NIKE PRESENTS KOBE "THE BLACK MAMBA" BRYANT IN MANILA

 

 KOBE "THE BLACK MAMBA" BRYANT as he waves to the crowd during his visit at the NIKE outlet in Bonifacio High Street at the Fort in Taguig City.       Images by Ricky Castillo

 

Kobe Bryant answering questions from different media personalities during the press conference held recently at the Manila Peninsula in Makati City.   Images by Ricky Castillo        

Kobe Bryant together with some kids of the Gawad Kalinga beneficiaries in Taguig City.  Images by Ricky Castillo

NIKE OUTLET AT THE BONIFACIO HIGH STREET AT THE FORT IN TAGUIG CITY.

Kobe Bryant: Basketball Player, Champion, Inspiration

Nike connects Kobe Bryant with the youth of Gawad Kalinga’s SIGA program

As a young boy, Kobe Bryant knew that he wanted to become a basketball player. Every chance he would get, he would practice his drills and skills which helped mold him into one of the world’s best basketball players with an MVP Award, 4 All-Star MVP Awards and five championship rings. Beyond his skills, Kobe’s success as an athlete is grounded in his passion and dedication for basketball which have given him a strong foundation to get him to where he is today.

As an inspiration to many, Kobe’s personal mission is to encourage young athletes to reach for their own sports dreams and his Manila tour is designed to do just that. In his one-day visit, Kobe Bryant was able to touch the lives of the kids of Gawad Kalinga’s youth developmental program, SIGA.

SIGA (siga in Filipino means “to start a fire”) is Gawad Kalinga’s developmental program for out-of-school youth. It provides scholarships to those with mental aptitude to pursue higher education, rehabilitate youth offenders and juvenile delinquents through values formation with sports, creative, health and educational programs to integrate them into social mainstream as productive citizens. GK Taguig has 100 young adults whose age ranges from 14 to 25 – affected by dysfunctional families, drug addiction, poor education, and economic problems -- as program beneficiaries.

Known to be a strong supporter of charitable organizations, Kobe makes it a point to connect with kids on all his tours. During his 2009 visit, Kobe met children from GK’s SIGA program. This year, Kobe returned to check in on the kids he met from his past visit and connected with even more young athletes from the program. His visit was composed of a mini basketball clinic where Kobe gave the young athletes tips to improve their skills.

 “Nike encourages people of all ages to just do it and fulfill their sports dreams, and we continually look for ways to inspire young Filipino athletes. Bringing Kobe Bryant closer to his fans is testament to that,” said Nike Philippines Country Marketing Manager, Mae Dichupa. “We hope Kobe’s visit will have a lasting effect on the children from GK’s SIGA program and will ignite their passion and inspire them to reach their own dreams, just as Kobe worked hard to reach his.”

As part of Nike and Kobe Bryant’s commitment in helping these young athletes fulfill their dreams, the basketball court of Gawad Kalinga’s community located in Barangay Pinagsama, Taguig was refurbished to give them a better venue to practice and hone their basketball skills on, with the hope of molding the next generation’s basketball stars. The refurbished court will also serve as a reminder of Kobe’s time with these kids to continually inspire them.

For more information on Kobe Bryant’s 2011 tour, follow Nike on Twitter @NikePH or like Facebook.com/Nikebasketball.phils.  (PRESS RELEASE)
                                                                                    Images by Ricky Castillo

                                                                         

1st YAHOO OMG! AWARDS NIGHT!

                                 Piolo Pascual = Yahoo! OMG's ‘Hottest Actor’ winner.

                                 Jennylyn Mercado = Yahoo! OMG's ‘Hottest Actress’ winner.

                           Ritz Azul = Yahoo! OMG's 'Amazing Female Newcomer' winner.

                           Shamcey Supsup = Yahoo! OMG's 'Major Impact Award' winner.
                                                                                                    

 

Albie Casino= Yahoo OMG's 'Awesome Young Actor' winner.

 

Yahoo OMG's male and female presentors.

Joey Samson = Yahoo OMG'S 'Fashion Designer of the year Award' winner.

Here is the complete list of winners for the first Yahoo! OMG! Philippines Awards:

Hottest Actor: Piolo Pascual
Hottest Actress: Jennylyn Mercado
Breakthrough Male Artist: Coco Martin
Breakthrough Female Artist: Cristine Reyes
Funniest Comedian: Vice Ganda
Funniest Comedienne: Eugene Domingo
Awesome Young Actor: Albie Casiño
Awesome Young Actress: Kathryn Bernardo
Amazing Male Newcomer: Alden Richards
Amazing Female Newcomer: Ritz Azul
Favorite Male TV Host: Luis Manzano
Favorite Female TV Host: Toni Gonzaga
Coolest Male Singer: Christian Bautista
Coolest Female Singer: Charice
Coolest Band: Parokya Ni Edgar
Fashion Designer of the Year: Joey Samson
OMG! Celebrity of the Year: Shalani Soledad
OMG! Major Impact: Shamcey Supsup
SPECIAL AWARDS
CLEAR Man Award: Piolo Pascual
CLEAR Woman Award: Sam Pinto
Pond’s Natural Beauty: Shamcey Supsup
Sunsilk Award: Alodia Gosiengfiao
Wi-Tribe Award: Somedaydream
Most Animated Celebrity of the Night: Barbie Forteza
Most Watched Celebrity of the Night: Marc Nelson
Sweetest Couple of the Night: Victor Basa and Divine Lee

Yahoo! Philippines rolls out the purple carpet for the inaugural OMG! Awards

MANILA – Yahoo! the premiere digital media company announced the launch of OMG! Awards – the first of its kind purple carpet event that will recognize the most-searched celebrities on its newest and leading entertainment property in the Philippines. The Awards combine Yahoo! Search and rich news content from Yahoo!’s celebrity and entertainment news site, OMG! to recognize the top trending web celebs, those who have propelled to stardom in cyberspace and used the power of the Internet to reach their fans

The awards ceremony which will take place on June 21 comprises 72 nominees in 18 categories; the winners of which will be selected through popular search queries and polling methods.

The categories for the most-searched award include OMG! Celebrity of the Year and OMG! Major Impact, while the winners for Hottest Actor/Actress, Funniest Comedian/Comedienne, Breakthrough Artist Male/Female, Awesome Young Actor/Actress, Favorite TV Host Male/Female, Amazing Newcomer Male/Female, Coolest Singer Male/Female, Coolest Band categories and Designer of the Year will be selected through popular polls. The poll site is located at http://ph.omg.yahoo.com/omgawards/

Hosted by JM Rodriguez and Andi Manzano, Yahoo OMG! Awards will feature acts by top local performers including Someday Dream, Johnhoy Danao and Up Dharma Down, and appearances by popular Filipino celebrities. Noted fashion designers Joey Samson, Jun Escario and Kate Torralba will present a purple themed fashion show while “Cosplay Queen” Alodia Gosengfiao will live blog from the event scene. An after hour party will be hosted by DJ Chris Myk.

Erwin Lemuel Oliva, Country Editor, Philippines, stated, “To determine the winners in each category, our editors will do a thorough trend analysis by assessing the percentage increase in the online searches to identify the most-searched Filipino celebrities. From this short-list, readers will be asked to vote for their favorite.” 

The Awards show will be presented by Wi-Tribe and sponsored by Ponds, Sunsilk and Clear. In a true celebrity style, OMG! icons will be escorted in luxury cars provided by Jaguar and Land Rover while Pernod Ricard, producer and distributor of premium wines and spirits will be the official beverage sponsor.

“OMG! Awards is a direct response to the increasing popularity of Yahoo!’s entertainment site which was launched in March this year and has quickly grown to become the number one property in the Philippines. http://ph.omg.yahoo.com/ consists of the latest news on the local and global entertainment scene receives 682,000 unique visitors per month[1],” stated Oliva.

Updates from the OMG! Awards event will be posted on Yahoo! Philippines’ Facebook Page on http://www.facebook.com/yahoophilippines while Tweets from the purple carpet can be followed on http://twitter.com/yahooph. A Flickr page has also been set up for Filipinos to share photos with their favorite celebrities on http://www.flickr.com/groups/omgphilippines/.   (PRESS RELEASE)
                                                                                              Images by Ricky Castillo

LENOVO UNLEASHES THINKPAD X1 LAPTOP

 

Lenovo officers Ms. Vicky Agorrilla, Country General Manager, Lenovo Philippines and Mr. Wee Liam So, Technical Manager, Lenovo Singapore pose in front of the cameras as they hold the new Lenovo thinkpad x1 laptop during it's launching held recently at the New World Hotel in Makati City.

 

ThinkPad Keyboard In A New Light

Lenovo has thoughtfully modernized the keyboard’s appearance while simultaneously retaining the touch, feel and function of the classic ThinkPad keyboard experience. The simplified design eliminates some legacy keys like SysRq while keeping rich functionality including dedicated multimedia and voice calling controls. For working in low light, users can turn on the keyboard’s backlight available for the first time on an enterprise-class ThinkPad laptop. Additionally, in keeping with ThinkPad tradition, the keyboard features spill resistance.

Rich Sound, Riveting Pictures for Music and Movies

Business PCs typically aren’t known for their audio/visual experience, but the ThinkPad X1 laptop changes that with its rich and resonant sound thanks to Dolby Home Theatre v4 and superbright (350 NIT) high-definition display. Whether listening through headphones, built-in speakers or a connected home theater, users will experience a captivating entertainment experience. Also, with the laptop’s HDMI port and Intel Wireless Display technology, users can choose to connect or stream 1080p wirelessly to a TV or projector.

Ultra-Thin Design Meets Elite Performance

As the thinnest ThinkPad, the ThinkPad X1 laptop measures less than 17 mm. Packed into the ultra-thin form factor are 2^nd generation Intel Core processors which are typically offered on Lenovo’s larger 14 and 15-inch laptops. This allows the ThinkPad X1 laptop to double the CPU performance and quadruple the graphics performance of the ThinkPad X300, Lenovo’s previous flagship 13-inch laptop.

Starting at only 3.7 pounds or 1.72 kgs, the ThinkPad X1 laptop feels incredibly light and sturdy thanks to its interior roll cage and magnesium chassis. The screen uses Corning^® Gorilla^® Glass for extra durability, rigidity and scratch resistance. The hardened ThinkPad X1 passes eight military specifications so that mobile professionals can work anywhere with confidence.

Recharge Fast with RapidCharge and Go Wireless Longer

The ThinkPad X1 laptop debuts Lenovo’s new RapidCharge battery technology that charges a battery to 80 percent in just 30 minutes. This technology charges 2.5 times faster than a typical ThinkPad battery, giving users more freedom to work on-the-go faster. RapidCharge combines fast charge cells with a 1,000 cycle battery designed to last three years. Users can also opt to purchase a RapidCharge external slice battery for the ThinkPad X1 laptop to double their battery life to 10 hours of battery life. It also affords battery savings of 30 percent when used in Low Power Multimedia Mode to play music, movies and more. And with Instant Resume, users can keep their wireless connection, whether its WiFi or mobile broadband, even when the laptop goes into sleep mode, up to 90 minutes

 

Business-Class Innovations

Lenovo’s ThinkPad laptops feature a platform of new innovations that respond to key business needs including: video and voice calling, enterprise management and an easy-to-use computing experience.  Using its optional mobile broadband 720p camera, high definition microphones and advanced calling modes, the ThinkPad X1 laptop delivers clear video calls. It also offers robust layers of security with optional Intel vPro technology, encrypted hard drives with remote management support and a fingerprint reader with one touch swipe for power on and authentication.

For quick and easy startup and shutdown, the laptop features Lenovo Enhanced Experience 2.0 for Windows 7 – an exclusive certification for Lenovo products that allows users to start their laptop on average 20 seconds faster than a typical Windows 7 computer

Pricing and Availability[1] 

The ThinkPad X1 laptop is now available for pre-order through business partners with pricing that starts at PhP120,000.

For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter and Facebook.

About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a $US21 billion personal technology company serving customers in more than 160 countries, and the world’s fourth-largest PC vendor. Dedicated to building exceptionally engineered PCs and mobile internet devices, Lenovo’s business is built on product innovation, a highly-efficient global supply chain and strong strategic execution.  Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services. Its product lines include legendary Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea-branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina.  For more information see www.lenovo.com

Images by Ricky Castillo

---

HTC MOBILE PHONE LAUNCHING W/ THE STARS

 

HTC’s Mr. Wee Liam So, ASEAN Technical Manager of HTC and Mr. Mark Sergio, Country Manager of HTC Philippines together with local celebrities as they pose for a photograph during the HTC MOBILE PHONE LAUNCHING held recently at the Republique bar in Resorts World Manila.  

 

                                             HTC BLACK SENSATION

HTC UNVEILS THE STYLISH AND COMPACT HTC WILDFIRE S AND MULTIMEDIA SUPERPHONE – HTC SENSATION^TM

HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today unveiled two of its latest products, the multimedia superphone HTC Sensation and the advanced new HTC Wildfire S to capture the attention of the fast-growing smartphone lovers in the Philippines.

HTC Sensation: The Best in its Class

HTC is making available to the Philippine market the HTC Sensation, a smartphone that shines a spotlight on entertainment with HTC’s new HTC Watch™ video service.  Crafted with premium design elements, the HTC Sensation features the company’s latest HTC Sense™ experience that puts people at the center by making their smartphones work in a more simple and natural way.

"HTC is proud to continue to revolutionalise the mobile multimedia market and bring forth a new generation of pocket-sized entertainment centers," said Lennard Hoornik, President, HTC South Asia Pacific. "The HTC Sensation takes the multimedia smartphone to another level by combining the great new HTC Watch entertainment experience with the latest HTC Sense experience to deliver a powerful and amazing experience to our customers."

Premium Design and Materials

Tapping into HTC’s trademark design language, the HTC Sensation’s premium look and feel is enhanced by its rounded edges, aluminum unibody construction and the touch screen surface is protected by a contoured screen that feels more natural as a finger is glided across it. The 4.3-inch qHD display delivers high-resolution widescreen viewing and gives the HTC Sensation slender proportions that feel natural in a person’s hand. At the heart of the HTC Sensation beats a powerful, 1.2-gigahertz dual-core Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processor, which enables gorgeous graphics and

all-around fast performance.

HTC Sense

Complementing the HTC Sensation’s premium design is the latest HTC Sense experience that boasts a host of new features and enhancements, helping people to have more fun and get more done.

HTC Sense introduces a customizable active lockscreen experience that transforms the lockscreen into a real-time window to the most important information and content, such as social updates, photos, weather or stock updates that are viewed by simply turning on the display.

In addition, the new active lockscreen becomes a customizable gateway that lets people quickly jump to the most used features, like making a phone call, sending an email, taking a picture or anything else with the same quick gesture usually used to unlock the phone. The camera can be launched from the lock screen with a single motion, saving precious seconds when  trying to capture the action. Sharper graphics, vibrant animations and new widgets make HTC Sense look better than ever and, by continuing to focus on all of the aspects, both large and small, that make HTC Sense special, HTC introduces a more cinematic and immersive weather experience with stunning imagery and audible weather effects. 

 

                                                      HTC RED SENSATION

·         Surf In Style

With the HTC Wildfire S, being offline is not an option as web surfing is made easy for you. Enjoy multi-window browsing on a vivid 3.2-inch screen that also automatically resizes texts when you zoom in and out. Simply highlight text you’re reading about to quickly look it up on Google, Wikipedia or YouTube. Stay connected on the move as you are at home.

·         Shape and Form

101.3mm (L) X 59.4mm (W) X 12.4mm (T), Weight: 105g (with battery)

·         Snap, Tag and Share Instantly

Share a photo you’ve snapped with your HTC Wildfire S camera or received from a friend easily on Facebook or your other favourite social networks. Select any photo on your phone, upload and tag it instantly for all your friends to see.

·         App-Sharing In A Snap

With over 100,000 of the latest applications, games and tools, available on the Android market, download them straight onto your phone and also share your favourites with friends. Fill your phone with everything you love in life.

·         Express Yourself

Make the HTC Wildfire S your very own. Express your personality and customize it with colorful skins, soundsets and widgets – all available to download directly from your phone. Also download inspiring scenes that matches your social, entertainment or more serious side (for those that have one).

 

                                                  HTC GRAY SENSATION

HTC Wildfire S from HTC at a glance:

Processor	600 MHz
Operating system	Android™ with HTC Sense™
Memory	ROM: 512 MB RAM: 512 MB
Dimensions	101.3 mm (L) x 59.4 mm (W) x 12.4 mm (T)
Weight	105 grams (with battery)
Display	3.2-inch touch screen with 320x 480 HVGA resolution
Network	HSPA/WCDMA (900/2100 MHz) GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) (Band frequency, HSPA availability, and data speed are operator dependent)
Internet	3G: Up to 7.2 Mbps download speed Up to 384 kbps upload speed GPRS: Up to 114 kbps download speed Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
Tethering	USB and Wi-Fi® tethering
GPS	Internal GPS antenna
Sensors	G-sensor Digital Compass Proximity Sensor Ambient Light Sensor
Connectivity	3.5 mm stereo audio jack Standard micro-USB (5-pin micro-USB 2.0) Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth	Bluetooth® 3.0 with FTP/OPP for file transfer A2DP for wireless stereo headsets Other supported profiles: AVRCP, GAP, GOEP, HFP, PBAP, SPP, Service Discovery Application Profile
Camera	5.0 megapixel colour camera with auto focus and flash

 

HTC’s Mr. Wee Liam So, ASEAN Technical Manager and Mr. Mark Sergio, Country Manager of HTC Philippines together with ABS-CBN Kapamilya and GMA Kapuso stars who graced and testified about the versatillity of the new HTC phone. 

 

HTC phone models pose for a photograph during the HTC launching held recently at the Republique bar in Resorts World Manila.

About HTC

HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones and tablets that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.

                                                                                Text and Images by Ricky Castillo