Reality TV show First Dates reveals the ins and outs of matching potential lovebirds

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We all have that one datable colleague who seems to be the perfect match to that single, lovelorn friend from college. Playing the matchmaker sounds like harmless fun, but setting them up without knowing what they want in a partner, or whether they have anything in common, might just put them in an awkward situation that you unwittingly helped make.

Without practice and experience, you might end up with more misses than hits that could have terrible consequences on your friendships. It would help to pick up a few tips from the pros, like maître d’ Fred Sirieix and his crew on Blue Ant Entertainment’s British reality show First Dates. Not only do they give romantic hopefuls a chance at love over cocktails and dinner, they also pair people based on their personality and what they’re looking for in a partner.

So don’t let the excitement of romance get ahead of you. Before letting loose Cupid’s proverbial arrows, there are a few basic things to keep in mind that will up your chances of successfully matching singletons in your circles, or at least convince them to go on a date without risking your friendships with them.

Are they interested?

You might think it’s sweet to set single friends up behind their backs. NEWSFLASH: Not all singles are unhappy being single! They may not even be ready to date, so your “sweet gesture” might just turn against you. If you think two of your friends might work out as a couple, best to ask them first if they’re interested in dating.

No two singles are alike

Singlehood won’t automatically match two people. Find out what your single friends are after in a date, like personality, hobbies, or career, so you know who among them are compatible. Be detailed. Don’t just tell them you know someone who looks great and is looking for a relationship. Still, be ready with a few pictures—with consent, of course.

Movie vs. coffee date

You wouldn’t want the first date in the movies where your potential lovebirds will end up glued to the big screen and not talking to each other. Encourage conversation by having them meet in a cozy café or a hip but family-friendly restaurant. Just avoid locations that are too “off the beaten path” so they don’t feel trapped or forced into a romantic situation.

Want more tips on matchmaking? Catch First Dates every Tuesday at 8:50PM (7:50PM JKT/BKK), first and exclusive on Blue Ant Entertainment. Blue Ant Entertainment is available on SKYcable channels 53 (SD) and 196 (HD), SKYdirect channel 35, Destiny Cable channel 53, and Cablelink channels 37 (SD) and 313 (HD).

Follow Blue Ant Entertainment at www.facebook.com/BlueAntEntertainment, @BlueAntEnt on Twitter, and @BlueAntEntertainment on Instagram for more updates.

Blue Ant Entertainment

Blue Ant Entertainment is a general entertainment channel with the best mix of reality, drama, comedy, and daily programmes. Featuring hit series and late-night television, airing day-and-date with the U.S. and U.K. markets, including: competition series The X Factor UK; dailies Entertainment Tonight, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Late Late Show with James Corden. The channel also ‘LIVE’ broadcasts some biggest award shows in the world, including The Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, American Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards.

TPB gears up for the county’s biggest travel trade event

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The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) is set to host the country’s biggest and significant travel trade event – the Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX), on August 28-30, 2018 at Marriot Grand Ballroom. This year’s PHITEX will once again promote the country as the premier tourist destination among some of the world’s biggest travel and tour buyers. 

With this year’s theme “Tourism is our Business: Guarding our Environment, Reliving our Culture”, TPB aims to provide a venue for foreign buyers of travel products to discuss business with Philippine tourism suppliers with a possibility of securing booking on-site or at least business leads. 

The event is also expected to entice buyers to include the Philippines in their tour programs or expand their existing tour programs of the archipelago and to generate maximum exposure of the Philippine destinations to key target markets and launch packages designed for niche markets. 

Kicking off this week-long event is the pre-tour on August 28 for registered buyers covering Bataan, Laguna, Batangas, Tagaytay and Corregidor that will highlight interesting Philippine culture and heritage.

The main event of PHITEX 2018 is the Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), which includes exclusive business-to-business appointment meetings between Philippine sellers and foreign buyers. By giving them the chance to personally meet the local sellers, buyers are introduced to the Philippines’ marketing trends and practices. In exchange, sellers are given an edge to offer globally competitive tour packages to the international market. 

The event will also provide foreign buyers the opportunity to experience the fun and exciting post tours to main Philippine attractions and destinations. 

Now on its 17th year, PHITEX has been continuously sustaining the growth that the Philippines has gained in the global tourism market. 

For more information about PHITEX 2018, visit www.phitex.ph.

#BeExtraORLYnary : Orly leads in innovating nail care products for Filipino

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Enjoying life with passion and adds color to your life , to have an extraordinary lifestyle. Thankful to be invited to join ORLY with the " Strength in Color" campaign launch with  extraORLYnary women.

International nail care brand ORLY recently held a colorful boho-themed grand launch to celebrate its “Strength in Color” campaign and to recognize ExtraORLYnary women who embody individuality, style, and talent in their respective fields.

The event, which was held at the Blue Leaf Cosmopolitan in Pasig City last August 8, was attended by ORLY’s international representative and executives who led a toast to ORLY’s brilliant and colorful years of setting the professional standard in nail care worldwide. SprintAsia is the exclusive official distributor of ORLY in the Philippines.

Mr. Paul Yap, SprintAsia President

Whether you are into mattes, gel or classic nail lacquer, ORLY has you covered. From the concept of classic and elegant nail aesthetics to what’s next in nail art technology, ORLY is always at the frontline in the field of nail care and nail enhancements. This international nail care brand offers a breathable nail polish as a 1-step system (no base on top) and a 13-free formula. ORLY is also halal certified and its Builder in a Bottle is the new innovation in hard gels and extensions.

Ms. Amy Oung, ORLY International Brand Ambassador

Since 1975, ORLY has been the leading maker of professional and retail standard nail color and care. Through the years, ORLY has created trendy nail lacquer shades that are vegan, cruelty-free, and free from harmful ingredients.

Color and Care are ORLY’s heart, soul, and the reflection of the brand’s multi-faceted personality.

Mr. Tim Yap, Ms. Shaira Luna (photography), Ms. Sanya Smith (music), Ms. Ornusa Cadness (music), Ms. Persie Torregoza (SprintAsia General Manager), Ms. Georginna Desuasido (beauty), Ms. Soleil Ignacio (design), Ms. Abbey Sy (arts), Ms. Amy Oung (ORLY International Brand Ambassador), Ms. Jennifer Yap (SprintAsia Vice President), Mr. Paul Yap (SprintAsia President)

To represent ORLY’s vast array of colors, six extraORLYnary women showcased their talent and individuality during the grand launch. Tim Yap moderated a panel discussion with Abbey Sy (arts), Soleil Ignacio (design), Georginna Desuasido (beauty), Sanya Smith (music), Ornusa Cadness (music), and Shaira Luna (photography) — all trailblazing women who often use their hands in their work.

ORLY is perfect for empowered women who combine talent and style. It has become the everyday choice of nail polish lovers for all of their daily activities. With ORLY’s continuing innovations in nail care technology, there’s little wonder why this leading breathable nail polish brand makes every woman feel truly ExtraORLYnary.

Lenovo introduces new laptops for the ‘modern avid gamer’

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Lenovo, a global leader in PCs and smart devices development, is launching two new laptops designed to meet the demands of the ‘modern avid gamers’.

“Through our market research, we have discovered that there is a subset of gamers being ignored – the modern avid gamers. Most of these are millennials who carried their enthusiasm to adulthood but find it hard to continue due to their responsibilities at work, family, and social life. They are looking for a gaming PC that lets them partake in their passion but in a way that fits their lifestyle and time constraints. Our newest gaming machines are designed to meet their needs – a powerful, portable device with a stylish and minimalist exterior,” said

Michael Ngan, Country General Manager of Lenovo Philippines.

Lenovo Legion Y530 and Lenovo IdeaPad 330 

The new devices, namely, theLenovo Legion Y530 and theIdeaPad 330 are built for more than just gaming. Both can handle programs for work or study easily, but also allows you to watch movies and TV series, it supports digital performance like video, animation, and graphics editing.

The new devices, namely, theLenovo Legion Y530 and theIdeaPad 330 are built for more than just gaming. Both can handle programs for work or study easily, but also allows you to watch movies and TV series, it supports digital performance like video, animation, and graphics editing.

Lenovo Legion Y530 – The portable gaming and office workhorse

The new Lenovo Legion laptops are built for today’s on-the-go gamers who travel light. The Lenovo Legion Y530 Laptop has a subtle but compelling top cover texture that radiates out from the “O” in its Legion emblem. The laptop is fully equipped with up to NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050 Ti GPUs, up to the latest 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 processors and Windows® 10.

With up to 16GB DDR4 2666MHz memory and up to 256GB M.2 PCIe SSD or 2TB HDD storage, it can fulfill both powering and storage demands. Heat is no longer a bother to gamers as the new Legion Y530 features improved thermal layout with dual fan design and quad-vent cooling for increased airflow.

           

Users can enjoy clear and crisp audio with its Dolby Audio™ Premium, which can dynamically adjust audio to deliver home theatre quality in a virtual surround sound experience. The Legion Y530 comes in at only 24 mm thin and 5.1 lbs. light. Its bezels are 62% thinner compared to previous gaming laptops, making it more portable and easy to carry.

The device is available in Onyx Black with backlit keyboards.

Lenovo IdeaPad 330 – The all-around productivity and entertainment booster

Stacked with premium processing and discrete graphics options, the Lenovo IdeaPad™ 330 is as powerful as it is easy to use.  Buyers can choose up to 7^thGeneration Intel® Core™ i7 processor, coming with the lightning-fast responsiveness and reliable performance.

The device supports up to NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050 graphics, perfect for those who want to play graphics-intensive games and handle resource-intensive business applications smoothly at the same time.

In addition, users can choose from up to 2 TB SATA HDD storage. The laptop comes in 14-, 15- and 17-inch anti-glare screens, in HD and full HD resolution options. Starting at 4.6 lbs, the device is made up of sturdy PC-ABS material chassis and it promises up to 8 hours of battery life.

Lenovo IdeaPad 330 comes in Onyx Black, Platinum Grey, Midnight Blue, and Chocolate.

Starting price for the Legion Y530 and IdeaPad 330 are P59,995 and P17,995, respectively. Both devices are now available at leading electronics stores.

The devices will be first showcased at Conquerors Manila 2018

where Lenovo is the official gaming hardware partner.

New generation of the Nokia 2 and Nokia 3 arrives in the Philippines

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HMD Global brings affordable premium design and long-lasting entertainment in new smartphones

HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, announces that the new Nokia 2.1 and Nokia 3.1 will be available for PHP5,990 and PHP9,990, respectively, starting August 29.

Delivering premium experience and a sophisticated aluminum design, the Nokia 3.1 exudes the quality and craftsmanship fans can expect from a Nokia smartphone. Joining the Android One family, the Nokia 3.1 is endorsed by Google as a best-in-class experience across hardware and software given its price point.

On top of 50 percent performance boost over its predecessor, the Nokia 2.1 combines a larger screen and dual front-front facing speakers with an incredible 2-day battery life to give users everything they need for entertainment on the go.

Shannon Mead, HMD Global Philippines country manager, said:

“At HMD Global, innovation means merging premium quality with affordability and accessibility. The Nokia 3.1 and Nokia 2.1 are just two of the breakthroughs we are proud to bring to the Filipinos, with the design and technology upgrade for even better mobile experience.

The Nokia 3.1 brings perfect balance between power and design while the Nokia 2.1 gives better and long-lasting experience with its great battery life, faster processor, bigger screen and dual front-facing stereo speakers.”

Nokia 3.1: Premium design, high-quality experience

Like the original, the new Nokia 3.1 blends a careful selection of materials into a perfect harmony with a stunning design. Its anodized machined metal frame and sculpted glass display deliver the perfect combination for both stand-out looks and comfortable feel in the hand. Subtle but striking metal accents are matched with dual diamond cuts for a premium finish.

The Nokia 3.1 is Nokia mobile’s most-affordable 18:9 smartphone, delivering the same screen ratio users get from modern flagships to give them more content with a single glance in a slim device. Just the right size for single-handed use, it now packs a larger 5.2-inch HD+ display protected by a damage-resistant 2.5D curved Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 to keep its original aesthetic.

The Nokia 3.1 runs on an octa-core MediaTek 6750 chip, which gives its user twice the processor cores and 50 percent faster performance than the previous generation to keep up with modern users’ busy and fast-paced lifestyle. Featuring an upgraded 13MP auto-focus rear camera, the Nokia 3.1 captures the memories that its user would want to relive over and over while the wide-angle front camera fits more subjects into every selfie.

Thanks to its full set of sensors - usually only found on premium phones - the Nokia 3.1 runs the latest apps and features effortlessly. Users can make the most out of popular AR apps such as Pokémon Go, pay securely and easily with Google Pay,[1]  and capture the whole scene with panoramic imaging.

Nokia 2.1: Long-lasting entertainment, designed to be powerful

Designed to deliver long-lasting entertainment to consumers who are always on-the-go, the Nokia 2.1 comes with 2-day battery life, a large 5.5-inch HD screen and dual front-facing stereo speakers. The Nokia 2.1’s powerful 4,000mAh battery now charges even faster so users can get back up and running even more quickly than before.

With its HD display 20 percent bigger than the original, Nokia mobile fans can now enjoy high-definition videos on the go. The dual speakers, with bespoke 3D formed stainless steel detail, provide amazing stereo sound.

The upgraded Qualcomm™ Snapdragon® 425 64-bit Mobile Platform gives users 50 percent faster and smoother performance to enable efficient and fast switching between apps.

Nokia 2.1’s cameras allow users to capture the action wherever they are with its 5MP front-facing selfie snapper or 8MP rear camera with auto focus.

Offering the quality and style fans expect from a Nokia phone, Nokia 2.1’s sophisticated Nordic design and metallic accents guarantee that its user will stand out from the crowd. Its sleek, rounded and ergonomically designed, inherently colored polycarbonate back keeps the phone looking great even after long periods of use.

Pure, secure and up-to-date Android

The Nokia 3.1 is entering the Android One family where it joins the comprehensive range of Nokia smartphones already delivering an experience designed by Google that is smart, secure and simply amazing. Nokia smartphones with Android One offer more storage and battery life out of the box as well as the latest AI-powered innovations from Google to help the user stay ahead of the game every day. The Nokia 3.1 will receive three years of monthly security patches and two years of OS updates as guaranteed in the Android One program. This puts the new Nokia 3.1 among the most-secure phones out there, always up-to-date with the latest Google services such as Google Assistant and Google Photos with free unlimited high-quality photo storage.

Tailored to devices with 1GB RAM or less, Android Oreo™ (Go edition) is what’s operating Nokia 2.1 with a new range of apps from Google designed to run faster while consuming less data. Optimized to be smooth and fast, these include Google Go web search app, Google Maps™ Go, YouTube™ Go and Google Assistant for Android (Go edition), to quickly send messages, make calls, set alarms and do more, simply by using your voice.

Availability and pricing

• The Nokia 3.1 will be available in Black/Chrome on August 29 and will retail for PHP9,990.
• Coming in three colors — Blue/Copper, Blue/Silver, Gray/Silver — the Nokia 2.1 is available starting August 29 for PHP5,990.

Pre-sale of Nokia 3.1 started in August 15 and lasts until August 26 through Nokia mobile stores and MemoXpress. See full details at http://uniteforpromo.ph/premium

With HMD Global’s extended partnership with Home Credit, you can also avail the Nokia 2.1 and the Nokia 3.1 at 0% interest for a 6-month installment period.

Experience the new generation of Nokia phones you can rely on and enjoy a free Kingston 16GB SD card at any authorized Nokia reseller, as well as any Nokia store, kiosk or exhibit:

Nokia mobile stores:

SM City North EDSA

SM City Clark

SM City Tarlac

SM City Bacolod

SM City Iloilo

Gaisano Mall Davao

Nokia mobile kiosks:

SM City Megamall

Robinsons Manila

SM City Bacoor

SM City Batangas

SM City Dasmarinas

SM City Olongapo

SM City Rosales

SM City San Fernando, Pampanga

SM City San Pablo

SM City Sta. Rosa

SM City Urdaneta

Nokia mobile exhibits:

SM Mall of Asia

Gaisano Mall Tagum

SM City Davao

SM City Marilao

SM City Rosario

Visit the official Nokia website https://www.nokia.com/en_ph/phones/store-locator for the full list of the top stores near you.