Snowden to work for mystery Russian website

MOSCOW - US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden will on Friday start working for a major Russian website, his lawyer said, sparking speculation his new employer could be Russia's largest social network.

Snowden's lawyer Anatoly Kucherena declined to give the name of the company but attention centred on VKontakte which is seen as the Russian equivalent of Facebook.

"Edward Snowden will start working at a big Russian company on Friday, November 1. His job will be to support and develop a major Russian website," Kucherena told the Interfax news agency.

The charismatic founder of VKontakte Pavel Durov, often described as the Russian Mark Zuckerberg after the equally youthful Facebook supremo, publicly offered Snowden a post in August.

"We invite Edward Snowden to Saint Petersburg and will be glad if he decides to join the star team of programmers," Durov wrote on his social networking page on the same day as Snowden received asylum in the country.

Twenty-nine-year-old Durov, who co-founded the social networking service in 2006, suggested Snowden could work on "protecting the personal data of millions of our users".

VKontakte, or In Touch, says it has over 100 million users.

VKontakte spokesman Georgy Lobushkin told RIA Novosti news agency he could not comment on speculation that Snowden would work there.

Two other major Russian Internet companies, Mail.Ru Group and Yandex, issued outright denials, saying they had not hired Snowden, RIA Novosti reported.

Snowden spent more than a month in a Moscow airport before receiving a year's temporary asylum August after exposing massive surveillance by the US National Security Agency.

His lawyer has said in interviews that the fugitive is running short of money. So far a supporters' website has raised almost $49,000 in donations.

Snowden willing to 'shed light' on US spying in Germany

Lawyer Kucherena told Interfax that her client would not respond to questions from foreign secret services about US spying which has caused an uproar after revelations of eavesdropping on foreign leaders.

"According to an agreement, while he is in Russia, he cannot reveal secret information," she said, responding to a question on the possibility her client could be questioned over suspected eavesdropping on German Chancellor Angela Merkel

However German public television ARD reported Thursday that Snowden had met with Green Party lawmaker Christian Strobele in a secret location with two journalists.

"He proved that he knows many things. He is willing in principle to help shed light" on the spying, Strobele told the station.

He added that Snowden declared his willingness "to come to Germany to testify" if the right conditions were in place, or to testify in Russia.

The most recent revelations from intelligence leaked by Snowden came in a Washington Post report alleging that NSA technicians had tapped into Yahoo and Google data centres around the world, winning access to vast amounts of private data.

Wanted for espionage by Washington, Snowden has been living in hiding and keeping off the radar in Moscow with what his lawyer called "small alterations in his appearance."

Popular Russian website Life News published a photograph on Thursday apparently showing Snowden on a boat trip in central Moscow, without glasses and wearing a cloth cap.

The website, which specialises in sensational scoops, said the photograph was taken in September and that it paid 100,000 rubles ($3,122) for the image.

The same website earlier this month published a photograph of Snowden pushing a shopping trolley, later confirmed as authentic by Kucherena.

Life News, which has close contacts with law enforcement officials, said the photograph "proves that the former US agent either lives permanently in Moscow or visits regularly".

A video was released this month showing Snowden meeting four US whistleblowers, who presented him with an award in an unidentified location that appeared to be in Russia.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

A look at Google's Nexus 5 smartphone

SAN FRANCISCO - Google on Thursday unveiled its Nexus 5 smartphone, putting its premium brand on a device intended to champion the latest version of its Android operating system.

The hotly anticipated addition to Google's Nexus line is powered by a new "KitKat" version of Android, which was redesigned to work across the wide range of handsets built with the Internet titan's free software inside.

"Now you have one version of the Android operating system that can ship across all versions of smartphones in 2014," Sundar Pichai, head of the Android and Chrome teams, said while providing a look at the new software and Nexus 5.

"As we get on our way to reach the next billion people, we want to do it with the latest version of Android."

The move aims to solve the problem that the wide variety of Android systems used around the world make it challenging for makers of fun, functional or hip smartphone or tablet apps to design programs that work on all devices.

Being stuck with old versions of Android also means that users don't get access to upgrades or improvements cranked out by Google.

Apple executives routinely boast about how most users of its iPhones, iPads and iPod touches are on the latest version of the iOS operating system while many Android users are stuck with old versions.

Changes in KitKat included fine tuning it to work with the limited memory capacities of Android smartphones priced for markets in developing countries or other places where buyers are on tight budgets.

"It is important to us to get the same version of Android to scale across all versions of devices," Pichai said.

Google partnered with South Korean consumer electronics giant LG to make the Nexus 5 smartphone to showcase the prowess of KitKat.

The Nexus 5 was available for purchase in 10 countries through Google's online Play shop, priced at $349 for a 16-gigabyte model and $399 for a version with 32 gigabytes of memory.

KitKat was released to handset makers to begin building their own smartphones using the software, according to Pichai.

"It is a cutting-edge operating system meant to run on cutting-edge phones, but it can run on older phones as well," Pichai said.

It is up to Android smartphone makers whether to push KitKat updates to people using their devices running on old versions of the operating system.

"The idea is to finally unify all of the Android operating systems to the point where they stop fragmenting," said analyst Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies in Silicon Valley.

"Vendors have every reason to keep their customer bases happy."

KitKat improves the smartphone user interface with richer and more immersive graphics while tapping into Google data centers for features such as anticipating what smartphone users wants to see before being asked.

For example, a KitKat-powered smartphone can recognize when you are near a movie theater and automatically pop up film times.

KitKat also takes into account what most people do at a certain spot to predict what a smartphone user might want, Pichai explained.

If the software noticed a person was by Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park it would automatically display information about when it was due to spout.

If an incoming telephone call is from a business, information from its website will be displayed as the handset rings.

"Our vision is that every time you pick up the phone, the information you want is right there in front of you," Pichai said.

"This is the kind of thing we really get excited about doing; bringing the power of Google smarts to the device."

Making KitKat the one Android operating system to rule them all will help Google's position in smartphones, according to Bajarin.

Google is both a rival and an ally to Android smartphone makers.

While Google has worked with partners to make Nexus brand smartphones for several years, its acquisition of Motorola Mobility last year has made it a competitor in handset hardware.

Leading Android smartphone maker Samsung this week held its first developers conference to encourage creation of apps for its devices, particularly those powered by the South Korean consumer electronics giant's own Tizen software.

"Samsung is very much at odds with Google," Bajarin said.

"Samsung is only going to continue to win if they control their own destiny," he continued. "If they have to rely on Google their future is limited."

Google, Apple and Microsoft each control smartphone hardware and software to lure fans with mobile device "ecosystems" and Samsung likely intends to follow suit, according to the analyst.

"Samsung will be in a tough place if they don't end up controlling the operating system themselves," Bajarin said. "Right now, they are beholden to Google."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Snacking guide to Tokyo Disney

Aside from the attractions to ride and characters to meet, there are lots of fun eats to discover at the happiest place on earth!

Alien Mochi Heads

Since they are called the Little Green Dumplings, one would think that they are made with green siomai wrappers.

Instead, they are strawberry cream, chocolate cream and custard filled mochi balls. Definitely cute and also very tasty.

Find them at where else? The Tomorrowland restaurant near the Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters attraction, as well as at a refreshments cart at the Toy Story Mania ride at DisneySea.

Themed Vending Machines

From afar, they look like huge robots in Tomorrowland and giant pastel-colored teapots near Alice's Tea Party in Fantasyland.

Look closer and you'll discover that they are actually vending machines.

Mickey Mouse Ice Cream

Be sure to grab an ice cream sandwich or a chocolate-covered ice cream stick (a staple among the park's five locations) because no Disney park visit anywhere in the world seems complete without one of these signature frozen delights.

For more Food tips and adventures, check out the latest issue of Food magazine. Digital Edition available on iTunes and Zinio (www.zinio.com/food).

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Facebook shares recover as investors shrug off falling usage

Facebook Inc shares steadied on Thursday after wobbling in the wake of post-earnings comments by company executives about slowing use and a strategy of not increasing the frequency of ads shown to users.

Facebook shares breached the $50 mark in heavy premarket trading after at least 10 Wall Street analysts raised their price targets, to as much as $63. The stock has nearly doubled in value this year.

The company reported better-than-expected results on Wednesday, helped by strong advertising revenue. But Chief Financial Officer David Ebersman later said there had been a decrease in daily users, specifically among younger teens.

Ebersman also said the company would not boost the frequency of ads -- one per 20 stories in the newsfeed -- shown to users.

Facebook's shares soared as much as 15 percent in extended trading on Wednesday before suddenly falling to $47.40, down 3 percent from their $49.10 close. The stock settled at $49.16.

Analysts said on Thursday the move to stick to the number of newsfeed ads was likely a right strategy.

"We believe managing ad load is important to maintaining the user experience for the long term," J.P. Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth said in a client note. The analyst raised his price target on the stock by $9 to $62.

Facebook's newsfeed ads, which inject paid marketing messages into a user's stream of content, have boosted the company's revenue and its stock price.

But the company has had to be careful not to turn off users with too many ads.

Facebook's third-quarter advertising revenue rose 66 percent, with mobile ads making up about half of total ad revenue.

"The well-above trend figure provides confidence that growth can continue at a rapid clip," Pivotal Research Group analyst Brian Wieser said in a note, upgrading the stock to "buy" from "hold."

Some analysts said that while early teenagers were ditching Facebook, some were joining Facebook-owned Instagram. This puts the company in a good position to monetize the mobile photo-sharing app, they said.

"We continue to see two major catalysts in Instagram and video ads, which could be FB's next billion-dollar business," Jefferies & Co analysts said.

According to some reports, Facebook is set to unveil video ads, that are expected to autoplay, in newsfeeds.

UBS raised its price target on the stock to $62 from $60, RBC Capital Markets to $60 from $52 and Stifel Nicolaus to $56 from $50.

(Reporting by Saqib Iqbal Ahmed and Soham Chatterjee; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

New York City bans sale of cigarettes to under 21s

NEW YORK CITY - New York City voted Wednesday to ban the sale of cigarettes, e-cigarettes and tobacco to anyone under the age of 21, raising the previous threshold of 18.

New York is the first large city to raise the age limit so high, a resolution that follows years of increasingly stringent laws on tobacco.

The federal age requirement for buying cigarettes is 18, which some states previously raised to 19.

A spokeswoman for New York City council said the proposal was approved by 35 votes to 10.

New York was the pioneer of a ban on smoking in bars, restaurants and public places -- initially criticised -- but since adopted in cities across the West.

Cigarette taxes are also the highest in the US.

Authorities hope that raising the legal age for buying cigarettes will reduce the number of smokers aged 18-20 by 55 percent.

But the move will be unpopular among those who feel that outgoing Mayor Michael Bloomberg has already over-stepped the line between protecting public health and interfering with personal choice.

City hall has said that in 10 years the percentage of adults who smoke has fallen from 21.5 percent in 2002 to 14.8 percent in 2011.

Among young people it has remained unchanged since 2007, at 8.5 percent according to official statistics.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Raptors down Celtics to snap opening night drought

TORONTO - The Toronto Raptors finally sent an opening night crowd home with a smile and a win when they held on to beat the Boston Celtics 93-87 to raise the curtain on a new National Basketball Association season on Wednesday.

Rudy Gay had 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds to pace the Raptors while Amir Johnson and DeMar DeRozan each chipped in with 13 as Toronto ended a run of three straight home opening losses.

"It was the first game of the season and we're coming off a whole week without playing," Gay said.

"So I think we were a little rusty at the beginning. We shook the rust off and came back."

The loss was the first of what is expected to be many for the Celtics after they dismantled their team in the wake last year's first round playoff exit by trading away Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce - the last two members of the Big Three who had led them to two NBA finals and one title.

The Celtics fielded a lineup of unfamiliar names and Jeff Green led the scoring with a game high 25 points, while Brandon Bass added 17 and Brazilian Vitor Faverani 13.

"We had some sloppy moments but a lot of them were out of effort," said Celtics first-year coach Brad Stevens.

"A lot of them while we were flying down the court at two levels too fast and we made a few errors.

"But you know you can live with a few errors like that, you can live with errors when you are playing hard."

Celtics supporters can only hope they will not be tested in the same way Raptors fans have since the last time the franchise made the playoffs in 2008.

For a moment on Wednesday it was as if nothing had changed, the Celtics raced to 6-0 lead to take the buzz out of the opening night festivities even before the smoke from the pre-game pyrotechnics had lifted from the court.

But by the half the party was back in full swing at a soldout Air Canada Centre with the Raptors comfortably ahead 49-37.

A third quarter fight back saw the Celtics erase a 16 point Toronto lead to pull level at 71-71 and keep things interesting through the fourth but it was Toronto celebrating the win.

"We fought," said Green. "We fought, it didn't matter how many we were down.

"We tied the game and then we took the lead. But we had a few costly turnovers that set us back. But as long as we keep fighting I think we'll be in a lot of games." (Editing by Nick Mulvenney)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Purple-haired Bianca Gonzalez on Mega cover

MANILA – Years after doing a couple of sexy pictorials, television host Bianca Gonzalez graces the cover of a fashion magazine, this time with purple hair.

Gonzalez, one of the hosts of the ABS-CBN morning show “Umagang Kay Ganda,” shows off her short locks on the cover of the November 2013 cover of Mega Magazine.

She is seen wearing a gray see-through dress on the cover, which was shot against a background of the same color to further emphasize her new hairstyle.

“Be liberated!” Mega Magazine said in a caption for the photo of the cover, which was uploaded on its Facebook page late Wednesday.

In a post on her Instagram page, Gonzalez said her new look is part of her endorsement of the hair care brand Vidal Sassoon Philippines.

“Sporting #theBianca hair (naks!) that I’m already really loving! If you’re thinking of changing your look, now is the time, go for it!!!!” she wrote as she uploaded a photo of her newest magazine cover.

Several Instagram users, including some of Gonzalez’ friends from showbiz, praised the TV host’s new look.

“Gandrous b!!!! Classy!!!!!:)” actress-host Toni Gonzaga wrote.

“Winner!” said former TV host Cheska Kramer.

Actress Marian Rivera, for her part, commented on Gonzalez’ Mega Magazine cover by typing in three heart symbols.

Early this year, Gonzalez appeared on the cover of the men’s magazine Rogue wearing a dress with an asymmetrical hemline, which revealed a part of her back.

In 2012, she went topless for the cover of Esquire Philippines.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

CamSur electric coop gets extension on debt deadline

MANILA, Philippines - Power was restored in Iriga City and other parts of Camarines Sur after its electric cooperative won an extension to next week to pay its supplier San Miguel Global Power.

Camarines Sur was supposed to be cut off from the power grid Wednesday after failing to meet a 12 noon deadline to settle its unpaid electricity bills. It did experience a power outage that lasted 15 minutes.

In a text message, Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla said an extension to the November 4 deadline was granted after negotiations between him, Camarines Sur mayors, the management of Camarines Sur Electric Cooperative 3 (Casureco 3) and San Miguel.

"I have negotiated with [San Miguel] for extension due to holidays. This means debt will be further incurred at a rate of P1.3 million per day until disconnection happens or debts are settled," he said.

Petilla, hower, says the extension will further bloat Casureco's P100 million debt by P1.3 million a day until it pays its debt.

Iriga Mayor Ronald Alfelor said Wednesay Iriga itself has not been remiss in paying its electric bills because these should be offset against the taxes owed by Casureco 3. - ANC

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Candle-lit vigil for gay rights after Italy youth suicide

ROME - Hundreds of gay rights activists held a candle-lit vigil at Rome's Colosseum Wednesday to call for a law against homophobia after a youth threw himself off the 11th story of a building in the Italian capital.

Some 500 activists and protesters holding candles, flowers and placards reading "I am gay" and "No Homophobia" demanded action after the latest in a series of suicide acts by gay students which have shocked the nation.

"This is a moment of pain for the homosexual community. These suicides are too much, they reveal a world of solitude and gay suffering," said LGBT activist Vanni Piccolo.

"We are calling for a real commitment from the institutions and not just words," he said.

The death this week of the 21-year-old known publicly as Simone D. followed two other youth gay suicides this year in Rome.

"We are here to launch a message against loneliness, we have to look after our young, gay or otherwise in this city and country," said Aurelio Mancuso, head of the Equality Italy association.

"We need a national plan to combat youth marginalisation," he said.

In his suicide note, Simone reportedly wrote that "Italy is a free country, but there are homophobes and those like that must search their consciences."

"Simone's tragic gesture, and leaving a note which was also a condemnation, reminds us of the country's inability to give people of diverse sexual orientations equal dignity," said Senate vice-president Valeria Fedeli, who attended the vigil.

Parliament must "approve a law against homophobia ... as quickly as possible, to restore equality, freedom and respect to Italy," she said.

In September, Amnesty International slammed Italy's lack of legislation against crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity as "unacceptable", saying it fell foul of international human rights laws.

Italy's lower house began in July to debate a bill which would outlaw homophobic hate crimes but it met opposition from Catholic figures within the centre-right who complained such a law risked curtailing freedom of speech.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Obama vows health website fix, says some rates may rise

BOSTON - President Barack Obama took the heat Wednesday for his health reforms' bungled rollout, and acknowledged perhaps for the first time that some Americans will pay more for coverage under Obamacare.

One month after the October 1 debut of the online portal, thousands of Americans have signed up for new health insurance but millions more have been stymied by a cascade of technical problems afflicting HealthCare.gov.

And Republican critics have jumped all over the administration for the law itself, saying millions of Americans were being kicked off current plans because of Obamacare, and that many will end up paying more for new coverage that must comply with the reforms.

Obama took his defense of his signature domestic legislation to Boston, in the state where his 2012 Republican presidential rival Mitt Romney unveiled a universal health coverage plan seven years ago that Obama used as "the model for the nation's law."

"I take full responsibility for making sure it gets fixed ASAP," Obama told a crowd. "We're working overtime to improve it every day."

He also acknowledged that some rate hikes may occur.

"There's a fraction of Americans with higher incomes who will pay more on the front end for better insurance with better benefits and protections like the patient's bill of rights, and that will actually save them from financial ruin if they get sick," Obama said in what is believed to be the first time he has made such an admission.

"But nobody is losing their right to health care coverage. And no insurance company will ever be able to deny you coverage or drop you as a customer altogether. Those days are over, and that's the truth."

Efforts by critics to scare people into thinking their insurance company was dropping customers without providing equal or better coverage were "grossly misleading," Obama said.

He was immediately hit with criticism from the country's top Republican, House Speaker John Boehner, who recalled the president's promise that Americans could keep their insurance plan if they liked it.

"It wasn't true when he said it years ago, and, as millions of Americans are finding out, it's not true now," Boehner said.

"All across the country, cancellation notices are hitting mailboxes because of the train wreck that is the president's health care law. Millions are being forced to buy new, Washington-approved plans, regardless of whether they liked their old plan or not and often at a higher cost."

Skeleton policies that do not measure up to Obamacare's rules, including not providing free mammograms or charging women 50 percent more than men, will need to be changed to conform to the law.

Republicans have sought for years to repeal or defund Obamacare. With the website glitches, they are now calling for a delay to the so-called individual mandate, which compels nearly all Americans to have insurance by next year or pay a fine.

Obama acknowledged that the rollout was tarnished by the poor functionality of the website, which in the first few weeks prevented many users from enrolling.

"Right now the website is too slow, too many people have gotten stuck. And I'm not happy about it," Obama said.

But he turned to the Romney plan as an example of how early problems and low enrollment numbers could be overcome.

"Today, there is nearly universal coverage in Massachusetts," Obama said.

Back in Washington, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius regretted that navigating the online portal has been a "miserably frustrating experience" for many.

"Let me say directly to these Americans: You deserve better. I apologize. I'm accountable to you for fixing these problems," Sebelius, the most senior administration official to testify before Congress on the law, told a closely-watched House of Representatives panel.

Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Fred Upton said he has seen little improvement since October 1.

"Sadly here we are now five weeks into enrollment and the news seems to get worse by the day," Upton said.

"After more than three years to prepare, malfunctions have become the norm."

Sebelius appeared at the third hearing in a week addressing the faulty start to Obamacare.

With Republicans seizing on the policy cancellation letters, Sebelius pushed back, saying it was insurance companies altering their inadequate plans in order to conform with Obamacare.

"This market has always been the Wild West," she said of the individual marketplace, in which some five percent of Americans buy health coverage.

Democrats like Henry Waxman rode to Sebelius's rescue.

"The early glitches in this rollout will soon be forgotten," he told the panel, "and then every American will finally have access to affordable health insurance."

Last week, the lead contractors, which collectively have been paid hundreds of millions of dollars to create and manage the website, said there was insufficient testing of the online portal.

Asked if the two weeks of end-to-end testing was enough, Sebelius replied "clearly not."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Matt Evans hospitalized

MANILA -- Actor Matt Evans was hospitalized on Wednesday in Laoag, Ilocos Norte because of gastroenteritis or infectious diarrhea.

The actor admitted that he enjoyed feasting on Ilocano dishes like kilawin na kambing, kilawin na isda and binagoongan.

According to medical website WebMD, gastroenteritis is inflammation of the stomach and intestines, which leads to diarrhea and vomiting. Among its causes is irritation from particular foods.

Evans, who arrived in Laoag last October 28, is taking a break with his wife, Katrina Fariñas, who is from the province.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Want to make your first million? Here are some tips

MANILA, Philippines – Students planning for their future should not only start saving, but should also consider investing their money.

On ANC’s “On The Money,” financial planning expert Salve Duplito stressed the power of compounding, saying that while saving up is important, there are bigger rewards in investing.

Savings as little as P25 every day from daily allowances can make earning that first million possible before the age of 50 if it is invested.

“If you start saving P25 every school day starting today and invest that at an 8% return every year, your little savings will grow to a million by age 49,” she said.

Putting money in individual stocks of companies that you are familiar with should also be considered.

“If you invested P25,000 in Jollibee in 2003, your money would be worth around P234,882 by early September 2013,” she said. This amount does not include dividends paid out by Jollibee over the period.

“This historical returns in no way guarantee that you will enjoy the same earnings in the future, but they show you what can happen if you study investing and not afraid of losing some money while learning,” said Duplito.

She noted that students are in the best position to invest because they have the luxury of time to learn, to make mistakes, and to recover.

Students with huge savings and are not breadwinners of the family can also benefit from the power of compounding.

For instance, a student with P200,000 savings can invest half of the amount in direct investments in blue chip stocks or equity funds.

The amount of P50,000 can be placed in a time deposit or money market account, while the remaining P50,000 can be used to start a business.

Duplito advised that personal and business finances should be separated.

“This way, you won’t spend money on gadgets you suddenly think you need. When you do that, you cannibalize your own business and at the same time, you can also avoid putting all your money into the business and forget to save for your future,” she said.

When eyeing that first million, Duplito suggested laying out figures on an Excel worksheet to figure out how much to invest every month and what kind of returns to target to reach the goal.

“Let interest from your investments earn interest and you will see the miracle of compounding by the time you reach 30,” she said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

PH firm launches alternative to plastic bag

MANILA, Philippines – D&L Industries, a food and plastic input manufacturer, has launched a new product in partnership with Japanese firm Showa Denko as an alternative to the conventional plastic bag.

The new product is the Bionolle Starcla, an environmentally-friendly bag made from 100% plant-based materials, said Alvin Lao, chief financial officer of D&L Industries.

“We are very excited about this because of the worldwide initiative to ban plastics from all kind of uses, this is seen as a viable alternative,” Lao told ANC on Thursday.

Bionolle Starcla is a starch-based biopolymer that can be used as garbage and shopping bags that fully decomposes in three months.

“Put it in the ground, put it in water, and it will literally dissolve with no residue left in three months,” said Lao.

Currently, D&L Industries is shipping the product to Japan to be used in agriculture.

“We have started shipping this to Japan in small quantities, being used mostly in agriculture. The idea is to use this film to cover plants and when the planting is done, and instead of retrieving all the film, the farmers can just plow this into the ground,” Lao said.

The firm is also in talks with several companies in Italy, a country which Lao said “desires to be at the forefront of technologies like this.”

Lao noted that they have yet to release the product in the Philippine market, saying that doing so may take more time.

“We need to educate the market and convince them that this is not the same as the plastic bag that we are used to, and that there is sustainable reason for products like this,” he said.

The partnership between D&L and Showa Denko to manufacture Bionolle Starcla was announced in January this year.

In its website, D&L described the Bionolle Starcla as an environmentally friendly compound positioned as an alternative to non-biodegradable plastic used for bags.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Jessy is Korea's honorary ambassador for tourism

MANILA -- "Maria Mercedes" star Jessy Mendiola has been tapped by South Korea to be its honorary ambassador for tourism, a position earlier held by the likes of K-pop superstars Psy and Jay Park.

The 20-year-old actress left for the country on Tuesday night to attend her ceremonial appointment to the position, which will be conferred on her by the Korean Tourism Organization (KTO).

Mendiola, according to an ABS-CBN statement released Wednesday, will immediately attend to her duties as ambassador. This includes a five-day trip to famous tourist destinations in South Korea, and a meeting with KTO chairman Charm Lee.

As an honorary KTO ambassador, Mendiola will take active part in promoting Korea's tourism to the Philippines.

KTO, on its official website, is described as a government organization that was set up to promote Korean tourism. It is said to have some 27 branch offices internationally.

Previous honorary ambassadors appointed by KTO include Psy and Jay Park, among other Korean personalities, Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan, renowned saxophonist Kenny G, French taekwondo master Roger Piarulli and American actress Moon Bloodgood.

"Isang karangalan ito, and masaya [ako] na napili ako ng KTO," said Mendiola, who has visited the country several times for personal and work-related engagements. "Mabait sa akin ang mga Korean and napamahal na rin ako sa kanila."






Late last year, Mendiola gained popularity in Korea after she appeared in the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) program "Word Date with Shinee," which featured eight ladies from different countries in a meet-and-greet with the popular K-pop boy group.

According to Mendiola, she started getting recognized in Korea after her stint in the show. At the time, the Kapamilya actress said she is open to do more projects there.

Mendiola has since become one of the Philippine endorsers of LINE, a popular Korean mobile messaging platform.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

What is Google hiding in mystery barge?

SAN FRANCISCO - How badly does Google want to keep under wraps a mysterious project taking shape on a barge in San Francisco Bay? Badly enough to require U.S. government officials to sign confidentiality agreements.

At least one Coast Guard employee has had to sign a non-disclosure agreement with the Internet giant, said Barry Bena, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman. Another person who would only identify himself as an inspector for a California government agency had to do the same.

Moored in the shadow of the Bay Bridge off of Treasure Island, a former military base, the nondescript barge is stacked several stories high with white shipping containers, and sprouts what appear to be antennas on top. The hulking structure, half shrouded in scaffolding, has stirred intense speculation in the Bay Area since reports of its existence surfaced late last week.

Technology website CNET theorized that the vessel might be a floating data center that will house banks of computers. Local TV station KPIX said the barge is intended to serve as a floating retail store for Google's "Glass" wearable computer device - although its external appearance, at least thus far, doesn't suggest such a purpose.

Adding to the mystery, a second similar barge was recently spotted in Portland, Maine, and is also registered to By and Large LLC, according to local media reports.

The company itself is keeping mum, refusing even to acknowledge its affiliation with the vessels.

Secrecy is a standard business practice in Silicon Valley, where technology companies such as Apple Inc go to great lengths to keep their latest gadgets under wraps and a constellation of blogs compete to reveal highly prized details.

But the concealment effort surrounding the barge is in another league. Chain-link fences and security guards encircle a pier and a couple of nearby buildings on the island, which sits between San Francisco and Oakland.

A California state inspector, who said he had business in the hangar-like Building 3 where some of the early construction took place, told Reuters he had to surrender his mobile phone and sign a confidentiality agreement in order to enter.

Bob Jessup, a construction company superintendent who works in a building across the street, said Google spent the past year working on the project. He said they fenced off a wide area and brought in at least 40 welders a day, who worked around the clock and refused to say a word.

"They wouldn't give up any of the information," Jessup said. "It was a phenomenal production. None of them would tell us anything."

He said they worked on the inside and the outside of the shipping containers, outfitting them with electronics - "very hush hush" - and then loaded them onto the barge with a crane. They put sides on the containers, with glass windows in some of them. They had to weld them very precisely so they could stack, Jessup recounted.

Jessup said he could not imagine that Google would try to use the floating vessel as a retail outlet. "Who's going to want to climb up in there?" he asked. "It's really ugly."

The vessel is registered to a company called By and Large LLC, and some nearby property on Treasure Island has been subleased to the same firm. Representatives of the firm could not be reached for comment.

Larry Goldzband, the executive director of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, told Reuters his agency has had several meetings with Google officials about the barge in recent months. Yet the company provided little information other than telling him that the vessel will be used for "general technology purposes," he said.

Google "could not give us a specific plan of any kind," not even whether they intended the barge to move or stay in one place, Goldzband said. If the barge remains in place for an extended period of time after its construction is completed, it will require a permit from the BCDC, he said.

"We've asked counsel to get us as much information as soon as they can, so that we can continue the discussion," Goldzband said, referring to Google's law firm.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Heat's James, Wade 'thrilled' to see D-Rose back

MANILA – Miami Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are both “thrilled” to see former league Most Valuable Player (MVP) Derrick Rose return, even if that means that Rose’s Chicago Bulls will become an even bigger threat to the Heat in the Eastern Conference.

Speaking to ESPN, James said he will welcome Rose back before the Heat and the Bulls play in their first game of the season tomorrow in Miami.

“I’m happy and thrilled that he’s back,” said James, adding that he admired how Rose refused to succumb to pressure to return early, and instead took his time rehabbing from a knee injury.

“I’m happy with what he did last year, to be able to stand strong throughout everything, throughout all of the adversity of everybody criticizing him about what he should do,” said James. “He did what was best for him.”

Rose missed all of last season while recovering from an ACL injury, but has shown flashes of the fearsome form that made him the league MVP in 2011 during pre-season games.

“The game needs him,” said Wade. “You never want to see anyone get hurt, especially a player of D-Rose’s caliber. Just because I’m a competitor doesn’t mean I don’t understand the importance of Derrick Rose to basketball.”

“So it’s good to see him back, and good to see him confident. He’s going to make it tougher on everybody,” he added.

Despite the respect that they have for Rose, James, Wade and the rest of the Heat still plan on going all out in the season opener as they start their campaign for a third consecutive championship.

“We don’t like them, and they don’t like us,” James said of the Bulls in a separate ESPN report. “It’s not unheard of. We all know how it is.”

“We’re both trying to do something, trying to win (a championship. You’re going to run into each other along the way and you’re going to dislike each other,” said Wade. “They want to beat us as badly as we want to beat them.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

What to expect from ABS-CBN's new TV shopping program

MANILA – Multimedia conglomerate ABS-CBN launched on Tuesday its second attempt at the TV shopping business with the help of the South Korean firm CJ O Shopping Corp.

The result is a P200-million joint venture called A CJ O Shopping Corp., which lets ABS-CBN broadcast the South Korean firm’s O Shopping program 24/7 on Channel 11 of SkyCable and Global Destiny, as well as on certain times of the day on Channel 2 and Studio 23.

Dubbed as an “infotainment” program, O Shopping lets viewers choose from a wide range of goods, from kitchenware to exercise machines and beauty products.

Aside from the Philippines and South Korea, it airs in six other countries – China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and Turkey.

ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio Lopez III believes that unlike Sky Mall, their first venture into TV shopping, O Shopping has a greater chance of success in the Philippine market.

“TV home shopping is nothing new to our group as we opened Sky Mall in the 1990s. We closed it down a few years after and walked away with a valuable lesson – we need a strong and competent partner. ABS-CBN is in the business of reaching audiences, so we needed a partner in the business of selling great products,” Lopez said during the launch.

“Last year, we finally found the right partner, CJ O Shopping from Korea,” he added, noting how he has been working with the company for the past 18 months.

For his part, CJ O Shopping chief executive officer Harri Lee said: “O Shopping is a complex combination of retail, broadcasting, logistics and IT sytems. Nevertheless, I express with full confidence that A CJ (joint venture) will succeed.”

How it works

Since its test broadcast two weeks ago, O Shopping has been offering 10 Korea-made items – a stovetop oven, a “double” pan, a frying pan set, two sets of pots, an exercise machine, a drying rack, a “roller slide,” a hand blender, and a “rolling styler” for the hair.






A CJ O Shopping president and chief executive officer Eddie Bak said they have conducted focus group discussions and surveys to help them choose the products that are on offer and those that will soon be featured in the program.

“They’re getting information and data on the lifestyle of Filipino consumers, so you’ll be able to select more appropriate products going forward,” Bak said, adding that they are planning to launch apparel and fashion accessories in the future.

Viewers who are interested in a certain product may inquire or place an order by calling O Shopping’s hotline numbers. The items, which can be paid with cash or credit card, will then be delivered to their home within one to seven days.




“In Metro Manila, we have our partners, like CJ Korea Express is an affiliate. And nationwide, we use 2GO,” said ABS-CBN business development head Paolo Pineda.

Asked if they are planning to offer local products in the future, Pineda said: “We’ll start with our partners, but we’re definitely open. We’ll address it at some point.”

Another option

Pineda said O Shopping is one of ABS-CBN’s ways of maximizing the strength of its broadcast arm, although he admitted that they have yet to get a firm grasp on the TV shopping business despite their Sky Mall venture years ago.

“We just felt that we have a strong proposition for our consumers,” he said, adding, “We tried to limit our investment because we are willing to take a chance. And I think the results of CJ O in other Asian countries were the ones that gave us the confidence to go into this.”

While he noted that TV shopping has a long way to go in the Philippines compared to going to malls and surfing the Internet for deals, Pineda said what is important is that they are giving consumers another option.


“We’re selling different products. We want to allow people to buy from other means. So [in the process], you increase everyone’s trust in the system of delivery. And in the end, it will be about the products that you offer,” he said.

“In Korea, there’s a CJ Mall, there’s about a million products there and it’s also available on mobile. It doesn’t stop us from doing anything on other platforms,” he added.

O Shopping airs on SkyCable and Destiny Cable Channel 11 (all day), on Studio 23 (1 to 2 a.m. and 5 to 6 a.m. on weekdays and 1 to 2 a.m. on weekends), and ABS-CBN Channel 2 (after “Banana Nite” on weekdays, after “Sports Unlimited” on Saturdays and after “Sunday’s Best” on Sundays).

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Miss World Megan Young graces 2 mag covers

MANILA – Shortly after her win in this year’s Miss World pageant, Megan Young has been chosen to appear in not one, but two magazine covers this month.

Young graces the cover of the November 2013 issue of the women’s lifestyle magazine Cosmopolitan, wearing a gold glitter dress.

According to a post on the magazine’s website, Cosmo.ph, Young had less than five hours of sleep during the shoot “but she never complained and instead kept the mood upbeat with her sunny smile and fun-loving personality.”


Meanwhile, Hola! Philippines also featured Young on the cover of its November 2013 issue. The celebrity lifestyle magazine printed a photo of Young when she was crowned Miss World last September.

Young is set to visit more than 30 countries this year to fulfill her duties as the reigning Miss World.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Wild Card Gym never the same without Pacman

LOS ANGELES – A couple of boxers, perhaps amateurs, were on the heavy bags, and another, who looked like a pro, sat on a wooden bench, wrapping his hands, legs spread, his back on the wall.

Others minded their own business. There must be a dozen boxers working out at the Wild Card Gym here on this sunny but cool Saturday afternoon. No one was inside the ring.

Somehow, the place looked empty.

The gym’s most famous client, Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, was 7,000 miles away, training for a Nov. 24 fight against Brandon Rios in Macau.

Trainer Freddie Roach, who owns the gym, is in the Philippines with Pacquiao.

Pepper Roach wasn’t around either, and Rob Peters, the security officer, was nowhere in sight as well as Freddie’s assistant, Marie Spivey. Alex Ariza is no longer part of the team.

There was none of the old, familiar faces.

Roger “Speedy” Gonzales, a 28-6-0 fighter, now mans the desk, and welcomes people in.

Pacquiao’s absence is strongly felt because this close to a fight, he should be there working out, packing the gym, drawing all the attention.

People used to line up the metal stairs just to get a glimpse of Pacquiao, and Peters, a Red Sox diehard, had to shoo them away, politely. He closes the doors on them.

Fans would crowd the parking lot, flashing placards, seeking autographs or photographs with Pacquiao. One time, the LAPD had to draw the yellow line.

Hollywood celebrities would come to watch Pacquiao train. One day, Kobe Bryant stopped by.

Not this time.

The Manny Pacquiao merchandise store on the front side of the gray-walled property is gone. The new tenant said they took over the place four months ago and turned it into a nail spa.

Pacquiao’s favorite restaurant, Nat’s Thai Food, was near empty. The owner of the place, Tina, jumped on this scribe, and immediately asked how Pacquiao is doing.

The Filipino superstar loves Thai food, and over the last seven years or so, he would spend a couple of hours inside the restaurant after training.

Business in this Thai restaurant, known for its spicy chicken, deep-fried fish and crab rice, bloomed with Pacquiao who would spend as much as $700 a day for everybody’s meals.

But Pacquiao’s hasn’t been around since December last year when he fought Juan Manuel Marquez. The place had seen better days.

“We really miss him,” said Tina, who would close shop for a couple of days and take her entire family to Las Vegas or even Dallas to watch Pacquiao’s fights.

They all had become friends with Pacquiao. The walls inside this Thai restaurant are adorned with Pacquiao posters and pictures.

Tina knows that Pacquiao is doing his next fight in Macau, and said they were all wishing him the best. It’s the first time since 2006 that Pacquiao is fighting outside the United States.

During a conference call last Thursday, Pacquiao said it’s up to his promoter, Bob Arum, whether he’d fight in the US once more. Well, actually, it’s up to him. If he beats Rios, then the possibility is there. Or it may be all gone.

“I really don’t know yet,” said Pacquiao.

A lot of people are hoping and praying for that possibility.

“We will pray that he wins. We hope he fights here again. We really miss Pacquiao. We love him,” said Tina before heading back to the kitchen.

She kept her tears from falling.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bradley hoping Pacquiao defeats Rios

MANILA, Philippines – Unbeaten American boxer Timothy Bradley Jr. is hoping that Filipino ring icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao will win his November 24 showdown against hard-hitting former champion Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios.

This is because Bradley, who defeated Pacquiao via a highly controversial split decision in June 2012, is hoping to get a rematch against the Filipino boxer.

“I just hope this guy wins, and beats Brandon Rios,” Bradley said in an interview with On the Ropes Boxing Radio. “And I hope he calls my name and says he wants to rematch me or something.”

Bradley recently defeated Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez to retain his WBO welterweight title, and although he has a host of options, he wants to fight Pacquiao again.

“Pacquiao, I want the Pacquiao fight,” Bradley said. “I want the Pacquiao fight for a couple of reasons.”

“One reason is because I can’t move on with my career, I can’t move forward. It’s always a dark side of my career. Every time someone even mentions Pacquiao, it bothers me,” he said.

Beating Pacquiao should have catapulted Bradley into stardom, yet the opposite happened as the American was widely perceived to be the underserving winner.

“I don’t think I lost,” Bradley said. “But a lot of people said that I lot, so I have to go back and revisit that. I got the guy that knocked him out -- Marquez -- and now I got to go back and seal the deal with Pacquiao.”

Bradley believes that if he fights – and beats – Pacquiao a second time, it will be “redemption” for him in a way, and will finally allow him to move on.

“Hopefully he will get into the ring with, hopefully we can fight again, and after I beat Pacquiao, then there is nothing else said about it, there is nothing else said about Pacquiao,” said Bradley.

“I’m going to beat him fair and square, and then I can move forward. Then I can go forward, but I have to go back and revisit that fight,” he added. “I have to fight this guy.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Spain-based Pinay shares her fight vs breast cancer

BARCELONA - Marieclaire De Sagun Rivera, also known as Claire, had been actively involved in business and Filipino community activities in Barcelona. Until one day, she felt a painful lump in her left breast.

“At first naramdaman ko tumigas ang left breast ko. Agad naman pumunta ako ng doktor pero it was a misdiagnosis. I asked for another opinion. Nag-ask ako agad ng mammogram sa kanila. So from then, I was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer stage 2.”

The cancer was aggressive that they had to immediately remove her left breast.

She also had to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatment for a year.




“Noong malaman ko na may breast cancer ako, unang-una kong tinawag yung nasa itaas. Sinabi ko kay Lord, Ikaw na bahala sa akin. Isang malaking factor na nagpalakas ng loob ko, mayroon akong support group, isang pastoral group, they pray for me. Strong faith sa Diyos ang pinakalamalaking bagay.”

Claire, now a cancer survivor, also sourced her strength from her loving husband, family and friends. She continues to receive antibodies treatment and is grateful that cancer treatment in Spain has not incurred her any cost.

Support groups like Oncolliga, a Catalonia-based foundation, also provides psycho-social help to cancer patients and their families.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in developing and wealthy countries alike, according to Asociación Española Contra El Cancer. One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

“Nowadays, we don’t know the main cause of cancer. We know that there are several causes, like contamination, virus, etc. It’s a multi-factorial event,” said Dr. Jesus Soberino, medical oncologist at Hospital Vall d’Hebron in Barcelona.

“A painless cyst in the breast is the most common symptom,” Dr. Soberino added.

“The best way to know if we have a breast cancer, first, is self-examination. Even more for women from 50 years old, that’s the age where the risk is increased. Apart from this, a very good screening program based on mammogram is also very effective. It is the most effective way to detect cancer in earlier stage where we can achieve more effective treatment and where we can cure the patient.”

Aside from early diagnosis, balanced diet, healthy lifestyle and regular exercise are also recommended in cancer prevention.

Claire, a nurse herself, believes in the old adage that ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’, and has a piece of advice to all hardworking Filipinas.

“Siyempre ang main priority natin dito is magtrabaho pero dapat kailangan meron tayong time for ourselves, na kahit nagta-trabaho tayo meron tayong time para alagaan ang sarili natin. Yung medical necessity naman ay libre sa España, so we can have mammogram or physical check-ups sa mga doctors natin, at least makita kaagad kung anong kind of disease na meron tayo.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Top 20 most business-friendly countries

MANILA, Philippines - Singapore remains the world's most business-friendly regulatory environment for local entrepreneurs, according to a new World Bank Group report.

The World Bank report " Doing Business 2014: Understanding Regulations for Small and Medium-Size Enterprises" found that 24 of 25 economies in East Asia and the Pacific have made their regulatory environment more business-friendly in the last five years.

The Philippines was one of the 10 economies that improved the most in making regulation easier for businesses over the past year. However, the Philippines, which ranked 108, remains in the bottom half of the global ranking.

Here's the list of top 20 countries ranked by the ease of doing business:
1. Singapore
2. Hong Kong
3. New Zealand
4. United States
5. Denmark
6. Malaysia
7. South Korea
8. Georgia
9. Norway
10. United Kingdom
11. Australia
12. Finland
13. Iceland
14. Sweden
15.Ireland
16. Taiwan
17. Lithuania
18. Thailand
19. Canada
20. Mauritius

Here is the list of top 10 most improved countries across 3 or more areas of doing business:

1. Ukraine (112)
2. Rwanda (32)
3. Russian Federation (92)
4. Philippines (108)
5. Kosovo (86)
6. Djibouti (160)
7. Cote d' Ivoire (167)
8. Burundi (140)
9. Macedonia (25)
10. Guatemala (79)

The joint World Bank and IFC flagship Doing Business report analyzes regulations that apply to an economy's businesses during their life cycle, including start-up and operations, trading across borders, paying taxes, and resolving insolvency.

The aggregate ease of doing business rankings are based on 10 indicators and cover 189 economies.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

CRISP assigns AA+ issuer rating on Rockwell Land

MANILA, Philippines - Rockwell Land Corp. received an AA+ issuer rating with positive outlook from the Credit Rating and Investors Services Philippines (CRISP), as the property firm offers its 7 1/4th year fixed rate, unsecured P5 billion bonds.

CRISP said the AA+ rating represents its credit rating opinion on a borrower's "very strong capacity to repay debt with a low probability of default and a high recovery rate in worst case scenario."

CRISP noted that Rockwell has established a reputation for innovative, world-class commercial and residential projects for high-end and upper-middle segments.

Rockwell was also cited for its impressive income growth and prudent fiscal management policy. Its annual net income growth has averaged nearly 20% in the last five years.

"CRISP believes that Rockwell Land management's deliberate strategy to focus in the high-end and upper middle segments of the market has provided the company an improved leverage in the competitive property development market," it added.

It also cited an independent survey indicating that Rockwell Center commands the highest capital value in the country at P133,000 per square meter. This is expected to go up by 8% in the next 12 months.

"CRISP assigns a positive outlook to signify its confidence that Rockwell Land’s focused growth strategy will result in stronger financial outcomes, increased market share and a more diversified market presence. This outlook is premised on stable interest rate, robust overseas remittance trends and calm overall political environment," it added.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

ABS-CBN teams up with Korea's CJ for shopping channel

ABS-CBN Corp., the country's leading information and entertainment multimedia conglomerate, is teaming up with South Korean conglomerate CJ Group for a new TV home shopping venture.

ABS-CBN is investing at least P200 million its joint venture with CJ O Shopping, one of the world's largest home shopping companies.

ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio Lopez III said the joint venture, A CJ O Shopping Corp., marks the company's reentry into TV home shopping business after Skymall in the 1990s.

"We closed it down a few years after and walked away with a valuable lesson: We need a strong and competent partner. ABS-CBN is in the business of reaching audiences so we needed a partner in the business of selling great products," he said.

Lopez said it found the right partner in CJ O Shopping. "Choosing the CJ Group was not a difficult one since we share a similar history and adhere to the same work culture. Our companies were both founded by families with roots in the sugar industry and were both born exactly 60 years ago," he said.

CJ O Shopping chief executive officer Harri Lee is confident the TV home shopping channel will be embraced by Filipinos.

"Home shopping business is a complex combination of the retail, broadcasting, logistics, and IT systems. Nevertheless, I express with full confidence that AC J will succeed through the synergy of CJ O Shopping’s global business expertise and ABS-CBN’s trusted image and strong influence over the Philippine population," he said.

The O Shopping channel has started broadcasting 24/7 shopping programs via SkyCable and Global Destiny on Channel 11, as well as programs through ABS-CBN’s Channel 2 and Studio 23 last October 15.

CJ O Shopping is the cable home shopping channel of South Korean conglomerate CJ Group. CJ O Shopping has entered several Asian markets, including China, India, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand.---

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pinay caregiver gets standing ovation on 'X Factor Israel'

MANILA – A 46-year-old Filipina caregiver hopes to change her life by joining the reality show the X Factor in Israel.

"God knows that we are helping our families and they do not know how we sacrifice. Maybe if I join and win in this competition my life will change," Rose Fostanes said during a video presented before her audition.

The caregiver from Tel Aviv lives in a small house with three other friends who also work as caregivers.

"I love my job because I like to take care of old people and to give them some attention," she said.

The single Pinay said she has forgotten to find a partner as working and helping out her family became her priority.

"I'm still single because I have been working for how many years that I forgot to find somebody for me," she said.

For her audition, Fostanes sang a Shirley Bassey song titled "This is my life". She confessed it was her first time to sing in front of a huge crowd.

"I have been watching X Factor for many years. And I can't believe I am here now doing the audition," she said.

When asked by one of the judges if she thinks she could win in the competition, Fostanes' only reply was "I hope so, but I will do my best".

In the end, she proved the judges and the crowd that she's got what it takes to be on the show. After her performance, all four judges and even the audience gave her a standing ovation.

"Take it in. Take it in because you deserve it so much. The song you chose was so right for you," said one of the judges Ivri Lider.

Another judge, Shiri Maimon, commented: "It sounded like a CD playing. It was perfect! It was so perfect! I just can't believe it this is your first time performing on stage. It's crazy".

Meanwhile, judge Rami Fortis said, "It was wonderful! No words. You have the X-Factor!"

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Rob Schneider dares Pacquiao to karaoke

MANILA -- Hollywood comedian Rob Schneider dared Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao to a karaoke match.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News on Monday, the "Deuce Bigalow" star said he would really want to meet the boxer and do a duet.

"Pacquiao, I love you, I'm supposed to meet you for a gig. I want a song with you, I want to do a duet with you. Come on, Manny. You and me, Pacman, karaoke, Manila. You know you want to baby," Schneider dared Pacquiao.

The boxer has been known to enjoy singing and has even recorded songs in the Philippines. He also famously sang Dan Hill's "Sometimes When We Touch" on US late-night shows.

Turning serious, Schneider, who's mother is a Filipina, said he is a big fan of Pacquiao.

"He skills are ridiculous. I don't know of any fighter ever who's gone from 108 lbs. to 155 lbs. just destroying people. Five, seven years, he was just destroying people. I mean no one can keep up with him," he said.

At the same time, Schneider believes that the Filipino's days as a boxer are numbered.

"I think if he wants to continue fighting, I think one more and that's it," he said. "I hope Manny gets to fight on a big stage one more time."

Like other fight fans, he hopes that Pacquiao's last big fight is against unbeaten boxer Floyd Mayweather. And Schneider is confident that the Filipino can defeat the American champion.

"That's the reason why Mayweather has avoided Pacquiao, because Pacquiao will win and he knows it," he said.

Mom's story

Schneider is currently in the country for a one-night stand-up comedy show "Rob Schneider: Live in Manila" on Monday at Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque City.

In the interview, Schneider said he would to do a movie in the Philippines about the life story of her mother.

"My mother has a great story about her childhood during the Japanese occupation. You know her brothers died in the war but that was also the most exciting time in her life. She's telling me stories like they make pajamas out of bed sheets to trade them to get kamote. ...It's a beautiful story about a little girl and I'd like to make that story," Schneider said.

The comedian, who was earlier posting on Twitter photos of Filipino food he is enjoying, also said he is proud to be part-Filipino.






"I'll tell you what, I love it here. I mean, the nicest people I've ever had in my life are my Filipino relatives. ... They are just beautiful people," he said.

"I mean the Filipinos are like the Irish -- their biggest export is the people and they succeed everywhere in the world. I was just in Singapore and the people who are really working hard are the Filipinos. They all know me, they know I'm part Filipino and that makes me feel proud, These are good people to be associated with," he said.

Sense of humor

Schneider also gave some words of encouragement to Filipinos, especially after the country was hit by a strong earthquake.

"You guys deal with, like, all the plagues that hit Egypt, except for the frogs flying. So people, you have to develop sense of humor. You have to, otherwise you will go mad," he said. "You have floods here, clean up the mess and move on -- move on and have laugh about it."

It's a quality that he has noticed among Filipinos.

"You can't go five minutes without somebody laughing," he said. "it's a beautiful quality because it makes you feel comfortable. When you laugh it's a way of making yourself comfortable and making other people comfortable."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Filipino, 4 others killed in Tiananmen car blast

A Filipino and 4 other people were killed while dozens were injured on Monday, the government said, when a car ploughed into pedestrians and caught fire in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, the site of 1989 pro-democracy protests bloodily suppressed by the military.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, asked whether the government believed the incident was a terror attack, said she did not know the specifics of the case and declined further comment.

Police said on their official microblog that the car veered off the road at the north of the square, a major tourist attraction, crossed the barriers and caught fire.

The three people in the car died, they said.

The Beijing city government said on one of its official news websites that a female tourist from the Philippines and a male tourist from southern Guangdong province had also died.

Of the 38 injured, three were tourists from the Philippines and one from Japan, it added.

The central and Beijing governments held a meeting after the incident to speedily investigate what happened and "ensure the security and stability of the capital", it said.

The car crashed almost directly in front of the main entrance of the Forbidden City, where there hangs a huge portrait of the founder of Communist China, Mao Zedong.

Tiananmen Square is always under heavy security due to its proximity to the Zhongnanhai compound of the central leadership and due to the Great Hall of the People which overlooks the square. It is also the site of Mao's mausoleum.

But the square is still a magnet for protesters, especially around the June 4 anniversary of the crushing of the student-led demonstrations in 1989, though they are normally swiftly bundled away by police.

A Reuters witness said he saw fire engines, an ambulance and numerous police cars heading in the direction of the fire, which sent a plume of black smoke into the sky.

The main road through the square was briefly closed. Police also evacuated the main part of the square.

A foreign tourist who was on the square and asked not to be identified said she heard an explosion followed by a fire.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

A look at LG's curved-screen smartphone

SEOUL - LG Electronics unveiled Monday a curved-screen smartphone, taking on rival Samsung in a niche market seen as a first step on the road to fully flexible products.

Despite its name, the "G-Flex" does not bend, but uses flexible OLED (organic light-emitting diode) to produce a curved six-inch display.

The model is "the best representation yet of how a smartphone should be curved," the president of LG's mobile unit Park Jong-Seok said, in a clear dig at Samsung.

Earlier this month, Samsung started retailing its "Galaxy Round" -- a 5.7-inch (14.5 centimetre) handset with a display that curves from side-to-side to fit the contour of the hand.

The "G-Flex" is curved on the vertical axis in order to, the company said, "follow the contour of the face".

Curved displays are already commercially available in large-screen televisions offered by both Samsung and LG.

The displays are supposed to offer a more immersive viewing experience but are significantly more expensive than standard screens.

The Galaxy Round is currently only available in South Korea and retails at 1.08 million won ($1,000).

Curved screens are still at a nascent stage in display technology, which is shifting towards flexible panels that are bendable or can even be rolled or folded.

LG said the G-Flex would be available to South Korean consumers from November, but did not provide a price estimate.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Apple's iPhone sales up for scrutiny

Apple Inc's iPhone sales and revenue forecasts, due to be released on Monday, may offer clues as to whether its low-cost 5C model missed the mark or whether the world's largest tech company can continue its run of smash-hit gadgets.

Signs have emerged that demand for the cheaper model is lagging the top-tier iPhone 5S - both of which went on sale in September - because its $100 discount is proving to be insufficient to motivate emerging market and price-conscious customers.

But some analysts say the concerns are overblown and that a greater proportion of iPhone 5S shipped, translates into better margins and earnings overall.

Apple will be reporting results just a week after taking the wraps off an incrementally improved iPad Air. But it is the iPhone, which accounts for more than half the company's profit and is its highest-margin gadget, that takes center stage.

Apple is expected to report sales of 33 million to 36 million iPhones in its fiscal fourth quarter that ended in September, rising to more than 50 million in the typically strong holiday quarter - the first full quarter of sales of the two new phones.

"Media reports of 5C production cuts are misleading, in our view, given what we think has been strengthening overall 5S/5C production with 5S vectors continuing to strengthen even real time," Timothy Arcuri, an analyst at Cowen & Co, said in a research note.

Apple has come under pressure over the past year or two to bolster sales of its iPhones and iPads as perennial rival Samsung Electronics and cheaper gadgets based on Google Inc's Android software chip away at its once-leading market share.

Its stock has gained 12.5 percent since August, when famously aggressive activist investor Carl Icahn disclosed a large position in the iPhone maker and began making calls for a new, stepped-up $150 billion share buyback program - boosting hopes of a bigger return of cash to shareholders than anticipated.

But the stock is still down about 1 percent this year, vastly underperforming the S&P 500's 23 percent gain.

Longer-term, investors wonder whether the company that revolutionized the cellphone industry and popularized the tablet computer has another groundbreaking device left in it.

Analysts say it will take a genuinely new device – like the oft-rumored smartwatch or some sort of TV – to revive the stock. Investors also hope that Apple will seal a deal to sell phones through China Mobile Ltd, gaining access finally to the country’s largest telecoms operator.

"We do see fewer positive catalysts for the stock as the company finishes its annual product line refresh," Colin Gillis, an analyst at BGC Financial, said in a Friday note to clients.

REALISM

Apple is expected to have moved 15 million iPads in the September quarter, which would be an increase of 1 million over the year-ago quarter.

A month ago, on the back of strong initial sales of its new iPhones, Apple polished its fiscal fourth-quarter financial forecast, saying it expected revenue toward the high end of its previous forecast for $34 billion to $37 billion.

Investors will also look at Apple's December quarter forecasts - once ludicrously conservative but now a better indication of management's expectations - for an idea of the company's holiday-quarter hopes.

Apple is cutting production orders for the plastic-backed, multi-hued model just a month after launch, a source familiar with its supply chain said a week ago, fueling speculation its discount to the 5S may not be enough to drive demand during the crucial shopping season. (Full Story)

Pegatron Corp, which assembles the model, had seen orders reduced by less than 20 percent, said the source, who asked not to be identified because the information is sensitive. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, another major assembly contractor for the 5C, had its orders for the same period reduced by a third, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Beyond holiday projections, analysts want evidence on Monday that profit margins can be sustained as the competition intensifies, and evidence of its ability to innovate.

Wall Street is expecting fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of $36.8 billion, up from $36 billion a year ago, and earnings per share of $7.93, down from $8.67 a year ago, as profit margins come under pressure.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Gadget review: Panasonic Lumix G6

I own a Panasonic Lumix LX3 which, at the time of purchase, was one of the best point-and-shoot cameras in the world. But eventually, I knew I needed something more.

I held off on buying a DSLR, and when the first Micro Four Thirds (MFT) camera was announced, the Panasonic Lumix G1 in 2008, I finally knew what I was waiting for. But it would be four more years until I finally acquired my first MFT camera, the Olympus OMD EM-5. I’ve had no complaints.

But when I was offered the chance to spend a few weeks with the Panasonic Lumix G6, I immediately jumped on it, eager to experience what the other side of the MFT equation had to offer.

Design

The reason many people choose mirrorless cameras is because they offer a smaller profile closer to point-and-shoots while still offering the flexibility of interchangeable lenses like DSLRs. That said, the G6 isn’t on the slim side of Panasonic’s MFT line, though I shouldn’t complain since it isn’t much bigger than my OMD, and a little lighter.






The contoured hand grip, which is the reason for its chunkiness, also feels very good in the hand. Controls are easy to reach and there are five customizable function buttons.

The G6 has a fully articulated LCD touch panel which I much prefer over the tilting LCD of the OMD. The touch screen is very responsive. And unlike most mirrorless cameras, the G6 also has a built-in Electronic View Finder (EVF) which is very useful under extremely sunny conditions, or for those just not used to composing their shots on an LCD.

Quality and performance

I’m not a pro-photographer. Heck, I wouldn’t even call myself a prosumer. More like an ambitious amateur, which means I don’t really do that much post-processing and prefer getting the look I want on camera. Manual is great when you have the luxury of time. But when you have to fire off a quick shot, the Intelligent Auto mode does a decent job.

The G6 also has quite a number of scene modes that are fun to play with ranging from the familiar (sunset, monochrome, scenery) to the oddly specific (sweet child’s face, soft image of a flower, cute dessert).

The auto-focus is quite fast, aided by face detection and subject tracking options. You can also use the touch screen to specify a focus point which should come naturally for those used to taking photos with their smartphones. Manual focus through the EVF meantime is made easier through magnification of the focus area, which allows you to dial it in.

WiFi and NFC

Wi-Fi on a camera is a brilliant concept. Instead of relying on the camera on your phone, why not use the best camera you have for the best images you upload on the web? Although this could be considered cheating by Instagram purists.

By downloading the Panasonic Image App, you can sync your Android or iOS device to the G6. Once paired, you can use your phone as a remote control, browse through your gallery, and transfer pictures.






If you have an NFC-equipped phone then you’re golden. Just touch the phone to the side of the camera and watch the magic happen. Without NFC, the process is a little more cumbersome, especially at the start when you have to key in the Wi-Fi password for the camera which acts as your hotspot.

Panasonic also has a Lumix Club cloud service. The concept being once you connect your camera to a local Wi-Fi router, you can send images to the service which then posts it to your social networks. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to test this feature.

The Wi-Fi connection can be finicky. There were times when the connection would just drop, or everything would just freeze up while I was using my phone as a remote. But when it works, it’s like sorcery!

There’s also an option for saving photos automatically to your phone as you’re shooting, but better keep the image size manageable since this can slow down the camera.

Video recording

With modern cameras now able to do video as well, the need for dedicated camcorders has virtually disappeared. The G6 seems to be a great option for budding cinematographers. It can record videos in full high definition (1080p), and includes a 24 frames per second option for a more cinematic look.

A dedicated video button is easily accessible on the top panel. It has a mini HDMI port for playing videos straight out of the camera. Aside from a built-in stereo microphone, the G6 also has a microphone jack which is just icing on the cake.


The verdict

I really enjoyed my time with the G6. It was easy to pick up and just start playing around with even without poring through the manual first. I’m still really happy with my Olympus. But if I ever need to buy a second camera, my time with the G6 gives me reason to rekindle the affair. And frankly, the ability to share lenses makes this a viable option.

If you currently have a point-and-shoot and decide to go the MFT route, or you’re a DSLR owner jumping to the dark side, just know that your options for lenses will be limited to what’s available from Panasonic and Olympus here in the Philippines.

Hopefully, this will be remedied as mirrorless cameras continue to gain popularity, and local camera shops finally decide to bring in third party MFT lenses.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com