2017 v17n7 - THE GAMING ISSUE by Gadgets Magazine

104 february 2017

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105 february 2017

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Maribelle M. Alba Editor-in-chief

The quintessential gadgets girl who loves all things Mac, red, and blingy. In a parallel universe, she organizes motorsports events and professional conferences.

@bellealba

REN ALCANTARA managing EDITOR

Ren likes puppies, long walks in the park, and zombies. His idea of a perfect day would be a long walk in the park, with a puppy, during a zombie apocalypse. @hisnameisren

In a parallel universe, she’d be a travel writer. In this dimension, she’s a multi-tasker who makes full use of her IT knowledge and her Apple devices to be productive and efficient. She also loves to listen to audiobooks while doing routine stuff like driving or shopping. @presy1121

MIA CARISSE BARRIENTOS

BENEDICT ASAL

A bibliophile who reads fiction, dystopian, chick-lit, to just plainly weird novels in paperback or eBooks. Fascinated with gadgets and speaks fangirl lexicon and gibberish.

He likes going out with friends, meeting new ones, playing Marvel and Tekken games at the arcade, listening to music, and playing on his keyboard and guitar.

@miaissocoollike

@julyabirdkaliper

JUNIOR EDITOR

Group pic

PRESY ALBA

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

ART director

EDITOR’S NOTE

This March, we’re taking a good, long look at gaming. Although most of the gaming I do now is restricted to Overwatch, and if I’m lucky, the latest AAA title on one of the major consoles, we know that a lot of you still manage to live the lives we wished we could. Come join us as we take a look at the rich history of gaming across consoles, PC, and mobile, or head over to the Gaming section where we review not one, but three current releases. If you want to get a glimpse behind the curtain, we’ve got a nice little piece on sound design for games, as well as what happened at GMGC Manila. Gaming is a topic that’s very close to my heart personally, so I hope you all enjoy this issue! Have fun, and see you in Volskaya! Ren Alcantara, Managing Editor

Sales Manager Account executive Accounting manager Accounting Staff HR & ADMIN MANAGER Administration Staff

An introvert with a happy soul who loves food and cats more than life.

GRAPHIC ARTIST

@theresaeloriaga

Maribelle Alba

JONAH MENDOZA

JAEL MENDOZA

Marisa Consuelo Carol Agabin

When my daughter turns 18, I’ll be mistaken for her sister.

Spreading lines and colors for our Creator.

Maritess Pascua-Maulion Lorie Bernardo Amy Christine Giray Ramil Almojano Clifford Dela Paz

PR & MARKETING STAFF

Jonah Mendoza

Legal Counsel

Alba Law Office

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. MARCH 2017

Between Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue to John Coltrane’s Blue Train, how blue are you? @emotioncensor

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

theresa eloriaga

STAFF WRITER

CONTRIBUTOR

CHRIS NOEL HIDALGO CONTRIBUTOR (

@cnnhidalgo

Graphic Artist

@jaellaura_m

@jonahmendoza

(

traffic

President & CEO

ROBBY VAFLOR

JOSE ALVAREZ CONTRIBUTOR

You’ll never find Jose without a controller in his hand—in fact, the WASD keys on his keyboard have been worn out over the years. Aside from games, he also religiously follows several sports, especially soccer, and always has a joke ready to lighten any mood and put a smile on someone’s face. @awperative

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CONTENTS

MARCH 2017 VOlume 17 no. 7

PARADE

The month of love might be over, but it’s never too late to fall in love with these gizmos.

Cover Story

Here are titles that rocked the gaming world to its core.

Mobility

Make way! Cars and bikes coming through!

Good Finds at the Food Fair

Hashtag drooling.

MARCH 2017

06 30 44 70

24 38 69 72

GADGETSLAB

Leaf through the pages to see if the device you’ve been eyeing survived our two-week test.

Legion Strong

When the playing field turns into a battleground, you have the powerful Legion Y520 as your weapon.

Gaming

If life is a game, we’re ready to play.

A Brief Intro to Sound Design in Video Games Everybody loves Super Mario Bros’ theme son.

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Resorts World

*whispers* Resorts World Manila

When is the Right Time to Buy a Condo?

Do you have what it takes to live solo?

Epson x John Herrera Fashion Show

Did you know? Fashion and technology make a perfect pair.

The Apple Ecosystem Advantage

Want to know what makes owning Apple devices so great? Read on.

Enterprise

No coat and tie required.

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74 78 82 85 93

Destination: Rome

Planning to travel to Rome? You might want to read this.

FoodPanda

Royal MNL Fitness

86 96

Feeling hungry yet?

Who likes to move it, move it?

Bits and Bytes:

Tech happenings in 150 words or more.

Arcade Video Games Button mashing allowed.

MARCH 2017

PARADE

Acer XR382CQK Gaming Monitor

Still settling for that sub-par monitor? The Acer XR382CQK is a more than worthy upgrade with its beautiful 37.5–inch QHD display with a curved 21:9 aspect ratio running at 3440 x 1600 resolution. In terms of image quality, the monitor supports up to 1.07 billion colors and a contrast ratio of 100,000,000:1. It comes with a Displayport, HDMI, and USB Type-C. The XR382CQK has Acer’s Adaptive-Sync technology that gives stutter-free gaming with absolutely no image tearing. This monitor also has DTS sound speakers to improve your whole gaming experience.

Acer Air Monitor Air Quality Monitor

Ever sit at home and feel like the air is dirty? Well, there is a good chance it’s not just all in your head. Acer’s new Air Monitor endeavors to help you keep tabs of indoor air quality. Through different built-in sensors, the Air Monitor is capable of keeping track of six key air quality indicators: Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC), carbon dioxide, PM2.5 and PM10 (air particulates), and humidity. The device allows IFTTT integration allowing the device to trigger other smart devices to take action whenever this happens, such as turning on the air-conditioner or air-purifier.

MARCH 2017

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Vivo V5 Lite Smartphone

If you want to get your hands on Vivo’s selfie phone V5, but don’t want to break the bank, they’ve now launched a much more affordable option that is as capable as its bigger siblings. The Vivo V5 Lite houses a 16 MP front camera, not so distant from the V5, and a 13 MP rear shooter. Along with its amazing cameras are 3 GB RAM, 32 GB internal storage expandable via microSD, a 3000 mAh battery, dual SIM slots, USB OTG support, and an octa-core processor. The V5 Lite runs Android 6.0 and comes in crown or rose gold.

PHP 9,990

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MARCH 2017

Biostar TB250-BTC Motherboard

Taiwanese company Biostar recently launched its newest motherboard offering, the TB250-BTC. The motherboard is designed to be a highly stable and durable core for computers used for Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining. The motherboard supports LGA 1151 socket processors including anything from a Pentium to a Core i7. It also has native support for memory with up to DDR4-2400 speeds and a maximum of 32 GB from six SATA3 connectors coupled with a M.2 Key M 32 GBPS connector. The TB250-BTC has four USB 3.0 ports and six USB 2.0 ports.

Biostar X370GT5 Motherboard

Biostar has just released the latest member of their esteemed Racing Series motherboards with the X370GT5. Featuring support for the latest AMD Ryzen processors, the X370GT5 allows users to experience the best of the new AMD platform, together with the best of the Biostar Racing series. The Racing X370GT5 features superior gaming network optimization with Fly.net and Dragon Lan to make sure you don’t miss a single beat of the action. For those looking for even more performance, the X370 chipset also lets users make the most of their unlocked Ryzen processors, making it the perfect motherboard for performance-seekers and overclockers.

MARCH 2017

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Predator 21 X Laptop

To say the Predator 21 X is monstrous is an understatement. This gaming laptop offers a whole new level of immersion with drool-worthy features such as a 21-inch FD (2560 x 1080) IPS screen with 2000R curvature, 7th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI with 16 GB GDDR5X graphics card paired with 64 GB of DDR4 system memory, four speakers and two subwoofers, and Acer ColorBlast technology. All these features and more work together to offer players an irrefutably awesome gaming experience.

T-Force Cardea SSD

Team Group has officially announced the availability of its fastest storage solution, made with the speed-obsessed gamer in mind. The T-Force CARDEA M.2 SSD utilizes x4 PCIE 3.0 for up to 2600MB/s read speeds, and NVMe and TRIM support. The custom-made T-FORCE cooling module enhances both the look of the drive, as well as ensuring temperatures are kept down, for longer-lasting performance. The combination of highspeed data transfer, aggressive looks and effective cooling all come together to make the T-Force Cardea the next upgrade you should grab for your gaming system.

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MARCH 2017

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HP Spectre x360 Notebook

Two–in–one systems are great for professionals who are always on the go. When it’s time to get to business, it has all the functions you’d need a standard laptop for, and when there’s downtime, it easily transforms into a tablet you can take anywhere and entertain yourself with. This flexibility and functionality can be found in the HP Spectre x360. Sleek and stunning, this 13-inch two-in-one is built from solid aluminium, with each of its curve refined to perfection. Though extra thin at only 13.9 mm, the x360 packs a lot of power. For power users, you’ll be delighted to know that it carries either a 7th-gen Intel Core i5/i7 processor paired with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB SSD. It runs Windows 10 and houses other features such as quad speakers tuned by Bang & Olufsen, two USB type-C ports, one USB 3.0, Full HD or 4K display, HP TrueVision FHD IR camera, and more that allows it to transcend expectations.

PHP 75,990 (Intel Core i5) PHP 82,990 (Intel Core i7)

Huawei Mate 9 Smartphone

Picture this: a 5.9-inch, full HD display; Kirin 960 processor with eight cores running Android Nougat; 4GB of RAM with 64GB of storage expandable up to 256 GB; dual Leica lens main camera system (20 MP monochrome, 12 MP RGB); 8 MP front-facing camera; 4000 mAh battery. Sounds like a dream? It’s the new Mate 9.

PHP 31,990

MARCH 2017

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Champ

Gaming Pad Take gaming on-the-go to a whole new level of intensity with the Champ wired gaming pad. Whether on the road or at home, play your favorite titles at the level they are meant to be enjoyed, with complete controls and an ergonomic design that facilitates superior gaming. The gaming pad is packed with XYAB control buttons, arrow keys, dual analog sticks, L1/R1 L2/ R2 dual shoulder/trigger button that function to help you victor over game foes. To start playing, you just have to mount your Android device on the included phone holder, attach it to the gaming pad, and connect your phone and pad via a USB OTG cable. Mobile gaming has never been so good.

Starcube

Digital TV Box Give your idle CRT, LED, or LCD monitor a new lease on life by pairing it with the Starcube Digital TV Box. It features an active antenna with an amplifier that lets you receive your favorite digital channels twice as better compared to other offerings in the market. It is also Full HD broadcast ready for future-proof entertainment. Moreover, the Starcube boasts a USB port for user-owned content; a recording function so you can save episodes for later viewing, and even a pause, fast forward, and rewind function for TV programs.

PHP 1,490

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MARCH 2017

iKlips Duo

On-the-go storage Sturdy and stylish, Adam Elements’ iKlips Duo is the perfect smartphone storage companion for the 21st century traveller. The on-the-go storage device’s practical yet elegant aluminum body is further protected by a silicone strap that covers the Duo’s Lightning and USB 3.1 connectors both of which allow the device to transfer files from an Apple device to a laptop easily. To make transferring, sharing, and backing up files on the iPhone, iPod or iPad is made even more convenient with the free iKlips app that lets users move files to the Duo in just a few taps and swipes.

PHP 4,650 32 GB PHP 6,700 64 GB

Samsung Galaxy J2 Prime Smartphone

Groomed for the young, socially active, or just about anyone, this smartphone is filled with various features and retails for a price that won’t break the bank. This entry-level smartphone blows its competition out of the water with its 8 MP rear shooter and a 5 MP front camera with flash for better selfies even in low-light conditions. Equipped with LTE support, you can upload photos to your social media accounts on the fly thanks to blazing fast internet speeds. Also a feature not to be missed is its 5-inch qHD TFT display that produces images with just the right detail and color punch. Built into this smartphone are a 2,600 mAh battery, Ultra-Power Saving feature, 1.4 GHz quadcore processor, 1.5 GB RAM, dual-SIM slots, and an expandable internal storage via micro SD card. It is available in colors silver, gold, and pink (via Lazada).

PHP 5,990

MARCH 2017

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Fuji Xerox DocuPrint 315 Series Color Printers

Targeted at the SME (small to medium enterprise) market, the DocuPrint 315 series consists of the CP315dw single-function printer and the CM315z multi-function printer. Both feature the award-winning CCSLED (Current Confinement Self-Scanning Light Emitting Device) technology as well as STYLS (Set-Tyoe ThYristor Logic SLED) to deliver higher resolution output with improved registration and image reproduction. Mobile connectivity options with built-in security allows users to print documents from their smartphones and tablets while keeping data safe and secure. Fuji Xerox’s new Cloud Service Hub gives easy access to various cloud storage platforms, for greater productivity and flexibility.

DocuPrint CP315dw PHP 22,464 DocuPrint CM315z PHP 40,482

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MARCH 2017

Moto M

Smartphone Striking the perfect balance between power and style, the Moto M is a millennial’s dream come true. Flaunting a splash-proof, all-metal body and 5.5-inch full HD display, this mid-range smartphone turns heads with its appealing aesthetics. A perfect match for its exterior are its powerful features on the inside. The Moto M is powered by a 2.2 GHz Helio P10 octa-core processor mated to 4 GB of RAM allowing it to breeze through tasks—intensive or casual. For taking awe-inspiring landscape shots and flawless selfies, this handset’s 16 MP PDAF rear and 8 MP front snappers have got you covered. The icing on the cake is Dolby Atmos technology, immersing you in complete auditory entertainment. Its 3050 mAh rapid charging battery, efficient fingerprint scanner, and LTE support round off this impressive phone’s featureset.

PHP 14,999

Supremo 4K

Action Camera Film your thrilling adventures in high definition with the Supremo 4K action camera. Pairing superior hardware with an efficient app, Your greatest moments are captured perfectly whether they be summiting a mountain, conquering huge waves, or simply walking in the park. Living up to its name, the Supremo 4K delivers supreme output with its 170-degree, 7G A+ fisheye super wide angle lens, 4K at 24 fps video recording quality, 20 MPx interpolated camera yield, water-proof design, 1000 mAh built in battery, memory expandability via micro SDHC slot, and more.

MARCH 2017

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GoHealthy BF1 Smart scale

Still staying true to your new year’s resolution of living healthier? The Adam Elements GoHealthy BF1 can help you monitor your progress. This smart scale analyzes your weight, body mass index, body fat, muscle and bone mass, body water and basal metabolic rate. To help keep tabs on your wellbeing, the BF1 is integrated with the Adam Elements GoHealthy app as well as Apple Health which allows you to see in real time any changes in your body’s info, and even those of your family and friends (if they would even let you look at theirs).

PHP 6,110

Zenith Smart Scale Weighing Scale

Ready to take the next step to wellness but don’t know where to start? Let the Zenith 4-in-1 Smart Weighing Scale accompany you through this journey. Far removed from the regular school clinic weighing scales, it comes with smart features to help you accurately monitor your health stats. It is built with temper glass not just for design purposes but to also make it extra sturdy. Additionally, it features a 3.3-inch LED display that only lights up once you step on the scale. The app is easy to use. Once paired via Bluetooth and hooked with its complementary app— available for download on iOS and—you are to simply step on the scale and it will automatically analyze your body. After a few seconds, it will display on your paired phone your body water, body fat, bone mass, BMI, visceral fat, BMR, muscle mass, and metabolic age.

MARCH 2017

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Razer Power Bank Laptop power bank

In an attempt to augment the Razer Blade Stealth’s battery life, Razer released its very own power bank which aims to give the Stealth a battery boost to “past 15 hours” of use. The 12,800 mAh portable power source is encased in black CNC aluminum, and can also charge other devices apart from the aforementioned laptop, like smartphones and tablets as long as they are compatible with the power bank’s USB-A and USB-C ports. Equipped with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 the power bank can charge devices up to four times faster than regular power banks.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Smartphone

Mobile phone giant Xiaomi greeted the new year with the release of the Redmi Note 4. The smartphone sports a massive five and a halfinch full high definition display. Inside, the Dual SIM Redmi Note 4 houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with eight Cortex-A53 cores clocking at 2.0 GHz and an Adreno 506 graphics chip. In terms of memory, the phone comes in a 32 GB and 64 GB variant with 2 GB or 4 GB RAM respectively. For picture-taking, the Redmi Note 4 carries a very respectable 13 MP rear camera with a dual-tone LED flash capable of taking 1080p video, and a 5 MP camera up front. Don’t even worry about battery life as the phone has a massive 4100 mAh battery. The Redmi Note 4 runs on MIUI 8.0 which is based on Android Marshmallow.

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MARCH 2017

LG Dual Door-in-Door Refrigerator

For the gourmet (or the gourmand) who likes to have a well-stocked fridge, LG’s Dual Door-in-Door refrigerator is a 35-cubic foot masterpiece of food and drink storage. The fridge is the first in the market to have six doors built in, and even has external door storage which is designed for better organization as well as reducing cold air loss. Apart from its huge capacity and dashing, stainless steel good looks, the Dual Doorin-Door also has LG’s Hygiene Fresh+ technology which uses a five-stage filter that eliminates most food spoiling agents such as dust, fungal spores, acidic and alkaline odors, and bacteria. This system removes up to 99.999 percent of airborne food contaminants which helps make food last longer. As an LG Linear Inverter Compressor refrigerator, the Dual Door-in-Door uses up to 32 percent less energy than fridges that use conventional reciprocating compressors.

PHP 169,999

MARCH 2017

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GADGETSLAB

Epson L655 All-in-One Printer Reviewed by Robby Vaflor

There are a lot of printers out there: different manufacturers, different strong suits. Epson is a tried and tested brand that offers printers with great quality output and pretty low costs. The L655 is one of the company’s newer ink tank printers; will it be up to the company’s snuff? DESIGN Here is one word to describe the printer: cute. It has non-aggressive rounded edges and a snub figure and fits easily on top of a desk or small table with plenty of room to spare for files and document organizers. However, do not let the size fool you. While it is smaller than the usual all-in-one printer, Epson managed to put in all the features you would get from any other printer. It has a decent–sized paper tray that can hold about half a ream, and the fax entry conveniently placed on top. The inner mechanisms are easily accessible to remove paper jams, and the ink tank is conveniently located at the side, and does not feel too obtrusive. As far as printers go, the L655 is a very good looking printer that is perfect for small offices with a limited amount of space.

HARDWARE The L655 is a complete package that unites the printer, scanner and fax machine. Given its size, the printer only supports letter, A4 and legal sizes, and can print up to a swift 33 pages per minute with an automatic duplex feature which allows back-to-back printing without manual intervention. The flatbed scanner, on the other hand, supports only letter and A4 sizes, but has a copier function for fast document copying. The fax component supports both black and white and color faxes with a speed of up to three seconds per page which is actually pretty good. The L655 also has a 1.1 MB page memory which equates to about 100 fax pages that are saved on the system should it fail to print or run out of ink or paper. The L655 has Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct connectivity and can also connect to smart devices via the Epson iPrint app which allows remote printing from anywhere around the world via a connected device and printer and automatic saving of scanned documents and photos. It supports Epson Email Print and scanning directly to the Cloud. Another plus is the printer supports third party solutions like Apple AirPrint, Google 24

MARCH 2017

CloudPrint and Mopria Print Service. In terms of ink capacity, the L655 uses 774 Black which has a yield of 6000 pages per refill while the 664 Cyan, Yellow and Magenta have yields of up to 6500 pages. And for a small office or home use, that equates to a very long time before the next refill.

USER EXPERIENCE Setting up the printer from the box to full operation, including the wireless connectivity is very easy: remove some security tape here and there, squeeze in the ink, plug in the printer, and initiate the software install. It was a very simple and straightforward task. A special commendation should also be awarded to the company for creating a manual that is actually easy to understand. The printer took a very short amount of time to start up and be ready to print and its interface controls were easy to pick up, and within a few minutes of exploration, I knew where everything was. In terms of print quality, the L655 was able to print nice looking documents with a deep black for the plain text and vivid colors for pictures at really fast speeds, even for large images. The only qualm I have is the printer’s capabilities on specialty paper as I tried to print several images on different types of paper from plain paper to super glossy sticker and photo papers. On many specialty papers, the colors appear more watered down and horizontal lines were clearly visible on most of the pictures.

Bottomline It’s a standard Epson printer: reliable and economical. Specifications: Paper size: letter, A4, legal PPM: up to 33 Yield per ink refill: 6000 for Black and White, 6500 for Color Automatic duplex: Yes Fax: 100 fax message memory 3 seconds per page Scanner: Document size: letter and A4 Photocopy function: Yes Wireless connection: Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Cloud, E-Mail What’s Hot: - Fast printing - Compact design - Smart device and third party application support What’s Not: - Colors aren’t that accurate on specialty paper

However, I do understand that the L655 is not really meant for that kind of printing, but it would have been a nice bonus for such an awesome printer.

VALUE For about PHP 16,995, you are getting a printer, fax machine, and scanner. You are also getting high print yields with quality output. That’s a pretty good deal. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Samsung Galaxy A5 Reviewed by Robby Vaflor

Midrange smartphones are fun to follow. With flagships and other high end phones one can be almost certain that all the best parts and materials will be used in making them, the opposite goes for entry levels. With midrange phones, there are compromises—would the manufacturer spend less on the chipset and memory in favor of a powerful camera? What special features are added to make up for the phone’s shortcomings? And so on. Samsung has not had the chance to push its weight in this market segment. For whatever reason that may be, hopefully the 2017 Galaxy A5 will get the ball rolling for Samsung in the midrange category. DESIGN

USER EXPERIENCE

As first impressions go, the Samsung Galaxy A5 is a looker. The loaner that I got to use was in Black Sky although it is also available in other elegant colors: Gold Sand, Peach Cloud and Blue Mist.

As a smartphone user, I am not big on RAMsucking applications. After all, I still use my laptop for the majority of what I need to get done. The A5, however, was able to handle my day-to-day applications including social media, photo-editing, and productivity applications without the slightest stutter.

Elegant. Yes. That is the word. Everything looks so perfectly placed from the buttons to the rear camera, which does not protrude from the phone’s profile, being smooth and uniform all over when held. The finish is brushed metal for the band that goes around the phone’s sides, while the back is a non-removable semi-glossy plastic which provides the perfect counter-texture for the sides and edges. The A5’s form factor sits perfectly in my hand, and I can navigate the 5.2-inch screen with just one hand without straining it even in the farthest edge, but also great for texting or playing games. For the eternal clutz such as myself, the A5 provides excellent screen protection with Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The phone is also IP68certified dust- and waterproof (up to 30 minutes submerged in 1.5 meters).

HARDWARE The Galaxy A5 houses an Exynos 7880 Octa chipset with an octa-core Cortex A-53 processor clocking in at 1.9 GHz and a Mali-T830MP3 graphics chip. This is coupled with 3GB of RAM, giving the device more than enough for multitasking and playing games. In terms of storage, the phone has 32GB of onboard storage which is expandable up to 256 GB via a microSD card slot. The A5 charges and connects to the computer via a USB Type-C 1.0 reversible connector. The A5 sports a 16-megapixel rear camera with autofocus and an LED flash while the front-facing camera is also at 16 megapixels. The phone supports high-speed charging and has a battery capacity of 3000 mAh. I actually left the A5 with 80 percent of battery left at the office for four days and the phone was still on standby with 15 percent when I got back. Not too shabby.

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I tried playing more graphics-heavy games and audio and video editing applications that required a huge chunk of memory, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was able to run them smoothly. The interface is a clean version of Marshmallow 6.0.1 and is free from annoying preloaded widgets. Minimalists will love how very little is changed from the vanilla OS. What I lack in software sophistication, I make up for with my incessant compulsion to take pictures of everything. Both the front and rear cameras were able to take very good pictures even in low light. The automatic setting can pretty much get me through the day, but the lack of manual options on the camera app was a bit of a letdown. I’m an easy guy to please when it comes to smartphones, and the Galaxy A5 went beyond that. It stands as a good all around phone that can do what is asked of it, and able to assist users throughout the day with no problems.

Specifications: Display: 5.2” 1080x1920 pixels, Super AMOLED touchscreen, 16M colors Corning Gorilla Glass 4 Chipset: Exynor 7880 Octa CPU: Octa-core 1.9 GHZ Cortex-A53 GPU: Mali-T830MP3 Memory: 3GB RAM; 32 GB ROM, expandable up to 256 GB Camera: 16 MP f/1.9 27 mm main camera 16 MP f/1.9, 1080p front camera USB: Type-C 1.0 connector Fingerprint sensor Battery: 3000 mAh Li-Ion OS: Android Marshmallow

What’s Hot: - Sleek and elegant design - Great front and rear camera

VALUE Tech enthusiasts should know by now that the Samsung name tends to come with a premium in terms of price. However, at PHP 19,990, people are actually getting a lot of phone for the price, with solid build quality and nice specs, the Galaxy A5 is worthy of Samsung’s name.

What’s Not: - Price is on high side of midrange

Bottomline Samsung has finally done the midrange smartphone right. Good job.

MARCH 2017

Lenovo Legion Y520 Reviewed by Ren Alcantara

Video games are big business. Gaming companies know this, and that’s how they’re able to keep publishing games. Manufacturers know this too, and it’s such big business, there are whole brands devoted to making gaming-centered hardware, for gaming-centered users. Lenovo has finally done the inevitable, and given its “Y” series of performance laptops its own name, and today, we’re looking at one of the laptops in this new-old line. Behold. The Lenovo Legion Y520. DESIGN The Legion Y520 is similar in design with the previous generation of Y-series gaming machines from the brand, with a few subtle accents here and there. Firstly, the laptop’s lid and chassis aren’t plainly rectangular, and secondly, the lid is no longer metal, but a pleasingly rigid plastic. Both the top and bottom of the laptop’s clamshell come to a nice, gentle point at the middle. Add this to the wonderfully textured top, and some contoured lines for a slight visual accent, and you have a machine that’s exciting, but not over the top. Once opened, you see the red accents Lenovo chose to use to make the controls and keys pop. The WASD keys also have an extra splash of red, just so you don’t forget what those keys are really for. The speakers can be found on either side of the hinge, and face the user. They’re kept safe behind a beefy metal screen. Because it’s got quite a bit of hardware in it, the Legion is on the hefty side, at 2.5Kg. Not a big change from the past, for better or worse.

HARDWARE The Legion Y520 runs the Intel Core i7-7700 HQ processor, which hums along at a maximum of 3.8 GHz, paired with 8 GB of DDR 4 RAM. It comes with a 512GB SSD and a 1TB HDD, for both plenty of storage, and fast performance. Being a gaming laptop, you also get the highly capable NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, and 4 GB of GDDR5 VRAM. This isn’t your granny’s gaming laptop. This pushes video to a properly large 15.6-inch, Full HD, IPS display, with a nice matte finish to cut glare down. Connectivity options abound on this device. You’ve got a whole slew of connectors, from 2 USB 3.0 ports, 1 USB 3.0, and USB C port, a LAN port, an SD card reader, and an HDMI port. Should you need it, a version with a backlit keyboard is also available. If you need a little more punch for your audio, you can connect headphones and a mic to the 3.5mm combo audio jack.

USER EXPERIENCE I’ve always liked Lenovo’s gaming laptops. They offer a fair balance of performance and price, 26

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and with the Legion series, it seems like they aren’t one to change a winning formula. It’s also a decent size for a gaming laptop, and at about the upper limit of what I would be willing to carry around. Cracking the thing open, you’re going to be treated to a large, wonderful screen, and a roomy keyboard, with a dedicated numpad. It looks a little odd, given the little peak they have the laptop’s shape and the off-center location of the trackpad, but everything is in exactly the right place when in use. The keys are soft, but have excellent travel, and a pleasant, positive “click” at the bottom of the stroke. It’s not mechanical, of course, but as far as laptop keyboards go, it’s up there. On to the meat of her, then! On Witcher 3, we were hovering at about the 36 FPS mark, on Very High graphics settings. Overwatch, on Epic, gave us just under 50FPS, and Rise of the Tomb Raider got us about 20FPS, again on maxed out graphics settings—impressive figures all things considered. The screen is more than able to keep up with the kind of frantic action one can see playing Tracer in a few rounds of Overwatch, more than we can say about our own home systems, unfortunately (as a side note, I never realized Tracer had such interesting freckles. I’d always kept my graphics settings low.) With plenty of room on the keyboard, great tactile response, and a large, sharp, crisp screen, all you need is a nice mouse, a six-pack of Mountain Dew, and a big bag of Doritos, and you’re off to the races with this one.

decent amount of laptop for the price. Even with the competition playing around this amount, the Legion still makes a compelling enough case with Lenovo’s brand, great build quality, and (still) reasonable price. Specifications: Processor: Intel Core i5-7300HQ Operating System: Windows 10 Home Display: 15.6in FHD (1920 x 1080) anti-glare display with IPS technology Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1050 Memory: 8GB DDR4 Storage: 128GB SSD + 500GB HDD Battery: 45Whr battery Connectivity: 802.11 AC 2x2 WiFi + Bluetooth 4.1 Weight: 2.5KG Ports: 2 USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, USB Type C, RJ45, 4-in-1 card reader, audio jack What’s Hot: - More than capable hardware - Great keys

What’s Not: - Slightly plain design - Not many additional features

Since it’s a gaming laptop, don’t expect too much from it when on the battery. 45Wh of juice is a lot, but it’s pushing quite a load. You’ll get about three and a half hours of non-gaming use on the laptop before you have to plug in, which again, is totally reasonable, given the hardware.

VALUE The Legion Y520 is going to arrive on Philippine shores starting at PHP 59,000. While this isn’t quite the USD 899 we were hoping for, it’s a

Bottomline If you’re in the market for a gaming laptop, wait until this hits. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Panasonic NR-F510GT

Reviewed by Maribelle Alba

My almost 10-year old Koreanbranded double-door refrigerator started acting up a few months ago, and I secretly wished it would breathe its last, as I was so ready to go shopping for a replacement. After a visit to my favorite appliance store, here is the new addition to my kitchen. DESIGN I am a little bit of a neat freak, so I love the sixdoor design of the Panasonic NR-F510GT, with its full-flat tempered glass front. The top refrigerator compartment is accessible via double doors that allow easy access to a roomy space that can accommodate containers of various shapes and sizes, thanks to adjustable glass shelves. Inside is a special Prime Fresh compartment that lightly freezes the food to preserve freshness. Below that is the ice compartment to the left, which automatically detects the amount of ice and signals the ice-maker when it’s time to replenish. The right drawer is a fresh-freezing compartment that blasts even hot food with super-cold air to preserve the flavor and nutrients. The next drawer is the freezer compartment that slides all the way out. It has a divider that allows convenient storage of taller items, and a sliding tray for smaller items. This design is echoed in the bottom drawer, which is allocated for vegetables and fruits.

HARDWARE The secret to the Panasonic NR-F510GT’s multidoor design is the location of its compressor, found at the top of the unit, instead of the usual bottom location. A microprocessor detects inside temperature in the different zones, while inverter technology adjusts compressor rotation for efficient cooling. Each compartment has a designated temperature for optimal food storage. The refrigerator is set to approximately 3~6oC, the Prime Fresh compartment at -3~2oC, the ice box at -20~18 oC, the Fresh Freezing drawer at -19~-17oC, the freezer at -20~-18oC, and the vegetable compartment at 3~8oC. Intelligent sensors, collectively called ECONAVI, monitor ambient temperature, fridge door opening, internal temperature, and even the amount of food stored. These inputs are then used to decide when more cooling power is needed, thus avoiding excessive and unnecessary cooling for more energy savings.

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Another hidden technology that adds to energy efficiency is the use of Panasonic’s proprietary U-Vacua, a vacuum insulation panel that delivers outstanding refrigeration performance in a thin design. Hygiene Active technology consisting of a silvercoated filter and blue LED light to eliminate airborn bacteria for safer, longer-lasting food storage.

USER EXPERIENCE The thoughtful layout of the various storage compartments with its specific temperature settings for specific types of food makes the Panasonic NR-F510GT a dream for neatniks. With white LED lighting and transparent shelving, it’s easy to keep track of what’s in the fridge. Shelves are adjustable as well as foldable so even tall items can be accommodated. For those who absolutely must have ice-cold drinks, all you need to do is keep the supply tank filled with water. Ice is automatically made in a little over an hour, and stored in its own drawer. Do you have leftover rice in your rice cooker? No need to cool it down, you can just transfer the hot rice into a container and pop it into the Fresh Freezing compartment. Have some fresh fish or seafood that you don’t have time to cook but want to keep at their best condition and not dry out in the freezer? Set the chiller to the Prime Fresh setting and your tuna sashimi is going to retain its fresh flavor. My yaya loves the lower compartments. All our meat cuts are nicely packed in plastic containers and it’s easy to see what’s available for the dinner table. Same holds for the vegetable tray. We have our soft drink Litro bottles and juice tetrapacks lined up in its designated area, bulkier items in the lower tray and smaller, and more frequently used ingredients in the upper tray.

Specifications: Gross Capacity: 530-liters Form Factor: Multi-door Door Material: Glass Shelves: 100-kg tempered glass Refrigerant: R600a Dimensions (WxDxH): 685 x 683 x 1828 mm Weight: 101 kg Energy Savings: 5-sensor ECONAVI; inverter; U-Vacua Hygiene: Hygiene Active; Ag Clean What’s Hot: - Made in Japan - 12-year warranty on compressor - Multi-door design - More affordable than similar-spec’d models - Distinct cooling zones What’s Not: - None that I can think of

The freezer and vegetable drawers are easy to clean as the trays are removable and washable.

VALUE The sticker price on this beauty is Php 89,999 — not the cheapest, but reasonably-priced when compared to other models with similar specifications. I’ll let you in on a secret. Do your appliance shopping near the end of the month, and always ask the salesperson if there is a special promo on the item, or if his supervisor can offer a special deal. The amount swiped on my credit card was Php 70,000, not a bad deal at all for a feature-packed, premium Made-in-Japan item with a 12-year warranty on the compressor.

Bottomline I think I can happily live with this beauty in my kitchen for the next 12 years.

MARCH 2017

Viewsonic VX2776-SMHD Reviewed by Ren Alcantara

The sad reality is that through the course of any given day, I stare at my monitor longer than I get to stare at my girlfriend’s breathtaking countenance. This is not a sign of a greater love for my devices than for my girlfriend, but more an issue of having to work as a writer to get the bills paid. If you’re anything like me though, you’re likely in the same boat. Why then do we spend so much time staring at mediocre screens? ViewSonic, one of the leaders in display technology, has come to our rescue with the VX2776-SMHD IPS LED monitor, and while it’s not as pretty as my girlfriend, it really is quite a monitor. DESIGN The VS2776 is a real looker. At 6.6mm, it’s almost thin enough to shave with, and its borderless display, brushed metal accents, and simple, uncluttered looks make it stand out. Out of the box, you get the display itself, the gorgeous metal stand, and the accompanying power brick. It has some fine lines to it, and will be perfectly at home in the modern workplace. One little issue I had with the ultra-sleed design though, is that making it so didn’t leave much room for a hinge at the back. While it can tilt a bit, it might not be enough of a change in angle to fit some people, or say, if you have an odd seat-to-desk height ratio. Some sacrifices must always be made in the name of beauty.

HARDWARE The super–thin, bright IPS display is clearly the star of this show. The 27-inch screen is made to look much larger by the practically invisible bezel around it. The panel has a resolution of 1920x1080, and a maximum refresh rate of 60Hz. Controlling the features of the display are on-screen display buttons found at the bottom right-hand corner of the monitor. They’re quite tiny, but not frustratingly difficult to press, though it’s a bit of a crapshoot when you first try to access anything, since you won’t know which button does what until you’ve brought the menu. The back of the monitor has your usual connectors. You have an HDMI port, a DisplayPort, and the old-school VGA port, as well as Aux in and a headphone jack, in case you don’t feel like using the built-in pair of three-Watt speakers.

USER EXPERIENCE A thing they got right, aside from the gorgeous display, was their menu system. Where every other monitor has a confused system of getting through the menus to access what would otherwise be useful features, this monitor is pleasantly intuitive. It’s quite important in this particular display, because there’s a lot going on in there. Aside from all the normal display controls, it packs some nice little goodies in there, with modes to reduce 28

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input lag, improve color reproduction, and even drop blue light levels to help reduce eye strain. Even if you’re one to quickly suffer from eye strain because of your screen, you’re likely to find the right combination of tweaks to ease that problem a little. Once tuned and calibrated, it gives excellent, accurate colors, something creatives will appreciate along with the generous screen real-estate. Gaming use is a bit of a mixed bag. While it does have a quick refresh rate, you can still see a bit of ghosting on the edges for titles with fast action. It’s more than serviceable of course, but if you’re hardcore, and are used to smoother, you’re likely going to notice. Is this a terrible thing? We don’t think so. It’s not really made to be a gaming display, and even then, the experience isn’t terrible. On maximum brightness, the screen is plenty bright, even for use in a well-lit room. We’ve tested other displays, of course, and while those can achieve higher levels, it’s really not an issue, since maximum is likely too much anyway. Contrast, while not stellar, was also more than acceptable, and will only fail to satisfy the most discerning users. It’s more than made up for by the experience of having such a large, bezel-less display anyway. All told, I was quite happy with the monitor.

Specifications: Screen size: 27in Native resolution: 1920x1080 Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Refresh Rate: 60Hz Pixel density: 81.59ppi Panel type: IPS matt Response time (GtG): 4ms Ports: HDMI / DisplayPort / VGA / Aux In & Out Dimensions (including stand): 621x209x463mm Weight (including stand): 3.71kg What’s Hot: - Gorgeous - Great Colors - Large screen for small footprint What’s Not: - Might not be best bet for gaming - Price issue for some

VALUE While it’s a gorgeous, functional monitor, some might find the price a little prohibitive. At about PHP10,000 converted, people might choose to overlook the obvious strong points of the device, and fixate on the price, which is a shame. Would I buy it myself? Sure. I put a premium on space and design, and do my gaming on a laptop. Even with the weaker points, I think this isn’t a bad deal.

Bottomline It’s pretty and it does the job. I think that’s a winner in my book. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Samsung R1 WAM Reviewed by Ren Alcantara

Music not only soothes the savage beast, it eases the anxiety of many an introvert such as myself. Most of the time, anyway. As anyone even remotely concerned about audio can tell you, speakers can make or break a listening experience. And in a world where everyone and their uncle can make and market an audio device, it’s a bit of a risky proposition to jump on the first one you see. Samsung, not necessarily the first brand we think of when we talk about speakers, has stepped up to the plate with the WAM1500. DESIGN I have to admit, I’m a huge fan of this cylindrical design. It’s elegant, has a small footprint, and does a lot to throw the sound around. A soft fabric screen surrounds the body of the device, and it has a single cable for power. The top is a smooth, capacitive control surface with a single indicator light, in keeping with its minimalist theme. I do appreciate how people tend to stare at it for a little while, wondering what it is, right until I get my playlist running. Simple and elegant. They got that just right.

HARDWARE Apart from Bluetooth connectivity, the WAM1500 comes with Wi-Fi connectivity and both 2.4 and 5GHz support, and hi-res audio. Bluetooth can also be used in conjunction with Wi-Fi, to stream music from a Bluetooth source, to the speaker, and then to other Wi-Fi speakers in the network. Apart from connectivity, the R1, smallest of the line, packs a single tweeter and woofer, in a reasonably small footprint. It does have an external AC adapter, but that can always be kept tucked neatly away in a corner. It can handle AAC, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, and WMA music formats, and works well in conjunction with its companion app.

USER EXPERIENCE I’ll be upfront about this. The speakers shocked us with how good they sounded. That isn’t to say we expected them to sound bad, just that we were shocked at the clarity that they brought to the table. It’s not the deepest sounding speaker out there, but that’s a good thing in this case. If you’ve read any of my reviews on audio devices, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of letting the mids shine through a track. These speakers do just that, but without completely sacrificing the bottom end, which remains full, even at weaker volumes. Whether it’s the internal volume of the speaker, or some technical wizardry Samsung has chosen to employ to get this to happen, it’s quite

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effective. It’s about as happy to play electronic music as it is giving you a dose of classical. This is a good thing, as the supporting app, with its 10 digital streaming services make sure you’re not at a loss for things to listen to. It’s dead easy to set up, which I appreciate, and allows for painless pairing thanks to an easily accessible set of controls at the top. Connecting the device to your Wi-Fi network is simple. Just power it up and make sure it’s on the right mode, find it with the app, and you’re set to listen to your heart’s content. The controls are easy. Should you need to pause the music, just give the top a tap, and it is happy to oblige. Turning the volume up or down, as well as changing tracks is just as simple and intuitive, though you’re going to hit it accidentally trying to move the thing around, though it’s likely to stay in a single spot all the time anyway, thanks to its circular design. While audio purists will never truly be happy with a single speaker, for solo, or a multi-room setup, this is a great option.

VALUE One of the things we really loved about it though was the price. With a sticker price of just about PHP 7,000 (lower if you look elsewhere), we were completely floored. While clearly, there are other speakers with greater features or performance, the fact that this sounds as good as it does, at this price point is just astounding. Upon hearing it over testing, I actually have a friend who went out and bought two, and I honestly think he did the right thing.

Specifications: Audio Amplifier: Integrated Connectivity Technology: Wireless Controls: Next track, play/pause, previous track, volume Sound Effects: 360-degree sound Supported Digital Audio Standards: AAC, FLAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, WMA Dimensions: 9.2 x 4.8 x 4.8 inches Weight: 3.09 lbs What’s Hot: - Stylish - Easy to set up - Great sound What’s Not: - Not very many features - No separation from L and R channels

Bottomline For multi-room use, or a small space, this is a great option that won’t break the bank.

MARCH 2017

COVERSTORY

ON GAME

Say what you will about gaming, but studies have actually shown that gamers possess greater coordination, creativity, and problem-solving skills than the average human being, plus it’s huge fun. This month in our CoverStory, we take a look at some of the most interesting, fun, and influential games on the PC, consoles, and on mobile. It’s almost an impossible task, given the sheer number of games out there, but here are the titles that made our gaming lives just a little better. If you find something you haven’t played, do yourself a favor and get on it. It’s game time!

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d e g n a h C t a h r T e s v e e r o Titl F g n i m a G C P

Words by Robby Vaflor

nt of refro ece of o f e pi t th elf a m, nay, a acity for s t i keep ediu cap n. ed to e as a m yond the edia ca g a n e m m a b a l m g a s s n e o g ha ditio vide at go amin zing the ature th t that tra g C n P ni er lutio or lit ertainme revo d-slasht n e n d art a elling an t y r o t s

And to its console or mobile-based brethren, PC gaming has, for the most part, shaped the world of gaming for decades. Sure, the console and the smartphone have optimized the “gamer’s” experience by bringing gaming to broader audiences, creating new niches, and carrying streamlined peripherals that rid themselves of the surplus of buttons. However, the mouse and the keyboard have forced developers to think outside of the box in terms of game design, giving birth to different, platform-crossing genres that the world still enjoys today. Here are some of the video games that helped shape the course of gaming as a whole, and helped solidify PC gamers’ claim to master race status. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

an ancient empire, solving puzzles as they crawl through the dungeon world. While to younger gamers, text-based games without so much as a sprite in sight works as effectively as Ambien, but interactive fiction, such as the highly regarded Zork, paved the way for role-playing and adventure games of today. Zork (1980) Like any other text-based game, Zork uses the most powerful graphics chip known to man: imagination. And because the program was pretty much a command line, Zork relied on good humor and storytelling to bring players to the ruins of

Infocom, the game’s developer, later became the big name for interactive fiction and produced, among others, the cult favorite, and humorously cruel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy based on the Douglas Adams novel of the same name. march 2017

Labyrinth (1986) Labyrinth: The Computer Game is a graphic adventure game created by LucasFilm Games (now LucasArts) based on the film Labyrinth directed by George Lucas. The main goal of the game is to defeat Jareth (played by David Bowie in the film) in 13 real-time hours by solving his labyrinth or be trapped there forever. The game was LucasArts’ first graphic adventure game which it became popular for in the nineties. Labyrinth borrowed elements from text-based interactive fiction, but made use of animations and a limited text wheel which players can choose a command from. This system would evolve into the point-and-click gameplay seen in the Monkey Island series and Grim Fandango and other LucasArts titles, as well as recent video games such as Machinarium and Telltale games.

Dune II (1992) Allow me to skip over the first Dune game as it is Dune II that was so groundbreaking for its time. Based on Frank Herbert’s novel of the same name, the game is set in a universe of opposing houses battle for interplanetary dominance powered by the spice known as “melange.” Dune II was the precedent for all real-time strategy games that came after it. Players are tasked to create a functioning base from which they could gather resources and launch an assault on the enemy base by producing a large amount of units with varying functions and effectiveness.

The game also featured special units, buildings and weaponry for each house which back then was a pretty impressive feat of game development. Sound familiar? Dune II was developed by the good folks at Westwood Studios which also created the popular Command and Conquer series of strategy games which carried the Red Alert, Tiberium, and Generals series. The mechanics went beyond Westwood and was adopted by multiple developers and created many classic titles like Warcraft and Age of Empires.

Alone in the Dark (1992) Released by French company Infogrames (remember them?) in 1992, Alone in the Dark was among the first games to use polygonal characters, and was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the first 3D horror survival game. Inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft and 80s horror films, Alone in the Dark also pioneered many survival horror staples in sound design (creaking floors, eerie hums and howls, scary music), fixed cinematic framing, dark map design, and puzzles that make traversing through the frightening world an even more stressful task. While the graphics are outdated, Alone in the Dark is still a terrifying experience to this day. Go ahead, try it out. Wolfenstein 3D (1992) What Dune II was for real-time strategy, Wolfenstein was for first-person shooters. Albeit, the plot combined with the treatment might raise a few eyebrows these days, but the fact of the matter is, Wolfenstein 3D laid the foundation for the modern first-person shooter. While technologically, it was just on par with the norm back then, but the game pushed the boundaries in terms of pace and strategy for a shooter. It required faster reflexes, the use of 32

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the environment, and an itchy trigger finger to vanquish waves upon waves of soldiers of the Third Reich, both living and the undead. The game was also noted to be one of the first widely modded video games with gamers across the world finding ways to create character and weapons skins even without any official mod tools. The game developers, id Software, caught on with this new level of customization and included full mod support for its subsequent firstperson title, Doom.

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Starcraft (1998) With faster internet speeds, and better performing computers, more and more video games supported online play. This led to competitive gaming, known as eSports, and while the concept is not new, Starcraft brought eSports to the big leagues. Its peak as a competitive real-time strategy game was in the early 2000s and was, and is,

The Sims (2000) The Sims came out at the start of the new millennium and changed the gaming world’s idea of “sandbox.” The game did not have set objectives or missions. The player had one job: to live one’s life.

especially huge among South Korean gamers. This led to competitors becoming local, and even international celebrities, gaining endorsements and getting paid huge sums of money for tourneys. Forums were built to discuss strategies, dedicated television programs provided color commentary for streams of competitions, a whole culture was built out of gaming. I am not saying Starcraft single-handedly legitimized eSports to the world, but it sort of did.

as well as console adventure games based on the franchise. Many developers would also copy elements from The Sims to their games.

Half-Life (1998) Half-Life changed the tone of first-person shooters of the run-and-gun gore-fest of the Doom era to a captivating and immersive story with depth and grit. Designed with no cutscenes, the game’s plot was woven in organically into the game with NPCs talking to the player from different locations as if in the real world. Players got a more literal “in one’s shoes” type of experience, assuming the role of Gordon Freeman, seeing the world through his eyes. He does not speak, nor does he have a face. It was all meant to make the players feel as if they were Gordon. The game’s legacy continues onto this day, with Half-Life’s GoldSrc engine being the father of Valve’s Source engine. Half-Life also spawned a sequel with two episodes, and an officially acquired, independently created mod known as Counter Strike.

RuneScape (2001) RuneScape showed the possibilities of browserbased gaming. Although the updated version of the game client is worlds away from the original, RuneScape gave the world a massive threedimensional world which let them explore, go on quests, and trade items. It was all for free: it just needed a web-browser (connected to the Internet of course) and Java installed on the computer. The game went on to become the world’s largest free-to-play MMORPG, outlasting every game with a dedicated client that tried to go against it. And it’s still getting bigger as we speak.

The Sims let users create their own characters with different traits, design a living space complete with furniture and plumbing, find a job, get married, have kids and grandkids, and grow old. And if you are like me, your Sim has probably done more with his life than you have in real life. The game proved very popular, with Maxis (later EA) creating several sequels and expansion packs,

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march 2017

o e d i V g n i k a s e r e b n d o n h u P o e r l i G b o M : s e Gam

Words by Mia Carisse Barrientos

truly was g n i m ic . e ga raph arse phon hrome g were sp ive e l i it s ob oc prim y trip tic m mon then ction of or length s humble g and u a f e t in sinc ions y since i en gam ge trodu long to the in ent opt e a d n w e w t e g e m me ng be prior rtain a lon line cutti e ga sn’t b It ha d. Years ias, ente s come ere the into our ile phon ok at the h a k t b o ze reali s into No aming h an era w uilt righ , the mo ck and l b s g e a e e s e b v m d i e n l i a a p o g e c h og a ste es o de ile p hnol ow, w Mob nings. N d by tec an of tw et’s take bile gam L n o e sp ged. begi is blurr st a he m chan up to t In ju ty g reali phones. pletely n m rt eadi sma e has co stones l r e l sphe cant mi ifi sign ay. d of to

Snake You can’t write an article on mobile phone gaming without mention of Snake. This game which shipped with early Nokia feature phones wasn’t the first mobile phone game to ever exist, but its explosion opened the doors for mobile phone games and pushed Nokia to the top of the heap. You start off as a little snake wiggling and chasing after food within the confines of the screen. The challenge is, the snake grows longer each time it eats food, resulting in less and less wiggle room. When the snake bumps into any of its parts, or any of the borders of the screen, the game will be over. The premise of the game is very simple yet addictive; it offers the simple joy of trying to beat your own high score each time you play. You also get to show off your score to your peers. As time passed the game evolved and came with various modes to better challenge players and increase its replay value. 34

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debris by moving up, down, or forward, fight your way through space foes by shooting at them, and beat alien bosses—neat! I honestly never got to the end of this game, but if you did, you deserve a pat on the back.

Space Impact If you’ve played Snake II on a Nokia 3310, you have probably scrolled further down the game folder to see Space Impact. This monochrome video game is of the shooter genre and showcased more play features which was rare during its time. In the game, you control a spaceship and traverse various space zones, each with a higher level of difficulty than the other. Granted with three lives, your objectives in the game are to avoid rough

Monochrome mobile phone games were not so far removed from PC and console games of old, as many had the same concept and gameplay. You may also have special memories playing other monochrome games such as Logic, Pairs, Bantumi, Minesweeper, Tetris, Tamagotchi-like games, Crosses, and more in the past, but these didn’t make waves as huge as Snake and Space Impact. The rise of colored, and game-centric feature phones with wireless application protocol (WAP) and JAVA support brought in more mobile phone game developers into the arena bringing along with them brilliant ideas to keep the market thriving. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

For a racing game in the early 2000’s, Asphalt Urban GT was pretty impressive. Another noteworthy game is TowerBloxx. As its name suggests, you are to stack blocks in this game to form a formidable, habitable skyscraper. Following these releases, celebrity endorsed games such as Paris Hilton’s Diamond Quest became a thing but didn’t quite make a dent in the market.

When this game was fashioned for mobile phones, its users naturally migrated to the platform. Though not as elaborate as its PC version, Minecraft Pocket Edition offers the same experience that just sucks its players in. You are still able to create structures and fortify houses to fend off the crooks that lurk in the night.

The arrival of touch-enabled phones was pivotal for this gaming segment. Subsequently, the creation of app marketplaces allowed mobile gaming to truly take off and major developments were pushed forward.

Pokémon Go With augmented and virtual reality making waves across the tech scene, it was only natural for game developers to jump aboard. Niantic saw this as an opportunity to launch Pokémon Go.

Bejeweled Bejeweled is a match 3 puzzle game that challenged the wits and consumed the time of many. We’d say it was the grand parent of Candy Crush.

With millions of followers around the globe, there was no doubt that a game about catching Pokémon would be a hit. Built around the concept of augmented reality, the game sees you exploring the real world and capturing various types of Pokémon via your smartphone. As you collect Pokémon, you level up and get a chance to take on other players to dominate a Gym.

In this puzzle game, you are given a screen full of jewels with different shapes and colors. Players have to swap gems to get a match of at least three of the same pattern. It has a very simple gameplay but gets tricky as you play against various factors such as time.

The frenzy allowed the title to gather half a million users in less than two months. The Pokémon Go craze may have already faded but nonetheless it’s creation was a huge stride closer to a whole new mobile gaming experience.

Bejeweled was ground-breaking as it had a multiplayer feature which allowed you to play with an opponent, however this feature didn’t take off as internet speeds back then move at a snail’s pace, and sending data was costly. Doodle Jump This game that has graphics reminiscent to pen and paper sketches was one of the first and biggest hits of the Apple App store. You control an adorable alien doodle who journeys across a universe by continually jumping on platforms. Confronted by baddies and other trying circumstances, you must keep jumping on platforms without falling.

The success of one app to another led to the rise of more sophisticated games with the promise of visually intricate graphics and gameplay. Nvidia partnered with brands for Tegra-powered Android devices, and better, more powerful hardware was integrated into mobile handsets. The smartphone, with its easy interface and controls, is now widely accepted as a capable alternative to gaming consoles, and has been crowned king of portable gaming.

The success of Doodle Jump was a nod for other addictive touch-controlled games such as Angry Birds, Tap Tap Revenge, Temple Run, Fruit Ninja, Candy Crush, and more.

Asphalt Urban GT Mobile phone gaming wouldn’t be complete without street racing games. We’ve played titles such as Beach Rally or Ridge Racer but when it comes to staying power, the recognition would have to go to Gameloft’s Asphalt series. The precursor to the Asphalt racing games we have now, Asphalt Urban GT prompted thrill and converted many into car enthusiasts with its promising 3D-like graphics, realistic gameplay, and plenty of car choices. In this racing game, you get to choose from several street race tracks, race types, and get to use nitrous to increase speed in-game. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Minecraft: Pocket Edition Despite its seemingly out-of-date graphics, Minecraft’s one of the biggest games to ever hit the PC platform. In this game, you explore worlds and build an empire out of the resources you gather. march 2017

g n i m le Ga

Words by Ren Alcantara

o s n Co

, ctive ntera e i e r r a mes is mo n. Ga ay that n to be o s a w od re in a gotte gets ry go itement sters. It’s nology , we e v r h c y fo bu ex tec rStor , and and et block it, and Cove nd while ness e thrills r g d i u s n d o u u u f b ,a re ro -b rienc art o t, he gest en a f late s big ing i t us expe the big ave aris . In this p ames o ine abou untain m a h z G en eg a Mo drum nd le aga tries n ev nsol fun, a rsive tha le indus eat of its onic co whole m lic. Grab be in o b c o e a b ost i ing t g pu imm , that wh by the ake he m could m l gamin ou’re go d t ig r f b a o w o r s ra e .Y n we som ed fo gene settle in push look at titles tha ith the d n a , w a s e take are mor esonate f Dorito r o e t r g a e a h h t b t ome en a are s rack op c , Dew ide. r for a

changed the face of gaming, and brought to the fore a new genre altogether: survival horror. It might not be the first, or arguably the best, but you can’t say that gaming would be the same without that first zombie you encounter at that mansion in Raccoon City.

Resident Evil, PlayStation, 1996 Few games bring us back like the original Resident Evil, released for the first PlayStation. With that console, 3D games were finally going mainstream, and even though by today’s standards, it’s a pixelated mess, it’s a title that

march 2017

Goldeneye 007, N64, 1997 The N64 was quite the machine back in its day, and one of the most iconic titles on that console is, without a doubt, Goldeneye. It had both

single- and multi-player modes, and while playing solo through the story was pleasant enough, it was finding a group of friends and going at it deathmatch-style that was the most fun. With a selection of weapons available, and intense split-screen action so that you and three other friends could play in a single living room, for many this was the first in a very long line of first person shooters that would eat up their lives.

The Legend of Zelda, NES, 1986 The Legend of Zelda, in all its fantasy actionadventure goodness is one of the first titles that comes to mind when I start thinking about RPGs. The deep story, immersive worlding, and that grand sense of adventure all come together to form a game that you just couldn’t put down. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Along with different weapons and items that had to be used to solve in-world puzzles, or more easily defeat certain enemies and bosses, the game was done in a format that was appealing for little kids, and big ones alike. Really, pick it up now, and see if you don’t have a great time playing it all over again.

Chrono Trigger, SNES, 1995 While Legend of Zelda was the RPG for the NES, there is little doubt that Chrono Trigger for the SNES took that, and brought it up to a completely different level. With multiple characters, ability combinations, storylines, and endings, it took the usual RPG scope and broadened it to a point that even modern titles look up to. Replayability is amazing, and even now, several decades after it first came up, every playthrough feels like a new experience. While the grind, item hunt, and levelling-up is a lot of fun on its own, the game is made so much better by a superbly written story that has you at the edge of your seat at every turn. It’s a wonderful tale that every gamer should play at some point in their lives.

Gran Turismo, PlayStation, 1997 Until Gran Turismo came along, the closest you could get to a right proper racing game was at the arcade. Gran Turismo was really the first title to bring that same experience to your home. With gorgeous graphics, lots of car choices, and the chance to race against AI that was reasonably balanced meant it was a title you would keep coming back to over and over again. The clever system of unlocking licenses meant that you couldn’t just have the whole game waiting for you all at once, adding another layer of replayability and that sense of completion. There’s a lot of fun to be had finding the right line, or finally getting that perfect run, making this an influential title in its own right.

Dance Dance Revolution, PlayStation Gaming was, until fairly recently, the territory of hardcore titles, and hardcore gamers. This title changed that. There were no bosses, there was nothing to grind. You didn’t have to spend hours looking for a magical item to open the portal to the land of Zod, or defeat an evil wizard warlord. It was a dancing game, and it was a lot of crazy fun. The playmat, which was really what made

the whole experience worthwhile, was accessible to people who hadn’t played a single game before.

Shadow of the Colossus, PlayStation 2, 2006 When we first got a hold of this game, we were honestly a bit lost. Having come from titles where you would follow a map, with pre-determined locations, more or less guided by rails, we didn’t really know where to start. There were no creatures to fight, nothing to level, no skills to learn. We just went in the general direction our sword took us, and fought big giant bosses. We didn’t know why, exactly, or if they were evil or not, but we went. We had no idea at the time, but this was the start of the trend towards sandboxtype games, where you are free to explore, roam and discover. Of course, there’s not a lot to discover in this game apart from truly epic boss fights, but just the same, the experience was new, exciting and fresh. Even now, we dust off the PS2 every so often, just to fire this title up again. We really haven’t seen anything like it since.

Metal Gear Solid 2, PlayStation, 1998 Action-adventure stealth games had been around prior to this title, with others such as the previous Metal Gear game being released for earlier systems. This title, however, made it mainstream. With a heavy emphasis on sneaking around, direct conflict was usually met with failure. This was a welcome change of pace from the usual tactic of a solo hero jumping into the fray with guns blazing, and brought a slower, more tactical mindset to the console gaming world. The story, while done in typical Kojima fashion, might have been over the top for some, but the gameplay was stellar. So stellar in fact, that it has since spawned a number of subsequent games, each with roughly the same mechanics, and the same amazing gameplay, with a little more humor thrown in, to boot. copies sold for home use, it was clear that the fighting game was a lucrative home gaming genre. This title was just the first in a long line of successful Street Fighter games, as well as a springboard for other similar titles, cross-overs, and innovations down the line. It more or less started a revolution, and one we are more than happy to get behind.

Street Fighter 2, SNES, 1992 While not the first in its series, Street Fighter 2 eclipsed the popularity of its predecessor to quickly become the fighting game to have at home. Arcades had been the territory of such titles in the past, but with the arrival of SF 2 was a wave that started to crest. With over 14 million www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

All they had to do was dance to the music, hitting the right pad at the right time—simple, easy to learn, and plenty enjoyable, plus you break a nice sweat in the process. If there’s any reason this makes it to our list, it’s because of how many people it taught that gaming isn’t about being a nerd, it’s about having fun.

There are so many more titles, systems, and franchises that made gaming the way it is now, and we do wish we had more time to cover them all. This, however, is a place to start, if you’re interested in learning how we got to where we are now. One thing remains true, however, games will continue to be made, so if you’re worried about running out of things to play, don’t. It’s a huge world out there. march 2017

PHOTOFEATURE

Legion Strong 38

MARCH 2017

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In a survival game, it’s rather impossible for the main character to make it to the end without an arsenal of tough weapons on his or her person. In the same way, a gamer would fail to play to the best of his abilities without a trusty gaming device, and Lenovo’s Legion Y520 will help you blaze your way to gaming supremacy. Harness the gaming muscle of a legion with the Y520. Don't let its slim appearance throw you off: what’s packed on the inside is a powerful machine guaranteed to level up your gaming experience.

ART DIRECTION BY Theresa Eloriaga PHOTOGRAPHY BY Carlo Dans Isidoro MAKE-UP BY Boombee Bartolome HAIR BY Marciel Aunzo STYLING BY Jonah Mendoza SHOES BY STRUT ASSISTED BY Jael Laura Mendoza MODEL Cláudia Portall of Ideal People Management

Intel Inside®. Extraordinary Performance Outside. The Lenovo Legion Y520 Laptop is powered by the 7th generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor. Intel, the Intel Logo, Intel Inside, Intel Core, and Core Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Ultrabook, Celeron, Celeron Inside, Core Inside, Intel, Intel Logo, Intel Atom, Intel Atom Inside, Intel Core, Intel Inside, Intel Inside Logo, Intel vPro, Itanium, Itanium Inside, Pentium, Pentium Inside, vPro Inside, Xeon, Xeon Phi, and Xeon Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

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MARCH 2017

Price starts at

Php 59,995

7th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU

Hefty Storage and Speedy Processing The Y520 comes with generous storage options up to 512 GB of PCIe SSD or 2 TB HDD, providing ample stowing capacity for your game library while effortlessly handling tasks here and there.

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Life-like Gaming Audio

Next-Generation Graphics

Built with 2x2 W. Harman speakers powered by Dolby Audio Premium, the Y520 produces ground–shaking, quality audio, transporting you right at the center of gaming action, gaining a competitive edge over other players.

Immerse yourself in the glorious chaos of the battlegrounds with an NVIDIA GTX 1050/1050Ti graphics processor which makes for buttery-smooth frame rates.

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MARCH 2017

Extreme Cooling Even in the midst of a heated match, the Y520 remains cool thanks to its strategically engineered fan system that efficiently vents the heat out.

MARCH 2017

Hassle-Free Customization and Recording Lenovo’s built-in Nerve Sense helps you customize settings with ease and makes recording your game highlights and victories easy as pie.

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Claudia Portall Interviewed by Mia Carisse Barrientos Game heroines are created full of detail and personality that you can tell even without introduction they’re going to kick some serious in-game ass. These characters possess charm, strength, and wit: qualities that allow them to make it through the game. We found these same qualities in this month’s cover girl, Cláudia Portall. This 21-year-old heroine hails from Brazil and has been tackling the challenges of the modeling industry since 2012. Four out of those five years were spent globetrotting: walking runways and slaying photoshoots left and right. We’re not surprised, though. A quick look at this 5’9” beauty will make you see why she’s highly in demand. In just a month in the Philippines, Claudia has already worked with the country’s largest mall chain and now has a magazine cover under her belt, all of which she takes pride in. Contributing to her strong and fit physique is her active way of living. Back home, she enjoys engaging in very physical sports such as football and volleyball. In her spare time, Claudia shared that she enjoys playing video games, specifically football, with her brother. If you challenge her to a football match—physical or virtual, we can say she’ll be tough to beat. During the photoshoot, Claudia had to hold a pose seemingly forming a ball of fire. Just by watching her, anyone could tell it was exhausting. The team would tell her to relax in between takes but she’d insist on holding it as to not lose the pose. She would also exclaim that it’s like working out and then flash a smile, reassuring the team that she’s fine. This admirable trait is telling that she’s going to make it far in this industry. We’ve no doubt about it.

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MARCH 2017

MOBILITY

H O N D A

Words and Photos by Ren Alcantara

Finding the right balance between practical and fun is a tricky process. Too much of one or the other usually means the whole endeavor is wasted. This is doubly true for vehicles. You can choose a fun ride at the cost of practicality, or have a completely useful, but unexciting machine. Honda proposes you can have both with their BR-V, and they took members of the motoring press on a ride from Isabela to Baler, and finally back to Manila to find out for themselves. We were flown into Isabela, at which point, were assigned our groups, cars, and radios, had a quick lunch, and were off to Baler. The BR-V is essentially a sporty version of their already successful Mobilio. With sharper lines and a higher profile, this vehicle is a little closer to a full SUV than its city-dwelling predecessor. The cabin bares the same, comfortable, roomy interior, and is supremely quiet, even at speed, or on bumpy roads—and we had our share of those. For those who haven’t been, the road down to Baler from Isabela is treacherous, to put it mildly. While the majority of it has been paved, there are long stretches of ongoing construction, with

March 2017

loose soil, gravel, or mud. Remember, this is an incredibly twisty road that spans several peaks, and snakes down to the ocean. While we made sure we were going at a reasonable speed, having the Ramirez brothers in charge means you do have to focus. This brings you to a point where you stop worrying about anything and keep your mind on the drive—there was just no attention left over to second-guess the vehicle’s abilities. Interestingly, while it’s got MPV DNA in it, the BR-V was more than happy to

rise to the occasion. Despite some sickeningly tight turns taken at greater speed than I would on a normal day, we felt little cabin roll, even when consecutive opposing turns had to be made. On top of that, more than once, we had to jam on the brakes (dogs and cats are fickle creatures), and despite the stuttered screeching of ABS, there was no loss of control—nothing even close to it. The 1.5-liter engine had plenty of pull, even with four passengers, camera gear, and luggage for the overnight trip. There was no lack of pull, even

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when the road got steeper than what the occupants would want to think about. Engine response was likewise quick, with hardly any time between tapping the gas pedal and being pushed smartly back into your seat. After a few hours of driving through what seemed like endless twisties, changes in elevation, and even a few shallow water crossings, we found ourselves at our stop for the night, Costa Pacifica in Baler. There was hardly enough time to have a quick dinner in order to get enough sleep for the long drive back to Manila the next day. The drive home still had its share of hair-raising moments, but it was mostly long stretches of flat road after we got out of the mountains. Here too, the BR-V performed well, with my passengers falling right to sleep. Even with the body more along the lines of a van than a sedan, we got all the comfort, and none of the bouncy, floaty feeling one might expect. Once we hit the city, we came to appreciate how much smaller it felt, compared to its actual size. Despite terrible rushhour traffic, we didn’t feel any particular difficulty navigating through the tangles and turns of Metro Manila. It might not have been a pleasant route, but the BR-V made up for it inside. Overall, everyone was impressed with the way the BR-V performed. With everything we loved about the Mobilio, and a few tweaks here and there to make it a much better ride outside the city, and enough space for the family, and then some. Honda seems to have found a winning formula. We can’t wait to get our hands on one for a full review.

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MARCH 2017

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Suzuki and Des Marketing Open First 3S Shop in Ormoc City On December 8, 2016, Suzuki Philippines in partnership with Des Marketing opened its first 3S (sales, spare parts, and service) Specialty shop in Ormoc City. The recently inaugurated 3S shop is the second under Suzuki and Des Marketing’s more than 16 years of partnership--the first is in Consolacion, Cebu. The 171 sqm establishment sits along the hustling street of Lilia Ave. in Cogon, making it an accessible one-stop shop for motorheads and just about everyone in the city. As a 3S shop, it is neatly divided into three parts where customers can expect excellent service whether they’re in to purchase a new Suzuki motorbike, get authentic spare parts, or have their wheels serviced.

VIP's DES Marketing's VP Engr. Carl Ryan Lim with Suzuki Philippines president Mr. Hiroshi Suzuki, Ormoc City vice mayor Carmelo Locsin Jr. and celebrity guest Ms. Sam Pinto.

Greeting customers as they come in is the main showroom. It is designed in colors white, black, silver, and blue which altogether gives the space a sophisticated air. It is also adorned with the brand’s latest campaign “Para sa lahat ng trip mo” featuring Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil. A glass window separates the showroom and the service area. There are chairs and a long table installed right in front of the window so that customers can get a glimpse of the work area while remaining comfortable and sweat-free in the main showroom.

The lovely Mrs. Evelyn Du with Suzuki Philippines General Manager for Motorcycle Sales and Marketing Mr. Jun Bulot and Regional Sales Manager Mr. Bong Pascual.

March 2017

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A ONESTOP SHOP TO SERVE THE SAMARLEYTE REGION DES MARKETINGSUZUKI 3S SHOP ORMOC STAFF During the inauguration of the shop, Suzuki and Des Marketing treated its first customers to discounts, a Noche Buena package worth PHP 1,000, and free service to Suzuki motorcycle owners. The whole day was crammed with fun activities such as singing and dance competition, custom bike contest, stunts show, games, and raffle draw for Suzuki riders and customers within the vicinity, alike. Model-actress Sam Pinto also graced the event and performed songs for the crowd.

Suzuki Information

Suzuki Spare Parts

Suzuki Spare Parts Counter

Service Bay Counter

Service Bay

Service Shop

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MARCH 2017

Uber Partners With Megaworld for "HOP" Service

Traffic in Metro Manila is no joke. Think about the last time you were slogging your way through EDSA, unable to do anything but sit in the driver’s seat and watch the minutes tick by. Uber knows your plight, and they want to wake you from the nightmare that is urban traffic by reducing the number of cars on the road. To further this aim, they’ve just announced their first partnership with Megaworld Lifestyle Malls. To make sure everyone gets to their favorite Megaworld shopping destination, they’re giving passengers additional routes for the UberHOP service. Slightly different from the Uber rides you might be familiar with, UberHOP traverses predetermined routes during peak hours, giving commuters a more affordable, and convenient option to get around, while reducing the number of cars on the road, and providing Uber partner drivers a great opportunity to supplement their income. Everyone wins! With the new pick-up and drop-off locations for a flat fare of PHP 50, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls are now more accessible with UberHOP. 54

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“This partnership with Megaworld Lifestyle Malls gives Uber the opportunity to provide an easily accessible and reliable way for avid shoppers and mall-goers to get from one central location to another,” said Uber Philippines general manager Laurence Cua. “At the same time, they are also helping to #SolveTraffic (sic) because commuters get to share their rides with other people going in the exact same direction.”

comfort uberHOP can deliver. Despite being pressed for time, and brimming with adrenaline, uberHOP got everyone to their destinations quickly, and comfortably. And while it was a race with only one winner, at the end of the day, everyone benefits from the ride sharing service.

“We care about the wellbeing of our shoppers. By pursuing this partnership with Uber, we are making it more convenient for our shoppers to not just get to our malls, but also use our malls as transit points to connect to other modes of transportation towards their final destination,” added Megaworld senior vice president and head of Megaworld Lifestyle Malls Kevin Tan.

6AM to 9AM

To give us an idea of just how convenient the service is, Uber and Megaworld took members of the press on an adventure race across the Metro, with teams riding UberHOP style in the same comfortable MPVs that will be plying the UberHOP routes. From Eastwood City, to Uptown in BGC, and finally McKinley, the press riders were able to experience the ease and

For those who want to give UberHOP a try, here are the routes and times available:

• Mcdo Ortigas Ave. Ext Pasig to BPI Orchard Rd. Eastwood City • BPI Orchard Rd. Eastwood City to Uptown Bonifacio 36th St. • MRT Ayala to Metrobank Upper McKinley Road LRT 2 Santolan to BPI Orchard Rd Eastwood

6PM to 9PM

• BPI Orchard Rd. Eastwood City to Mcdo Ortigas Ave. Ext Pasig • BPI Orchard Rd, Eastwood City to LRT 2 Santolan • Uptown Place Tower 2 to 711 One Orchard Road, Eastwood City • Metrobank Upper Mckinley Road to MRT Ayala www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Isuzu Unveils the D-Max X-Series

Isuzu had just released the latest variant of their ever-popular D-MAX. The new 2017 Isuzu D-MAX X-Series is the perfect vehicle for the young, sporty, dynamic crowd. Unveiled to the public at the start of the year, right at the Bonifacio High Street Ampitheater, this new variant is the latest, and arguably edgiest in the vaunted D-MAX line of pickups. “There is no denying that the Isuzu D-MAX is an ideal vehicle for leisure activities and is also a highly capable workhorse. With the arrival of the new D-MAX X-Series, the model now addresses the lifestyle mobility requirement of active and urbane families too. So now, no other pickup truck available in the local market can offer the combination of utility, reliability, versatility and high style that the D-MAX X-Series does,” said Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) president Hajime Koso. The front of the X-Series stands out with its gunmetal radiator grille with the bright red Isuzu www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

badge that carries over to a functional front skirt that stands out with the same red highlights. The X-Series is decked out with a side skirt for increased aerodynamic efficiency, and a cargo spoiler fitted atop the bed, creates sleek lines that are as much functional as they are beautiful. Along with these, the new D-Max has gorgeous two-tone 18-inch alloy wheels, adding to the already sporty look of the pickup.

380 Nm of torque at 1,800 – 2,200 rpm. Guaranteeing power and fuel-efficiency for the engine is either a five-speed automatic transmission with sequential shift, or a fivespeed manual transmission.

Matching the accents on the exterior are red accents on the seat covers, as well as the special X-Series badge displayed on the front seats. Sophisticated piano black accents complete the look inside the cabin.

“Isuzu Philippines sold 3,966 D-MAX units in 2016, with deliveries rising 27.3 percent when compared to the model’s sales result in 2015. This growth, which is in lockstep with the pace of commercial vehicle demand in the country, was fueled largely by the continuous upgrades that the D-MAX has received. The introduction of the new X-Series line is meant to sustain the D-MAX’s upward trajectory,” Koso said.

As it is available exclusively for the D-MAX 3.0L 4x2 model, the D-MAX X-Series is powered by Isuzu’s 4JJI-TC (HI) diesel engine that’s equipped with a Variable Geometry System (VGS) turbocharger and intercooler. This inline-four, 3.0-liter, Common Rail Direct Injection diesel engine produces maximum power of 163 PS at 3,200 rpm and

To sweeten the deal each purchase of this new D-Max variant comes with a special gift pack with items from Under Armour, the perfect complement to the rough, tough, sporty D-Max lifestyle. The D-MAX X-Series is available in three exciting colors—splash white, venetian red and cosmic black. MARCH 2017

GoBear Adds Auto Insurance to Its Comparison Service Singaporean company GoBear, Asia's first and only metasearch engine for finance products, announced its integration of auto insurance into its Philippine website last February 20 in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. With the launch of the auto insurance comparison service, an in-demand product in the country, users are able to compare the best deals on comprehensive car insurance. GoBear features an easy-to-use, browser-based, app-like interface which does not require users to sign up before getting information on the car insurance plans. The company also stresses that the service allows transparent canvassing without sharing user information to brokers, or them pushing for products with higher commissions. The metasearch engine currently includes 80 percent of the market share for car insurance products which users can sieve through with the most up-to-date information on quotations, benefits, plan inclusions, and promotions. With this, they can compare coverage benefits such as property damage, third-party liability, and medical expenses side by side.

Screenshots from the GoBear PH website.

"It's our mission at GoBear to help users understand financial products, be more in control and feel safe of their financial decisions. We strengthen our commitment to give the power of choice to Filipinos through the launch of our newest financial service—car insurance comparison. Users can now get the best auto

insurance policy that suits their needs and gives the best value for their money," said GoBear Philippines country director Rommel Torres. The company expressed that it will also include home loans and health insurance to its service later in the year.

Prestone Celebrates 90 Years in the Industry Prestone remains true to their promise of providing complete protection for automobiles by constantly innovating quality car care solutions. Established in 1927, Prestone came out with the first non-flammable Prestone Ethylene Glycol Antifreeze which keeps engines safe from freezing during winter driving. The Antifreeze Solution propelled the brand to greater heights with Prestone sealing partnerships with giant car manufacturers such as Ford, GM, and Chrysler US, installing the mixture into their new vehicles. With their proven care solutions for automobiles, Prestone then partnered with local fleet customers Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, Victory Liner, and Toyota Forklifts Philippines. The brand has also inked another remarkable venture with Rapidé, the largest auto repair network in the Philippines. Apart from Prestone revolutionizing car care products, it has also established itself as a partner of motorists in ensuring safe travels. One of the brand's products, Prestone Break Fluid, is 56

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lauded due to its impeccable performance and guaranteed promise. Now on its 90th year, Prestone takes pride in its continuous developments and breakthroughs in the industry. The brand holds its ground as the leader in innovative and world-class automotive formulas laps ahead the competition. For its continued success, Prestone celebrates this victory with their consumers and partners. Prestone brand manager, Monique Gonzales expressed: “It will be a year-long celebration for Prestone and our consumers. They can catch us on car shows nationwide. We will also be launching the Anak ng Mekaniko Scholarship Program to give back to our silent partners in protecting cars for the last 90 Years – the mechanics. We have innovations lined up that they can watch out for, in our dedication to provide new solutions for worry-free vehicle performance.” Prestone’s 90th Anniversary was capped off with a grand gathering ‘revved’ with celebrities last 21st of February at the MOA Music Hall. Valued partners throughout the years witnessed and graced the event as they enjoyed treats and prizes from the brand. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Honda Flagship Shop Opens in Cebu

Honda Philippines Inc. (HPI) in partnership with Du Ek Sam Inc. opened the doors to its newest and largest retail concept store in the country, the first ever Honda Flagship Shop last December 21, 2016. Situated right at the heart of Cebu City, the Honda Flagship Shop is proof of HPI’s commitment in providing convenience and satisfaction to all its customers. Welcoming visitors is a striking facade with glass walls that enforce strength and elegance to the building structure as well as provide a preview of the stunning interior of the shop. Inside is a modern, industrial design filled with the brand’s many motorcycles and a centerpiece three-layer motorcycle display made of sturdy metal. The shop area spans approximately 325 square meters. This spacious retail store is fitted with a cozy customer lounge, wide selection of top quality motorcycle choices, genuine spare parts, and cutting-edge power products. A modern service area and maintenance facility equipped with skillful and well-trained mecha-

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nics are also present in the shop to attend to every customer. Recognizing the need for more space to accommodate customers, this flagship shop was built with a test course facility at approximately 2,200 sq. meters, in which customers can test ride their new motorcycles or try out newly released models. Also, there’s a huge parking space in front of the building designed to accommodate every store patron. In addition, HPI says customers should look forward to new features coming to the flagship shop such as a huge indoor multi-purpose function area and a coffee shop. New branches of the Honda Flagship Shop are set to open in Davao and Manila on the first and second quarter of 2017 respectively. To learn more visit www.hondaph.com.

MARCH 2017

Petron Launches 'HTP' Line of High-Performance Car Lubes and Fluids Petron unveiled its newest line of vehicle lubricants and fluids, the High Temperature Protection (HTP) series, last February 2 at City Kart Racing in Circuit Makati. The HTP line is scientifically formulated to deal with stressful conditions associated with operating under extreme heat. The current line-up of products is comprised of the Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) Premium HTP, the Brake Fluid HTP DOT 4, and the Grease HTP Lithium Complex. The ATF Premium HTP is used for automatic transmissions which acts as a coolant, and cleans and protects metal surfaces. The synthetic lubricant has a higher viscosity index, which virtually has the same thickness even in higher temperatures. It also has better oxidative and thermal stability, helping it resist sludge formation and alterations under extreme heat and oxidation during use.

Petron's new calendar girl Janine Gutierrez also served as the Go Kart exhibition's flag-waver.

The Brake Fluid HTP is rated DOT 4 (DOT stands for the US Department of Transportation) which means it has a higher dry boiling point of 230 degrees Celsius as opposed to the 205-degree limit of brake fluids that are one DOT rating lower. The Lithium Grease Complex, on the other hand, is used to lubricate ball bearings, hinges and latches, preventing any excessive friction and protects the parts from rust and corrosion. The Lithium Grease has a 260 degrees Celsius dropping point which is higher than the 190-degree level of previous versions.

James Deakin opens the Go Kart exhibition with a lap around the track.

To celebrate the launch, Petron held a Go Kart exhibition at the track. Present at the event were guests from the media and motoring industry,

including guest host and famous car enthusiast James Deakin and Petron's new calendar girl Janine Gutierrez.

MDPPA Crosses 1 Million Sales Mark The Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association (MDPPA), comprised of motorcycle manufacturers Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Kymco, has recently breached the one million sales mark for the first time. The association successfully capped off 2016 with a 34 percent year-on-year (YoY) sales growth, reporting an all-time sales high of 1,140,338 million motorcycles in 2016. MDPPA has exceeded its initial 952,570 unit and 12 percent sales growth forecasts for the year, posting the highest growth among members of the Federation of Asian Motorcycle Industries (FAMI). Its 2016 sales growth is attributed to the robust motorcycle demand in the first half of 2016. The group’s midyear motorcycle sales reached 544,699 units, significantly higher than its 382,568 midyear motorcycle sales in 2015. Leading the sales are moped motorcycles. The total moped motorcycle sales reached 418,043 units or 37 percent of the aggregate motorcycle sales. The next leading sales driver was the 58

March 2017

In photo are MDPPA board members (L-R): Espie N. Custodio, Rodel I. Pablo, Alfredo O. Lejano, Armando B. Reyes (President), Edwardo B. Clemente, Jacinto R. Cadugo (Road Safety Committee chairman).

business motorcycle category, which accounted for 32 percent of total motorcycle sales at 368,270 units. Meanwhile, the 274,104 unit sales of automatic transmission posted the highest growth among the categories, with 51-percent increase from 2015.

Banking on a remarkable 2016, MDPPA is upbeat and sees a positive outlook for the motorcycle industry in 2017. The group is optimistic about replicating, if not surpassing, its 2016 sales growth this year with a conservative target of 12 to 15 percent uptick. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

YAMAHA CLUB Rides to SAGADA

After wrapping up a stellar 2016, the Yamaha Club members welcomed the new year with a special ride to Sagada. At the Venus Parkview Hotel in Baguio, Yamaha Motorcycle Philippines discussed their new direction for 2017 and shared fun events and activities riders should look forward to. For this year, the Yamaha Club is shifting focus to the rider lifestyle by upgrading its reward scheme for their club members. Right after the program, the event sponsor, Motoworld, raffled off premium items to attendees. On the second day, club presidents along with vice presidents journeyed to Sagada on their Yamaha Motorcycles. The riders experienced further Yamaha’s ingenuity as they traversed long and winding roads leading up to their destination.

After a long ride, the participants arrived at the Rock Inn Café and were given freedom to visit the different tourist spots around the area such as: the Eco Valley and Hanging Coffins, Sagada Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Sagada Pottery, and the Sumaging Cave. On the last day, the riders made a stop at the highest point of the Philippine highway system. At 7,400 feet, the riders were treated to a breathtaking view of the Mountain province. The trip was indeed an unforgettable experience for YClub members. The ride is only the beginning of a long and exciting year every Yamaha enthusiast should rev up for.

Yamaha Club Sagada Ride Participants: Luzon

TEAM MIO SOUL I YAMAHA UNITED FZ16 PHILIPPINES VEGA FORCE I PHILIPPINES VEGA FORCE MANTIS PANGASINAN BIKERS FEDERATION N-MAX PHILIPPINES MIO I 125 RIDERS PHILIPPINES Y1

Visayas

SOUL I EXCLUSIVE TEAM CEBU CLUB MIO MXI CEBU TRIBU DEL MIO DE BOHOL ALL MIO VISAYAS YAMAHA CEBUANA CLUB YAMAHA FINO CLUB CEBU TEAM MIO SOUL I NEGROS CLUB MIO I 125 CEBU

Mindanao

DAVAO SNIPER GUILD DAVAO MIO SOUL I ALL MIO CLUB MINDANAO

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MARCH 2017

GAMING

Words by Ren Alcantara Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, XBox One

Resident Evil is a videogame series that is very close to my heart. There are other survival-horror titles out in the market, and some of them are arguably more interestingly done, but RE has had me hooked since I first hit the streets of Raccoon City in RE2. Things have changed for the title though. More and more, we’ve seen the game veer sharply away from its original theme of limited resources and making it by the skin of your teeth. We’ve seen it become more and more action-horror as the sequels rolled on. They remained immense fun, but it was different.

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punish you too bad if you just want to get on with it. The same doesn’t go for your character, Ethan, though. He gets punished a *lot*. There’s no shortage of gore in this game, and at some points, it really gets very brutal—like limbs-gettinghacked-off brutal. If you’re faint of heart, you might want to play this with another person in a well-lit room, in the daytime. VR makes the terror that much more real. Boss fights are interesting to say the least. You’re left to figure out how to handle each member of the family in a manner similar to how boss fights were done in the more action-y Resident Evil titles. This was a great decision on their part, as the fights are significantly more frantic than the lead-up, or the rest of the game for that matter. It’s a nice change of pace, and takes your mind off the terror you’ll be fighting through the whole time. By the time you face off with them, you are sufficiently angry at them for toying with you the whole time, which gives the fight that much more meaning.

You can imagine my joy when it was announced that Capcom would be returning to its survivalhorror roots with Resident Evil 7. As soon as it became available, I secured a copy, and, along with the awesome PlayStation VR on loan from Sony, got down to killing zombies, old-school style. Except, there weren’t any. Along with the return to frantically trying to survive, Capcom saw it fit to change the story quite a bit. Instead of having to battle through hordes of the undead with your military/police/ bad-ass background, you’re thrown into the shoes of Ethan, a regular dude, looking for his wife, Mia who went missing after a trip to the South US. Three years after her disappearance, Ethan gets a message from his wife, telling him to find her at an address. Then the fun starts. You quickly find yourself in the middle of a literal house of horrors, pursued by what is essentially a zombie murder family. Sentient, inhumanly tough, and unbelievably evil, they chase you around the house, while you are completely powerless to stop them. It only sounds horrifying because it is. Immersion is superb, in no small part because the graphics are amazing, and made even more so thanks to great use of the VR platform. Being able to see your hands really does a lot to make you feel like you’re in the thick of the action, and since the game is mostly sneaking, holding your breath, and hoping you can’t be seen, being able to take a quick look behind you is both comforting and terrifying, depending on what you see going on back there. It’s a shame there isn’t any support for PlayStation move, but the controller is more than intuitive enough a method, so it doesn’t remove from the experience—and make no mistake, experience is exactly what this game is selling. The story accelerates at a frighteningly rapid pace. One moment, you’re stumbling into an old, decrepit house, and literally moments after that,

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you’re running for your life, looking for a small space to cram yourself into. While there is the occasional jumpscare, that’s just the cherry on top. The constant low hum of fear is really what drives the game. Even during quiet moments you know should be safe have you on edge, due to the setting and that gnawing feeling of being hunted. You uncover clues as to what happened to the family, how they got to that point, and why there has been a string of disappearances in their area, as well as the fate of your wife. It would be a severe disservice to you if I gave more of the plot away, but know that the game has you tackling each member of the zombie murder family in turn, each with their signature theme, scares, and challenges. They come at you like the tyrants of old, but sentient, mocking you at every opportunity. The game doesn’t leave you dry though. Over the course of it, you do get access to weapons here and there, as well as a simple crafting system that gives you resources to build what you need instead of scavenging all the time, but this does little to ease the feeling of helplessness the game works so hard to build. Their intention was to go back to their roots, and I do believe they managed that perfectly. While the family is indestructible until the game says so, there are zombie-like creatures thrown at you every so often for good measure. Compared to the rest of the family though, they’re actually quite welcome opponents.

The game is not without its shortcomings though. If you skimp on the resources enough, you’ll eventually have enough to just Rambo through the fights later on. Though it’s tempting to play it on a difficulty that’s comfortably low, don’t. You won’t get your money’s worth. Lower difficulty levels increase the available resources, and the feel of the game suffers a bit. Play it on hard, and get the experience you deserve. There are also a few issues with control, and the odd clipping issue with the VR headset which allow you to look inside objects in the world. Save for possibly playing the game on too easy a setting (or cheating by turning the gamma up), none of my complaints ruin the experience. Replay value might not also be too high with this title, though it does seem like it would be a lot of fun to watch someone play, just to get a more cinematic, less stressful experience. Resident Evil 7 is exactly the game Capcom was trying to accomplish. It’s got both survival and horror in generous amounts, and even though zombies aren’t exactly the driving force, it gives you a terrifying experience that you really shouldn’t miss.

Just like the original games, the house has its share of puzzles to solve, though they’re generally not as contrived as the things we saw in the Raccoon City Police Station. There are a few FedEx quests here and there, but not so many as to make the go-here-and-get-the-thing missions feel tedious. It gets pretty creative though, and add to this a shop system that requires you to hunt for coins throughout the map instead of picking them up from kills, and you have an engaging title that rewards you for being through, but doesn’t really

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Words by Jose Alvarez Developer: Nintendo EPD Publisher: Nintendo Platforms: iOS, Android (March 2017)

Conan the Barbarian has been around in various forms of media since 1932, but most readers might remember the films Conan the Barbarian (1982) and Conan the Destroyer (1984). Popular action star-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger played the title role and it cemented himself as a bankable Hollywood action star. A television animated series, Conan the Adventurer, also ran from 1992 to 1994.

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Crafting requires the use of casting stations, and one can use the armorer’s bench, furnace, blacksmith’s bench, carpenter’s bench, tannery, and firebowl cauldron to make various armors, materials, and consumables. To build, one must chop down trees for wood, mine stone, and other resources. There are several types of buildings: sandstone, stonebrick, reinforced, crafting, furniture, altars, wheels of pain, trophies, and miscellaneous buildings. The thrall system means you can capture NPCs and break them on a wheel of pain; these can be used to guard buildings or work at crafting stations. This will be further expanded when the full version of the game is released in 2018. Conan the Barbarian is a series that spans TV, movies, comics, and even video games. Conan Exiles is set to be released in 2018.

There have also been numerous video games based on the Conan character. Conan has appeared on the Apple II, Commodore 64, DOS, PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 over three decades. However, Conan’s true nature as a barbarian might have come out on the title Conan Exiles, which was recently released on Steam’s Early Access. As the game shows, you are one of thousands of exiles cast out to fend for yourself in a barbaric wasteland crawling with enemies. You can choose to level stats such as health, stamina, encumbrance, might, accuracy, athleticism, metabolism, and resilience. There are several races that only serve as cosmetic, but may have some benefits later on as the game develops.

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The combat system is very tactical—you can use shields to block, attack with both the right and left hand, have special attacks, and even throw weapons. In order to survive, you must build shelter, fight, and dominate resources. The player character can grow crops, hunt for food, gather resources to build weapons and tools, and build shelter to survive in the world. You can go at it alone or band together with your friends to build settlements and strongholds. You can choose to worship a god, or even choose not to worship any of them. There are four gods: Crom, Mitra, Yog, and Set, and additional gods will be available in the full version of the game. Each god has their specific advantages.

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Words by Robby Vaflor | Developer: Dinosaur Polo Club Publisher: Dinosaur Polo Club | Platform: Browser, Linux, OS X, Windows, Android, iOS

It was January, I had some money to spare, I went down the Steam rabbit hole. The wealth of Steam is not in gold or jewels, but games. But before I get too carried away with the film references, I would like to talk about a gem that I found while scouring Steam’s immense library: Mini Metro. Albeit Mini Metro is already a year old, my discovery isn’t exactly too late given the number of games already in my queue (I bet yours is full up too). Boy, was I glad I found the game. Mini Metro is a strategy, puzzle, resource management game circled around redesigning the tube or railway systems of famous cities across the globe, whether improving them or causing their demise by a passenger-instigated riot is entirely up to you. And no, our glorious rail transit system isn’t a playable level (yet); although it would be fun to have that even just for the Extreme mode, or a special Impossible mode. I am a quip and a half close to satire.

resources of their choice such as a carriage, an extra line, tunnels or bridges, or an interchange. Players are encouraged to choose wisely though, as resources can mean life or death for the train system.

Sure in the early waves, there were maybe two or three per station, but before you know it there are ten or twelve at each stop, getting antsy at the lack of vacant coaches, and then you just lie on your couch in fetal position hoping it will sort itself out.

Does it get more complicated? Okay, good. Here is another catch: city growth is at random, so the strategy that you implemented the last time you played the level won’t necessary equate to a good showing in your current game. This will also require players to redesign their whole train system every now and again.

Mini Metro’s Steam description got it accurately: “Compelling, constructive, hectic, relaxed gameplay.” And the genius of this lies in Mini Metro’s game design which encapsulated the calm chaos of train systems—like a wave that crescents in climax, then collapsing back into the sea in a commotion.

The objective of the game is to connect the different stations within the city which are represented by varying shapes. Once a line or lines are set up, passengers will start to accumulate. Each passenger is shaped differently and corresponds to their destinations. Sounds simple enough? You are not wrong, but you are definitely not right. As the days and weeks go by, the city will grow, which will require longer routes or more lines, depending on your strategy and resources. The priority is efficiency. And unless you’re Rain Man, the shapes won’t actually mean much to you as passenger traffic is purely at random. With the end of each week, players get a free train (even a Shinkansen in the Osaka level) and free

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Global Mobile Game Confederation Hits Manila

On January 12 and 13, 2017, the fifth leg of the Global Mobile Game Confederation’s (GMGC) Southeast Asian tour took Manila by storm. Held at the EDSA Shangri-La Ballroom, the conference gathered over 1,000 mobile gaming industry professionals to engage in fun talks and activities with one expected result in mind: push the industry forward.

GMGC Founder and CEO David Song

The two-day conference saw top companies such as Xurpas, Globe, Appsflyer, Google Play, PikPok, and Akamai share their expertise and experiences in the field with their fellow game makers.

IMBA Interactive co-founder Gwen Guo

GMGC was also a platform for newcomers and young brilliant teams to pitch their game ideas to investors. Dubbed Indie Pitch Arena, it was a venue where game developers battle it out in the hopes of making their creations known and possibly snag financial assistance for further development of their games. Springloaded’s world-domination game Netherrealms took the top spot in the recently concluded Manila leg of the conference.

Paul McCarthy, Sr. Client Services Manager, AppsFlyer

March 2017

On day one, participants were treated to a set of talks from game company top brass giving significant insights on the current gaming landscape, tackling topics that cover security, management, and recipes for success.

Senator Bam Aquino

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The second day on the main stage focused more on marketing and revenue opportunities, with the jam-packed day opened by Playlab CGO and co-founder Thomas Andreasen discussing how to double mobile game revenue in one day. Developers, startup company founders, students and enthusiasts got to hear talks about how the mobile gaming industry developed, how it looks today and professional opinions on and forecasts of what is to come. Other guest speakers and panelists included gumi Asia managing director Henry Yeh, App Annie regional BD

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manager Jamie Kim, IMBA Interactive co-founder Gwen Guo, and Game Developers Association of the Philippines president Alvin Juban. Coinciding with the talks and seminars, a Dev Camp was also held which focused on the more technical aspects of mobile game development from some of the industry’s lead professionals and executives. GMGC Manila, along with other Asia Pacific legs of the conference tour will culminate in China, GMGC’s main conference, which will be held in Beijing on March 16 to 17.

MARCH 2017

s r e f f O s e c i v r s e r S e p b o e l e W v n e o Amaz for Game D Suites

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AWS prides itself in power and scalability. Not only do users get access to over 90 cloud computing applications, they also only pay for what they use in per hour, per GB, or per transaction terms. The model ensures that developers can sustain their title’s continuous growth while maintaining the flexibility to boost backend resources during peak hours. Moreover, AWS applications all work whether the game be browser-based, mobile, or on PC and consoles. To store and deliver content, Amazon offers S3 and CloudFront; to test content across multiple devices, the brand has the Device Farm; user SQL data is courtesy of DynamoDB and

DynamoDB Streams; targeted campaigns and user engagement is taken care of by Pinpoint; real-time events are logged through Kinesis; push notifications are handled by SNS Mobile Push; serverless business logic is done through Lambda; and user behavior is quickly condensed into usable data using Mobile Analytics. AWS also boasts of the Amazon Lumberyard, a free cross-platform game engine with built-in assets. It allows developers to quickly get their game up and running, incorporate them with the rest of AWS applications, as well as build a community with its built-in Twitch integration. Interested developers can go to the AWS website to checkout Amazon’s offerings, and sign up for a free account through aws.amazon.com/free/.

Branded Gaming Café, High Grounds, Opens in Tomas Morato Acer’s gaming PC brand, Predator, continues its thrust to dominate the local gaming PC market with the opening of High Grounds Café. High Grounds Café is the country’s first and only fully branded gaming café and is operated by TheNet.com (TNC). Its partnership with the gaming brand sees the 500 sqm establishment equipped with best-in-class and powerful Predator PC’s. The two-level cafe is home to approximately 110 units of the Predator G1 (GTX 1080) and Predator G3 (GTX 1060) that are sure to provide unmatched gaming muscle to enthusiasts and professionals. Customers can rent out these fully-capable gaming PC’s at only PHP 80 per hour. The interior of the café provides players a conducive gaming environment like no other and sets itself up as a perfect venue for meeting and connecting with people who share the same interests.

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This generous space can also accommodate virtually hundreds of players at any given time, which makes it an ideal venue for gaming tourneys and such. Additionally, the gaming café also features a snack and coffee bar that

serves delectable meals to recharge ‘war-tattered’ players. The High Grounds Café is located at #67 Scout Rallos, Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

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FOOD

Good finds at

the Food Fair Words and Photos by Jonah Mendoza

Earlier this month, I had the chance to be one of the first to see and taste the products that will be showcased in the Sikat Pinoy National Food Fair, an annual event organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). SMEs from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao applied to be a part of this massive event. The panel of judges tasked with screening these products are people who have dedicated their lives to improving the quality of Philippine products, so you can be sure everything is top-notch. Join us as we take a virtual food trip around the country!

1. Beverages We all know that the Philippines is home to many fruit-bearing trees: mango, calamansi, guava, guyabano, you name it. We have since taken all our favorite fruits, and turned them into wines, juices, concentrates, and even coffee. In this food fair, we will have calamansi and mangosteen concentrates; strawberry, dragon fruit and bignay wine; coconut water; soya milk; and a few yoghurt drinks. We will also have different kinds of coffee including corn, our favorite barako, and rice coffee. 2. Ready-to-eat bottled food Being blessed with abundant marine resources, it has become one of our leading industries, exporting a lot of our seafood to different countries. To avoid spoilage, many enterprising individuals have bottled them to preserve their goodness. Everything from bangus, gourmet tuyo, smoked fish flakes, fermented mudfish in rice, crab paste, fermented shrimp in rice, sinaing na tulingan, adobong tahong, as well as a few land dishes like Bicol Express, and laing, are stored and served in bottles for us to enjoy.

chili oil, fish paste, shrimp paste, and vinegar from sugarcane and coconut. 5. Delicacies You won’t need to travel out to different regions just to satisfy your cravings. Authentic Ilocos empanada, bagnet, and bibingka are all present in the fair. Decadent and rich sylvanas from the Visayas, and suman with different flavors such as chocolate, ube, leche flan, and red bean are additional treats available for those with a sweet tooth.

3. Chocolate Everyone is always excited for chocolate and, fortunately for us, we have our own large plantations of cacao from the province of Davao. Different varieties of dark and milk chocolate are incorporated with ingredients like chili, pili nuts, and rice crisps. If eating chocolate isn’t your thing, we’ve also got tablea, so you can have some chcolate to drink instead. 4. Condiments We’re people that love to spice up our food. The taste of food is incomplete without adding a little extra flavor. A wide array of seasonings will be found in this fair, with more than a few to add to your meal: chili extract, chili sauces, chili flakes,

MARCH 2017

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6. Health needs For health buffs, we got you covered. We’ve got more than sweet treats, the fair will also be bringing in natural herbal teas and supplements. Have yourself some turmeric, salabat, lemongrass, and guyabano tea. For supplements, you can grab some Spirulina, a non-conventional supplement. To help curb the problem of obesity, coconut sugar and coconut butter are also some of the healthier alternatives. 7. Kitchen supplies You can fill your pantry with basic ingredients you’d normally grab at the grocery by doing your shopping here instead. Noodles such as pancit canton infused with malunggay, rice mais, cooking oil, dried and smoked fish will be available. For your babies, nutri-booster cereals are a great alternative to jarred baby food.

10. Spreads Your typical sandwich need not be boring thanks to these awesome spreads! From decadent and rich, to light and fruity spreads, we’ve got it all. Coconut and mango jam might be just what you’re looking for to add a twist to your usual merienda. Smooth and crunchy peanut butter can easily satisfy one’s cravings for something tasty and nutritious. Head out to the Sikat Pinoy National Food Fair happening on March 15-19 at the Megatrade Halls of SM Megamall to get a hold of these yummy products.

8. Processed meats For serious carnivores, a wide selection of processed meats—bacon, sausage, longganisa, tocino and ham at factory prices will be up for sale. Dimsum such as pork siomai and Korean mandu dumplings will also be sold. 9. Snacks No day is complete without a nice snack, and the Sikat Pinoy National Food Fair is a great place to stock up on those too. Peanuts, date tarts, chicharon, banana and tahong chips, malunggay shingaling, pastillas, brownie bites, polvoron, and even mushroom tempura will be available.

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music corner

MARCH 2017

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MARCH 2017

Poker Fans Lend Helping Hands in

RWM LuckStars Charity

RWM LuckStars Charity Poker’s first champion Jeng Del Rosario.

Poker T Words by Aileen Martin

he mind sport of Texas Hold’em poker has taken the country by storm in recent years and it continues to gain popularity among various circles to this day. With its steady international appeal, it wasn’t long for us Filipinos to try our hand at the sport and find out if we have the flair for it. And as it turns out, we certainly do. With the growing number of Texas Hold’em poker enthusiasts in the Philippines, the country’s premier entertainment and tourism destination Resorts World Manila (RWM) came up with another brilliant idea--to make communities win via the first ever LuckStars Charity Poker, which was held during the Lunar New Year on January 28. By inviting celebrities, bloggers, athletes, and other influencers who actively compete in various poker rooms across the country and letting them play for three beneficiary institutions, LuckStars Charity Poker proved to be another successful socio-civic activity for RWM. “RWM takes responsible citizenship seriously and we continue to come up with innovative ways to make communities win,” said RWM director for Corporate Communications Owen Cammayo. But before LuckStars Charity Poker gained ground this year, RWM first staged the Bloggers Poker Tournament in 2015, which served as a dry-run for the bigger charity event. “We raised and donated around PHP100,000 to chosen beneficiaries that year. For LuckStars Charity Poker, we have raised the stakes and with the help of the country’s most prominent poker players, we’re donating PHP150,000 to three selected beneficiaries,” shared Cammayo.

The stars came out for RWM LuckStars Charity Poker (from L-R): Rona Ofiana, Jeremy Marquez, Gwen Zamora, Ryza Cenon, Pocholo Barretto, Troy Montero, Aubrey Miles, KC Montero, Cesca Litton, and Boy2 Quizon.

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These three beneficiaries are Child Haus, a temporary sanctuary for ill and indigent patients from various provinces; Ang Misyon’s Orchestra of the Filipino Youth, an

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LuckStars Charity Poker’s first-ever champion Jeng Del Rosario shares his blessings with his chosen charity institution ChildHaus, via a Php100,000 donation. With him, (L-R) are RWM director for Gaming Operations Arturo Basa, ChildHaus’s Daydee Castillo, and RWM director for Corporate Communications Owen Cammayo.

ensemble of talented scholars who perform all over the country and abroad; and Bantay Kalikasan, a program under ABS-CBN Foundation that commits itself to initiatives for sustainable environmental development. With the novel idea of turning winning hands into helping hands, LuckStars Charity Poker received massive support from the invited social influencers. On tournament day, 28 players came to RWM’s newly refurbished Poker Room (considered to be one of the best Texas Hold’em venues in the country) and battled it out for their chosen beneficiaries. Chip leaders in the final eight included blogger Jeng Del Rosario; actors Epi Quizon, Jeremy Marquez, and Rocco Nancino; athlete Anton Del Rosario; model Michael Jungschlager; and socialites JV Durian and Yeboy Avante. Later on, Quizon and Jeng Del Rosario met for the faceoff with the latter emerging as the first-ever LuckStars Charity Poker champion and winning PHP100,000 for ChildHaus. Quizon took 1st runner-up honors with PHP20,000 donated to ABS-CBN Foundation’s Bantay Kalikasan, while Anton Del Rosario placed 2nd runnerup donating Php30,000 to Ang Misyon’s Orchestra of the Filipino Youth. “RWM wants to thank the players of the first LuckStars Charity Poker for their continued support for the sport of poker, and for their kind hearts and willingness to help out a good cause,” said Cammayo. “We truly hope to see more poker enthusiasts to help out our beneficiaries next year for the 2nd RWM LuckStars Charity Poker Tournament,” he added. More poker action happens at RWM this April for the Asian Poker Tour (APT) Championships Philippines 2017 from April 26 until May 7. For more upcoming poker events, visit www.rwmanila.com or call the Tourist/Visitor hotline at (632) 908-8833.

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RESORTS WORLD MANILA

mobile app

Know what thrills await you at Resorts World Manila (RWM), with the RWM Mobile App.

more features that will help you plan a grand RWM experience.

Free for download in the App Store and Google Play, the RWM Mobile App provides users with an easy-to-navigate interface that serves as a portal to the latest promos, an RWM events calendar, movie schedules at the Newport Cinemas, gaming guide, shuttle schedules and routes, a customer help button for real-time assistance, live event notifications, and

RWM members may also link their IDs to the RWM Mobile App to access their respective dashboards and receive exclusive notifications, coupons, and promos. Download the RWM Mobile App now and get your handy gateway to Resorts World Manila’s nonstop thrills. Visit www.rwmanila.com for more on the RWM Mobile App.

march 2017

TRAVEL TECH

N O I T A N I Y A T D I S L E D A ROMAN HO Words and Photos by Presy Alba

Rome is called the Eternal City. If you think about it, Rome has lived up to its name for even after more than 2500 years since it was founded, it continues to thrive and remains to be one of the most interesting cities in the world. Year after year, visitors go to Rome not only once but several times if they can. Why? Because of all the popular European destinations, I think that Rome has the most to offer: it has history that goes back over two millennia, art by the great masters at every turn, delicious cuisine, fabulous shopping choices, amazing architecture, and to top it all, it has the Vatican. Rome has so many beautiful sights to offer that it is literally a film set. The center of Rome is full of iconic sites that we’ve all seen on TV or in movies: the Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, and Castel Sant’Angelo just to name a few. For several generations now, people around the world travel to Rome to see places featured in movies up close and personal. This is really why places like the Spanish Steps or the Trevi Fountain are jampacked with crowds just milling around and taking pictures. Tourists patiently line up near the entrance of the nondescript Santa Maria de Cosmendin Church for a glimpse of the famous Bocca della Verita, which was featured in the classic movie, “Roman Holiday” starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. Some are even willing to pay a fee for a chance to put their hand inside the mouth of the lion bust and have a photo taken. Nobody can

deny that Rome is an exciting city to visit whether you are young or old. For the young, it can be a place to meet new people as they explore the sites; meanwhile, older people who want a slower pace can enjoy its laid back vibe with short stops in outdoor cafes or pause for a gelato or Pompi’s famous Tiramisu. But I have to say this, to fully experience Rome, be prepared to walk—a lot. If you’re Catholic or a Christian, it is worth visiting the four major Basilicas: St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, Sta. Maria Maggiore, and St. Paul Outside the Walls. Even if you’re not Christian but are passionate for art, you must visit St. Peter’s Basilica, to take in the awesome ambiance of St. Peter’s Square and wonder at Bernini’s Colonnade. And, you have to visit the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo’s ceiling. We suggest you set aside at least two days for your Vatican visit. Make sure that you visit the Basilica separately from the Museum and Sistine Chapel, otherwise you’ll either miss a lot of things or you won’t be able to walk the next day. If you’re in the vicinity of the Vatican and you want to do some shopping, go to Via Borgo Pio for good quality leather goods at reasonable prices. If you want to buy religious articles and souvenirs, go to Comandini S Srl, which is also on the same street at No. 151—they have a wide variety of items and their goods are much cheaper than those in stores located near the gates of the Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI once said that: “The only really effective apologia (defense) for Christianity comes down to two arguments, namely the saints the Church has produced and the art which has grown in her womb.” You will see what he means when

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you visit the Basilicas which are full of amazing works of art featuring the saints who lived out their faith in God with heroic fervor. The Basilica of St. John Lateran is a great cathedral full of works of art by the masters, and is awe-inspiring in a different way from St. Peter’s Basilica. Just across St. John Lateran is the Scala Santa. The stairs are said to be the ones Jesus climbed after he was scourged and are said to have droplets of his blood. Devotees climb the stairs on their knees. St. Paul Outside the Walls is huge! It is not as ornately decorated as St. Peter’s Basilica, and has an Eastern feel. Aside from the gigantic sculptures of the Saints, it also contains St. Paul’s tomb and the chains that bound him when they arrested him. There is a bookstore on the side of the church where you can buy more souvenirs, and a cafeteria for when you need to take a break. Depending on the timing, you may get lucky and hear the monks chant their midday prayers. The Basilica of Sta. Maria Maggiore is the cathedral dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. One of the relics inside the church is said to be Jesus’ cradle. The great sculptor, Bernini is buried inside this church at his request, indicated by a very ordinary floor marker on the right side of the altar. If you love the work of Bernini, you must see his greatest masterpiece: The Ecstasy of St. Teresa which is in the Cornaro Chapel inside the Church of Sta. Maria della Vittoria on Via 20 Settembre. If you want to visit in the morning make sure you get there before 11:00 because the Carmelite monks close the church at noon and open it again at 3:30 in the afternoon. Religious sites are just one facet of Rome. You will also want to see the Roman structures like the Colloseum. You can get discounted tickets if you buy a combination ticket for the Colloseum and the Forum. Exploring both will take one whole day as the Forum complex is huge. Wandering around the Forum will let you learn about how Rome was during the time of Caesar. You will even see where they killed him. You will also see how they lived two millennia ago when you visit the houses that have been excavated through archeological digs of the area. There are so many interesting places in Rome that even a week may not be enough to see all the sites— and then there are the other cities like Florence and Venice in the north; Naples, Capri and its Blue Grotto, and Sorrento including the archeological digs at Herculaneum and Pompei, and the famous Amalfi Drive in the south. It’s no wonder people return to Italy again and again.

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HOME

WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO BUY A

CONDO? So you just landed a well-paying job and are ready to take the next step to living independently. You sit down at a café, order a latte, and ponder on the things you want to accomplish. From where you’re seated, you see a soonto-rise condominium. It’s situated near your workplace and is flanked by groceries and shops. Seeing all of these, you think to yourself, should I get a unit there? Today’s young professionals are considered to be very financially aware and fast-paced. One of the never-ending debates among these young’uns is deciding on when is the best time to make a real estate investment. The responsibility of having to pay for monthly dues could be overwhelming for some and could lead to indecisiveness, which in turn ups the risks of making wrong decisions. The most important thing is knowing that you are financially and emotionally ready for this big of a leap.

to-own units, home loans, and other financing options. Still, these demand buyers to have an actual savings and be more or less free of other loans like credit card debts. It is imperative to make sure you have enough financial headroom once the bills start coming in. Keep in mind, getting a unit takes more than just willingness, it requires commitment and discipline. real estate developers may offer flexible payment terms for their ready-for-occupancy (RFO) condo units, which may include discounts in upfront or spread-out down payment.

If you’re looking to get your first major investment, we give questions you can ask yourself to prep you for this undertaking.

1. Do I have a healthy financial standing?

Nobody should go to war unarmed. Don’t ever plan to buy a condo if you do not have enough resources. Ask yourself these: do you have a stable source of income? How about savings? These would determine your capacity to settle a sizable down payment and pay for monthly fees. There are options that can partially ease the burden on your pockets, such as going for rent78

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2. Have I done my research? Dan Barnabic of Market Watch said there is no one way to predict with any degree of certainty when the right time to buy is. However, he noted that it pays to check official government statistics and findings regarding interest rates and surplus of unsold real estate to give you a background of the market. In this case, he stressed that the right period to buy is when condo prices require no more than one-third of your annual income to cover mortgage payments, maintenance fees, and real estate taxes. It could also be a go-signal when you are able to obtain a mortgage at an affordably convenient interest rate. Meanwhile, if for instance you already have a target unit in mind, you should review the payment terms the developer may impose. Some

A developer may offer a ready-to-move-in condo unit for just an upfront payment of equivalent to five percent of the property’s selling price, with 15 percent payable within the next two years and the remaining 80 percent to be loaned from a bank after the period. Developers may require you to make a 20 percent initial deposit. If you are in luck’s way, you might just find developers with very flexible payment options. Be sure to also check and ask for other “hidden” costs, as others may call such fees. Financial adviser Salve Duplito was attributed in a report saying that these costs are often overlooked by most buyers. There’s also the matter of condominium fees to think about, which is dependent on the size of the unit you will purchase. In Metro Manila, condominium fees range from PHP 60 to PHP 100 per square meter per month, so if have your eyes set on a 36-square-meter condo unit, expect to pay around PHP 2,160 per month.

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3. Have I found the right location? Majority of condominiums are placed in commercial hubs but it is still up to the buyers to pick the best location for their convenience. Among the factors to consider is the proximity of the condominium to places you frequent such as workplace, business establishments, and schools. Another thing to consider is condominiums in parts of Metro Manila, especially in the business districts of Makati, Taguig, Pasay, and Quezon City are priced at a premium, according to a study by Lamudi. For those with tight purse strings, the best place to get a condo is in outer fringes of the metropolis, such as Parañaque, Las Piñas, and Marikina, which offer reasonably priced condo units.

4. Is it the best option for me? Is a condo unit better than going for a house and lot? If you are looking to have a place to call home that you can pass on to your children, then purchasing a unit should not be looked at as a financial investment but rather a life goal. In this regard, you should invest instead in a landed house. However, if you are looking to get a property for the purpose of financial gain, then investing in a condo would undeniably be the better option given its lower upkeep cost. When you’ve already got the answers to these questions, you can now determine if it’s really the right time for you to buy a condo. As with anything in life, remember to never rush things. Be patient, wise, and careful in reviewing options.

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MARCH 2017

If you ask an ordinary office worker what are among the hardest decisions they make in the workplace, there’s an answer that would certainly make the list, and it is non-work related. Apart from tasks to tackle and deadlines to meet, desk warriors face the challenge of choosing what to have for lunch everyday. It’s a real problem, but it’s not impossible. Some go the traditional route of packing lunch while others prefer going out for midday meals. When these just won’t do, meal delivery services save the day. FoodPanda kicks it up a notch by taking the concept of food delivery and creating an entirely new service that focuses on what consumers desire the most: a myriad of food choices accessible without a hitch. As we at Gadgets are always in search of new gastronomic choices to tickle our palates, FoodPanda was a welcome addition to our everyday lunch routines. Here’s what we think of its app.

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The FoodPanda Experience Similar to other marketplace platforms, the FoodPanda app has a simple and easy-to-use format. Before you can begin placing orders, you must first create an account and fill in necessary information (e.g. delivery address, mobile number, current location, among others)—all of which you can still edit. Subsequently, you’ll be redirected to the home screen which shows its partner restaurants that deliver within the vicinity. The restaurants listed are rated with stars and shows the estimated time of delivery and when a store is open to accept orders.

Upon selection, the restaurant menu is flashed in categories along with the price for each meal. Once you’re done filling your basket to your heart’s content, the app will let you choose your mode of payment and preferred delivery address. You can also access your basket any time to double check your order details and edit items if needed. If you have anything else you want to add that isn’t on the menu, you can leave a comment in the space provided just below the ordered items. This is also where you can enter a voucher code (if you have one) for discounts and possibly free meals. Now that you’re all set, you can proceed to checkout, which will show the summary of your order including other charges, payment details, and total amount to be paid. FoodPanda accepts cash on delivery, online bank payment, and PayPal. As soon as you place your order and it is confirmed by the restaurant you ordered from, the app will start a countdown timer of when your order will arrive along with real-time status of your meal. From time to time, you will also receive notifications, e-mails, and text messages to assure you that your meal is well on its way—or if the transaction has unfortunately been cancelled. The app also features a live chat feature for better customer support.

later, the rider finally arrived and our cravings were satisfied. Ordering through FoodPanda takes a bit more time than when ordering directly from restaurants, but the negatives are nippily outweighed by its varied selection of restaurants, and convenience through online ordering and door to door delivery. Fixed at PHP 59 To further boost customer satisfaction, FoodPanda recently announced a fixed delivery fee of only PHP 59 and a lower minimum order value starting at PHP 200. Now with over 1,000 partner restaurants and millions of active users in the Philippines, FoodPanda is giving back to its community of users by improving its services and making deliveries much more affordable. The app formerly charged customers PHP 30 delivery fee along with a service fee 15-percent of the total food bill. The FoodPanda app is free to download on Google Play Store and the App Store. You can also order meals through its website: www.foodpanda.ph.

For this review, we ordered at Japanese restaurant Yoshinoya. It took roughly 15 minutes before the order was confirmed by the vendor. The app receives the order and forwards it to the restaurant, which explains the tad delay. The estimated time left before our meal arrives was clocked at 44 minutes. We also got constant updates on the status of our food. The timer restarted after we were notified that the FoodPanda rider has picked up our food. After 10 minutes, the rider was still nowhere to be seen, so FoodPanda displayed that they are investigating the late delivery and minutes later alerted us that it is still on the way. Just minutes 81

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VISUAL SPACE

Fashion Designer

John Herrera and Epson Team Up For Digitally Printed Aguila-inspired Collection

Photos by Theresa Eloriaga

Epson Philippines collaborated with world-renowned fashion designer John Herrera to showcase the capabilities of its class-leading digital textile printers. John Herrera’s 30-piece collection, inspired by the great Philippine Eagle, was digitally printed with Epson’s next generation textile dye-sublimation transfer printers. The hand-drawn Aguila patterns were digitized and printed onto different kinds of fabric then were fashioned into intricately sewn clothing pieces previewed at the Shangri-La Mall Grand Atrium. The collection transitioned from black and white to colored designs as the show went on. With the demand for digital textile printer in Southeast Asia ever growing, Epson Philippines

March 2017

enlisted John Herrera—fresh from his most recent award as the top designer in the 2015 London Emerging Designers (LED) Awards—to take fashion to the next level through the use of printing technologies such as this. John adopts a “no waste, no plastic” approach and stresses the importance of producing more with less materials. Herrera was delighted with how digital textile printing lessens fabric wastage. He further enthused that through this technology, a dress layout which typically uses five yards of fabric now uses only one and a half yards of fabric.

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On this exciting partnership, Ed Bonoan, senior general manager and marketing head of Epson Philippines expressed: “Epson is happy to officially introduce John Herrera as the Brand Ambassador of Epson Philippines’ Commercial and Industrial Printers segment. He’s very passionate about digital textile printing which makes him a great Brand Ambassador for us to educate more people about this technology.” John also shared that he has always wanted to design his own fabrics. Epson’s digital textile printing technology enables designers such as John Herrera to realize their full artistic vision. Fabrics used for the collection were printed with Epson’s SureColor F-series dye-sublimation digital textile printers, the SureColor SC-F9270 and SC6270. The Aguila-inspired collection will also be shown in fashion shows the world over.

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MARCH APRIL 2017 2015

MARCH 2017

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T he When you get your first Apple device, you get to learn how easy it is to adapt to the Apple environment, and then you realize how much more productive and efficient you can be. When you get your second Apple device, you will realize that your work and home life can be enriched even further because you have stepped into the Apple ecosystem, and that opens a whole new world of advantages for you. When you’re logged into the same Apple ID on all your devices, iCloud sync will automatically add any new photo you take or any new entry on Calendar, Notes, Reminders or Contacts to all your other devices without any need for you to do anything. The Continuity feature allows you to handoff tasks from one device and pick up where you left off on another device. For example, if you are doing a web 85 www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph march 2017

Words by Presy Alba

It all starts with just one Apple device—usually an iPhone—to get hooked into the Apple ecosystem. I admit, not all iPhone owners I know end up with a second Apple device, but those who realize how much easier life can be end up getting more Apple devices.

search using Safari on your iMac and you have to go, all you need to do is pick up your iPad or iPhone and have the sites you opened on your iMac already available on your iOS devices. Continuity also allows you to relay calls and messages. When relay is activated on your MacOS and iOS devices, and your iPhone rings, you can answer calls on your iPad or Mac. And you can keep your phone in your pocket and still read all your messages on your Apple Watch. When you want to share files to other Apple users connected to the same network, you may do so very quickly using Airdrop. So, you do not need to have a thumb drive to transfer files from one your devices to theirs. One more advantage is that you only need to buy an app once, and you can install it in all compatible devices, and if you have family sharing enabled, this extends to all devices in your family.

tage an

system A o c E dv le

EVERYTHING APPLE

also make audio and video calls using Facetime without incurring additional charges from your service provider.

“The Apple ecosystem does have some glitches and issues, but no one will dispute that Apple is the most robust and integrated of all ecosystems available.”

And that’s not all—with Photo Sharing, you can create albums in your Photos app and invite family and friends who use Apple devices to view your album. Once they accept your invitation, the album automatically syncs to their devices. One more plus is that on the Messages app, you can send text over WiFi to other iPhone users, so you don’t have to pay for an SMS service. This is a great way to keep in touch with family and friends, especially those who are abroad. You can www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph march 2017 85

BITS & BYTES Moto Opens Two New Concept Stores in Metro Manila Moto recently opened two new Moto Concept Stores in Metro Manila to further boost its retail presence in the Philippine smartphone market. The new stores are located at the fourth level of Cyberzone in SM North EDSA Annex and SM Megamall, both of which are operated by MemoXpress. “The Philippines is a very important market for Moto, and we remain committed towards bringing the Moto experience to more Filipinos through our two new Moto Concept Stores. By offering greater product and service visibility, Moto is definitely on its way towards taking the Filipino digital lifestyle by storm,” said Dino Romano, country manager, Lenovo Mobile Business Group Philippines. Taking huge strides towards becoming the definitive number three player in the global smartphone market, Lenovo is building scale and efficiency by expanding its Moto line across emerging markets, including the Philippines. Currently the fastest growing smartphone market in ASEAN, the Philippines has seen a total of 3.5 million smartphone shipments in the first quarter of this year, based on International Data Corporation’s (IDC) June 2016 report. Both Moto Concept Stores house the newlylaunched Moto smartphone lineup: its flagship

line composed of Moto Z, Moto Z Play and the Moto Mods; its mid-range family, which consists

of Moto G4 Plus, Moto G4 Play and Moto G Turbo; and the entry-level Moto E3 Power.

Sony Develops Smartphone Image Sensor That Shoots Slow Motion at 1000fps Sony announced last February 7, 2017 through an official release that it had created the first three-layer stacked CMOS image sensor for smartphones. The sensor has an added DRAM layer to the conventional two-layer CMOS image sensors of smartphone cameras today. Due to the added DRAM layer, the sensor is able to deliver faster data readout speeds with lower power consumption, allowing the new sensor to read a still image of roughly 19.3 megapixels in 1/120 of a second which is four times faster than two-layer CMOS models. This, according to Sony, reduces focal plane distortion which occurs when users take pictures of fast-moving subjects which lack the mechanical shutter to control the length of exposure. The fast readout also makes it possible to shoot super-slow motion videos on smartphones up to a rate of 1000 frames per second which is about eight times faster than its predecessors.

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The image sensor has an effective pixel count of 21.2 megapixels and can shoot photos at 30 frames per second. It can take 4K resolution

videos at 60 frames per second and full highdefinition or 720p videos at a maximum of 240 frames per second.

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Power Mac Center Launches Exclusive Partnership With Adam elements

Adam elements specializes in Apple accessories from cables to on-the-go storage as well as smart health products like scales and thermometers. Guests from the media were invited to the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark to try out the iKlips Duo and the iKlips Duo+, part of their on-the-go storage collection for iOS devices. Both storage devices are plug and play, and can easily sync and transfer files with a few swipes through the iKlips free app available on the App Store. The Philippines’ premier Apple reseller Power Mac Center formally announced its exclusive partnership with Taiwanese Apple accessories manufacturer Adam elements [sic] last February 9 in Clark, Pampanga.

The 32 and 64 GB variants of the iKlips Duo and Duo+ are available now at the Power Mac Center. The iKlips Duo is priced at PHP 4,650 for the 32 GB version and PHP 6,700 for the 64 GB version while the iKlips Duo plus available at

PHP 4,450 for 32 GB and PHP 6,050 for the 64 GB variant. “We Filipinos are massive photography enthusiasts. Whether selfies, documenting our travels or celebrations, we always make it a point to capture great moments and scenes that we almost always max out our phones’ memory capacity. But this problem is instantly solved by the extended storage provided by our new partner Adam elements,” said Power Mac Center Marketing Director Joey Alvarez. The Power Mac Center also carries Adam elements Peak lightning cables, M2 and CASA adapters, as well as the company’s smart health line.

Epson Showcases Range of Products at Solutions and Technology Convention Japanese digital imaging and printing solutions giant Epson exhibited its winning products and solutions at the Epson Solutions and Technology Convention 2017 held at the Marco Polo in Ortigas, Pasig.

would best fit their needs. According to Bonoan, the aim of the presentation is to show Epson’s commitment to lessen work flow complexity and increase overall performance and productivity for its customers.

The exhibition highlighted the confluence of the company’s innovations to improve efficiency in different workplace scenarios crossing different industries.

The guests were taken to booths meant to represent different departments in various businesses, including Customer Service, Marketing, Training and Education, Finance, Logistics and Warehousing.

Several guests from the media, partners, resellers, and select customers and end-users were invited by Epson to see how its products, from labelmakers to interactive projectors can form a system that will improve the efficacy of businesses of different scales. “The Epson story has always been about creating Inspirational Technology for a Better Future. Always at the heart of these developments is our deep commitment to understand the changing needs of customers. Epson owns innovative technologies that are continually exceeding their expectations,” said Epson Philippines Sales Division head Cris Sanchez. The company’s general manager for marketing, Ed Bonoan, provided an overview of the day’s “guided solutions tour” which ran through the different possible enterprise scenarios that companies may encounter and what products www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Among the products showcased were: Epson’s Moverio smart glasses, which could be used in virtual presentations and tours, or as an inventory identification and classification tool for warehouse and logistics; the company’s line of interactive projectors which could work synchronized to up to four projectors through internet connection for cheaper and more effective presentation and training; high-yield business inkjet copiers with a maximum of 60,000 pages per refill of pigment ink; and large-format printers for marketing and industrial label-makers capable of printing out chemical-resistant labels. “In the past few years, Epson Philippines has gained the leading market share in its key categories, a testimony to the successful product designs and solutions that the company has created and offered to our customers. We hope that through this convention and our other

Epson Philippines General Manager for Marketing, Ed Bonoan

undertakings for the corporate segment, we can help boost the successful integration of technology to Philippine businesses. This way, Epson can be a partner in making Filipino business owners pursue a global approach that will help them flourish, even with a stiff competition from local and foreign providers,” said Bonoan.

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Viber Now Supports Secret Messages Viber, one of the world’s leading messaging apps, has recently introduced Secret Messages. The new feature makes your conversations even more exciting by letting you share images and videos that disappear after viewing. Whether you’re looking to tease your special someone about the hot date you have planned or send a preview of the sizzling dance move you just learned, secret messages can only be seen once and can’t be shown to anyone else again—letting you keep the fun between the two of you. To get started with Secret Messages, simply take a picture or video using the Viber camera or choose one from your gallery, set a time limit, and then press send. Once the media is opened by your recipient, the Secret Message will be visible for the time set, then it will disappear without a trace. See Viber’s Secret Messages in action on facebook.com/viber/videos. Secret Messages, together with Viber’s Instant Videos, Chat Extensions, and colorful Sticker Packs, let you connect with your loved ones in richer, deeper, and more meaningful ways.

Smart’s Network Upgrades Bear Fruit PLDT mobile unit Smart Communications’ ongoing network rollout is beginning to pay off, starting with the province of Rizal. According to internal tests done in the first two weeks of February, Smart’s mobile internet coverage and quality in a large portion of Rizal has improved, particularly its 4G or LTE (Long Term Evolution) service. These marked improvements in the quality and reach of Smart’s mobile internet services in the area as a result of the significant increase in the number of LTE and 3G base stations in Rizal– LTE base stations soared 18 times while 3G base stations more than doubled. Smart recently announced a major network expansion over the next three months, to quadruple its indoor LTE coverage and double its indoor 3G coverage across all 17 cities of Metro Manila, the country’s capital and also the most densely populated areas. To achieve this, Smart is deploying new base station equipment in about 2,500 cell sites across Metro Manila, that use low-frequency bands such as 700 MHz, 850 MHz, and 900 MHz for its LTE and 3G services, since these frequency bands cover a larger area and provide better indoor signals. The rollout also includes deploying highfrequency bands like 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz,

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to increase the capacity of each Smart cell site to handle more calls, texts, and ever-increasing mobile data traffic. In the three-year network roll-out plan that parent-company PLDT submitted to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in July last year, Smart said it will make LTE progressively

available to users in 1,551 cities and municipalities across the country by the end of 2018. The plan includes the use of the 700 MHz frequency that Smart obtained access to under a co-use arrangement, after the acquisition of the telecoms business of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) by PLDT and Globe Telecom in May last year.

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Dell EMC Philippines Announces New Leaders Dell EMC officially announced its new regional and local leaders. Ronnie Latinazo assumes his role as the country manager, while Chris Papa is the channels general manager. The formation of the new organization is a timely response to the ongoing era of digital transformation, wherein 83 percent of Asia Pacific Japan businesses believe digital start-ups will pose a threat to their organization, either now or in the future, according to a new research from Dell Technologies. Along with the leadership announcement, Dell EMC has rolled out refreshed versions of the Precision mobile workstations, OptiPlex All-in-One (AIO), Latitude 2-in-1 and T30 that aim to help businesses improve productivity.

(From left) Chris Papa, channels general manager; Paul Henaghan, vice president, South Asia and Korea, Dell EMC; Paulo del Rosario, business group lead for Windows, Microsoft Philippines; Ronnie Latinazo, country general manager, Dell EMC Philippines; Martin Diez, development manager for client solutions, Dell EMC Philippines

(From left) Chris Papa, channels general manager, Dell EMC Philippines; Ronnie Latinazo, country general manager, Dell EMC Philippines; Paul Henaghan, vice president, South Asia and Korea, Dell EMC

Paul Henaghan, vice president, South Asia and Korea, Dell EMC

YouTube Adds Mobile Live Streaming and Superchat If there’s anything the Internet has made us really really excited about, it’s the democratization of information. Anyone can have access to all of human knowledge with just a few clicks. Along with this is the ability of practically anyone with a decent Internet connection to reach millions upon millions of viewers across the globe on a platform like YouTube. Even now, if there’s something you want to learn about, you can head over to YouTube.com and pick from a huge number of videos to learn from. Google has made the service even better with Mobile Live Streaming and Superchat which allow content creators to better engage their viewers. Mobile Live Streaming has been built directly into the YouTube mobile app. All you have to do to start streaming is open YouTube, hit the capture button, and you’re live! Streamed videos will have all the same features as regular YouTube videos, and can be searched for, found via recommendations or playlists, and protected from unauthorized use. To help make the whole experience better, Google has also given viewers a better way to www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

reach their favorite content creators during a live stream, while allowing creators another means to monetize their videos. Available to creators in 20 countries and viewers in 40, Superchat allows a viewer in a live stream to get the attention of their favorite content creator by purchasing chat messages that are highlighted in bright colors and stay pinned to the top of the

chat window for up to five hours. This keeps both the fans and creators engaged with each other, while allowing the channel owners to earn a little extra on the side. The mobile live-streaming service will initially be available to content creators with 10,000 subscibers, with a rollout for everyone else arriving soon. MARCH 2017

Microsoft Study: 86 Percent of Local Business Leaders See Need for Digital Transformation Chief operating and chief marketing officer for Microsoft Philippines Cian O’Neill presented the results of the Microsoft Asia Digital Transformation study, last February 23 in Makati, which sought to understand how business leaders are embracing the digital era. The study surveyed 1,494 business leaders from Asia, 111 of which were from the Philippines. The respondents were pre-qualified as being directly involved in shaping their business’ digital strategy. According to the study, a large majority of business leaders in the Philippines believe that there is a need to adapt to the changing business landscape with 86 percent agreeing that companies need to become “digital businesses” to drive growth and another 86 percent believing that new data insights can lead to new revenue streams for their businesses. These numbers, however, have yet to reflect on actual strategies put in place, with a mere 32 percent of business leaders having full digital transformation strategies for their companies and 43 percent being in the process of transforming select parts of their businesses through specific initiatives. To boot, 25 percent of respondents had very limited or even no strategies in place. With this in mind, the respondents of the study gave several barriers that hamper digital transformation in the Asia Pacific. These include: lack of organization leadership in coming up with, planning, and executing strategies; cybersecurity concerns; lack of a digitally-literate or skilled

workforce able to cope with and optimize digital businesses; and lack of government policies and ICT infrastructure to provide support for digital transformation. “It’s concerning to see that while there is widespread acknowledgement on the need to transform, they are doing so incrementally. With constant pressure from newer, agile and tech savvy players disrupting across industries in Asia, the transformation of products and new revenue models [provide] the greatest opportunity for organisations to truly lead rather than disrupted. Leaders need to rethink business models, find new data insights which lead to new revenue streams. And they need to do this by embracing a different way of bringing together people, data, and processes which create value in a new digital business,” O’Neill commented. Among the different areas of focus in the digital transformation of local businesses, leaders put customer engagement as top priority, followed by employee empowerment, then by operation

optimization, and product and business model transformation last. To reach their goals of digital transformation, 84 percent of the leaders surveyed believed cloud computing plays a crucial role in the future of their businesses. Businesses are also looking into other new technologies to accelerate the transformation. At the top of the list is IoT, followed by artificial intelligence, then next generation computing, wearable tech, and quantum computing for big data analytics. Businesses in the Philippines will see more of these within 12 to 18 months. “Emerging technologies, specifically, cloud, analytics and new capabilities like AI and IoT will give organisations new capability to transform. But real transformation only happens when they bring their people along with them. Equipping employees with the right tools to enable them to be part of solution to be more responsive, data driven and customer centric are also key,” said Microsoft Philippines managing director Karrie Ilagan in an official statement.

GetGo and Honda Cars Partner for New Campaign GetGo by Cebu Pacific recently entered into a partnership with Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) for the “Points to Fly, Points to Drive” campaign. The alliance between the country’s fast-rising loyalty rewards program and the world-renowned car manufacturer aims to strengthen their commitment to provide rewarding and innovative products and services to their customers. “Through our partnership with HCPI, loyal GetGo members can expect even more exciting benefits and promos that can make their everyday spend rewarding as ever,” said Nik Laming, GetGo Loyalty Division general manager. Laming (left), and HCPI president and general manager, Toshio Kuwahara sealing the partnership.

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AWS Standard Insurance Words by Ren Alcantara

If you’re at all informed about the progress of technology in this day and age, you will know at least a little something about the cloud. If you do any file storage online, work on a virtual machine, or even use your mobile phone for apps or games, you’re on it in some form or another. Still, it’s one thing to use it for simple tasks, and another thing to build a business on it; and at this point, nobody does it like Amazon Web Services. Just last month, we got a chance to chat with Mister Kenneth Pinpin, chief technology officer of ISSI, a BPO support arm of Standard Insurance, to take a concrete look at how AWS help simplify, streamline, and secure the insurance business.

then set-up, and populated with user accounts. The simple process of ordering the arts and having them delivered would take a few months, and once everything arrives, the build, install, and populating will take a few hours per machine. And it never goes smoothly.

ISSI uses WorkSpaces, an AWS service that allows you to run any number of desktops securely, on the cloud, with nothing stored locally. Where traditionally, a BPO such as theirs would run whole PCs, with physical storage, local accounts, internet connections, and individual operating system installs, WorkSpaces has each desktop instance running on the cloud, lowering CapEx, vastly simplifying administration, and making sure everything is secure, without having to pony up for your own data center. Spend a little while getting the right configuration, and it becomes a breeze to deploy. “You want 50 agents, click, there you go,” Kenneth said. Kenneth explained that in the past, a setup like what they have going at ISSI would require a lot of time, right from the very start. All the hardware would have to be ordered, then built, www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

With WorkSpaces, the process takes a few minutes. It’s also super agile. Should more or fewer machines be needed, it takes a few clicks, another few minutes, and you’re set. Moving agents to other locations is also much simpler with the physically smaller hardware. Since all the processes happen in the cloud as well, small, highly movable, completely solid state machines are all they need. Since ISSI handles claims, policy updates, and other highly sensitive information, they have to keep security tight. With a traditional setup, steps have to be made to keep physical access to hardware limited. With WorkSpaces, there’s nothing stored locally. Everything is completely secure, far away from anything anyone can reach, even with physical access to a workstation. Security permissions can be revoked quickly and remotely, and the virtual machine—the cloud equivalent of a physical workstation, can be destroyed completely with no real problems. In fact, once a shift is over, to make sure everything is locked down, terminating each virtual machine is part of the process. A simple command entered into a terminal is all it takes to get all the seats ready for the next shift.

Another boon is the ease of maintenance. ISSI has almost 200 seats at the space we visited, and they have an IT staff of three and a half, Kenneth included. Since hardware problems are basically eliminated, and most problems can be handled remotely, it hardly takes any effort. In Kenneth’s words, “All we have to worry about (hardware-wise) are a few switches and a router!” Kenneth adds, “Without the cloud, for example, if a PC goes down, and some licenses are tied to that PC, you’ll have to find another PC, make sure you can get that license working there— it’s not very quick. Maintenance can be very time-consuming.” Support is also one of the key things Mr. Pinpin appreciates with WorkPlaces. “Support is always pretty fast. They propose solutions very quickly, and even though there are sometimes some technical problems that can’t be avoided, we just tell them, and this allows them to help us fix it, if it is fixable, or they point us to workarounds, where applicable. Plus, they incorporate things we need in future releases.” Boots on the ground liked it as well. “Eventually,” Kenneth says, “They realized that running on PCs meant longer boot times, and of course, there’s security. We don’t have to worry about leaving identifiable information on the workspace. On the command line, I can rebuild every station just like that. And I could be anywhere.” Tools-wise, there’s no difference. The experience, the UI, everything is basically as everyone was used to prior. Moving to the cloud didn’t really cause any problems in that regard. Making sure this side of Standard Insurance runs smoothly is no small feat. There are many, many variables to consider, particularly for something this large. AWS, WorkSpaces, and ISSI, with Mr. Pinpin at the helm make it simple. It’s the future, and it’s all in the cloud. march 2017

Application Security is Top Priority for Organizations, F5 Report Says Application security remains number one on the list of priorities among different organizations, according to the 2017 State of Application Delivery (SOAD) report released by F5 Networks in early February. F5 Networks surveyed more than 2,000 respondents consisting of IT, networking, application, and security professionals spanning a wide range of industries from government to financial services. According to the survey, more and more businesses and institutions are looking into more advanced security solutions for their applications, going beyond traditional firewalls and enterprise solutions. A quarter of the respondents are looking into the deployment of DNSSEC. Domain Name System Security Extensions, or DNSSEC, provide origin authority, data integrity and authenticated denial of existence. With DNSSEC, the DNS protocol is much less susceptible to attacks such as DNS spoofing by providing digital signatures on websites and hosted applications that can be verified. Traffic that does not have the required digital signatures is automatically blocked from access. More than 21 percent of the respondents opted for DDoS mitigation solutions. These are tools for resisting Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks which hinder application performance or shutting it down completely. DDoS mitigation tools first define traffic patterns to discern normal from questionable activity, and then place the proper action for dealing with potential attacks. Another 20 percent of those surveyed are looking into web application firewall (WAF) deployments. A web application firewall filters through traffic and block questionable activity through and from the application. The WAF is able to filter specific web apps and are able to prevent attacks borne out of security flaws and misconfigurations. In the Philippines, mobile penetration is at 117 percent, with ICT spending growing by eight to 10 percent in 2016 while IoT spending is projected to grow 14 times, valued at USD 766 million by 2020. This increased connectivity among businesses and institutions come with an increased level of threat to security. According to F5 Networks country manager Oscar Visaya, the Philippine government and local businesses are keen on bolstering security efforts. The company was part of the first Privacy Summit in the Philippines which aims to educate the government and the private sector regarding privacy and data security. The government also expressed that it is currently drafting cyber security plans which will be implemented by 2022. 92

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F5 Network country manager Oscar Visaya

Visaya notes that the country has a very liberal approach when it comes to embracing technology which is both positive and negative in terms of being literate on data privacy and cyber security. He adds that there should be a paradigm-shift when it comes to handling such issues. This pattern is consistent to world averages with organizations reportedly having 14 app services deployed at a time, up from an average of 11 app services in the same period the year before. Said organizations also expressed their plans to deploy an average of 17 app services within the next 12 months. According to the SOAD report, this increased reliance on cloud systems whether solely public, private or hybrid, will “usher in an era of cloud expertise” for 2017. Four out of five respondents have adopted a hybrid cloud which connects private cloud systems to third party public cloud infrastructure which is orchestrated through different solutions and tools. Nearly 32 percent of respondents state that they will purchase public cloud IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) solutions within this year which is up from 25 percent compared to last year. F5 Network’s official statement says that “the more apps a company has deployed, the greater motivation to reap the operational benefits of the cloud, with respondents running the largest number of applications (3,000+) [sic] reporting the highest percentage of apps in the cloud.”

operations) and SDN (software-defined networking) frameworks with organizations turning to automation and orchestration to scale their operations faster and more efficiently. Over half of the respondents view both APIenabled infrastructures and templates as important, up from 31 percent for infrastructures and 22 percent for templates last year. To make application development and deployment more streamlined, companies have an increased tendency towards standardization, with 39 percent of respondents relying on only one framework this year compared to last year’s results. With a larger demand for application delivery networking services in the Philippines and the Asia Pacific region, F5 Networks is looking to increase their foothold in the market. “Applications are becoming central to Asia Pacific’s business strategies as the on-demand economy increasingly calls for speed and efficiency. (…) More than ever, the 2017 State of Application Delivery study shows that a new dynamic has emerged as this shift towards faster, smarter and safer customer experiences means that businesses are increasingly relying on a mobile and application-centric IT for a tech-savvy workforce,” said Emmanuel Bonnassie, senior vice president for F5 Networks Asia Pacific.

With businesses and institutions gaining interest in offloading some of their processes to the cloud, there is a drive to increase operational scalability and programmability. Private and public sector applications are now seeing application scalability, agility, lower OpEx, shorter development and time to market times as very important in both DevOps (software development and information technology www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

IBM Bluemix to Integrate SoftLayer Products and Services IBM Bluemix is integrating SoftLayer products and services into its vast catalog of infrastructure, platform, and application services. The SoftLayer products, services, tools, systems, and support will become a cornerstone of a unified Bluemix cloud experience that delivers the performance, flexibility, and consistency of SoftLayer infrastructure alongside the extensive catalog of cloud resources that include IBM Watson services, development runtimes, containers, database services, and more.

The IBM Bluemix cloud platform weaves together services, infrastructure, and data to rapidly bring ideas into action. It simplifies the process of building systems that use data to understand, reason, and learn. It also builds data rich software as apps and services become increasingly delivered through

With the integration, users should expect the best as it will bring all the cloud services together in one place with developer-centric compute models. The Bluemix cloud platform is not just about creating new apps or migrating existing ones, on-prem or off-prem implementations, or offering IaaS and PaaS cloud services. It’s designed to bring all of these aspects together to help customers solve real, complex business problems in the cloud. If your organization requires high performance computing, or you manage very large databases, Bluemix provides leading edge, dedicated architecture, and ease of provisioning specifically designed to accommodate high input or output intensity for online gaming, mobile applications, and digital marketing. For larger organizations that need a correspondingly high level of infrastructure control, it provides the ability to customize hardware, network control, and control infrastructure via simple and intuitive application programming interfaces (APIs).

digital channels. Analytics are at the heart of personalization, establishing context and building systems that intuitively respond to both behavior and the environment. Unlike some of its competitors, Bluemix also provides a unified integration and control panel for multiple cloud architectures, allowing for easy platform based across dedicated, virtualized and cloud-based servers.

Sophos Acquires Invincea, Adds Machine Learning to Its Security Portfolio Network and endpoint security specialist Sophos announced last February 10 that it will be acquiring Fairfax, Virginia-based security solutions provider Invincea.

endpoint protection portfolio with predictive, machine learning-based detection which the company thinks will progressively be more important in the future.

Founded by chief executive officer Anup Gosh, Invincea sought to address the rapidly growing zero-day security threats from nation states, cyber criminals and rogue actors. X by Invincea, the company’s flagship, uses deep learning neural networks and behavorial monitoring to identify previously unseen malware and prevents attacks before any damage occurs.

“X by Invincea represents a new generation in antivirus technology based on deep learning and behavioral monitoring. Joining forces with Sophos presents the perfect opportunity to take our proven, advanced technology to a global

audience and make it part of a comprehensive synchronized security system,” Gosh commented. Invincea will be acquired by Sophos for USD 100 million with a USD 20 million earn-out with the new division keeping its office in Fairfax and CEO Anup Gosh and COO Norm Laudermilch joining the company in key leadership positions. Invincea Labs, a separately managed and operated division of Invincea was not part of the transaction.

“By adding Invincea to our portfolio, Sophos is executing on its vision to assemble the most powerful technologies to provide the very best, cutting-edge defenses for our customers,” Sophos CEO Kris Hagerman said in an official statement. Hagerman added that the acquisition will strengthen Sophos’ next-generation

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IDC Philippines Releases Top ICT Predictions For 2017 and Beyond

Last month, intelligence firm IDC Philippines released its top predictions for the Philippine ICT industry for 2017 and beyond. IDC expects digital transformation (DX) will attain macroeconomic scale over the next three to four years, changing the way organizations operate and reshaping the global economy and calls this as the dawn of the “DX Economy.” IDC Philippines’ technology and industry analysts also revealed the top strategic predictions and major technology trends that are set to present opportunities and challenges to IT leaders in 2017 and beyond. 1. DX Economy. By 2020, 25 percent of top 1,000 companies in the Philippines will see the majority of their businesses depend on their ability to create digitally enhanced products, services, and experiences. The market dynamics are quickly changing, and enterprises must continually improve productivity and effectiveness while lowering costs in order to enable a transformation that will allow it to best compete in the constantly evolving market environment. 2. Pinoy DX teams. By 2018, 25 percent of Philippine organizations will have dedicated digital transformation innovation teams. 3. Increased strategic ICT push. By 2021, the government will have a more strategic ICT push to enable technology adoption among Philippine organizations.

organizations and raise the nation’s standards to be on par with other digital economies. 4. Cybersecurity. By 2018, cybersecurity will become a tier-1 business priority receiving fixed capital spending for 30 percent of the top 1,000 companies in the Philippines. Increasing security breaches and attacks have significantly raised interest in and awareness of the need to modernize security infrastructure in the Philippines. Cybersecurity will be a core part of companies’ overall business strategy. 5. Information-based products. By 2020, revenue growth from information-based product will be double that of the rest of the product and service portfolio for a quarter of the top 1,000 Philippine companies. 6. Hyper-disruptive marketplaces. By 2019, 40-percent of customer-facing top 1,000 companies will experiment with augmented reality or virtual reality (AR/VR) as part of their marketing efforts. The potential impact of AR/VR across industries will become so big that by 2019, IDC sees 40 percent of the Philippines’ top 1,000 companies experiment with these technologies to create their own unique with experiment marketing strategies. 7. Customer and ecosystem-facing digital services. By 2019, 65 percent of Philippine IT organizations will create new customer-facing and ecosystem-facing services to meet the business’ DX needs.

Year 2016 has been a good year as far as the country’s ICT agenda is concerned. According to the latest findings of the United Nations E-Government Survey, the Philippines went up 24 notches to rank 71 out of 193 countries in e-government development.

Customer experience initiatives are on the rise across organizations, and as they increase the level of control customers and business-tobusiness (B2B) organizations have over their own experiences, the scale of interactions will concurrently explode.

With a dedicated, centralized agency at the helm of the country’s ICT development, IDC sees that by 2021, the government will be able to lay the much-needed groundwork that would enable robust technology adoption among Philippine

8. Digitalized customer support interaction. By 2018, 60-percent of customer support interactions will be digitalized and occur in online communities.

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With an increasing proportion of the Filipino population—reaching nearly half of the country’s total population in 2016—actively using social media, IDC expects more organizations to interact with customers through social and online communities. Online customer support not only helps solve customer problems but it also improves brand image. Additionally, a successful community will create brand champions or advocates and will not only recommend the product or the service to customers but will also help solve customer problems on behalf of the brand. 9. Next-wave sari-sari store. By 2020, 30 percent of Philippine sari-sari stores will evolve to become channels for payments and remittances. Something unique in the Philippine retail scene will be the presence of sari-sari stores in different localities. IDC foresees a future where sari-sari stores, a Pinoy cultural phenomenon, can offer services such as payment of utility bills, e-loading, and buying of travel tickets can also be done through these neighborhood stores. Serving as complimentary touchpoints especially in the rural areas, sari-sari stores play a pivotal role in filling the “unbanked” gap in the countryside. Organizations looking to engage more in the rural areas will have a viable channel, as in alternative to building brick-and-mortar branches, which may be cost-prohibitive to most companies. 10. ICT and BPO disruption. By 2020, ICT and BPO markets will be disrupted by the pivot and policy changes from the Duterte and Trump administrations if the industry does not take critical steps to safeguard the country’s inherent growth-drivers. The BPO industry is one of the great contributors to the total ICT spending in the country. IDC maintains that the burgeoning and evolving services around contact centers, medical transcription, software development, animation and game development, and global captive operations centers will still be very much viable in the short term, given the country’s inherent strengths. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

ePLDT Partners with Dell EMC to Optimize EnterpriseServices PLDT, Inc. recently penned a strategic partnership e with Dell EMC—a subsidiary of Dell Inc., which offers hybrid cloud and other big data solutions— to align their strengths and technical expertise in offering transformational business value to clients in the Philippines. Through the partnership, ePLDT and Dell EMC will be able to simplify enterprise processes for customers through robust solutions—from a single vendor consortium with a single point of contact. According to ePLDT COO Nerisse Ramos, digital transformation is shaking up enterprises in the country, making dynamic digital infrastructure imperative to staying ahead of the competition. For ePLDT to accelerate the delivery of these solutions, engaging in a partnership with like-minded IT innovators such as Dell EMC is “more important than ever.” “As one of the premier system integrators in the country, ePLDT leverages on continuous product and service innovation to give customers a competitive advantage in the market,” Ramos said. “This is why the partnership with Dell EMC is a strategic fit. Together, we will deliver solutions that are relevant and meaningful to enterprises and empower businesses with best practices that are at par with international standards.” Chris Papa, Dell EMC Channels general manager, emphasized both the companies’ commitment in “architecting unique IT solutions geared

Photo caption: (L-R) Chris Papa, Dell EMC channels general manager; Ronnie Latinazo, Dell EMC country general manager; Nerisse Ramos, ePLDT Groupchief operating officer; Nico Alcoseba, PLDT VP & head of Disruptive Business Group strengthen their partnership to better offer valuable business solutions to customers in the Philippines.

towards helping customers achieve their business objectives and more.” He said, “Dell EMC is passionate about providing our customers with a comprehensive IT ecosystem—from edge to core to cloud. Our partnership with ePLDT, an industry leader in digital innovation and one of the premier system

integrators in the country, further expands our leadership in navigating Philippine IT landscape, identifying the right solution to address customers’ needs, and help them innovate and move idea or concept to a robust deployment.” Know more about ePLDT, Inc. through its website: www.epldt.com.

NEC Provides Digital Terrestrial TV Equipment For PTNI Under this contract, PTNI is scheduled to introduce digital terrestrial TV transmitters and compression multiplexers across six locations in the Philippines, including Manila, Baguio, Naga, Guimaras, Cebu, and Davao, by July 2017. NEC is providing total support for the introduction of these units, including their provision, installation, and the training of personnel. The equipment that NEC is planned to provide features some of the world’s highest levels of power efficiency, and is highly evaluated for superior reliability in the broadcasting field.

Photo Caption: (From left) Dino Apolonio, general manager of People’s Television Network, Inc. and Elizabeth Pangan, president of NEC Philippines.

NEC Corporation and NEC Philippines, Inc. recently inked a contract to provide digital terrestrial TV equipment for the People’s Television Network, Inc. (PTNI), the public broadcasting service of the Philippines.

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NEC has been providing digital terrestrial TV transmitters for international markets since 1998, when it provided equipment for the world’s first commercial digital terrestrial broadcasting service in the United Kingdom. Since then, NEC has shipped more than 4,500 transmitters to over 50 countries throughout the world.

The agreement backs the expansion of digital terrestrial TV broadcasting in the Philippines, which has been gaining momentum since November 2013 when the country adopted the Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting Technologies (ISDB-T) standard.

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RELIC

The

Video Game Arcade Words by Jose Alvarez

Many people get together at the mall to play the latest video games. Some of the earlier arcades had traditional games such as pinball, shooting games, and slot machines. Video game arcade cabinets are often composed of console architecture and generally play one game or a small set of games. Some specialized cabinets are valued at thousands of dollars or more. The video game arcade brought together the unlikely combination of socializing and gaming, and its effects are still prevalent to this very day.

MIA’S ARCADE

In the late 1970s, games such as Space Invaders (1978) and Galaxian (1979) appeared. By the early 1980s, staples of the video game arcade such as Pac-Man and Centipede were also featured. Many other games also appeared as a result of the exploding popularity of video games. Video game arcade cabinets started appearing in supermarkets, restaurants, liquor stores, laundromats, and gas stations. Many of these still remain today. Two of the biggest markets for the video game arcade were North America and Japan. There were several effects as a result of the popularity of the video game arcade: there were video game competitions, a video gamethemed parade, and studies on video game champions’ brain waves. The video game crash of 1983 however put a damper on the surging popularity of the video game arcade, although the Twin Galaxies Intergalactic Scoreboard (which keeps all video game world records) was also founded during the mid-1980s. A similar crash in 1994 forced many video game arcade chains out of business. By the turn of the millennium, video game arcades started teaming up with bars. The first of these bars was called Barcode and opened in Australia, with 96 96march march 2017 2017

another opening in New York in 2000, but these were quickly closed down. The Barcade was opened in Brooklyn in 2004, and many other video game-themed bars popped up in the early to mid-2000s. During this time, video game arcades transitioned from buying coins to attaching card readers that one can re-use over and over again. Video games also benefited from newer technology. Motion sensor technology was actually used in the arcade cabinet for Police 911 in 2000, several years before the Xbox Kinect and games such as Just Dance appeared in video game arcades. Some popular video game arcade/ bar hybrids today include Dave and Buster’s, which is primarily located in the United States and Canada, and Round One, which is primarily located in Japan and the United States. These chains also include other forms of entertainment such as bowling, karaoke, darts, billiards, and more. The video game arcade was one of the first attempts at social gaming. The Internet has largely supplanted the video game arcade, with people often going online to play games from the comfort of their homes. If you ever want to go out with friends and just have fun, the video game arcade was (and still is) the place to be. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

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