Yamaha Motor Philippines, Inc.’s Mio Ride Your Story campaign is set to take over Philippine campuses, with Silliman University serving as its first stop. The school’s students got to know more about the Mio Sporty, Mio i 125, Mio Soul i 125, and Mio 125 Mxi, seeing what makes each bike unique in the process.
Part of the campus tour involves different activities for the students to participate in wherein they get to experience the products from a theoretical and real-world standpoint. They also get the chance to partake in the Yamaha Safe Riding Science program which teaches the basics of riding, safety, and rules on the road; Yamaha Talk which tackles how to overcome the different challenges faced by students in school. The former was facilitated by certified Yamaha instructors, while the latter saw talks and performances from spoken word artist Mai Mai Cantillano, music extraordinaire DJ Nina, and singing sensation TJ Monterde.
Yamaha Motor Philippines Inc. took to Davao to participate in the week-long celebration of the Kadayawan Festival.
The brand also introduced the Mio Ride Your Story campaign to the region. The campaign aims to encourage individuals to show off their uniqueness and identity with the help of Yamaha’s Mio Sport, Mio i 125, Mio Soul i 125, and Mio 125 Mxi. The four bikes were put on display at the Davao Rizal Park, with all of them being made available for test rides so the public can choose the one best suited to their style.
Yamaha also threw a party featuring multi-award winning band Pupil and Philippine pop-rock princess Yeng Constantino. The brand also had its own float during the Kadayawan Grand Parade in an unusual yet special fusion of ethnic excellence and motorcycle ingenuity.
The Mio Ride Your Story campaign will remain in full swing throughout the country.
The country’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) now have another option for their connectivity needs as PLDT SME Nation launched last Friday the new Smart Biz LTE wireless broadband service. The package comes with a standard data plan with speeds reaching up to 42 Mbps; an industry-grade Wi-Fi router/modem; and free installation.
Specifically, the Smart Biz LTE Wi-Fi router/modem accepts up to 45 simultaneous users in a 30 to 50 meter radius. It supports major LTE bands, including the 700, 1800, and 2100 MHz frequencies. Its interfaces include dual antennas with MIMO, two LAN Ports,and a tamper-proof SIM slot. Its steel housing can be affixed onto most surfaces, including table tops, walls, ceilings, and even vehicles such as bus and public transports, using either screws or double sided tape. Lastly, it requires 7.5 to 32 V of power through a DC port.
Smart Biz LTE monthly pricing is as follows: PHP 1,899 for 5 GB of data allocation; PHP 2,349 for 13 GB; and PHP 4,100 for 21 GB—all locked into a 24 month contract. Subscribers can also choose to add up to two SmartCams to their plan per month, with each costing an additional PHP 250. After a plan’s data volume has been consumed, subscribers will be charged at a rate of PHP 1 per MB. Once they reach the anti-bill shock ceiling of PHP 7,099, service becomes unthrottled non-stop surf.
“Smart Biz LTE is your ultimate upgrade from the usual pocket Wi-Fi entrepreneurs use for connecting to their business while on the go,” shared Nephele Denosta, AVP and head of SME Nation wireless marketing. “This new wireless broadband offer answers entrepreneurs’ need for stable, high-speed data perfect for stationary or mobile assets in order to effectively oversee and grow their businesses,” she added.
The Bambike team.
Along with the launch, PLDT SME Nation also announced that Bryan Benitez McClelland, founder and proprietor of socio-ecological enterprise Bambike Revolution Cycles, will be the service’s new ambassador. Bambike is a company that manufactures carefully crafted bicycles made of natural materials such as bamboo and abaca. Their bikes are used in ecotours around the walls of Intramuros. Crafting the bikes are community workers based in Victoria, Tarlac.
“Bambike is dedicated to social and environmental stewardship through making the greenest bikes in the planet. Our vision as a company is to not only live our passion for bicycles, local tourism, and love for Mother Earth but also, create impacts to the betterment of our community,” said McClelland.
On being the brand’s new ambassador, McClelland commented, “I consider PLDT SME Nation as my most trusted and reliable business partner and I am honored to be representing a product I believe in. Powered by Smart Biz LTE, our company was able to provide livelihood to an underprivileged community like Victoria, Tarlac. Further, this technology enabled us to improve our operational efficiency by creating a more collaborative working environment even remotely at Bambike, and help us operate on a larger scale. With this, I stand with PLDT SME Nation in inspiring and providing more and more Filipino enterprises the knowledge and resources to make it big in their businesses.”
In photo above: (from left) Josh Montecillo, PLDT SME Nation broadband and business solutions head; Bryan Benitez McClelland, Bambike Revolution Cycles founder and proprietor; Patrick Tang, PLDT SME Nation vice president for operations and KaAsenso micro-business marketing; and Nephele Denosta, PLDT SME Nation AVP and head of wireless marketing.
Acer is looking to reinforce the aspirations of its consumers with the latest Aspire S series.
The newest notebook series from Acer comes engineered with various innovations and class-leading design, striking the perfect balance between head-turning aesthetics and productivity-boosting technology.
The new Acer S series consists of three main models: the S3, S5, and what is dubbed to be the thinnest laptop in the world, the Acer Aspire S7.
The world’s thinnest laptop, Acer Aspire S7
Leading the bunch is the Aspire S7. This laptop boasts a 9.98mm ultra-thin form factor that is as thin as your regular pencil and tips the scales at only 1.125 kg. At its core is a 7th generation Intel Core i5-7Y54 processor paired with an Intel HD Graphics 615 and 256 GB SSD, offering unrivalled power to meet every productivity need. As far as mobility goes, it is packed with a 4-cell battery pack that promises up to 9 hours of non-stop operation.
It has an all-metal chassis that is visually stunning and tolerates heat better. Add to that, it is fitted with a 13.3-inch display with IPS technology, full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, Acer CineCrystal LED-backlit TFT LCD, and protection from scratches and whatnot courtesy of Corning Gorilla glass. It also features an HD webcam, ultra-fast 802.11ac wireless LAN with a 2×2 MU-MIMO, Bluetooth 4.0, USB Type-C port, supports DisplayPort, and more importantly, it runs Windows 10.
Acer Aspire S3 (left) and Acer Aspire S5 (right)
The other Acer S series laptops: S3 and S5 offer a wider range of specifications designed for heavier applications. The Aspire S3 and S5 both come with Intel Core processor and Intel HD Graphics 520, supporting OpenGL 4.4, OpenCLTM 2.0, and Microsoft DirectX 12. Both also have the capacity to support up to 512 GB of data for its solid-state drive (SSD). In addition from the top-of-the-line ultra-fast connectivity of the Acer Aspire S Series, S3 and S5 also features a gigabit ethernet, Wake-on-LAN ready, and battery life of up to 12 hours.
The launch of the Acer Aspire S series is in line with the company’s #Aspire campaign, where, through Aspire laptops, hardworking Filipinos who ambitiously seek to improve their lives are celebrated. Two of the most influential people in career development and business have been chosen to be #Aspire brand ambassadors, Francis Kong and Megan Young. The new brand ambassadors also joined the unveiling of the new Aspire S laptops.
The Acer Aspire S7 retails for PHP 64,999, meanwhile the S3 is priced at PHP 32,999 for the silver variant and PHP 42,999 for gold (comes with a bigger storage and 7th gen Intel Core i5 processor). As for the Aspire S5, price will start from PHP 39,999 to PHP 44,999. All the Aspire S series laptops come bundled with 2 years of warranty.
To know more about the S series notebooks of Acer Philippines, go to www.acer.com.ph, follow Acer via Twitter (twitter.com/acerphils) or www.Facebook.com/AcerPH.
iRing PH, the official distributor of the iRing by AAUXX and its car hook and dock accessories, recently launched the Monster GO DJ for the Philippine market at their PIMS booth.
The GO DJ has the tools you need to produce your own music as well as remixing existing ones, fitting a ton of features into a device that fits snugly in your pocket.
It has analog controls for cross-fading, volume adjustment, and effects selection, as well as two touch screens. The digital interface features a three-band equalizer, a beat sequencer, music pads, a virtual vinyl mode, and a guitar mode. The best part is it’s plug and play, meaning you don’t have to have large set-ups to be able to create your own music; simply plug the device into speakers or headphones and you’re good to go.
The GO DJ goes for PHP 25,000 retail, but iRing PH is selling it at an introductory price of only PHP 19,000.
Honda Philippines, Inc. gave back to its customers as it held an appreciation day for RS 150 riders in Luzon and Cebu. A total of 124 riders from various Honda clubs, including RS 150 Nation, RS 150 Philippines, and RS 150 Team Cebu Assassins, participated in the activity.
The first leg of the appreciation day was held at the Honda Safety Driving Center in Parañaque City last August 21. Riders from the RS 150 Nation and RS 150 Philippines were treated to a morning filled with games, raffle prizes, and food, as well as a lecture on Honda’s latest Gen S technologies. Honda Safety Driving instructors also taught riders safety tips when going on group rides and when facing different kinds of road conditions. The activity was graced by HPI general manager for motorcycle sales Hideo Nishinaga and assistant vice president for customer service operations Tomoaki Watanabe.
The Cebu leg was held on August 28 and was attended by members of the RS 150 Team Cebu Assassins and RS 150 Team Bohol. Held at the HPI Cebu depot, the south-based riders were also treated to games, raffles, and meals. Likewise, they received group safety riding tips from Honda’s certified instructors.
HPI wishes to thank all of its customers and promises more surprises for its enthusiasts in the future.
Honda Philippines, Inc. (HPI) has formally launched the all-new Honda CBR150R, one of its MotoGP racing-inspired, high-quality sports bike.
It features an aggressive design bannered by a dual keen eye headlight, sporty side cowl, sporty rear side cowl, and new stylish muffler. It is driven by a 150cc, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, 4-valve engine that produces up to 17.13 ps @ 9000 rpm and 13 Nm of torque @ 7500 rpm. The powerful engine is made more efficient with a Euro 3 compliant PGM-FI fuel supply system. Noise and vibration dampening are handled by an innovative truss frame and a Pro-Link suspension system.
The all-new Honda CBR150R also struts double disc brakes, digital meter panel with integrated information (speedometer, odometer, trip meter, fuel meter, clock, and engine temperature), new aluminum rear foot step, and secure key shutter. It is available in black, nitric orange, and winning red colors.
“Bringing the all-new Honda CBR150R to the Philippines is part of HPI’s efforts to ignite the passion of riding among new riders and enthusiasts. This is their chance to experience the thrill of Honda racing,” said HPI president Daiki Mihara.
To assess the global security situation Kaspersky Lab launched its Kaspersky Cybersecurity Index – the first global index to measure the current cyberthreat levels faced by internet users.
Kaspersky Lab has previously joined forces with B2B International to carry out regular large-scale online surveys in different countries, in order to evaluate how Internet users behave online, what their concerns are, what issues they face and how they defend themselves against possible threats. The Kaspersky Cybersecurity Index is based on this data, collected from thousands of users across the globe.
The index combines three key indicators, which are measured every six months and which provide the information needed to monitor the degree of risk to the average Internet user.
The Concerned Indicator shows the percentage of people who believe they may be targeted by a cyberattack. This indicator shows the degree to which users realize the danger to which they are exposed.
The Affected Indicator identifies how many people have actually fallen victim to cyberattacks during the reporting period – e.g., have faced data leakage or extortion online.
The Protected Indicator shows the number of users who have installed a security solution on the device they use to access the Internet. This is the average figure for all the devices used, including computers and mobile devices.
The Cybersecurity Index (which is described as 21%–29%–60%) is formed from a detailed survey carried out in August 2016, in 21 countries across the globe.
According to the data, only one-in-five users (21%) currently believe he or she is threatened by anything online. At the same time, almost one third of users (29%) have fallen victim to cybercriminal schemes (for example, 8% have had their accounts hijacked and 22% have had their devices infected by malware).
However, only 60% of users have installed security solutions on all the devices they use to access the Internet. The Index demonstrates that, today, many users underestimate cyberthreats even after facing them. This attitude inevitably affects their security.
“We created the Index to draw the attention of users, the media and vendors to the issue of cybersecurity. Many users today, we believe, do not expect to come face-to-face with cyberthreats, so they fail to install security solutions on their devices and behave carelessly online. This makes them easy targets for cybercriminals. The Index reflects the results of this approach: today, 29% of people have been affected by online threats. We are calling on all Internet users to improve their cyber savviness and adopt a responsible approach, both for their own protection and to that of their loved ones. Security, we believe, must be shared,” believes Andrei Mochola, Head of Consumer Business at Kaspersky Lab.
To learn more about the index, view its indicators for different countries, ages and genders, and to find out more about the behavior of users online, please visit http://index.kaspersky.com (currently in English only). More advice on behaving securely online can be found here: https://blog.kaspersky.com/tag/cybersavvy.
It’s the start of the holiday season and what better way to celebrate it than with promos! Oppo begins the season with a price markdown announcement on the Neo7.
Beginning on September 16, the well-loved Neo 7 will now retail for only PHP 5590 (original price PHP 7490)
“The Neo7 is perfect for those who love taking selfies and those who want to have more fun with their smartphone photos,” said Oppo marketing brand manager Stephen Cheng. “We offer the Neo 7 at a discount so more users can experience its outstanding capacities to capture unforgettable moments.”
Oppo Neo 7 Features:
5-megapixel front camera that captures crisp and clear selfies even in low-light situations, thanks to its frame rate and higher light sensitivity.
light-sensitive sensor adjusts screen brightness to different lighting conditions, making it an ideal camera for night-outs with families and friends. .
8-megapixel main camera comes with a wide F/2.0 aperture that lets in more light for clearer night images, which can be enhanced further using the phone’s night mode feature.
The smartphone’s 4G version offers an Ultra-HD mode that captures six photos consecutively. The photos’ best parts combine in a 24-megapixel image that is four times clearer than ordinary photos.
The Neo7’s rounded edges makes handling more comfortable, especially while taking photographs.
The mirror-like back cover is also designed with optical coating and fiber glass for increased strength and elasticity despite being only 0.56mm thin.
The Neo 7 is available in concept and dealer stores nationwide.
BAIC showcased their fleet of European emissions standards-compliant vehicles available to the Philippine market at the sixth Philippine International Motor Show held at the World Trade Center in Pasay.
The M20, BAIC’s entry to the MPV category, sports a four-cylinder, 1.5-liter Euro 4-compliant engine with a maximum torque of 145Nm.
BAIC M20
The M20 is available in Comfort eight-seat and Luxury seven-seat variants with captain seats, priced at PHP 548,000 and PHP 578,000 respectively.
The company announced that an updated version of the M20 will be released in the near future with a Euro 5-compliant engine and added features like a larger nine-inch console screen.
The MZ40 WeVan, BAIC’s award-winning minivan, houses a 1.2-liter engine with a maximum torque of 108Nm which is also Euro 4-compliant.
MZ40
It is available in a Comfort variant costing PHP 468,000 and a Luxury variant priced at and PHP 488,000. There is also a cargo van option that is priced the same as the Comfort model.
BAIC also showed off their new chassis cab, the H5 which has a 1.5-ton capacity. It is the only chassis cab of its class to have a Euro 4-compliant Turbo Diesel engine.
The newest version of the well-love Instax Share SP, the SP-2 is built with a new laser exposure system that prints out photos in just 10 seconds and in high resolution.
Its accompanying app offers various editing tools to enhance photos. Apart from Wi-Fi connectivity and compatibility with Fujifilm’s newest mirrorless cameras, the SP-2 also comes with a high luminance LED for indicating film and battery status, rechargeable battery, reprint button, and Image Intelligence for printing out your precious memories.
Quick Specifications:
Recording method: 3-color exposure with OLED
Film: Fujifilm Instax mini instant color film (sold separately)
This new kid on the block is strategically located in the Eastern-ish part of the metro, Antipolo. This restaurant is a joint venture between two families (Cruz and Solis), the restaurant came after realizing that there was a need for more dining options in Antipolo. The name was derived from the common culinary ingredient that display a vibrant green color which symbolizes freshness. The chef behind it, Nico Cruz, chose the ingredients from the mountains of Sagada, but what’s really unique about this restaurant is that it is also a social enterprise that sources its greens from the gardens of Tahanang Walang Hagdanan.
Experience: Upon entering, the first thing that hits you is how comfy the vibe is. It feels very much like you’re visiting someone’s home for a nice meal, since it has an open kitchen, with some nice music in the back, and a seating layout that is close and cozy. The restaurant is done in a hip and modern style, and you’ll love the fact that all of the materials that they used are recycled. The floor is done in a mosaic of different tiles for that eclectic vibe that lends to the ambiance even more. Taking the unique décor even further, the entire place uses illuminated mason jars as their light source.
The menu consists of Asian-European fusion dishes Chef Nico curated himself.
First, we tasted their appetizer, Bruschetta Sampler. It is a toasted french bread topped with three dressings: Insalata Verdure, Roasted Tomato Salsa, and Tinapa Patē. I do love tomatoes, so my vote went with the roasted tomato salsa. The french bread is crisp and freshly baked with a generous portion of olive oil on top.
The next dish was the Chives House Salad which consisted of lettuce, roasted cashews, dens green apple, crispy anchovies, and calamari, topped with honey-lemon vinaigrette.
This was followed by a wonderful Frutti De Mare, which is basically a pasta tossed in marinara sauce with mixed seafood (shrimp, calamari, and mussels). For a pasta lover like me, this is a big hit, with a pleasant sourness to the marinara sauce. The seafood was perfectly cooked, and I love that it has big portions.
The entrée was a lovely Roasted Chicken with Ratatouille. The chicken was moist and juicy, and the ratatouille was a side that could honestly stand on its own.
The meal was closed with the restaurant’s famous Celebrity Cake. It is a wonderfully simple moist chocolate cake with chocolate ganache. The reason for the name is apparently that celebrities frequent the restaurant specifically to order this cake. The restaurant outsources it from a different shop and became its only licensed distributor. I have had many, many, many chocolate cakes in my life, but I can tell you that I have never tasted a cake this good. The cake is so moist and fluffy, and melts in your mouth. Even Chef Nico is a huge fan, which is why he chose this cake to be in his restaurant. For an affordable yet high quality dinner date with your special someone, this is the place to visit.
Writer’s tip:Order the celebrity cake. I promise, you won’t regret it.
Price: Php 160 – 250
Location: Floor, EM Gems Building, L. Sumulong, Circumferential Road, San Roque, Antipolo City.
The BMW i8 finally made its local debut at the Asian Carmakers Corporation booth, the brand’s official importer and distributor in the Philippines, during the 6th Philippine International Motor Show. Though its body shouts “sports car,” it packs a ton of features that make it both powerful and environment-friendly.
It runs on the BMW EfficientDynamics technology and features a lightweight carbon fiber reinforced plastic body backed by aluminum front subframe, rear subframe, and crash structure. Combining the outputs of its petrol and electric power plants, the i8 is able to easily produce 362 ps and 570 Nm of torque. That’s enough to propel the car from zero to 100 kph in just over four seconds.
BMW also showcased the all-new 7 Series, 4 Series Coupé M Sport 100 Years Edition, X4 M Sport 100 Years Edition, 3 Series M Performance, and X1. The above nameplates will be on display at the 6th PIMS BMW pavilion until September 18, Sunday, at the World Trade Center.
Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. yesterday launched the all-new BR-V 7-seater during its time in the spotlight at the 6th Philippine International Motor Show. It features high ground clearance, a sleek body, and a spacious interior, all of which were designed to cater to the needs of the Filipino family.
Two variants will be made available locally: the base 1.5 S CVT trim and top tier 1.5 V Navi CVT. Both come with a wide front grille, fog lights, roof rails with silver finish, LED tail lamp in C-character, and 16-inch alloy wheels which raise the model 201 mm above the ground. Additionally, the higher trim features projector headlights with LED guide type position lights and front bumper skid garnish. All in all, the BR-V measures 4,456 mm long, 1,735 mm wide, 1,665 mm tall, and has a 2,662 mm wheelbase.
The vehicle is powered by a 1.5L i-VTEC engine that produces 121 ps @ 6600 RPM and 145 Nm of torque @ 4600 rpm. The power plant is mated to an Earth Dreams Technology CVT gearbox for smooth shifting and acceleration. The 1.5 V Navi CVT variant also comes with paddle shifters.
The 7-seater has a three row configuration, with the second row having a 60:40 split, recline, fold, and one touch tumble function, while the third has a 50:50 split, recline, fold, and tumble function.
The higher trim also comes with leather seats for more style points, in addition to a 7-inch touch screen display audio with built-in Garmin Navigation , digital air conditioning controls, automatic type front air conditioning system, and smart entry with push start system.
Safety features on board include the G-force control collision safety body, driver and front Passenger SRS airbags; anti-Lock braking system with electronic brake force distribution, hill start assist, vehicle stability assist, speed sensing auto door lock, and an ISO-FIX child seat anchor.
The all-new Honda BR-V will be available in colors modern steel metallic, lunar silver metallic, crystal black pearl, taffeta white (1.5 S), white Orchid Pearl (1.5 V Navi), and premium amber metallic (1.5 V Navi). It is currently available for reservations, with deliveries starting on December 2016.
The second cycle of the Caltex Fuel Your School, one of Chevron’s CSR programs, successfully gathered PHP 3 million which was used to purchase equipment in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) classroom subjects for select public schools in the city of Davao.
The 30 public high school shortlisted beneficiaries of Caltex’s fuel to donate program received interactive projectors and other learning aids to help facilitate education better. Caltex Fuel Your School (FYS) is estimated to benefit at least 200 teachers and 50,000 students in Davao City’s highest need senior public high schools.
From June 1 to 30, 2016, Caltex Fuel Your School donated PHP 1 for every one liter purchase of Caltex with Techron or Delo Sports diesel engine oil from any of the 22 Caltex stations or lubricants business partners in Davao City. The students played a vital role in raising awareness for the program. Aside from tapping social media, they created jingles, cheers, and gave away handcrafted FYS flyers throughout Davao metropolis to inform their communities that in fuelling up at Caltex, they’re helping improve the education of thousands of Filipino students.
For the first time in the school’s history, students at Baracatan National High School get to use computers in their classes.
“Since its Philippine launch in 2015, we are proud to report that Caltex Fuel Your School has funded more than 58 classroom projects at 67 schools in Manila and Davao cities. It has impacted around 153,000 public high schools students,” said Peter Morris, country chairman of Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), marketer of the Caltex brand of fuels and lubricants.
FYS beneficiaries were selected by Chevron’s project partners, the Department of Education, and the American Chamber Foundation of the Philippines based on stringent criteria. For the FYS cycle 2, teachers can choose the learning materials they need up to PHP 100,000 in value per school.
At Davao City National High School for instance which has a student population of 10,000; the teacher proposed that his grade 11 students receive two sets of Lego Mindstorm robotics kits which let them build a variety of robots and create programming missions.
“Such learning materials will help the children engage in lessons that offer many opportunities to master the skills needed to boost their education and expand their future career opportunities. And we don’t have to borrow equipment from other schools anymore,” said teacher Brady Nave who listed the robotics kits on his FYS wish list.
“We are proud to support our local teachers in helping their students get excited about STEM and encourage them to pursue STEM courses, and ultimately, STEM careers, ”said Margaret Jubane, Caltex retailer.
