Enjoying Wonderful World

April 24, 2024

vivo V30 Pro Review : Experience interesting photography with ZEISS

For photography enthusiasts, this is it

vivo V30 Pro is the latest premium mid-range smartphone from vivo.

vivo Philippines has introduced V30 Series the successor to the V29, which was launched few months ago.

As vivo made a lot more changes to the design and features of the all-new V30 Pro. Now, V30 Pro is the popular smartphone in the mid-range segment, vivo partnered with ZEISS. It features design simple and beautiful, great cameras, and the new Aura Light 3.0 system.

Design and Features

The Vivo V30 Pro is a stylish phone in a slim and lightweight package measuring 164.36 × 75.1 × 7.45mm in dimensions and weighing 188 grams.

Vivo has teamed up with ZEISS to optimize colors and picture quality. The phone also features a decently powerful MediaTek processor, up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage, a big and bright display, a 5,000mAh battery, 80W fast wired charging, and more.

The phone’s frame is made of plastic and comes with a glossy finish. vivo says the V30 Pro features a cushioning structure on the underside of its corners for better protection during hard falls. The frame has recessed top and bottom edges. Inscribed at the top edge “PROFESSIONAL PORTRAIT” which tells you how much vivo is betting on the dedicated portrait camera.

There is a microphone hole at the top, and at the bottom edge holds the SIM card tray, USB-C port, microphone, and a speaker grille with circular multiple cutouts.

The other “square” below the camera housing, is the Aura Light system to work with especially at night and making it easier to light up dark areas.

Camera

vivo V30 Pro is the impressive cameras that offers a triple camera setup and partnered with ZEISS to produce exceptional portrait photography. The first lens is a 50MP main camera with an f/1.88 aperture using a 1/1.49-inch Sony IMX920 sensor. It also has Optical Image Stablization (OIS).

vivo named its main camera as “VCS True Color Main Camera”, the VCS stands for vivo Camera-Bionic Spectrum a new photo and color enhancement technology.

There are other shooting modes you can switch to, with Portrait mode perhaps being the most interesting – it’s certainly one of the most extensive portrait modes I’ve seen on a phone.

vivo V30 Pro carries three 50MP cameras on the back (main + ultra-wide + portrait), which promise reliable performance in different lighting conditions. The triple cameras get complimented by an in-built ring light - Smart Aura, and can be highly versatile in super dim environments. There’s a 50MP front camera as well that gets some native features and filters to up your selfie game.

the V30 Pro marks the debut of Zeiss-tuned cameras in a Vivo smartphone beyond its premium X-series. Portrait enthusiasts may appreciate the special filters offered by vivo and Zeiss, adding an element of fun to photography. Additionally, content creators can explore features like Micro Movie, which provides preset templates perfect for crafting quick Instagram Reels. Great shooting modes include video options, time-lapse, high-resolution, panorama and a Pro mode. With the Pro mode you can adjust options such as shutter speed, white balance, AF and so on, and you can also shoot in raw format. The three different colour options are Vivid, Textured and Natural .

The colors are bright and vibrant, making for an immersive viewing experience when watching high-quality content. Vivo offers three built-in color profiles (Standard, Pro, and Bright) with manual controls over the color temperature. This gives you the flexibility to adjust screen colors according to your preference.

The vivo V30 Pro’s screen gets adequately bright depending on the lighting conditions.

It is very much legible under direct sunlight. When indoors, the phone dynamically adjusts the screen brightness to make it easy on your eyes.

The vivo V30 Pro captures excellent photos in daylight conditions. The ZEISS Natural mode appears to produce the most true-to-life colors. vivo offers four bokeh styles inspired by ZEISS camera lenses: Biotar, Sonnar, Planar, and Distagon. You also get Cinematic Style Bokeh and cine-flare portrait modes. Non-portrait shots with the 2x zoom camera also come out excellent. Interestingly, the Vivo V30 Pro digitally zooms in with the main camera if you switch to 2x in the Photo mode.

Love the most interesting thing however is the “Aura” light, found on the back of the phone. This is a bit like a small ring light, and can be set to always on to constantly illuminate your subject. Not only that, but you can set it to different colour temperatures – or leave it in automatic mode. Again, it’s a fun thing to experiment with, especially if you especially like portraits.

There's a Food mode, found in the “More” tab.

Performance

The vivo V30 Pro is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8200 octa-core processor, it’s the same chipset of its predecessor.

The chipset is one of MediaTek’s modern 4nm mid-range processor featuring one Cortex-A78 prime CPU core clocked at 3.1GHz, a three Cortex-A78 cores clocked at 3.0GHz, and four Cortex-A55 cores at 2.0GHz. It is paired with an ARM Mali-G610 MC6 for the graphics.

The audio quality of the phone is average, with the sound output mostly coming from the bottom. It delivers good high-mid range frequencies and clear vocals,. As clicking the volume key beyond 100 percent activates the Audio Booster mode, allowing the speakers to reach volumes up to 150 percent.

You'll enjoy watching videos on the vivo V30 Pro, with some built-in eye care protection features. It has an anti-fatigue curve 2.0 to keep your eye relaxed, a dark theme mode, biometric brightness adjustment, and SGS Low Blue Light Certification. During night time, the 2160Hz PWM dimming feature makes the screen more comfortable for your eyes making it a “risk-free flicker” for a better viewing experience and avoid eye fatigue.

Battery and Connectivity

vivo V30 Pro packs a 5,000mAh battery. Combined with a decently efficient chipset, the phone delivers commendable endurance.

vivo V30 Pro comes with 5G connectivity with the dual nano-SIM slots, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, OTG and NFC.

The internal storage offers a massive 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage to accommodate more files and photos. However, the phone does not support a microSD slot for storage expansion.

Conclusion

Well, if you value cameras more than gaming performance, with an older chipset and a single speaker, and It gives you excellent and a decent overall package, vivo V30 Pro is primarily a phone for camera and photography enthusiasts. - Vivo 30 Pro is a solid choice.

The vivo V30 Pro is its quad-camera setup paired with various ZEISS Style Portrait filters. Each of the three rear cameras boasts a 50MP lens with autofocus, while the front camera also features a 50MP lens.

All lenses perform splendid that can capture wide shots with exceptional detail, vibrant colors, and remarkable performance even in low-light conditions with less noise. With the ZEISS Style Portrait filters users can produce stunning portrait shots at both 1x and 2x zoom levels. Feel free to experiment with these filters to achieve various results and effects.

In this review, we put the Vivo V30 Pro through a quick smartphone experience, it delivers reliable and sustained performance, for value great cameras, the Vivo 30 Pro is a solid choice.

A slim and affordable mid range phone with lots of interesting specs.... It sports a Zeiss lens and puts out a very good performance overall.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

vivo V30 Pro Specs

Product Color

Color Petals White, Green Sea

Operating System Funtouch OS 14

Ingress Protection Rating IP54

Android Version Android 14

Platform

Processor MediaTek Dimensity 8200

CPU Core Count 8

Process Node 4 nm

CPU Clock Speed 1 × A78 3.1GHz + 3 × A78 3.0GHz + 4 × A55 2.0GHz

Storage

RAM & ROM 12 GB +512 GB

RAM Type LPDDR5X

ROM Type UFS 3.1

Expandable RAM Capacity 12 GB

Battery

Battery 5000 mAh (TYP)

Charging Power 80W

Battery Type Li-ion battery

Design

Dimensions 164.36 × 75.1 × 7.45 mm

Weight 188g

Back Cover Material Glass

Fingerprint Sensor Type In-display optical fingerprint sensor

Size 6.78 inches

Resolution 2800 × 1260

Type AMOLED

Touch Screen Capacitive multi-touch

Refresh Rate 60 Hz, 120 Hz

Color Saturation 105% NTSC

Pixel Density 452 PPI

Light-Emitting Material A22 (Q9)

Local Peak Brightness 2800 nits

Color Gamut 100% DCI-P3

Network

Card Slot 2 nano SIMs

Standby Mode 5G+5G Dual SIM Dual Standby

2G GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz

3G WCDMA B1/B2/B4/B5/B8

4G FDD-LTE B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B17/B18/B19/B20/B26/B28

4G TD-LTE B38/B39/B40/B41

5G n1/n3/n5/n7/n8/n20/n28/n38/n40/n41/n77/n78

Camera

Camera Front

50 MP AF Group Selfie Camera, f/2.0, 92° FOV, 5P

Rear:

50 MP VCS True Color Main Camera, OIS, f/1.88, 84° FOV, 6P

50 MP Professional Portrait Camera, AF, f/1.85, 47.6° FOV, 6P

50 MP AF Ultra Wide-Angle Camera, f/2.0, 119° FOV, 5P

Flash Rear flash

Scene Mode Front: High resolution, Dual View, Live Photo, Night, Portrait,

Photo, Video, Micro Movie

Rear: High resolution, Pano, Documents,

Slo-mo, Time-lapse, Supermoon, Astro, Pro, Snapshot, Food,

Dual View, Live Photo, Night, Portrait, Photo, Video, Micro Movie

Fill light Rear Aura Light with dual color temperature

Media

Hi-Fi Not supported

Audio Playback AAC,WAV,MP3,MP2,MP1,MIDI,VORBIS,APE,FLAC

Video Playback MP4, 3GP, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM, TS, ASF

Voice Recording Supported

Video Recording Format MP4

Video Recording Resolution 4K/1080P/720P

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz

Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.3

USB USB 2.0

GPS Supported

OTG Supported

FM Not supported

NFC Supported

Sensors

Accelerometer Supported

Color Temperature Sensor Not supported

Ambient Light Sensor Supported

Proximity Sensor Supported

E-compass Supported

Gyroscope Supported

Price: Php 34,999

April 23, 2024

Philippine Pavilion honors Mt. Banahaw’s influence on the Filipino cultural landscape

The Philippine Pavilion held its vernissage at the 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia and opened its doors to the public on April 20, 2024, at the Artiglierie, Arsenale, Venice, Italy, with the theme “Sa kabila ng tabing lamang sa panahong ito / Waiting just behind the curtain of this age.”

(L-R) Consul General Elmer Cato, Philippine Consulate General in Milan, Italy; Ambassador Nathaniel Imperial Philippine Embassy in Rome, Italy; Mark Salvatus, Participating Artist; Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda; Chairman Victorino “Ino” Manalo, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Commissioner of the Philippine Pavilion; Carlos Quijon, Jr., Curator of the Philippine Pavilion; Honorary Consul Giorgia Di Biasi; Patrick Flores, Curator of the Tie a String Around the World in 2015, which marked the comeback of the Philippines after 51-year hiatus

The visionary behind the Philippines’ participation in the Venice Biennale, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, led the vernissage together with Carlos Quijon Jr, the curator; artist Mark Salvatus; Chairman Victorino Manalo of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Commissioner of the Philippine Pavilion; Consul General Elmer Cato of the Philippine Consulate General in Milan, Italy; and Ambassador Neal Imperial of the Philippine Embassy in Rome, Italy.

In her opening remarks during the vernissage, Legarda underscored that the exhibition explores the cultural and spiritual significance of Mount Banahaw—a protected natural and sacred site in the Philippines, in shaping Filipino consciousness and cultural landscape as it delves into the intricate relationship between mysticism and modernity, exploring the themes of tradition, faith, and resilience.

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda

“Enshrined by Republic Act 9847 as a Protected Area in 2009, Mount Banahaw stands as a sanctuary for both nature and culture, nurturing diverse ecosystems and serving as a beacon for spiritual seekers and pilgrims alike. Its slopes bear witness to the ebb and flow of history, as religious and political movements have found sanctuary amidst its peaks and verdant valleys,” Legarda said.

“As we unveil the Philippine Pavilion at the 60th International Art Exhibition at la Biennale di Venezia, we pay homage to the enduring legacy of Mount Banahaw and its profound influence on the Filipino cultural landscape,” Legarda added.

The four-term Senator, recognized as the Dangal ng Haraya awardee – Patron of Arts and Culture, emphasized how Salvatus’s evocative artwork and Quijon’s perceptive curation encourage us to explore the intricate relationship between nature, spirituality, and art. She urged everyone to ponder on the artworks, reflect on our interconnectedness with nature, and celebrate Mount Banahaw’s enduring spirit and the boundless creativity of the Filipino people.

“As we marvel at the pulchritude and complexity of the artworks on display, let us also reflect on the broader implications of our interconnectedness with the natural world. Mount Banahaw reminds us that we are not mere spectators but we are also active participants in the web of life, entrusted with the stewardship of our planet and the preservation of its sacred landscapes,” Legarda said.

“Art reflects who we are as a people. Art reflects our soul. Culture is the string, the element that binds us as a nation. No matter how diverse and divided we are,” Legarda concluded.

Aside from the exhibition in the Philippine Pavilion, Legarda proudly invites visitors to visit the main exhibition, “Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere,” curated by Adriano Pedrosa and featuring the works of five Filipino artists: Pacita Abad, Anita Magsaysay-Ho, Nena Saguil, Joshua Serafin, and Maria Taniguchi.

The Philippine Pavilion, a joint project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Office of Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, is open to the public from April 20 to November 24, 2024 at the Artiglierie, Arsenale, Venice, Italy.

April 22, 2024

The Journey of Diskarte Pinoy TV with LBC at the Helm

When Ellen and Arnel Sagle started their entrepreneurial journey, they were armed with nothing but a vision and P14,000. At the time, they had no idea that their venture, Diskarte Pinoy TV, would become a go-to online resource for power and garden tools.

She recalls that the major turning point for them was when a childhood friend and fellow entrepreneur, Karen Diaz, encouraged Arnel Sagle to take the plunge and start a business. They pooled their resources and that became the groundwork for Diskarte Pinoy’s future success.

"We began with modest means, but our dreams were anything but small. We were driven by the belief that hard work and dedication could turn our vision into reality," shares Ellen Sagle, Co-Founder of Diskarte Pinoy. “Karen’s encouragement and partnership talaga yung malaking bagay.”

Her early belief in the Sagles’ vision and her financial contribution laid the groundwork for eventual growth of their business. They dipped their toe in the world of online selling, starting with an ukay-ukay shop before transitioning into surplus power tools.

Growth and Reliability

It wasn’t long before they saw their product range expand from auctioned surplus goods to brand new power tools. And as their wares began to include big ticket items, they started to recognize the need for more reliable partners who could help them ship their goods.

“It was a customer, actually, who first raised the idea of shipping with LBC. And if we could find him and thank him now, we would,” Arnel reminisced.

With that single shipment, Diskarte Pinoy realized what a huge difference a reliable and trusted logistics partner could offer their business. At that point, they knew, if they wanted to grow their business and expand their reach, they needed LBC on their side.

The Perfect Ally

LBC emerged as the perfect ally, offering not just courier services but a partnership that understood and catered to the unique needs of an online business.

LBC’s tailored solutions, including the Asenso Hub platform, provided Diskarte Pinoy TV with discounts and logistical advantages that significantly impacted their bottom line and customer satisfaction.

The Asenso Hub service, in particular, was a game-changer for the Sagles. With it, they received up to 50% discounts on shipping rates, which not only boosted their profit margins but also allowed them to offer more competitive pricing to their customers.

“LBC transformed the way we did business. Their reliability, nationwide network, and services like Asenso Hub, which gave us significant advantages against our competition helped bring us to where we are now," Ellen explained. “This partnership allowed Diskarte Pinoy TV to streamline operations, improve customer satisfaction, and expand our market reach.”

This level of support from a courier company is almost unheard of in e-commerce, but LBC continues to demonstrate how instrumental they can be for local businesses who want to understand the complexities of online retailing.

The Angel Behind It All

Among all their serendipitous partnerships and alliances, there’s one that the Sagle’s credit for starting it all; the one that they consider their true angel.

“Without Karen, we never would have had the courage to start the ukay-ukay or surplus business, which means we wouldn’t have had a chance to start Diskarte Pinoy; we wouldn’t have met the first customer who wanted us to ship through LBC; and we wouldn’t have had a chance to expand our reach by working with them,” Arnel said.

As Diskarte Pinoy TV looks to the future, the foundation laid by their early supporters and the ongoing partnership with LBC continue to be central to their growth strategy. The journey of Ellen and Arnel Sagle from a small startup to a successful online shows how strategic partnerships and support networks can make a huge difference, no matter how modest your start is.

Let LBC Propel Your Business Further. Find out how your business can achieve success with the help of LBC. Sign up now!

For more information, visit https://www.lbcexpress.com/article/the-journey-of-diskarte-pinoy-tv

Top 35 Best Workplaces TM in Philippines List Revealed Showing 'Great is Possible' Amidst Evolving Workforce Landscape

The global authority on workplace culture, Great Place To Work®, revealed its 5th annual Best WorkplacesTM List in the Philippines during an industry-leading awards ceremony at Grand Hyatt Manila last March 19 demonstrating their mission of making every workplace a great place to work For AllTM.

The Best Workplaces were ranked in three different categories – honoring 10 small (companies with 30 to 99 employees), 15 medium (companies with 100 to 999 employees), and 10 large (companies with 1,000 or more employees).

Synchrony Global Services Philippines, a subsidiary company that manages Synchrony’s call center operations and select back office support, once again emerged at the top of the Large category. Accenture also remained in the second spot, and TaskUs placed third.

DHL Express Philippines, a global leader in the logistics industry, clinched a back-to-back win in the medium category. Coming in at second is Cisco, with Hilton rounding out the top three.

Kollab, a provider of cloud-first solutions and services, climbed to the top of the small category. ECo Global Consulting, Inc. remained in the second spot, while Limitless Connect clinched the third place.

DHL Express Philippines and Synchrony Global Services Philippines were also the first companies in the Philippines to be honored with a Great Place To Work Legend title, in recognition of their achievement in being part of the Best Workplaces in the Philippines list for five consecutive years.

An incredible 99% of DHL Express Philippines employees surveyed indicated that they believe they are treated as full members of the company, regardless of their position – demonstrating a true commitment to people first, purpose-driven workplace culture.

Now in its fifth year of recognizing the Best Workplace in the Philippines, Great Place To Work remains steadfast in its commitment to promote a high-trust workplace culture in the midst of unique challenges posed by an ever-evolving working environment, as encapsulated by this year’s theme: Great is Possible.

“Just as greatness was achieved through trust, respect, and camaraderie during the COVID-19 pandemic, we expect to witness even greater possibilities as we continue to build and nurture purpose-driven and people-first organizations,” said Antoniette Mendoza-Talosig, Managing Partner at Great Place To Work Philippines. “This starts with leaders paving the way in creating and institutionalizing what it takes to have a high-trust workplace culture—a leadership anchored in integrity, active engagement in effective two-way communication, and collaborative synergy with their people regardless of gender, age, or position in their organization.”

Mendoza-Talosig also described this year’s Best Workplaces in the Philippines as beacons of hope in the midst of the challenges faced by companies during the past year—among them the rapid pace of adoption of AI technologies in the workplace, establishing harmony among multi-generational teams, and undergoing changes in response to the evolving business landscapes.

Five years on, the Best Workplaces Badge from Great Place To Work remains the gold standard and a globally recognized accolade indicating an exceptional workplace culture. This year’s list of Best Workplaces in the Philippines was curated from responses from over 600,000 employee voices across 200 different Certified organizations in the Philippines using the Great Place To Work Model, alongside the data gathered from Emprising, its proprietary survey reporting platform.

True to its commitment to highlight the importance of trust in the workplace, Great Place To Work has gone beyond recognizing the Best Workplaces annually and is now actively participating in thriving industries in the country. Most recently, Great Place To Work has published its inaugural Best Workplaces in the IT-Business Processing Management sector and has collaborated with the academe and various industry associations. It is also looking to recognize organizations that create high-trust workplace cultures for members of society with unique needs.

Soon, Great Place To Work will also launch consulting services to help organizations proactively address their employees’ feedback on their workplace culture. “We aim to work more actively with business leaders and HR in shaping their workplace cultures, establishing accountability among leaders, and engaging in their long-term cultural journeys that guarantee business results. By doing so, we believe we can advance further in our mission of making every place a great place to work for all Filipinos,” Mendoza-Talosig explained.

She expressed hope that this year’s Best Workplaces in the Philippines will also be recognized on a bigger stage. “It will be our country’s pride to one day see a local company recognized as a purpose-driven and people-first organization in the global landscape.”

About Great Place To Work®

Great Place To Work® is the global authority on workplace culture. Our mission is to help every place become a great place to work for all. We give leaders and organizations the recognition and tools to create a consistently and overwhelmingly positive employee experience, fostering cultures that are proven to drive business, improve lives, and better society. Our recognition is the most coveted and respected in the world for elevating employer brands to attract the right people. Our proprietary methodology and platform enables organizations to truly capture, analyze, and understand the experience of all employees.

Our groundbreaking research empowers organizations to build cultures that retain talent and unlock the potential of every employee. Our coaches, content, and community connect the boldest leaders, ideas, and innovations in employee experience. Since 1992, our Certification™, Best Workplaces™ Lists, and global benchmarks have become the industry standard, built on data from more than 100 million employees in 150 countries around the world.

Best Workplaces™ in the Philippines 2024

Small Category (10 to 99 employees)