The 10 most valuable brands in the world

Apple tops the list this year.

Apple has overtaken Google this year to become the world’s most valuable brand, according to WPP and Millward Brown’s annual “Brand Z” rankings.
Technology brands dominate the top 10, but there is also a surprise entrant.
Millward Brown’s study uses the views of around 2 million potential and current customers of a brand, alongside financial data, to calculate a company’s brand value. 

10. Marlboro

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Brand value: $80 billion
Percentage change from last year: +19%
Last year’s rank: 13
What happened: Perhaps a surprise entrant into the top 10 for many people, Marlboro’s brand value has shot through the roof over the past year. It commands 43.8% of the US cigarette market, and outside the US, Marlboro’s share is bigger than the next two largest brands combined, according to Forbes. Millward Brown says the increase in brand value is largely due to the rise in Altria’s (the company that controls Marlboro in the US) share price, which has increased around 26% in the past year.

9. McDonald’s

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Brand value: $81 billion
Percentage change since last year: -5%
Last year’s rank: 5
What happened: It was a testing year for McDonald’s, which had to battle consumer concerns around its ingredients, supply chains, and environmental responsibility. Its 5% decline in brand value this year follows another 5% decline in value a year ago.

8. Coca-Cola

  

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Brand value: $84 billion

Percentage change since last year: +4%

Last year’s rank: 6
What happened: Millward Brown also credited Coca-Cola for roughing out tough times by adjusting its product range and communications to more effectively address growing consumer concerns around health issues. The brand had particular success with its worldwide “Share a Coke” campaign, which boosted sales in the US for the first time in more than a decade.

7. Verizon

 

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Brand value: $86 billion
Percentage change since last year: +36%
Last year’s rank: 11
What happened: The report was written before Verizon’s huge announcement earlier this month that it is acquiring AOL for $4.4 billion. However, it had already been a busy year or so. In February, the company completed its $130 billion purchase from UK carrier Vodafone to take complete control of Verizon Wireless. That deal boosted its share price.

6. AT&T

 

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Brand value: $89 million
Percentage change since last year: +15%
Last year’s rank: 8
What happened: Last year AT&T acquired the Cricket brand to serve price-conscious customers with cheap pre-paid rates without the costly contract. The company also partnered with Uber to preinstall the ride sharing service’s app on all AT&T Android phones.  AT&T also announced plans to link its connected home service Digital Life and its connected car service.

5. Visa

 

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Brand value: $92 billion
Percentage change since last year: +16%
Last year’s rank: 7
What happened: Last year Visa formed a partnership with Apple to allow iPhone 6 and owners of the latest iPads to make purchases by touching their fingers to their device. In 2014, Visa boosted revenue by 7.8% to $12.7 billion, while net income rose 9.2% to $5.4 billion.

4. IBM

 

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Brand value: $94 billion
Percentage change since last year: -13%
Last year’s rank: 3
What happened: IBM’s profits were cut into last year after the company made huge investments in the cloud, analytics, mobile, social, and security. It also signed a major deal with Apple to develop business apps for the latter company’s popular devices.

3. Microsoft

 

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Brand value: $115 billion
Percentage change since last year: +28%
Last year’s rank: 4
What happened: Millward Brown says Microsoft shifted up one slot thanks to three things: “a shift in focus to the cloud, a more collaborative corporate philosophy, and an aura of optimism surrounding the installation of a new CEO [Satya Nadella.]“

2. Google

 

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Brand value: $174 billion
Percentage change since last year: +9%
Last year’s rank: 1
What happened: Google fell to second place in the rankings this year as it forked out heavily on investments and revenue slowed, which was in part due to the strong dollar. That’s not to say it wasn’t a good year for Google. The company has been positioning itself for the future with initiatives including B2B software, Google Fiber, developing a driverless car, launching a WiFi telecom network, and pushing reset on Google Glass.

1. Apple

 

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Brand value: $247 billion
Percentage change since last year: +67%
Last year’s rank: 2
What happened: Millward Brown’s CEO Travyn Rhall writes in the report that Apple “practically wrote the playbook on being meaningful, different, and salient.” This year saw the launch of the iPhone 6, which contributed to an $18 billion quarterly net profit, the largest quarterly profit ever recorded for a public company. Ten years ago Apple did not even feature in the top 10, but this year its brand value has shot up so much it has taken the top spot, overtaking Google.

Movie: The Poltergeist Curse: Lost and pissed off spirits felt during production

Poltergeist is director Gil Kenan (Monster House) and producer Sam Raimi’s (Spider-Man trilogy) 3D, contemporary take on writer Steven Spielberg and director Tobe Hooper’s 1982 classic, about a family whose youngest daughter is abducted by a poltergeist shortly after moving to a suburban neighborhood.

Starring Rockwell as down-on-his-luck former minor-league baseball player Eric Bowen, it’s the story of an ordinary family dealing with extraordinary circumstances. When these angry spirits abduct Madison, their six-year-old, Eric and his wife Amy [Rosemarie DeWitt] recruit a team of scientists and psychics – including the clairvoyant reality star Carrigan Burke (Jarred Harris) – to get her back.  

Poltergeist updates an iconic brand, creating a classic haunted house tale that plays to our innermost fears.   It presents a family like ours, in a house like ours – but one that finds itself caught in an otherworldly trap.

Both this year’s Poltergeist and the 1982 original give audiences a rollercoaster ride of thrills and fright with a story about the abduction of a family’s youngest child by supernatural and increasingly hostile forces. The rest of the clan then wages a gruelling battle to get her back safely.

Unlike the original Poltergeist, which was set in a comfortable economic time during the 1980s, this film is situated in the rapidly fading, disenfranchised American ideal we know as suburbia. A rundown, cookie-cutter community of three-bedroom homes, unkempt yards and chain link fences in an Illinois neighborhood sets the scene for the unsuspecting protagonists, the Bowen family.  It reminds audiences that life in suburbia can sometimes be a long way from comfort and safety.

The house itself embodies both light and darkness.  Initially, it is the saving grace for this hard-luck family, but it quickly turns menacing.   In “casting” the house, the production searched a wide area until they located the perfect one in a suburb in Hamilton, Ontario, a demographically diverse area. 

According to production designer Kalina Ivanov, not only did the house chosen by the filmmakers embrace the “blandness of modern architecture,” it also included a familiar suburban color scheme – “a symphony of beige,” as she calls it.  Ivanov goes on to explain that the neighborhood had to have high-intensity power lines, which are integral to the film’s supernatural-themed plot.

However, even before the film’s production wrapped, the Poltergeist filmmakers experienced various unexplained occurrences during the making of the movie.

Sam Raimi explains: “The big open field directly behind the house caused us some grief.  Gil was drawn to this field because it was the only area untouched in the neighborhood, so it really stuck out.  However, that open space seemed to interfere with our on-set radio microphones, personal cell phone transmissions, and the signals between the drone cameras and their operators.  The drone would work perfectly everywhere else but would crash whenever it attempted to fly over this area.  It was a disconcerting feeling at best.”

Then there were the on-set “poltergeists” that plagued the production.  To deal with the unwanted visitors, the filmmakers called in Brenda Rose, a Cleveland-based seer who connects with the paranormal.

Rose uses a number of techniques to detect and cleanse a place from unwanted spirits.  “I help people navigate their lives in the most efficient way by insightful readings and that can look like a lot of things from numerology cards to personal energy,” she says.  “How spirits make themselves known changes from spirit to spirit; sometimes there's just something from the corner of your eye and other times it’s something actually trying to get your attention. When I'm in a session and open for spiritual business they can come from the left or right side. It ranges from organized chaos to just plain chaos, much like the family experiences in the movie.”

Tying directly to Poltergeist, Rose notes that, “usually when spirits get lost, they need a bit of guidance to find their way back to their destination.”

But Poltergeist’s other-world denizens are not your typical ghosts.  As Jared Harris’ character Carrigan Burke notes, “This isn’t just a few pissed off spirits we’re dealing with…”

Poltergeist (available in 2D and 3D) opens June 24 in cinemas nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Apple finds bug that causes iPhones to crash

Apple Inc has found a bug which can cause iPhones to crash when a message containing a specific string of text is received.
The bug, which includes symbols and Arabic characters, was first reported by Apple news blog MacRumors on Tuesday night, adding that it was noticed on social news hub Reddit earlier in the day.
"We are aware of an iMessage issue caused by a specific series of unicode characters and we will make a fix available in a software update," an Apple spokesperson said in an e-mail.
Sending a reply message or having someone send you a message can solve the problem, MacRumors added. 

Source: Yahoo news

Top 20 Movies: total gross and number of weeks in release

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Monday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Tuesday by Rentrak:
1. “Tomorrowland,” Disney, $42,679,200, 3,972 locations, $10,745 average, $42,679,200, 1 week.
2. “Pitch Perfect 2,” Universal, $38,252,200, 3,560 locations, $10,745 average, $125,738,795, 2 weeks.
3. “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Warner Bros., $31,287,441, 3,722 locations, $8,406 average, $94,717,720, 2 weeks.
4. “Avengers: Age Of Ultron,” Disney, $28,198,906, 3,727 locations, $7,566 average, $411,369,385, 4 weeks.
5. “Poltergeist,” 20th Century Fox, $26,341,432, 3,240 locations, $8,130 average, $26,341,432, 1 week.
6. “Hot Pursuit,” Warner Bros., $4,585,038, 2,577 locations, $1,779 average, $30,030,278, 3 weeks.
7. “Far From The Madding Crowd,” Fox Searchlight, $2,992,810, 865 locations, $3,460 average, $6,155,415, 4 weeks.
8. “Furious 7,” Universal, $2,834,135, 1,653 locations, $1,715 average, $347,723,320, 8 weeks.
9. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2,” Sony, $2,639,058, 1,878 locations, $1,405 average, $66,456,767, 6 weeks.
10. “Home,” 20th Century Fox, $2,477,568, 1,444 locations, $1,716 average, $168,792,497, 9 weeks.
11. “The Age Of Adaline,” Lionsgate, $1,966,497, 1,643 locations, $1,197 average, $40,355,912, 5 weeks.
12. “Ex Machina,” A24 Films, $1,808,566, 896 locations, $2,018 average, $22,379,637, 7 weeks.
13. “Tanu Weds Manu Returns,” Eros Entertainment, $1,271,751, 136 locations, $9,351 average, $1,271,751, 1 week.
14. “Woman In Gold,” The Weinstein Co., $1,195,930, 662 locations, $1,807 average, $30,700,880, 8 weeks.
15. “Cinderella,” Disney, $556,356, 356 locations, $1,563 average, $197,998,802, 11 week.
16. “I’ll See You In My Dreams,” Bleecker Street, $379,411, 26 locations, $14,593 average, $454,384, 2 weeks.
17. “Get Hard,” Warner Bros., $344,367, 255 locations, $1,350 average, $89,362,050, 9 weeks.
18.”Where Hope Grows,” Roadside Attractions, $342,876, 221 locations, $1,551 average, $971,395, 2 weeks.
19. “The Longest Ride,” 20th Century Fox, $342,722, 329 locations, $1,042 average, $36,856,747, 7 weeks.
20. “The Divergent Series: Insurgent,” Lionsgate, $317,368, 266 locations, $1,193 average, $128,734,480, 10 weeks.


Source: Inquirer

ASUS Announces the Fastest USB 3.1 solutions for Motherboards

ASUS announced the world’s fastest and first complete line-up of SuperSpeed+ USB 3.1 solutions, including a range of motherboards with built-in USB 3.1 and two ASUS USB 3.1 Cards. The latter are the new PCI Express® (PCIe®) expansion card with either dual Type-A sockets or reversible Type-C, that fits quickly and easily to bring breakneck speeds to existing PCs.

The ASUS USB 3.1 Type-A Card (Dual)

Joe Hsieh, ASUS Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Motherboard and Desktop System Business Unit, said: “As the world’s number-one motherboard brand, we lead by providing the very latest technology for ASUS customers to enjoy. We worked closely with ASMedia Technology Inc to maximize USB 3.1 performance on both ASUS motherboards and our USB 3.1 Card products, ensuring that ASUS customers enjoy the very fastest data transfers from the new standard — and before anyone else!” ASUS motherboards with dual 10Gbit/s USB 3.1 sockets and 2X-faster performance Twelve ASUS motherboards have dual Type-A USB 3.1 ports built in for instant 10Gbit/s connectivity. Products with two USB 3.1 sockets onboard are signified with a ‘/USB 3.1’ suffix and include X99-Pro/USB 3.1, X99-A/USB 3.1 (Transfer Express), X99-A/USB 3.1, X99-E WS/USB 3.1, Z97-Deluxe/USB 3.1, Z97-Pro (Wi-Fi ac)/USB 3.1, Z97-A/USB 3.1, Z97-E/USB 3.1, Z97-K/USB3.1, Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1/USB 3.1, B85M-G Plus/USB 3.1 and B85-Plus/USB 3.1. Easy-fit ASUS USB 3.1 Card with dual Type-A ports or reversible Type-C The ASUS USB 3.1 Card is the world’s first USB 3.1 expansion card that fits swiftly into any PCIe x4, x8 or x16 slot to accelerate existing PCs to deliver lightning-speed transfers of up to 10Gbit/s. Available in two models, with either dual Type-A sockets or reversible Type-C, the new PCIe card is compatible immediately with all ASUS X99 and Z97 chipset-based motherboards and will be compatible soon with more ASUS motherboards via a simple BIOS and driver update. The USB 3.1 Type-A Card (Dual) is also included with two new motherboard bundles with a ‘/U3.1’ suffix — Rampage V Extreme/U3.1 and X99-Deluxe/U3.1 — preconfigured and ready to go. Both USB 3.1 PCIe cards are available to purchase individually. Exclusive ASUS USB 3.1 Boost for fastest-ever USB 3.1 data transfers All ASUS USB 3.1 solutions include the ASUS USB 3.1 Boost utility for the very fastest USB 3.1 data transfers. This ASUS-exclusive technology automatically pushes USB 3.1 performance even further, with sustained sequential read/write speeds of up to speeds of up to 854.6/863.9MB/s — figures achieved by ASUS engineers in our own labs. SPECIFICATIONS1 ASUS USB 3.1 Type-A Card (Dual) ASUS USB 3.1 Type-C Card (Single) Two Type-A 10Gbit/s USB 3.1 ports Backwardly compatible with USB 3.0/2.0/1.1 PCI Express 2.0 x4 interface (at x2 bandwidth) Compatible with PCI Express x4, x8, and x16 slots Windows 8, 8.1 and 7 (32/64-bit editions) Supports ASUS USB 3.1 Boost Dimensions: 7.3 x 7.9cm One Type-C 10Gbit/s USB 3.1 port PCI Express 2.0 x4 interface (at x2 bandwidth) Compatible with PCI Express x4, x8, and x16 slots Windows 8, 8.1 and 7 (32/64-bit editions) Supports ASUS USB 3.1 Boost Dimensions: 7.3 x 7.9cm ASUS USB 3.1 motherboard line-up* Full specifications are available at www.asus.com

Movie: The Voices "Ryan Reynolds’ battle between good and evil"

Ayala Malls Cinemas brings Ryan Reynolds’ latest offbeat role and best performance to-date in “The Voices,” a horror comedy where Reynolds play a lovable but psychologically-challenged factory worker in a bathtub company.  Jerry (Reynolds) yearns for the company hottie’s attention, played by Gemma Arterton.  With the advice of Jerry’s court-appointed psychiatrist, he pursues his crush and asks her for a date. However, their relationship suddenly took a sudden, murderous path after she stood him up for a date.   Jerry’s talking pets, a benevolent dog and an evil cat, lead him on a fantastical path beyond his imagination but must decide whether to keep striving for normalcy or indulge on a much more  sinister path.
Directed by Marjane Satrapi, known for her bestselling autobiographical graphic novel “Persepolis” that was adapted into an animated film, “The Voices” has also bested other films in the 20^th annual L’Etrange Festival where it won two awards -the Canal+ Nouveau Genre Award (the festival’s Grand Prize) and the equally prestigious Audience Award.
“The Voices” opens this June 3 exclusive at Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide.  Check out www.sureseats.com for schedules.

Movie: 'Tomorrowland' fails to inspire

Tomorrowland 2015

“Tomorrowland” is a science fiction film about a futuristic, utopian society that chooses special individuals from our world to help. But when a terrible secret is unearthed, it will take the cooperation of both worlds to save everyone. It stars George Clooney (Frank Walker), Hugh Laurie (David Nix), Britt Robertson (Casey Newton), Raffey Cassidy (Athena), and Thomas Robinson (Young Frank Walker).
“Tomorrowland” is a typical Disney adventure film, filled with fun, action, and a squeaky clean sheen despite some of the rather dark motivations of the characters. Set in the modern day, it manages to reference some of the more iconic science fiction names while still creating and building its own mythos. However, there’s an element of magic that doesn’t quite manifest itself in the film. It’s this missing element that leaves it as a fairly average movie, and prevents it from ascending into the ranks of Disney classics.

Fun adventure across colourful locations
The characters visit a variety of places throughout the movie, and chief among them is, of course, Disneyland. There’s a strong sense of adventure and fun as the protagonists traverse the different locales. They’re just as fascinated by Tomorrowland as the audience is, as well as by the other locations around the globe. It’s this sense of clean family fun that makes this movie a very distinctly Disney one.
Theme of hope
If there’s one very strong message that the movie sends, it’s that of hope. Hope for a better (but of course) tomorrow, for the society they live in, and for the people that populate the planet. It might come across as slightly cheesy, but the movie pulls it off and promotes a strong sense of a better age to come. In any case, no character espouses this theme better than Casey Newtown, who’s very presence is what brings hope to all the characters.
Raffey Cassidy’s performance as the robot who learns emotions
Although the trope of “the machine who learns to love” is an old one, Raffey Cassidy still manages to portray a convincing android who’s uncertain of all these new feelings that it has. She depicts a logical, law-abiding robot that charms you with her naivete about the innate goodness of people and the world. And in the end, it’s this trait of hers that helps to bring awareness to the other characters about the true nature of events in the film.

Letdowns
Pacing is slow and inconsistent
There may be good bouts of action, but they’re also interspersed with very long, monotonous scenes of endless exposition, explaining the motivations of the characters and the workings of the world. It’s not that the exposition isn’t necessary, but it frequently comes after you’ve lost interest in the fact, and doesn’t quite help to push the story forward. Faster, snappier dialogue and a hefty bit of trimming would have done wonders for the speed of the story.
Casey Newton is ultimately not that important
The film makes an effort to build up Casey Newton as the savior of all things, the key person that will change everything for the better. Yet as the plot progresses and the climax is reached, her importance is forgotten and changed, making her seem rather redundant in the first place. She might be necessary for the events of the film to occur, but she’s not quite the catalyst for change that everyone makes her out to be.

“Tomorrowland” sets itself up as a film that celebrates the wondrous possibilities of the future and science, but fails to actually inspire any action to go forth and change the world. It’s not bad as a popcorn flick, but on a deeper, emotional level, it lacks that connection to make it more than just entertainment.

“Tomorrowland” opens in cinemas 21 May, 2015 (Thursday).

 Source: Yahoo

PROLiNK releases new Power Series Online UPS Models

PROLiNK, a leader in the field and a quality provider of power back up solutions, has launched additional power back up solutions designed to cater for large companies and data centers.

The Power Series true on-line double-conversion technology UPS system, the latest in the range, comes with state-of-the-art PWM technology which can easily adapt to all kinds of diverse and complicated loads, such as the non-linear systems, strongly inductive or capacitive loads, discharge lamps, and induction motors.

With an advanced control with adaptive feed forward cancellation (AFC) technology to achieve extremely low input current harmonic distortion rat THDi < 1% at full load. Coupled with a DSP controller and the fourth generation IGBT transistors, the UPS can achieve high efficiency of up to 95%.

The Power Series UPS is a unit with high flexibility in adapting inputs and output and may easily be set up depending on the requirement of the facility. To facilitate expansion easily, this unit can be set up in parallel redundancy systems without any need for additional hardware. The Power Series also has a variety of communications and options available.

Each On-Line UPS unit features true on-line double-conversion technology and supports wide input voltage ranges. The smart battery charger design also ensures optimized battery performance. High voltage battery chargers and battery extension assembly is available for the long run time application.

With high input power factor correction, high output power factor, generator compatibility and an easy to use LCD user interface, the PROLiNK On-Line UPS models are both user-friendly with features made with their end-users in mind.

All the units are quality tested and verified by PROLiNK engineers to ensure you get the best power solutions available in the market.

For quality power backup recommendations and solutions within the Philippines, customers can approach PROLiNK’s local authorized distributor Redwood Ventures. They can be contacted at sales@redwood.ph / +632 621-4671/72.

Lenovo launches P70 and A5000 smartphones, brings longer battery life

Battery life has always been a problem with smartphones, but Lenovo offers a solution with its P70 and A5000 smartphones. Packed with a 4,000mAh battery unit, both smartphones can provide additional battery juice to even power up an extra mobile phone.
The Lenovo P70's powerful yet thin and ultra-light 4000mAh battery, lets users fully enjoy their active lifestyle. Not only does the battery last longer, but it also comes with an efficient power-saving software and a Quick Charge Feature, which allows users to fully charge the phone in three hours. The powerful battery also allows for On-the-Go charging—users can charge their other devices on the go with the Lenovo P70.

The phone’s MediaTek 64-bit 1.7GHz 4G LTE True8Core processor with 2GB RAM paves the way for a smooth and responsive system that delivers an unparalleled mobile experience. The 5.0-inch screen consistently delivers vibrant, high-definition display, allowing users to fully enjoy videos, images, apps, and websites. The 13MP and 5MP dual cameras deliver sharp and crisp photos to share to the world on the go.
The Lenovo P70 is indeed a mobile powerhouse, and at 149 grams and a slim 8.9mm profile, it’s not a device that would slow you down. 
Quick Specs:

• 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6752
• 2GB of RAM
• 16GB internal storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD
• Android 4.4
• 5-inch display, 720 x 1280 pixels
• 13-megapixel rear camera with flash
• 5-megapixel front camera
• 802.11 b/g/n
• 4,000mAh
• 142 x 71.8 x 8.9 mm
• 149g

This smartphone will be available in the Philippines by the first week of March, and will have a price tag of PhP 11,999.
The Lenovo A5000 also boasts an impressive battery life. It has an HD screen with splash-proof Nano Coating and built-in productivity apps. This smartphone lasts as long as a professional does, and with a Quick Charge Feature that goes from zero to 100% in three hours, users can truly take the mobile experience further.

Professionals on-the-go can definitely do more with the Lenovo A5000’s built-in productivity apps. Users can stay at the top of their game with Evernote, Kingsoft Office, Camcard, and Camscanner. The Lenovo DOit apps allows users to take their mobile devices to the next level—file sharing is made easy with SHAREit, and back-up and security are beefed up with SYNCit. Mobile storage is also expandable up to 32GB (with a microSD card) to make more files, photos, videos, and music available on the go.
The 5.0-inch HD screen is coated with a patented Splash-Proof Nano Coating, so users do not have to worry about rain or spills bringing their smartphones and active lifestyle down.
Quick Specs:

• 5-inch IPS HD display, 1280 x 720
• 1.3Ghz Quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB internal storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD
• Android 4.4.2 KitKat
• 3G/HSPA+
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth 4.0
• GPS w/ A-GPS
• 8-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED flash
• 2-megapixel fixed-focus front camera
• 4,000mAh
• 140 x 71.4 x 9.98 mm
• 160g

The Lenovo A5000 will be available in the Philippines in April, and will come with a price of PhP 6, 999.

Source: Lenovo Mobile Philippines (facebook)

Twitter-Google deal puts tweets in search results

Google and Twitter announced a partnership Tuesday to display tweets in search results, renewing a tieup that ended in 2011.
The move will allow Google to get more real-time results in its search queries, and help Twitter boost engagement after a period of sluggish user growth which has weighed on its stock price.

“We’re excited to team up with Google to bring Twitter’s unique, real-time content to Google’s search results,” said Twitter vice president Jana Messerschmidt.
The deal will start with search results within the Google app and mobile Web, with a desktop version coming, said Messerschmidt, adding that the feature is due to reach more countries “in the coming months.”
“For example, if you’re interested in hearing more from Taylor Swift, a quick search on Google will pull up her most recent tweets,” she said in a blog post.

“Or, if you’re a TV buff, a search for #Madmen will bring up the most relevant news and Tweets about Sunday’s series finale.”
The two firms had a similar arrangement dating back to 2009, but tweets disappeared from Google search results in 2011.
“It’s a great way to get real-time info when something is happening,” Google product manager Ardan Arac said in a separate post.
“And it’s another way for organizations and people on Twitter to reach a global audience at the most relevant moments.”
Microsoft’s Bing search engine has a similar function of integrating Twitter messages.
Danny Sullivan of the tech blog Search Engine Land said the deal calling for a graphical display of tweets may give Twitter more traffic, if not revenue.
“It’s important to note that this is NOT tweets coming into Google for the first time, or the first time since the last formal deal ended,” he said in a blog post.
“Tweets have continued to be in Google since that last deal. The new deal just allows for more of (that) and with deeper integration.”

Source: Inquirer.net

ASUS Announces the Availability of ZenFone 2 in PH

 ZenFone 2 is the newewst flagship smartphone in the hugely-successful ZenFone family, featuring an all-new design, 13MP PixelMaster camera, and uncompromising performance delivered by a 64-bit Intel Atom™ Z3580 processor with up to 4GB RAM! An Intel LTE-Advanced modem provides ultra-fast and reliable 4G/LTE connectivity. Building on the success of ZenFone and leveraging a quarter-century of engineering accomplishments, the highly-anticipated ZenFone 2 provides a wealth of exciting new features and a refined ASUS ZenUI experience to deliver a new level of empowering luxury for everyone.

ZenFone 2 has a gorgeous, all-new design that employs iconic Zen design elements, such as a sleek, brushed-metal finish and concentric-circle detailing, and introduces new refinements, including a graceful curved case that tapers to an incredibly-thin 3.9mm at the edges. The exclusive Ergonomic Arc design provides a comfortable, secure grip, and features an intuitively-placed volume-control key on the rear of the phone within easy reach of the user’s index finger. The 5.5-inch Full HD IPS+ screen has a large 72% screen-to-body ratio that provides a maximized viewing experience, while reducing ZenFone 2’s overall size.

ZenFone 2’s 13MP PixelMaster camera with its f/2.0 wide-aperture lens lets users quickly and easily capture beautiful, high-resolution photos with zero shutter-lag. Camera features, including Low Light mode, Backlight (Super HDR) mode, and Super Resolution mode, ensure incredible photos even in dimly lit situations.

ZenFone 2 has a 3000mAh battery that provides more than enough power to get through the day, and it also features BoostMaster fast-charge technology for dramatically-reduced recharge times.

Home automation and music set to be the main new features of iOS 9

At the Apple WWDC, taking place June 8-12, developers will get a chance to discover the newest features for Mac OS and iOS. The latest mobile operating system is expected to highlight home automation and offer, for the first time, split-screen support.

According to 9to5mac.com, Apple first wanted to improve the stability and optimize the performance of its mobile operating system before introducing new features.
An app for home automation
Some new features should nonetheless appear, starting with the massive HomeKit platform that should transform the iPhone or iPad into a genuine remote control for your home through the use of the Home app. Just as Health collects all health related data, Home will combine all the data related to HomeKit certified connected objects in the home, from simple lightbulbs to more complex systems.
Other rumors abound regarding the introduction of split-screen support, the ability to have two separate apps (or more) open side by side, in a 1/2, 1/3 or 2/3 ratio depending on the app. iOS 9 could also allow for the creation of multiple users (parents/children for example) on the same device.
What is clear is that certain programs will benefit from improvements, such as Maps. Thanks to Apple's acquisition of Coherent Navigation, the app should at the very least provide much more precise GPS positioning, to the tune of a few centimeters, while waiting for other related projects.
Discover Apple Music
The other definite is Apple's new music streaming service, developed in collaboration with Beats, a highly anticipated addition to iOS 9. Most likely to be called Apple Music, the service should be directly integrated into the Music app and include social features that would be available to artists. Though it would come as standard on all iOS 9 devices, Apple Music would require a subscription.
As with every new generation of iOS, it is possible that certain devices, like the iPhone 4S or the iPad 2, not be compatible with the new iteration.
Following Apple's usual release schedule, the launch of iOS 9 should occur in the fall, at the same time as the release of the new iPhone and a bit before the presentation of a new line of iPads.
The WWDC in San Francisco can be followed online from its dedicated site, developer.apple.com/wwdc, live from June 8-12, 2015.


Credits: Yahoo