2018 v18n6 - UP & COMING TECH by Gadgets Magazine

EDITOR’S NOTE The holidays are over. We’re back to the daily grind, traffic has eased slightly, and slowly, we’re getting back into the swing of things. The tech world has been waiting for the start of a new year to showcase everything they have planned for the next months, and one of the most awaited events in the consumer electronics calendar has just wrapped up. This month, we take a quick peek at CES and all the wonderful devices they have in store for us. We also got a first look at some new automotive and home technologies that you might be interested in. And we’ve of course not stopped showing you everything else you might want to spend any Christmas money you have left over. This year is going to be exciting, and change is right over the horizon. Thanks for always sticking with us, and welcome back, everyone! Ren Alcantara Managing Editor

Maribelle M. Alba

Ren Alcantara

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Managing Editor

#GIRLBOSS

Être fort pour être utile

@bellealba

@hisnameisren

PRESY ALBA

THERESA ELORIAGA

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

ART DIRECTOR Garmonbozia.

@theresaeloriaga

@presy1121

MIA CARISSE BARRIENTOS

JAEL MENDOZA

GRAPHIC Artist

Junior Editor

She holds a sketchpad on one hand, and a music sheet on the other hand

A bibliophile fascinated with tech. Also a walking fangirl dictionary.

@jaellaura_m

@miaissocoollike

ROBBY VAFLOR

RONEL BAUTISTA

GRAPHIC Artist

STAFF WRITER

‘ Let’s go girls ‘ - Shania Twain

“Biiiimb!”

@sailorapollo11

@afterhourscritic

Jay Alba

CONTRIBUTOR Jay Alba is a fresh college graduate based in California. Had she not pursued writing, she would’ve been a perfectly functional nurse. @naiveroommate

Jewel Sta. Ana

STAFF WRITER

A music and photography junkie who plays like a pirate. @monsterjewfloat

MARTIN LUKE PATIÑO

JOSE ALVAREZ

CONTRIBUTOR

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

Martin is a freelance writer, website developer, business developer, and an avid gaming and esports enthusiast.

@josealvarez

@midnyt17

President & CEO

Sales Manager Account executive

Accounting manager Accounting Staff

Maribelle Alba Marisa Consuelo Carol Agabin Shirley Libiong Maritess Pascua-Maulion Lorie Bernardo

HR & ADMIN MANAGER Administration Staff

Amy Christine Giray Ramil Almojano Clifford Dela Paz

PR & MARKETING STAFF

Paula Candoy

Legal Counsel

Alba Law Office

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

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Marisa Consuelo

CONTRIBUTOR

A mother of three who loves to bake. Off home duties, she enjoys adventurous activities and mountain climbing. @marisaconsuelo

FEBRUARY 2018

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CONTENTS

FEBRUARY 2018 | Volume 18 No. 6

Parade

Take a sneak peek at the latest tech with these newly-released gadgets.

CES 2018 Dig deeper into the latest technological breakthroughs that you should look forward in the local market.

Gadgets Lab

Is it an “a”ye or a “nay?” Find out as we put some awesome devices to the test!

Mobility New year, new wheels.

Fast Forward to the Future

Our February belle, Kate Dudina, showcases modern essentials for your tech arsenal.

Travel Safe: Co-existing on the Road

FEB18_Safety_Tere.indd 1

1/30/2018 6:44:18 PM

Stop, look, and read these road safety tips.

Kill your boredom with these most recent and peculiar mobile apps.

Are you a gamer? Are you HARDCORE? This is your title.

Mobile users can now experience this classic game franchise through this spin-off.

New Year, New Apps

FEBRUARY 2018

Escape from Tarkov

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius

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VRChat Take a step into different virtual worlds as you interact with other people across the globe.

Enterprise

Business, technology, and everything in between.

FEBRUARY 2018

Work Sharp Electronic Sharpener

Sharpen your precious knives in less than 5 minutes with this fella.

Visual Space Leaf through our pages for Bibsy Torio, Robby Gregorio, and VR headsets from CES 2018.

Keep track of the things that made waves last month.

Make way for the grandfather of all storage devices!

Bits and Bytes

Floppy disks

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PARADE

Sony a7R III

Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera Thrilling moments can happen any time, this is why you need a capable shooter you can easily lug around. Sony’s α7R III is a full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that combines a compact, lightweight body and various photography features into one. It boasts a 35 mm full-frame, 42.4 MP high-resolution, back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS image sensor which utilizes a gapless on-chip lens design and AR (anti-reflective) coating on the surface of the sensor’s seal glass. This dramatically improves light collection efficiency resulting in high sensitivity with low-noise performance and wide dynamic range. It’s also equipped with an innovative 5-axis optical image stabilization system, high speed mode, and 4K video recording. Meanwhile, when shooting in Super 35 mm format, the camera uses full pixel readout without pixel binning to collect 5K of information. This shooter also allows transferring of files across mobile devices, PC, or even an FTP service via Wi-Fi. It also has a USB 3.1, Type-C terminal for fast charging and blazingfast transfer speeds. All these and more make it a versatile and reliable tool for photographers, videographers, and multi-media creators.

PHP 179,999 (body only)

Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS Lens Lens

The new Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS lens delivers excellent cornerto-corner sharpness throughout the entirety of its zoom range while also producing beautifully rendered bokeh at all focal lengths. This high image quality is made possible thanks to an advanced optical design featuring four aspherical lens elements, two of which are high precision AA (advanced aspherical) lenses. There are also three strategically located ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements that work in tandem with the aspherical lenses’ elements to minimise chromatic aberration and ensure ultimate resolution. It features Sony’s original Nano AR coating to minimize flare and ghosting, and utilises a circular aperture to ensure high quality bokeh. It weighs in at approximately 663 g, making it the lightest lens in its class. When combined with one of Sony’s compact E-mount bodies, it guarantees a mobile, manageable camera system to improve shooting flexibility.

PHP 82,990

FEBRUARY 2018

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Philips Brilliance 4K Ultra HD LCD Display with MultiView Display

An immersive viewing experience awaits, each time you open your PC with the Philip’s Brilliance 4K Ultra HD Display. With a curved display design and UltraClear 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) resolution, you wouldn’t want your eyes to stray from this display’s vivid colors and rich details. Whether you are a professional requiring extremely detailed images for CAD solutions, using 3D graphics applications or a financial wizard working on huge spreadsheets, this display has you covered. Upping the ante for devices in this category, Philips gives more to its users with a VA LED display that uses an advanced multi-domain vertical alignment technology, MultiView 4K for 4 systems on one screen, SmartImage presets for easy optimized image settings, Economy mode option for less eye fatigue, and 1.074 billion colors for smooth color gradations and detail. Rounding out this device are the integration of Mobile High Definition Link (MHL), a pair of high quality stereo speakers built in, blazing-fast USB 3.0, along with multi connections like VGA, Display Port, universal HDMI connector. Overloaded with features, the Philips Brilliance sports a slim bezel design allowing it to nicely blend in just about any environment.

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FEBRUARY 2018

Bluboo S8 Smartphone

Sporting a 5.7-inch 18:9 HD IPS display with 2.5 D curved glass, the Bluboo S8 gives its users a stunning visual experience. Resting inside its glossy shell is a 1.5 GHz octa-core Mediatek MT6750T processor plus 3 GB of RAM. Its 32 GB of internal memory (expandable up to 256 GB) through its hybrid SIM slot allows you to keep your important files within your reach. Another highlight of this handset is its 0.1 cm fingerprint scanner that is located just below its 13 MP + 3 MP autofocus dual rear cameras with LED flash. Meanwhile, you can take crystal clear selfies or groufies with its 8 MP front sensor. To top it all, the S8 has a battery capacity of 3450 mAh that is enough for your daily grind. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s compatible with USB Type-C too. Not bad for an entry-level phone, right?

PHP 6,999 via Lazada

Bluboo S1 Smartphone

2018 is definitely full of surprises and this Hong Kong-based mobile brand Bluboo is just one of those. Its debut in the country introduces the mid-ranger Bluboo S1, which is a beaut. This newbie player showcases a curved 5.5-inch FHD tri-bezel-less IPS display. Protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 4, this classy smartphone has a 2.5 GHz octa-core Mediatek Helio P25 processor on board and 4 GB RAM with an internal storage of 64 GB RAM for faster gaming and entertainment experience. Storing more media files whenever and wherever is now easy through its dual hybrid nano SIM. Mobile photography enthusiasts would be glad to see its built-in 16 MP + 3 MP dual cameras on board which are essential for capturing dramatic shots. The 8 MP front snapper gives you the power to be a selfie master too. Topped with a fast-charging 3500 mAh battery, the Bluboo S1 gives you real bang for your buck.

PHP 7,499 via Lazada

FEBRUARY 2018

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Lenovo Mirage Camera VR Camera

Make virtual reality content creation as easy as capturing selfies with the advanced yet user-friendly, feature-filled Lenovo Mirage Camera. This point-andshoot VR camera lets you create stereoscopic VR content with real-life depth in 4K quality thanks to its dual 13 MP front lens with f/2.1 and 180 x 180-degree field of view. Pocket-sized yet capable, the Mirage camera allows you to record exciting scenes which you can review with a VR device via Google Photo and YouTube with its Wi-Fi Direct feature. It also has power, shutter, and function buttons, removable 2200 mAh Li-Ion polymer battery, 16 GB onboard eMMC, and is Daydream enabled. With the Lenovo Mirage Camera you can capture your everyday adventures and shoot immersive 3D VR content sans the heavy equipment and various expensive gear.

DJi Osmo Mobile 2 Smartphone Stabilizer

Here’s something storytellers should add to their gear. The newly improved DJI Osmo Mobile 2 has a lot more to offer compared to its predecessor. Cutting its weight to only 485 grams, this one-hand phone gimbal is truly for on-the-go vloggers who want to capture their daily adventures. Its modified design and buttons project simplicity, efficiency, and portability. Recording flawless timelapse clips are now made even better with the ActiveTrack technology that focuses on moving subjects within the frame. Thanks to Osmo Mobile 2’s built-in sensors and seamless motors, capturing time in motion and producing visually appealing videos are now more convenient. With a 2600 mAh rechargeable battery inside, this gimbal can last up to 15 hours—ideal for live streaming moments over social media accounts.

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FEBRUARY 2018

Starmobile UP Selfie Smartphone

Say adieu to blurred selfies with Starmobile’s newest smartphone. Featuring 13 MP dual, front-facing ‘StarSelfie’ cameras, the UP Selfie allows you to take crystal clear portrait and wide screen images with ease. This dynamic duo combined with its 13 MP rear camera make this device the perfect companion for travelling or for just hanging out. Store up to 2500 of your best photos with its expandable 16 GB internal storage or upload them on-the-go with its super-fast LTE capability. Its Android 7 Nougat operating system and 3 GB RAM, meanwhile, allow lag-free browsing, surfing, and gaming on its 5.2-inch HD screen. Additionally, you get a 2900 mAh battery for up to 10 hours talk or 12 days standby time.

PHP 6,990

LG CLOi Shopping Cart Robot Robot

Elevate your grocery shopping adventures with one of the newest additions to LG Electronic’s line of smart robots! Purposely developed for high-end supermarkets, the CLOi Shopping Cart Robot allows scanning from its built-in barcode reader to show product prices. Its state-of-the-art face display is capable of flashing your complete shopping list, a useful feature for those who often forget their errands. Programmed to assist customers in their shopping needs, this AI-powered robot interacts with humans by taking you to accurate locations of items within the store. Futuristic and efficient, this innovation from LG is definitely one you should watch out for!

FEBRUARY 2018

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Sennheiser HD 820

Closed-back Headphones The German leader has once again aced another pair of dynamic headphones. Parading an open-back design, the Sennheiser HD 820 raises audiophile’s standards. Visually striking and useful, its signature and exposed high-definition drivers bring premium sound quality right into your ears. To match its elegant and professional aesthetics, this audio peripheral is crafted with comfortable handcrafted ear pads that provide hours of comfort, silver-cladded OFC wires, and gold-plated plugs. This high-end headphones comes with a special impedance-matching cable that music producers and recording artists will enjoy.

Oppo F5 Youth Smartphone

Specifically targeted at dynamic millennials, this freshest addition to the F5 series is equipped with flagship features at great price. The Oppo F5 Youth brings the same remarkable highlights from its flagship sibling, including A.I. Beauty Technology along with its 6-inch FHD+ display. Taking picture-perfect selfies and groufies are now more fun with its 13 MP high-resolution front shooter. Sitting inside its sleek and elegant body is a 2.5 GHz octa-core processor, partnered with 3 GB RAM, ensuring smooth performance. Consumption and storage of media files is also made convenient with its 32 GB internal storage that is expandable up to 256 GB via a dedicated microSD slot. Meeting your diversified needs are aided by the selfie-expert’s very own user interface, ColorOS 3.2, that is purely based on Android Nougat. Don’t be afraid to explore new adventures with its 3200 mAh battery that could last all day!

PHP 12,990 (price drop from its original SRP of PHP 13,990)

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FEBRUARY 2018

Acer Chromebook 11 Chromebook Everyone’s highly-anticipated netbook is finally back! Built to withstand the rigors of work and student life, the Acer Chromebook 11 gives you better performance with the latest Intel Celeron processor. Its 11.6-inch IPS display, which delivers vivid visuals, fits perfectly in its compact fanless body. You don’t even have to take a power adaptor around anymore with its superb battery life that lasts up to 10 hours. This budget-friendly laptop also features two USB 3.1 Type-C ports that makes transferring of data and reversible charging easy. Preinstalled with useful Google programs, this small but tough machine keeps you connected and productive to meet your daily tasks.

Nokia 6 (2018) Smartphone

One of Nokia’s best-selling phones is getting revamped! Famously known as Nokia 6 (2018), the mid-ranger is now made smoother and faster with a 2.5 GHz octa-core Snapdragon 630 processor under its hood. Its 5.5-inch Full HD display is a feast for the eyes with crystal-clear images and videos. Just like its original version, its primary camera has a 16 MP sensor with f/2.0 lens and an 8 MP front snapper. There’s also a pre-installed Bothie mode in its camera app that enables you to capture photos and record videos simultaneously. Running on stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat, the Nokia 6 (2018) has two internal storage options where you may choose between 32 GB or 64 GB.

FEBRUARY 2018

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Sena 30K

Bluetooth Intercom System The Sena 30K intercom boasts of 13 hours of communication via Bluetooth and around 8 hours using Mesh Intercom Technology with a working distance of 1.6 km and 2 km, respectively. It features advanced noise control, A2DP, AVRCP, a built-in SBC codec, and even a built-in FM radio tuner with RDS AF. The handsfree intercom is also quick to charge with about 20 minutes plugged in giving five hours of Bluetooth intercom and three hours of Mesh intercom, with a full charge taking a measly one and a half hours.

AGV K1

Motorcycle Helmet The AGV K1 is a full-face cone-shaped helmet based on the company’s Pista R and K3 SV series helmets. It features two double-eyelid diagonal air intakes and a polygonal wind ventilation in the center, all using the same switch as the AGV Corsa R. It sports a unique beak design for its chin which has two cavities which further maximizes air circulation. The spoiler design is both aesthetically pleasing and functionally effective in improving the stability of the windscreen which is compatible with AGV’s K3 SV, K5 S, and Compact models.

REV’IT FJT180 GT-R Air

Motorcycle Jacket

The perfect marriage of style and substance, the FJT180 is the perfect threads to wear on long rides. The outer shell is a combination of 3D air mesh, high-density, 600D polyester and PWR shell mesh for a perfect blend of protection and breathability. Shoulders and elbows are reinforced with Knox Flexiform CE protection and a slot for a Seesoft CE level 2 back protector (RV type). The jacket also has ventilation panels in the back, on the chest, and sleeves. The FJT180 also features inner and slit pockets, a trouser loop, a headphone loop, and a short connection zipper. It is available in regular and race fits.

TCX RT Race

Race Boots

Ride with the best of them with a pair of TCX RT race boots. Designed to be durable, comfortable, and wellventilated, the TCX RT features lightweight and durable microfiber uppers, over-injected front and side panels, padded rears, soft microfiber gaiters and Air Tech breathable soft touch mesh. The boots also feature lightweight, mono compound rubber soles, reinforced midsoles with varying thickness, and polyurethane shift pads, heel counters, toe sliders, heel sliders, and shin plates. Everything from the heels to the elastic zip and Velcro hook-and-loop tabs is designed to riders an easier and more comfortable ride.

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FEBRUARY 2018

Cannae Pro Gear Viator Messenger Bag

Feel like a secret agent or special forces operative with every step of your daily commute with Cannae Pro Gear’s Viator messenger bag. The battle ready bag is made with 500D Cordura nylon and strong Duraflex buckles and hardware. The zippers are all high-quality YKK interlocking variants for extra security. Plus, it’s got loads of different pockets including a quickaccess concealed carry pocket. The heavy duty messenger bag also has a protective laptop or tablet compartment that allows a maximum diagonal of 17 inches.

OLIGHT HS2 Headlamp

For anyone who likes a bit of adventure (or just likes a constant bright halo over their heads), the OLIGHT HS2 is a great headlamp to have. With a beam distance of up to 279 feet at 400 lumens (1800 Candela light intensity), the HS2 is sure to illuminate everything in front of you. What’s extra neat about the HS2 is its custom LiPo battery that can be powered directly from any USB power source—even your power bank. The dual LED system allows split illumination between long range and close range.

Lowa Renegade GTX Mid Boots

The Slovakian Lowa Renegade GTX Mid carries its brand’s renown with pride. The boot is lined with Gore-Tex while the support frame is made of Monowrap for a flexible yet sturdy boot. The upper material is made of Nubuck leather and the midsole is made of injected polyurethane, while the sole is Vibram Evo. The boots have lacing hardware with both open and closed hooks and additional hardware-locking ankle hooks. It’s a great pair of boots to wear on your next trek.

CRKT Homefront Folding Knife

CRKT’s Homefront blade uses the breakthrough “Field Strip” technology which lets you disassemble your knife for cleaning easily without tools. The 3.502-inch, brushed steel-finish blade is made of AUS 8 blade steel with a plain edge. The handles are made with 6061 Aluminum. Unsheathed and opened, the Homefront is 8.313 inches long while closed it’s just 4.728 inches long.

FEBRUARY 2018

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Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8+ Smartphones

The Galaxy A8 and A8+ enable users to capture moments in the best quality possible with its dual front cameras. The primary is a 16 MP shooter with f/1.9 aperture while the secondary is an 8 MP camera. This combination allows users to capture photos with high quality, effortless wide-angled shots, and bokeh effect-injected portraits. Its 16 MP f1.7 rear camera, on the other hand, also renders sharp and detailed photos even in low-light condition. The Galaxy A8 is equipped with a 5.6-inch FHD+, super AMOLED screen, while the A8+ comes with a slightly larger 6-inch FHD+ super AMOLED display. Both versions flaunt Samsung’s very own Infinity Display with an 18:9 display ratio. Powering the Galaxy A8 and A8+ are octa-core processors that clock in at 1.6 GHz for effortless handling of tasks. Working in tandem with its processors are 4 GB of RAM for the A8 and 6 GB for the A8+. The phones also sport huge battery capacities—the A8 with 3000 mAh battery and the A8+ with a 3500 mAh deal—to help you power through the day. Meanwhile, both phones run Android 7.1.1 Nougat, are LTE-enabled, have dual-SIM slots, and have IP68-rated water- and dust-resistant bodies. Rounding out the feature set are Face Recognition for added security and quick access, along with the Bixby assistant meant to handle tasks intelligently and a more convenient user experience overall.

PHP 26,990 (Galaxy A8) PHP 32,990 (Galaxy A8+)

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FEBRUARY 2018

Pioneer DDJ-1000 DJ controller

The Pioneer DJ DDJ-1000 professional controller inherits the best of the old and adds a couple of dashes of new and exciting features. The controller uses a layout similar to the flagship NXS2 models, making it compact and portable yet highly functional. It sports a familiar club-style layout, with an aluminum and acrylic-finished top panel and each jog wheel having a customizable LCD on-jog display, allowing DJs and producers to have better control over their mixes. The Magvel Fader has been improved on the DDJ-1000, promising long-lasting performance for more than 10 million movements. Plus, the software has been refined between the cross-fader and the jog wheel, reducing latency. Designed to make the most of the new and improved rekordbox dj interface, the DDJ-1000 also comes with brand new Beat FX (Enigma Jet, Mobius Saw, Mobius Triangle and Low Cut Echo) in addition to the 10 available already, as well as four Sound Color FX presets. The controller has 16 hot cues per deck, key shift controls, four inputs and 16 back-lit rubber performance pads.

FEBRUARY 2018

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Pioneer TS-WX130DA Car Subwoofer

The Pioneer TS-WX130DA brings your car entertainment experience up a notch with powerful sound. Perfect for cars with limited space, the compact form-factor of this subwoofer allows it to fit under most car seats and small spaces. This design element makes installation extremely easy for just about all vehicles in the market. With both speaker line and RCA inputs, drivers will have the flexibility of connecting the TS-WX130DA. It is also equipped with the highly efficient Class-D amplifier that cuts power consumption by up to 40 percent. The TS-WX130DA comes with a wired remote and auto on/ off power to simplify operations. It also has DSP function and two bass modes for tuning the subwoofer to various music genres.

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FEBRUARY 2018

UBTECH Stormtrooper Robot

Yes, everyone is on the side of the Rebel Alliance, but we’ve all thought about how cool the Empire is. And now Star Wars fans can get a taste of the might of being a leader in the Empire with UBTECH’s Star Wars First Order Stormtrooper robot. The robot promises an immersive experience with voice commands and facial recognition, so that the Stormtrooper knows who’s boss. You can even put it on sentry mode which orders the soldier to patrol the vicinity and stop strangers to identify themselves. The companion app adds even more fun to the mix with augmented reality missions such as launching attacks on unsuspecting members of the Resistance. And, to prevent a repeat of the Finn conundrum, the Stormtrooper connects to your network through an encrypted platform so that all user data is protected.

PHP 24,999

Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch

The Ionic comes with a new relative SpO2 sensor, making it possible to gather more info about your health, as well as industry-leading GPS tracking, on-device dynamic workouts, improved heart rate tracking, and water resistance up to 50 meters. Combining efficient health and fitness tracking with smart features, the Ionic supports contactless payments and comes with on-board music, smart notifications, along with a variety apps and clock faces available in the Fitbit App Gallery. Building on the brand’s expertise in wearables, the Ionic is also equipped with Fitbit core elements such as five days of battery life, automatic activity and sleep tracking, and cross-platform compatibility. All these features and more make the Ionic Fitbit’s most advanced device to date.

PHP 15,690

FEBRUARY 2018

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Epson L4150

All-in-one Inkjet Printer Get a little extra space on your desk with the newest member to the premium line of inkjet printers from Epson! Compact and multifunctional, the L4150 features a spill-free ink refilling system that everyone can appreciate. Yielding up to 7500 pages, the L4150 boasts wireless connectivity that enables mobile and shared printing, whenever and wherever even without an internet connection through Wi-Fi direct. This mighty printer enhances your productivity with its printing speed that ranges from 10.5 ipm to 33 ipm. With its impressive and cost-efficient performance, the Epson L4150 is truly an essential addition to your school and office arsenal.

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FEBRUARY 2018

Lenovo Thinkpad X380 Yoga Laptop

Specifically designed for the flexible corporate warrior, this hottest addition to Lenovo’s very own Thinkpad X series showcases US Military standard durability. The X380 Yoga is powered by Rapid Charge technology that fuels the battery up to 80% in just an hour via USB Type-C power cable. Weighing 2.5 pounds and at just 17.4mm thick, this latest convertible laptop from Lenovo is sleeker and lighter compared to its predecessors. Its hardware is mainly composed of Intel’s 8th generation Core i7 with a 16 GB RAM and a roomy 1 TB of storage. Great for home and office usage, its security access through its built-in IR camera and Windows Hello are just among its remarkable features.

Lenovo Thinkpad L380 Laptop

If you’re looking for a value-oriented ultrabook then the ThinkPad L 380 is a perfect choice for you. One of the current models of Lenovo’s L series, this 13.3-inch Full HD screen laptop has a multi-touch display that everyone should look forward to. Among its internal parts include an Intel Core i7 processor and 32 GB of system memory. Elegantly designed with monochromatic colors of black and gray, this minimalist laptop lets you feel both elegance and technology. With its battery capacity that can last up to 12 hours, its users can expect its optimum performance.

FEBRUARY 2018

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Lenovo Smart Display Smart Display

Be in total command of your home with Lenovo’s Smart Display. Available in both 8-inch or 10-inch screen models, this panel has Google Assistant built-in, and is a one stop shop for controlling your smart devices at home. This panel can be controlled either by voice or touch and allows you to watch videos, call your friends, show you the fastest routes to work, or activate other devices in a jiffy. It’s highlight is an HD touchscreen display and wrapped in a minimalist, modern design. This smart device is powered by the Qualcomm Home Hub Platform based on the Qualcomm SDA 624 SoC which features integrated CPU, GPU, and DSP as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Lenovo Miix 630 2-in-1 Detachable

Be productive any time, anywhere with the Miix 630. This Windows 10 powered 2-in-1 detachable gives you the convenience of working on a laptop while having the connectivity of a smartphone. It comes with 4G LTE integration, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 mobile PC platform, the Windows 10 S operating system, and a full-sized keyboard and Lenovo digital pen 1,024 levels of sensitivity, all the features you’ll need for working efficiently on the fly. The Miix 630 is just 15.6 mm and featherlight weighing just 1.33 kg. Despite its humble demeanor, it has an incredibly long battery life of up to 20 hours making it a powerful productivity machine you can trust. The versatile Miix 630 flaunts a 12.3-inch WUXGA+ touchscreen tablet, Cortana, infrared camera, biometric facial recognition, and more. Experience next-gen mobile computing with the Miix 630.

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FEBRUARY 2018

Zenfone Max Plus (M1) Smartphone

The weakest part of every smartphone is their battery. But with the Asus ZenFone Max Plus, you get great features and massive battery, that will take you far. Inside its sleek body is a huge 4130 mAh battery. Get the most out of this power by watching movies or playing games on its 5.7-inch Full HD display with an outstanding 80 percent screen-to-body ratio and 2.5D front glass design. Take this handset with you on your adventures and capture moments impeccably with its advanced dual-camera system. Its 16 MP PixelMaster main camera is equipped with F2.0 aperture lens perfect for beautiful landscape shots while its 8 MP 120-degree wide-angle camera lets you fit more scenery and people in the frame. You can also take stunning selfies with its 8 MP front camera with a F2.0 aperture and live beautification features. The ZenFone Max Plus also comes with dual-SIM slots, a microSD slot for expandable storage up to 256 GB, Face Unlock feature for more security and ease of use, and is run by an octa-core processor along with 4 GB RAM. The ZenFone Max Plus clad in a premium metal body is available in colors deepsea black, sunlight gold, and azure silver.

PHP 11,995

FEBRUARY 2018

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February 2018

GADGETS LAB

Specifications: Processor: 64-bit octa-core MediaTek helio P20 Operating System: Android 7.0 Nougat RAM: 4 GB Internal Storage: 32 GB, expandable up to 256 GB via microSD Display: 5.5-inch Full HD, 1080p resolution, with Corning Gorilla Glass Cameras: 23 MP f2/2.0 Exmor RS rear and 8 MP f/2.0 Exmor R front Connectivity: LTE/NFC/Wi-Fi Miracast/Bluetooth 4.2 SIM: Dual Battery: 3430 mAh What’s Hot: - Excellent main camera - Durable battery life What’s Not: -Screen could use a bit more sensitivity - Chunky build

FEBRUARY 2018

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Specifications: Lens: 12 MP still image capture Video Recording: Supports 4K at 60 fps and 1080p at 240 fps video formats Battery: 1220 mAh fast-charging Li-ion battery Compatibility: GoPro App and QuikStories Design: Waterproof up to 33 feet (10 meters) Processes images in RAW and HDR formats Ports: built-in micro-HDMI and USB Type-C ports Memory: Expandable through a micro-SD slot Voice Control:10 languages Sensors: GPS, Acceloremeter, and Gyroscope Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hot: -Advance video stabilization -Creates more dynamic and brighter imagery even in low-light -Awesome cinematography experience with its ultra-HD recording capabilities -Faster offload of media files Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Not: - Pricey compared to its predecessor and other competitors

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Specifications: Function: Printer, scanner, copier Printer type: On-demand inkjet Maximum resolution: 5760 x 1440 dpi Maximum print size: 8.5 x 47.24 inches Maximum scan area: 8.5 x 11.7 inches Maximum copy size: A4 and Letter Print speed: 69 (bordered) to 92 seconds (borderless) per 4 x 6 inch photo; 33 ppm for Draft quality A4 monochrome, 15 ppm for color; up to 10.5 ppm for ISO 24734 quality A4 Simplex monochrome; 5.0 ppm for color Copy speed: Up to 7.7 ppm for monochrome, 3.8 ppm for color

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hot: - Compact - Good print quality

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Not: - Limited paper size - A bit expensive

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Specifications: Dimensions: 148.4 x 73.4 x 8 mm Weight:163 g SIM: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) Design: IP68 certified, dust/water-proof over 1.5 meter and 30 minutes Display: 5.2-inch IPS LCD, 1080 x 1920 pixels (424 ppi) Processor: 2.2 GHz octa-core Cortex-A53 Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 GPU: Adreno 508 Internal Storage: 64 GB, expandable up to 256 GB via microSD RAM: 4 GB Cameras: Dual 12 MP main (f/2.0, 1.4 µm, PDAF, dual pixel) and 8 MP front-facing (f/2.2, 1.12 µm, no AF) Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, NFC USB: Type-C 1.0 reversible connector, USB On-The-Go What’s Hot: - Beautiful - Water and dust resistance - Fast fingerprint scanner What’s Not: - Price is just a tad steep

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Specifications: Operating System: Fitbit OS Display: 1.42” 348 x 250 pixels; color LCD touchscreen, Gorilla Glass 3 Sensors: Optical heart rate monitor, 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, altimeter, GPS, ambient light sensor Memory: 2.5 GB storage for 7 days of detailed motion data, 30-days of daily totals, 300 songs Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, NFC Compatibility: Android, iOS, Windows Battery: Lithium-polymer, 4+ days battery life, 10+ hours on GPS What’s Hot: - No need to recharge daily! - Continuous heart rate monitor - Sleep stages What’s Not: - Needs a third party app to integrate with iOS Health - A bit large for slim wrists

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Specifications: Processor: Intel Core i7 6700, 3.40 GHz RAM: 16 GB Storage: 128 SSD + 1TB HDD Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 1070 Connectivity: Wi-Fi, LAN, Bluetooth 4.0, Audio in/out, 4x USB 3.1, 2x USB 2.0 + 2x USB 3.1, 2x USB 2.0 Optical drive Internal card reader What’s Hot: - Lots of easy-to-reach ports! - Simple LED customization - Low-key case

What’s Not: - Might not look exciting enough for some gamers - Price may be an issue

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Specifications: Motherboard: ASUS Prime X370-Pro CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 3.7GHz RAM: 16GB (8GBx2) G.Skill Trident Z RGB 2999MHz DDR4 Cooling: AMD Wraith MAX PSU: Seasonic M12II Evo 620 Watts Storage: HyperX Savage SSD (256GB) OS: Windows 10 Pro What’s Hot: - Impressive performance - Great price-to-performance ratio What’s Not: - No RGB lighting

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PHOTO FEATURE

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COVER STORY

THE

2018 RUNDOWN Words by Team Gadgets

As we start to get into the swing of things, we’ve already got the first of the year’s greatly anticipated tech events--CES. This time around, we’ve got a lot of smart tech, wearables, and of course, all the usual mobile phones, displays, and devices we just can’t wait to get our hands on. Prepare yourselves, 2018 has truly arrived.

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CES 2018

Words by Mia Carisse Barrientos

Meet the Robinsons and The Jetsons are wonderful examples of homes of the future, but where we’re at now is still a far cry from these modern setups. At the recent CES, we witnessed new technologies that bring us a tad closer to the utopian future or at least a truly smart home. Lenovo Smart Display Lenovo continues its forward push to the top of the market with its computing devices. At last year’s CES, the company made a bold dive into the smart home waters with its Alexa-powered smart speaker and, this 2018, they’re taking it further with the Smart Display. This Google Assistant-powered panel helps you accomplish tasks with just a touch or a voice command. You can ask it to tell you weather updates, play you music, update your schedule, show you recipes, and even serve as a hub for enabling and controlling connected smart devices such as your smart air purifier or washing machine. At its core is a Qualcomm SDA 624 chip taking care of its every processes and either an 8-inch with 1200 x 800 resolution or 10-inch with 1920 x 1200 screen up front. For a little over USD 200, the Smart Display should ultimately find its place in many homes. Samsung The Wall Samsung is never out of new things to wow the crowd. And at the CES floor, it took everyone’s attention with The Wall. You might be wondering, why the name? At the event, this showstopper looked like a lieral wall that emits bright and deep-colored images. The keyword we’re looking at here is MicroLED. Like OLED, MicroLED emits its own light, which allows the panel to be impossibly thin, bright, offer incredible definition, and not be restricted to a size or form. Though just a prototype, this 146-inch modular TV showed promise with its luminosity, durability, and significantly lower

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power consumption. If this is the future of TVs, we’ll take it. Samsung also showcased the world’s first QLED TV featuring 8K AI technologythat is capable of upscaling images to 8K resolution. If that is the TVs of now, we’ll take it too. LG WK7 Smart ThinQ Speaker LG has entered the smart speaker race with the WK7. This speaker comes with Google Assistant embedded within. This gives your voice the power to command it as you wish. Audio-wise, it features Meridian Audio’s advanced technologies giving you crisp, high quality sound. It also has Chromecast built-in. When hooked to a TV, you can command it to stream videos, music, and more making for an all-in-one entertainment device. And since it is powered by LG’s ThinQ technology, with it, you can control compatible devices while you have your feet up on the coffee table. Another eyecatcher at CES was LG’s 65-inch Rollable OLED TV. The Korean giant showcased its 65-inch 4K OLED TV that can be rolled up for storage. It is that flexible thanks to its paperthin OLED display. Imagine stowing your TV like a burrito and unfolding it like nothing happened. Also, LG introduced a slew of ThinQ smart appliances such as stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, washers, dehumidifiers, ACs, vacuums, and more, all of which you can connect to and be controlled with a device such as the WK7.

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Philips Hue Philips Lighting has been in the business of making lights that adjust to your preference for years. In 2018, they’re pushing the boundaries with a redesigned mobile app. The new version of the Philips Hue app lets you synchronize your Philips Hue lights while you game—in partnership with Razer, listen to music, or watch a movie. A Hue Sync application which can run on Windows 10 or macOS High Sierra-run devices will also be released. This application instantaneously creates immersive light scripts for content you run on your computer, creating an ambiance– perfectly suited for the occasion. Through these improvements, your Philips Hue ecosystem at home intelligently adjusts to whatever content you are consuming, taking the entertainment experience on to better heights. The company is also planning to roll out lighting products for the outdoors. You can now make gatherings livelier with just a tap on your connected device.

Trinkets and Robots The biggest consumer-centric electronics show is naught without the usual quirky entries and of course the archetypal future staple, robots. The former king of mobile phones plans to take back its crown, and it’s taking huge strides to get there. While they’re at it, Nokia also does other things on the side. If sleep trackers usually go on our wrists, Nokia’s Sleep pad goes under your mattress. This sleep tracker promises to analyse your slumber pattern accurately by various technologies along while connecting to other smart devices such as lights to help lull you to sleep. L’Oreal, the popular make-up and skin care brand, has also joined the smart fanfare with its Electronic UV Sensor. The UV Sense, is a batteryfree wearable that can stick on the thumbnail and measure exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Aeolus is a household robot that maintains order. It can recognise items and put them where they belong. It can also be fitted with brooms or a vacuum cleaner with its modular design. There’s also BUDDY, which is touted as a “social companion” robot. Simply put, this adorable robot is something you’d want to talk to even about the most trivial things. This year’s CES was packed with new technologies you’d want to take home. Baked with new technologies, these products can do what you thought was impossible before and can ultimately make household chores a breeze. In the future these will take over our homes and there’s no other option but to give them a warm welcome.

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CES 2018

Words by Jewel Sta. Ana

The world of computing continues towards increased portability, security, and maximum efficiency. Constantly growing and emerging, technological innovations are necessary to satisfy our endless digital demands. Needless to say, several advancements are being studied and developed takes years before integration into one machine. This year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2018) surely has a lot of awesome surprises for everyone, most especially for tech geeks out there who are into PCs and hardware.

MSI Infinite X MSI has been known as a reputable producer of gaming peripherals and machines for many years. Their succesful streaks continues with the best gaming hardware in one desktop. Just like its name, the Infinite X offers limitless possibilities. Aesthetically crafted with Mystic light RGB LED lights matched with steel and tempered glass on both side panels, this 2018 CES Innovation Honoree for gaming is a beast of a machine. Integrated with 8th generation Intel processor and MSI’s award-winning graphics card, you will definitely experience the best gaming performance to be had in a desktop. Acer Swift 7 (SF714-51) Consumers choose ultra-thin and lightweight laptops for a lot of good reasons. Obviously, it all boils down to one thing: convenience. With this fact in mind, Acer has found a way to meet this growing demand. Defying the trends in style with its sleeker and visually appealing aesthetics, the 8.98 mm thick Acer Swift 7 does gives convenience, with no compromise. Built with a 14-inch Corning Gorilla glass touchscreen display, this narrow-bezzeled laptop integrates a 4G LTE antenna and a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor inside its unibody chassis.

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If you’ll look closely, most netbooks available in the market are lighter in weight and smaller in size from traditional laptops. Even the dimensions of computer hardware such as drives and processors are now made even smaller without affecting its performance. Intel’s Hades Canyon NUC Virtual Reality has been on various tech radar since last year. The Internet of Things (IoT) has allowed a lot of out-of-the-box ideas, one of which is experimental VR programs and apps exclusive for certain devices. This has paved the way for the birth of Intel’s smallest and VR-ready gaming rig called Hades Canyon. This beefy NUC is a result of a collaboration between two competitors—AMD and Intel. Resting in its inner shell is an 8th generation Intel Core processor plus an AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH that gives an immersive game experience at 4K resolution. The Core-Radeon mashup has a solid rectangular look that provides a lot of essential ports for various functions—it’s pretty incredible for such compact system. Thanks to NUCs (Next Unit of Computing), further evolution for these small and mobile personal computers may unlock the full

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potential of Virtual Reality on both computers and peripherals. Lenovo Miix 630 With technology taking a leap to another level, users should expect seamless music and movie streaming as well as swifter downloading and uploading speeds in their netbooks. Teaming up with Qualcomm and Microsoft to develop a fresh take on mobile computing, Lenovo’s Miix 630 is sure to catch the attention of consumers. Crafted for people who are always on-the-go, this convertible enables 4G LTE connection for faster internet. With its roaming capabilities, uninterrupted handovers across networks, and interoperability; the Lenovo Miix 630 is a good option for students and the mobile workforce. You might even be able to bring out the inner writer and artist in you with its full-sized keyboard and digital pen. Running on Windows 10 S with Qualcomm’s innovative Snapdragon 835 processor, beating the deadline is no longer an issue. Dell XPS-13 Who says laptops can’t join the bezel-less trend? Say hello to brighter and bigger screens. A handful of brands have included full highdefinition displays on their laptop models and Dell is not an exception. Stunning inside and out, the XPS-13 features an InfinityEdge touchscreen which sports more pixels and fewer borders.

It’s not surprising that the XPS 13 bagged an honoree award in CES 2018 for Computer Hardware and Components category. Integrated in its 13.3-inch body is an ultra-HD monitor that produces 4K quality images and videos. Another jewel in its crown is Dell Cinema that improves visual colors, streaming speed, and audio quality of your favorite TV series or movie when played on the XPS-13. Just from its name, you can tell this pre-installed program allows it to produce sharper, more realistic and visually appealing results. Various brands have been making an effort to give an immense gameplay and entertainment experience, and with years of their long-term research and preparation, I personally feel that 2018 is ready to unwrap these possibilities. Technological breakthroughs are good indicators of change and I am more than ready to see it in physical form in the next months. I hope that you are, too!

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CES 2018

Words by Ren Alcantara

For tech nerds, there’s more to look forward to after Christmas. January brings with it CES, and a whole industry worth of tech goodness to ogle and dream about. While there was more of a focus on smart technologies and wearables, there’s also the staple that we love to keep our eyes on: mobiles. The spotlight might not have been on mobile phone tech this year, but there were still a few interesting developments from some of our favorite brands that we were excited to see. Let’s take a quick look at them, and consider what this means for the consumers.

Vivo While there isn’t a consumer-ready device at this point, Vivo was quite proud to show off what might be one piece of tech smartphone manufacturers have been scrambling to bring to the market: on-screen fingerprint scanning. Working with their technology partners from Synaptics, Vivo was showcasing their in-display fingerprint scanning system, making them the industry’s first to publicly unveil what has proven elusive to even industry giants such as Apple. The development allows the manufacturer to make sleek phones that still have the convenience and security of the fingerprint scanner, something that has proven to be more secure than most facial recognition implemented by other makers in the market right now. Vivo also claimed that the device would be ready for prime time early this year. Asus Continuing making phones that deliver a great experience along with superb battery life, Asus has just released the latest to their ZenFone Max line of products in the ZenFone Max Plus.

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It’s a capable mid-range device with a massive 4130 mAh battery that, coupled with battery optimization technology, promises days of use on a single charge. The Max line of ZenFones has always been priced reasonably, and this iteration is no exception, with a price tag of just USD 329, or just under PHP 17,000 converted. If it is at least as capable as the other members of this family of phones, we’re quite excited to meet it in person. Blackberry The news of the death of Blackberry have been greatly exaggerated. The Blackberry Motion is the latest from what was once a household name in mobile phones, at least in the US. While this particular model has given up its keys in exchange for more screen real estate, it does carry a curiously large 4000 mAh battery, which in a mid-range device such as this, means long stretches between charges. It also comes with a special context-sensitive function key that delivers different functions depending on your location or the task at hand. The motion is set to hit the market with a price tag of about PHP 23,000 converted.

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Razer As if coming up with a smartphone weren’t news enough for the gaming hardware company, Razer showed off Project Linda at CES this year. The laptop-like dock allows users to insert their Razer phone into a bay about where a track pad would be located, allowing for an Android experience on a larger, much more convenient device. The phone switches into a functioning track pad, and also serves as the speakers for the hybrid. The idea seems to be to allow Android gaming and daily tasks to be done with a display and keyboard much more convenient than just a mobile phone. While it might not be for everyone, it remains a very interesting development in a segment that hasn’t seen a whole lot of change in a significant amount of time. We’re excited to see what Razer will bring to the market next.

Sony While they haven’t come up with a bezel-less phone quite yet, Sony has been working to shave the existing bezels down as much as they can. The result is the Xperia XA2 Ultra. Apart from the thinning bezels, Sony is once again shooting for great cameras on the device, with the XA2 bearing 23-MP sensors with up to ISO 12800for unparalleled night-time performance. It retains the signature Xperia look, now with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for quick and easy access.

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CES 2018

More cool stuff from this year’s CES

Words by Robby Vaflor

The great thing about CES is its scale and variety. More often than not, we tend to get drawn into the bigger, brighter and more publicized booths and products--and that’s really no one’s fault. But let me be the quirky, obscure uncle whose taste you’ve subconsciously absorbed through osmosis and give you some of the less talked about but just as cool (maybe even cooler) stuff you might have missed from this year’s CES.

Clearaudio Innovation Many audiophiles prefer the sound of vinyl and anyone who dare alter the medium would be charged at by an angry mob wearing expensive headphones. But the same aggression does not apply for innovating the thing it rotates on. The nerds at German company Clearaudio came out with a jawdropping innovation—and the name perfectly describes it. Combining several award-winning technologies, the Innovation turntable uses the company’s revolutionary (pun very much intended) optical speed control combined with an infrared sensor to maintain a constant rpm (supporting 33 1/3, 45 and 78 rpm settings). Everyone needs a bit of stability, and this thing is unprecedented in that area. The high-density, 70–millimeter–thick acrylic platter is rotated by a high-torque decoupled DC motor which rotates friction-free on a 15– millimeter–thick stainless steel sub-platter using the company’s proprietary ceramic magnetic bearing design. It really is any music purist’s dream turntable. The catch? A USD 45,000 price tag. Bragi’s The Dash Pro From the needlessly expensive dream audio device, we move onto the surprisingly useful

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expensive dream audio device. Bragi’s The Dash Pro (article included in the name) is a clever pair of true wireless earbuds. The in-ears connects via Bluetooth or be used as a stand-alone music player with 4 GB file capacity and features Passive Noise Isolation through premium Knowles Balanced Armature Speakers, giving excellent audio quality without so much as a whisper from the outside world. Or, if you still want to be aware of your surroundings, with just one swipe you can have ambient noise seep into your headphones with its Audio Transparency feature. Using Bragi’s own AI-enabled operating system, the earbuds also offer fitness tracking, iTranslate integration with 40 languages supported (working in real time), and integration with your personal assistant of choice (except you, Alexa, sorry). The Dash Pro can even be customized (at extra cost) based on your personal hearing profile in partnership with Starkey Hearing Technologies. But what’s really interesting and potentially lifechanging, is Bragi’s initiative called Project Ears in partnership with Mimi Hearing Technologies in engineering a pair of wireless earbuds that will bring tinnitus relief and would double as a hearing aid in difficult environments.

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Lenovo Mirage It’s a point-and-shoot VR camera! No beating around the bush with this one. We have now come to a point where home videos and family photos can be viewed in 3D. Future. Lenovo’s Daydream-enabled Mirage allows users who do not have expert knowledge of VR capture or the expensive equipment it normally requires to take immersive photos and videos with a pocket-sized camera. The Mirage is equipped with dual 13-megapixel fisheye lens cameras which takes 180-degree VR videos with support for YouTube’s latest VR180 format. It also captures photos with a 180-by-180degree field of view. With Wi-Fi Direct smartphone pairing, users can review their photos and videos using their phones as viewfinders, viewable with or without a VR headset. The Mirage comes with 16 GB of onboard storage, expandable up to 128 GB via a microSD card slot. Can you imagine taking a video of a gig and letting your friends experience what you experienced? Complete with you singing louder than the vocalist of course.

H That’s not a typo. It really is just called H. H is a partnership between Chinese internet giant Baidu and Swedish tech design maverick teenage engineering. It is Baidu’s first smart home speaker, under its recently aquired company, raven. The H is also the first stage of Baidu’s massive AI initiative and works pretty much like any smart home speaker, with a personal assistant much like the Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa or Microsoft’s Cortana. What’s obviously different is its design which exudes teenage engineering’s retro Swedish design aesthetic. It wouldn’t be out of place in a 60s science fiction program. And just look at that coiled cord charge cable that looks like it came straight off a rotary phone from a mod apartment. Plus, it has audio components designed by Tymphany so it’ll sound as good as it looks. The bad news? It’ll only be available in China. We’ll just sit here and stare at our drab brick of a smart home speaker. Tough luck.

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MOBILITY

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APPS

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New New Words by Mia Carisse Barrientos

The new year is the perfect time to do things you haven’t tried before— to challenge yourself—or even to just simply get new games for your phone. App marketplaces never run out of interesting, new (some old) finds that vie for your phone storage space. If you’re looking to kill time or maybe just find an excuse to procrastinate, we’ve got you covered. Calculator: The Game iOS and Android (Free) Math is fun for some, but for the majority it’s a subject we’d rather veer away from. Calculator: The Game takes all the things we dislike about math and turn them into a fun and simple puzzle; think less complicated 2078 or Sudoku. Of course, you can play with a real calculator and add, subtract, divide, or multiply to your heart’s content but it’s not really that thrilling per se. In Calculator: The Game, you get a calculatorlike interface designed with fun colors and an adorable assistant, Snarky, whom you share playful dialogue with. The gameplay is simple as manipulating numbers to get a required answer. It does get tricky as you get deeper into the game, bordering on addicting and frustrating.

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Super Phantom Cat iOS and Android (Free) Cats are lovable. Supercharge these little critters, put them in an 8/16-bit color graphic game world, and you get an addictive concoction of a game. Super Phantom Cat is a platform jumping game which sees Chemist White take on the phantom world. This world, as colorful as it appears, isn’t all too adorable when foes pounce on our lovable feline hero. The game’s difficulty escalates as you move from one level to another. Players also get to unlock new characters into which Chemist White can “transform,” and discover disguised passages filled with collectible “data,” coins, and stars. Power ups can be acquired as well either by watching ads or obtaining them in-level. These boost the character to power through the phantom world. Its second version comes with revamped graphics, whimsical new characters, worlds, and frills, but you know what they say about sequels.

Escape Game: Lost Cat Story iOS and Android (Free) If you ask us why is there another cat-themed game entry, we’ll tell you, why not? The Lost Cat Story is a 180-degree turn from Super Phantom Cat. It is mellow-toned and gives you beautiful graphics all the way through. In this game, you play as a lost cat in a neighborhood in Japan trying to find your way back to your “hooman.” The visuals are akin to 90s anime, with navigation done by swiping and tapping. Along the way, there are simple to intricate puzzles to solve but you can get hints by watching through the ads. The ending of the story depends on the choices you make—no tragedies, just kawaii overload.

Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World iOS and Android (Free) Humans enjoy good mysteries and if it’s one from the wizarding world, expect fun multiplied tenfold. Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World is a hidden object game injected with all the beastly excitement from the movie franchise. This immersive game offers players mysteries to solve, spells to learn, potions to brew, codes to crack, and riveting narrative. You play as either a wizard or witch from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures skilled and endowed with knowledge to crack the toughest cases. You work in tandem with your partner Mathilda Grimblehawk, who accompanies you throughout the game. To speed up solving mysteries, there are also items and deals you can purchase with real-world money. Did we mention you also get to have your own wizarding world name? Muggle name be gone! Living Alone 2 iOS and Android (Free) Moving out is tough, but if you plan to live independently soon, Living Alone 2 should help you hit the ground running. In this simulation game set in Korea, you juggle university with part-time work and fulfilling your retro-styled avatar’s desires. The game has a four-year timeline in which you have to graduate and avoid being kicked-out of your measly apartment. You gain money by doing part-time work or odd jobs— watching ads—while you gain education credits by attending classes in uni. These tasks consume certain number of “days” in a month, and before you know it your bills are already due. This fastpaced game requires organization skills to move up—but who cares? It’s a game, so go crazy! www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

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GAMING

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Words by Jose Alvarez Developer: VRChat Inc. | Publisher: VRChat Inc. | Platform: PC

People have been trying to form online communities since the advent of the Internet. Some of these communities are fantasy-based (World of Warcraft, Ultima Online) or based off from real life (Second Life). Some have been kid-friendly as well, shielding the youth from some of the darker aspects of the Internet and giving parents some peace of mind (Habbo Hotel, Club Penguin). Being part of an online community empowers people to socialize and interact own with various fan-made groups arising from massively multiplayer online (MMO) games.

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VRChat utilizes the concept of these online communities and adds virtual reality (VR) into the mix to make for an immersive gaming experience. The game also challenges games such as Minecraft in that it is a sandbox game where anything can happen. The game is free on Steam, so anyone can pick it up and start playing with their friends. Like most other sandbox games, it can be used for fun or to create content. You don’t necessarily need a VR headset to enjoy the game although having an Oculus Rift or an HTC Vive can help with fully experiencing this vast online world. While there is no real objective or an ending to the game, you can create an instanced world and a virtual avatar in the game. This game has been touted not only as a social space, but also as a sandbox where developers can experiment with VR to create their own games through the Unity engine in the company’s software developer kit (SDK). This sets the game apart from many of its competitors since the VRChat is open-ended. You enter an area called “The Hub” which has several portals to worlds that are created by the developers and even other players themselves. You can watch YouTube videos with all of your friends in the game, walk on the surfaces of other planets, go to a virtual bar or go camping, just to name a few things. There are few mini-games

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within VRChat as well. For instance, you can go bowling with friends, play capture the flag, play a game called Battle Discs (which resembles Tron), and play a team-based multiplayer shooter named Steel n’ Gold.

is an amazing hotbed of community creativity, sharing of knowledge, connections leading to collaborations, events, learning and more. We’re thankful to everyone involved for all their passion and creations.”

The game is most noted for spreading the Internet meme known as “Ugandan Knuckles,” which is a poorly drawn model of Knuckles the Echidna from the Sonic the Hedgehog games. The players use the avatars, asking other players if they know “the way” using African accents. The meme has also brought to prominence a 2010 film entitled Who Killed Captain Alex? with players quoting lines from the movie in an African accent. It has drawn some controversy for being racist, even though the creator of the 3D model avatar himself said that it was not intended to be used for that purpose.

Remember the old saying, “Life is what you make it”? There may be an element of truth in that even in the online gaming world and especially with something such as VRChat, which has huge potential with VR devices starting to take off and bringing people together to do anything they want. It can inspire developers no matter where they are in the world to create their own games and at the same time, have some fun with fellow gamers around the world.

Outside of the meme, many Twitch streamers and YouTubers are also featuring the game in their content. VRChat Inc. said in an early January blog, “Another reason for our growth is we continue to attract lots of creative and talented creators. They have not only been adding their own content but also forming groups and helping in various ways from our Discord, from making tutorials on how to create avatars or build worlds to organizing events. We’ve also gone global. Our Discord community has many channels now for various languages around the world. The core of VRChat

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BULLET POINTS

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VISUAL SPACE

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t c e f r Pe S G N I PAIR Food can make anyone feeling pumped and happy. While food is already great on its own, the gastronomic experience wouldn’t be complete without a refreshing beverage to down it with. Here are a few food and drink pairings guaranteed to please your palate.

Wine and cheese Wine and cheese complement each other so well that these two words often get associated with inseparable things. This traditional pairing dates back hundreds of years and offers a culinary experience that will never disappoint. Scientifically, sharp-tasting or acidulous food go well together with those with a creamy or fatty texture to them—both dominating flavors of wine (latter) and cheese (former). If you have tried these two together, you’ll get why their contrasting tastes bring out more unique flavors.

can be enjoyed with pastries, sushi, salad, and more. There are tea with subtle flavor, while there are strong bitter ones: green tea has a leafy, vegetable flavor; black tea and oolong are more robust and strong tasting; and pu-erh, which is fermented, has velvety richness to it. Though these tea varieties have different flavors, they all complement flavored meat dishes. Not only do they bring a refreshing feeling with every sip, they also help with the digestion of food.

Soda and almost everything

Coffee and dessert

Tea and meat Like wine, there are also various types of tea and they pair well with not just one type of food. It

When you enter your favorite cafe, what do you see near the counter? All sorts of sweet delicacies, that’s what. This is a testament to coffee and desserts fitting each other like a glove. Caffeine in coffee gives it this pleasant bitter taste which goes well together with sweet-tasting food such as cakes, doughnuts, cookies, and the like. The bitterness negates the sweetness and vice-versa, making you easily crave for more.

Ice cold soda complements pretty much any food selection. Soda is an easy accompaniment to fast food, pasta, dessert, and various full-flavored dishes; it is a table mainstay we can all agree to. And what we can never say no to is a refreshing, ice-cold glass of RC Cola on a hot afternoon. This Filipino favorite offers a burst of zesty, caramelized, fizzy goodness with just a sip. It has a slight piquancy to it that tickles the taste buds, perking you up any time of the time. It generally pairs with any food, but goes well with local favorites such as pancit, sisig, lechon, chicharon, you name it. RC Cola is a foolproof choice for parties, get togethers, or even just lounging at home. As one of the largest RC bottlers in the world, you can trust in RC Philippines’ long history of making meals a feast. Now run off to your nearest store and guzzle this refreshing drink with your food of choice.

I.T. Aligned:

ENTERPRISE

FEBRUARY 2018

Speaking the Right Language of Security to Future-Proof your Business Words by Aseem Ahmed

2017 has seen far too many cyber incidents, demonstrating the Internet is not as secure as it needs to be. The year saw high-profile cyberattacks making headlines and garnering worldwide coverage, and impacting companies’ corporate earnings. The Philippines, ranked 37th among 193 member states in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), was also hit by a global ransomware attack in May 2017. To put this in perspective, a serious cyberattack has the capability to put billions in economic losses—on a par with catastrophic natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy. Evidently, cyberattacks are becoming more pervasive, and they hurt—reinforcing how crucial it is for businesses to prioritize security. The risks of financial burden, business downtime, loss of customer trust and brand reputation, and more are bad news for businesses regardless of size. As a region that is leading the world in cloud readiness, Asia Pacific clearly understands the importance cloud computing plays in futureproofing businesses, which is essentially ensuring business continuity and scalability. However, in order to go one step further and harness the advantages a scalable cloud infrastructure brings, business leaders must know how to navigate a fast-changing landscape of security threats. With Asia Pacific’s “cyber five” nations—South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Singapore–being nine times more vulnerable to cyberattacks than other Asian economies, cybersecurity is now moving away from being strictly just an IT problem to being recognized as an organizational issue. This transition means that cybersecurity is beginning to become a top-of-mind concern among business executives,

security and risk professionals, and other stakeholders. In fact, cyber risks were ranked as top priority for the majority of board members surveyed by Bay Dynamics. Let’s explore what it takes to translate priority into action to help businesses future-proof themselves against cyberattacks.

Shared risks, shared responsibility in cloud-ready Asia Security in today’s Internet age is akin to a web of intricately interconnected links where each and every link needs to be strong and protected at any single point in time. Any broken link within this web affects the digital business ecosystem. For example, credential abuse happens when a leaked/stolen username and password (link 1) ends up being utilized by a botnet (link 2) to successfully access the corporate email and the valuable information that sits within. The key to securing the web of links lies in addressing cybersecurity as an organization-wide mandate. Yet, there are still large discrepancies in comprehending cyber risks between the C-suite and IT experts when it comes to assessing cyber threats, costs and areas of responsibilities. More often than not, this lack of direction stems from the misguided perception that cybersecurity is a matter solely confined to the IT departments. Boards expect their Chief Innovation Officers

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(CIOs) to resolve these problems and move on to focus on operational objectives. But with shared risks come shared responsibility. This means that the CIO and his IT team are no longer the only cybersecurity protectors of an organization.

Championing cybersecurity through effective communication

The answer lies in speaking to the relevant stakeholders using the language they understand, before diving into technicality. With IT becoming more and more integrated into businesses and operations, IT needs to better communicate the return on investment of technology failure avoidance and performance to the C-level. Cultivating effective communication to futureproof businesses requires addressing three fundamental elements underpinning cloud security–high performance, highly distributed architecture, and collective intelligence.

High performance

Fundamentally, ensuring and positioning one’s organization as a low-risk option when compared to others will help Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) better visualize how the business’ market share will grow. An effective way is to break down how a robust cybersecurity strategy can and will benefit the organization’s balance sheet by presenting it in terms of financial risk and reward. For example, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks require little skill or expense to launch, and these attacks can hit enterprises without warning or reason by flooding the site’s origin server with bogus requests, often from multiple locations and networks. This results in downtime and lost business, data theft and reparations, and extended reputational damage. By absorbing DDoS traffic targeted at the application layer, deflecting all DDoS traffic targeted at the network layer, and authenticating valid traffic at the network edge, the built-in protection and scalability of Akamai’s Kona Site Defender enables effective DDoS mitigation and high availability of your business’ web properties for customers. The theory is simple – the better the security, the higher the availability of the digital business, the more confident and attracted the customers and prospects will be to products and services.

Highly distributed architecture

How about when talking cybersecurity with the Chief Technology Officer (CTO)? A few necessary questions to kick-start the conversation include ‘Have you assessed the full impact of business disruption?’ and ‘How is cyber resilience managed for new systems, projects or product launches in a distributed cloud computing world?’ One absolute thing to know is that highly distributed threats require highly distributed solutions to protect the cloud on a large scale. With this risk in consideration, CTOs and IT leaders need to work closely to establish a powerful defensive system to prevent any cyber threats from inception. This means a cloud computing platform architecture has to be designed in a highly distributed manner in order to be robust and fault-tolerant. Reliability is ensured by layers of redundant infrastructure and systems with dynamic failover mechanisms. As a result, this enables a 100 percent availability service-level agreement between organizations and their www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

customers, all while mitigating large volumetric attacks targeting websites and applications. For instance, organizations should consider employing broad DoS and DDoS protection for Internet-facing applications, network and data center infrastructure, and even the network bandwidth into the data center. This not only protects and mitigates the broadest range of DoS and DDoS attacks, including sustained, highbandwidth attacks reaching hundreds of Gbps and comes with an industry-leading time-tomitigate SLA. It also helps preserve application availability for customers and employees during an attack, ensuring user experience is not impacted.

Collective intelligence

We cannot leave out information security when we talk about cybersecurity. The conversation with the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) should be structured around protecting critical assets and adapting promptly to an evolving threat landscape. Think about whether or not cyber resilience in place is scalable and flexible to deal with spikes in business demand, or if investments in cyber operations are prioritized to ensure that they are not only efficient but also cost-effective. This essentially calls for an intelligence-led security defense system that enables both reactive and proactive defenses. With the breadth and depth of web traffic running through globally highly distributed Akamai Intelligent Platform, there sits a treasure trove of data for CISOs to capitalize–and where intelligence comes to play. CISOs need to put together a team of well-trained security experts that deals with network security issues on an organizational and technical level who will leverage a global presence that ensures 24/7 threat mitigation services and more importantly, insights that help predict upcoming cybersecurity trends. These security experts see more data than we will ever do, an assurance of their experience acquired by learning from and analyzing early attacks. The intelligence collected will be able to help organizations recognize, mitigate and even anticipate malware and attacks way ahead of time, and pre-empt them to put the necessary measures and refinements in place. In short, deriving actionable insights using big data analytics on network traffic needs to become a regular practice.

regulatory mandates will continue to put pressure for quicker board response. Organizations need to understand that cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility–from the individual right up to the boardroom–and only when this mandate is rightfully communicated will organizations be able to effectively futureproof their businesses. This requires integrated, scalable, alert, and intelligent defenses to protect infrastructure, applications, data, and business relationships. To be successful at it, IT leaders need to be able to monitor, measure and report the risks–both in support of their operational plans, as well as in support of communicating to their board so that they can provide informed guidance and resourcing. The ultimate victors will be the ones who will assert cybersecurity as a high priority and bring it to the table in the mosteffective language.

About the author

Aseem Ahmed is senior product manager of Cloud security in Asia Pacific and Japan at Akamai Technologies. In this role, he is responsible for identifying market opportunities in cloud security, translating ideas into product requirement, gathering and consolidating customer feedback, evangelizing product vision and strategy, as well as overseeing aspects of the product design and development lifecycle while partnering with cross-functional teams on Go-to-Market activities. With over 10 years of experience in Security services and consulting, cloud security solution architecture, incident handling and IT Infrastructure management, Aseem has built a strong understanding of customer and market requirements. Apart from product management, his interests lie in the areas of security thought leadership and governance. Aseem holds security certifications from institutions such as ISC2 (International Information System Security Certification Consortium), ISACA, and SANS GWAPT to name a few.

Keep the conversations going

Rapidly growing connectivity and the accelerating pace of digital transformation makes the Asia Pacific particularly vulnerable to cyber exploitation. Such conversations would steer boards to ask the necessary questions. Do they have a functional cybersecurity strategy that can actually execute response plans in real-time? Have they run due diligence to minimize every risk touchpoint and overall vulnerability? Furthermore, the implementation of regulatory acts such as EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and Singapore’s in-progress Cybersecurity Draft Bill will drive enterprises to conduct a top-to-bottom review of cybersecurity operations just to demonstrate compliance. Against this fast-changing backdrop of complex regulatory landscape, the impending conflict between cybersecurity strategies and new FEBRUARY 2018

BitCOIN?

Weighing the good against the bad of virtual currency

FEBRUARY 2018

Words by Robby Vaflor

Compounding uptick in value had come to mean a promising investment opportunity for people eager to enter the Bitcoin game, notwithstanding the sharp dips in between the surges. But it is the very erratic nature of Bitcoin that worries staunch critics of the booming virtual currency, seeing it as a sham--a bubble ready to burst at any moment. But are Bitcoin and other virtual currency inherently bad, or are they telling of the future of finance and the world economy as a whole?

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Defining Bitcoin and virtual currency

Virtual currency is a digital representation of value deemed acceptable by a community to use in online transactions in exchange for real goods and services. This means that although there is no physical counterpart for the currency, it’s still considered as having actual monetary value. Video games, specifically online multiplayer video games, use crude versions of this concept widely as a means to purchase items within the game. Many of these games sell virtual currency for legal tender, but once owned by users its real-life value disappears and therefore cannot be traded back to physical money. Bitcoin is a more sophisticated version of it that is called convertible virtual cryptocurrency: convertible, because it has value equivalent to a particular sum of legal tender; a cryptocurrency because it uses public key cryptography as an underlying concept in its blockchain technology—a blockchain is a publicly distributed digital ledger that acts as a transparent and incorruptible record of all transactions done through Bitcoin. Every person who conducts business using Bitcoin has a copy of this ledger which is constantly synchronized across all copies. These honest “nodes” will continue the honest chain which in turn will make it difficult for attackers to outpace it using their own malicious chain. This in theory prevents anyone from creating fraudulent Bitcoin or illegally transferring Bitcoin to another account. In theory, the whole system of Bitcoin is logical. It aims to be a decentralized form of currency which takes out any controlling central bank and other financial institutions that mediate in transactions.

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The maximum amount of Bitcoin allowed to exist is 21 million, an essentially arbitrary number, but with the intent to limit the currency’s devaluation due to inflation. The creator of Bitcoin, who goes by the name Satoshi Nakamoto, cites these inherent weaknesses—reliance on trust, human error, and enterprise, as well as the uneven valuation of currencies due to market forces—of our current system in his reasoning behind the creation of Bitcoin. Conventional transactions generally rely on trust as financial institutions oversee everything related to currency. He postulates that a currency with a foundation in code would be immune to the pitfalls of a very human-centric system such as the one that all capitalist nations use today. However, the issue really about on soundness of the system, or the security of it—rather, it is the perception of its value.

Valuing Bitcoin

The demand for Bitcoin is high compared to the supply. This is why the disparity in the exchange rate between Bitcoin and the US dollar is astronomical. Purchasing already existing Bitcoin is more convenient an investment than mining for new Bitcoin which requires a higher technological proficiency and dedicated hardware that would solve complicated algorithms used for verifying Bitcoin transactions. But why is the demand for Bitcoin high? Because society sees value in something even when there is none. Right now, Bitcoin is traded more like a commodity than currency. People value Bitcoin like they do precious stones and metals. And the more people think the same way, the higher

the price of Bitcoin in real world currency becomes. But instead of having actual value in gold or diamonds, Bitcoin is merely a string of information stored somewhere in the web. It does not equate to anything tangible. The value of an object, more often than not, is a socially constructed truth. This is why many critics liken the growing obsession with Bitcoin to the Dutch tulip mania of the 1630s when the price of a single bulb would fetch a price equalling years’ worth of wages for an average person. The valuation of even the cheapest bulb became so high that no one could afford it, and the market collapsed overnight. Many economists fear that the Bitcoin craze may have a similar bubbled fate.

Bitcoin as a major form of currency

The whole world trades using fiat money. There used to be a time when coins and paper bills represented value in actual gold or silver. But since the gold standard was abolished, the world’s currencies are now just perceived to have actual value but really do not. Bitcoin is just another type of fiat money, with the difference being majority of the world’s population is yet to accept Bitcoin as a legitimate form of currency. Ironically, the fate of Bitcoin hinges on conventional currency’s inherent weakness: society’s trust in the system. While much of the human aspect has been taken away from virtual currency, those who think of making the leap to Bitcoin have to have the belief that the mechanics of virtual currency are solid. And only time will tell whether Bitcoin will emerge as the incorruptible system of transaction it aims to be or if traditional currency would prevail.

FEBRUARY 2018

Aboard The ARK: Disrupting Enterprise with MDI

At present, successful enterprises are no longer made or broken by mere blindsighted sticking to one’s guns, but rather by their ability to cope and adapt to the changing technological landscape. For 30 years, Micro-D International, Inc. (MDI) has partnered with some of the Philippines’ leading companies in embracing disruptive technology and take the necessary steps to digital transformation. And to the company’s CEO Myla Villanueva, a pioneer of the adaptation of many technological innovations in the local corporate setting, the holy trinity of digital transformation is the marriage between technological design, physical space, and brand aspiration—all contributing to create a remarkable customer experience. “The challenge for businesses today is how they can integrate their backend with their front [end] to bring their brand aspirations to life,” Villanueva noted. She adds that every groundbreaking piece of technology today considered the human element and how they interact with each other while complementing the surroundings. Working mostly hidden from the spotlight, MDI has been involved in the digital transformation journeys of businesses crossing different industries including telecommunications, power, retail, and banking and finance. However, the company’s recent partnership with UnionBank of the Philippines for The ARK—the brand’s groundbreaking retail hub at the heart of the Makati City Business District—has brought MDI’s digital transformation philosophy and expertise to the fore.

FEBRUARY 2018

“The ARK is a bridge between the realworld banking experience and the digital experience, which we have made possible by teaming up with our partners, led of course by MDI,” said UnionBank deputy center head for Consumer Finance and chief user experience officer (CXO) Anna AboitizDelgado. The ARK, is considered a “third space:” a hybridization of the traditional banking experience, augmented by digital technology, extending far beyond the established roles of a bank branch. It is the physical manifestation of the successes of the vision of UnionBank and its executives as well as the well thought out execution of MDI and its partners. “We collaborate with the right partners in promoting true Digital Transformation to make surethat the DX Trinity come naturally together. This way, we can ensure that an enterprise can make a significant and lasting impact, while generating the ultimate customer experience,” Villanueva explained.

MDI looked at every process, the points of interaction between branch and customer, and researched and experimented on how they could esses more efficient and effective.

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Nessotech Launches Togetech, Moneygment App

Nessotech formally launched the Moneygment app under its newly-established subsidiary Togetech, Inc., last January 18 in Makati. Moneygment is a payments solutions mobile application which allows users to fulfill their monthly contributions to government agencies, make loan payments, and compute, file and pay their taxes. Intended for self-employed professionals, freelancers, OFWs, owners of small businesses, and house helpers, Moneygment stemmed from the difficulties and delays of processing for government transactions. ‘’Moneygment does not only focus on providing convenience for spending, but spending on things that will help ‘future-proof’ our customers,” said Togetech president and CEO Jessica Palmiano. She explained that future-proofing meant being responsible citizens through filing and paying

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of taxes and utilizing government-mandated benefits such as SSS, Pag-Ibig, and Philhealth.

security measures to keep personal information secure from breaches and leaks.

From the application, users may be able to pay for their contributions directly via bank transfers (BDO and Metrobank), Dragonpay, PayPal, 7Eleven, and ECPay. Standard charges for services like PayPal may apply.

Moneygment is available to download for Android users (the iOS version is yet to be released) and is currently free for all transactions. No word has been mentioned regarding when transaction fees will be imposed, but Togetech hopes that it will not exceed PHP 20.

Right now, Togetech is the only non-bank partner that is licensed by SSS to hand out PRN codes for transactions, working together towards real-time contribution posting. The contributions and tax modules are already available for use with additional modules like government transactions, money transfers, and utilities payments to be added later in the year. Palmiano assures users that Togetech and Moneygment have complied with government data privacy and security requirements. She adds that the developers have put in all the necessary

Nessotech is an IT firm and systems solutions provider that has served companies such as banks and non-bank remittance firms applying for their technical accreditation with SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-Ibig. Managed by a seasoned team with experience in both financial and IT sectors, Nessotech has diversified with the recent establishment of Togetech whose mandate is the creation of mobile applications that directly serve customers, including retail and peer-to-peer clients.

FEBRUARY 2018

ZAP Pushes Growth this 2018 with New Investors The leading loyalty program in the Philippines, ZAP, recently earned PHP 27.5 million from its latest investors namely Venture Capital Holdings and Kickstart Ventures. The latter is a wholly owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom. “Kickstart has a bias for innovative, high-impact solutions, and we certainly found those in ZAP. Retail loyalty programs have proven their value globally, both as a means to grow revenue and retain customers. While there are many solutions providers out there, we’ve not seen any who has the scale and breadth of ZAP. Its [ZAP] growth and value of transactions handled–over PHP 2 billion and growing monthly–give us confidence that they create value for merchants and shoppers alike,” said Minette Navarrete, president of Kickstart Ventures, as it shows its support in the firm’s endeavors. Since 2013, ZAP has been providing a merchantbranded loyalty program tailored for their partner’s customers. Clients get updated with their points balance through ZAP’s special SMS system, which enables various businesses to monitor consumer insights and communicate to

them via targeted mobile messaging. The firm has now over 800 partner merchants nationwide. The list includes Total Philippines, Chatime, Vikings, Happy Lemon, Florabel Group, Frankie’s New York Buffalo Wings, and Kiehl’s.

“Loyalty plus payments presents a stronger overall value proposition to both merchants and consumers, and that is what we, at ZAP, are looking to provide,” shared by co-founder and chief executive officer, Dustin Cheng.

With its new funding, the company continues to move forward as it expands its client portfolio by tapping multinational brands and entering the payment space.

This 2018, ZAP continues to make product and service improvements to help businesses in customer acquisition, retention, and management.

Oracle and Chatbox Partner to Bring Instant Apps to AI-powered Oracle Intelligent Chatbots Oracle has agreed to embed Chatbox Instant Apps in its Oracle Mobile Cloud to further expand the capabilities of its new Oracle Intelligent Bots. Oracle Mobile Cloud will now provide a richer, more-contextual user experience, which enables chatbots to switch seamlessly between unstructured conversation and personalized, structured data exchange. Leveraging Chatbox technology, Oracle Mobile Cloud will now offer a chatbot that delivers an interface appropriate to the interaction, such as an online form with pertinent information. Supporting many of today’s most popular interaction channels, including Amazon Echo, Facebook Messenger, and Google Home, customers can have powerful, contextual conversations with end users through almost any platform. For example, using Oracle Mobile Cloud with Chatbox, a consumer interacting with a bot to return a retail item would use a Chatbox Instant App. It would guide the person through a simple, personalized experience within the messaging platform to gather all relevant information— without the need for emails, downloads, or phone calls. The bot is able to collect accurate, meaningful data in a way most convenient for the customer. 86

FEBRUARY 2018

Featuring AI-powered intelligent chatbot capabilities, Oracle Mobile Cloud is helping enterprises build applications that can automate more engaging conversations at scale. The new capabilities offer organizations a multi-channel platform, deep analytics that link key stakeholder experiences across bots, mobile applications and web, as well as simplified bot development features. The addition of Chatbox Instant Apps

to this powerful portfolio enables enterprises to rapidly and easily build personalized experiences to better engage customers and employees across today’s most popular messaging platforms. Chatbox is a simple scalable solution for businesses to communicate with customers where they respond best—messaging. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

Build your Child a Brighter Tomorrow with Manulife’s GradMaker

Saving for your children’s future is now at your fingertips.

calculate the amount they have to complete at a specific time period.

The leading international financial services group, Manulife, has launched its first mobile application specially designed to young parents save for their children’s college education.

“Education is one of the most significant investments many families will make, and, on average, tuition fees increase by 10 percent annually according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Through GradMaker, we aim to help parents be prepared by providing visibility on how much and how long they need to invest for their child’s college education,” said Ryan Charland, president and chief executive officer of Manulife Philippines.

Tagged as the GradMaker, the unique mobile app enables customers to invest with a few easy taps on their smartphones. This makes saving easy and convenient as parents with hectic schedules can easily monitor and track the progress of their investment f in just one tap. Through the app users are given a projected tuition fee of their preferred local university by the time their child moves up to tertiary education and helps

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Filipino parents can get started with GradMaker for only PHP 10,000 with no lock-in period,

giving them the flexibility to decide when they want to invest. First of its kind, GradMaker invests in professionally-managed funds comprised of stocks and bonds to help customers achieve long-term growth. It also gives life insurance coverage of at least 125 percent of the customer’s single premium. Manulife also gives back to Cartwheel Foundation, a non-profit organization that advocates Filipino indigenous heritage through education, by donating 1 percent of every investment made through GradMaker. The app is now available for download on Google Play (Android) and the App Store (iOS).

FEBRUARY 2018

BITS & BYTES

Globe Collaborates with MET for PPGL 2018 Mineski Events Team, popularly known as MET, has partnered with Globe Telecom for the firstever eSports tournament in the Philippines Set to be the biggest eSports competition in the country, the Globe Philippine Pro Gaming League (PPGL)features three highly in-demand games for Filipinos in multiple platforms namely: Death of the Ancients 2 or DOTA 2 (desktop), Tekken 7 (consoles), and Arena of Valor (mobile). “Globe is once again embarking on a pioneering effort. After becoming the purveyor of digital lifestyle and redefining how Filipinos consume entertainment, we are set to put the Philippines on the map of gaming and eSports together with MET by launching Globe PPGL 2018,” said president and CEO of Globe Telecom, Ernest Cu. PPGL 2018 also marks a new era in eSports entertainment as it produces an exclusive television program that will be broadcasted on local channels. With the influence of media, Globe and MET hopes to attract the mainstream audience as well as eSports fans and aspiring professional gamers. “The goal is to create the eSports legends of the future—hometown heroes and local champions,”

stated by Ronald Robins, founder of MET and father of Philippine eSports. “MET has always delivered top-notch events to cater to both pro gamers and eSports fans. Now we want to reach a broader, more mainstream audience and show them the incredible appeal and legitimacy of eSports.” he continued.

The Globe PPGL will open on the last quarter of 2018 with qualifier tournaments across the country. An online streaming for the championship round of each game title will also be done. Meanwhile, the winner for the DOTA 2 category will automatically advance to Southeast Asian DOTA 2 competition.

Zalora and Ayala Malls Enters Strategic Partnership Zalora Group and Ayala Malls partner to further innovate the Filipino shopping experience, both online and offline. Combining Ayala Malls’ extensive offline footprint and Zalora’s robust e-commerce ecosystem and fulfillment infrastructure, this strategic partnership supports their long-term vision to deliver a superior shopping experience across multiple customer touch points. Initiatives launched and fortified through this partnership include: Click-and-Connect allows online shoppers to redirect their parcel delivery to Ayala Malls shopping centers, so they can collect at their own time and convenience. Click-and-Connect customers will also automatically enjoy free shipping, as well as free 30-day returns and exchanges for all purchases. The pilot Click and Connect counter in Bonifacio High Street has seen tremendous response from customers and has prompted extension to Glorietta and Trinoma. More Click-and-Connect locations are expected to open by 2018.

reality, interactive booths, and beacon technology for an enhanced and immersive shopping experience. Each store will also feature exclusive collections from top brands, as well as introduce world class brands that are not yet available elsewhere in the country.

Click and Mortar Pop-up Stores marry the clickand-mortar concept with experiential augmented

Ayala Malls Digital Christmas Gift Guide on Zalora was also launched. This shop-in-shop on

FEBRUARY 2018

Zalora presented an extensive selection of gift ideas and holiday lookbooks from top local and international Ayala Malls brands. Ayala Group invested in taking 49-percent ownership of Zalora Philippines. The investment from Ayala provides Zalora with a powerful strategic partner in the country and funding to accelerate growth plans in the region. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

POSIBLE.NET Officially Launches in PH POSIBLE.NET was officially launched in the Philippines recently and targets to be an authoritative community-based digital transactions network in the country. The company, founded two years ago, currently offers more than 300 digital services to over a million Filipino consumers and has already generated close to PHP 2 billion worth of transactions. POSIBLE.NET is a digital transactions platform designed to help small and medium entrepreneurs in the country. Accessed via the user-friendly POSIBLE device, its comprehensive services include utility bills payment, select government fees, money services, microinsurance, mobile loading, online gaming credits, and ticketing with each transaction coming with a confirmation receipt. The POSIBLE team has been together for the last decade and is responsible for several pioneering innovations in the field of telecommunications and mobile commerce meant to empower the Filipino MSMEs of Today “The platforms we built over the years brought financial technology to many communities, but still, only the big businesses were able to realize the advantages,” said JG Puzon, president and CEO of POSIBLE.NET. “Our goal is to bring the innovations to the broader base of Filipinos, a type of inclusion wherein every Filipino enjoys the convenience and benefits of emerging technology.”

Puzon believes POSIBLE.NET plays an important role in attaining financial inclusion in the Philippines by bringing digital transactions closer to all communities. “We are working to make the technology readily available to all barangays and community stores so that they would be able to do digital transactions and spur economic growth,” he said. “Our objective is to penetrate more areas,

especially those where banks and payment centers are minimal or nonexistent.” As a result, POSIBLE.NET was recognized as one of the Top 15 ventures in Asia at the DBS-NUS Social Venture Challenge held in Singapore last September 2017, an annual competition to determine the most innovative ideas and enterprises. It was the sole Philippine entry in the Enterprise category.

Canon Sponsors the Upcoming 2018 Asian Games Canon Inc., the global provider of digital imaging devices, has sealed a sponsorship deal with Olympic Council of Asia for the upcoming Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia. Scheduled to run from August 18 to September 2, 2018, the Asian Games is recognized as the second largest multi-sport event next to the prestigious Olympic Games. Initially held in 1951, the international sports competition comprises of 45 Asian countries with over 10,000 athletes that will participate in different sport events. As a major sponsor for the 18th edition of Asian Games, Canon will shoulder all the necessary coverage needs of sports journalists. Among the company’s responsibilities include the maintenance of cameras and lenses, as well as lending of various media equipment like DSLRs,

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prime and telephoto lenses, broadcast and network cameras, and other multi-functional devices to the media.

Occuring once every four years, the next Asian Games for 2022 is expected to take place in Hangzhou, China.

FEBRUARY 2018

A-TEAM Joins Sony’s EXTRA BASS Family Sony recently welcomed world champion Filipino dance crew A-TEAM to its roster of EXTRA BASS line of speakers ambassadors. Committed to both their craft and enriching the local street dance community, A-TEAM embodies the kind of passion for music and dance Sony advocates through their products. They join the brand’s roster of talents DJ Rammy Bitong, fellow world-class crew Upeepz, and actress-singer Nadine Lustre. A-TEAM endorses Sony’s EXTRA BASS Home Audio System, which showcases hard-hitting, deep bass perfect for dance and music enthusiasts. This category includes the recently launched GTK-XB60 (PHP 13,999) and GTK-XB90 (PHP 18,999), which are both high-power portable audio systems. Both the GTK-XB60 and GTK-XB90 feature easy wireless connection with Bluetooth, one-touch NFC, and Wi-Fi built-in. A rechargeable battery with stamina mode allows for up to 14- and 16-hours battery life respectively for long-lasting, punchy bass for any occasion. The GTK-XB90, additionally, is equipped with infinity mirror lighting to keep the party going.

Lenovo Hosts Legion of Champions’ Second Series Lenovo, one of the world’s leading PC manufacturers, has renewed its hosting responsibilities to the whole Legion of Champions (LOC). Highly anticipated by gamers around Asia, the said regional gaming competition exclusively for League of Legends has entered its second year with three new member countries. Various teams from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam gathered for the final round of the Lenovo LOC series 2 held in Bangkok last January 26 to 28. Philippines’ very own Wargods Redlyt proudly represented the nation in the said international tournament. “E-sports and gaming are not only burgeoning, but gaining popularity beyond gamers to a more general audience. For gaming fans, e-Sports competitions are the Olympic Games of the 21st century. As a leader in technological innovation supporting this trend, we want to continue building top-notch gaming experiences for enthusiast players not only through our product offerings but also through providing a platform to nurture these gamers and grow the community,” Michael Ngan, Lenovo Philippines’ country general manager, shared.

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With Intel’s collaboration with Lenovo, the battle has brought excitement to fans of e-Sports. “We are very excited to once again be part of the “Legion of Champions” tournament. Along with the rapid growth of the vibrant and passionate gaming community in Asia, we are also seeing increased expectations for better and faster

processors to support and deliver amazing gaming performance. At Intel, we’re committed to supporting the gaming needs of the eSports community by helping them perform their best through our innovative technologies, and delivering the ultimate gaming experience.” shared George Chacko, director of Global Account for Lenovo, Intel Asia Pacific and Japan.

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Vivo V7 Now Priced at PHP 12,990 Vivo’s all-screen, 24 MP front camera-equipped V7 is now available for only PHP 12,990 from PHP 14,990. The V7 sports a 24 MP front-facing camera, Beauty 7.0 technology, 5.7-inch, all-screen display with an 83.6 percent screen-to-body ratio, 64-bit Qualcomm octa-core CPU, and 4 GB RAM, all in one sleek near-bezel-less body. Running Android 7.1, with the brand’s very own Funtouch 3.2 skin, users can expect ease of use thanks to features such as Smart Split 3.0. For added security, the V7 is built with Vivo’s Face Access technology. The latter enables the phone to detect more than 100 different facial identification points, guaranteeing identification accuracy. The Vivo V7 is available in matte black and champagne gold.

McDonald’s Partners with PayMaya to Allow Cashless Payments PayMaya Philippines, pioneer in mobile money and payments, has partnered with one of the largest fast-food chains in the world, McDonald’s, to elevate the customer experience with cashless payments. “This is digital technology at its most convenient, and we are working toward enabling more partners like McDonald’s to further build a ‘cashless’ ecosystem all around the country,” said Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman at PLDT, Smart, and PayMaya. “We’re starting with McDonald’s today, but we envision a future where most of our transactions will be carried out with the help of a PayMaya account.” Through this groundbreaking partnership, customers in the Philippines can now conveniently pay for their McDonald’s favorites with either their Mastercard or Visa card. Orlando Vea, president and CEO at PayMaya Philippines, shared that this partnership is not aimed at replacing cash transactions but instead better the customer experience, brand affinity, and then some through an efficient cashless system. To enable McDonald’s customers, initially 42 branches have begun accepting face-to-face card payments for all types of Mastercard and Visa credit, debit, and prepaid cards (including PayMaya Visa cards and Smart Mastercard). The announcement also revealed several more plans as part of the collaboration, including acceptance of QR payments at McCafe BGC Arts Center and McCafe Tagaytay Calamba stores–with

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more stores accepting QR-based payments in the coming months. Through QR code payments, customers can quickly do transactions by opening the PayMaya app on their smartphones and scanning the QR code displayed at the cashier area. Down the line, customers will also be able to book and pay for their McCelebrations Birthday Party online as well as pay for their orders via McDelivery. Margot Torres, executive vice president and deputy manager of McDonald’s Philippines, said that mobile is going to be at the heart of their roadmap. McDonald’s Philippines is first on many fronts including 24 hours service and online delivery. To continue making the customer experience even more friction-less, the quick-service restaurant continues to innovate, and cashless payments is just a part of it.

“McDonald’s is a well-loved brand that we are glad to be partnering with to provide Filipinos with more cashless payment options. Together, we take one bold step with them in creating a cashless Philippines, which we see happening in the very near future,” added Vea.

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