Hwm philippines november 2017

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Audio GiFt PAck beyerdynamiC dTX501P And Jbl Go

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NOvEMBEr 2017

THOUGHT

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SMART HOMe

BeRTRAnD lAUnAy

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OppO’S Mo & ni ro Ge h ra Sa dS ar ch ri n de al I T B E G I N S AT H O M E

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T A S n I G e B IT

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1950x

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November 2017

voLUme 13, ISSUe

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TEST 50 Samsung Galaxy Note8 vivo v7+ ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie Cubix Cube max Nokia 8 moto G5S Plus Huawei nova 2i Transcend DrivePro 110 AoC AGoN AG251FZ ASUS Designo mX34vQ TCL P3 vPro vH200 Focal Sphear beyerdynamic byron bT Wireless ASUS roG Zenith extreme Gigabyte Z370 AorUS Ultra Gaming AmD ryzen Threadripper 1950X ADATA XPG Gammix D10 DDr4-2666 Apacer Panther DDr4-2400

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ShOOTOuT 76 The Best Flagship Robot Vacuums ecovacs Deebot r98 iClebo omega irobot roomba 980 LG Hom-bot Turbo+ Samsung vr7000 Powerbot

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LEArN 84 Home Wi-Fi Tips & Tricks

CONTEST 96 JbL Go & beyerdynamic DTX501P

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editorial (editor.ph@hwzcorp.com) group editor LIONELL GO MACAHILIG lionell.macahilig@hwzcorp.com senior writer JONNAH LYNNE PANTE jonnah.pante@hwzcorp.com staff writer NESTOR DOMINGO JR. nestor.domingo@hwzcorp.com YRDA VEANSSA FERNANDEZ yrda.fernandez@hwzcorp.com intern LORRAINE MAE NEVADO Creatives (design.ph@hwzcorp.com) art director and photographer VICTOR FELIX PULGAR victor.pulgar@hwzcorp.com graphic artist GLAIZA AUREA PILARCA glaiza.pilarca@hwzcorp.com sales and marKeting (sales.ph@hwzcorp.com) media manager APRIL SALAZAR april.salazar@hwzcorp.com senior media executive REA GRACE REYES rea.reyes@hwzcorp.com media executive IDA BAGAPORO ida.bagaporo@hwzcorp.com management managing director CHARITY IBAY charity.ibay@hwzcorp.com hr and admin supervisor MARIA THERESA SANTOS tess.santos@hwzcorp.com accounting supervisor JONALD ALBUERO jonald.albuero@hwzcorp.com marketing and Circulation Coordinator JOEL MOLA CRUZ joel.molacruz@hwzcorp.com office service assistant GENE TOMA CRUZ Company driver JEFFREY USI porter LEO MENDOZA

hardware Zone phils. Corp.

Unit B-4, Topy Main Building, No. 3 Economia Street, Bagumbayan, Quezon City 1110, Philippines Tel: (+632) 634-9179; Fax: (+632) 634-9180 HWM (HardwareMAG®) is published monthly by Hardware Zone Phils. Corp., under license by SPH Magazines Pte. Ltd., Publisher of HWM (HardwareMAG) Singapore.

HWM (HardwareMAG), Copyright and trademark registered by SPH Magazines Pte Ltd. All rights reserved.

The trademark and content may not be used or reproduced without the permission of SPH Magazines Pte. Ltd. and Hardware Zone Philippines Corp.

ChieF exeCutive oFFiCer LOH YEW SENG lohys@sph.com.sg group editor-in-ChieF CAROLINE NGUI nguislc@sph.com.sg group editor RETA LEE retalee@sph.com.sg general manager PANG LEE CHENG panglc@sph.com.sg

strategiC development direCtor FOONG SEONG KHONG foongsk@sph.com.sg publishing serviCes direCtor LEONG TSCHENG YEE leongty@sph.com.sg Corporate CommuniCations head CHIN SOO FANG soofang@sph.com.sg senior human resourCes manager IRENE LEE leebl@sph.com.sg

international oFFiCes hardware Zone indonesia office Martin Wijaya (Chief Editor) PO Box 6169 JKUPL 14440 Jakarta, Indonesia Tel: (62) 21-612-0233 / 0955 Fax: (62) 21-6220-2580 Email: info.id@hwzcorp.com

hardware Zone malaysia office Michael Low (Editor) 30, Jalan Kartunis U1/47, Temasya Industrial Park, Glenmarie,Seksyen U1, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia Tel: (603) 5569-6800 Fax: (603) 5569-6810 Email: sales.my@hwzcorp.com

hardware Zone taiwan office Dennis Chou (Asia Media Contact) 2F-2, No. 35, Sec 2, Fushing South Rd, Taipei 106, Taiwan Tel: (886) 2-8773-4199 Fax: (886) 2-8773-4200 Email: sales.tw@hwzcorp.com

hardware Zone thailand office Pongsawat Wongterasoot (Exec. Editor) 345 Soi Ratchadapisek Rd, 10 Sub-Junction 7, Huaykwang District, Bangkok 10320, Thailand Tel: (66) 2645-2588 Fax: (66) 2645-2008 Email: sales.th@hwzcorp.com

Copyright © 2017, Hardware Zone Phils. Corp.

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine shall be reproduced in any form without the written consent from the Publisher. Comments, opinions, and views of individual contributors expressed in the magazine do not necessarily represent those of the Publisher. Under no circumstances whatsoever shall the magazine/publisher be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages that may arise out of or in connection with the use of the information made in the magazine. All views, opinions, results, and benchmarks used in this publication are based on the prerogative and expertise of the writer(s) serving the respective market and readership of which the publication and products are marketed in.

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HOME WITH SMARTS the concept of a smart home is not an entirely new thing. As a matter of fact, the idea, or a part of it which is home automation, has its fair share of exposure in film and television such as the Jetsons (1962), back to the Future Part II (1989), Smart House (1999), and, more recently, marvel cinematic Universe’s Iron man series (2008-2013). but with the introduction of Internet of things (Iot), smart home is now becoming a reality. Iot refers to an ecosystem of interconnected devices, home appliances, and vehicles such as smart cars. Along with artificial intelligence and machine learning, these objects are capable of learning daily routines and destinations, allowing their users to seamlessly live at home and work in the office. experts expect that billions of these Iot products will dominate the world by 2020.

Locally, the concept of smart home has started to penetrate Filipino homes, a trend primarily driven by smartphones. With a proper Internet connection, users can make phone and video calls, surf the Internet, and consume content anywhere inside their homes by using their smartphones. Smartphones can also serve as home assistants, allowing users to search online for answers through voice. Households can now also do these activities with their smart televisions, only that these occur in front of a large screen. Automated and robotic vacuum cleaners help in reducing the effort exerted on the tedious task of housekeeping. In our November issue of HWm Philippines, we are bringing to you a step closer to these devices and home appliances through our sections and features, from Gear to Learn. this is a timely opportunity to check them out, as you begin to list down your wish and gift ideas for the upcoming holiday season.

The HWM Team comments about this issue? Suggestions? the HWm team would love to hear from you!

Send us your thoughts at editor.ph@hwzcorp.com.

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S C E N E

UNLEASH THE BEAST

ASUS, the worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor, in its aim to provide a greater emphasis on PC gaming, founded the republic of Gamers (roG) in 2006. Since then, the roG has been dedicated on bringing innovative hardcore hardware to truly dedicated gamers.

ASUS Philippines in partnership with PC express held the #StrixUnleashed event announcing the newest additions to the roG Strix family, exciting activities and products were on sale at the Sm North eDSA Skydome.

The company announced two new gaming notebooks in the ROG Strix family that will fit the bill: the 15.6-inch GL503VD and 17.3-inch GL703vD. Focusing on balanced price and performance with extra enhancements for gaming, both ship with a desktop-class Intel Core i7 CPU and an NvIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 GPU as standard equipment. They include an upgraded keyboard laced with rGb lighting, and they’re packed into portable chassis that is just as comfortable on the road as they are at home or in school. The prices were also announced

by George Su, Country manager of ASUS Philippines as you can see on the photo above.

Consumers enjoyed an up to 70% off sale on the wide variations of ASUS notebooks, tablets, monitors, and ASUS roG gaming laptops. The ASUS vr-ready discrete graphics GeForce

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HWM PH | November 2017

GTX 10 Series GPU gave the participants a free immersive virtual reality experience onsite. Those who tried the ASUS vr also had the chance to get a digital copy of their game via phone storage transfer or a flash drive.

A Tekken 7 Grand Tournament was also held during the event. visitors who registered online and onsite, and the media were invited to join the tournament. Using the ASUS republic of Gamers laptops, monitors, and accessories, the Tekken 7 grand tournament gave the participants an engaging gaming experience. The tournament participants vied for an ASUS roG laptop.

S p E C i a l

F E a t u r E

BrEAkiNg ThE BArriEr

SeagaTe boLSTerS LeADerSHIP WITH NeW 12TB BaRRacuda PRo AND IRonWolF HddS Across the globe, we are experiencing a massive increase in the volume of data created, with a recent study by IDC and Seagate finding that data creation will swell to a total of 163 zettabytes (Zb) by 2025, 10x more than today.

Seagate’s latest portfolio of 12Tb drives are designed for today’s media storage needs – including augmented reality (Ar), virtual reality (vr), 4K resolution and 360-degree videos – and offer scalability for the future with increased space and speed.

Addressing this anticipated increase in generated amount of data, Seagate has made its barraCuda Pro, IronWolf, and IronWolf Pro hard disk drives (HDDs) available in massive 12Tb storage capacity. Offering the highest capacity, reliability, and performance among today’s network-attached storage (NAS) and desktop HDDs, Seagate’s 12Tb barraCuda Pro and IronWolf series HDDs meet the growing needs of various stakeholders, ranging from creative professionals up to large enterprises.

12TB Seagate Barracuda Pro The Seagate 12Tb barraCuda Pro is the highest capacity, most reliable, and fastest HDD designed for desktop computing. Combined with the fastest processors, memory modules, and powerful graphics cards, the barraCuda Pro can meet data-intensive desktop activities like content creation and PC gaming.

12TB Seagate IronWolf and IronWolf Pro The highest among today’s NAS-centric HDDs in terms of storage capacity, performance, and system scalability, Seagate’s 12Tb IronWolf and IronWolf Pro HDDs give indvidual users and businesses the power to centralize their data onto NAS systems. Available in 3.5-inch form factor, these HDDs help customers save space while ensuring round-the-clock access and backup for multiple users in enterprise, Smb, SoHo, or even in personal usage scenarios.

Coupled with Seagate’s IronWolf Health management (IHm) software, IronWolf and IronWolf Pro HDDs are designed to deliver reliability with major NAS brands. IHm is a diagnostic tool that improves the overall system reliability by displaying actionable prevention, intervention, and recovery options for NAS users.

a new era of excellence Seagate’s introduction of 12Tb barraCuda Pro and IronWolf HDD series bolsters the company’s industry leadership, after it spearheaded the launch of the Guardian Series HDDs in 10Tb storage capacity last year. The 12Tb versions of the barraCuda Pro and the IronWolf HDDs series are a manifestation of Seagate’s relentless pursuit of excellence in research, development, and manufacturing to help customers in managing and moving vast amounts of digital data that they create and consume.

S C E N E

Gaming Gear With the launch of Predator’s newest stalwart, Acer aims to provide gamers and enthusiasts a lightweight and elegant option for intense gaming.

Customers can choose between a Triton 700 laptop that bears an NvIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or the newest GeForce GTX 1080 with max-Q design.

The Triton 700 GTX 1060 which retails at PhP 134,999 features NvIDIA G-SYNC which matches the refresh rate of the Triton 700’s 15.6-inch FHD display and comes powered by Intel Core i7 processor.

Silver Year In celebration of its 25th year, Lenovo has launched a limited variant Lenovo ThinkPad Anniversary edition 25 which carries a lot of design similiarities as the very first ThinkPad, the ThinkPAd 700C launched in 1992. It has a 14inch Full HD IPS display powered by a seventh generation Core i7 processor with 16Gb rAm and 512Gb SSD. one of the things that makes it special is its 7-row keyboard, a hinge that allows the laptop to be folded to a 180-degree angle, plus the iconic red TrackPoint common to all ThinkPad laptops.

Expansion, Domination NvIDIA has announced that there are now more than 250 GeForce-certified iCafes operating across countries in the Asia Pacific region. The milestone came two years after NvIDIA launched its GeForce GTX iCafe certification program which aims to help Internet shop business owners deliver the ultimate gaming experience to their customers. With more than 100 million customers across the globe, GeForce GTX remains as one of the most preferred graphics processing unit (GPU) of choice by gamers.

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On The Spot Thousands of Filipinos photography enthusiasts gathered at the SmX Convention Center in mall of Asia, Pasay City, for the much-awaited Canon Photomarathon 2017 last october 21. Armed with their Canon digital camera of choice, participants tried to give their best shot at the most coveted spot of Asia’s largest on-thespot photography contest. The winner will enjoy an all-expense paid trip and will represent the Philippines at the Canon PhotoMarathon grand finals happening in Japan next year.

5 Years and Beyond Fujifilm Philippines celebrated their fifth anniversary of establishment as a sales subsidiary of the worldwiderecognized brand’s regional headquarters in Asia-Pacific region.

Several personalities from the imaging, graphic systems, and medical industries were present to witness the milestone held at the manila Polo Club.

It was unveiled during the evening that Fujifilm Philippines achieved a significant 20-30% in sales year-onyear. In spite of the impressive figures, Fujifilm aims to remain committed to bringing advance products and services with their strong people-first mindset.

Convenient Entertainment

Globe At Home is giving Filipinos an early Christmas treat as it enables people to have more ways to enjoy the latest in entertainment with the announcement of its Globe Streamwatch roku Powered device.

The first portable Roku-powered streaming stick in the Philippines, Globe Streamwatch lets users watch a variety of content across 100+ free channels in different categories including sports, lifestyle, travel, and more. The streaming stick is available through Globe’s plans.

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S C E N E

Capture the Real You A star-studded welcome party featuring oPPo’s brand faces Sarah Geronimo, Alden richards, Gabbi Garcia, Janella Salvador, Julia barreto, Joshua Garcia, and Toni Gonzaga was hosted to officially unveil the new oPPo F5. Priced at PhP 15,990, the newest selfie gear from OPPO adapts AI technology to personalize beautification features depending on users’ physical attributes. It comes with a 20-megapixel front camera plus a 16-megapixel rear camera complemented with a 6-inch fullscreen FHD+ display.

Double Dual Taking pride on its ‘dual of firsts,’ Huawei Philippines has officially brought to the country the Huawei nova 2i, packed with four cameras – two (16mP + 2mP) on the rear and two on the front (13mP + 2mP), plus a 5.9-inch Fullview Display with 83% screen-to-body ratio. With a price tag of PhP 14,990, the Huawei nova 2i also offers an integrated Android 7-based emUI, a long-lasting 3340mAh stamina, a smart fingerprint sensor, and the company’s proprietary Huawei Histen audio system.

Focus Locked Proving its commitment in continuously bringing unique and intuitive user experiences that Filipinos love, motorola has unveiled the newest addition to its moto G family, the moto G5S and the moto G5S Plus.

Campaigning for focus perfect photos, the G5S and the G5S Plus capture clear and crisp details through their 16-megapixel and 13-megapixel rear cameras respectively. The moto G5S priced at PhP 10,999 shows off a 5.2inch FHD display, while the G5S Plus which retails for PhP 14,999 sports a 5.5-inch FHD screen.

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New and Familiar months after its revamp, a new Nokia flagship smartphone in the form of the Nokia 8 has officially entered the local market with three new “world firsts” features including a Dual-Sight “Bothie” camera which allows users to use the front and rear camera simultaneously and the first OZO audio system on a smartphone. The Nokia 8 also has the much-anticipated comeback of a Nokia-Carl Zeiss partnership as its 13-megapixel main camera is made in collaboration with the famous optical systems brand. The 5.3-inch flagship Nokia 8 sells for PhP 29,990.

Love Local In celebration of its more than five years in the country, Star Telecom Alliance resources, Inc. (STAr), the group behind Starmobile, has officially launched its updated retail distribution that includes sari-sari stores and loading stations. For pilot pioneering initiative, Starmobile feature phones including the UNo b208, UNo b207, and the UNo b308 will be available in over 20 sari-sari stores in metro manila, Cagayan De oro, and Zamboanga, providing the brand to both urban and rural places.

Never Miss a Moment

built to capture those everyday moments in people’s lives and enhance moments to make them even more extraordinary, Samsung has launched the new Galaxy J7+ which boasts a professional dual camera system with one 13-megapixel sensor + F1.7 aperture lens and a 5-megapixel sensor + F1.9 aperture. Similar to the flagship Samsung Galaxy Note8, the new J7+ comes with the Live Focus camera mode to bring photos with a naturallooking bokeh effect. The Galaxy J7+ comes with a price tag of PhP 19,990 and is now available nationwide.

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S C E N E

Masters in Audio Leading German audio specialist Sennheiser is shaping the future of audio in the country by relaunching locally its latest campaign, the Sennheiser Sound Heroes, and introducing a full suite of new audio solutions, including high-end audio amplifiers, headphones, portable music, gaming headsets, as well as mobile recording microphones for smartphones, among others. The company also previewed its PhP 3 million-worth audiophile headphone, the Sennheiser He-1.

Music Avenue b&o Play has launched its retail store at The Shoppes at Solaire in ASeAN entertainment City, Paranaque to showcase the brand’s contemporary range of premium speakers and headphones which reflects the pure and redefined aesthetics as well as innovation, portability, and ability to deliver high-quality experiences to the active and design-conscious urbanites.

The store setup highlights the audio provider’s vision to “experience goosebumps,” with several products such as the beoPLAY H9 and the beoLIT 17 displayed in the lounge.

For the Little Ones JbL, in partnership with Harman International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung electronics Co. Ltd., has brought to the Philippine market an interesting addition to its lineup of personal audio products, the JbL Jr. headphones designed for kids ages 3 to 12 years old. The JbL Jr. line is intended to answer parents’ woes on standard headphones damaging their child’s ears. both its two variants, the JbL Jr300 (PhP 1,499) and the JbL Jr300bT (PhP 2,999) are equipped with the JbL Safe Sound feature which assures that the volume level is safe by allowing maximum sound at 85db.

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Hands on the Wheel After an exciting first and second legs with more than 50 participants comprised of seasoned drivers and celebrity guests, and the third leg which was held at the Clark International Speedway in Pampanga last September 15 and 16, ToTAL is now launching the fourth leg of Toyota vios Cup Season 4, slated to take place on November 24 to 25, 2017. Catch the stars and enjoy the intense drives, made more exciting

by ToTAL. For more information visit the nearest ToTAL station near you or log on to the TOTAL official website.

Facebook page.

Fuel Duel Caltex Havoline, marketed by Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), has launched its newest range of Caltex Havoline synthetic and mineral motorcycle engine oils at the #rideStrong event.

Caltex Havoline has developed it proprietary C.o.r.e. Technology to address their key concerns and deliver a more enjoyable riding experience with enhanced engine performance.

Havoline’s latest family of motorcycle oils is specially crafted by experts to give riders enhanced acceleration, optimum heat protection and better engine performance.

Giving Back Gathering approximately 3,000 bikers from different parts of the Philippines under one roof, the recently-concluded manila leg of Shell bike Fair 2017 held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City is the largest of its kind to date.

The big event is part of Pilipinas Shell’s annual Shell bike Fair 2017 celebration which consists of various activities for Filipino bikers across the country.

Shell bike Fair is the company’s way of showing its heartfelt gratitude to local motorcycle riders who continuously patronize Shell products, specifically Shell Advance motorcycle oils and the newly-launched Shell v-Power fuels.

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S C E N E

Going Digital Several executives from Globe Telecom, Ant Financial, Ayala Corporation, and mynt have graced their presence when they unveiled anew the joint venture, the GCash payment system app, held at Glorietta 4 in Ayala Center, makati City. This also included the appearance of Founding Chairman and CeP of Ali baba Jack ma, as their special guest, as GCash formally ushered the moremodernized era of cashless and convenient shopping at Ayala malls just in time for the holidays.

Fly High Cebu Pacific doubles up on its customer-first efforts by launching its Customer Command Center located at its Head Office in Pasay City, becoming one of the first airline companies in Asia to invest in an integrated facility and technology for social intelligence and customer engagement, and a command center equipped with social monitoring, publishing, and engagement tools. The Cebu Pacific Command Center which went online last August is manned by a 55-strong integrated customer care team.

Greatness Reengineered Showcasing dominance in the printer market segment, epson has announced new products under its L-Series Ink Tank Printers which comes with autoduplex function for low-cost printing without compromising quality. This also makes epson as the only brand in the market to offer auto-duplex function. The new ink tank printers consisted of the L4150, L4160, L6160, L6170, and the L6190 all supporting on-the-go printing with their ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi Direct connectivity.

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Travel Light The Samsonite Group has once again brought another premium brand to the local market. Joining the lineup of American Tourister and Lipault, Kamiliant, is for first-time travelers who wouldn’t want to compromise quality with affordable price. Along with the reveal of the new luggage models, Samsonite Group also welcomed celebrity maine mendoza as its brand ambassadress, as the young star’s “fun-loving, youthful, vibrant, and adventurous personality” mirrors that of the Kamiliant brand.

Challenge Accepted In its pursuit to promote wellness and active lifestyle for fitness and outdoor enthusiasts, The North Face conceived The North Face 100, an annual trail running event which was widely embraced by outdoor enthusiasts across the country. Following its success, The North Face is beyond thrilled to introduce an all-new format for this year with the first-ever TNF (The North Face) outdoor Challenge Philippines which will happen on November 18 at the CamSur Watersports Complex.

Exquisite Taste

After its success last year, Grand Cru Wines and Spirits brought Whisky Live back to the country during the two-day event that was held at the Shangri-La Hotel at The Fort in bonifacio Global City. Apart from exhibiting the drinks from more than 100 stalls inside the Shangri-La Hotel, there are 12 master classes that covered topics that involved the drink itself as well as bartending competitions, book signings and the 2017 Whisky Awards. Several personalities, from first-timer whisky drinkers to celebrities and international experts attended the event.

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B u l l E t i N

OpTimiSTiC, fuTuriSTiC

Dell EMC expounds on digital transformation through its first flagship event in PH Following a successful merger between Dell Technologies and EMC Corporation which commenced last year, Dell EMC brought its first flagship event to the Philippines to talk more about digital transformation.

With the theme Realize, the Dell emC Forum (DeF) 2017 hosted talks about how the company can aid businesses in the era of digital transformation through modernizing IT infrastructures, automating IT services, and training workforce. The one-day event held in ShangriLa at The Fort hotel attended by IT experts also accommodated tech exhibits from Dell emC’s partners.

“The new digital era today is really the next industrial revolution where the data becomes the main driver. This ruthlessly redraws the business landscape in the Philippines. Yet, this monumental change is rich with opportunities,” said Ronnie Latinazo, Country General manager of Dell emC Philippines. “We are bringing these experts and showcase to help IT stakeholders in the Philippines rethink their business processes to become more agile, flexible, innovative, user-oriented and customer-focused, and demonstrate how technology plays a fundamental role to help them achieve this,” he added. For more details about this, visit www.dellemc.com/en-ph.

mADE iN ThE phiLippiNES

Filipino talent showcased in new Uncharted 4: The Lost Legacy game Filipino gaming fans have a lot more reasons to be excited about the latest installment of the Uncharted franchise as the Uncharted 4: The Lost Legacy involved Filipino skills and artistry. manila-based game development studio Secret 6 has collaborated with AAA game developer Naughty Dog to produce the said game, with the former being the brain and talent behind the Uncharted: The Lost Legacy’s assets.

The 140-man team of Secret 6 made over 100 assets for the game including high-quality cinematic assets, hero assets like weapons and vehicles, and environmental props. According to Ronald Schaffner, President of Secret 6, the diversity of their Filipino employees is a great help in producing project ideas. “one of the strongest advantage of doing business in the Philippines is if you need to do a certain artist style, sometimes we need a certain artist style for a certain game or a Tv show, it’s a good chance that people here know it and played it. Here, the knowledge of the Western media and culture, as well as Korean and Japanese culture is strong,” Schaffner shared.

Learn more about Secret 6 studios and their journey in working with Naughty Dog for Uncharted 4 at secret6.com.

BuSiNESS LEAp

First ever entreHPreneur LAb aims to digitally empower Filipino enterprises Tech giant HP believes that small and medium-sized businesses (Smbs) need to constantly innovate and adapt to the changes in the technological landscape. Committed to empowering Filipino SMBs, HP Inc. Philippines held its first entrePHreneur Lab, a business innovation talk, last August 24 featuring some of the movers and shakers in the Smb industry. Under this campaign, the lab aims to equip entrepreneurs with adaptive, secure, and collaborative business solutions.

The first session of the Lab focuses on the Digitizing the Brick and Mortar to share insights on how digital advancements share Filipino businesses and lives. The entreHPreneur Lab brings together mercato Centrale co-founder rJ Ledesma, La Union Surf School managing Director Jeff Ortega, KMC Savills Managing Director Michael McCollough, and JeepNeed Executive Director Shaina Tantuico. While coming from different fields, the speakers attest to the digital age’s power over market trends, business developments, and customer experience.

“HP is committed to improving today’s offices and businesses through technology,” says Kris Seville, HP Philippines’ Business Unit manager for PC. “our experts’ insights are valuable in our pursuit for relentless innovation. by bringing entrepreneurial minds in the Lab, we want to help business owners navigate through the digital landscape.” More information about this initiative at www8.hp.com/ph/en.

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wOrk mANAgEmENT microsoft brings Kaizala mobile app to PH after its launch in India

TwiCE ThE SuCCESS

ImmAP focuses on culture of digital transformation at second digital congress The Internet and mobile marketing Association of the Philippines (ImmAP) staged its second digital congress (DigiCon DX) last october 11-13, 2017 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, with its theme focusing on the culture that is envisioned to aid marketers in adapting to digitalization.

For over three days, this gathering of marketing practitioners called DX: the Culture of Digital Transformation featured a diversity of projects, presentations, and discussions that demonstrated the central and crucial role of digital transformation across various industries and businesses.

Upon gracing the entirety of extravaganza in his keynote speech, Altimeter Group Principal Analyst, award-winning author, and blogger brian Solis highlighted the importance of changing the company culture as an integral part of a transformation that was resoundingly echoed across its breakout sessions and workshops. Other speakers offered their respective insights and tackled topics such as 360 Content, and Transmedia Storytelling: Power of Fandom in Culture, Cybersecurity, and Immersive Storytelling. more on what went down during the DigiCon at digicon.com.ph.

SECuriTy CONCErNS

Globe business spearheads cybersecurity forum with pool of experts Globe Telecom, through its enterprise ICT arm Globe business, has recently led a team of cybersecurity experts in conducting a focused group discussion (FGD) geared toward the development of the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) e-Government master Plan 2.0, a comprehensive master plan that aims to harmonize and integrate the ICT efforts of the national government on addressing challenges of digitally transforming the government’s systems by developing strategies in focus areas including cybersecurity, financial management, general administration and logistics, and data exchange.

Globe business, in partnership with the Infocomm Technology Association of the Philippines (ITAP) and DICT, organized the FGD on Cybersecurity and Security-in-Depth Systems that discussed a series of topic aiming to help equip the government sector with knowledge on dealing with cybersecurity threats. Over 80 participants from 13 different national agencies took part in this event. read more about Globe mybusiness through mybusiness.globe.com.ph.

For many Philippine businesses, managing staff in the field presents several unique challenges. From having to capture operational data from remote staff to ensuring that things are running as they should, current management and communication tools can be slow and cumbersome to use. more importantly, not everyone in the field has access to PC at the very moment and even those who could only respond when logged in to the system.

For these organizations, a convenient, secure, and mobile tool for a remote work management environment is required. microsoft Philippines, together with the microsoft India, has officially brought to the country Microsoft Kaizala. It is a mobile app that makes it easy to connect with large groups of people inside and outside an organization (employees, customers, and suppliers), depending on the company/ organization which created a secured group chat with the help of microsoft Kaizala. This mobile app also enables organizations to manage work with their extended teams through a single, unified platform all on their mobile phones. Incidentally, Kaizala in marathi (an Indian language spoken by the people of Maharashtra) means “What’s up?”

Security remains a top priority among most organizations, and with microsoft Kaizala’s controlled access and data security, organizations will get the utmost security. Azure Active Directory service authentication ensures secure access to the Kaizala management Portal, where IT administrators can control memberships of all groups, remove users in on instance, and control user access to sensitive data. “most businesses work with several partners, distributors, and stakeholders who are not on a company email addresses’ list, so communication can be slow and unsecure. With microsoft Kaizala, they can better connect and coordinate with the entire team. As Internet usage increases, we believe it will be easier for organizations to communicate with the stakeholders wherever they are in the Philippines,” shares Bertrand Launay, managing Director of microsoft PH. microsoft Kaizala makes it simple for organizations to seamlessly communicate, collaborate, and complete tasks, bringing together desktop PC users and mobile-only users who may be within or outside their organizations. It is now available for download in the Philippines as a standalone application from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. visit products.office.com/en/business for more info.

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B u l l E t i N

pLENTy Of OpTiONS

Taiwan expo showcases IoT solutions for retail, transportation, and healthcare At the Taiwan IoT Solutions for Smart Living seminar in Taiwan expo which was held at the SmX Convention Center in Pasay City, select brands presented their IoT-based solutions that can help various stakeholders in taking advantage of the Internet to improve advertising, business sales, transportation, and health care in the Philippines.

Starting off with Acer, the Taiwanese company known for IT consumer products, introduced the Acer Being Signage which can help retailers in the entire digital marketing process, beginning with consultation to operation. Solutions offered include software that utilizes cloud-based video analytics solution for creating, delivering, and monitoring digital campaigns. meanwhile, ropali-Teco Corporation presented its electronic vehicles (e-vehicles) that were proposed as solutions, in light of the worsening public transportation landscape in the Philippines. The company’s e-vehicles, in the form of customized local jeepneys and tricycles, are eco-friendly and energy-efficient, powered by a 2.3kW electric motor with up to 20% climbing capacity when traveling on a sloping path. Lastly, in the field of healthcare, Taiwan main orthopaedic Co. Ltd. presented precursory medical glasses that take advantage of mixed reality and calculation camera image positioning technology. The glasses are designed to help in enhancing accuracy and shortening the time when conducting surgical operations. For more information, visit ph.taiwanexpoasean.com.

AChiEvEmENT uNLOCkED

Fujitsu hits milestone with 10 million scanners shipped worldwide Tracing roots back in 1983 when the company’s first image scanner was released, Fujitsu announced that it has reached the 10 million mark of scanner shipment to more than 100 countries worldwide with majority of users hailing from industries of healthcare, banking and finance, logistics, and government. Following this global achievement that the company achieved in July of this year, Fujitsu is planning to expand its market by adding new technologies like artificial intelligence and cloud usage to their products.

“We are continuously looking to see how we can improve our scanners with all the new trends of networking, cloud, and artificial intelligence. For now, it’s still like a prototype or very much under development. We cannot particularly disclose the particular model that’s coming up but we’re definitely going to extend that area,” Jasmine Yeo, PFU Regional Marketing Manager for Southeast Asia stated.

Fujitsu also launched special websites 10m Achievement and our Scanner Story which contain all user testimonies, as well as the company’s stance on producing image scanners with definite quality and technology throughout the years. more details at www.fujitsu.com/ph.

gAmiNg hEighTS

TNC takes wraps off new HQ in QC, aims to take PH eSports to global scale It was a midweek party evening in Quezon City’s primed entertainment district as TNC Philippine Holdings Inc., an eSports company in the country, has opened its new headquarters on Wednesday night packed with cocktails, live jam music, and the formality of the news itself that ensures the growth of the company in the eSports industry.

The new base, located at #477 Felomina Building, E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City, will be TNC’s new main office as well as the training ground for its pool of gamers of multiple brands. TNC aims to focus heavily on developing the scenario of eSports in the country, and that includes targeting multiple gaming platforms that hopefully will strengthen the company’s conviction toward eSports in the local and global scale. “ensuring the growth of eSports, it doesn’t stop there. TNC Philippine Holdings Inc. will dive into innovations, research and development, and high-level marketing to further the quality of growth of eSports in the Philippines. And most importantly, to build a strong relationship and trust with the company all around the Philippines, and show them that eSports is the future,” said Lester Ryan Wong, the TNC Philippine Holdings Inc. Ceo. TNC Philippine Holdings, Inc. has more than 100 branches of TNC Cyber Café with more than 12,000 computers in total, a significant difference from starting with only four computers and being previously named as TNC Company. Read more at tncgaming.com.

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SEE NEw pLACES

RCBC Savecation raffle promo lets account holders to experience the world rizal Commercial banking Corporation (rCbC) has launched an exciting campaign that combines banking with traveling this past monday at its executive lounge in rCbC Plaza, makati City.

RCBC called the campaign as the SAVEcation Raffle Promo wherein lucky depositors may stand a chance to win a trip to any of the travel destinations offered by the bank. Guests were were given the opportunity to experience the culture of the other lands of the world as the launching event was full of international flavor, from table setups to gastronomic delights.

The SAVEcation Raffle Promo is open to new and existing RCBC Checking and Savings account holders. All they need is to simply deposit “fresh funds” and maintain a daily average balance (DAB) of at least PhP 10,000 for Personal Savings or Checking Accounts and PhP 50,000 for Corporate Accounts during the promo period. A total of 25 travel packages (each a trip for two) will be given away from September 20, 2017 to march 20, 2018. For more information about the promo, visit the rCbC website at www.rcbc.com.

ApT rECOgNiTiON

Pru Life UK awarded as ‘Patron of Literature’ at Nick Joaquin Literary Awards 2017 British life insurer Pru Life UK, a subsidiary of international finance services group Prudential plc, was conferred the Patron of Literature Award by the Philippines Graphic for being an advocate of Philippine literature through the Nick Joaquin Literary Awards (NJLA).

Pru Life UK co-presented the NJLA for six consecutive years in line with the company’s advocacy to promote literacy and education in the country, helping lay strong foundations for Filipinos to realize their full potential. The 2017 NJLA paid homage to the 100th birth anniversary of National Artist Nick Joaquin, the Philippines Graphic’s first editor-in-chief after it was relaunched in 1990. The awards night also featured the presentation of the Guardian of the National Memory Award to four living National Artists for Literature: F. Sionil Jose, virgilio Almario, bienvenido Lumbera, and Cirilo bautista, for their role in promoting Filipino values and culture through the written word. organized by the Philippines Graphic, the longest running newsweekly and literary magazine in the country, the NJLA is held annually to recognize the best stories published in the magazine during the year.

Pru Life UK’s support to NJLA is in line with its community initiatives which are focused on three key pillars: children, education, and disaster preparedness and recovery. The company is committed to giving back to the community, which it has been doing for more than 20 years in the Philippines. more about Pru Life UK at www.prulifeuk.com.ph/en.

SOLuTiONS prOviDEr

Forcepoint talks about critical data and IP presentation

Tackling the value and vulnerability of critical data and Internet protocol (IP), Forcepoint recently held a media presentation called “Protecting the Human Point.”

According to Forcepoint, visibility has been decreased by the rise of technology, citing that organizations can’t address the threats that are hidden. regarding the change in technologies, the company pointed out that the only remaining constant in security are the people. moreover, the company discussed the cost of an insider breach, with the compromised insider posing USD 493,000 for the average cost per incident and the accidental user posing USD 2,292,000 in the average annualized cost.

Forcepoint says that technology alone won’t result in better security outcomes in spite of USD 81 billion dollars spent on security in 2016 because technologies continue to proliferate and breaches are still frequent. In addition, less than 50% of organizations shares the idea that technology will boost higher security.

In understanding behavior, while 80% believes its essential, only less than a third of companies believe that they really understand their customers’ behavior. Forcepoint, a company that understands and detects workforce behavior anomalies that cause data and IPrelated incidents, also presented about being a purpose-built security company, and a recognized market and technology leader. read more about Forcepoint at www.forcepoint.com.

hardwarezone.com.ph

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Q + a

going parallel with shifting paradigms

PC titan tackles trends in gaming and artificial intelligence in the region.

by The HWM Team

Can you share with us some insights about the PC industry in the Asia Pacific region and where does Lenovo stand at the moment?

Over central Asia Pacific, the top vendors are capturing more market share, and we are growing faster than the market in terms of unit shipment. The biggest driver of this growth is new customer usage behavior. Three or four years ago, most people simply used computers in sending emails, using Excel, or browsing the Internet. The power requirement in doing these tasks is low. People were just using tablets or even a three- to fouryear old machine as long as it is still performing. The requirement to replace the machine was low and the replacement cycle was slow.

But in the past two years, more people started to talk about gaming.

In the past, gaming was limited to those who are professional gamers.

Auspiciously, eSports is getting more popular and those professional gamers are becoming celebrities through several livestreams where many people can see and be inspired. Today, many people are becoming leisure gamers. The gaming ecosystem is becoming bigger and bigger, and this demand or change in user behavior also triggered more demand to replace their old PC with a highperformance machine.

Additionally, in some emerging markets, people were used to have machines with optical disc drives (ODD) to watch content. However, with broadband or 4G speeds becoming faster, people want thinner machines without ODD and

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consume content straight from the Internet through online streaming.

Speaking of the increasing popularity of gaming among consumers, what is the current status of your Legion brand?

We just launched our Legion brand in January of this year, and we admit that we are a little bit late compared to some vendors who already have a long gaming branding. In spite of that, we are happy to share a report from GfK that our market share increased from 8% last year to 13% as of July this year. Our gaming sellout increased by 98% or almost double compared to last year. In some markets, we witnessed quick success such as in Malaysia where we are number one in gaming, while ranking number two in regions like Thailand and Hong Kong. So we are running quite quickly and it is consistent in all countries.

For now, we are focusing on three things: building the Legion brand, building Legion stores so that more customers can experience our gaming products, and lastly, partnering with lots of eSports companies.

As part of our initiatives in strengthening our product portfolio, we’ll be announcing new notebook models in line with AMD’s official release of Ryzen mobile processors next quarter. This will be followed by our Coffee Lake-based offerings.

Earlier, Lenovo declared that it will be investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI)? Is this part of your initiatives in gaming? Can you

expound on this?

In April of this year, we announced that we are investing USD 1.2 billion, the majority of which will be on artificial intelligence (AI). In line with this, we hired a new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) who is actually one of the most famous engineers in AI. We are also adding more AI-oriented people to the board, and establishing partnerships with AI companies, starting in China where we are strong.

Partnering with Disney, we have launched the Star Wars: Jedi Challenges which is more like a game and users must have a special accessory to make the game more fun and immersive. The first is Star Wars and next in the roadmap are other vendors. For example, watching NBA games at the moment is just like sitting at the stadium looking at one angle. Soon, with the help of AR and virtual reality (VR), you will be able to see various angle soon. We are teaming up with the AR and VR leaders like Microsoft and Google, and other content providers like Disney and NBA to bring more excitement to the customers.

We think that customer demand for AR and VR will be sizeable in next two to three years. Next year will be kind of a learning phase and we want to make sure that we are in the game in various ecosystems.

Lenovo is shifting from being a technology-driven to a customercentric company. We cannot just think of something to sell to end users in order to be successful.

Considering user experience will always be the key.

“Lenovo is shifting from being a technologydriven to a customercentric company.

Customer experience is always key.”

Ivan Cheung, Executive Director and Regional Manager for Central APAC, Lenovo

PHoToGrAPHY AND ArT DIreCTIoN Victor Felix Pulgar

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Q + a

moving toward digital maturity

Digital research company head shares insights on local digital landscape.

by The HWM Team

Tell us something about your company and your clients.

Incorporated in 2013, Research and Tech Lab (RTL) is a digital research and consulting company. Companies usually get our services to help them transition towards digital. We do a lot of research and audit work on where the client is and what is happening in the digital landscape at the time of our engagement.

Our clients vary in terms of digital maturity. Some of them are very mature, some are midway, and there are also those that have low to zero digital presence.

Speaking of digital maturity, where do you think the Philippines stand?

The Philippines for me is still very young in terms of digital maturity.

With Internet penetration at 60 to 65 percent, we are a very techsavvy country and can easily adopt to technology, yet we’re just at the tipping point as global players are just recently entering and setting up offices here like Facebook, Uber, Google etc. I think the ASEAN region, as a block, is still at the tipping point, and Europe and the United States are looking at ASEAN as a very young and promising destination for digital expansion.

I believe that infrastructure is among the things that are hindering us from becoming more digitally mature. Fortunately, the private sector and the government are both starting to realize that technology is now a way of life as seen in their most recent moves.

On the other hand, public’s access to very affordable technology

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HWM PH | November 2017

(like smartphones) with enhanced capabilities is also considered as a digital driver.

What do you think are some of the misconceptions about digital research here in the Philippines?

One misconception is that most companies or institutions are trying to adopt traditional research methods and apply it to digital, when it is a totally different animal.

Research on digital is still an open field that’s why we try to create certain research adaptations what will make sense out of digital data.

In traditional research, you are probing or asking people to get information. In digital research, you are already looking at the information. In digital, information is mostly voluntary.

A few years back, digital is mostly relegated to either the IT department or social media in the marketing and sales department.

Today if you don’t have an overall digital strategy for your company and have a key person sitting at the top level you will be left behind. I’m seeing more and more companies who are adapting well appointing Chief Digital Officers or similar positions to lead the way. That is both a bold and smart move. It is now a strategic concern for CEOs. Why companies should invest in digital research?

Digital to me is a totally different world. Everyone starts from zero.

You may be for example, a very popular company on TV but you may have very low awareness when

it comes to digital, you have to look at it and treat it differently.

As to your customers, they are there already ahead of you. They are speaking. They are showing you what they like. They want to talk to you. They want to be engaged.

I’ve seen a few companies that have invested many years ago in digital. I think that is a good thing, but those who are late are sort of in a panic now but now is still a good time to start. Is it too late? Not yet, but soon it will be.

What current and upcoming trends in the Philippines digital landscape are you seeing right now?

We consume more media now through digital, and I think the traditional media agencies are being challenged. They are responding to the challenge by discovering how to inform or entertain their audience through new technologies, by exploring multiple touch points.

I said once that the Philippines is home to 100 million political consultants. People want to be involved in politics. They have their own opinion and they are waiting as to how government will receive that information and sometimes, referee the discussion. There’s a huge opportunity for the government to engage and come up with better solutions to serve. I’m also excited to see developments in the education sector since we are now talking about millions of studentmillennials who are digital-savvy and are surely getting bored with the old school approach. You don’t need to be physically present in school today to get your education.

“In traditional research, you are talking to people to get information.

In digital research, you are already looking at it.”

Allan Capulong, CEO & Founder, RTL-Research and Tech Lab

PHoToGrAPHY AND ArT DIreCTIoN Victor Felix Pulgar

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Q + a

“Microsoft is capable of enabling businesses to get from where they are today to where they need to become digital.”

PHoToGrAPHY AND ArT DIreCTIoN Victor Felix Pulgar

Bertrand Launay, Acting Managing Director, Microsoft Philippines

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evangelizing digital transformation

Software giant on helping local organizations stay ahead of the game.

by The HWM Team

Digital transformation has been one of the key talking points of Microsoft during the past months.

How does Microsoft help in pushing digital transformation here in the Philippines?

Microsoft is uniquely capable of enabling businesses of all sizes to get from where they are today to where they need to become as a digital business through our flexible technology solutions, integrated offerings, and for being the most trustworthy with investments in security, privacy and control, compliance, and transparency.

Increasing security threats in today’s digital economies are real and cannot be ignored. There is a continued perception among business leaders that the cloud is less secure. However, they may be less aware of the advances being made in the cloud on security and privacy. They need more exposure on how, with the current threat environment, it will be safer being in the cloud than relying on traditional forms of IT. In fact, a recent Microsoft Asia Pacific survey of 1,200 IT leaders showed that 83% of IT leaders in the Philippines feel comfortable hosting all business applications on public cloud.

People don’t use technology that they don’t trust. This is a golden rule that applies to organizations and individuals alike as we live in a mobile-and cloud-first world.

Ensuring security, privacy, and compliance are key in enabling businesses to carry out digital transformation with confidence.

With the rise of mobile workers introducing new devices, apps,

and data into organizations today, protecting sensitive company data requires a new and integrated approach which we have invested in significantly.

What key sectors in the Philippines do you think are the first ones that will be at the forefront of digital transformation and why?

In a recent Microsoft Asia Pacific survey of 1,200 IT leaders in the Philippines, it was found out that 87% believe that all organizations need to transform into a digital business in order to grow, but only 32% have a full strategy in place.

Because of that, we in Microsoft believe that we can enable all businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation journey, whether they are in government or in the private sectors of retail, finance and banking, manufacturing, or services.

We have empowered several businesses of all sizes, for example: PhilHealth is using Power BI in acquiring data insights that can help them assess their programs; Shakey’s is enhancing guest experience through Dynamics AX and Azure; and Hammerjack is improving BPO for SME operations through Teams.

Speaking of the BPO industry, some sources say that automation, which is a component of digital transformation, might reduce workforce in that sector. Can you comment on this?

The BPO industry is relevant here in the Philippines because it consists

of 1.4 million people, which is equivalent to 9% of the GDP (gross domestic product).

When there is a new innovation, there is always a possibility that it will reduce some jobs in the short term. However, it also creates new jobs that require new skill sets. This scenario suggests that education is key in creating skill sets because you need people to have new skills and that is where education is very important.

This is where the first of the four pillars of digital transformation comes in, wherein you must empower your employees by means of equipping them with more tools that will enable them to collaborate more and to communicate more easily. The other three pillars are: you must engage better with your customers so they will have better experience with you. Third, you must optimize operations by looking at IT efficiency and beyond. The last pillar is you must transform your product, just as how the automotive industry is now bringing connected cars to the market.

As the Acting Managing Director of Microsoft Philippines, what are your agenda for the remaining months of 2017 and for some portions of 2018?

We are focused on creating value for organizations in the Philippines with their digital transformation journeys. We would like to empower several industries such as government and public sector, retail and manufacturing for all types of organizations, whether they are a large corporation or an SMEs.

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S p o t l i g h t

LEADiNg ThE COffEE LAkE hypE TrAiN

ASUS ROG Maximus X Apex

Staying at the forefront of the battlefield, ASUS unveiled a rich array of new motherboards for Intel’s 8th Generation Core processors.

by The HWM Team ASUS officially revealed its new lineup of Intel Z370 motherboards, a diverse selection that caters to everyone from extreme overclockers to casual gamers who are looking for a reliable rig foundation.

A total of 13 Z370 boards were shown off at ASUS’s event in Kuala Lumpur, where the bulk comprised of the company’s gaming-focused republic of Gamers (roG) boards.

The maximus boards sit at the top of the product stack, while the roG Strix models slot into the middle. This time however, the TUF boards come in as entry-level models with a focus on durability and reliability.

Finally, the two Prime models are all-rounders targeted at the masses. They retain many of the key features of the higher-end boards, but their more measured design aesthetic will appeal to mainstream users.

ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero

asus rog maximus x series The roG maximus X Formula is the crown jewel of the Z370 lineup, at least until the maximus X extreme makes its appearance.

This year’s model features three full-length PCIe 3.0 slots, but only two are able to run in x8/x8 mode. There are also a handful of new additions, such as a LiveDash oLeD display that we first saw on ASUS’s X299 motherboards. other tweaks include something ASUS calls optimem memory routing, which is found across the Z370 lineup and on its Prime series boards as well. This refers to a memory trace routing methodology of ensuring the best possible signal integrity.

Another board that deserves mention is the roG maximus X Apex, a board that eschews certain features in favor of raw performance and overclocking headroom.

It features a DIMM.2 socket, which first debuted on ASUS’s X299 boards at Computex 2017. This looks like a DImm slot, but it really holds a DImm.2 add-on card that has space for two m.2 drives, and this design decision has likely allowed ASUS to simplify the onboard trace routing. on the other hand, the maximus X Code is sort of a pared-down Formula board, with a very similar look but missing some of the more enthusiast-oriented features, such as the liquid-cooling channels.

The Maximus X Hero rounds off the series, and it’s intended as one of the more affordable ROG boards. The full board ROG Armor is absent here, as is the extensive M.2 heatsink found on the higher end roG models.

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ASUS ROG Maximus X Code

ASUS ROG Maximus X Formula

asus rog strix series The midrange roG Strix boards can appear more than a little confusing, especially given the very similar names on three of the boards.

However, ASUS tells us that the -e, -F, and -H boards correspond to the extreme, Formula, and Hero boards in the roG maximus series, so the roG Strix Z370-e Gaming is actually the most feature-rich board here.

It comes with onboard Wi-Fi, something the other two are lacking, and an m.2 heatsink similar to the one found on the pricier roG maximus board. It also has a USb 3.1 (Gen 2) front panel connector, a nice addition for use with some of the newer PC cases.

That said, the lower-end roG Strix Z370-H Gaming is probably the most visually striking of the lot, with a deep red PCH heatsink and splashes of red on the PCb and vrm heatsinks.

The mini-ITX and micro-ATX roG Strix Z370-I Gaming and Z370-G Gaming bring up the rear (the -I and -G suffixes point to the older Impact and Gene naming respectively), so there’s something for small system builders as well. And despite its diminutive size, the roG Strix Z370-I Gaming still manages to cram in two m.2 sockets, four SATA 6Gbps ports, one USb 3.1 (Gen 2) front panel connector, and onboard Wi-Fi.

ASUS ROG Strix Z370-H Gaming

ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E Gaming

ASUS ROG Strix Z370-I Gaming

ASUS ROG Strix Z370 F-Gaming

ASUS ROG Strix Z370-G Gaming

asus tuF and prime series

ASUS Prime Z370-A

ASUS TUF Z370-Pro Gaming

ASUS TUF Z370-Plus Gaming

ASUS Prime Z370-P

ASUS says its TUF boards are designed for extended hours of use, so they are all subject to more extensive testing that includes over 7,000 hours of compatibility checks with over a thousand devices, 60% more I/o port insertion tests, and more rigorous temperature and humidity conditions. The boards also feature overvoltage protections and individual eSD guard designs for all ports.

Two representatives of the series differ in terms of NVIDIA SLI support: the TUF Z370-Pro Gaming supports up to 2-way SLI, whereas the TUF Z370-Plus Gaming doesn’t. Nevertheless, both boards use a custom audio solution from DTS that offers virtual multi-channel audio for stereo headphones, in addition to custom presets for different game genres.

The Prime boards are probably among the most elegantly designed boards, and they aim to provide enthusiast-grade features in an accessible package. many of the features we’ve mentioned before are found on the Prime Z370-A, such as the m.2 heatsink, support for up to DDr44000 memory and optimem technology, and the same realtek S1220A audio codec used on select roG boards.

If you wish, you can also 3D-print an m.2 fan mount that will let you mount a 40mm fan above the m.2 heatsink for more enhanced thermal management.

There’s support for ASUS Aura Sync as well, although this is limited to a subtle underglow on the right edge of the board. on the other hand, the Prime Z370-P is a far more spartan offering, with just one PCIe 3.0 slot capable of running in x16 mode, four SATA 6Gbps ports, and a less impressive vrm and heatsink design.

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S p o t l i g h t

SAviNg ThE wOrLD ONE ThrEAT AT A TimE Kaspersky Lab explicates truth behind cyber espionage in the Asia Pacific Region through the 3rd Cybersecurity Weekend in Thailand.

by Jonnah Lynne Pante

cybertHreat landscaPe

As part of its ongoing efforts on creating awareness about cybersecurity, research firm Kaspersky Lab recently commenced the third Cyber Security Weekend to address concerns about the cyber threat landscape and the alarmingly growing cases of cyber espionage in the Asia Pacific Region, particularly targeting critical infrastructures of countries and companies. researchers of Kaspersky Lab have recorded a remarkable increase in malware attacks over the years. In fact, from a summated one million attack from 1986 to 2006, the numbers swelled to 310,000 attacks per day, resulting in more than 758 million malicious online attacks recorded in 2016.

While it is known that malware attacks are mostly targeted toward Android, ioS, and Windows devices, Stephan Neumeier, managing Director of Kaspersky Lab of Asia Pacific, emphasized attackers will soon shift target focus on devices running Linux oS. “our prediction is one of the next focus should be on Linux,” Neumeier said. “Taking into consideration the IoT devices since 2015, we’ll have more digitally connected devices than the people living

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in the planet. Digitally connected devices are taking over and the prediction is by 2020, we’re most likely looking at 26 billion connected devices heavily driven by IoT. Again, IoT will be focused on Linux so we want to make sure we’re protecting these devices,” he explained.

In his opening presentation for the Cyber Security Weekend 2017 held in Phuket, Thailand, Neumeier also warned how traditional and modern attackers are now being collaborative to exploit attacks.

“Cybercriminals are already sharing information. There are no borders and limitations for them. one group starts something, then they sell whatever they have developed to another group, then that group will develop it further and sell it again to others. Cybrecriminals are much better connected today,” the company executive said.

According to Neumeier, this can be counter-attacked by letting government agencies practice technology sharing.

“We can only protect ourselves if we also share information between countries and practice technology sharing because cybercriminals already do that,” Neumeier emphasized.

cyber esPionage in asia PaciFic

Kaspersky Lab witnessed what they’ve predicted during the first cybersecurity summit in 2015 – the rise of cyber espionage attacks targeted toward the Asia Pacific region.

According to Kaspersky Lab Director of Global research and Analysis Team (GreAT) in APAC vitaly Kamluk, the security research firm continues to track high-profile cyber espionage attacks in the region.

“We at Kaspersky Lab urge the public and private sectors to work together in fast tracking cyber security laws and measures that will guard their cyberspace. Cyber espionage is borderless. It is no longer a question of possibility, it is now a question of when and how the worst attack will be.”

WHo are tHe cyber sPies?

Senior researcher for GreAT Noushin Shabab talked about how careless mistakes of cyber spies help in determining identities and attack origins.

target locKed: aPac banKs

At the same Cyber Security Weekend Summit, Kaspersky Lab warned about how cyber espionage groups are now pursuing on attacking financial institutions in Asia Pacific particularly in countries of malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia, China, bangladesh, vietnam, and the Philippines.

“This year, we have monitored the tectonic shift in APT actors’ behavior. These groups who are initially data-hungry are now going beyond traditional cyber espionage. They added money-stealing on their attack menu as they hunt for vulnerable banks in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region which they can infect mostly through the rising epidemic,” said Head of research Center of russia at Kaspersky Lab’s GreAT Yury Namestnikov.

Focus on laZarus

A detailed presentation

by Seongsu Park, Senior researcher at Kaspersky Lab’s GreAT tackled on how threat actor Lazarus takes advantage on compromised servers to perform APAC attacks.

tHe land oF sMiles

MoVing ForWard

reiterating Kaspersky Lab’s commitment on fighting cyber threats, Alejandro Arango, Global Director of Kaspersky Lab’s Pr Group ended the conference on a high note.

Cyber heroes – or simply those who spend hours of days combating cyber attacks like the experts of Kaspersky Lab – need a break, too.

After a whole day of serious talks about cyber espionage, the whole Kaspersky Lab team together with journalists from 11 countries in Asia Pacific region took some time off to feast a scenic view, enjoy nature, and celebrate camaraderie in two of the famous islands of Andaman Sea in Phuket, Thailand – the island of Ko Phi Phi Don, and the island of Ko Phi Phi Le.

hardwarezone.com.ph

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L E I S U R E

siaM niraMit

ThAi ThiNgS

Part of the pre-show attraction at Siam Niramit, Thailand’s most popular cultural show, is a traditional Thai village that showcases Thai people’s way of life. Shown above is a traditional method of weaving cloth.

HWM Philippines joins Cherry Mobile in capturing moments with the newly launched Flare S6 Selfie in some of the popular sites in Thailand!

by Lionell Go Macahilig

a PeeK into Past

Thailand’s traditional shadow puppet play is categorized into two: nang yai or large shadow puppet and nang talung or small shadow puppet. This form of performance art originates from the southern region.

bang Pa-in royal Palace Located in the province of Ayutthaya and lying beside the Chao Praya river, the bang Pa-In royal Palace is a palace complex formerly used by Thai kings. The area houses vast gardens and buildings such as the Warophat Phiman (excellent and Shining Heavenly Abode), a royal residence, which is pictured above.

Wooden cats ringing tHe bells

At Wat Saket ratcha Wora maha Wihan in the capital city, visiting guests will be welcomed by a series of bells which can be rung for good luck. benches are also available so that you can relax and have a breathtaking view of the cityscape.

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Floating MarKet

Considered as the most famous floating market, the Damnoen Saduak Floating market features a network of canals that can be navigated by boat. The floating market is located 100 kilometers away from bangkok.

At the Damnoen Saduak Floating market, visitors can buy a variety of products, ranging from fruits and vegetables to intricate handicrafts, such as these wooden cats.

tHai sKyline

From Wat Saket ratcha Wora maha Wihan, visitors can take a refreshing view of bangkok’s urban landscape peppered with houses, buildings, and buddhist temples. buddhism is deeply integrated into the Thai culture. Thailand is the most buddhist nation in the world with around 95% of the population practicing Theravada buddhism.

Floating PaVilion

The Aisawan Dhiphya-Asana Pavilion or the Floating Pavilion is one of the many structures located inside the bang Pa-In royal Palace complex. other structures present include the Wehart Chamrunt (Heavenly Light), a Chinese-style royal palace and throne room; Ho Withun Thasana (Sages’ Lookout), a brightly painted lookout tower; and the Aisawan ThiphyaArt (Divine Seat of Personal Freedom), a pavilion constructed in the middle of a pond.

caPturing MoMents

The recently launched Cherry mobile Flare S6 Selfie was used in taking these photos in Thailand. Featuring a 16-megapixel sensor on both front and back cameras, the Flare S6 Selfie was launched together with the Flare S6 and the Flare S6 Plus.

golden buddHa

The Wat Saket ratcha Wora maha Wihan houses several statues of buddha. This interpretation shows the three wise monkeys embodying the principle “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”

tHe golden Mount

The Temple of the Golden mount in bangkok, is a temple dating back to the Ayutthaya Period. It was eventually called Wat Saket during the reign of King rama I. The Golden mount, built under the rule of King rama v, is 77 meters tall.

gliMPse oF Past

Inside the Ayutthaya Historical Park lies the ruins of the old city of Ayutthaya. The city was the former capital established by King ramathibodi I in 1351. It was captured by the burmese in 1569 and eventually destroyed in 1767.

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the m that is power BMW M5 www.bmw.com

PICTUre bMW

BMW has just officially announced its hotly anticipated new BMW M5, and it sounds bonkers on paper. For a start, this will the fastest M car BMW has ever built. Much of it has to do with its ridiculously powerful twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8, which churns out a monumental 600hp and 750nm of torque. This is enough to catapult the car from a standstill to 100kph in just 3.2 seconds - a time that will get bona fide supercars like the Ferrari 488GTB and the Lamborghini Huracan looking over their shoulders. Top speed is electronically limited to 250kph, but if owners equip the car with the optional M Driver’s Package, the M5 will continue hurtling toward the horizon until it hits 305kph.

However, what’s interesting about this new M5 is that it will only be available as an automatic. Specifically, it has BMW’s excellent 8-speed M Steptronic transmission. Additionally, the M5 will also get a sophisticated all-wheel drive system called M xDrive, making it the first M car to ever get all-wheel drive. However, traction control can be turned off and the car can also be switched to rear-wheel drive mode, allowing owners to indulge themselves in some massive power slides and skids. Sounds like the best of both worlds then?

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loud and clear Pioneer Pro Audio XY Series www.pioneer.ph Pioneer’s latest product line adds two speakers which promise to deliver natural audio at the high sound pressure level (SPL) required for large venues and outdoor events. The XY-3B is a three-watt full range speaker that sports an 8-inch cone driver which delivers clear and precise mid-range frequency thru Pioneer Pro Audio’s X-Phase system, while XY-2 is the former’s midsection, with design made specifically for PA applications as a DJ booth monitor for large-scale venues and stadia.

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slimmest But Bulkier Acer Aspire S24 www.acer.com It doesn’t as much slimmer -- and sexier like this. Acer Aspire S24 is the slimmest all-in-one personal computer ever made in the world so far today. Yet it is also boasts a bunch of bulk, heavyweight numbers and names too, as this desktop PC comes with a powerful all-new 8th Generation Intel Core processors with optional Intel Optane memory, Windows 10 operating system, and 256GB SSD and 2TB HDD of storage space. It also enables one to charge their mobile devices thru the magnet and wireless QI charging.

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hi-fi connectivity HEOS 3 HS2 https://www.denon.sg/ Heos 3 HS 2 speaker boasts a wide capabilities of igniting an entire wireless network of speakers in your home or be just part of the equation thanks to its app which can connect one speaker to each other and integrates our playlist from your saved files to the online streaming services like Spotify and iTunes. This hearing device also comprised of a two custom full-range drivers and Class D digital amplifiers that are capable of producing amazing wide-range high-fidelity sound in compact form, plus it can be placed either horizontally or vertically. And whether you’re down with this one yet or not, HEOS 3 HS2 just one primary offering to the entire HEOS by DENON product line of speakers with one of them comprised of a 7-driver listening machcine.

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awe-inspiring viewing Samsung QLED TV www.samsung.com.ph

Samsung Electronics has aimed to overcome the long-held advatantages of OLED TVs and took a step higher with their latest innovation QLED TVwhich aims to be a standout in the ever-growing market. The latest TV line boasts two superb features aiming to bring incredible image quality and awe consumer viewing experience: the Quantum Dot display technology which gives 100% color volume and their Precision Black technology which reduces glare and minimize light reflection. Combined with High-Dynamic Range (HDR), these technologies has been able to bring out the details needed that are otherwise lost in either dark or really bright sceneries

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packed to the max Max Edition Pack hawkbag.com Time to roam around the city and let Hawk’s Max Edition Pack help you in taking your adventures to the next level. This new bag is equipped with a lead pocket, a gartered flat pocket in the main, and zippered pockets on flatside pockets plus miscellaneous in front compartment which lets you do more and have more inside the luggage. And this new item lives up to its name with a minimized 25L capacity.

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cleaning with Bliss and no frills LG Hom-Bot Square (VR65710LVMP) lg.com.ph Clean the house with no hassles regarding the paths, lights, and even noise with LG’s Hom-Bot square robotic vacuum cleaner VR6350LVM has been upgraded from its precursor (VR6270LVMB) with a revved-up Dual Eye 2.0 camera that works on both brightly-lit and low-light settings of the place. It still has the Corner Detection System, but also features the Ultrasonic Sensor which spares one from glass and transparent objects. It also has a built-in lithium-ion battery PowerPack which offers of up to 100 minutes of vacuuming in regular mode, and can be of a huge help for people who prefer to use the low-noise (60dB) robot vacuum by the after or wee hours.

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all-around cleaner

2PCS Home Auto Cleaner Robot Smart Mop Dust Cleaner With a size of a measly 23.3x5.5 cm, this auto cleaner gadget may be small but can be terribly good on doing all-around tasks of cleaning your home. This machine can mop and sweep floors (be it either wood, tile, or marble) as well as efficiently picking up hair, dust, and dirt, and other rubbish under the couches, chairs, beds, and coffee table. But more than picking up trash, this device is capable of identifying dangerous place and turn direction automatically. Avaiiable thru LAZADA.

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party all-day long JBL Boombox https://www.jbl.com.ph/ JBL just went even beyond extreme with one of their latest offerings to the listening public, with Boombox, which rock your house all-day long at any kind of weather. JBL Boombox is a Bluetoothpowered speaker which has a certified IPX5 Waterproof and has the ability to provide for up to whopping 24 hours of playtime. It can also be paired with more than 100 JBL Connect+ speakers with indoor and outdoor sound modes for optimal audio quality in various different environments.

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1. LG SiGNature oLeD tv

2. paNaSoNiC Nr-br307Z

LarGer tHaN LiFe

CooLNeSS rouND-tHe-CLoCK

The LG Signature OLED TV is the world’s first TV set to have

Panasonic’s latest product of their eCoNAvI inverter

both Dolby vision and HDr10 features that delivers life-like

refrigerator product line boasts a sophisticated seven-part

images with deep blacks and brighter colors in 4K screen

easy storage design and features which analyzes and responds

resolution inside its Picture-on-Glass design that has been

to the monitored level of lighting and temperature in the room

complimented with Dolby Atmos audio technology and a sound

in order to maintain ideal cooling and avoid wasting energy.

bar that can double as a television stand. www.lg.com/ph

www.panasonic.com/ph/

1

2

3

3. tCL Ke iNverter SpLit type air CoNDitioNer SerieS

4

2. eLeCtroLux Smart CLeaNiNG

SpLittiNG With a powerful suction, triangular bodyframe, the brand’s

44

TCL’s latest split-type air-conditioning unit is poised to be the most

innovative 3D vision technology, and external brush, this

healthy-friendly AC wihtout compromising its power consumption

robotic vacuum cleaner, one of electrolux’s newest products

through its features such as Mosqui-Go, 5-in-1 health filters, R410

launched this year, sports a revolutionary design and a

refrigerant with Zero ozone Depletion Potential, and Full 5D DC

technology that makes it a game-changer in the world of

components. www.tclphilippines.com/

autonomous cleaning. www.electrolux.com.ph/

HWM PH |November 2017

5. appLe tv

6. GooGLe Home max

SeamLeSS eNtertaiNmeNt

Live at Home

Apple TV’s fifth innovation will make your TV provide

Google’s latest speaker features a dual 4.5-inch woofers

seamless entertainment with A10X function which makes it

and custom 0.7-inch tweeters covered by fabric. And not

having a doubled-CPU performance and a quadrupled GPU

only that Google Home Max could automatically fine-tune

performance of the 4th gen Apple Tv. It also supports HDr10

an entire room via Smart Sound, but it also has the ability to

and Dolby vision HDr formats, and third-party content

link to Chromecast speakers as well as wired and wireless

providers for 4K and HD content. https://www.apple.com/ph/

connectivities and be paired to one other for stereo sound.

5

6

8

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7. D-LiNK Dir-882

8. La GermaNia am8 5C 71 C x

WiDe aND WireD CoNNeCtivity

Smart CooKiNG

High-bandwidth activities like watching HD and 4K videos or

Inside the La Germania’s latest single-oven cooker boasts a

doing a 3D video call can now be enjoyed without any hassles

50-cm depth for narrower installations and five gas zones on

with the D-Link DIr-882 AC2600 mU-mImo Wi-Fi Gigabit router

its stamped stainless-steel pressed worktop, including a high-

that has been powered by dual-core processor with a Gigabit

performance triple-ring burner. Its gas-fueled oven has a door

WAN port. It also has Super Speed and features that help you

made of double-glass (with a wide extractable inner glass),

locate the connected devices and enhancing a wider coverage.

while the cooker features an analogic clock on the fascia. www.

www.dlink.com.ph/

lagermania.ph/

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9. SamSuNG Frame tv

10. LG Gr-D35FbGHL

LiviNG iN a LiviNG room

SpoiLer-Free aLert

Samsung electronics merged arts and technology with their

This LG refrigerator isn’t just boasts their Dual Door-in-Door,

latest state-of-the-art QLeD line called Frame Tv. When not

Sliding Drawer Type, and Pantry Section innovations, but

in use, the Frame Tv can be a thing of beauty with galleries

also their Smart Diagnosis and Hygiene Fresh+ technology

accessible thru the Art mode. It also has a retractable frame

which boasts a 5-stage filter that aims to eliminate most food

that makes this television set looked like a legitimate piece of

spoiling agents and remove up to 99.9% of air-borne food

artwork displayed in your living room. www.samsung.com/ph/

contaminants. www.lg.com/ph

10 9

11 12

11. SHarp Fp-Gm30e-b air puriFier

12. aCer paWbo ipuppyGo

CLeariNG tHe air

KeepiNG up WitH tHe pet

In a polluted world, there’s a SHARP air purifier that comes

Keep up to date with what’s happening to your pet with Acer’s

to the rescue in keeping it clean as the FP-Gm30e-b features

pet counterpart called Pawbo iPuppyGo, a lightweight tracker

Plasmacluster Ion technology, particle filter, and mosquito

operating thru a bluetooth-connecting smartphone app that

catcher that helps in reducing the risk of getting and spreading

records the pet’s activity level and wellness such as pet’s

of air-borne diseases such as dengue and Zika viruses.

exercise levels, sleep patterns, mood index, and health status. https://www.pawbo.com/

https://sharp.ph/

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13. LeNovo tab 4 Home aSSiStaNt paCK your Home CompaNioN

14. eLeCtroLux uLtimateCare WaSHiNG maCHiNe WaSH more, Worry LeSS

Lenovo’s latest tablet now offers a help for your home with the Home Assistant Pack feature powered by Alexa. This boosts

Wash without worrying about the color deterioration of your

the sound of the device’s two three-watt speakers that can fill

clothes as this latest line of electrolux washing machines aim to

up a large room. In addition, its far-field detection feature can

extend its life while delivering quality performance and saving

recognize your voice meters away from any directions through

of up to 75% in power consumption thru the vapour Action and

two built-in mics. www.lenovo.com/

eco Inverter technologies. www.electrolux.com.ph/

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15. ameriCaN teCHNoLoGieS GrayNS

16. beKo CSG 53110 Gx

eat more (aND HeaLtHy) riCe

puSH to CooK

If you think eating fice will make you fat, think again as

Popular Turkish appliance brand beko has been making waves

American Technologies can help you get fit and ehalthy

in the country, and one of their latest offering from their line

while eating a lot of them, thanks to GrAYNS, which boasts a

of freestanding 3 gas and 1 electric cooker offers has been

scientific-way of cooking rice by reducing starch which makes it

offering a push-button ignition on its oven. www.beko.ph/

lower its calorie content and glycemic load per serving. www.grayns.com/

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Every Month, behind the doors of our super secret gadget testing facility, the latest tech products are put through their paces using industry-recocognized benchmarks and our own blend of real-world usage scenarios. Here are our findings!

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Samsung Galaxy Note8 Flagship Wonder

by Jonnah Lynne Pante Aptly launched during a beatifully-staged event in New York, the Samsung Galaxy Note8 defines what a real flagship handset can do.

Flaunting the same Infinity Display as the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, the Galaxy Note8 shows off a 6.3-inch Quad HD+ Super AmoLeD display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio screen, and comes coated with Gorilla Glass 5 for both its front and rear sides. What we had in our lab conceals 6Gb rAm partnered with 64Gb of onboard storage which gave us a generous space to install more apps and simultaneously do tasks without the apps crashing nor the phone lagging. The device is powered by an exynos 8895 processor as a standard for global units. For the United States and european countries, the Galaxy Note8 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 under its hood. The Galaxy Note8 runs on Android 7.1 Nougat oS out

of the box.

As the South Korean tech giant’s largest smartphone (and one of the priciest at PhP 49,990) to date, the Galaxy Note8 is intended to “do bigger things” by helping its users increase productivity. of course, this is made possible by what the Samsung Note series has been known for – its innovative and improved S-Pen stylus.

The Galaxy Note8 comes with a lot of revamped features linked to its S-Pen. For one, the Galaxy Note8 now allows users to write directly on its screen for up to one hundred pages even when it’s turned off. We deem that this as a very helpful feature especially for people with on-the-go ideas. Since the S-Pen is improved with better accuracy and sensitivity, the Galaxy Note8 can be also considered as an apt mobile companion for graphic artists and the like.

As expected, the Galaxy

Note 8 comes with bixby, the Samsung’s very own virtual assistant, first featured on the Galaxy S8 and S8+. Just like any other virtual assistants, bixby follows voice commands through programmed phrases, although still limited to some native apps. Another interesting feature of the Galaxy Note8 is its bixby Vision which quickly identifies things, places, and phrases by just taking snaps of them. We took the Galaxy Note8 to an out of the country coverage to test this capabilities, and fair enough, bixby vision also helped us translate phrases written using Thai alphabets.

Photography-wise, the Samsung Galaxy Note8 stays competitive against all other flagship camera-centric smartphones as it carries a dual 12-megapixel camera system with one F1.7 rGb lens for wide-angle and another one F2.4 for telephoto with 2x optical zoom also capable of 4K video recording.

aT a glance

oPeRaTIng SySTeM Android 7.1 Nougat PRoceSSoR Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or exynos 8895 MeMoRy 6Gb rAm, 64Gb rom expandable up to 256Gb caMeRa Dual 12-megapixel rear, 8-megapixel front BaTTeRy 3300mAh non-removable PRIce PhP 49,990

The Samsung galaxy note8 is the first Samsung device to carry a dual rear camera setup.

COnClUSIOn

A premiumlooking cameracentric flagship smartphone intended to boost user’s productivity, the Samsung Galaxy note 8 will encourage you to “do bigger things.”

TESTED & RATED

9.0

/10

PHILIPPINES hardwarezone.com.ph

51

vivo v7+

aT a glance

Smartphone Game Changer

by Yrda Veanssa Fernandez In the realm of fast-developing smartphones, vivo has unleashed its latest response to the selfie phenomenon, the vivo v7+. The brand’s newest flagship phone was officially unveiled on September 20 together with the newest additions to the company’s roster of brand ambassadors. boasting a 24-megapixel front camera, our team is not surprised with the quality of selfies we got with the V7+.

Whether we are indoor or outdoor, the front camera delivered clearer selfies. With its front camera LED flash, taking selfies even in low light, gave us good quality photos.

Using Portrait mode gave our selfies a blurred background, creating sharper contrast to our photos. The v7+’s 16-megapixel rear camera does not get behind as its PDAF technology didn’t give our team any moment on losing to take better quality photos and videos.

vivo has ensured that viewing the photos taken with the v7+ will also be a pleasurable experience. vivo v7+’s 5.99-inch all-screen display gave us a stunning full view of content on a smartphone, may it be streaming movies or the photos that we took. However, what we didn’t like about the v7+ display is that it is not Full HD in terms of resolution.

The v7+ runs on vivo’s very own Funtouch oS 3.2 based on Android 7.1 Nougat oS, backed by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor with 4Gb rAm and 64Gb rom. Launching our favorite applications simultaneously and playing games on the v7+ was an effortless and seamless experience. Packed with a 3225mAh battery, the v7+ promises an all-day long stamina. It lasted up to nine hours and six minutes in our video loop test with brightness and volume set to the max,

and bluetooth, mobile data, and Wi-Fi all enabled. The vivo v7+ scored 46582 on AnTuTu and 14393 on Quadrant benchmark.

Another thing that we liked about the v7+ is its Hi-Fi feature. When playing music and using a headset while Hi-Fi is enabled, the v7+ manages to cancel the surrounding noises, letting the listener hear more of the actual music. even just using its built-in speaker system, the v7+ did not give us any distorted sound even on the highest volume level.

For security, the v7+ also comes with Face ID Access feature that unlocks the phone by just using a face recognition technology.

In spite of its flagship positioning, the vivo v7+ is relatively affordable for the price of PhP 17,990. vivo claims that it is selling like hotcakes, accumulating more than 5,000 preorders just a few days after its local launch.

oPeRaTIng SySTeM Funtouch oS 3.2 based on Android 7.1 Nougat PRoceSSoR Qualcomm Snapdragon octa-core 450 SoC MeMoRy 4Gb rAm, 64Gb rom caMeRa 16-megapixel rear, 24-megapixel front BaTTeRy 3225mAh PRIce PhP 17, 990

It’s 24-megapixel selfie camera can deliver clearer selfie photos.

COnClUSIOn

Claimed by Vivo as its fastest selling smartphone to date, the V7+ is a steal of a deal for the price of PhP 17,990, considering its features and flagship positioning.

TESTED & RATED

9.0

/10

PHILIPPINES 52

HWM PH | November 2017

ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie Apt Option

by Jonnah Lynne Pante Launched alongside its siblings in the new ZenFone 4 lineup, the ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie proves itself to be a competitive choice among the pool of selfiecentric smartphones.

The ZenFone 4 Selfie, also known as ZD553KL, shows off a familiar-looking ZenFone physique with its 5.5-inch IPS LCD screen with HD (1280 x 720) resolution. It displays images with colors vivid enough to appreciate, although we find it hard to use under daylight even with its brightness tweaked to the maximum level. It hides a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 with an octa-core chip clocked at 1.4GHz complemented with Adreno 505 GPU. It comes with common storage setup of 4Gb rAm and 64Gb onboard storage enough to carry on tasks without suffering lags.

What we had in our lab comes in an elegant color of deep sea black. Common to most ASUS ZenFones, the

ZenFone 4 Selfie, although categorized as midrange, looks and feels premium.

As its moniker suggests, the ZenFone 4 Selfie attirbutes its main selling point to its selfimaging prowess. Up front, it comes with a 20-megapixel + 8-megapixel front camera system which no doubt performs impressively in capturing selfies made better with the ASUS SelfieMaster feature and its Softlight LED flash. Camera modes include Auto, the standard Beautification mode, and GIF. The ZenFone 4 Selfie’s front camera also comes with HDr feature. The ZenFone4 Selfie’s beautification mode can also be used in videos and in livestreaming. Users can also switch between its standard mode for selfies to its 120-degree wide angle mode for groufies through an integrated button on its camera interface.

On the flip side, the ZenFone 4 Selfie has an

equally capable main camera with its 16-megapixel sensor with Phase Detection AutoFocus (PDAF) essential in shooting moving objects without motion blur. As to clarity and color correctness, the ZenFone 4 Selfie produces acceptable shots. Its camera modes include Auto, Pro, Super resolution, Panorama, Time Lapse, Slow motion, and GIF Animation. one good thing about ASUS ZenFone smartphones is their regular software updates even on its camera. In fact, during out test time with the ZenFone 4 Selfie, we encountered a software update notification to better improve its camera HDr mode when being used in low-light scenarios.

With ASUS ZenFones known for long-lasting stamina, the ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie does not steer away with its 3000mAh battery capacity enough for a whole day of moderate consumption.

aT a glance

oPeRaTIng SySTeM Android 7.1 Nougat with ZenUI 4.0 PRoceSSoR Qualcomm Snapdrahon 430 with Adreno 505 MeMoRy 4Gb rAm, 64Gb rom caMeRa 20mP + 8mP front, 16-megapixel rear BaTTeRy 3000mAh PRIce PhP 13,995

The ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie comes with a 20-megapixel + 8-megapixel dual front camera setup.

COnClUSIOn

launched alongside its siblings in the ZenFone 4 series, the ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie proves itself to be a competitive choice in the pool of selfiecentric devices.

TESTED & RATED

8.0

/10

PHILIPPINES hardwarezone.com.ph

53

Cubix Cube Max Your Budget Phablet

by Yrda Veanssa Fernandez We live in the 21st century age of swiftly evolving smartphones to reshape and catch up with the era of dynamic, fastmoving work, and personal lifestyle. but most of these smartphones hurt the pocket of consumers. If you’re looking for an affordable phablet, you might want to check out the new Cubix Cube max from Cherry mobile.

Priced at PhP 3,999, our team is surprised that this phone can do so much.

Its 6-inch screen gave us a pleasure to watch videos and play games on it. The phone’s rounded edges make it easy to grip in spite of its size. It is important to note that it has fingerprint scanner that allows for convenient unlocking. The phone flaunts a glossy finish and its fingerprint scanner does not attract unsightly fingerprint marks. our team loved listening to our playlist with this phone.

Whether the volume level

was set at 50 percent or 100 percent, its built-in speaker didn’t produce distorted audio. but mind that the speaker is placed on the rear of the phone, so it gave us a muffled sound while holding the phone. meanwhile, its rear and front cameras gave us decent photos, provided that there was adequate light source. However, we noticed that it lagged while taking multiple shots, leaving us one to two seconds interval before taking another picture.

The Cubix Cube max runs on the Android 7.0 Nougat oS, powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor and is complemented by 16Gb onboard storage that is expandable up to 64Gb. equipped with 1Gb rAm, the Cube max was able to give us a smooth performance with moderate use. We browsed Facebook and Instagram at the same time to test its performance more, but unfortunately, it lagged.

It scored 23405 on AnTuTu, and 8134 on Quadrant Standard. Powered by a 3000mAh battery, it lasted for seven hours and 48 minutes in our looped video test with full brightness and volume, and Wi-Fi, mobile data, and bluetooth all enabled. It had enough juice to last us a day Indeed, Cherry mobile’s Cubix Cube max deserves every consumer a hello as it sports the basic features of a smartphone in an affordable price. The Cube max was launched last August along with the other two smartphone members, namely the Cube Play and the Cube Play HD, and the Cubix Cube book notebook, of the Cubix lineup. The device comes in a box with user’s manual, charger plug, cable connector, earphones, jelly case, and a screen protector all for its price. The Cubix Cube max is exclusively available on Lazada at the time of writing.

aT a glance

oPeRaTIng SySTeM Android 7.0 Nougat PRoceSSoR 1.3GHz mediaTek mT6580 quad-core MeMoRy 1Gb rAm, 16Gb rom caMeRa 13-megapixel rear, 8-megapixel front BaTTeRy 3000mAh removable PRIce PhP 3, 999

It is notable that the cubix cube Max has a fingerpirnt scanner in spite of its affordable price.

COnClUSIOn

If you’re looking for an affordable phablet that sports the basic features of a smartphone plus a fingerprint scanner, the Cubix Cube Max is ideal for you.

TESTED & RATED

8.0

/10

PHILIPPINES 54

HWM PH | November 2017

Nokia 8

aT a glance

Much-awaited

oPeRaTIng SySTeM Android 7.0 Nougat

by Jonnah Lynne Pante After staging a major hype and staying in the rumor mill for months, a new flagship Nokia smartphone has been made official through the Nokia 8 which according to Finnish company HmD Global, comes with “three world’s firsts” feature on a top-of-line device.

Going through the basics first, the Nokia 8 sports a 5.3inch IPS LCD screen in QHD (2560 x 1440) resolution with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor clocked at 2.5GHz and Adreno 540 GPU beneath. The Nokia 8 comes available in two storage variants: one combination of 4Gb rAm and 64Gb rom, and the other one with 6Gb rAm and 128Gb rom. It comes with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

The Nokia 8 seem to lack that flagship look on the outside as its body looked and felt plasticky. It comes with rounded, smooth edges, and

a curved back where its dual camera and the familiar Nokia logo are embellished. other things worth to mention are the device’s fingerprint sensor, and its USb Type-C port which indicates that the Nokia 8 is capable of fast charging and quick file transfers.

As mentioned earlier, the Nokia 8 boasts off three world’s first features which our team came to love during our time spent with the smartphone. First off, the Nokia 8 comes with a DualSight camera setup cleverly called as “Bothie” which allowed us to use both the front camera and the rear camera at the same time, giving another way of taking groufies by producing photos that looked like a collage.

Speaking of camera capabilities, the Nokia 8 has a dual 13-megapixel camera co-developed with ZeISS, one sensor with optical Image Stabilization (oIS), and one for monochrome mode

and low light photography.

As expected, with a NokiaZeISS collaborated camera, the Nokia 8 performed well in delivering clear photos with crisp details and vivid colors may it be indoors and outdoors. During our camera tests, we found ourselves often ditching third party photo editing applications as the Nokia 8 produces postworthy, as-is snaps.

Taking pride in another selling point, the Nokia 8 comes with the world’s first OZO audio on a smartphone for that HiFi, 360-degree surround sound apt to complement the smartphone’s 4K video recording capabilities.

The Nokia 8 runs on a generous 3900mAh battery which is able to withstand a full day of moderate to heavy usage.

With what the Nokia 8 has to offer, we see the brand coming as the crowd favorite once again.

PRoceSSoR Snapdragon 835 octacore with Adreno 540 MeMoRy 4Gb rAm, 64Gb rom 6Gb rAm, 128Gb rom (expandable up to 256Gb) caMeRa Dual 13-megapixel rear, 13-megapixel front BaTTeRy 3900mAh PRIce PhP 29,990

Jumping in the dual rear camera bandwagon, the nokia 8 shoots with a dual 13MP main camera.

COnClUSIOn

A much-awaited contender in the flagship smartphone battle, the nokia 8 boasts premium and unique features enough to make it a crowd favorite once again.

TESTED & RATED

8.5

/10

PHILIPPINES hardwarezone.com.ph

55

Moto G5S Plus The Plus Factor

by Lionell Go Macahilig Launched last month, the G5S Plus is one of the two latest additions of moto to its G family of midrange smartphones.

The larger sibling of the 5.2-inch G5S, the G5S Plus brandishes a 5.5-inch Full HD display clad in an all-metal unibody enclosure that makes it look and feel premium and strong in spite of its midrange positioning. For added protection, its screen is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

The four corners of the handset are rounded with beveled edges, putting more emphasis on the metallic nature of the chassis. All buttons (the power and the volume rocker) are concentrated on the right side of the device. The top side if occupied by the 3.5mm audio jack, whereas the bottom side hosts the phone’s microphone and speaker grille. The left side might look empty, but it actually houses the slot which

can accommodate up to two nano SIm cards and a microSD card with up to 128Gb storage capacity. our unit came in Lunar Gray with matte finish which makes it less to fingerprints and smudges. on the inside, the G5S Plus is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor clocked at 2GHz with Adreno 506 GPU. The chipset is coupled with 4Gb rAm and 32Gb onboard storage operating on Android 7.1 Nougat. With these specifications, the G5S Plus managed to yield a score of 63006 in AnTuTu benchmark, putting it in the same league as the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom (62824). The G5S Plus also emerged as much more powerful than the moto m (49869). one of the key selling points of the G5S Plus is imaging, and to prove it, this phone comes with a protruding 13-megapixel dual rear camera system with a

special enhancement software and Selective Focus mode, and an 8-megapixel front camera.

Comparing the outputs that we got with the G5S Plus to those of the moto m, we can say that the latter is better in the imaging department.

Taking still images in Auto mode, outputs produced by the G5S Plus are quite soft in terms of sharpness and color. In addition, the phone quite struggled in capturing nice photos, specifically at night and when several artificial sources of light are present. What we liked about the phone’s camera is its recording capability. The Full HD video that we got using it is not bad at all. With a 3000mAh battery, the G5S Plus lasted up to nine hours and 35 minutes.

Decent in design, snappy in software, and lengthy in stamina, the moto G5S Plus is a passable midrange phone that needs some fine-tuning in the camera department.

aT a glance

PRoceSSoR Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core 2GHz MeMoRy 4Gb rAm, 32Gb rom, expandable up to 128Gb via microSD dISPlay 5.5-inch Full HD with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 caMeRa 13-megapixel dual rear, 8-megapixel front oPeRaTIng SySTeM Android 7.1 Nougat PRIce PhP 14,999

Below the 5.5-inch Full Hd display sits a built-in fingerprint scanner for enhanced security.

COnClUSIOn

Decent and snappy in its entirety, the Moto G5S Plus is a passable midrange smartphone that needs some finetuning in the camera department.

TESTED & RATED

8.0

/10

PHILIPPINES 56

HWM PH | November 2017

huawei nova 2i A New Star is Born

by Lionell Go Macahilig The Huawei nova 2i is another midrange smartphone that made landfall in the Philippine shores last month. Hopping on the bandwagon of phones that comes with higher screen-to-body ratio (83%), the nova 2i flaunts a 5.9-inch Fullview display with Full HD screen resolution. In terms of size, the nova 2i is almost as big as its contemporaries, but Huawei managed to make its screen space bigger by reducing the width of the bezel and stretching the screen ratio to 18:3. The four corners as well as the edges are all rounded, making the nova 2i comfortable to grasp. both the power button and volume rocker are situated on the right side of the nova 2i. meanwhile, the slot for two nano SIm and microSD cards is placed on the upper left side of the handset. The busiest portion of phone is the bottom side where the 3.5mm audio jack, micro-

USb port, microphone, and speaker grille are all located.

The fingerprint reader is placed on the back adjacent to the protruding rear camera.

Available in Aurora blue, Prestige Gold, and Graphite black (our test unit), the nova 2i is clad in a metallic unibody chassis. beating within the nova 2i is a HiSilicon Kirin 659 octacore processor together with 4Gb rAm and 64Gb onboard storage. running on Android 7.0 Nougat with Huawei’s very own emUI 5.1, the nova 2i yielded 52442 in AnTuTu benchmark, not far from the scores of the Huawei Gr5 2017 (56908) and the oPPo F3 (52997).

Inheriting the imaging prowess of preceding Huawei smartphones such as the Gr5 2017 and the well-accepted P10 Plus flagship phone, the nova 2i continues the tradition with its “quad camera system”.

The handset achieved this feat by integrating two dual

camera systems (16mP + 2mP rear, 13mP + 2mP front). The secondary camera for each sensor is intended to provide hardware-level effects such as bokeh. In entirety, the experience of capturing good images with the nova 2i was almost effortless, regardless of the lighting condition. Shots taken with the phone look adequately sharp and clean with a very minimal amout of image noise. The same goes with the recorded Full HD videos, though zooming in while recording results in noticeable pixelation. espousing a 3340mAh battery module inside, the nova 2i lasted up to seven hours and 20 minutes, shorter than that of the moto G5S Plus which has 3000mAh battery.

Taking into account all of the positive qualities of the Huawei nova 2i, it is a respectable representation of what a midrange smartphone should be.

aT a glance

PRoceSSoR HiSilicon Kirin 659 octa-core MeMoRy 4Gb rAm, 64Gb rom, expandable up to 128Gb via microSD dISPlay 5.9-inch Fullview Full HD IPS caMeRa 16mP + 2mP rear, 13mP + 2mP front oPeRaTIng SySTeM Android 7.0 Nougat PRIce PhP 14,990

The secondary cameras of the Huawei nova 2i are intended to provided hardware-level effects.

COnClUSIOn

Taking into account all of the positive qualities of the Huawei nova 2i, it is a respectable representation of what a midrange smartphone should be.

TESTED & RATED

9.0

/10

PHILIPPINES hardwarezone.com.ph

57

Transcend DrivePro 110 Keeping You Safe

by Yrda Veanssa Fernandez Dash cameras have become a ‘necessity’ in today’s cars as they play a crucial role in recording accidents and road rages, happenings that may occur in just a split second, and leave the people and vehicles involved without a recorded evidence if there were no cameras around.

Comprehending the relevance of dash cameras, Taiwan-based Transcend launched the DrivePro 110 together with the DrivePro 130 last July of this year. The DrivePro 110 carries familiar features of a dash cam.

Clad in a square enclosure measuring 70.2 x 63.1 x 32.5mm, the DrivePro 110 is lighter than the DrivePro 220 which we reviewed in may.

The DrivePro 110 weighs 71g and is equipped with a microUSb slot.

Unlike the DrivePro 220, the DrivePro 110 possesses a highly-sensitive Sony image sensor coupled with a built-in

Wide Dynamic range (WDr) technology. This feature made the photos that we took using the snapshot feature of the DrivePro 110 look high quality even during a nighttime drive.

The snapshot function allowed our team to take photos while still recording a video.

The DrivePro 110 features a parking monitoring mode that allowed our team leave the car without worries. The DrivePro 110 is capable of recording time-lapse videos, a feature that made it easy for us to view the things that had happened in the area within the reach of the dash cam while the car was parked. Do note that users must ensure that the DrivePro 110 receives a constant supply of power in order to use the said feature.

Whe we intentionally did not open the headlights when we started driving at night, the DrivePro 110 instantly put a “Headlight Reminder” notification onscreen, reminding us to open the car’s

headlights. The DriverPro 110 comes with “Driver Fatigue Alert” feature too, with the longest period of time available for preset is at four hours. This feature is ideal for Uber, Grab, and Wunder drivers, as they are the ones who are always on the road.

The DrivePro 110 bundle includes a 16Gb High endurance memory card built of top-tier mLC NAND flash chips, manual, warranty card, and a car adapter. The adhesive mount or suction mount may be purchased separately.

In addition, the DrivePro 110 comes with a built-in battery that can record up to 30 minutes long when fully charged. This feature can be useful in the event of an accident or when the engine is turned off. The DrivePro 110 has also an emergency recording feature that will make the dash cam record videos in case it detects vehicular impacts.

aT a glance

dIMenSIonS 70.2 x 63.1 x 32.5mm WeIgHT 71g dISPlay 2.4-inch color LCD lenS F2.0, 130-degree Wide Angle BaTTeRy built-in lithium polymer PRIce PhP 5,399

It’s Sony high-sensitivity sensor can capture high-quality images even at nighttime.

COnClUSIOn

If you’re looking for a dash camera that won’t hurt the pocket, the Transcend DrivePro 110 is for you. A userfriendly device that will indeed keep you safe on the road.

TESTED & RATED

8.5

/10

PHILIPPINES 58

HWM PH | November 2017

AOC AgON Ag251fZ Smooth as Butter

by Lionell Go Macahilig A member of AoC’s AGoN family of gaming monitors, the AG251FZ comes with a 24.5-inch twisted nematic (TN) display panel.

The entire setup is easyto-assemble, coming with a relatively heavy metallic angular stand that ensures stability. The stand also allows users to conveniently adjust the height of the panel. The metal stand even includes a scale that indicates the height (up to 130mm) of the panel.

Apart from this, the display panel can be tilted up and down (-3.5/21.5°) as well as left and right (-20/20°) to suit the user’s preference. With a matte surface, the monitor reduces the possibility of reflecting ambient glare which can distract user’s attention.

Similar to the AGoN AG352QCX which we reviewed in August, the AG251FZ also comes with a retractable hook where users can hang a gaming headset when it is not in use. Adjacent to the hook

is a panel of USb connectors (one for recharging devices) and audio jacks . The AG251FZ doubles as a USb and audio hub that is connected to the desktop PC. other USb ports are located on the back below the display panel, together with input connectors such as a DisplayPort, vGA, DvI, and two HDmI ports. User may also notice the presence of a mini-USb connector which accommodates the mouselike settings controller of the AG251FZ, just like in the case of the AG352QCX. The AG251FZ’s onscreen (oSD) menu also looks similar to the previous monitor that we reviewed.

The picture quality of the AG251FZ looks the same as that of the AG352QCX. out of the box, it is decent, but users may want to play around with the presets to find out which one would suit them best. one of the key selling points of the AG251FZ is its 240Hz refresh rate, the fastest

in the market at the moment.

This ensures smooth-asbutter graphics while playing fast-paced games, specifically first-person shooters (FPS).

Working together with the 240Hz refresh rate are the monitor’s 1ms response time and compatibility with AmD’s FreeSync technology. The combination of these features puts the AG251FZ ahead among others.

Nevertheless, it is clear that the AG251FZ is not for all types of gamers. experienced gamers who already own a gaming monitor with 144Hz refresh rate might find out a little discernible difference. Of course, those who are already using an NvIDIA GeForce graphics card would prefer getting a G-Sync-enabled monitor instead. Gamers who own a rig equipped with a FreeSync-enabled AmD radeon graphics card are the ones who should fully maximize the potentials of the AoC AGoN AG251FZ.

aT a glance

dISPlay SIze 24.5 inches BRIgHTneSS 400cd/m² conTRaST RaTIo 1000:1 ReSoluTIon 1920 x 1080p ReSPonSe TIMe 1ms coloRS 16.7 million PRIce Inquire

The metal stand even includes a scale that indicates the height (up to 130mm) of the panel.

COnClUSIOn

Gamers who own a rig equipped with a FreeSyncenabled AMD Radeon graphics card are the ones who should fully maximize the potentials of the AG251FZ. TESTED & RATED

8.5

/10

PHILIPPINES hardwarezone.com.ph

59

ASUS Designo MX34VQ Functional Design

by Lionell Go Macahilig Locally introduced in February this year, the mX34vQ is one of the recent models in ASUS’s Designo Curve mX Series of monitors. The 1800r curved display itself is vast and wide, featuring a measurement of 34 inches with an ultrawide QHD resolution (3440 x 1440p) and an aspect ratio of 21:9. But what makes this display panel look larger is the seemingly absent bezels above and at the sides of the screen. The only visible bezel is the one below that carries the logos of ASUS and Harman Kardon.

Speaking of Harman Kardon, the mX34vQ comes with an 8W built-in speaker co-developed by the said brand and further enhanced

by ASUS Sonicmaster technology. Listening to Sam Smith’s Writing’s On The Wall and Shawn mendes’s Stitches through the monitor’s built-in speaker system, the audio quality was full and

not distorted even when set at the maximum level, but there were moments that it sounded shallow, particularly when playing tracks that are heavy on bass such as The Crystal method’s Cherry Twist.

Another attention-getting design element of the mX34vQ is its seemingly glass foot. The foot actually doubles as an embedded wireless 5W/1A Qi charging pad for compatible devices. Charging status is monitored through lighting.

The back of the mX34vQ might look empty, but it actually has a removable plastic panel that hides the I/o connectors of the monitor. The array includes a DisplayPort, 3.5mm audio jack for headphones, and a trio of HDmI connectors.

While their placement at the back and down-firing position contribute to the clean, elegant look of the monitor, some users might find them quite inconvenient to access.

Navigating through the onscreen menu of the mX34vQ, the monitor comes with a total of eight picture presets: Standard, sRGB, Scenery, Theater, Game, Night view, reading, and Darkroom.

Standard seemingly renders content with neutral tone.

Scenery, Theater, and Game are the ones that produce the warmest tones. Among the presets, we can say that the srGb mode is the most pleasing to the eye based on the sample clips that we used like Her, Alien, and How to Train Your Dragon 2.

Aside from providing entertainment, the mX34vQ can also be an efficient tool to enhance productivity. Its wide display allows you to view up to four Word documents at the same time. by and large the ASUS Designo mX34vQ is not just a good looker. Functional from head to foot, it can be a great tool for both entertainment and productivity.

aT a glance

dISPlay SIze 34 inches BRIgHTneSS 300cd/m² conTRaST RaTIo 3000:1 ReSoluTIon 3440 x 1440p ReSPonSe TIMe 4ms coloRS 16.7 million PRIce Inquire

The foot doubles as an embedded wireless 5W/1a Qi charging pad for compatible devices.

COnClUSIOn

By and large the ASUS Designo MX34VQ is not just a good looker.

Functional from head to foot, it can be a great tool for both entertainment and office productivity.

TESTED & RATED

8.5

/10

PHILIPPINES 60

HWM PH | November 2017

TCL p3

aT a glance

Eye-friendly, Budget-friendly

by Nestor Domingo Jr. The TCL P3 can be an instant runaway winner for a budget-conscious consumer. It may look like a typical slim-type, premium television that boasts a set of features that makes it an instant getaway to the whole wide world of escapism as it also comes with a remote button that provides a dedicated access to the popular Netflix service.

This 49-inch TCL P3 provides a remarkable viewing experience with its 400r curved screen that offers up to 4K screen resolution and wide-angle viewing with Natural Light engine 2.0 which helps in reducing eye strain, ssomething which I can really attest after spending a few hours with the television.

However, one thing I actually noticed are the differences among the built-in picture modes. Comparing the picture modes require a look at their configurations to actually see the difference. In

the movie mode for example, despite having a dominatedcool image quality and has shown the very obvious difference of them all, has not been a pain in the eye for quite some time.

Auditory-wise, its frontrunning speakers powered

by Dolby Audio is one huge reliable thing, especially with the Tv’s Smart volume feature which helps you spare from the unwanted sound fluctuations. Though the downside is when that loud and explosive auditory part dwindled while you’re watching a show. but still a dependable one, considering the detailed and realistic surrounding sound that compliments the Tv very well.

But apart from offering Netflix and YouTube apps, the TCL P3 is the home to almost 300 apps catering to anyone who’s in need of social media, gaming, and video-on-demand fix. Streaming through the apps and video quality of the

clips will be depending on the Internet connection you have, though. And truth be told: only two apps really mattered the most in this field, unless you are willing to experiment enough to explore the entire library of programs. Certainly it helped that the TCL P3 is equipped by a quad-core A7 processor and a dual-core mali-450 mP2 GPU for a seamless browsing.

The TCL P3 has two USb ports, three HDmI ports, a LAN port, legacy ports for terrestial Tv and Av, and one for the optical out. video format, however, is another thing and users must meet the required video codecs for one to fully enjoy.

While this may not be the best premium television in town, the TCL P3 can give you a run for your money. For barely PhP 35,595, this 49-inch curved Tv can turn your living room into a home theater without the need of luxury spending.

PRoceSSoR Quad-core A7 CPU, Dual-core mali-450 mP2 GPU SPeaKeRS Dolby Audio connecTIVITy USb 2.0, LAN, HDmI, Wireless LAN, optical ReSPonSe TIMe 8ms conTRaST RaTIo 4000000:1 PRIce PhP 35,595

It takes this one button to take yourself to Netflix

COnClUSIOn

The P3 proves that luxury entertainment doesn’t necessarily need to be priced high, with an instant getaway to netflix and Internet TV features.

TESTED & RATED

8.5

/10

PHILIPPINES hardwarezone.com.ph

61

vprO vh200 For Starters

by Nestor Domingo Jr. Though they provide superior and more appealing experiences, gaming products can be really expensive at times, and this reality spares no one – even personal audio products like headphones.

Not only they provide the aesthetics of sound and the thrilling adventure inside of it, but gaming headphones, for particular, also come with microphones and lights, two of the added features that allow one to savor the experience of gaming.

While some of the gaming headsets are priced high, there are a few brands in the market that offer the finest (if not the ultimate) experience while letting you enjoy your online or offline games at a relatively-low price. one of these is the vPro vH200 which may serve as a prelude to what it is to have a gaming headset with lights, sounds, and a solid build with a thick cable wire that can hardly

tangle and has solidly-soft ear cushions.

In terms of sound though, there’s nothing really much spectacular if you dig much on the first hear. It looked like just an ordinary bassdominated headphone enclosed in two whopping ear cups, but they could go better if you have amplifiers or equalizers in your device and if you pressed the cups to activate that extra bass feature to complement the gaming experience. Save that for a Hi-Fi like thumbthumping experience when needed the most. Not totally superior, but not bad for starters.

The vH200 has two audio jacks (one for the mic and another one for the speakers) which may require one to have an audio splitter for it to fully experience the goodness of speakers and microphone in gaming. Additionally, the vH200 is not an illuminated gaming headset without the

lights that are activated by connecting it to the USb port, making it up for a complete package. The vH200 has a color switch that can turn the light indicators into various color schemes such as red, blue, green, and spectrum mode.

The gaming headset is quite large to hang around your neck when not in use, and its cushions can only make you use the gaming headset for quite sometime, especially during the entirety of a gaming session.

The vH200 may appear to be an entry-level gaming headset in the market today, but with the lights, sounds, and microphone features and functions it is boasting, it could set the bar high for the entirety of the gaming headphone market and compel other to step up their game by providing more features at a price where all gamers, especially the starters, can afford.

aT a glance

SPeaKeR dIaMeTeR 50mm SenSITIVITy 103+/-3db MIc dIaMeTeR 4mm IMPedance 1KHz/32 Ω FReQuenccy Range 20-20000Hz dIMenSIonS 225 x 194 × 102mm PRIce PhP 1,500

Headphones on, lights on!

COnClUSIOn

Don’t expect too high for the VPRO VH200, but don’t sleep on it either, as this gaming headset can give anyone a promise and deliver without spending too high.

TESTED & RATED

8.0

/10

PHILIPPINES 62

HWM PH | November 2017

focal Sphear Wired Affair

by Nestor Domingo Jr. Focal’s current list of headphones doesn’t just involve those wireless ones. They still have the wired ones in case you aren’t fan of those wireless products.

Those are the things that I prefer the most, as long as they don’t give me pain in my ears after quite some time.

Thus, enter the Focal Sphear into the equation.

This may not be the best one in their price range, but somehow it delivers really well. Well, at least, for some of us here in the HardwareZone team. Sure, the product has a 1.2-meter long wired cable wire connecting the earbuds, the main button, and the jack.

Coming with a small-sized carrying case comprised of the inclusions such as silicone ear tips, foam tips, and an airplane adapter, the Sphear is obviously not just another ‘offering’ in the market.

Indeed we are braced in some premium kind of treat.

The Sphear’s design

actually looks like some kind of mere ‘metal’ to me, but don’t be really deceived as this stainless-steel made-up material can be very light to the pocket and to the neck, much lighter than those wireless ones. It definitely helped that the blueprint on the two housings gave them the much needed leeway to put inside the 10.8mm mylar drivers which are primarily responsible for this headphone.

The sound works just precisely fine. There’s nothing really spectacular for a typical high-definition headset even if you turn the equalizers on, except for the fact that it delivers a fairly rich and more-detailed balance on bass and trebles which some may actually prefer unless you dig those ‘extra bass’ lines on your sounds. but setting the sound output aside, it’s surprising that this is one of the headsets that had given

more real comfort when wearing. This one can get stuck in my ears for hours on playing tracks, and have no complaints of irritation or other auditory ear and hearing problems afterwards.

And that’s something I prefer during the long trips or long time grinds.

It’s impressive that the Sphear is one of the headset offerings in the present-day market that can activate either Google Assistant (if you’re using Android mobile phones) or Siri (for iPhone users) when needed by simply having a long press.

It’s just a bit confusing to use them sometimes unless you have already mastered its timing right away for more understanding of function.

For the retail price of PhP 4,590, the Focal Sphear may not score a perfect 10 in the eyes of an obsessed eargasmic like me, but it pours out the value more than what you just paid for.

aT a glance

TyPe In-ear headphones IMPedance 16ohm SenSITIVITy 103db FReQuency ReSPonSe 20-20000Hz dRIVeR electrodynamic (0 7/16’’) mylar MIcRoPHone omnidirectional PRIce PhP 4,590

only one button, tons of function.

COnClUSIOn

With a product that is dedicated for sound and comfort, the Sphear proved why premium headphones doesn’t have to be free from cables all the time.

TESTED & RATED

8.5

/10

PHILIPPINES hardwarezone.com.ph

63

Gigabyte Z370 AORUS ultra gaming Brewing for the Coffee Lake

by Lionell Go Macahilig Gigabyte is among the first motherboard vendors who announced their Intel Z370 offerings in the market, one of which is the Z370 AorUS Ultra Gaming.

The most conspicuous element present on this board is the Thermal Armor which houses the I/o ports.

The feature is designed to dissipate heat from the area.

I/o connectors that are present under the Thermal Armor include a PS/2 combo, DvI-D, HDmI, Gigabit ethernet, optical S/PDIF, audio jacks and a mix of different USB ports (USb 3.1 Gen 2, USb 3.1 Gen 1, and USb 2.0). In terms of memory support, the board comes with four DImm sockets that can accommodate up to 64Gb at 4000mHz when overclocked.

The audio jacks are backed by a realtek ALC1220 codec.

For storage, the board

carries a pair of m.2 connectors, both of which are Intel optane memory ready. The board also comes with a set of six SATA 6Gbps connectors. For expansion, the board is equipped with PCIe x16 at x16, PCIe x16 at x8, PCIe x16 at X4, and three PCIe x1 slots. The PCIe x16 slots can support 4-way NvIDIA SLI and 4-way AmD CrossFireX multi-GPU technologies.

We put to the test the Gigabyte Z370 AorUS Ultra Gaming by using the following PC components: Intel Core i58600K, Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 Windforce oC edition, and ADATA SP920SS 256Gb SSD, running on microsoft Windows 10 oS. Starting off with Futuremark’s PC mark 10, the board managed to yield a score of 4587 followed by a score of 6948 in 3Dmark

(2016). In more CPU-intensive benchmarks such as Cinebench r15 (CPU), WinrAr x64, CPUz, and Pov-ray 3.7, the Z370 AorUS Ultra Gaming scored 1037cb, 9157Kbps, 2751.1, and 151.97 seconds, respectively. meanwhile, in graphics-intensive tests like Cinebench r15 (openGL), Unigine Heaven 4.0, Final Fantasy XIv, and resident evil 6, the board yielded 126.35fps, 1753, 7313, and 11866, respectively. From the default 3.6GHz, we were able to overclock the board at a stable 4GHz. LeD and rGb lighting support aside, the Z370 AorUS Ultra Gaming is a capable motherboard to use in taming Intel’s new 8th Generation Core processors.

For system builders who are eyeing to put up their Coffee Lake build, Gigabyte’s offering is an affable choice.

aT a glance

PRoceSSoR 8th Generation Intel Core CPUs, Socket LGA1151 cHIPSeT Intel Z370 MeMoRy Up to 64Gb DDr4, Up to 4000mHz (oC) MulTI-gPu SuPPoRT 2-way NvIDIA SLI, 3-way AmD CrossFireX FoRM FacToR eATX (304 x 243mm) PRIce Inquire

The Thermal armor which houses the I/o ports is designed to dissipate heat in the said area.

COnClUSIOn

The Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming is a capable board to use in taming Intel’s new CPUs. For those who are eyeing to put up their Coffee lake build, Gigabyte’s offering is an affable choice.

TESTED & RATED

8.5

/10

PHILIPPINES 66

HWM PH | November 2017

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X Core Galore

by Koh Wanzi For the first time in years, Intel isn’t alone in the high-end desktop space.

AmD is an old challenger made new, and it is bringing the fight to Santa Clara with a new line of enthusiastgrade CPUs that pack more performance than ever.

AmD’s ryzen Threadripper 1950X CPU is based on the same Zen architecture as its more mainstream ryzen chips, but it also shares the same DNA as the serverclass ePYC CPUs. This means familiar SensemI features like extended Frequency range (XFr), Pure Power, and Precision boost, alongside a highly scalable data fabric that enables support for multi-socket and multi-die configurations and massive I/o expansion options.

All Threadripper CPUs come with a sheer number of cores, but the 1950X stands

as the alpha dog of the pack, carrying a total of 16 cores.

AmD targets researchers, scientists, and content creators as the main users of Threadripper CPUs. For this review, the 1950X was tested using the following components: ASUS ROG Zenith extreme, 16Gb Corsair vengeance LPX DDr4-2666, NvIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, Samsung 850 evo 250Gb SSD, and Windows 10 Home for the operating system. results are compared to those of the tencore Intel Core i9-7900X. Starting off with 3DMark, the 1950X was neck-andneck with the Core i9-7900X. However, the limitations of the 1950X became apparent in game benchmarks such as Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, in which the Core i9-7900X showed advantage. Nevertheless, the

1950X isn’t that far behind. moving on to overclocking, the 1950X posted a very nice improvement of nearly 12 percent, even though we were only able to achieve a clock speed of 4.025GHz, which is below the top XFr speed of 4.2GHz. The Core i9-7900X similarly managed a nearly 12% increase at 4.5GHz. All things considered, it seems difficult to recommend the Core i9-7900X over the 1950X. Intel has the upperhand in terms of per-core IPC, and it comes ahead in games, but the 1950X does really well in professional applications that properly make use of all its cores and threads. If you’re a content creator with games on the side, the Threadripper is shaping up to be a very strong option.

For the full review and test results, visit http://gohwz. ws/2fxyewa.

aT a glance

cPu clocK 3.4GHz (4GHz max) coReS 16 PacKagIng SocketTr4 cacHe 1.5mb (L1), 8mb (L2), 32mb (L3) TdP 180W PRoceSS 14nm PRIce PhP 60,000

The 1950X offers 64 PCIe 3.0 lanes from the cPu, where 60 lanes feed to the PcIe and M.2 sockets.

COnClUSIOn

Aimed at researchers, scientists, and content creators, the 1950X does really well in professional applications that properly make use of all its cores.

TESTED & RATED

8.5

/10

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ADATA XPG Gammix D10 DDr4-2666 Armed and Toothed

by Lionell Go Macahilig Carrying the XPG branding (which stands for Xtreme Performance Gear), the Gammix D10 belongs to ADATA’s line of memory modules intended for gamers, enthusiasts, and overclockers. The Gammix D10 comes available in a variety of kits, but for this review, ADATA provided us a 16Gb kit (8Gb x 2) rated at 2666mHz with red heatsinks.

A closer look at the labels of the memory modules, they indicate AX4U266638G16DrG which refer to their

While the Gammix D10 memory modules do not boast rGb lighting as a feature, they still attempt to appear aesthetically appealing and functional for their target audience by adopting open-top, serrated heatsinks.

Additionally, the memory modules’ black 10-layer printed circuit board (PCb) comes with additional copper for extra cooling.

The Gammix D10 was tested using the following components: Gigabyte AORUS AX370-Gaming 5, AmD ryzen

designated model number. other important details on the labels include rAm timings (CL 16-16-16) and voltage (1.2v), which are seemingly standard among all Gammix D10 kits.

Compared to DDr3 memory modules (1.5v), Gammix D10 memory modules have lower operating voltage which makes them 20% less in terms of power draw and more energy efficient even when they are overclocked at 1.35v.

3 1300X, Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 Windforce oC edition, and ADATA SP920SS 256Gb SSD, running on microsoft Windows 10 oS. benchmark apps include PCmark vantage (memory Test), Passmark PerformanceTest 9.0, and SiSoftware Sandra Platinum 24.30. The Gammix D10 was pitted against the Apacer Panther DDr4-2400 16Gb. As expected, the Gammix D10 got higher benchmark

scores than the Panther because of faster memory speed, but the difference is minimal. The Panther even managed to get better latency reduction than the Gammix D10 according to SiSoftware Sandra results.

We managed to overclock the memory modules by up to 15% and this is where the Gammix D10 truly shone.

Apart from getting higher benchmark scores, it also got much better latency reduction than the Panther.

While it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of an rGb-equipped rAm, the Gammix D10 is true to its XPG branding. Armored in a fiercelooking, serrated heatsink for cooling, the true power of the Gammix D10 is unleashed when you overclock it, bringing noticeable gains in memory bandwidth, writing performance, and latency reduction. For the full review and benchmark scores, visit http://gohwz.ws/2ycATE4.

aT a glance

Model nuMBeR AX4U266638G16-DrG caPacITy 16Gb (8Gb x 2) MeMoRy clocK 2666mHz RaM TIMIngS CL 16-16-16 VolTage 1.2v PRoFIle Intel XmP 2.0 PRIce Inquire

open-top, serrated heatsinks facilitate cooling which is essential when overclocking.

COnClUSIOn

True to its XPG branding, the Gammix D10’s true power is unleashed when you overclock it, bringing noticeable gains in bandwidth, performance, and latency.

TESTED & RATED

8.0

/10

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Apacer panther DDr4-2400 Claw of the Panther

by Lionell Go Macahilig The DiskStation DS1817+ is part of Synology’s Plus series of network-attached storage appliances. The series sits between the company’s more affordable Value and enterprise-oriented FS & XS series, hence, the Plus line where the DS1817+ belongs caters to small and mediumsized enterprises (Smes).

That said, Synology has ensured that DS1817+ is packed with a set of features that addresses the needs of the said market. The DS1817+ comes with eight drive bays, but with the use of two DX15 expansion units, support can be increased to up to 18 drives with a maximum supported capacity of 108Tb. each bay has a SATA connector that goes well with either 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch hard disk drive (HDD), or solid state drive (SSD). Faster yet energy efficient, the DS1817+ is powered by an Intel Atom quad-core processor coupled

with 2Gb/8Gb DDr3. Power consumption ranges from 31.6W (when in idle) to 61.5W (during access). recognizing the fact that Smes typically do not have a dedicated staff who can handles IT-related concerns, Synology has simplified the setup process of the DS1817+. once hooked up to the network through the device’s Gigabit LAN, users should simply download and run the Synology Assistant application on their computer to locate and establish a connection with the DS1817+. Synology Assistant will guide users on how to install the latest version of DSm (6.1.3 at the time of writing), the operating system of the DS1817+. Do note that if you are about to use an old HDD or SSD on the NAS appliance, make sure that important files are backed up as DSm installation will reformat the drive involved.

Synology’s browserbased DSM has a lot to offer

to Sme users. It includes a collaboration suite that integrates mailPlus (basically Gmail), Chat (a messaging app), Office (for users who do not want to buy microsoft Office), and Calendar (useful for organizing schedules).

Another useful feature, DSm allows users to access different operating systems, along with their compatible applications, on their browser, saving Smes from spending on new hardware or software. of course, Synology’s DSm is not all about work and serious stuff. It can also serve as a file manager that consolidates your photos, songs, and videos (and even streaming portals like Netflix) into one platform with a userfriendly interface, similar to having a Tv box. Just make sure that productivity’s not affected with this feature.

Taking into account its potential benefits to the business, the DS1817+ is a worthy investment for Smes.

aT a glance

Model nuMBeR AHU16GGb24CDU7v caPacITy 16Gb MeMoRy clocK 2400mHz RaM TIMIngS CL 16-16-16-36 VolTage 1.2v PRoFIle Intel XmP 2.0 PRIce Inquire

Featuring a claw-shaped exterior, the Panther’s heat spreader comes in silver and gold versions.

COnClUSIOn

The Apacer Panther delivers performance whether it is in normal or overclocked mode with acceptable bandwidth gains and latency reduction.

TESTED & RATED

8.0

/10

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F E a t u r E

capture THE REAL

yOu

Gear up to experience a high-tech beautification technology with the Selfie Expert’s technologycurated masterpiece.

Be ready to Capture the Real You.

Photos OPPO

Text by The HWM Team

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PHotoS VIVO

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F E a t u r E

SpECIFICATIONS

F5 OppO

OUTDATING THE SELFIE-CENTRIC SmARTpHONE TECHNOLOGY

OppO is ending the year with a bang as it officially unveiled the OPPO F5 on October 26. For the first time, the artificial intelligence technology has been integrated into selfie camera--the A.I. Beauty Technology that uses artificial intelligence to beautify a selfie shot by learning your gender, skin type, skin tone and even age. All that refined with more than 200 facial recognition points in your face to know you more than any other phone. Sporting a full-screen design and full-HD display, running on the Android 7.1 with 4GB RAM and 32GB ROM, using this smartphone is splendidly seamless.

Equipped with 16MP rear camera, and 20MP selfie (front camera), the OPPO F5 can undoubtedly capture the real you.

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COLOr Gold, black, red frONT CAmErA 20MP A.I Beauty Technology rEAr CAmErA 16MP Cpu 2.5GHz MT6763T OctaCore BATTEry 3200mAh SCrEEN 6.0-inch, 18:9 Full *Screen, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 DiSpLAy FHD+ 2160 x 1080 mEmOry 4GB RAM+32GB ROM eXPANDABle mEmOry Triple Slot Tray OpErATiNg SySTEm ColorOS 3.2, Android 7.1 SiZe(MM) 156.5x76x7.5(mm) wEighT 152 g NETwOrk 2G/3G/4G

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p i h s g a l F t s e s B m e u Th ot Vacu Rob ums to u c a v t ip robo he most. h s g a t up fl one sucks t p e w s an unzal We ich h w and P l r t O u n ectio find o Art Dir ong · ernon

V hy by

p otogra n · Ph in Soo

W

By Alv

VS ecoVacS deeBoT R98 • IcleBo oMega • IRoBoT RooMBa 980 • lg HoM-BoT TuRBo+ • SaMSung VR7000 PoWeRBoT

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aT a glance

ECOvACS DEEBOT r98 The ecovacs Deebot r98 is the only bot Now that I could finally start using the here that automatically empties its bin Deebot r98, I discovered that it kept getting when charging, and comes with a handheld stuck under my sofa, which turned out to be vacuum cleaner. It’s also the bot that’s most a death trap for most of the robot vacuums tied to its app. It only ships with a single in this shootout. The Deebot r98 would also Auto mode button on its body; everything do odd things like bump into obstacles and else must be done through its app. Linking keep on bumping, or get stuck in a corner to the Deebot r98 was instead of backing itself out. seamless, but even then I To its credit, I discovered couldn’t tell the bot to start that the more it cleaned, the cleaning yet. because while more it refined its map. the other bots can begin out The Deebot r98 is of the box and map as they actually good at cleaning, it clean, the Deebot r98 needs picks up large debris well, Comes with a handheld to map out the entire house but it does fling some of it vacuum cleaner. before it can start cleaning. around. It avoided dropping Automatically empties This led to a few problems. down larger steps, but didn’t bin at dock.

The first time it mapped out avoid the short fall into my house, the map looked my toilet and it got stuck skewed, so I decided to inside. Like the manual App is problematic. rebuild the map. says, the Deebot r98 can’t Has trouble mapping out the house.

Unfortunately, remapping clean carpets, it stopped failed a few times. I think the immediately when it rolled Deebot r98 got confused on top of my carpet’s tassels. about its position after it got stuck. It took me a few tries before the Deebot r98 successfully built a new map, and I had to be present to rescue it so it could do so. This was essential because without a map, the Deebot r98 can’t schedule cleaning.

SucTIon PoWeR 430Pa BIn caPacITy 0.4L Run TIMe 90 minutes noISe leVel 69.5db aPP conTRol Yes PRIce Inquire

The best thing about the Deebot r98 is that when it returns to its charging station, the handheld vacuum cleaner in the dock turns on and sucks out debris from the bot’s bin, helping you to empty it automatically. It‘s the only bot here that can do that.

There’s not much you can tell the deebot R98 to do with its single physical button.

The bin is easy to clean out without making a mess.

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aT a glance

SucTIon PoWeR 1800Pa BIn caPacITy 0.6L Run TIMe 120 minutes noISe leVel 68.5db aPP conTRol No PRIce PhP 35,000

iCLEBO OmEgA This particular flagship from Korean carpets, which was borne out when it got brand iClebo has an attractive design, stuck on my carpet’s tassels. To be fair, unfortunately it’s not app-connected like the even bots that are supposed to work with others. Instead, the iClebo omega operates carpets got stuck in those threads. The entirely from the on-body controls and omega would also get caught on cables, so comes with an dedicated remote control you have to clear the area for the omega to unit. operate safely. even though the omega Like the ecovacs Deebot doesn’t come with an app r98, the omega kept getting to check on its progress, the stuck under my sofa. It bot can be programmed with turns out that the clearance a cleaning schedule using its underneath my sofa is just remote. You can’t schedule about the height of these specific days for cleaning, bots, so some of them could Attractive design. but then again, neither can make it in but then not out.

Picks up large debris. some of the app-connected The roomba 980 and LG Avoids ledges ones.

Hom-bot Turbo+ got stuck a successfully.

The omega sweeps in a few times before they learnt methodical way, using a zigto avoid it, while the Deebot zag pattern. In my controlled r98 and omega would Doesn’t sweep up fine test using flour, uncooked frequently get stuck. particles as well. rice, nuts and small biscuits, After the omega did Gets stuck easily. the omega picked up the this a few times, I realized larger debris well, but not so much the smaller particles.

Its bin is easy to empty out, and the omega successfully avoided dropping down the small ledge into my toilet (something even the irobot roomba 980 was wont to do).

The omega actually isn’t rated for

that my sofa had gouged a few deep scratches on the body. A Singapore iClebo representative told me that if customers faced the same problem with cleaving into obstacles, the company would usually help by installing protective bumpers on the robot’s chassis.

you control the iclebo omega mostly through its on-body controls and remote control.

The SRS-XB10’s ports are hidden behind a rubber flap.

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aT a glance

irOBOT rOOmBA 980 The irobot roomba 980 stands out for how it couldn’t climb back out again. I always easy it is to use, with or without its app. It had to remember to close the toilet door has powerful suction that cleans well, and before leaving the house, or I’d come home is one of the few robots that can actually to a stuck roomba. handle carpets without getting stuck.

The roomba 980 complements its roomba 980’s UI is easy to understand, smarts with powerful suction, which and you can set up a flexible cleaning managed to suck up most of the big debris schedule for specific timings in my controlled testing on individual days. A as well as a good amount cleaning log lets you see at of flour. When it detects a glance how much of your a bigger mess than usual, house the roomba 980 went the roomba 980 cleverly through, and if it missed any ramps up power to increase major spots. suction. The bin is found in Well-designed app. irobot’s iAdapt 2.0 the front, instead of inside Cleverly adapts to system even seems to learn; the main body, making it avoid obstacles. after getting stuck a couple easy to detach and empty Powerful suction. of times under my sofa, the out without making a mess. bot now avoids it. It’s also I would easily the only bot in this shootout recommend the roomba Still drops down small that had no problems with 980 except for one caveat. ledges. expensive. most of my carpets and reuters reported irobot rugs, even ones with tassels.

Ceo Colin Angle saying the However, no carpet escapes company may sell map data a bot unscathed, while the of customers’ homes to third roomba 980 didn’t get stuck on them, it still pushes and crumples my rugs around. but while it manages to avoid obvious drops, like the step from my dining room into the kitchen, it kept dropping into my toilet, which has a much smaller ledge, and

SucTIon PoWeR N.A. BIn caPacITy 0.6L Run TIMe 120 minutes noISe leVel N.A. aPP conTRol Yes PRIce PhP 66,000

parties, but a few days later, he said he had been misquoted and that irobot would never sell customers’ maps. even though irobot now insists it will never sell customer data without their consent, it does raise an ugly possibility.

The Roomba 980 has a clean, if industrial design, with good controls.

The bin is one of the easiest to empty out without making a mess.

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aT a glance

SucTIon PoWeR 6W BIn caPacITy 0.6L Run TIMe 100 minutes noISe leVel 60db aPP conTRol Yes PRIce PhP 52,000

lG HOM-BOT TURBO+ The LG Hom-bot Turbo+ is the best looking more methodically than the roomba 980, bot in this shootout, and it comes in three I found that it didn’t have as much suction colors. It has a couple of unique features power. It left more debris behind, and that allow you to use the bot’s camera for even spread a bit of debris throughout the remote control and as a security webcam. house (things get stuck in its brushes and The Smart ThinQ app, however, needs then dislodge). The bin is difficult to empty, a little work. I had trouble setting up the because dirt can drop out from its two sides bot — I discovered that as you open the top. it couldn’t connect to While it avoids dropping networks that had names down ledges, it does like or passwords with special to mount things; it tried to characters. escape from my kitchen, After a few days however, mount my bookshelf, and it was clear how smart the runs over my shoes. It can Decent suction for bot actually is. After getting clean carpets, but not those cleaning. stuck in a few corners at with tassels — it got tangled Cleverly avoids the beginning, it seemed to almost immediately with the obstacles and ledges.

Most attractive bot. have learned to avoid them. one in my living room.

It cleverly avoided dropping The Hom-bot Turbo+ down the short ledge into comes with a HomeGuard my toilet, something the feature, which lets you Can’t schedule individual days. roomba 980 liked to do. position the bot and set its likes to mount things.

The Hom-bot Turbo+ also camera to watch for motion. managed to avoid crawling into my sofa.

This might make the Hom-bot Turbo+ a pretty good choice, except that the app can’t let you pick specific days for cleaning. You can only select between ‘daily’ or ‘once.’

While the Hom-bot Turbo+ navigates

If it detects movement, the bot’ll snap a series of photos and sends them to your smartphone. I’m not sure it’s a better option than a dedicated webcam, but the feature is there. The only caveat is that the bot can’t be too far from its charging station in HomeGuard mode.

The Hom-Bot Turbo+ is easily the most attractive bot here, with its brushed metal texture and choice of colours.

The bin is difficult to empty, as dirt can come out from both sides as you open the top.

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SAmSuNg vr7000 pOwErBOT The Samsung vr7000 Powerbot looks down the small ledge into my toilet. And better in real life than in pictures, next to right out of the box, it also avoided going the other utilitarian-looking bots, I’d rate into the bot-trap that is my sofa – even the it the second-best looking next to the LG irobot roomba 980 and the LG Hom-bot Hom-bot Turbo+. It doesn’t just possess Turbo+ had to learn how to avoid it. good looks though; the vr7000 Powerbot is It does have some drawbacks. The thoughtfully designed. vr7000 Powerbot is loud when cleaning, Instead of simply being moves slowly and tends to round or square, the vr7000 miss some areas. Its large Powerbot has a straight edge wheels are supposed to help that juts out from the front it clear obstacles like rugs (Samsung calls this ‘edge and wires, but I found that Clean master’). This feature it still got tangled up in my allows the vr7000 Powerbot carpet’s tassels.

Avoids obstacles well. to clean right to the edges of And unlike the other Design lets it get into walls, which the other bots three bots in this shootout edges. Good suction. have trouble doing. that are app-connected, the The bin is also vr7000 Powerbot doesn’t thoughtfully designed. A have a map for you to Can’t schedule specific button pops it out, and double-check if it cleaned cleaning days. it’s easily emptied without your entire house. Speaking loud and slow when cleaning. making much of a mess. It’s of the app, like the LG Homtransparent too, so you can bot Turbo+, the vr7000 simply glance at the bot to Powerbot couldn’t connect see whether or not it needs via my home network that emptying. has a password with special I was doubtful about the vr7000 characters.

Powerbot’s cleaning ability when I saw that it was the only bot not to have brushes, which the other bots use to fling dust into the vacuum. but it surprised me with very good suction.

The vr7000 Powerbot is good at avoiding obstacles; it avoided dropping

After connecting, I was disappointed to find that the app is pretty limited. I’ve already mentioned the lack of a map, you also can’t schedule the vr7000 Powerbot to clean on specific days only, and there’s no ’return to base’ button in the app (but there is a button on the bot).

aT a glance

SucTIon PoWeR 20W BIn caPacITy 0.3L noISe leVel 77db aPP conTRol Yes PRIce PhP 58,000

The VR7000 Powerbot sports a nicelooking design.

The bin is thoughtfully designed to be easily emptied.

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C o N C l u S i o N

ThE BEST rOBOT vACuum iS irOBOT rOOmBA 980 each bot has its own strengths and weaknesses, but I prioritized two features to select a winner: Navigation smarts and cleaning strength. You need a bot that can both clean as well as finish cleaning to say that it does a good job.

The iClebo omega tends to get stuck on cables and under my sofa, while the ecovacs Deebot r98’s map-building function is too buggy to give it a whole-hearted recommendation. The Samsung vr7000 Powerbot comes close with a thoughtful design and powerful suction, but it’s louder than either the LG or the irobot.

The LG Hom-bot Turbo+ is near to being our best performer. It has the smartest navigation engine, managing to avoid obstacles and ledges. However, the app

needs work — I’d like to be able to schedule specific days for cleaning — and its suction power isn’t as strong as our winner. If you don’t have carpets but do have a lot of ledges though, you can consider the Hom-bot Turbo+.

The irobot roomba 980 takes the best Performance award for having a good navigation system as well as strong suction. It avoids obstacles almost as well as the Hom-bot Turbo+, and was the only bot to safely navigate and clean my carpets without getting stuck.

The app also lets me schedule specific days for cleaning, so I can have it stay on its station during the weekends.

The only downsides to the roomba 980 are its high price and how it drops down small ledges.

TEST

best

perFormanCe

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Managing your globe at HoMe PrePaid HoMe WiFi

Made for “what-you-use-is-what-you-pay” consumers, Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi is now easier to manage with the Globe At Home WiFi Application.

by Yrda Veanssa Sy Fernandez

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at tHe tiP oF your FingertiPs As new technologies continue to emerge, the need for faster Internet connection rises too. Whether it’s for work, home, or leisure, everyone deserves a quick and reliable home connection that’s easy on the budget. Recently, Globe Telecom, one of the country’s major telecommunications provider, launched the Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi. With its improved Wi-Fi connection, wide Internet coverage, and ready-to-use freebie and features, consumers’ online experience will never be the same again.

Made for “what-you-use-iswhat-you-pay” consumers, Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi is for the entire family. The Prepaid WiFi modem kit comes with pre-installed SIM card, power adapter, and LAN cable. It also comes with a freebie 10GB data that consumers can share with the entire family and friends.

But what’s more exciting is that the Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi is easy to manage. Globe has launched the Globe At Home WiFi Application available for download for both Android and iOS users. The Globe At Home WiFi App lets users load, track, and manage their Internet usage.

By just registering and authorizing through their Globe mobile number, Globe At Home users can easily log in and start loading their Prepaid WiFi according to their preference.

Users can easily navigate within the application. Load their Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi through the app, track their Internet usage, as well as boost data allocation through easy registration promos. As confirmed by the Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi Product Specialists, there will be application updates on the succeeding months that will enable notifications for users as their data allocation is being consumed, as well as enrolling or registering all of their Globe Prepaid, Postpaid WiFi devices or even Globe WiFi sticks in just one account.

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The latest promo of Globe At Home is HomeSurf 15 for only PhP 15 that gives users 1GB of data. This can be availed by registering with the GoSURF50 for PhP 50 that gives users 1.3GB data allocation and then topping it up with the

HomeSurf 15 that gives users additional 1GB of data. What makes this promo more exciting is that topping up the HomeSurf 15 with the GoSURF50 has no limit! As long as the top-up is within the 3-day validity of the GoSURF50.

The Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi gives users of up to 42Mbps Internet speed. It is available for one-time payment of PhP 1,999 at Globe concept stores, Globe website, and large technology-related sellers in major malls.

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HoW to iMProve your HoMe’s Wi-Fi

by Kenny Yeo

If you ask people to create a list of items that they absolutely cannot live without, chances are, Wi-Fi will appear very high on that list. Therefore, a dwindling Wi-Fi signal is everyone’s nightmare. If you are suffering from poor Wi-Fi performance at home, try these tips and solutions.

1. Location, location, location The simplest way to improve your Wi-Fi is to simply position the router in a more ideal location. For the best performance, it should be in a central location in your home. Other things to note include not placing it near any obstructions like walls, glass, mirrors, or any electronic or metallic objects. In addition, never ever place it on the floor.

Instead, try to put it in an elevated position, preferably on a desk, side table, or console table. Also, remember to make sure the router’s antennas (if it has any) is put it an upright vertical position.

2. Update its firmware Router manufacturers frequently make software tweaks to their routers to squeeze out more performance, so it makes sense to ensure that your router is running on the latest firmware. Most modern routers can automatically update their firmware on their own and it is a good idea to turn this option on. Improved performance aside, firmware updates can also sometimes bring about new features and security updates for the router, which are just as important.

4. Change your channels If you live in a densely populated place, chances are, there are lots of other Wi-Fi networks being broadcasted apart

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PICTUreS linKsys, d-linK, netgear

3. Which frequency are you on?

Band steering is a feature found on many new routers these days, especially tri-band ones. Band steering automatically assigns client devices to the router’s networks. Users do not need to worry about connecting too many devices to a single network. This sounds good on paper, but in practice, the router might sometimes assign devices to the wrong networks. Though the 2.4GHz network of your router provides better coverage, it is significantly slower compared to the 5GHz network. If performance is critical, you should always connect to the 5GHz network. So for fussier and savvier users, our recommendation is to manage the networks yourself and ensure that your performancecritical devices are connected to the faster 5GHz network.

over others. So if you are a gamer, you could assign priority to your gaming console or gaming PC over your work laptop.

6. Use a range extender or Powerline adapter If you have tried the methods above and still can’t get your Wi-Fi working at a satisfactory level, it is time to get help with additional devices. Range extenders are a relatively affordable way of expanding Wi-Fi coverage at home but bear in mind that even if Wi-Fi coverage is expanded, expect performance to be negatively impacted.

Powerline adapters let users quickly create a wired network in their homes. They are generally not quite as quick as a true Ethernet connection, but they are still faster than Wi-Fi connections. However, they can unreliable at times and they need to be plugged directly into a wall socket and not through a power strip, adapter, or surge protector.

from yours. This can cause interference which results in signal degradation. The important thing to note is that Wi-Fi networks operate on different channels, so what you want to do is to use a channel that is not used by the other Wi-Fi networks in your area. To determine what Wi-Fi channels are free, use an app like Wi-Fi Analyzer, which shows all the Wi-Fi networks in your area and the channels being used.

You can change your own Wi-Fi network’s channel simply by going into your router’s management system.

5. Use Quality of Service Quality of Service or QoS is a feature that is available on most routers today. Essentially, it helps manage and

7. Switch to a mesh networking solution Mesh networking devices are arguably the most advanced way to expand Wi-Fi coverage at home. Easy to setup and use, these devices use Wi-Fi to communicate with each other to expand Wi-Fi coverage. Their flexibility also makes them ideal for use in large homes or homes with odd layouts. That said, mesh networking systems can be pricey and they are quite limited in their ability to expand Wi-Fi coverage, which means multiple satellites or nodes may be required to effectively expand Wi-Fi coverage over a large area.

prioritize your connections so that the most critical ones get priority over the others. For example, if video streaming is especially important to you, you could prioritize over other connection like general ones such as web browsing or emails. Some routers even allow you to prioritize devices

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Ask Me Anything

Have a burning question? email it to editorial@hardwaremag.com

by Alvin Soon

Q:What are mesh Wi-Fi routers?

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Instead of one Wi-Fi router trying to engulf an entire home from a single location, think of mesh Wi-Fi as several devices, or ‘nodes,’ spread out over a home to blanket the entire space.

Only one wired node needs to be connected to the internet modem.

That node shares its internet connection wirelessly with the other nodes nearby, which then pass their connections to other nodes near them.

The more nodes, the further your mesh Wi-Fi spreads, and the more internet you get around the house.

It’s the perfect solution for big spaces with dead zones that a single router can’t reach.

Is mesh Wi-Fi for you? If you have a house smaller than 2,000 square feet, you might actually be better off with a good router that’s strategically placed, with a Wi-Fi extender for those hard to reach areas.

That’s because mesh Wi-Fi systems, from companies like Eero, Netgear and Linksys, are expensive compared to regular routers. Google Wifi is one of the cheapest mesh WiFi systems around, and it still costs US$299 for a pack of three.

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Get smart now and pay only PhP 1,536 for 12 issues when you subscribe to HWM today. You’ll get every issue delivered fresh and straight to your own mailbox!

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WHEN YOU SUBSCRiBE TO HWM

Save 20% off the newstand’s price!

Pay only PhP 1,536 for 12 issues instead of PhP 1,920! each subscription entitles you to a lucky draw!

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Never miss any of our issues!

Subscribe today and you might become the lucky winner of three tickets worth PhP 6,000 for a complimentary 18-hole game at South Forbes golf club as a bonus to a fresh year’s supply of HWM! This offer is available up until November 30, 2017 only, so hurry!

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pAy ONLy php 1,536 fOr

12 iSSuES! STEP 1 yes! suBscriBe to hwm philippines!

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Subscribing to HWm is a steal! Apart from having 20% savings for monthly serving of good reads, you can also win stuff like Rhee carla acantilado and nery arida who both won a Pioneer Se-MJ511 Foldable dynamic Headphones as bonus to their year-long subscription!

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STEp 2 YOUR DETAILS Tell us more abouT yourselves

STEp 3 PAYMENT METHODS Enclosed is my check payment made payable to: HardwareZone Philippines Corp.

TERMS AnD COnDITIOnS • For inquiries and detailed instructions on how to subscribe to HWM, please contact HardwareZone Philippines Corp. at (632) 634-9179.

• Subscription rates may change without prior notice.

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C o N t E S t

HEAR THE

HOlIDAy TUneS!

Celebrate the holiday spirit with festive tunes right to your ears or wherever you go because HWm Philippines and beyond Innovations have an early holiday gift for you, our dear readers! Test your luck today and become the lucky winner of a JBl go Bluetooth speaker and a Beyerdynamic dTX501P Supraaural Headphone.

With a light and compact build without compromising sturdy quality, the JBl go Bluetooth speaker promises an uninterrupted playback time of up to five hours. The Beyerdynamic dTX501P, on the other hand, wraps sound quality and ergonomics into one sleek audio device.

Take home these audio goodies by just sharing with us 5-10 songs of any genre that are included in your holiday playlist!

Send in your answer to editor. ph@hwzcorp.com with the title of this contest as the subject, together with your complete name, address, and contact number. For more information about the product, visit www.jbl.com.ph www.beyerdynamic.com

The HWM team congratulates louise Archanghel for winning an Autogard gift pack from our October issue contest!

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HWM PH | November 2017

Terms and Conditions • This contest is open to all HWM readers except staff of Hardware Zone Phils. Corp. • The qualifying period for this contest is until 30 November 2017. • Only the winner(s) of the contest will be notified via email. • Winners are given 15 days to respond to the notification email and another 15 days since replying to claim their respective prizes.

Prizes not claimed within this period will be forfeited. • Selection panel’s decisions are final and no correspondence will be entertained. • Only one (1) entry per reader in a particular contest. • Should the specified prize be no longer available (e.g., phased out), the contest sponsor may change the prize to another product of similar or equal value. • By sending in your entries, you are agreeing to the above-mentioned terms and conditions.