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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2017
Jimbo Gulle, Editor
Roger Garcia, Issue Editor
LGUs
Local Gov’t Units
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QC TO BUILD HOMES FOR PWDS
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CASH FOR CENTENARIANS. Rosalinda Fabreo and Purificasion Esberto receive their checks for P100,000 from Nueva Vizcaya Gov. Carlos Padilla (standing, fourth from left) and provincial officials in fulfillment of the province’s Centenarian Ordinance of 2014. Ben Moses Ebreo
ECIJA CENTENARIAN’S SECRET TO LONG LIFE By Ferdie G. Domingo
Z PHOTO BY Ferdie Domingo
ARAGOZA, Nueva Ecija— This 100-year-old lady still washes her own laundry, does toilet habits on her own, walks by her lonesome with a cane, eats food with gastronomic passion and engages in neighborhood talk.
Dionisia Mamaclay-Reyes
But she is no ordinary senior citizen. Centenarian Dionisia MamaclayReyes of Barangay Sta. Cruz in this town still alive and kicking. She turned 100 years old last Dec. 6 and expects to live some more years actively and somehow spritely at that. Lola Dionisia still has an impeccable sense of humor. When asked what’s her secret for longevity, her answer nearly floored everyone when she quickly replies without batting an eyelash, “puffing cigarettes every day.” “I’ve been smoking cigarettes since I was nine years old,” enthuses Reyes when she sat down for an interview with this reporter. From La Campana to Balintawak to Marvels, the cigarette brands she’s tried goes on and on. She said she felt good chomping cigarettes, practically disproving conventional wisdom which says smoking is bad for everybody’s health. Lola Dionisia shrugs this medically proven threat off. “Pampahaba ng buhay ‘yon (That gives you a long life),” she said with a chuckle. As if to prove her point, she lit up a cigarette stick from a pack and went smoking while fielding questions. Research and experts’ advice have revealed that smoking can cause lung disease by damaging the airways and the small air sacs found in lungs. Lung diseases caused by smoking includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis and lung cancer. According to the American Lung
Association, there are approximately 600 ingredients in cigarettes. When burned, they create more than 7,000 chemicals, at least 69 of which are known to cause cancer. Mamaclay-Reyes, who has not encountered any serious illness, said when she met a doctor, Roland Valdez and told him of her “longevity secret,” the latter advised her to “continue smoking.” A mother to seven siblings, four of whom were still alive, MamaclayReyes never entered school. She is also fond of singing. Her daughter Lucita, the eldest of the surviving siblings, said her mother also is fond of eating and drinks up to seven glasses of coffee a day. “She gets mad when I try to prevent her from drinking coffee,” she said with a laugh. Lola Dionisia’s family has a history of longevity. Two of her sisters, Gregoria Madrid and Consuelo died at the age of 105 years and 103 years, respectively. She lost her husband, Nicanor Reyes, who died at the age of 97. The centenarian gets to mingle with his children who are still alive: Lucita, 66; Antonio Reyes, 62; Ligaya Gatlabayan, 60 and Gerardo Reyes, 55. Gone were Ricardo Reyes, Gregorio Reyes and Juanita Castro, who all died ahead of her due to various ailments, and Gregorio due to lung cancer. A certificate of live birth was issued last Dec. 14 by the Zaragoza municipal civil registrar Lorna Bacani-Azarcon for Mamaclay-Reyes Turn to D2
SOME 160 housing units will soon be built for Persons with Disability in Quezon City. A project of the city government, the housing project will be developed in a portion of the National Vocational Rehabilitation Center (NVRC) in Barangay Escopa III. In partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Gawad Kalinga and the Office of Congressman Jorge “Bolet” Banal Jr. the housing for PWD’s complements City Mayor Herbert Bautista’s continuing effort to expand the delivery of services to the disadvantaged constituents of the city. A memorandum of understanding has been scheduled for signing this month to formalize the development of the PWD housing project, which also Signatories to the agreement will include Mayor Herbert Bautista, DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo and GK–QC head Justine Cruz. Prior to the signing of the MOU, the parties have already sealed a partnership as early as 2013 for the development of the housing project. As provided under the partnership, the city government has been tasked to oversee the land development while the DSWD shall ensure the implementation of guidelines governing the selection and disposition of the home lots. Gawad Kalinga, on the other hand, shall oversee the provision of the housing component. Mayor Bautista has already unveiled plans for the adoption of a comprehensive development program for the benefit of all PWDs in the city following the passage of an ordinance mandating the provision of a one-percent budget allocation for programs and projects that will benefit senior citizens in the city.
CORDILLERA TO BOOST RICE OUTPUT BAGUIO CITY—The Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region has targeted an increase of 50 percent production yield of rice in the Cordillera region by 2019. Miriam Pastor, technical staff of the region’s Rice Production Program, said that with this goal, the budget allotted for 2018 increased almost 50 percent from the 2016 budget. The directives set by the DA in the implementation of projects for rice production includes; 1) Climate adaptation change adaptation and disaster risk reduction management which uses high quality seeds for adverse ecosystem, the hybrid and inbred seed buffer stocking, and provision of agricultural chemical buffer stocks; 2) Prioritize the repair and rehabilitation of facilities; and, 3) Pooling of agricultural machineries and equipment for calamity and epidemic quick response. Other strategies include deployment of ICT-based advisory system, pushing for the micro agrienterprise for rice-based advisory development, employing support to small scale irrigation projects, continuation of rice model farm and strengthening the technology demonstration and support activities, training and training-related events, and the strengthening of Local Farmer Technicians and Farm Service Providers. Dexter A. See
PAG-IBIG SPONSORS WEDDING OF MORE THAN 2,400 COUPLES PAG-IBIG Fund once again celebrated Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, as Araw ng Pag-IBIG when it held its annual “I Do, I Do! Araw ng Pag-IBIG” where more than 2,400 couples exchanged wedding vows in 24 venues nationwide. In Metro Manila, more than 500 couples participated in the event at the PICC Forum, Pasay City. “Valentine’s Day is a day of love, hence it is our day—Pag-IBIG Day. Since 2012, it has become our tradition at Pag-IBIG Fund to celebrate Valentine’s Day with mass weddings for Pag-IBIG members who wished to legalize their union or renew their marriage vows. We want to assure the couple-participants that they have a reliable partner in Pag-IBIG as they prepare for the future of their families. We are now on our sixth year,” said
Pag-IBIG Fund president and CEO lawyer Darlene Marie B. Berberabe. She added: “The annual event is our way of promoting Pag-IBIG to Filipino workers who are not yet Pag-IBIG members. We do this via collaboration with local government units [LGUs] and other government agencies.” From 2012 to 2016, the Fund was able to wed over 16,000 couples in 118 venues nationwide. The annual event strengthened Pag-IBIG’s linkage and cooperation with LGUs and regional offices of the Department of Tourism, since the venues were at some of the country’s top tourist attractions and chief cities and municipalities. The event primarily targets Pag-IBIG Fund members and non-members who would want to legalize their unions, espe-
cially those who do not have the financial means to do so. It is a venue for Pag-IBIG to show that it is not only a savings institution and a provider of housing finance, but also a staunch supporter in the building of happy families—the family being the basic unit and pillar of society—through the formal union of couples. Pag-IBIG provided most of the basic accessories to make the occasion more memorable to the couples, including bouquets and headdresses for the brides, and symbolic wedding rings. The Fund also prepared the couples’ first meal as husband and wife, standing in for the traditional reception after the wedding ceremony. A house-and-lot package, livelihood packages, and several special prizes were also raffled off to lucky couples.
CO-OPS UNITED. Members of the cooperative movement in Batangas City gathered at the Provincial Sports Complex during the launch of their campaign to oppose the passage of two measures that threaten to abolish the tax exemption privileges for cooperatives. Batangas Gov. Hermilando I. Mandanas (in red T-shirt) and other officials attended the event. Manny Palmero
LGUs
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
ECIJA ...
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who was born on Dec. 6, 1916. Despite the wear and tear, Mamaclay-Reyes said she never felt she is slowing down, despite a recent freak accident when she fell from her bed and suffered lumps in her face. She said she wants to continue to enjoy life and live it to the fullest, with his family and relatives. “Gusto ko pang mabuhay dito sa mundo. Masaya naman ako. Ang mga apo ko mababait. Mahal na mahal nila ako [I still want to live in this world. I am happy. My grandchildren are kind. They love me so much],” she said. Lately, she has also been gulping down bottles of a popular energy drink endorsed by retired NBA legend Michael Jordan which, her relatives swore, makes her feel stronger. The chinky-eyed “super lola” still has good eyesight and does not wear eyeglasses. Occasionally, she would call her grandchildren over the phone. Appeal to President Duterte Mamaclay-Reyes has been shuttling from this town to relatives in Gen. Natividad town and to Cabanatuan City, hoping to someday soon receive the much-awaited financial incentive and benefits for centenarians like her. Mamaclay-Reyes said that she feared that she may not be able to receive the P100,000 cash incentive as there are two other centenarians living in this town, one of whom died recently without even receiving a single centavo of the financial incentive due her under the law. She said she did not want to suffer the same fate and appealed to President Duterte to grant her the incentive. “Mahal na Presidente Duterte, ‘yung benepisyo po sana e inyong tulungang maipag-kaloob [Dear President Duterte, I am hoping you can help me get the benefits…] referring to the incentive. Last year, then-President Benigno Aquino III signed into law Republic Act 10868 that will grant a P100,000 cash incentive and additional benefits and privileges to Filipino centenarians. Under the law, all Filipinos who reach the age of 100 will receive a letter of felicitation from the President of the Philippines and the P100,000 cash gift, whether they are residing in the country or abroad. They will also be awarded with a plaque of recognition and additional cash gift by their respective city or municipal governments during the National Respect for Centenarians Day, which is set on Sept. 25 of every year. An estimated 3,500 centenarians were benefited by the enactment of the Centenarian Act. She also called on the provincial government, led by Gov. Czarina Umali and the municipal government, led by Mayor Louella Belmonte, to help in facilitating the release of the monetary incentives provided by law. Asked what she would do if she receives the cash windfall, she said she would divide it equally among her grandchildren whose number she could no longer recall.
’TARAY NI AYAT’ TO RAISE FUNDS FOR FUTURE YOUTH THE Ilocos Norte Youth and Development Office, formerly SIRIB, held the “Taray ni Ayat” fun run on Saturday to promote community involvement and participation among the youth. Weenter Ventura, executive director of INYDO and communications manager of the Sirib Ilokano Kabataan Association, said that the activity came from Sirib Young Leadership scholars, seeking ways to fund their community service programs. “This fun run project is a way for us to fund our outreach programs such as SIKArunungan, our barangay tutorials program,” he said. According to Ventura, they have already enlisted more than 700 participants and are still encouraging more youth to register and participate. The 5K fun run will start from the Ferdinand Marcos Memorial Stadium, heading to Bacarra Road through Apolinario Castro Avenue, then JP Rizal Street towards the Provincial Capital, commencing at the Ferdinand Marcos Memorial Stadium. “Taray ni Ayat” is just one of the activities in celebrating the 199th foundation anniversary of Ilocos Norte, he added. Ventura also expressed his excitement in the upcoming “Sirib Awards,” an event acknowledging individuals and groups who brought honor to the province, which will be held four days before the fun run. Compared last year, “Taray ni Ayat” was a joint event with “Sirib awards” and “I Love Ilocos Norte” concert showcasing performances from Gloc9 and selected Ilocano talents.
SELFIE TIME.
Cebu-based journalist Shiela Gravinez snaps a selfie with some of the child survivors of Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in Barangay Payapay, San Jose, Tacloban City. Gravinez was part of a group of journalists who went on a familiarization tour of ‘Yolanda-’ affected areas as part of the Philippine Press Institute’s SeminarWorkshop on Environmental Reporting sponsored by Nickel Asia Corp. Mel Caspe
ARMM BUCKS TAG AS DUMP FOR ROGUE POLICEMEN A
UTONOMOUS Region in Muslim Mindanao officials have expressed their collective resentment in the current administration and police official’s practice of reassigning erring police officers to certain areas in their region as they deem the practice as “an insult and must stop immediately.”
“We are standing up for our integrity and dignity as a people as the practice of dumping errant or undesirable members of the Philippine National Police to our region is both an insult and a great social injustice to the people of ARMM,” Assemblyman Abol Alam Padate said in a recent privilege speech. This practice is a “sheer insult that should not be taken sitting down” as Padate noted recent reports that 34 rogue policemen have
been deployed to ARMM or the Cordillera regions. Padate pointed out that he and ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman have separately urged Philippine National Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa to reconsider this action. “This injury to and mistreatment of the ARMM and the Bangsomoro should no longer continue.” He then quoted the 1987 Constitution’s mandate of respecting the autonomous regions of Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras for human development and empowering the people for social justice. However, the transfer of rogue cops to ARMM violates this principle, Padate said. “Will shady police officers empower us with an environment for social justice? Is the PNP an organization that will help us build a framework for social justice? On the contrary, it promotes the idea that we deserve less. It reinforces the propaganda of radical groups that the government is our enemy then, and our government is still our enemy now,” he lamented. President Rodrigo Duterte was earlier reported citing one of the reasons why
Basilan is the place for erring cops because the stations (police detachments) are favorite target of bombings and raids. The practice of “dumping” or reassigning erring members of the Philippine National Police was President Duterte’s “punishment” for cops whom he described as “errant and scalawags.” Meanwhile, in the aspect of the region’s cultural heritage, ARMM Party-List Representative Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman pointed out erroneous information in identifying the origins of the indigenous fabrics worn by some of the Miss Universe candidates. The most glaring error was the attribution of the Tenun, which produced originally by the Yakans, was erroneously identified as Zamboanga made. The Tenun is worn by the women in Basilan on special occasions. “Being a traditional art advocate, I hope it was represented as a heritage, not just a cloth. If people understood their value and the story behind every piece, not just of the Yakan Tenun, but of all the fabrics presented there, it would have made the contestants really proud to have worn them,” she said.
NIA EYES MORE COMMUNITY-BASED WORKS NATIONWIDE THE National Irrigation Administration has planned recently to increase its Community-Based Employment Program starting this year along with its thrust in building more irrigation projects nationwide. Last year, the agency provided at least 66,340 employments to members of the local communities nationwide specifically for the agency’s various infrastructure related projects.
Started decades ago, the CBEP has been a regular component of NIA’s infrastructure program and included in its annual programs. The agency aims to continually provide labor-based methods, particularly on small, rural-based projects to help the community. The CBEP is among the priority programs which aim to contribute to the national goal of inclusive growth, poverty reduction, and job creation, particularly in the country-
side or the local community. Under this program, various government agencies enroll infrastructure and/or non-infrastructure projects that will provide temporary or immediate employment to skilled, semi-skilled, and low-skilled workers in the target communities where the projects will be implemented. Irrigation works include mostly of repair and maintenance of existing irrigation systems, repair of
groundwater pump irrigation systems, climate change adaptation, Coconet slope protection, improvement of services roads, etc. NIA Corporate Planning Services acting manager Rogelia dela Torre noted that the agency, last year, apportioned an estimated amount of P24.13 million for the said program. “Included in this program are both locally funded and foreign assisted projects,” she added.
PROVINCIAL JAIL TRANSFER MULLED
CULTURAL EXCHANGE. A Korean student explains what he understands of the jeepney, the iconic mode of transport for Filipinos, on Feb. 11 during the student cultural exchange program between Bataan Peninsula State University and Yonsei University of South Korea. Butch Gunio
CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga—The provincial government of Pampanga is looking for 20 to 30 hectares of land in the ancestral domain of the Aetas to be used for the immediate transfer of the crowded provincial jail in the area. Gov. Lilia Pineda said that the provincial government of Pampanga has started to confer with the leaders of the Aetas for the immediate implementation of the project. Inmates at the provincial jail have continued to swell with more than 2,000 detainees. Originally, it was built to accommodate at most 1,000 detainees. Several hectares of vacant but productive lands are available in Floridablanca and Porac where majority of Aeta communities have settled. Most of them are currently engaged in small scale farming. According to the governor, they need several hectares of land so that the prisoners will become productive while serving their sentences. “Detainees could engage in farming and related livelihood activities so that
they can at least produce and provide for their additional sustenance and eventually become more productive to even help their families,” the lady governor said. Pineda said 80 present of the prisoners facing drug-related cases remain idle while waiting for the resolution of their respective cases. Meanwhile, the government spends at least P2 million a month. Aside from transferring the overcrowded provincial jail, the provincial government is also planning to construct mental health hospital designed for the mentally ill patients of Pampanga. The hospital will be funded by the Department of Health with free medicines. Dr. Antonio Rivera, provincial health officer, said that the hospital will also be staffed with qualify doctors and nurses for mentally ill patients of the province. The construction of the hospital was announced during the meeting of the 400 mentally ill patients and governor in Lubao, Rivera added. Romeo Dizon
Gadgets & Games
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2017 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph
OLX ENUMERATES LAWS TO PROTECT BUYERS Christian Slater
REINVENTING SECURITY WITH HP, WEB SERIES Every so often a few bad apples are out to scam that even the most seasoned buyers and sellers could encounter.
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S A community that encourages win-win exchanges, OLX does its share to inform and educate consumers so that you get the best experience when buying and selling online. Online classifieds will always do their best to maintain and promote a safe platform. However, every so often a few bad apples are out to scam that even the most seasoned buyers and sellers could encounter. Here are four laws that can help protect you from online scams: The Cybercrime Prevention Act The Cybercrime Prevention Act covers most online scams. The Cybercrime Prevention Act, also known as the Republic Act 10175, was created to address illegal activities committed that involve Information and Communication Technologies like mobile phones, computers, software, and the Internet. While the law mostly deals with hacking, identity theft, and data interference, it covers all crimes that are listed and penalized by the Revised Penal Code, which
will be discussed further below, if they are committed through information and communication technologies. The Cyber Crime Prevention Act increases the penalty for these crimes, making the penalty longer or graver. The Revised Penal Code Received something of poorer quality or lesser quantity from a seller? Chances are you’ve been swindled. Swindling happens when a seller sends you a product that is of a different quality, quantity, or material from what he promised and what you paid for. Swindling (or estafa), which concerns most online scams is punishable under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code. Not a lot of people know this but you could also report individuals for theft if they refuse to fulfill their part of the transaction and run off with your money or with a product you had sent them. Theft is definitely against the law and is covered by Article 308 of the Revised Penal Code. The Consumer Act of the Philippines Any form of dishonesty by a seller before, during, and after a sale is punishable under Republic Act 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines. This would mean that you could be fined or could even go to jail if you convince a buyer to enter into a sale
through acts of concealment, false representation, or fraudulent manipulation. A simple example of this would be when a seller tells a prospective buyer that a product that is brand new when it is in fact second hand. Ever been duped into buying an expensive designer bag that turned out to be a counterfeit? You could also complain for violation of the Consumer Act of the Philippines. Republic Act of 10173 Keep in mind that generally, whenever you transact with a seller, he or she can only collect, process and retain your personal information with your consent. This includes your mobile number, email address, or any other personal details you might’ve shared throughout the course of the transaction. According to the Data Privacy Act of 2012 or Republic Act 10173, personal information collected from you should only be used for the purpose of the sale and cannot be shared with anyone else. As a buyer in OLX, you give your personal information to the seller only to enter in a sale with him. The seller shouldn’t share your contact details to other people for any other purpose. It is illegal for him or her to share your mobile number or email address to other sellers who might want to offer you other services.
NEW FB FEATURES CHALLENGE LINKEDIN
SAN FRANCISCO—Facebook on Wednesday began letting businesses in the US or Canada post jobs and take applications from jobseekers, posing a challenge to Microsoft-owned LinkedIn. The platform’s users will be able to find help-wanted posts at business pages on Facebook or by looking in a new ‘jobs’ bookmark on the leading social network’s mobile application. “Businesses and people already use Facebook to fill and find jobs, so we’re rolling out new features that allow job posting and application directly on Facebook,” the California-based internet giant said in an online message. Job postings may appear in news feed streams if companies pay to promote them. Clicking on an “apply now” button
The platform’s users will be able to find help-wanted posts at business pages on Facebook.
will open an online form already filled out with relevant information from a
person’s Facebook profile, according to the social network.
Applicants will then be able to add, edit, and review forms before submitting them, according to Facebook. Company representatives managing business pages at Facebook will be able to examine applications and then contact potential candidates using the Messenger text communication service. Facebook said it tested the new tools in the US and will be rolling them out more broadly here and in Canada in coming weeks. Microsoft recently reported a rise in profits over the past quarter, showing gains in cloud computing and other new areas of focus as it absorbed the LinkedIn social network. AFP
HP Inc. recently introduced the first of a series of global initiatives to elevate awareness of the security risks facing businesses and consumers. It kicks off with award-winning actor Christian Slater and the premiere of the newly launched HP Studios’ web series, The Wolf, highlighting how corporate networks can be hacked and what companies must do to protect themselves. Watch and share the trailer and web series at www.hp.com/TheWolf. In the series, Slater systematically hacks a company—from the mailroom to the boardroom—through overlooked vulnerabilities and poorly secured printers and PCs. This first installment reinforces that security is no longer just the responsibility of the network or is something at the perimeter, but a concern for everyone. “As the universe of connected devices grows exponentially, so does the sophistication and magnitude of cyber attacks. Securing devices, data and identities is an imperative in driving continued confidence in technology and with whom and with what we choose to connect,” said Pallasena V. Viswanath, HP Philippines Managing Director. “HP is leading from the front to continually make meaningful progress in securing the future of computing, and The Wolf is a creative way to raise awareness of this growing challenge for companies.” “Christian Slater’s ability to play a charmingly sinister hacker, combined with his popularity in the cybersecurity world, make him the perfect partner to expose security issues that leave businesses vulnerable to attacks. Stay tuned for how The Wolf story evolves and helps turn threat and vulnerability into HP Secure,” said Viswanath. The Wolf is directed by BAFTA and Emmy nominee Lance Acord and edited by Academy Award winner Kirk Baxter. “Hacking is a serious and growing problem for businesses and consumers. When HP asked me to partner on this series, I thought it was a great opportunity to help educate the public about how to better protect against cyber attacks,” said Christian Slater. Over the coming months HP will be elevating its commitment to reinvent security through a broad range of partnerships, events and product innovations for the most secure devices[i], solutions and technologies. For more information about HP Secure, visit www.hp.com/go/reinventsecurity
SAMSUNG'S NEW QLED IS 1ST 100% COLOR-VOLUME VERIFIED TV SAMSUNG Electronics announced that its 2017 QLED TV, first unveiled at CES 2017, has received verification from world-class testing and certification association, Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker, for its ability to produce 100 percent color volume. VDE provided verification for Samsung’s QLED TV based on the organization’s expertise in color volume testing. The verification is a mark of the QLED TV’s ability to provide a consistently high quality picture to viewers. Color volume, which is the exacting standard of color expression, measures two elements of the TV with three-dimensional space – the color gamut and the brightness level. The color gamut looks at the largest amount of colors that can be displayed physi-
cally. The peak brightness represents the display’s maximum brightness level. The larger the color gamut and the higher the brightness, the bigger the color volume of the TV. The QLED TV’s expanded color volume results in more realistic, accurate and vibrant HDR images as the director or content producer intended, in both bright and dark scenes. ‘100 percent color volume’ presents color that can be expressed regardless of the different levels of brightness. For example, a leaf can be perceived as different colors, from yellowish green to turquoise, depending on the brightness of the light. The Samsung QLED TV can capture even the subtlest differences in color pertaining to brightness —something that is not easily depicted in
The ‘100 percent color volume’ verification awarded to Samsung’s QLED TV signifies the excellence of the product.
traditional 2D color space—thus deliver the most true HDR picture quality as the director intended. Generally, a TV’s color-rendering capabilities diminish as brightness levels go up, leading to color distortion on-screen. The Samsung QLED TV overcomes the trade-off between brightness level and color. With a peak brightness of 1,500 to 2,000nit, the QLED TV can express 100 percent color volume—a TV industry first. Samsung’s QLED TV uses a new metal Quantum Dot material—making it possible for the TV to express a significantly improved range of color and peak brightness with much greater detail compared to conventional TVs. The new Quantum dots also allow the Samsung QLED TV to express deep blacks regardless of
how light or dark the scene is, or whether the content is played in a brightly lit or dark room. Best of all, QLED delivers this level of performance no matter where the viewer is sitting, offering consistent color and quality from any viewing angle. “The ‘100 percent color volume’ verification awarded to Samsung’s QLED TV signifies the excellence of our product and its revolutionary picture quality. As the global TV market leader for 11 consecutive years, we are thrilled to be leading the TV industry into a world of Quantum dot-powered displays featuring the best available picture quality,” said JongHee Han, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph
Gadgets & Games
NOKIA TO RELAUNCH THE INDESTRUCTIBLE 3310
Nokia is said to be bringing back an iconic, well-loved phone of the last decade, the 3310, which some tech enthusiasts dub as the greatest phone of all time. It was so sturdy, that it produced several memes (right) attesting to its well-built nature.
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OKIA, once the world’s top mobile phone maker, is not only making a comeback on the smartphone market in the first half of 2017.
According to rumors, it is also bringing back an iconic, well-loved phone of the last decade, the 3310, which some tech enthusiasts dub as the greatest phone of all time. Originally released in 2000, the 3310 boasted of an insane battery life in a nearly indestructible body—features which its fans expect will still be there when it is relaunched this year. And yes, the game Snake installed in the previous 3310, which was so well-loved that it’s currently available for iPhone, Android and Windows phone users to download, is expected to be there in the new version.
Phones made under the Nokia brand are now sold by HMD Global, a Finnish company that bought the rights to the name. The Nokia 3310 is 17 years old in 2017, and rumor has it HMD Global (the company that owns the Nokia brand) is set to re-release the phone at the Mobile World Congress conference before the end of the month. The 3310 is an improved version of Nokia’s earlier hit, the 3210, with the former boasting of all the features of the latter, but in a smaller frame, not to mention improvements to the internals and software. Due to its sturdy built, the 3310
is dubbed as the most resilient phone in history, selling 126 million units since being introduced to the market in September of 2000. But in today’s world, who will buy an old model that had limited features? Experts say there is a market for such, like those in the field often and therefore need a long battery life for their phones, or old people who don’t want to complicate their lives. The same experts say that for the Nokia 3310 to be relevant in the new millennium, it must update its basic features to be truly relevant these days, like internet capability and a good camera. Nokia is also set to launch two new Android 7.0 Nougat devices, a mid-ranger and a
premium, flagship handset. The still unnamed devices, especially the flagship one, have piqued the interest of geeks as they compete head to head with Samsung’s premium Galaxy S8 and even the iPhone 7. The phones may feature 5.2inch and 5.5-inch QHD screens, along with fingerprint scanner, camera innovations, split-screen modes, enhanced notifications and improved gaming due to the support for the Vulkan API. The phones also hint at 3D touch technology, with elements of touch and hover interaction. The still unnamed devices, especially the flagship one, have piqued the interest of geeks as they compete head to head with Samsung’s premium Galaxy S8 and even the iPhone 7. With AFP
PRINT MORE FOR LESS WITH HP ORIG TONER IN ANY business, operations’ cost is always a priority. For computer shops, creative and design studios, financial companies, healthcare providers, and other enterprises that need high-impact or high-volume output, HP LaserJet printers are the perfect choice. With its HP Original Toner, HP LaserJet printers minimize cost and provide savings while delivering superior-quality outputs. Businesses can create an impact on their clients with brilliant prints where every design detail shines courtesy of more than 1.5 trillion toner particles that are 1/12 the thickness of human hair.
HP engineers have also built the toner particles to melt faster so businesses can quickly print full-color presentations and volumes of reports for their clients’ needs. By using HP Original Toners that are guaranteed to work the first time, every time, small- and medium-size business owners are assured of dependable reliability that enables them to avoid reprinting costs, printer downtime, work disruption, and profit loss. Using HP Original Toners also positively impact on the environment as cartridges are immediately recycled at no additional cost. Reinvent the impact of your business and
ensure its growth and success with HP’s lowcost and highly-efficient printing technology. Go to the nearest HP reseller to get your own HP LaserJet printers and HP Original Toner to take your business to new heights! HP Original Toner comes in standard cartridge for reliable results, high-yield cartridge for mid to high volume printing and dual pack for highvolume printing. To know more about how you can grow your business by reinventing impact through costeffective prints, visit HP’s official website http:// www8.hp.com/ph/en/cartridge/toner.html
GOOGLE ADDS VOICE-ACTIVATED SHOPPING AS IT TAKES ON AMAZON WASHINGTON—Google announced Thursday it was launching voice-activated shopping from its artificial intelligence-powered Home speaker, in a direct challenge to Amazon’s Alexa devices. Users can simply tell the speaker to order items— diapers, paper towels, or trash bags, for example, and get delivery from any of dozens of participating retailers. “If picking up paper towels or stocking up
on coffee is on your list, consider it done,” said Google Assistant product manager David Wang in a statement. “To help you keep up with your busy schedule and shop for the things you need, we’re introducing shopping with your Google Assistant on Google Home.” The service ties in with tech giant’s delivery arm Google Express, whose US retailers include Costco, Whole Foods Market, Walgreens, PetSmart, Bed
Bath & Beyond. Consumers can add payment information to their accounts to enable voice-activated shopping, which is a feature on Amazon’s devices powered by the digital assistant called Alexa. Wang said: “Today is just the beginning of what’s possible for shopping with the Google Assistant. Over the coming months, we’ll continue to add new features and enable purchases for other apps and service.”
This file photo taken on September 1, 2015 shows the Google logo at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. Google announced that it was launching voiceactivated shopping from its artificial intelligence-powered Home speaker, in a direct challenge to Amazon's Alexa devices.AFP
AMD UNVEILS VEGA AMD unveiled preliminary details of its forthcoming GPU architecture, Vega. Conceived and executed over 5 years, Vega architecture enables new possibilities in PC gaming, professional design and machine intelligence that traditional GPU architectures have not been able to address effectively. Data-intensive workloads are becoming the new normal, and the parallel nature of the GPU lends itself ideally to tackling them. However, processing these huge new datasets requires fast access to massive amounts of memory. The Vega architecture’s revolutionary memory subsystem enables GPUs to address very large data sets spread across a mix of memory types. The high-bandwidth cache controller in Vega-based GPUs can access on-package cache and off-package memories in a flexible, programmable fashion using finegrained data movement. “It is incredible to see GPUs being used to solve gigabyte-scale data problems in gaming to exabytescale data problems in machine intelligence. We designed the Vega architecture to build on this ability, with the flexibility to address the extraordinary breadth of problems GPUs will be solving not only today but also five years from now. Our high-bandwidth cache is a pivotal disruption that has the potential to impact the whole GPU market,” said Raja Koduri, senior vice president and chief architect, Radeon Technologies Group, AMD. Highlights of the Vega GPU architecture’s advancements include: • The world’s most advanced GPU memory architecture: The Vega architecture enables a new memory hierarchy for GPUs. This radical new approach comes in the form of a new high-bandwidth cache and its controller. The cache features leading-edge HBM2 technology which is capable of transferring terabytes of data every second, doubling the bandwidth-per-pin over the previous generation HBM technology. HBM2 also enables much greater capacity at less than half the footprint of GDDR5 memory. Vega architecture is optimized for streaming very large datasets and can work with a variety of memory types with up to 512TB of virtual address space. • Next-generation geometry pipeline: Today’s games and professional applications make use of incredibly complex geometry enabled by the extraordinary increase in the resolutions of data acquisition devices. The hundreds of millions of polygons in any given frame have meshes so dense that there are often many polygons being rendered per pixel. Vega’s next-generation geometry pipeline enables the programmer to extract incredible efficiency in processing this complex geometry, while also delivering more than 200% of the throughput-per-clock over previous Radeon architectures.[i] It also features improved load-balancing with an intelligent workload distributor to deliver consistent performance. • Next-generation compute engine: At the core of the Vega architecture is a new, next-generation compute engine built on flexible compute units that can natively process 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit or 64-bit operations in each clock cycle.[ii] These compute units are optimized to attain significantly higher frequencies than previous generations and their support of variable datatypes makes the architecture highly versatile across workloads. • Advanced pixel engine: The new Vega pixel engine employs a Draw Stream Binning Rasterizer, designed to improve performance and power efficiency. It allows for “fetch once, shade once” of pixels through the use of a smart on-chip bin cache and early culling of pixels invisible in a final scene. Vega’s pixel engine is now a client of the onboard L2 cache, enabling considerable overhead reduction for graphics workloads which perform frequent read-after-write operations. GPU products based on the Vega architecture are expected to ship in the first half of 2017.