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    Quick Look: PlayStation VR—virtual reality lands on consoles

    Chris Noel Hidalgo
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    Quick Look: PlayStation VR—virtual reality lands on consoles

    Quick Specs:

    • Display: 5.7 inch FHD 120 Hz OLED
    • Field of view: 100 degrees
    • Sensors: Six-axis motion sensing system
    • Connection interface: HDMI, AUX, stereo headphone (VR headset); HDMI TV, HDMI PS4, USB, HDMI, AUX (processor unit)
    • Processor unit function: 3D audio processing, social screen, cinematic mode
    • Inclusions: VR headset, processor unit, VR headset connection cable, HDMI cable, USB cable, stereo headphones, AC power cord, AC adaptor; PlayStation Camera
    • Dimensions: 187 x 185 x 277 mm and 610 g (VR headset); 143 x 36 x 143 mm and 365 g (processor unit)
    • Price: PHP 22,900 (PlayStation VR only); PHP 25,290 (PlayStation VR with PlayStation Camera)

    Filipinos on the PlayStation 4 platform are in for a treat as the regional arm of Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced that the PlayStation VR will arrive locally on October 13, 2016 at a starting price of PHP 22,900. The final product shouldn’t be as nausea-inducing as the first prototypes as it features a 120 Hz refresh rate and an 18 ms response time.

    Accompanying it on launch will be over 60 VR titles, including Mortal Blitz VR (Skonec Entertainment Co., Ltd) from Korea, Stifled (Gattai Games) from Singapore, and O! My Genesis (Xpex Entertainment Inc.) from Taiwan.

    “Since we unveiled PS VR, we’ve received a tremendous response from gamers and developers. And I am so delighted to announce that PS VR will be available from 13th October, simultaneous with Japan, Europe and North America, demonstrating how we think highly of gamers in Asia” said Hiroyuki Oda, deputy president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Asia. “We also want to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to game developers from Asia for creating so many exciting PS VR titles. Some of these great titles will be released along with PS VR. Last but not least, we want to thank gamers in Asia for their patience and continued support to PS VR. We will bring the best gaming experience that is only possible with PS VR.”

    The PlayStation VR requires the PlayStation Camera to work, so those without one can avail of the PS VR and Camera bundle, while those who have it can get the PS VR on its own. Both shelf variants come with a processor unit which sits between the headset and the PS4. This tiny box is in charge of processing 3D audio for real-time directional sound, outputting images to a TV and the VR display simultaneously, and cinematic mode if you want to try playing regular PS4 titles and movies in a virtual theater. It doesn’t add any significant processing oomph to the console besides from the functions stated above.

    Quick Look: Asus ROG Rampage V Edition 10—new looks, same performance

    Chris Noel Hidalgo
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    Quick Look: Asus ROG Rampage V Edition 10—new looks, same performance

    Quick Specs:

    • Socket: LGA 2011-v3
    • Chipset: Intel X99
    • Memory: 8x DDR4 up to 128 GB and up to 3333 MHz; XMP support
    • Expansion Slots: 4x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x4; PCIe 2.0 x1
    • External I/O Ports: 2x USB 3.1 Type-A; 2x USB 3.1 Type-C; 4x USB 3.0; 2x USB 2.0; PS/2; 1x Optical S/PDIF-out; 5x audio ports
    • Internal Connectors: 2x USB 3.0; 2x USB 2.0; 6x fan headers; 1x Aura RGB strip;
    • Storage Devices: 10x SATA 6Gb/s; support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, and JBOD; 1x M.2 Socket 3 with M-key; 1x U.2 port
    • Onboard Audio: ROG SupremeFX 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC
    • Connectivity: 3×3 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Intel I218-V and Intel I211-AT Gigabit LAN; Bluetooth 4.0
    • Features: Up to 4-way Nvidia SLI; up to 4-way AMD CrossFireX; Anti-surge LANGuard; ROG GameFirst Technology; SupremeFX Shielding Technology; Sonic Studio II; Sonic Radar II; ROG RAMCache; ROG Aura; Extreme Engine Digi+; ROG Extreme OC kit; UEFI BIOS
    • Form Factor: Extended ATX                         
    • Dimensions: 12 x 10.7 inches
    • Price: PHP 31,950

    The Asus Republic of Gamers’ Rampage V got a new makeover as the brand celebrates its 10th anniversary. Called the ROG Rampage V Edition 10, it has already broken three world records and has consistently topped 2D and 3D performance benchmarks.

    It has an Intel X99 chipset and takes in LGA 2011-v3 Haswell-E and Broadwell-E processors. Various Asus ROG features are of course on board, including an Extreme Engine Digi+ VRM, Fan Xpert 4, SupremeFX Hi-Fi audio amplifier, dual Intel Gigabit Ethernet, GameFirst bandwidth optimizer, Asus SafeSlot PCIe; and Asus T-Tpology DDR4 overclock utility.

    Its aesthetics make it perfect for windowed cases. Not only does it have a pre-mounted stainless steel I/O shield that’s safer to install, it also boasts an Aura RGB illumination system for added bling.

    To demonstrate its prowess, Asus paired the ROG Rampage V Edition 10 with an Intel Core i7-6950x and achieved a staggering 5726.84 MHz overclock, enabling it to crush various synthetic suites such as Cinebench, Geekbench, and wPrime.

    This feature-packed board doesn’t come cheap, though. It’s available locally at a wallet-breaking price of PHP 31,950.

    Intel Security to protect new Samsung Galaxy Note 7

    Jonah Mendoza
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    Intel Security to protect new Samsung Galaxy Note 7

    Intel Security announced that Samsung’s latest smartphone, Galaxy Note7 and Tizen OS based Z2 will come pre-installed with McAfee® VirusScan® mobile security. McAfee VirusScan Mobile is an anti-malware technology solution that is already helping to provide a more secure mobile experience to millions of Samsung Galaxy users globally. With this collaboration, Samsung customers can enjoy better protection from more diverse and sophisticated threats in mobile world.

    According to Intel Security’s McAfee Labs Threats Report – June 2016, there are 305 new threats every minute, or more than 5 every second. New mobile malware grew 17% quarter over quarter in Q1 2016. Total mobile malware grew 23% quarter over quarter in Q1 2016 and 113% over the last four quarters. In particular, new ransomware rose 24% in Q1 2016 due to the continued entry of relatively low-skilled criminals into the ransomware cybercrime community. This report showcases the need for security against a growing volume of mobile malware and expanding attack surface.

    “Mobile threats continue to grow and be more sophisticated as we become increasingly connected. Now mobile devices are the tip of the spear for new hacking methods”, said John Giamatteo, corporate vice president at Intel Security. “Intel Security is combatting these growing mobile threats by collaborating with mobile device manufacturer Samsung to keep customer’s mobile devices, data and privacy safe from vulnerabilities.”

    “New customers of Samsung Galaxy Note7 and Samsung Z2 now can enjoy mobile experiences securely with the latest anti-malware solution that Samsung offers,” said Henry Lee, vice president of Mobile Security Technologies of Samsung Mobile. “Security and privacy are at the core of what we do and what we think about every day. It is very important to provide a high level of protection at all times to our customers”

    LG unveils new Bluetooth speakers ahead of IFA 2016

    Robby Vaflor
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    LG unveils new Bluetooth speakers ahead of IFA 2016

    In anticipation of the upcoming IFA 2016 to be held in Berlin, LG unveils its new Bluetooth speaker offerings to expand its range of audio products.

    The PH2 and PH4 are both splash proof with connected straps to attach to a variety of surfaces. The unique designs of the speakers provide an omni-directional output so sound is evenly dispersed.

    The PH4 has dual passive radiators increasing sound quality and bass output.

    The PH2 has a total play time of up to 6 hours while the PH4 can play for up to 10 hours.

    The PH3 is designed to appeal to both the eyes and the ears with five different multicolored lighting modes to help set the mood for any event, complimenting its candle-like shape. Like the PH4, it can play for up to 10 hours.

    Suzuki automobile expands to General Santos City

    Jonah Mendoza
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    Suzuki automobile expands to General Santos City

    Suzuki Philippines extends its reach to the South with the opening of its latest auto satellite showroom located in SM City General Santos.

    Suzuki Auto General Santos satellite showroom, which is owned and managed by Grand Canyon Multi-Holdings, Inc., is the 1st Suzuki Automobile satellite outlet of the group and 1st Suzuki Automobile satellite showroom in Mindanao. Led by the President Jan Andrew T. Po, the group started its selling operations on August 8, 2016 to bring customer convenience by providing sales and spare parts to car enthusiasts in the South.

    “The formal opening of the satellite showroom in SM City General Santos is anticipated to strengthen SPH’s thrust of bringing the Suzuki Way of Life in the area. Suzuki Auto General Santos is our 21st satellite outlet and 51st total automobile outlet but we still continue expanding to other provincial areas because we want our customers to experience the innovative products that we are offering,” says Shuzo Hoshikura, the General Manager of Suzuki Philippines.

    Hoshikura adds, “We have seen the exponential growth of the city and we believe that opening a satellite showroom in this area will help us achieve better growth by the end of this year.”

    Consistently strengthening its market presence, Suzuki Philippines posted an impressive growth of 37 percent for the first 6 months of 2016 – even surpassing the 27.1 mid-year sales growth achieved by the entire automotive industry. The opening of Suzuki Auto General Santos satellite showroom will help fuel the growth of Suzuki Philippines as it makes owning a Suzuki more convenient for the motorists in General Santos City.

    Prior to the inauguration of the satellite showroom, Suzuki Philippines opened its 3S dealership in General Santos City last February 2015. Located at J. Catolico Avenue, Lagao, Suzuki Auto General Santos is a one-stop shop that offers Sales, Spare parts, and Services to deliver customers a complete Suzuki Way of Life experience.

    The current product line-up of Suzuki Philippines includes the Suzuki Celerio CVT which emerged to have the best gasoline-powered engine at the first-ever DOE Euro 4 Fuel Economy Run, and the all-new Ciaz M/T which was also recognized as #1 fuel efficient car gasoline in the sedan category. Apart from the these vehicles that clinched the top honors during the Fuel Economy Run, the line-up also carries the Suzuki Swift, the new Ertiga, Jimny 4×4, the Grand Vitara Special Edition, Alto 800, and APV.

    Honda’s Koko Tadachi lands podium finish at Asia Dream Cup 2016

    Chris Noel Hidalgo
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    Honda’s Koko Tadachi lands podium finish at Asia Dream Cup 2016

    Team Honda Philippines’ Koko Masaharu Tadachi scored big during the Asia Dream Cup 2016, finishing third during the race’s fourth round last August 5 to 7, 2016 at the Sentul International Circuit, Indonesia.

    Tadachi is being molded by Honda to be one of the best riders in the region. At a mere 16 years of age, he has already shown considerable growth during the season’s first three rounds, and has developed enough to make history by being the first Filipino to be included in the top three out of 19 competing countries.

    Honda Philippines rider Koko Tadachi  will be  back in action in September as the cup moves to India. The Asia Dream Cup is a  scholarship program for young aspiring riders all over Southeast Asia with the aim of producing young GP riders in the future.

    In photo above: Koko Tadachi (rightmost) holds up his award.

    AMD teases new Zen architecture

    Chris Noel Hidalgo
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    AMD teases new Zen architecture

    It looks like the computer processor battlefield’s about to get muddy again as AMD recently teased its hotly anticipated Zen processor in a San Francisco event. The high-performance soon-to-be poster child was reported to have a 40 percent generational improvement in instructions per clock, hopefully enough to make the scene exciting again.

    Specifically, AMD demonstrated an 8-core, 16-thread Summit Ridge desktop processor outperforming a similarly configured and clocked 8-core, 16-thread Intel Broadwell-E processor in a multi-threaded Blender rendering software test. The company’s upcoming 32-core, 64-thread Zen server monster code named “Naples” was also publicly trialed during the same event.

    “The performance and efficiency of our Zen core showcases AMD at its best,” said Dr. Lisa Su, president and CEO of AMD. “Over the last four years we have made significant investments to develop a high-performance, multi-generation CPU road map that will power leadership products. Customer excitement for Zen continues to grow as we make significant progress towards the launch of new products that will span from the data center to high-end PCs.”

    AMD designed Zen from scratch to increase performance, throughput, and efficiency, in addition to being the next foundation for AMD’s upcoming products. The architecture also features a new cache hierarchy, improved branch prediction, and simultaneous multithreading (SMT) in order to adequately scale through a variety of applications, from mobile, to desktop gaming, to server requirements.

    “An engineer may get one chance in their career to work on a project of this size and scope, and maybe never one with as much potential to impact the future as much as Zen,” said Mark Papermaster, senior vice president and chief technology officer at AMD. “With Zen we aim to do what many never thought possible—deliver a 40 percent generational improvement in instructions per clock while maintaining power requirements in line with our previous generation technology.”

    “AMD invested where it counts, with an x86 core that can scale from PCs to high-performance servers,” said Linley Gwennap, principal analyst at Linley Group. “Consumers today expect to get the most out of their systems to create transformative experiences. The versatile design of Zen delivers highly-efficient performance that should provide increased computing capabilities across the spectrum—from devices to cloud computing.”

    The Summit Ridge processors will be the first Zen-based products out of AMD’s gates. These will use the AMD A4 socket that is compatible with 7th generation AMD A-Series processors. The A4 socket also comes with its own dedicated PCIe lanes for better data throughput, as well as support for DDR4 memory, PCIe Gen 3, USB 3.1 Gen2 10 Gbps, NVMe, and SATA Express standards.

    Toyota upgrades Vios and Yaris

    Belle Alba
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    Toyota upgrades Vios and Yaris

    Toyota, the number one automotive brand in the country, recently launched upgraded versions of the Toyota Vios and the Toyota Yaris, which are now equipped with the all-new dual VVT-I (NR series) engine and continuously variable transmission (CVT).

    This specific improvement gives both cars better mileage and fuel economy, higher engine output, and decreased fuel emissions similar to other Toyota vehicles (such as the Altis, Camry, and Rav4). The new CVT variants of the new Vios and the new Yaris now feature a 7-speed-like sequential shift mode compared to the 4-speed gearbox of previous models.

    Aside from the new engine for the Yaris, customers can expect a sportier look to its interior seat fabric and a new dark silver face display for the audio head unit. This aesthetic change gives it a much more style-oriented feel proving that with the Toyota Yaris A Little Style Goes a Long Way.

    Similarly, the new Vios now comes with chrome trims for fog lamps (G variant) that add to its exterior aesthetic. The new Vios comes in 2 new additional colors, alumina jade metallic and blackish red mica.

    For more information on the new Vios and new Yaris, visit the Toyota Motor Philippines official website www.toyota.com.ph, or contact the Customer Assistance Center at 819 2912, or visit any of the 51 authorized Toyota dealers nationwide.

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    Yellow Cab Football Cup set for October 15

    Chris Noel Hidalgo
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    Yellow Cab Football Cup set for October 15

    Yellow Cab Pizza Co. and Kaya Futbol Club will be hosting the newly formed Yellow Cab Football Cup, a partnership and tourney with the aim of promoting football, camaraderie, and good values to the nation’s youth.

    “Every company under the Max’s Group has an initiative to reach out and give back to the communities that we cater to,” said MGI president and Yellow Cab coach Robert Trota. “As a company, we have a belief that we should always give back to our communities. Yellow Cab being part of the Max’s Group aligns with this belief and we want to extend the help that we give for it to become more far-reaching.”

    “Yellow Cab has always been associated with sports,” Trota continued. “Back then we had a cycling team, a drift team, and a Yellow Cab Tri Clark Team. Now that football is gaining a significant following, especially with the Azkals representing the country, we thought that Yellow Cab would do a good job with a football program geared towards the youth, because not all the other brands are into sports.”

    “We believe that playing a sport like Football can teach us values that could help change our lives, most especially kids,” added MGI chief marketing officer and board director Jim Fuentebella. “Even my son plays football. We want this program to reach out to the thousands of Filipino youth especially those who do not have access to formal training and to properly execute this program we needed the expertise of an organization like Kaya Futbol Club.”

    “We found that we shared similar values with Kaya FC,” Fuentebella pointed out. “We both value giving back to the community and working with integrity, respect, and perseverance.”

    Kaya FC is a football association founded in 1996 and is a member of the National Capital Region Football Association. It is also a member of the country’s premier United Football League. The association also operates Kaya FC Academy, a youth development football academy that aims to promote the game of football to the youth through a grassroots program. Some notable names in the field who have gone on to represent the Philippines in international tournaments came from Kaya FC, including Aly Borromeo, Chris Greatwich, Anton del Rosario, Eddie Mallari, Lexton Moy, Nate Burkey, and Jason Sabio.

    “Partners are quite difficult for us to find since football is a fairly young sport in the Philippines,” said Kaya FC general manager Paul Tolentino. “It’s great that Yellow Cab opened up this opportunity, because here’s a brand that is genuinely interested in sports and even shares the same values for giving back like we do. With the massive support of the Max’s Group, we’re able to help more kids, and give more of them the chance to play.”  

    With the brands’ shared values, the Yellow Cab Football Cup was formed. The Cup will have six categories divided into age groups. The six finalists will receive a total of PHP 120,000 which they will donate to their chosen charitable institutions. The tourney will kick off at the Gatorade Blue Pitch at Circuit Makati, with eliminations starting on October 15 and semi-finals and finals on October 22.

    Registration for the cup is open until September 25. Interested teams can apply here.

    In photo above: (top left to right) MGI chief marketing officer and board director Jim Fuentebella, Chris Greatwich, Masa Omura, Kenshiro Daniels, Adam Reed, Paul Tolentino, and MGI marketing operations manager Charlene Sapina; (bottom left to right): Yellow Cab marketing manager Coochy Mamaclay, Jovin Bedic, Shirmar Felongco, Janrick Soriano, Julian Matthews, and Aly Borromeo.

    Quick Look: ASUS ROG GL502VS-FY058T

    Robby Vaflor
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    Quick Look: ASUS ROG GL502VS-FY058T

    ASUS recently announced the availability of its ROG Strix GL502VS-FY058T and G752VS-GB094T models in the Philippines. The GL502VS aims to be a lightweight and compact alternative to ROG’s other clunkier models weighing only 2.24kg with a four-cell battery, and a height of just a hair over three centimeters. It houses a powerful Nvidia GTX1070 graphics card and an Intel Core i7 processor, setting aside all doubts people will have over its size-to-performance ratio. The laptop also features an ample 15.6-inch full HD LED screen, an illuminated Chiclet keyboard, and a decent amount of ports for peripherals.

    Quick specs:

    • Processor: Intel Core i7-6700HQ (2.6 GHz with maximum overclock speed of 3.5 GHz and a 6 MB Cache)
    • Memory: 16 GB DDR4 DRAM
    • Storage:
      • 256 GB SSD
      • 1 TB HDD at 7200 RPM
    • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX1070 (N17E-G2) with 8 GB GDDR5 memory
    • Display: 15.6″ LED full HD 1920×1080
    • Ports:
      • 3 x USB 3.0
      • 1 x USB Type C 3.1
      • 3.5 mm audio out and in combination jack
      • RJ45 LAN Jack
      •  HDMI 1.4

    Price: PHP 149,995

    Lazada launches first intercollegiate marketing seminar and competition

    Chris Noel Hidalgo
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    Lazada launches first intercollegiate marketing seminar and competition

    Online shopping destination Lazada opened its first intercollegiate marketing seminar and competition last July 30 at the Lazada Headquarters in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Dubbed “The Laz Mark,” the event brings together 30 students from an initial pool of almost 100 wanting to take an active role in marketing Lazada’s biggest sale during the last quarter of the year.

    The students hail from the top universities in the country, including University of the Philippines, Ateneo De Manila University, De La Salle—College of Saint Benilde, University of Santo Tomas, University of Asia and the Pacific, Far Eastern University, and Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

    Marketing experts were on hand to give the student delegates a crash course on what is expected of them. Althea Utzurrum, Lazada vice president for online marketing discussed competitive strategies and metrics used to measure success in eCommerce marketing; Piccina Alvarez, PurpleClick Philippines president and CEO, discussed how Facebook can be used as an end-to-end solution to drive awareness and conversion for brands; and Trisha Cuason, Vintage Restore Manila president, gave a talk on brand management highlighting brand building and positioning.

    The participants were broken down into different groups to encourage everyone to collaborate outside their comfort zones, and were tasked to create a campaign for this year’s Online Revolution sale. The groups will be presenting their initial pitch to Lazada’s management team this coming August 27.

    “Lazada wants to share the startup culture that grew the company into what it is today, through the spirit of entrepreneurship, accountability, innovation, and integrity. We hope that through this activity, students will be inspired to create their own legacy as early as now and build entrepreneurial communities that will be part of Philippine pop culture,” commented Inanc Balci, Lazada Philippines co-founder and CEO.

    In photo above: (from left) The Laz Mark student delegates together with Sydney Dondon (head of Lazada affiliate marketing), Jio Zorrilla (senior analyst for Lazada branding and communications), Trisha Cuason (president of Vintage Restore Manila), Piccina Alvarez (president and CEO of PurpleClick Philippines), and Mila Jimenez (Lazada vice president for offline marketing).    

    Quick Look: Lenovo Y27f Curved Gaming Monitor—brand’s first FreeSync monitor

    Chris Noel Hidalgo
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    Quick Look: Lenovo Y27f Curved Gaming Monitor—brand’s first FreeSync monitor

    Quick Specs:

    • Display: 27 inch FHD 144 Hz TFT Wide LCD with 16:9 aspect ratio and R1800 curve
    • Features: AMD FreeSync, Lenovo OSD Gaming Monitor, Lenovo Artery gaming monitor software, Kensington Lock, Rotating headphone hook, VESA mount, and hidden cable management option
    • Response time: 4 ms
    • Contrast Ratio: 3000:1
    • Viewing Angle: 178 degrees
    • Ports: DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4, USB 3.0
    • Dimensions (with stand): 563.3  x 625 x 242 mm; 6.75 kg
    • Price: USD 399

    Lenovo just whipped out the Y27f, its first-ever free-standing monitor equipped with AMD FreeSync technology to give AMD graphics card users low input latency, tear-free, and artifact-free gaming. This 27 inch display also struts an R1800 curve for even better multimedia immersion.

    AMD FreeSync technology allows displays to dynamically adapt to fluctuating video game frame rates, syncing monitor refresh rate and graphics card frame output to ensure smooth-looking images. FreeSync is supported by a wide range of AMD graphics card, including the recently launched Radeon RX graphics cards.

    Of course, the monitor wouldn’t have the gaming tag on it if it didn’t deliver in other aspects. Refresh rate is at a hearty 144 Hz, response time is at a quick 4 ms, and I/O features DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4 connections to maximize frame output. There’s also a rotating headphone hook, VESA mount option, and hidden cable management nooks because gamers are not savages when it comes to aesthetics.

    It’s available at the Lenovo online shop for USD 399.

    Hunters now available on iflix

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    Hunters now available on iflix

    Available for the first time in the Philippines, iflix members will now be able to watch 13 episodes of the first season of this alien conspiracy thriller. 

    Hunters is a supernatural thriller starring Julian McMahon (Fantastic Four, Nip/Tuck) and Nathan Phillips (Wolf Creek, Chernobyl Diaries). The story unfolds after a decorated FBI agent’s wife goes missing and he goes on a desperate search to rescue her. His pursuit leads him to a secret government unit assembled to hunt a ruthless group of terrorists that are shadowy figures not of this world. Along the way, he discovers a world he did not know existed and unearths a mind-blowing mystery at the helm of his wife’s disappearance.
     
    Hunters joins iflix’s rapidly growing library of exclusive first run shows, including the worldwide smash hit Mr. Robot and the award-winning crime drama Fargo, in addition to the new breakout fantasy series The Magicians, drama Aquarius and many more. 
     
    For new subscribers, iflix offers a complimentary 30-day trial with full access to its world-class service, features and content. Go to www.iflix.com to register.

    PSBank Rolls Out New Online and Mobile Banking Functionalities

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    PSBank Rolls Out New Online and Mobile Banking Functionalities

    Recognizing clients’ need for secure and convenient ways to manage their finances, PSBank’s online banking facilities now allows clients to do a host of transactions, such as monitor their accounts, transfer funds, and even get a queue number ahead for a branch transaction.

    Through PSBank Online and PSBank Mobile, customers can also search for cars and properties for sale and compare rates. These features are on top of its bills payment function that allows clients access to a wide range of billers and reminds them to settle payments before they fall due. PSBank Online, the Bank’s Internet banking platform, even allows clients to apply for a car loan online and provides small and medium enterprises cash management solutions with Business Online Buddy.

    All these features have been designed by PSBank for cardholders to be safe and secure. As an added layer of protection PSBank even introduced the ATM Lock. It is a security tool accessed through PSBank Online and Mobile app, which allows clients to lock/unlock their ATM cards to protect them from unauthorized use of their ATM card. When ATM Lock is activated, an ATM card cannot be used for withdrawals or any online or POS purchases that require keying in of an ATM card number or PIN, allowing clients to have better control and to closely monitor their hard-earned funds.

    Meanwhile, as an added incentive for PSBank clients who use the Bank’s online banking platforms to pay their bills or do Telco reload, PSBank launched the “Bill back, load back!” promo. Clients who pay their bills or reload their mobile number through PSBank Online and PSBank Mobile app from July 25 to September 30, 2016 will get a chance to win back the amount they paid or loaded, up to a maximum of PHP 3,000. They also have the chance to win a 24-inch Samsung LED TV or one of 15 Samsung Galaxy J5 smartphones to be given away.

    To qualify, they simply need to do a bills payment transaction worth at least PHP 1,500 to a new biller or do a Telco reload amounting to at least PHP 300 through any of PSBank’s online channels during the promo period to earn one electronic raffle entry. Raffle winners will be drawn on October 14, 2016. To know more about this promo, visit: www.psbank.com.ph and click on the Best Deals Tab.

     

    Industry expects more than 1M motorcycle sales in 2016

    Belle Alba
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    Industry expects more than 1M motorcycle sales in 2016

    In a media briefing by the Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association (MDPPA), the premier group of motorcycle manufacturers in the country reported combined sales of 544,699 units sold in the first half of 2016, representing year-on-year sales growth of 42 percent.

    recorded a new sales benchmark after capping its first six-month performance with a 42 percent year-on-year sales growth. MDPPA members recorded combined sales of 544,699 motorcycle units in the first half of 2016, which exceeded previous projections.

    The top 5 brands comprising the MDPPA—Honda Philippines Inc., Kawasaki Motors Philippines Inc., Yamaha Motor Philippines Inc., Suzuki Philippines Inc., and Kymco Philippines Inc.—expect to achieve a milestone with over 1-million units sold by the end of the year. Traditionally, the industry experiences better sales from July to December, and the association is confident that brisk sales will continue. Total sales for 2015 was at 850,509 units for the MDPPA members.

    In terms of sales by motorcycle type, the Moped (MP) model or the underbone motorcycle holds the most number of units sold in the first half of 2016, overtaking the Business (BU) models category which led the numbers in H1 2015. With 205,636 units sold from January to June 2016, the MP class posted a 58 percent y-o-y growth.

    This is followed by sales of the BU category totaling 171,035 units.  The automatic category, meanwhile, with sales of 125,528 units, registered the greatest y-o-y growth of 66%.  The Street (ST) motorcycle category posted an 11 percent y-o-y growth with 42,149 units.

    MDPPA President Rodel Pablo attributes this outstanding mid-year performance to various factors. “The introduction of affordable but reliable motorcycle models propelled the sales performance of MDPPA member manufacturers. The traffic congestion in major cities, such as Metro Manila, also prompts commuters to look for alternative modes of transportation. Commuters consider motorcycles as a fast and affordable transportation alternative,” he shared.

    The country’s strong economic performance resulting to an increase in per capita income  and positive outlook have also contributed to MDPPA’s sales growth as the improving economy has allowed more consumers to purchase motorcycles. “The flourishing sales figures of the motorcycle industry are a clear indication of how the country’s improving economy contributed to the group’s mid-year performance. BU motorcycle numbers, for instance, show that many of our countrymen are making a living through tricycles or that many SMEs are using motorcycles in their daily operations for delivery services,” Pablo added.

    In photo are the MDPPA Board (L-R): Espie Custodio, Alfredo Lejano, president Rodel Pablo, Atty. Louie Soriano, and Jacinto Cadugo.

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