Musical worlds collide at Coke Studio with Abra and Gracenote collaboration

Tweet

The distinct sound of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) thrives in collaboration. With Coke Studio, an OPM rap icon and a fast-rising rock band push the boundaries of music by combining two contrasting genres to create a unified sound that showcases each of their musical mastery, yet brings to light a fresh, new take on OPM—Abra’s striking flow and wordplay fused with Gracenote’s haunting and melodic lyrical tunes.

Abra (a play on his surname “Abracosa”) is famous for his collaborative works with Parokya ni Edgar’s Chito Miranda, Maja Salvador, Reese Lansangan, Loonie, and Ron Henley, to name a few. The witty, fast-talking veteran emcee has made a name for himself as one of the most important wordsmiths in the local hip-hop scene with his significant, unapologetic, and poetic lyrics channeled through a unique rap flow. 

“That’s [Abra] what people really call me and it also fits because it can be short for ‘abracadabra’, which is not only a magic word, but is old Aramaic for ‘I create words’ and that’s what I do,” said Abra.

As a part of the line-up of refreshing collaborative musical acts of Coke Studio, the synco-pop-punk-electro-rock trio of Gracenote—Eunice and Jazz Jorge, and EJ Picha—is paired with Abra, where the rapper’s energetic and aggressive style will be complemented by Gracenote’s classical rock background to send shivers down the spines of every listener. 

“The grace note is not the biggest note; it is a small note which makes an impact. If you remove it from the song, it will be really felt,” said Gracenote lead vocalist Eunice on the band’s important musical quality.

Unusual but full of possibilities, the collaboration between the two different artists is a surprise for many, but it brings forth a new, exciting dimension for OPM. 

“We are always looking for something fresh,” said Eunice.

Indeed, fans can only imagine Gracenote’s playful piano and violin tunes, catchy beats, and haunting vocals, overlaid with Abra’s stinging wordplay on life and important social issues, as it brings the house down. For now, Filipinos can only look forward to the new episodes coming up.

With different perspectives coming in from a variety of sources, the stage for groundbreaking new music is set, fresh tunes produced by local Filipino artists are in the works, and OPM continues to evolve with Coke Studio’s flair for collaboration.

Taste the sounds of Pinoy music as Abra and Gracenote collaborate for Coke Studio. 

Catch it on August 26, Saturday, at 7 p.m. on TV5 or on www.youtube.com/CokeStudioPH

The new and improved Cheesy Yumburger is super cheesy and langhap-sarap!

Tweet

Our favorite langhap-sarap Cheesy Yumburger just got a whole lot cheesier!

Take a well-loved cheesy classic and take it to another level of cheesiness. 

This is Jollibee’s perfect recipe for the recent slew of flavor innovations it serves to millions of Filipinos all over the country and in the world. The newest offering to receive an upgrade is the Cheesy Yumburger, a popular variant of the fast-food giant’s pioneering Yumburger.

“The new Cheesy Yumburger is the Pinoy cheeseburger,” said Luis Berba, Jollibee Brand Manager for YUM Burgers. “It’s the classic combination of beef, cheese, and Jollibee’s very own special burger dressing that has made it so popular among Filipino diners of all ages.”

Despite the Cheesy Yumburger’s enduring popularity, the Jollibee team still wanted to improve the flavors and dining experience for its ever-expanding customer base. So they went back to the Research and Development lab and went around asking actual diners what they would like to see and taste in their cheeseburgers.

The result is a cheesy concoction like no other Jollibee fan has seen before. Creamy cheddar cheese is melted on top of the 100% beef Yumburger patty, making for a mouthwateringly cheesy and beefy experience with every bite. 

This classic combination of beef and cheddar cheese is complemented by soft burger buns and Jollibee’s special burger dressing, which add different dimensions of texture and flavor.

“Jollibee is always committed to constant innovation of flavors and dining experiences for our customers,” added Berba. “The new and improved Cheesy Yumburger, with its uniquely Pinoy taste and cheesier flavor profile, is more delicious than ever—the perfect Jollibee offering for burger lovers who want langhap-sarap goodness in their cheeseburger.”

Simply unwrapping the Cheesy Yumburger treats diners to the appetizing aromas of pure beef seasoned the Pinoy way and cheddar cheese, with a fragrant whiff of fresh burger buns. From these aromas alone, one can be sure of a great meal ahead!

Get your cheese on with the super cheesy, langhap-sarap Cheesy Yumburger, now available for dine-in, take-out, delivery, and drive-thru in all Jollibee stores nationwide. Prices start at Php45.00*.

* Prices may vary across different locations.

Wounded Marawi Soldiers Get Care from SM Foundation Fit for Heroes

Tweet

At least two medical facilities at the AFP Medical Center in V Luna – the Heroes’ Ward and Convalescence Ward – are giving proper recovery care for wounded soldiers from Marawi courtesy of a health and wellness program by SM Foundation, Inc. (SMFI).

Under SMFI’s program, health facilities and dispensaries of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are renovated to improve the facilities and services for soldiers deployed and injured from armed conflicts in various parts of the country . The program has so far renovated 22 military health facilities that provide medical treatment and care to the Philippine Army, Navy, and Air Force.

As of June, at least 240 soldiers coming from Marawi are being cared for in the two renovated wards of the AFP Medical Center , SM Foundation Health and Medical Programs Project Manager Albert Uy said. The Heroes’ Ward serves as the recovery facility, after which the patients will be brought to the Convalescence Ward where they will go through therapy that will help them back on their feet and into their normal lives.

“We are deeply thankful for our beloved soldiers’ service to the country, risking their lives so that we may enjoy our own with utmost freedom. SM Foundation’s program is dedicated to improving AFP’s health facilities so that our wounded soldiers can have the best medical care fit for heroes,” said Connie Angeles, Senior Assistant Vice President and Executive Director for health and medical programs of SMFI.

Medical facilities that go through renovation and rehabilitation under SMFI’s program get full enhancement from new paint to improved toilets, air conditioning systems, hospital beds, and other necessary reconstruction. The program has been recognized with an award by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, citing SMFI’s sincere efforts in alleviating the plight of injured personnel of the Philippine military forces.

Nokia 8: Three firsts in one precision designed flagship

Tweet

First new generation Nokia smartphone to feature ZEISS optics

Tell both sides of the story with real-time live streaming using Dual-Sight mode

Introducing Nokia OZO spatial 360° audio

HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, today announced the Nokia 8, a high performance, beautifully crafted smartphone, designed with content creators in mind. The Nokia 8 brings three world-firsts to Android smartphones, including a debut collaboration with ZEISS optics. With performance and pure Android at its heart, as well as the most advanced aluminium unibody design to date, the Nokia 8 represents all the hallmarks of a true flagship Nokia smartphone.

Be less Selfie, be more Bothie: The Nokia 8 introduces a world-first in enabling Dual-Sight video to be livestreamed natively and in real-time to social feeds such as Facebook and YouTube. Dual-Sight simultaneously harnesses both the front and rear cameras in a split screen visual for both photos and videos. With just one touch, this world-first livestream capability gives more immersive experiences for those who love to create and share special memories.

Nokia 8 is also the first smartphone to feature Nokia OZO Audio, placing exclusive Hollywood technology in the palm of your hand. OZO spatial 360° audio brings a fully immersive audio experience to your 4K video. Leading-edge 360° audio capture ensures the playback lets you truly relive the moment so your memories never fade.

4.6mm thin at the edge and just 7.3mm slim on average, Nokia 8’s seamless unibody is precision milled from a single block of 6000 series aluminium and its pure design has been refined through a 40-stage process of machining, anodizing and polishing. Select models feature a high-gloss mirror finish that has taken over 20 hours to complete to achieve a flawless look. The phone features Qualcomm’s powerful Snapdragon^TM 835 Mobile Platform and paired with the pure, secure and up to date Android experience ensures outstanding performance.

Be less Selfie, be more #Bothie

There are two sides to every story and the Dual-Sight feature of Nokia 8 is designed to help you create and share the full picture. The front and rear-facing cameras on the Nokia 8 have been co-developed with ZEISS optics for an optimum all round experience. Content creators can natively broadcast their unique #Bothie stories to social media through the Dual-Sight functionality located within the camera app. Fans can also enjoy unlimited[i] photo and video uploads to Google Photos.

A new dimension of sound with OZO Audio

Featuring OZO Audio, Nokia 8 combines three microphones with exclusive Nokia acoustic algorithms to capture audio with immersive 360° spatial surround sound. Share your 4K videos with OZO Audio anywhere – binaural codecs enable high fidelity playback even on devices without OZO Audio.

Innovation and precision engineering

Powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon^TM 835 Mobile Platform, Nokia 8 doesn’t compromise on performance.

The Nokia 8 has been designed from the ground up with the consumer in mind to deliver unique content capture and sharing experiences. This requires it to be as meticulously designed on the inside as it is on the outside. To keep your phone working harder for longer, the design, innovation and engineering teams worked hand-in-hand to deliver. The result is a full-length graphite shielded copper cooling pipe that dissipates the heat generated by the high performing system across the full length and breadth of the handset. The Nokia 8 runs cooler in even the most demanding situations.

Nokia 8 is Qualcomm® Quick Charge^TM 3.0 compatible, meaning when your battery is running low you can get back to recording your important moments sooner.

Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer of HMD Global, said:

“We know that fans are creating and sharing live content more than ever before, with millions of photos and videos shared every minute on social media. People are inspired by the content they consume and are looking for new ways to create their own. It’s these people who have inspired us to craft a flagship smartphone which perfectly balances premium design, an outstanding experience and powerful performance.”

Always pure Android

Nokia smartphones always offer a pure Android experience, with no unnecessary apps slowing down the performance of your device. And with Nokia 8, pure Android combined with our innovative engineering processes unleashes the full potential of the Snapdragon^TM 835 Mobile Platform. With monthly security updates, the Nokia 8 is safe and up-to-date. Your device is secured with biometric fingerprint authentication, delivering enhanced security and making Nokia 8 a versatile companion whatever your needs.

Accessories 

We offer a range of accessories perfectly tailored to suit the active lifestyle of any Nokia 8 owner. The Nokia 8 works beautifully with the Nokia Active Wireless Headset – a lightweight, water, sweat, and dust proof premium headset. Carved from aluminium for the perfect match, this headset features a beautiful diamond cut design. The full portfolio of accessories for Nokia phones includes a range of headsets, portable speakers, in-car chargers, cases and screen protectors.

Availability

Nokia 8 will be available in four colours: Polished Blue, Polished Copper, Tempered Blue and Steel and will be available at a global average retail price of €599 with roll out throughout September.

Technical specifications for Nokia 8

·         Networks:

• GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
• WCDMA: 1, 2, 5, 8
• TDS-CDMA: 34, 39
• LTE:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41
• Network speed: LTE Cat. 9, 3CA, 450Mbps DL/50Mbps UL
• Available in single SIM and dual SIM variants
• OS: Android Nougat 7.1.1
• Chipset: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 Mobile Platform
• MSM8998 (4* 2.45GHz Qualcomm® Kryo™ + 4* 1.8GHz Kryo)

• RAM: 4GB
• Storage: 64GB^[iii] internal memory with external MicroSD card slot (support up to 256 GB)
• Form factor: Splashproof IP54 touch monoblock with capacitive system keys
• Display: 5.3” IPS LCD QHD 2560 x 1440, 700nts screen brightness, Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5, 2.5D Glass
• Camera with ZEISS optics:
• Primary camera: 13MP (Colour + OIS) + 13MP (Mono), 1.12um, f/2.0, 76.9˚, PDAF, IR range finder, dual tone flash
• Front facing camera: 13MP PDAF, 1.12um, f/2.0, 78.4˚, display flash
• Connectivity & Sensors: Type C, USB3.1 Gen 1 (5Gbps), 3.5mm headphone jack, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, E-compass, Gyroscope, Fingerprint Sensor, Hall sensor, Barometer, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (MIMO), BT 5.0, GPS/AGPS+GLONASS+BDS, NFC, ANT+
• Battery: Integrated 3090 mAh battery^[iv] with Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 3.0 compatible (18W, 5V/2.5A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A)

·         Audio: MP3,M4A, AAC,OGG,WAV,AMR,AWB(AMR-WB),FLAC,MIDI(MID,MIDI,XMF, MXMF,IMY,RTTTL,RTX,OTA)

·         Video: MP4, 3GP, 3G2, AVI, MKV, WEBM

• Dimensions: 151.5 x 73.7 x 7.9mm (camera bump 0.4mm)
• Weight: 160g

Anne Curtis launches Dream Machine platform vs Dream Shaming

Tweet

The undisputed “Diyosa” and style icon of Philippine showbiz Anne Curtis launched her passion project, Dream Machine platform.

The Dream Machine platform hopes to stop dream shaming and empower dreamers to reach for and live out their dreams.

Anne Curtis- Smith Dream Machine https://twitter.com/DreamMachinePH/status/899611618123948032

Anne confessed that she entered showbiz with big dreams and she’s grateful that most of these dreams have come true. 

“I have always been a dreamer. In my 20 years in showbiz, I have worked hard to reach for my dreams. I am blessed to have already achieved most of my dreams and it’s now my turn to be a blessing to others through the Dream Machine platform,” Anne said during in an intimate press conference, held August 21, 2017.

Anne, who has been doing charity works quietly for many years, decided to put up the Dream Machine after hearing stories of dream shaming. 

“It is sad when people set dreams in their hearts only to be dream-shamed by people either because of their color, their status in life, their current skills. It gets worse when it is their own family or their loved ones who shoot down their dreams. The Dream Machine platform hopes to encourage dreamers to continue chasing their dreams and we will do our best to help them,” she adds.

Anne Curtis-Smith with sister Jasmine Curtis who hosted the event launch

Anne revealed that she also was a victim of dream shaming when people called her out for holding the Annebisyosa concert, saying she did not have the right chops to sing, much less do a concert. 

“To sing before a huge audience was my dream. And I worked hard to make it happen. It was not something that I did just for myself, but the Annebisyosa concert was also my way of encouraging people to always fight for their dreams in the face of those that say you can’t do it,” Anne recalled.

Through Dream Machine, Anne hopes to connect with dreamers and learn more about their dreams through the Dream Machine website. 

There are three categories of dreams that Dream Machine will be supporting:

Youth, Education and Empowerment.

“Before the school year started, we were approached by the General Roxas Elementary School in Quezon City for support in their school renovation. Dream Machine was very happy to help and we are hoping that the renovation will inspire the students to study better,” Anne shared.

To officially kickstart the platform, Dream Machine is hosting the Color Run to empower the dreams of disabled children under the auspices of UNICEF. Anne has been a UNICEF ambassador for 2 years already. 

“Proceeds of the Dream Machine Color Run will all go to the children with disabilities being taken care of by UNICEF. These children are dreamers, too, and you’ll be surprised that some of their dreams are not really for themselves but for their families,” Anne said.

Dream Machine will also roll out the red carpet for the dream weddings of three couples on the first quarter of next year. Couples are invited to share their love stories with Anne through the Dream Machine website. Three couples will be chosen and will be provided their own dream weddings by the Dream Machine.

“The Dream Machine wants to put a stop to dream shaming and instead would like to inspire and encourage more people to dream big. The Dream Machine wants to connect with the dreamers, the dream chasers. The platform serves as the dream-weaver, and will try to find ways to finally turn dream chasers into dream catchers,” Anne explained.

Anne Curtis- Smith Dream Machine

Anne said she’ll be happy to welcome other people who would want to be part of the Dream Machine as dream-givers as much as she would love to hear the stories of the dreamers. 

“At the end of the day, what Dream Machine hopes to achieve is to be able to inspire the dreamers, help them achieve their dreams and hopefully be able to start a dream revolution where there’ll be a lot of dream-givers to help the dreamers. The world will be a much happier place when that happens,” Anne said.

Dreamers may start sending in their dreams via the Dream Machine website http://www.dreammachine.ph/.