PR: Nokia Dual-SIM ang gusto ko ngayong Pasko

Marami ka bang bibigyan ng regalo ngayong Pasko? O kaya, gusto mo ng bagong cellphone na high-tech pero pasok sa budget mo?

Mula sa Nokia, isang magandang ideya panregalo ang mga dual-SIM phone na may modernong disenyo at puno ng practical feature na makakatulong para lagi kang konektado. Ito rin ay mayroong dual-SIM standby capability kaya maari mong magamit nang sabay ang dalawang magkaibang mobile phone account sa iisang device. Piliin mo lamang ang SIM na kailangan mong gamitin kapag ika’y tatawag o magpapadala ng message.

Kung marami kang kaibigan sa iba’t ibang mobile network operator, magugustuhan mo ang Nokia C2-00.
Gamit ang makabagong Easy Swap, maari kang magpalit ng SIM card nang hindi kinakailangang patayin ang iyong phone. Buksan lamang ang SIM card slot sa gilid ng phone at ilagay ang ipapalit na SIM card. Ito rin ay nakakaalala ng hanggang 5 SIM card settings na maari mong i-personalize.

Ang Nokia C2-00 ay nagbibigay rin nang mabilis na internet access sa iyong personal e-mails. Mayroon
din itong built-in camera at media support na hanggang 32 GB.

Para naman sa mahilig mag soundtrip, siguradong patok sa iyo ang Nokia X1-01, isang napaka-stylish na dual SIM phone na may MP3 Player at malakas na battery para sa mas matagal na tutugan at usapan.

Madali mong mapatutugtog ang mga paborito mong kanta sa iyong phone gamit ang Mp3 music player
dedicated keys. Maaari mo ring ayusin ang playlist ayon sa iyong gusto at i-play ito nang malakas gamit
ang loudspeaker ng iyong Nokia X1-01. Ang battery nito ay kayang tumagal hanggang 36 na oras para sa mas mahabang usapan at pakikinig sa music.

Kung ang hanap mo ay simple at walang hassle na komunikasyon, subukan mo ang Nokia 101. Mas maraming kwentuhan at masayang pakikinig sa music ang hatid ng dual SIM phone na ito. Magtext at tumawag sa iyong mga kaibigan at kamag-anak gamit itong classic Nokia phone o ikabit ang Nokia Speaker MD-11 sa iyong Nokia 101 para sa isang kakaibang entertainment.

Tiyak na pasok sa style ng mga fashionista ang Nokia C2-03, isang Touch and Type dual SIM phone na
may slide feature. Gamitin ang keypad para sa paggawa ng documents o email at i-touch ang screen para mag-browse ng music o ma-navigate ang iyong phone.

Ang Nokia C2-03 ay mayroon ding Easy Swap feature tulad ng Nokia C2-00. I-personalize ang limang
magkakaibang SIM card ayon sa iyong gusto. Bigyan ito ng sariling pangalan, ringtone at iba pa.

Higit pa sa magagandang features nitong mga Nokia dual SIM phone ay ang garantiya at after-sales
support ng Nokia. Madali mong mapapahatid ang ano mang concern mo tungkol sa iyong mobile phone
sa mga Nokia Care Center na matatagpuan sa buong Pilipinas.

Gawing mas masaya ang Pasko kasama ang Nokia! Ang Nokia C2-00 ay mabibili sa halagang P2,650, samantalang ang Nokia X1-01 ay P1,840. Ang SRP ng Nokia 101 ay P1,490 at ang Nokia C2-03 ay P4,350.

Nokia
Nikka Abes
Corporate Communications Manager
Tel. + 63917 8590783
Email: nikka.abes@nokia.com

Fuentes Manila
Tina Cabanayan
Tel. 893-9355 / 892-6184 / + 63917 7934362
Email: tinacabanayan@fuentesmanila.com

PR: Globe, Proudcloud bring Startup Weekend to the Philippines

Globe Telecom takes innovation a notch higher as it brings to the Philippines one of the most successful start-up accelerator programs from the United States.

Globe, in partnership with Philippine-based web engineering firm Proudcloud, will be launching Startup Weekend Manila, a 54-hour event where developers, designers, marketers, technopreneurs, and venture capitalists come together to share ideas, form teams, build products, and launch startup businesses. Proudcloud is a web engineering firm with a relentless passion for innovation. Proudcloud specializes in web architecture and development, user experience design, mobile applications, and web strategy.

Startup Weekends are specifically designed for entrepreneurs interested in receiving feedback for an idea, looking for a co-founder, or who want to learn a new skill, especially in the field of mobile and internet applications. The concept quickly became a global movement to generate breakthrough ideas in communities all over the world, taking digital start-ups businesses from ideas to investment readiness through intensive mentoring from industry experts and access to mobile markets and investors across Asia. Aside from the Philippines, Startup Weekends will also be held in Australia, India, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.

Over 100 participants are expected to join Startup Weekend Manila which will be held on October 21-23, 2011 at the Mint College, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Participants will have the opportunity to be acquainted with one another, pitch startup concepts they are passionate about, and form teams around the most popular ideas. They then refine the ideas and start building product prototypes with the help of their respective mentors, and then present what they have accomplished in the form of a short pitch and demo.

From the Startup Weekend group in Manila, fifteen (15) teams will be shortlisted to qualify for the 100-day bootcamp to be held in Singapore in January 2012. Teams of developers and entrepreneurs will receive S$15,000 each to help finance and start their businesses. The teams will also get the privilege to pitch to international investors.

“Globe is once again pioneering innovation by bringing the Startup Weekend to the Philippines. This global innovation exercise seeks to showcase the best ideas, talents, and resources for future businesses,” said Minette Navarrete, Head of Globe New Business Group. “We encourage individuals who have the passion for innovation to take this opportunity to be part of a global movement towards ideation and technological excellence.”

Jay Fajardo, CEO of Proudcloud added, “We are pleased to partner with Globe Telecom in hosting the first-ever Startup Weekend in the Philippines. It’s the perfect venue for local tech entrepreneurs to come up from the grass roots and turn their ideas into viable businesses. It’s also a great opportunity to interact with some of the country’s most notable and prominent personalities in the tech startup space.”

Globe and Proudcloud have been tapped by Joyful Frog Digital Incubator (JFDI) and SingTel Innov8, the corporate venture arm of the SingTel Group, to host the program in the country.

Interested participants can register via http://manila.startupweekend.org until October 20, 2011. To know more about Startup Weekend Manila, visit www.manila.startupweekend.org. Startup Weekend Manila is also supported by Dynamic Objx, McDonald’s, Microsoft, and San Miguel Corporation, with Philippine Daily Inquirer as media partner.

Globe to Offer iPad 2 in the Philippines on September 30

Philippines, Manila – September 28, 2011 – Globe Telecom announced yesterday that it will offer iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G in the Philippines on September 30. Globe will offer all models of iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G on select tariff plans with a two-year contract, as well as a range of attractive data plans for iPad 2 without a contract.

iPad 2 is the second generation of Apple’s revolutionary new device, featuring an entirely new design that is 33 percent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter than the original iPad, while maintaining the same stunning 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen. iPad 2 features Apple’s new dual-core A5 processor for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics and now includes two cameras, a front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime and Photo Booth, and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video, bringing the innovative FaceTime feature to iPad users for the first time. Though it is thinner, lighter, faster and packed with new features, iPad 2 still delivers the up to 10 hours of battery life* users have come to expect.

“Globe is delighted to offer iPad 2 to customers in the Philippines,” said Peter Bithos, Head of Consumer Business, Globe Telecom. “With our excellent data plans subscribers can experience seamless connectivity and an excellent user experience on their iPad no matter where they roam.”

Customers can buy iPad 2 at selected Globe retail locations beginning September 30, For complete details on pricing and availability, please visit www.globe.com.ph.

For more information on iPad please visit www.apple.com/ipad.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

on TV series and being glued

I had wanted to view this for soooo long. But due to laziness, I did not get a copy of the different cycles until last Thursday.

America’s Next Top Model would have had me going crazy if I were in high school or if I have seen the first episode of the first cycle. I would have cried, thrown things around and starved myself to save money and fly to the USA to be one of them. Thankfully, I did not.

And now that I have seen other American and Japanese TV series like Satorare, FRINGE, Gossip Girl, Modern Family, Absolute Boyfriend and Lie To Me, I think that ANTM got lost somewhere between. I know I should not and must never compare them because they are of different genres and are targeting different audiences, but as a viewer, I cannot help it.

I cannot stop myself from feeling hyper and nauseous every time I watch FRINGE. I do not really find the characters good-looking nor interesting but I get interesting anecdotes from Absolute Boyfriend. Gossip Girl’s enigmatic ways and witty lines make up for the bitchiness and bitterness of its lead cast. Modern Family is a must-see TV series for every American Family (and being Filipino, I still can relate to it) I find most Japanese story lines and themes weird like Satorare and I like Tim Roth’s cockiness and brains after being glued to Lie To Me.

FRINGE. I love everything about Fringe.

Modern Family I love Gloria’s character

Lie To Me. Now, I have suddenly become conscious about lying. XD

Zettai Kareshi, Absolute Boyfriend. Got me dehydrated.

Gossip Girl Funny how they seem to practice ‘inter-breeding’

Satorare means “Transparent”. Literally, the lead character’s thoughts can be heard within 20 meters.

TV series are for those who are insatiable. It is for those who are up to the challenge of knowing their limits versus sleepiness and boredom. It is for those like my friend, Jennie who is every movie director’s dream audience (cries at the right time, smacks the nearest person when something funny happens, etc.).

I love it that I was able to contain my hunger for TV series until this week (no more thesis, yeah!). I ma happy that I can prove their existence and purpose. Most of all, I am happy to be able to find the perfect reason to lose myself. Now, I can choose not to sleep..

P.S. My favorite is Naima, before I was informed/ spoiled by my friend that she emerged as Cycle 4 winner.

Naima, ANTM Cycle 4 winner

An All-out War Declaration Against Snotty Jeepney Drivers and Konduktors

photo taken from Google

1. Jeepney drivers and konduktors are badassing Filipino passengers but they are very nice to foreigners.

2. All tall passengers experience ‘ARAGUYSHITNAKABUNGGOULOKO’ once in their lives. I remember seeing a girl looking angrily at the jeepney’s upholstered ceiling when her head hit it while she was clambering up to get seated. When this happens to me, I laugh at myself for being too tall. Sometimes, this is a compliment, I guess.

3. Jeepney drivers who smoke do not put “No Smoking” signs in their jeepneys.

4. Jeepney drivers and konduktors who did not tie/secure their passengers’ bags properly were made to pay fines as high as P 1500. And when you are few of the lucky ones who get to ride in the same jeepney after the incident and you are carrying bags (never mind the sizes), they are going to ask you to pay exorbitant fees just so they could get back what they lost.

5. Konduktors and drivers delight at the sight of a sardine can-ish jeepney. Five minutes later when stopped by an LTO Officer, they grimace as they hand over their licenses.

6. Poor men. You pay in full but are made to give up your seats for people you do not even know.

7. If you have long legs, I would suggest sitting in front. Or suffer leg cramps because your legs are abnormally sticking out in the aisle. But if you are wearing shorts, be careful when sitting in front. Some drivers “accidentally” brush them.

8. Jeepney drivers shout at passengers who do not “haybol”. Regardless of age or state of health.

9. Jeepney drivers dish out nasty side comments to passengers who are wearing shorts but paid student fees. They never thought that UP exists.

10. When not told otherwise, jeepney drivers develop the habit of carelessly tossing bags/luggage on top of their jeepneys.

11. Some jeepney drivers and konduktors do not take passengers who fall short of going places indicated in front of their windshields. Sometimes they do, but then it rains complaints.

12. No matter how snotty drivers and konduktors are, they are in the opposite mode when there is a camera present. Or LTO Officers.

13. Jeepney drivers and konduktors turn into episodic versions of Charo Santos when they feel that they are being ‘abused’ (kulang bayad mo or gareklamo ka).

14. Almost always, they would nudge you to sit tighter together even when there is no more space to fart.

15. Jeepney drivers are guilty of blaring speakers. And they complain when they do not hear a passenger calling out for them to brake up.

16. When it rains, all your pores get 5-minute showers before the driver decides to put plastic covers.

The good thing is:

The mortal enemies of snotty jeepney drivers: properly briefed mothers.

the break everyone is talking about

Ever since we were kids, we were taught the value of our favorite subject, Recess. Had I not decided to grow up, I would not have realized that the sole purpose of recess is to give us a break from the evil clutches of boring lessons and numbers floating in our brain.

But since the concept of Recess is equated with food and drinks, most of us refused to disrupt that idea. Even me, when I talk about Recess, I would refer to it as food break or drink break. Not the exact concept of break. Just the break itself.

A few minutes ago, Wila and I were on thesis mode. We cannot seem to come up with plausible solutions to some of the problems which kept coming back to us. So, when I went out and arrived back to see her holding a pair of black stockings while facing the mirror, I know it was time for a break—even when we were working only for an hour.

I asked her why she is in a pink plaid skirt and a gray blouse. She replied with a dismissive grunt and a half-smile, as if caught in the act. When I turned to her again, she already had a black overcoat. I sighed (like I’m totally new to it), stood up and handed her an off-white fedora. And our photo shoot started.

I made her do some poses—both compromising and not—and she happily obliged. Sadly, I cannot upload them here since it would violate some of WordPress’ rules. Hahaha! When I coaxed her to show her get-up to Bemjo and Jennie, who were a few rooms away, she had this “accomplice’s smile”. We ran back and forth, she afraid of being caught in the hullabaloo and I being tagged as a full-fledged stalker (or worst, a lesbian). Bemjo caught up with us along the hall because she was on her way to the wash area. For a brief five minutes, the upper level of Balay Madya-as was filled with maniacal laughter—the kind of break that I was not hoping to have but finally had.

I think breaks are God’s blessings—His own way of telling us that we need to stop for a moment and breathe. Breaks are the grunts between the snores, the corny jokes among the boring conversations, the sole yellow banana among the green other bananas and this blogging article in the midst of thesis writing. Breaks are a necessity in this fast-paced world. Even the witty KitKat commercials emphasize its importance.

If it were a course, I would kill to get a slot. XD

que horror!

I was not the one to be easily swayed with horror stories, nor do I easily get frightened on a dark street. But if we are talking about horror movies, expect me to sleep on you.

It is not the gore, CGI’s nor the prosthetics (which often happens with other people) which scare me out of my wits, but the sound effects or the lack of it. For me, it is what makes a very good horror movie—not the CGI’s.

Sound effects are enough to scare me because I can predict how the character acts/reacts just by the sound effects. I jump, shout, or flinch at the slightest pause, boom or fade in sound effects.

Usually, the scariest part of the movie would have a special episode in my dreams. Not good for a supposed-to-be-well-enjoyed snooze reserved for my Hollywood crushes.

Why would I pay for a movie which I cannot enjoy? If it’s a home movie, I am also a total killjoy. Hahaha! Isama mo na ako sa lahat, wag lang sa horror movies, I would usually reason out.

Perhaps if I were in Clockwork Orange, making me repeatedly view a horror movie is enough to turn me into a crackpot. Now you have an idea. You had better figure out a way to kidnap me then. Hahaha!

photo from Google

the big, bad wolf

Two days ago and ironically, I viewed two of the films that weren’t familiar to most Filipinos but could be known to them if were to use two synonyms: Lobo and My Big Love. The films I was referring to were Blood and Chocolate and Just Friends.

For the benefit of those potatoes who preferred beds over couches, Lobo is an ABS-CBN soap opera about forbidden love between Lyka (a half-woman and half-wolf) and Noah (a human). This Angel-Locsin-and-Piolo-Pascual-starred teleserye got ABS-CBN the lion’s share of the market. On the other hand, mesomorph Sam Milby and ectomorph Toni Gonzaga top-billed My Big Love as two persons who found out they loved each other just before the movie ended.

Did I mention irony? Blood Chocolate inspired the Lobo crew to buy foreign canines. Meanwhile, Just Friends inspired the My Big Love crew to make Sam Milby thrice as large (it suits him). Yeah, both bought the rights from their foreign counterparts and patterned their stories from them.

Compared to Lobo, Blood and Chocolate was less melodramatic and love-centric, just the way Filipino viewers wanted it. It had more action, suspense and mystery. The whole story did not revolved on the two lead characters alone—it gave an explanation of how the entire wolf-man history went. What I loved about its Pinoy counterpart is the artistic establishing shots which they offered before the start of the night’s episode. They were also good with the details, and yes, Angel Locsin and Piolo Pascual were a better-looking pair than Blood and Chocolate’s.

Just Friends surprised me because I did not know that Ryan Reynolds could be funny. His bitter, fat version looked a lot better than Sam Milby’s. The movie was also more playful and ‘fell-good’; it gave more happy scenes than its Pinoy counterpart. Character-wise, Ryan Reynolds seemed to be the more popular lead, while in My Big Love, both actors had the ability to garner audiences from different classes and tastes because Toni is the role-model yet cranky type and Sam Milby is the elite-favorite, good boy yet rugged type. My Big Love banked on emotions and its lead actors’ ‘making up’ scenes were funnier and more emphasized than that of Just Friends.

Perhaps, what made both foreign films still appealing to me even after I realized it that they were the originals of what I saw on TV was that they were less mainstream—deviations which should basically be a movie-goers reason for buying cinema tickets.

Yet, however nicely executed Lobo and My Big Love is, one can never deny that they are still unoriginal, only replicas of plots that were already conceived before. As much as I want to be nationalistic and favour Filipino goods, I still have a thing for original plots. I think what makes me appreciate them more is that I am not a TV station—I do not care if they earn or not.

an O between two W’s

Good for India.

I heard from a friend that the abovementioned country is one of those which produces a lot of movies annually. For me, such feat is commendable. It simply means that they have a lot of stories to share, which will hopefully leave values or give us a glimpse of how their lifestyle goes.

Yesterday, Jennie and I watched 3 Idiots. We were eager to give our take on this 2009-released film after countless recommendations from friends and dorm mates. The movie is not breath-taking, the plot is conventional (albeit some twists are unexpected) and the ending is a happily ever after kind, BUT, it is unforgettable.

Technicality-wise, I have nothing against the movie. The cinematography is consistently great from the start of the movie. Impeccable is the scoring, as well. Jennie commented that the soundtrack made her appreciate India even more.

Content-wise, the movie is values-laden. To quote Kirby, the movie was “pinag-isipan talaga”. Rancho’s character is really admirable. I hope to meet a person like him someday (or at least, I hope to see an astronaut pen just like his). He made me want to be an engineer. He made me fear giving birth yet inspired me to step out of the ordinary. If the world were to have people just like him, imagine how ‘heavenly chaotic’ it might be.

His friendship with the two other idiots is extraordinary and one-of-a-kind. I cannot imagine jumping off a window for a friend, but Raju did it for Rancho. He and Farjan believed that Rancho would do the same for them. For an Iskolar, I guess it would not be ordinary for me to like the movie because it was a great reflection of society and the so-called pressure.

I would have appreciated it however, if the movie was not entitled “3 Idiots”. Though their ways weren’t quite what everyone expected, I do not think that they deserve the “honor” of being called as such.

The movie is worth a second and third viewing. I strongly recommend it. Nice work, people of India! :D

UPdanay

Recently, seven of my friends and I have finished editing the 20-minuter video, UPdanay, Indie Org’s first major project for the University Student Council (USC) of UP Visayas.

Indie Org is the newest addition to the Division of Humanites’ array of organizations. It is, as the name suggests, an organization dedicated towards producing quality independent films and promoting its importance within the school. IO is a university-wide organization, meaning, students within and outside of the Division of Humanities can become members.

The USC wanted a “unity video that will cover Pahampang” (our school’s Sportsfest composed of the sports events, cheering competition and HASA, the cross dressing pageant for “perceived-to-be” straight guys).

The scriptwriters came up with the idea of Oblé coming to life and seeing the spirit of Pahampang for the first time. In the end when everybody left the field and the winners for each event were declared, he was glad to see how the Pahampang turned out. He longed to join in the next year’s events because he said, “makapoy man bi mag sagid lang tan-aw”. The video ended with Oblé climbing up to his “throne” in front of the New Administration Building, raising both his arms as if willingly submitting himself back to being a naked symbol of the university.

When the awarding ceremony for Pahampang was over, UPdanay was shown to the UP community. There were some who cried and others said that the video was melodramatic, in a funny kind of way. Hearing this made us clap our hands for a job well done. Except for the poor quality which made the video a little visually unpleasant, we were satisfied with its outcome (We kept watching it over and over, LOL).

Filming UPdanay saw Meggy, Kirby and RaRa waking up as early as 2AM to catch the early morning preparations of every academic organization for the cheering competition (There were six in the Miag ao campus, so they had to go from one place to another). It saw Jennie multitasking; between shouting in victory because we won the cheering competition for the third time and making sure she has recorded the faces of triumph in the faces of the winners. It also saw Myra and Budak coaxing the sports players to wave, kick balls and yell for the camera.

In the same line, editing the video saw us skipping meals and the required eight-hour of sleep. We woke up early and stayed up until the wee hours of the morning clicking, dragging and, in my case, restarting (my beautiful laptop, Bakoi, is a little grumpy sometimes and does not want to open a lot of software simultaneously).

UPdanay is Indie Org’s baby. We produced it. We directed it. We edited it. We sacrificed; and it yielded great results. In one way or another, it has also become the reason for us “para mag-updanay”.

KUDOS for a job well done, guys! :D