Unfold your incredible stories: ASUS Philippines Announces the availability of Zen AiO Pro with pre-installed Microsoft Windows 10!

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ASUS Philippines announces the 23.8-inch Zen AiO Pro Z240IC, the first models in the incredible new Zen AiO Pro Series, a premium range of all-in-one PCs that fuse art with industry-leading technology. Zen AiO Pro provides a perfect balance of beauty and performance for the ultimate all-in-one computing experience.

Featuring a stunningly-elegant all-aluminum design, Zen AiO Pro looks amazing. But the beauty is not just skin-deep, with superb performance delivered by 6th-generation Intel Core™ i7 processor and gaming-grade NVIDIA GeForce GTX™ 960M graphics with up to 4GB of video memory. 

Other leading-edge technology showcased in the Zen AiO Pro Series includes the latest USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, up to PCIe® 3.0 x4 M.2 SSD storage.

For truly-immersive family entertainment, both new Zen AiO Pro models are equipped with a powerful six-speaker ASUS SonicMaster Premium sound system that delivers 16W of incredibly rich and clear stereo sound.

Zen AiO Pro deserves to be the computing centerpiece of any home or creative workspace, with full connectivity across all devices allowing it to become the ultimate digital hub for work or play.

A true masterpiece

Zen AiO Pro is a masterpiece of craftsmanship and design, with a slim and elegant unibody shell forged from a solid block of anodized-aluminum, with a precision-crafted matching integral stand. The smooth, sophisticated appearance is enhanced by a layer of edge-to-edge glass covering the display, and the rear cover has a beautiful fine brushed-metal finish that perfectly complements the signature spun-metal Zen-inspired concentric circles on the front fascia.

Zen AiO Pro is a vision of elegance, finished in a stylish yet subtle Icicle Gold color that will add a touch of beauty to any space.

Extreme beauty, extreme performance

The extraordinary Zen AiO Pro is built to provide out-of-the-ordinary performance for discerning home users. Using the latest generation of quad-core Intel Core up to i7 processors, combined with 16GB of the very latest DDR4 memory and lightning-fast up to PCIe® 3.0 x4 M.2 SSD storage, Zen AiO Pro has power to spare for instant responsiveness and ultra-smooth and immersive entertainment.

Dedicated NVIDIA® GeForce GTX™ 960 gaming-grade graphics with up to a class-leading 4GB of video memory ensure users can enjoy superb stutter-free high-resolution movies and videos in vivid, lifelike colors, or play even the very latest games at full resolution with high quality settings.

Zen AiO Pro is the world’s first all-in-one PC to use the next-generation USB 3.1 Gen 2, which delivers blindingly-fast data transfers of up to 10Gbit/s —twice as fast as USB 3.0, and over twenty times faster than USB 2.0. With these speeds, even the biggest data transfers take no time at all. Zen AiO Pro uses the latest USB 3.1 Type-C connector for improved ease of use — the connector is reversible, so it can’t be inserted the wrong way round. And for all-device connectivity, Zen AiO Pro also has a full complement of 4 USB 3.0 ports plus a USB 2.0 port, along with the latest ultra-fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi.

Incredible sound, awesome entertainment

Zen AiO Pro is designed for the ultimate multimedia entertainment, with up to a stunning FHD 10-point multi-touch IPS display for vibrant, pin-sharp visuals that make every detail visible, along with wide viewing angles and ultra-responsive touch interactivity. Zen AiO Pro also has a color gamut of up to 100% sRGB, which ensures accurate, rich and vivid color reproduction.

The incredible audio system has a total of 6 speakers that deliver rich and clear full-range sound. Each 8-watt stereo channel uses three powerful speakers located at either side of Zen AiO Pro, giving fully-realistic stereo separation and a total of 16 watts of pure, undistorted sound for an amazingly-lifelike experience.

The state-of-the-art technology in Zen AiO Pro ensures an awesome entertainment experience, whether users are watching the latest blockbuster movie, enjoying games or simply relaxing with music.

Specifications: 

About ASUS

ASUS is a worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor and maker of the world’s best-selling, most award-winning motherboards. A leading enterprise in the new digital era, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home and office, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktop and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia devices, wireless solutions, networking devices, tablets and smartphones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 4,326 awards in 2014 and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with its Eee PC™. ASUS has more than 13,600 employees around the globe with a world-class R&D team of 4,500 engineers. Company revenue for 2013 was approximately US$14 billion.

Epson to Triple Inkjet Printhead Production with new factory in Japan

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Akita Epson Corporation, a group company of Seiko Epson Corporation (SEC), will invest a total of approximately 3.4 billion yen (approximately USD $28 million) on the construction of a new factory to increase production capacity of printheads for inkjet printers. Construction will begin in November 2015. The new factory, which will begin operations in the autumn of 2016, will triple Akita Epson's current printhead production capacity.

Epson's printing solutions business provides products and services based on original Micro Piezo inkjet technology to customers in the consumer, office, commercial, and industrial markets. The new factory at Akita Epson will manufacture and assemble inkjet printheads, the core devices used in Epson's high-capacity ink tank printers and business inkjet printers.

Epson's high-capacity ink tank printers are new concept products that meet customer needs for low printing costs while providing genuine Epson print quality. Sales of these printers were strong in the 2014 fiscal year (ended March 31, 2015), with annual unit shipment growth topping 40% and future growth in demand expected. The office market is also seeing annual growth in demand for high-speed business inkjet printers that produce outstanding image quality at a lower cost per print and lower energy consumption than laser printers.

"Akita Epson is an important domestic production site with advanced technological capability and a close working relationship with Epson's corporate R&D function," said Takashi Mitsui, president of Akita Epson.

"We make a significant contribution to the manufacturing capability of the entire Epson Group, sharing with Epson's overseas manufacturing plants the technical expertise we have gained from manufacturing core devices. By using Epson's original production equipment and automating and rationalizing production lines, the new plant will further raise our production capability."

In the Philippines, Epson’s ink tank system printers were instrumental in propelling the digital imaging leader to the Number 1 position.

“Our ink tank printers provide the best value in the market – with a printing cost of only 7 centavos per page, unmatched durability and reliability, and unequalled print quality, Epson is the undisputed brand of choice of Filipinos,” said Epson Philippines Product Manager Russer Cabrera.

Epson is committed to advancing its original technologies and to delighting customers by exceeding their expectations with products and services based on original core devices.

“Bricks Click: Creating the New Marketplace”: Traditional and digital retail trends discussed in SM’s first Partnership Summit

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With the market’s adaptation to digital shopping, traditional retail businesses find it important to keep with the consumer’s growing needs and demands for shopping experience beyond the brick-and-mortar concept. 

SM Supermalls used this big idea for its first Partnership Summit titled “Bricks Click: Creating the New Marketplace” to create a venue for deeper discussion among retailers and business partners. The summit was held at the SMX Convention Center of the Mall of Asia Complex.

SM Supermalls President Annie Garcia and Senior Vice-President for Operations Steven Tan together with panelists (second from left) Margot Torres, Executive Vice President, McDonald’s Philippines; Hiebert Dimagiba, Head of Mobile & IT Business, Samsung Philippines; Aitor Gomez Maguregui, Head of New Business Sales, Google Philippines; and Mark Gamboa, Director of Marketing, Max’s Group.

The summit aimed to inspire and motivate players in the retail industry, local and regional, through knowledge sharing and market updates from distinguished experts in the field. During the summit, discussions centered around the impact of social media on businesses; ways to elevate customer experience, and strengthening customer satisfaction.

Esteemed guest speakers included entrepreneur and inspirational speaker Francis Kong, Disney Institute Regional Business Development Manager Wing-Hoe Tan, and Samsung Electronics Vice-President for Online David Kang. Panel discussions further elaborated the topics, with executives and veterans of known companies such as Samsung, Max’s, McDonald’s and Google contributing their insights and business experiences.

Francis Kong

In his presentation, Kong explained that a business should learn to utilize social media and technology not to compete with the traditional way of retail, but to enhance and further develop its reach. Technology, according to Kong, is not the competitor of traditional retail, but its complement.

Entrepreneur and inspirational speaker Francis Kong talked about creating new and meaningful experiences for the customer with the cohesive use of social media with traditional retail.

“Co-existence between analog and click technology can never replace human involvement,” Kong added.

Tan stressed in his speech that positive results and customer delight root from company culture, from how they treat their customers to how they treat their own employees.

Wing-Hoe Tan

A playful moment from Disney Institute’s Wing-Hoe Tan, his session discussing about ensuring delightful service and maintaining good company culture.

“An organization must cultivate the same internal customer service within their employees, gauged with the same intentionality as how they do with their external ones. It is not written on any handbook; rather, it is already imbibed in the employees’ hearts and minds to provide exceptional service,” Tan said.

Kang ended the sessions with his emphasis on how technology heavily influences consumers’ decisions, but in the end, the brick-and-mortar shops are still their preferred way of shopping for their desired products.

David Kang

Samsung Electronics Vice-President for Online David Kang delves deeper into his talk about the cohesive existence of technology and traditional retail to bring another level to the customer’s shopping experience.

There were 1,000 participants who attended the summit, hailing from businesses in the Philippines and abroad, all pioneers and heads of SM’s valued tenant companies.

The partnership summit is one of SM’s projects in line with celebrating its 30th year in the retail industry. SM currently has 55 malls nationwide.​

"Living Re-Imagined” - Amaia Steps Parkway Nuvali holds Upcycling Challenge

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In a bid to turn waste materials into more useful resources, real estate developer Amaia Land Corp. recently launched the first Amaia Steps Parkway Nuvali Upcycling Challenge last Saturday, Oct. 17, at Solenad 1, Nuvali, in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. 

Amaia’s Upcycling Challenge saw the participation of a slew of design students, professionals, and upcycling enthusiasts, out of which thirteen were chosen finalists. All the participants are given sufficient time to create marketable and practical home products from scratch using a selected material—in this case, plastic soft drink bottles.

Victorious Secret

Jensen Gonzales, Jeremiah Mendoza, and Klingeln Castillo of Victorious Secret wastes no time in creating their upcycled hanging lamp to ensure a win during the Amaia Steps Parkway Nuvali Upcycling Challenge.

PSIDream

Members of PSIDream, Julian Agustin, Princess Dumpit, and Roxanne Ramos, tries to turn plastic bottles into a "Sit-n-Sleep Bottle Couch-Bed."

Mirror

Team Mirror composed of Denver Aurallo and Kate Oliva prepares their materials for the Amaia Parkway Nuvali Upcycling Challenge.

The ongoing environmental competition is scheduled to hold its awarding ceremonies on Sunday, October 25, where only three of the most creative ideas and designs will be chosen.

Ricky Celis, Amaia Land Corp. president, said the upcycling contest was meant to encourage the public to creatively reduce waste by turning these into useful and aesthetically pleasing products.

“When waste products are not biodegradable, these occupy space out there and possibly pollute the environment. Thus, before throwing anything out, why not consider upcycling them?” Celis pointed out.

“Caring for the environment has always been part of our advocacy. We wanted a project that would push this cause, so the Upcycling Challenge was really perfect for us.

Here in Amaia Steps Parkway Nuvali, we encourage everyone to live a life that is one with nature—to not just enjoy its beauty but also care for it,” he added.

Kneutral MNL

Carissa Patricia Del Rosario and Jose Masucol of Kneutral Collection creates a useful table out of green plastic soda bottles.

7CM

Duo Janneal Avy Chug and Kirk Cedrick Moaje is making a different kind of table lamp made out of plastic bottles, which they will call "Cap-wise Clockwise Table Lamp."

Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of turning old and discarded goods or waste materials into something useful and beautiful and with better environmental value.

For the Amaia Steps Parkway Nuvali Upcycling Challenge, in particular, the finalists were tasked to create home products that must be useful to Amaia homeowners—an endeavor that was consistent with the development’s theme: "Living Re-Imagined.”

“We are doing this to inspire our residents and future homeowners to contribute to preserving our environment,” Celis said. “We believe that even seemingly small ways such as these will have greater impact if everyone adopts the habit of upcycling waste materials into something useful again.”

Each team was provided transportation to the site and P3,000 for raw materials.

Team Bulahao

Louie Lucena of Team Bulahao puts a game face on when the Amaia Steps Parkway Nuvali Upcycling Challenge officially started.

Get Backers

Louie Ermitanio and John Henry Lazaro of Team Get Backers discusses how will they start making their upcycled wall clock, which they call "Positive Time."

The finalists’ entries will be displayed at Soledad 1 in Nuvali while its images will be showcased in Amaia Land Corp.'s official Facebook page. The entry with the most number of likes on Facebook will receive a special prize.

The grand winner will be awarded P100,000 in cash and a glass trophy. The first runner-up will receive P50,000 and a glass trophy and the second runner-up will get P25,000 and a glass trophy.

Team Makati Folks

Raffy Lacaden and Anthony Lau of Team Makati Folks brainstorm the best game plan to finish their "Plastic Bottle Chairble" on time.

OCCA Design

Anzella Casica and Gethymane Cobico of OCCA Design works on their upcycled chair, hoping to bag the first prize in the first-ever Amaia Steps Parkway Nuvali Upcyling Challenge.

Ayala Land’s Nuvali, which spans 1,750 hectares, is an inspiring model of a green, sustainable eco-community. Built on the pillars of environmental, economic, and social sustainability, community development remains a primary objective of Nuvali in achieving this balance.

Designer Duo

Designer Duo Janica Uy and Christine Mariano sure knows how to have fun while making their coffee table with hidden storage box during the Amaia Steps Parkway Nuvali Upcycling Challenge.

Team DJE

Danny Kalinga, Jojean Aguilar, and Johnedel Ogalesco of Team DJE are working on the "Bubble Coral" floor lamp made up of plastic bottles and a junk bike wheel.

UP IndDes

Students from UP Fine Arts, Nico Macabuhay, Andrea Anatacio, and Tolits Tanaka, are working together as team UP IndDes to come up with "Duâ," a coffee table that is convertible into 2 chairs.

Companio

Rhanmar Dacayo and Joan Tay of Team Companio tries to make a 2-level chair called "Atom" out of plastic bottles and other waste materials.

Nuvali, which is located in the cities of Sta. Rosa and Calamba, and is in the Municipality of Cabuyao in Laguna, is part of the growth corridor of the Calabarzon region. Its campus-like environment integrates a community where residences, business, and recreation flow seamlessly. It is a community where you could proudly raise a family.

Repertory Philippines adapts Secret Garden for a new generation

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Repertory Philippines is set to showcase another musical production; now of Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon’s adaptation of the classic story The Secret Garden. Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the story revolves around the lives of two abandoned youngsters Mary Lennox and Colin Craven who, through the power of love, begin to transform their spoiled and selfish ways for the better. The show runs simultaneously with Rep’s staging of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Rep’s version is anticipated to entertain audiences with a magical score and fascinating choreography but it shouldn't be missed largely because of the amazing young talent set to play the spirited main characters of the story. Playing the mischievous Mary Lennox are 12-year-old Ashlee Factor and 9-year-old Ginger Karganilla. Between them, they have already starred in five stage productions. Not only is Ashlee already playing a role in Rep’s production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but she also played one of the lead characters of the theater production house’s adaptation of Scrooge. While Ginger took part in playing characters in Resorts World Manila’s Cinderella the Musical and The King & I.

As for the very headstrong Colin Craven, the role will be played by 11-year-old Daniel Drilon, 10-year-old Albert Silos, and 11-year-old Noel Comia. Not to be outshined by their female counterparts, the boys also have an impressive list of titles behind them. Apart from playing roles in Rep’s Scrooge, Pinocchio, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Noel had a role in Kids Acts Philippines’ Hua Mulan which earned him the Best Child Performer Award at the 27th Aliw Awards. Albert’s background includes roles in Resorts World Manila’s King & I and Cinderella and in Gantimpala Theater’s Kanser the Musical. While Daniel, despite having his professional debut just last year, has had years of intensive training in the performing arts which landed him lead roles in Rep’s Pinocchio and Scrooge.

With their extensive experience in theater arts and months of preparing for the role, the cast is set to bring the story of Secret Garden and its characters to life. “We like to perform to make the audience happy,” explains Daniel--a statement that resounded with the entire cast. Come opening day on November 20, that’s what they plan to do.

With director Anton Juan leading them, the entire production is sure to enthrall audiences no matter what age. Together with the story’s beautiful message, no doubt the show will be a hit. “Secret Garden has a really nice moral lesson, the music is catchy, and they should watch it because they will learn a lot,” shares Albert of the experience people should expect from the show.

The Secret Garden will be staged from November 20 to December 20, 2015 at the Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Makati City. Ticket prices range from P500 to P1,000. For more details on the play, call Repertory Philippines at 843-3570 and book tickets through TicketWorld at 891-9999 or visit their website at www.ticketworld.com.ph.