VIU supports Globe #PlayItRight anti-illegal sites advocacy with #VIUItRight

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VIU, a leading Asian digital content provider popular for its online distribution of K-Drama and K-Pop shows, recently announced its full support for Globe Telecom’s anti-illegal site advocacy, #PlayItRight.

VIU Country Manager in the Philippines Arianne Kader-Cu said that Korean drama has a huge base in the country with an estimated 22.5 million Filipinos who watch online.  “The soul of K-Drama and K-Pop are the Korean idols who depend on the revenue of their projects to remain popular. We are supporting Globe #PlayItRight to protect and champion the rights of actors, staff and even the viewers of Korean content through #VIUItRight,” Kader-Cu revealed.

Globe Senior Vice President for Content Nikko Acosta expressed the company’s gratitude to VIU for its support for the company’s advocacy. “Globe with the help of its content partners like VIU wants to send a strong message to the public to consume digital content the right way.  The support given by VIU strengthens our aim in promoting good content by using the right avenues to watch, stream or play Korean content,” Acosta said.

Kader-Cu added that #VIUItRight also encourages its millions of Korean fans to support #PlayitRight to ensure that their actors and actresses’ superstardom stays alive in the industry. “Fans are the major stakeholders in the careers of Korean acts. They are the deciding factor in whether an actor, a drama, or an idol becomes a hit. They can literally make or break careers, and their participation in accessing online content through the right channels would go a long way towards helping their favorite actors and idols achieve their dreams of stardom,” she said.

From the first Annyeonghaseyo in “Bright Girl” — the first Korean drama series that aired on Philippine television — in 2003 to dancing and singing to the music from the likes of Big Bang, BTS, Girls Generation, and Twice, the Philippines has come a long way in its appreciation of Korean-made content.

The love affair of Filipinos with Korean content has intensified through the years with Pinoys, teens to the 40 something, consuming everything Korean - series, films and music. Pinoy fans camp out the day before concert tickets are sold to their favorite K-Pop bands. Tickets are always sold out on the first day. With such clamor, the Philippines has become one of the top markets for Korean content consumption.

#PlayItRight through #VIUItRight encourages Filipinos to help their Korean idols accomplish their dreams by watching content legally and rightfully.

Visionary Novel “Ready Player One” Gets Spectacular Movie Treatment

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Little more than 30 years ago, it seemed almost inconceivable that you could log onto a computer, create your own profile—true or not—and connect with people anywhere on the globe in real time. But what if, 30 years from now, you could log in, become your own personal avatar—true or not—and interact with people in an infinite virtual world? Consider the possibilities…and the perils.

That is the basic premise of Ernest Cline’s bestseller Ready Player One, which captured the imagination of one of the most revered and successful filmmakers of all time: Steven Spielberg. “It’s a huge, sprawling adventure that intercuts between two completely different worlds,” he says. “I think Ernest Cline is a visionary who wrote of a future that’s actually not so far away from where we’re heading with the evolution of virtual reality.”

The author credits Steven Spielberg with being one of his greatest influences in creating his first novel. “It’s hard to quantify what a profound effect Steven Spielberg’s work has had on my life and my interests, but I could not have written Ready Player One if I had not grown up on a steady diet of his films. Just as anyone who grew up with a passion for movies in the 1970s and `80s, his work is woven into the fabric of my life. So much of it ended up informing the story and the way I chose to write it, and the evidence of that is seen throughout the book.”

Warner Bros.‘ futuristic adventure “Ready Player One” is set in 2045, when people will have the ability to enter into a digital universe called the OASIS, where you go wherever you want, do whatever you like, be whomever or whatever you choose to be. With the population beset by unemployment, poverty, overcrowding, and utter hopelessness, “it’s a good time to escape into a virtual world where you can live an extraordinary life through your avatar,” says Spielberg.“All you need is an imagination, and that will take you far in the OASIS. But when you escape from reality, you’re also, in a way, divesting yourself of any real human contact. So, the story is entertaining, but there is also a bit of a social commentary.”

Cline reveals that his inspiration for the story came from some of the touchstones of his youth. “The initial idea came from the Atari game Adventure, which was the very first videogame to have an Easter egg in it—its designer, Warren Robinett, had created a secret room within the game that had his name inside it. It was my first time finding something inside a virtual world hidden by the creator of that world. It was a profound experience that really stuck with me. I was also a huge fan of Roald Dahl’s works, especially the Willy Wonka books, and one day the idea occurred to me: What if Willy Wonka had been a videogame designer instead of a candy maker? I started thinking about all the riddles and puzzles this eccentric billionaire could leave behind to find a worthy successor, and I knew I was on to something.”

Cline’s eccentric billionaire became the character of James Halliday, the reclusive co-creator of the OASIS, played byMark Rylance. “The entire world lives within his dream—the dream from which he built an entire world,” says Spielberg. “But when he died he had no heirs, so he left behind a contest: the first to defeat three challenges, each rewarded with a key, and then find the Egg hidden somewhere inside the OASIS, will inherit everything.”

The buzz surrounding the book Ready Player One was already at a high pitch when it was first published in August 2011. It not only lived up to expectations; it surpassed them in spectacular fashion. A runaway hit, the #1 New York Times Best Seller has been published in more than 50 countries.

“I wondered if perhaps the book would only appeal to people around my age who were nostalgic for the `80s,” Cline continues. “But that has not been the case because it speaks to the way we live our lives now. Most of us have an actual identity and a virtual identity in the form of our social media profiles. And, not unlike the avatars in the story, you can shape those based on how you want other people to see you.”

In bringing the novel to the screen, it was vital to the filmmakers to be respectful of the source material, as well as its many fans. “But,” Spielberg acknowledges, “every book has to go through a process of adaptation when it goes from a literary work to a cinematic one. I think we ended up with just the right elements to tell a truly wonderful story.”

“Ready Player One” stars Tye Sheridan (“X-Men: Apocalypse”), Olivia Cooke (“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” “Bates Motel”), Ben Mendelsohn (“Rogue One – A Star Wars Story”) and T.J. Miller (“Deadpool”), with Simon Pegg (the “Star Trek” movies, the “Mission: Impossible” movies) and Oscar winner Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies,” “Dunkirk”).

“Ready Player One” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Elegance and Efficiency: Electrolux launches the new generation Ergorapido vacuum cleaner

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Gone are the days when you need to hide your vacuum cleaner in the broom closet. The new Electrolux Ergorapido Vacuum Cleaner offers versatility and cleaning efficiency in one elegant package.

Style or substance? Why not have both with the latest Electrolux Ergorapido vacuum cleaner. 

The newest Ergorapido vacuum cleaner not only comes in a sleek rose gold finish but also has a host of new features that deliver the cleaning benefits of a 2-in-1 floor and furniture cleaner. 

The Ergorapido’s ergonomic design makes cleaning effortless. It’s cordless, has a lightweight feel, and great maneuverability with its 180° Easysteer™ function that lets you swivel around corners or under tables. It also comes with a detachable hand-held unit offering surface versatility - now you’ll be able to keep shelves and tables dust free, over and under. 

Upholstery Nozzle

Upholstery Nozzle

You can also clean better for longer with the new Ergorapido. It comes with a high performance lithium battery, plus a motorized power brush with a wide nozzle great for picking up large crumbs and optimized for generating strong suction. It also has DustSpotter LED Lights to make sure you don’t miss a speck of dust in dark corners.

DustSpotter LED Lights

The Ergorapido has a wide nozzle great for picking up large crumbs and optimized for generating strong suction.

The Ergorapido has a wide nozzle great for picking up large crumbs and optimized for generating strong suction.

Stubborn hair and fibers that always get stuck on your vacuum brush can now also be removed with no sweat - the BrushRollClean™ feature gets rid of them by simply pushing a pedal.

The detachable hand-held unit

The detachable hand-held unit

The Ergorapido vacuum cleaner also comes with a variety of attachments tailor fitted to your every cleaning need, making it truly multifunctional. 

BedPro™ Mini

BedPro™ Mini

Long Crevice Nozzle

Long Crevice Nozzle

Treat your cushions to a deep clean with the BedPro™ Mini attachment for effortless mattress cleaning and the Upholstery nozzle for sofas and car seats.

If you need reach, there’s the flexi hose and the long crevice nozzle which cleans the tightest nooks.

Flexi Hose

Flexi Hose

It is also self-standing, making storage really easy—or why not display this beauty around the house? With its elegant design and extensive features, the Electrolux Ergorapido vacuum cleaner is a surefire conversation starter.

If you are looking for a vacuum cleaner that looks and cleans great, the new Electrolux Ergorapido Vacuum Cleaner is an easy choice. Combining elegance and efficiency, it’s the perfect cleaning companion for today’s modern home. 

Electrolux shapes living for the better by reinventing taste, care and wellbeing experiences, making life more enjoyable and sustainable for millions of people. As a leading global appliance company, we place the consumer at the heart of everything we do. Through our brands, including Electrolux, AEG, Anova, Frigidaire, Westinghouse and Zanussi, we sell more than 60 million household and professional products in more than 150 markets every year. In 2017 Electrolux had sales of SEK 122 billion and employed 56,000 people around the world.  

For more information go to www.electroluxgroup.com.ph

Witness the power of faith in “Paul, Apostle of Christ” Exclusively in SM Cinema

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This Lenten season, witness the all-too-real story of “Paul, Apostle of Christ,” at SM Cinema. 

Purveyed in the perspective of the Apostle Luke, the film depicts Paul in the midst of a brutal Roman campaign against religion, persecuting all those who share the faith and preach the word of the Lord through the most gruesome methods ever devised. 

Witness the power of faith in “Paul, Apostle of Christ” Exclusively in SM Cinema

Paul, is held prisoner and sentenced to death by Roman Emperor Nero. Luke, risks his life to visit him and there decides to write another text containing the beginnings of “The Way” and the start of what will later be known as the Church.

Chained and confined in the infamous Mamertine Prison, under the command of the hateful Prefect Mauritius Gallas, Paul introspects, realizing the tribulations he underwent: countless floggings, starvation, stoning, hunger and thirst. Now, as he waits for certain death alone in the dark, shadows of his past misdeeds haunt him and he wonders if he will be able to finish the race well.

The two Apostles struggle against the weakness of humanity and one of Christianity’s grueling oppressions in order to spread the Gospel of Jesus and keep the faith as a beacon of hope to all the believers across the land.

“When I think of God's grace and mercy and who's the one embodiment of that, it's always Paul to me. Somebody who goes from basically the greatest persecutor of early Christians into the greatest evangelizer in all of church history,” Writer and Director Andrew Hyatt shared.

Starring Jim Caviezel as Luke, French actor Olivier Martinez as Mauritius Gallas and Game of Thrones Alumnus James Faulkner in the titular role, “Paul, Apostle of Christ” will be exclusively screened at SM Cinema theatres nationwide starting March 23.

Book your tickets now through the website, www.smcinema.com or skip the line by downloading the SM Cinema app now through the App Store and Google Play. Stay tuned to SM Cinema on Facebook and @SM_Cinema on Instagram for more details.

Vivo to bring the house down this March with newest flagship

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Top global phone manufacturer Vivo is set to send the mobile phone industry in frenzy with the release of yet another stunner in their smartphone series. Set to be unveiled March, Vivo’s latest offering promises consumers bigger and better offerings in their mobile phone experience.

                                           

“Vivo will offer another innovative flagship phone this March”

Following the success of the V7 plus and the V7 release, word is out that consumers can expect that the new offering will retain all of the V7 phones’ impressive, thumbprint features albeit enhanced and updated with specs that are centered on delivering flawless selfie shots made even by state-of-the-art artificial intelligence beautifying tools. Because it is still dedicated in delivering perfect photos, it should also be expected that the camera will rock a souped up HDR mode.

Moreover, a buzz on this newest Vivo flagship includes a bigger display complemented by a full HD resolution. As the V7’s successor, the Game Mode feature is expected to still be onboard in the list of specifications along with the futuristic Face ID and fingerprint unlock component.

The mobile phone industry awaits with bated breath as Vivo’s freshest charmer is out in the market. Although the specs are merely founded on speculations, one thing that is certain is Vivo will never disappoint. 

About Vivo

A global smartphone brand focused on introducing perfect sound quality and ultimate photography with cutting-edge technology, Vivo develops innovative and stylish products for young people. We now have over two hundred million users and are one of the preferred brands of young people around the world. As an Official Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup™, Vivo believes in the importance of encouraging young people to embrace self-expression and an energetic lifestyle. 

For inquiries about Vivo, visit the Vivo website at www.vivo.com/ph or check out their Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/VivoPhil), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vivophil/), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/vivo_phil) accounts.