean Emeritus, Dean of School of Computing; Mary Rose dela Cruz, CEO, Stratpoint Technologies; Vincent Quah, regional head, Worldwide Public Sector, Asia Pacific and Japan, Amazon Web Services; Francis Arjonillo, Cloud Financial Analyst, Globe; and Jared Reimer, CEO, Cascadeo

EON beefs up to be Philippines’ first neo banking platform EON by UnionBank is establishing the country’s first neo banking platform, leapfrogging banks’ rigid systems to deliver products and services that run digital all the way.

Customers can instantly open accounts online, such as EON Starter, EON Lite, EON Plus, EON Pro, and EON Cyber that do not require any minimum maintaining balance nor charge unnecessary fees and penalties.

EON’s neo banking platform also provides ready and easy access to credit with the EON Duo credit card, EON Zero gadget loans, and EON Zoom auto loans.

For a full-on experience, EON revamped its website (www.eonbankph.com) and mobile app (download EON Bank PH in App Store or Google Play). Customers will be surprised to experience banking as easy and as vibrant as shopping online in Amazon or Lazada.

They can browse through the products and

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services like remittance to EON accounts and to other banks, pay bills to more than a hundred billers, or buy telco load, transportation, cable, and gaming prepaid credits. They can select and add to the shopping cart, and check out in one go using an EON account or any Visa or Mastercard-powered prepaid or debit card.

EON will soon complement itself with a network of more than 4,000 agent branches nationwide, starting with Pera Hub, a cash and payment solutions hub with over 2,500 branches. More accessible than regular bank branches, customers may go to these agent branches to buy an EON VISA card, add funds to or withdraw from their EON accounts.

www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Epson inkjet printers are ecofriendly choice for businesses Epson considers its inkjet printers as environmentfriendly because they do not use heat in the printing process and consume far less power than laser printers.

Epson’s inkjet printers consume up to 85% less energy than a similar-speed laser printer. They also produce up to 85% less carbon dioxide than those of comparable laser printers. It means that for every six cedar trees required to absorb the amount of carbon dioxide as a result of using a laser printer, an Epson inkjet printer requires only one cedar tree.

In terms of waste generation, Epson’s inkjet printers come with fewer components that need replacing, making them more convenient to operate as they require only changing of the ink and waste ink box as compared to the toner, drum, developer, fusers and more components for laser models. This is not a tiny detail as with up to 59% fewer replacement parts compared to laser printers, using inkjet printers would result in a significantly reduced impact on the environment over the lifetime of a printer.

Epson’s WorkForce WF-C20590

With fewer consumables required and fewer parts needing to be replaced, significantly less downtime and maintenance would be needed compared to a laser printer. In fact, the user intervention

time required to replace the parts is less than half compared to a laser printer, which translates into improved office productivity in the long-term.

WorkForce Enterprise printer Epson’s WorkForce (the WF-C20590) series offers speeds of 100 ipm in black and color, plus a superfast first page out with minimum warm-up time.

Epson’s line head inkjet is designed around scalable technology that is originally used in large-scale label presses, which offers laser-sharp text and brilliant colors on a wide variety of media products.

Some of its features include high-print quality up to 600 x 2400 dpi. It uses the PrecisionCore print chip that generates up to 40 million precise dots per second, with astonishing ink placement accuracy.

Epson helps companies cut overall business operational costs while reducing carbon footprint at the office and ensuring that printing solutions are as safe and secure as possible. With the Epson WorkForce range, businesses are certain to meet the “triple bottom line” for business printing by improving environmental, economic, and societal performances.

GCash breaches 50k QR merchant mark GCash, operated by Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), sees the value of setting up as many QR-enabled merchants as possible, as it believes that the future of mobile digital payments lies on innovative technologies.

“QR payments provide security and convenience to both merchants and their customers. Our thrust as a mobile wallet is to acquire as many merchant partners as possible — even micro-entrepreneurs such as taho vendors — to future-proof us from the expected boom in usage,” said JM Aujero, vice president for Merchant Solutions.

Already, GCash has breached the 50,000 merchant mark in the first quarter of 2019, a huge milestone for the company that introduced this technology first in the Philippines in 2017.

This particular technology is empowering micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to adopt into the digital arena.

Aside from giving them access to millions of customers, the QR payments solution of GCash allows merchants to enjoy autosweeping of their daily transactions into their account. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

It likewise provides a better performance evaluation of the business, as the system provides for QR transaction reports, which allows enterprises to study and analyze their transactions real time. Cash handling issues are also addressed through the QR payments system.

GCash offers merchants no set up fees, a huge customer base, lower rates than most debit and credit cards, a chance for increased marketing, and access to periodic reports to oversee their business performance. june 2019

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Transport ad startup taps Lenovo to revolutionize commuter experience As part of the company’s plan to revolutionize the local advertising industry, AdMov Transport Marketing Solutions Inc. has partnered with global innovation leader Lenovo, to deliver highly interactive and personalized advertisements to commuters via tablet devices.

AdMov uses tablets to show suitable content and advertisements to commuters as its method of bridging the gap between brands and customers.

Tablets are attached behind the front seat headrests of cars that are on ride-hailing services such as Grab, and its software can analyze the passenger’s gender, age, and even mood through facial detection.

The software then allows AdMov to present the appropriate content based on the information gathered. The program also uses geo-fencing to consider the vehicle’s real-time location. If, for example, the vehicle is traveling within Taguig City, the tablet will show content about nearby establishments. Integrated augmented reality technology is implanted in the software to further add interactivity.

Despite data being examined, they are not stored by any means in which AdMov and its advertisers do not see the faces of passengers. If a person wishes to buy the product after seeing the

generated advertisement, the software will provide links to the advertiser’s e-commerce site or social media accounts via QR codes, coupons, and email lead generation so the passenger can conduct the transaction at his or her own time and device.

Under this partnership, Lenovo is streamlining the whole device acquisition process by directly providing AdMov 10,000 Lenovo Tab 4 tablets.

Through this, Lenovo is helping AdMov to reach its goal at a faster and much more efficient rate.

Lenovo Tab 4 is perfect for AdMov’s current requirements. It runs on a 1.40GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8017 processor and has 2GB LPDDR3 RAM for memory, 16GB internal storage, 2MP front camera, and LTE connectivity.

With a 7000mAh battery, it does not overheat easily, which was the main problem with the first tablets AdMov tested. And by getting the product directly from Lenovo, the company no longer has to worry about buying individual units in different stores.

UnionBank partners with Shiptek to boost digital logistics platform Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), through its subsidiary UBX, and Shiptek Solutions Corp., developer of pioneering ondemand shipping and logistics platform called XLOG, recently inked an agreement formalizing their strategic partnership.

UnionBank Group will be integrating its e-commerce payment gateway and other digital financial services into the XLOG logistics platform. Coupled with UBX’s expertise in technology development and blockchain, this will further power XLOG’s end-to-end supply chain solution that consolidates shipping, warehousing, trucking, and customs brokerage.

UnionBank, UBX and Shiptek Solutions can tap into each other’s expertise and customer network from SMEs to large-scale corporations.

UnionBank will also be involved in Shiptek’s daily operations, holding two out of five seats in the company’s Board of Directors.

Shiptek Solutions projects that UnionBank’s investment will help the company reach its aspiration of moving 500,000-1,000,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEU). The company has already generated thousands of TEUs to date, since its launch in 2018.

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More possibilities open up as Shiptek, UnionBank and UBX bring into existence a new ecosystem where logistics and financial services naturally fuse together, creating value-laden experiences and conveniences for stakeholders.

(From left) Nico Gonzales, CMO, Shiptek; Joey Ynion, COO, Shiptek; Jun Ynion, CEO, Shiptek; John Januszczak, CEO, UBX; and Ramon Duarte, head of Platform Divisions Group, UnionBank

www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

STI College renews contract with Cypher Learning STI College renewed its contract with Cypher Learning for the use of NEO, a learning management system for schools and universities.

STI College is a private college system that offers diverse ICT-enhanced programs in Information Technology, Business and Management, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Engineering, and Arts and Sciences. STI has campuses all over the Philippines and is the second largest ITbased educational institution in Asia.

NEO is a learning platform that delivers great user experiences while incorporating all the essential tools schools and universities need to support efficient teaching and learning. NEO provides an indispensable set of features including content authoring, competency-based learning, gamification, automation, learning paths, adaptive learning, and integrations with most popular third-party systems.

is one of our most valuable customers and we have thoroughly enjoyed seeing their education initiatives come to life with the platform and to observe how they are using NEO to empower students and teachers through technology in the Philippines.”

STI partnered with Cypher Learning in 2014 that benefits STI’s more than 73,000 students and 6,000 teachers by engaging in e-learning activities through the platform.

“I am delighted that STI College has agreed to continue its partnership with us,” said Graham Glass, CEO of Cypher Learning. “It

STI saw the advantages of using Cypher Learning and decided to renew its contract for three years, through a Memorandum

of Agreement, that was signed on May 7, which was held at the STI Academic Center in Rizal, and included representatives from the STI including Peter Fernandez, president and COO, Harry Alfonso Joson, assistant vice president for Learning Management, and Restituto Bundoc, vice president for School Operations.

NEO was recently selected as winner of the “General Classroom Resources” category in the UK’s Education Resources Awards 2019. The platform was also named the #1 LMS for Higher Education in 2019 by the Craig Weiss Group.

Car Space named as best 5G, IoT solution at 15th Smart SWEEP Awards

The team from the University of San Carlos-Recoletos beat the other teams at the recently concluded 15th SWEEP Awards by Smart Communications (Smart) with their transport solutions.

Team Car Space shared its innovative parking solution to the panel of judges at the pitching session held in Makati.

SWEEP Awards is an annual competition that encourages innovation and excellence in wireless www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

applications development among students of tertiary schools. SWEEP is an industry-academe linkage initiative for colleges and universities that offer Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) and Information Technology (IT) courses.

Guided by #SWEEP15’s theme “#FutureReady: Creative Innovations Beyond Imagination,” judges narrowed down the competition to the following 10

solutions: LYNIA by the Asia Pacific College, ALERTO by Bicol University-Polangui Campus, MOSFAS by Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges, Palaymo by Mapua University, ARGOS by National Teachers College, BeeNotified and Smart FDAS by Technological University of the Philippines, Car Space by University of San JoseRecoletos, iFarm by the University of the Cordilleras, and PONDORA by University of the Immaculate Conception. june 2019

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Eastern Communications seals partnership with cybersecurity firm DOSarrest Eastern Communications, a telecommunications companies, has partnered with Canada-based cybersecurity solutions provider DOSarrest Internet Security to help Filipino businesses combat cyberattacks for more efficient and secure operations.

DOSarrest has been mitigating Distributed Denial of Service or DDoS attacks for a global customer base with its leading-edge cloud-based DDoS protection since 2007.

A DDoS attack is when illegitimate internet traffic is sent to a network or website in an effort to flood a network’s infrastructure and/or exhaust a server’s resources. The result is that legitimate websites visitors’ requests cannot be fulfilled by the overwhelmed network or web server.

DOSarrest is widely known for its DDoS Protection product, which can prevent even the most sophisticated DDoS attacks. DOSarrest employs a three-layered approach which even includes a Web Application Firewall (WAF). With company websites being constantly updated and application add-ons are added and removed, this can inadvertently expose a website to cyber

threats. DOSarrest’s WAF can prevent these risks, allowing clients to easily block any Layer 7 threat like cross-site forgery, cross-site scripting, among others.

For businesses that are geographically load balancing websites, it also pays to monitor the website activity. A company website may appear fine when viewing from a vantage point but it

does not mean it’s also completely available in other parts of the world. DOSarrest’s External Monitoring Service has eight sensors globally distributed which can track multiple websites at glance, compare performance for all sensors realtime, set alerts and calculates uptime.

DOSarrest’s products and services are now available in the Philippines

PLDT Global app for overseas Pinoys named Asia’s most innovative voice solution PLDT Global Corp. (PGC), the international arm of digital services provider PLDT, received a nod from Telecom Asia Awards for its Free Bee mobile application.

A VoIP solution available in over 180 countries, the innovation targets the estimated 2 million Filipinos who leave the country every year to augment their family’s financial standing and are in need of communication services to help them stay connected with their loved ones back home.

Now on its 22nd year, the Telecom Asia Awards is the region’s longest-running industry awards program which seeks to recognize the continent’s premier telecommunications service providers and executives. It is organized annually by Telecom Asia, the largest telecom publishing group in the region.

PGC’s advertising-based voice service delivers high-quality IDD calls to the Philippines for free.

For longer calls and an ad-free experience, users have the option to buy Premium Free Bee Voice buckets at affordable rates od as low as 1 US cent per minute from global retailers or via in-app and online purchases.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of PLDT, PGC has footprint in several countries across different regions worldwide. It provides international telecommunications services including wholesale 86

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The advertising-based voice service delivers high-quality IDD calls to the Philippines for free.

and enterprise, voice, SMS and data, as well as a range of digital products and platforms designed to serve the 10.2 million Filipinos working and living abroad.

This year’s Telecom Asia Awards consist of 28 categories that are divided into three distinct

groups: Innovation, Service Providers, and Leadership. The categories represent current and emerging trends in the communications sector.

Shortlisted organizations represent innovators from their respective industries who have displayed excellence in the delivery of innovative services. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

PH insurance association names new president Hans Loozekoot has been named as the new president of the Philippine Life Insurance Association (PLIA). He succeeds Dr. Olaf Kliesow, who is moving to Munich, Germany, for his new Allianz posting.

Loozekoot is the president and CEO of Troo, the life insurance joint venture of Ageas and EastWest Bank. Almost 25 years ago, Loozekoot joined Ageas, a listed international insurance group with headquarters in Belgium. For the last 12 years, Hans Loozekoot has worked in Asia.

Over the years, Loozekoot has held various senior management positions in the domains of sales, finance, and strategy across different businesses of Ageas. In 2007, he moved to Hong Kong as director of Finance and Reporting of Ageas in Asia.

Two years later, he was assigned to India as chief financial officer of IDBI Federal Life Insurance. After three years, he returned to Hong Kong to take up the posting as managing director for Strategy and M&A and as a member of the Management

Committee Ageas Asia before coming to the Philippines in 2015.

Commissioner and other stakeholders to further strengthen the life insurance industry”.

“It’s an honor to be elected as president of PLIA,” Loozekoot said. “I’m excited to work with other PLIA member companies, the Insurance

Loozekoot is a Dutch national and holds a degree in Economics. Since 2015, he is also a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors in the Philippines.

Kickstart to manage Ayala’s $150-M venture fund for startups Ayala Corp. (AC) picks Kickstart Ventures Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom, to manage its new $150 million venture capital fund to support startups pursuing innovations along key technology areas in artificial intelligence, automation, cloud computing, data and analytics, energy, fintech, food, health and wellness, machine learning, real estate, retail, water, and transport.

As sole manager of ACTIVE Fund, Kickstart is responsible for seeking companies that offer innovative, scalable, sustainable solutions for the seamless integration of digital and traditional channels such as on-demand services, Internet of Things, fintech, blockchain, e-commerce and omnichannel as well as the automation and augmentation applications for artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, big data and analytics, and cloud computing.

Other target companies are those that provide green and inclusive technologies such as clean

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Photo from Kickstart website.

The Ayala Corporation Technology Innovation Venture (ACTIVE) Fund is looking at a range of investments in Series A to Series C or early- to the mid-growth stage. ACTIVE Fund which leverages the breadth of the Ayala conglomerate—Ayala Corp. and affiliates Globe Telecom, BPI, Ayala Land, AC Industrials, Manila Water, AC Energy, and AC Infrastructure, which are also leaders in their respective fields.

energy, energy storage, distributed energy, environmental tech, waste management; and smart technologies for homes, buildings, communities, property management, retail tech, and similar use cases.

Kickstart was launched in 2012 to support the Philippine startup ecosystem and has so far made 39 investments in digital companies, supporting 83 founders across the Philippines, Canada, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Singapore, and the

United States. ACTIVE Fund will be its third and largest fund to date.

Kickstart investments include Toronto-based startup Wattpad, recently in the news for having inked significant content deals with Sony Pictures Television, Singapore’s Mediacorp, and the Philippines’ Anvil Publishing; Indonesia’s C88, which announced a $28 million Series C round last year; and the Philippines’ Coins.ph, which was recently acquired by Indonesia’s Go-Jek.

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OYO Lite app aims to enhance user experience in low connectivity OYO Hotels & Homes, a chain of leased and franchised hotels, homes and living spaces, announced the global launch of OYO Lite, a lighter version of the consumer app. The new Lite app is designed to work in low connectivity areas or low networks to enhance user experience.

“At OYO we are committed to creating multiple touchpoints with guests for a seamless, convenient, and comfortable experience by leveraging our technology prowess,” said Anil Goel, chief technology officer, OYO Hotels & Homes. “The Lite app is a step forward in that direction and will enable travelers to make last-minute travel plans without worrying about network and availability of quality accommodations at the tap of a button. With security, quality, location, and price being key considerations for a majority of travelers in the budget to mid-scale segment, OYO aims to help create a perfect space in every place by solving for each of the said considerations through a combination of technology and on-ground interventions. OYO Lite has also been designed as a solution to key problems users face such as connectivity and space and storage constraints on phones. We feel that this product would be ideal for travelers who are remotely connected to the internet as well as those with basic smartphones.”

With a size of less than 800 KB, OYO Lite app consumes less space while offering an optimized user interaction time and a seamless experience. OYO offers quality and affordable accommodations at the tap of a button with technology by its side. This launch further reinforces the fact that technology is deeply embedded in OYO’s DNA and plays a key role in solving all areas of the guest experience.

At less than 800 KB, it is less than 7% of the size of the current OYO app. OYO Lite is currently live and available to consumers across the globe on Android.

Abra investment app lets people invest using Bitcoin Abra, the world’s first global investment app, announced the general availability of an industry first: the opportunity for investors in the Philippines and other countries to invest in traditional stocks and ETFs using Bitcoin. This product announcement is the next step in Abra’s vision to use Bitcoin’s programmable money features to create and democratize new financial products and services for users across the globe.

Abra makes investing in stocks affordable for everyone with a fractionalized investment model and $5 minimum per investment. Just as investors can own a fraction of a Bitcoin, they can now use Abra to own fractions of high-priced stocks and ETFs. As a special launch promotion, Abra will be offering $0 trading fees for the rest of 2019 on stock and ETF investments.

Investors in the Philippines, as well as in other countries, can fractionally invest in more than 50 stock and ETF products, including popular stocks like Tesla, Uber, Apple, Amazon, Google, Netflix, and Berkshire Hathaway; Commodities such as SPDR Gold Trust and oil; Indexes including Vanguard Growth, the S&P 500, Real Estate, and the Russell 2000; and International markets including Asia, Australia, Mexico, and Emerging Markets index funds.

Unlike crypto exchanges or wallets that operate like traditional banks, Abra is a non-custodial platform.

This means the funds are stored on the Bitcoin blockchain, making the transactions more secure and private than centralized databases used by most crypto exchanges and wallets.

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Abra is built this way on the belief that a noncustodial wallet is a fundamental right and the cornerstone to a new decentralized financial system. Decentralized alternatives to the traditional financial system hold the promise of universal access to financial services and products, like the ability for anyone, anywhere to have the same public market investing opportunities.

Getting started with Abra is easy. To sign up and start investing for $0 trading fees on stocks and ETFs in 2019, simply download the app from Google Play or Apple Store and set up an Abra account. From there, users can fund the app using wire transfers, credit cards or other cryptocurrencies to get started. Once funds have been added, users can start investing in any of Abra’s supported assets. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Acer, Predator kick off back-to-school promo with Adidas To keep up with the generation’s desire to be trendy, technology firm, Acer Philippines welcomes the new school year with an irresistible back-to-school promo wherein students get complimentary Adidas vouchers for every purchase of any selected Acer products.

With any Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 powered Aspire laptops and desktops come with PHP 3,000 worth of complimentary Adidas vouchers. This Acer line scores some major points with its hardware combination of a powerful Ryzen 3 2200U APU, a fast SSD and 8 GB of dual-channel RAM. Buyers of Acer’s everyday productivity lines with a huge boost in performance, Intel Core i5 and i7 or AMD Ryzen 5 or 7 powered Aspire Laptops and Desktops; and Aspire AIO, Nitro Laptops, will get PHP 5,000 worth of Adidas vouchers.

Aspire desktops, the effective multitaskers that let you free your creativity with the demanding school tasks like video and photo editing comes with PHP 7,000 worth of Adidas vouchers.

Predator Laptops is the gaming machine of choice of many gamers but it also offers basic functions fit for school work with powerful processors and desktop-grade graphics cards. It offers desktop performance in portable form.

Predator monitors offer every detail of the greatest games and edits for studying.

Designed with the demands of modern gaming

with curved screens, ultra-wide aspect ratios, and optimum resolutions, these are surefire features that can get everything done for school.

Vouchers can only be used on Adidas bags and/or shoes. Promo is from June 1 to July 15, 2019, but the redemption is within 60 days after the start of the issuance date.

Epson Fusion X highlights firm’s commitment to strengthen core technologies This year, Epson Philippines gathered select members of the media in the newly rehabilitated Boracay Island for the annual outdoor fest Fusion X. Journalists and bloggers from the technology and lifestyle beat were grouped into a team and completed tasks using Epson products. The first team to finish emerged the winner.

The event also marked the last year in the country of Toshimitsu Tanaka, country manager of Epson Philippines. He held the position for seven years leading the local team to achieve growth and increased market share.

According to Epson, the firm posted an overall growth of 23% for FY18, topping FY17’s outstanding growth of 14%. In terms of product category, inkjet printers and scanners are the highest contributors at 70%, followed by the point of sale (POS) and dot matrix printers at 14%, visual instruments at 11% and commercial & industrial products at 5%.

“For Epson to become an indispensable company, we have to continue to move outside of our comfort zone and into a more progressive mindset—with an obsession to details still deeply embedded in our DNA,” said Eduardo Bonoan, general manager for marketing, Epson Philippines Corp. “To add to our exceptional performance for inkjet printers and scanners, the FY18 performance for POS and dot matrix printers, visual instruments and commercial and industrial products tell us that this is the perfect www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Eduardo Bonoan, GM, Marketing Epson Philippines.

opportunity to build the new foundation for Epson here in the Philippines.”

As it enters a new fiscal year, Epson Philippines sets out to penetrate niche markets while enhancing its operations to better address the requirements of the B2B segment. In a series of presentations during its annual media thanksgiving event, Fusion 10, EPC presented its

Toshimitsu Tanaka, country manager Epson Philippines.

plans under the build initiative and dove deeper with focused presentations on printers and visual instruments.

Under the build initiative, Epson Philippines will focus more on its cutting-edge Replaceable Ink Pack System (RIPS), LIJ printers, scanners, label printers, mobile POS, CAD, signage and textile printers, as well as its high brightness projectors. june 2019

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James Reid performs at the launch of Fujifilm X-T30 Celebrity and photography enthusiast James Reid graced the launch of Fujifilm X-T30 where he performed at the Mega Fashion Hall. Reid is also the brand’s endorser.

Reid is known for his landscape photographs as seen on his Instagram account and his own website. He said that as someone who likes shooting photos, he just wants to capture the moment because you can never go back “in that moment.” The actor-singer wants a camera that he can easily carry around when he travels or when he is just navigating the streets of Metro Manila.

Reid was joined by other photographers and videographers who have been using Fujifilm for a while now. The “faces” of Fujifilm attests to the X-T30’s reliability in terms of still photographs and videos.

The Fujifilm X-T30 is positioned as the perfect companion for creative individuals with a passion for photography and videography. The epitome of balance between performance and style, this sleek camera takes the users’ visual craft to the next level. Its Film Simulation modes can be applied not only when shooting stills

Celebrity James Ried at the launch of Fujifilm X-T30.

Influencers and ambassadors.

but also while recording video, including the “ETERNA” motion picture simulator.

“We, at Fujifilm, always want to take photography to new heights, and with the new Fujifilm X-T30, taking premium-quality content has never been so effortless and light,“ said Marilen Catanghal, senior marketing leader, Fujifilm Philippines. “This Little Giant is definitely the next IT accessory for the photography hobbyist who want to invest in performance and style.”

The launch also featured different booths with setups for various shooting modes.

James Reid during the media interview.

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Available in three sleek colors, namely Black, Silver and Charcoal Silver, the Fujifilm X-T30 inherited the popular exterior design features of its predecessor, the Fujifilm X-T20. It retails at PHP 52,990 (body only) while the package that comes with the XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS kit costs PHP 75,990. The Fujifilm X-T30 is available at all Fujifilm authorized dealers nationwide. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Vivo introduces Maine Mendoza as new endorser Vivo Philippines held a fun and fabulous launch for the Vivo V15 Blossom Pink and its newest endorser, Maine Mendoza, at the SM Megamall Activity Center.

The leading smartphone developer chose the TV host and actress for her determined spirit â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one that overcomes challenges and rises up from expectations.

Both feminine and fierce, the rising star is also the best ambassador for the limited-edition V15 Blossom Pink. The Vivo smartphone is pretty and powerful with its top-of-the-line features like the 32MP Elevating Selfie Camera but with an added splash of color that levels it up.

Inspired by the look of the limited-edition Vivo V15 Blossom Pink and the fun-loving personality of its celebrity ambassador, the event was filled with splashes of Pink as well as picture-perfect, playful stations for the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;gram.

At the event, Maine Mendoza showed her fans some love by interacting with those who were present at the event and answering their questions from Twitter on stage. The first 30 Vivo V15 Blossom Pink buyers were also treated with a meet and greet on stage with the young actress.

Plenty of exciting activities happened at the launch including an upbeat performance from young pop-soul singer, Sassa. There were also hourly raffles and a grand raffle of Vivo goodies for the event attendees.

The Vivo V15 Blossom Pink is now available at selected dealers and Vivo stores nationwide.

Maine Mendoza interacts with fans during the launch and answers questions through Twitter .

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RELIC

OVERHEAD PROJECTOR Words by Jose Alvarez

You’ve seen one in every classroom (especially if you are my age or older), and they’ve been used to highlight important things you learn in any sort of class, whether it be Math, English, History, or anything in particular.

The overhead projector has been a very important teaching tool for teachers in the past, and even has applications outside of the classroom.

The predecessor of the overhead projector was the magic lantern (Lanterna magica) which came about in the 17th century. However, it was only used for educational purposes and was quite bulky. Christiaan Huygens, more widely known as the inventor of the pendulum clock, was considered the inventor of the magic lantern. He described a projection system with a focusing lens and text or pictures painted on a concave mirror that reflected sunlight.

German Jesuit Athanasius Kircher developed the steganographic mirror, which also used a focusing lens and text or pictures painted on a concave mirror which reflected sunlight.

By the 19th century, there were prototypes of the actual overhead projector. French physicist Edmund Becquerel is credited with developing the overhead projector as you see it today. Jules Duboscq demonstrated his device in 1866. The invention crossed the Atlantic Ocean to the United States by 1880. Henry Morton continued the development of the overhead projector and it was marketed as a “vertical lantern.” The utilization of transparent sheets that are used in overhead projectors were also developed in the United States, and were used for military training in World War II and also at schools such as the United States Military Academy. Other applications included police work, where they used cellophane rolls

across a 9-inch stage which allowed facial characteristics to be displayed.

By 1953, Buhl Industries was the first company to work on overhead projectors; it refined the optical instruments in the overhead projector and its projection lens. This is where the use in schools became widespread. Roger Appeldorn at IBM was tasked to utilize transparency film; 3M eventually started creating their own overhead projectors by 1962. It was smaller than previous overhead projectors and could be folded. The United States generally funded this through the Federal Aid to Education program which boosted the sales of overhead projectors from the 1950s into the present day.

Why was it so popular in education? Teaching materials can be put on plastic sheets and directly write on them using non-permanent washable color marking pens. The overhead projector also indirectly created a new classroom dynamic: it allowed teachers to directly face their students instead of having their back to them and writing on the blackboard or whiteboard as was previously done. By the late 1980s to early 1990s, LCD technology began to be used in the overhead projector. However, now there is something more powerful— computer projection systems that can put Microsoft PowerPoint presentations and other documents online through PDF files and scanning.

While the projector was a large part of my learning experience, current generations have technology that far surpasses it. Some students are able to use tablets and laptops to view presentations online which makes the learning experience a lot easier.

But I will never forget the overhead projector and its presence in my classrooms over the years.

Photo by Flickr user Jeremy Kennison

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