TechCOW - The Geek Within

1. A more immersive gaming experience. Enhanced mobile broadband improves mobile users experience, especially for data-heavy, immersive gaming experiences. Once it becomes more mainstream, 5G will provide better next-generation gaming experiences such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and even those emerging in the metaverse.

2. Improved connectivity for your entertainment. 5G offers 1-10gbps, a significant leap from 4G’s maximum speed of 150mbps. Besides speedier movie downloads and smooth video streaming, 5G will give better video and audio quality for more interactive and realistic entertainment experiences.

3. Better and faster access to information for social services. With the deployment of 5G, networks will become more interconnected, providing Filipinos more access to online education and social services such as healthcare. Teleconsultation will evolve from simply allowing patients to have virtual checkups with their doctors and having their vital signs and other indicators like blood sugar and pressure checked remotely. Once it has been rolled out to more areas of the country, 5G will even enable doctors to explore the use of AR, VR, and robots during complex surgeries.

4. Enhanced operational effectiveness. Companies continuously look for cost-effective ways to innovate operations to provide better service and products to cope with customers’ ever-changing needs. One way is by embracing automation and 5G-driven technologies to help businesses reduce operational costs and be more efficient through intelligent factories for manufacturing, human-to-robot collaboration, and predictive maintenance.

5. A faster and more efficient transportation system. Other countries have already rolled out 5G-enabled smart cars, allowing vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications. The V2X helps reduce driving time and provides a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists through advanced sensors.

On the other hand, logistics will become more connected, as 5G enables autonomous vehicles and faster and simplified communications. Urban transportation will also be improved to encourage commuters to take public transport and potentially reduce traffic congestion.

After the successful PUBG MOBILE x JUJUTSU KAISEN crossover, PUBG MOBILE’s 2022 has many more exciting things in store for its fans. While there are rumors aplenty about PUBG MOBILE’s future content, here are some of the things we predict to see in our beloved game:

The Newest Update


Expect the 1.9 Update to hit the game soon, featuring a new Royal Pass, map adjustments, a new racing game mode, and weapons.  Another thing the update will bring is a couple of colorful modes into the game. Imagine skydiving into a colorful aerial battlefield and transforming into a player with expanding headgear and floating!

Air Battlefield

● After a hit from the enemy, your headgear may expand and float in the air. Once eliminated, you may return to the Battle Royale (BR) battlefield again.

● If a teammate hits you, the headgear will shrink, and you continue gameplay as you return to the ground.

● You only have five minutes after the battle commences to experience the colorful aerial battlefield that disappears, so hurry!

Colorful Birth Island

● Players can use four different colored balls to dye the central building in their favorite color.

● Birth Island players throw colored balls of different colors and summon four giant statues representing strategy, courage, cooperation, and calmness. Then they can trigger the unique performance of themed gameplay!

After the cursed battlefield from the JUJUTSU KAISEN crossover, PUBG MOBILE gets a happy makeover for this patch.


Tagalog Voice Pack

Filipinos love their mobile games, and with the country as one of the highest player bases in the world, Tencent is giving back to their fans with a proper homage through PUBG MOBILE. Rumor has it that the Tagalog Voice Pack will drop, voiced by one-half of the famous Moymoy Palaboy duo! What lines will we hear from a mainstream celebrity in the game?


Anniversary Pop-Up Crates

PUBG MOBILE may also be gearing up to launch Pop-Up Crates all over the Philippines. Could this be related to the upcoming fourth anniversary of the game since its launch? Keep your eyes peeled for colorful crates with a Shoot Zone, a Score Zone, and a Strike Zone. Who knows, you might win prizes courtesy of PUBG MOBILE!

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What are you most looking forward to out of these or what would you like to see come to PUBG MOBILE?

Travelers now have a new companion that can capture all their adventure stories. The new vivo Y73 is now available in the Philippines. Starting March 12, consumers can purchase it nationwide!

On March 12 only, customers can get a P500 off voucher and free DITO simcard and TWS Lavanda Earbuds for every Y73 purchase on Lazada and Shopee. They can also opt to use Home Credit (40% down payment of P1,545) or Credit Card (30% down payment of P1,202) when buying from vivo concept stores and kiosks.

The vivo Y73 is the leading brand’s latest upper entry-level smartphone that has flagship-like specs. Its impressive camera features allows users to take high-quality photos and videos when they’re out and about. This, along with other reliable features and specs that won’t break the bank.


Create memorable stories


The Y73 is, by far, the best camera phone in the vivo Y Series. The 64 AI Night Rear Camera guarantees high-definition photos and videos even when it’s zoomed in, and it’s ability to shoot videos in 4K. The rear camera is built with EIS Video to ensure stable and clear videos each time, as well as Steadiface Selfie Video in the front camera, which keeps the user’s face still when the background’s moving.

As for photos, the phone has improved on its night mode with Super Night Selfie and AI Super Night Mode. The former brightens selfies even in dim lighting conditions, giving it a glow-in-the-dark vibe. While the other utilizes AI-supported noise reduction to perfectly capture clearer night shots.


Iconic design


For a trendy and youthful feel, the phone comes in two bold colorways: Diamond Flare and Roman Black. Both drew inspiration from nature to create the stunning designs, and also has Anti-Glare (AG) surfaces to minimize fingerprint smudging. Diamond Flare, a purple and blue shade, mimics the appearance of a sparkling diamond. While Roman Black, a luxe matte black, is inspired by the grandeur of Ancient Roman columns.

The Y73 is also slim and lightweight. Compared to its predecessors, the phone’s thickness is reduced to 6%, resulting in an ultra sleek 7.38mm design with a rounded frame. Creators don’t have to worry about strain while shooting, too, as it only weighs 170g.



Keep the fun going



Whether one is traveling or partying, the Y73’s 4000mAh large battery will provide enough juice for one’s camera and gaming needs, and everything in between. It’s combined with 33W Flash Charge that can refill the battery to 61% in just 30 minutes flat, so you won’t have to pause the fun.

For the gamers out there, the phone has Ultra Game Mode, which mutes background notifications to keep users in the zone. This is perfect for travelers who love to play even if they’re out of town.

Capture and relive stories this summer season with vivo Y73, now available for P14,999. For more details on the vivo Y73, visit https://www.vivoglobal.ph/. For updates, be sure to follow vivo Philippines’ official website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

As many people are transitioning to a hybrid work setup, they will need to readjust their schedules and find ways to complete tasks efficiently. It helps to have a reliable device that can get the job done quickly and efficiently, like the HP Smart Tank Printers.

Whether one is a student working on their thesis or a small business owner who needs posters, these all-in-one (AIO) printers provide high-quality printing in black and white, and in color as well. They have the ability to copy, scan, and fax documents, and let people work smart and more productively at home or in the office.

As a reward for their hard work, customers get a P500 Sodexo Mobile Pass for every purchase of select HP Smart Tank Printers. The voucher can be used in restaurants, supermarkets, retail stores, cinemas, and many more. Customers can treat themselves and their loved ones using the Mobile Pass, or get additional items to suit their “hybrid lifestyle.” 

The HP Smart Tank 615

Microsoft recently introduced Cyber Signals, a quarterly cyber threat intelligence brief informed by the latest Microsoft threat data and research. The content offers an expert perspective into the current thread landscape, discussing trending tactics, techniques, and strategies used by the world's most prolific threat actors.

"Online threats are increasing in volume, velocity, and sophistication. From IoT to nation-state activity, new ransomware tactics to insights into the cybercriminal economy, Cyber Signals provides trend analysis and practical guidance to strengthen the first line of digital defense,” said Vasu Jakkal, Corporate Vice President, Security, Compliance, and Identity of Microsoft.

"We hope it’s a valuable resource to Chief Information Security Officers, Chief Information Officers, Chief Privacy Officers, and their teams, as they continue to evolve technologies, policies, and processes against the constantly changing threat landscape."

The Cyber Signals brief aggregates insights from Microsoft's research and security teams on the frontlines, including analysis from the company's 24 trillion security signals combined with intelligence monitoring of more than 40 nation-state groups and 140 plus threat groups. The first edition of Cyber Signals unpacks the topic of identity and maintaining good security hygiene to mitigate potential identity risks.

With increasing numbers of people working remotely and accessing their business apps and data from multiple locations, including home offices, coworking spaces, and other remote locations, threats have risen dramatically in the past two years. However, there has been low adoption of strong identity authentication such as multifactor authentication (MFA) and passwordless solutions.

Microsoft’s research shows that across industries, only 22 percent of Microsoft's Cloud Identity Solution, Azure Active Directory (AAD), users have implemented strong identity authentication protection as of December last year. In 2021 alone, Microsoft blocked more than 25.6 billion AAD brute force authentication attacks, 9.6 billion malware threats targeting enterprise and consumer customer devices, and intercepted 35.7 billion phishing emails with Microsoft Defender for Office 365.

“MFA and passwordless solutions can go a long way in preventing a variety of threats and we’re committed to educating customers on solutions such as these to better protect themselves,” said Jakkal.

Every day, Microsoft analyzes over 6.5 trillion signals to identify emerging threats to protect customers and in response to the increasing cyber threats in the Philippines and globally, Microsoft will invest $20 billion over the next five years to accelerate efforts to integrate cyber security by design and to deliver advanced security solutions.

The strongest Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League in the Southeast Asian region returns on February 18, 2022, with the theme Lakas ng Pinas. The strength of the Filipino esports players was strongly epitomized during the M3 World Championship, as two top teams, Blacklist International and ONIC PH took the first and second-runner up positions in the international tournament, setting the nation as the most powerful contender in the world.

The most-anticipated season comprises Bren Esports, Echo, Smart Omega, Nexplay EVOS, TNC Pro, RSG Philippines, ONIC PH, and the defending champion Blacklist International. The eight franchised teams will compete for a prize pool of USD 150,000 this season.

Leading tech brand Samsung joins as the season's official mobile device partner which includes brand integration throughout the tournament.

“Samsung Philippines is excited to join forces with MOONTON Games as we have a huge consumer base of mobile gamers whom we know will be just as thrilled. We want to showcase how well-rounded our Galaxy devices are, whatever your interest may be, from content creation to music to gaming. We make products that deliver an amazing smartphone experience overall,” said Jerry Mañus, Mobile Experience Business Unit Head at Samsung Philippines.

"Season 9 marks a chapter for many teams, and we are excited to bring back our athletes to demonstrate Lakas ng Pinas, as expertly shown in the M3 World Championship. With new players filling in the shoes of our legacy players and with our newest partner, Samsung, we are just as excited as our fans to see how well they perform this season," stated Matt Jaron, Business Development Manager, MPL Philippines.

New challenges for seasoned giants

Seasoned Mobile Legends: Bang Bang teams are in for a challenge this season. Blacklist International power duo Johnmar "OhMyV33nus" Villaluna and Danerie "Wise" Del Rosario are taking a break this season, and veteran Jayson "Eson" Gerardo and youngest player Kent Xavier "Kevier" Lopez will take the reins for the legendary team.

For Echo, MPL legend Ashley Marco "Killuash" Cruz comes back in a bid to take home the national title with rising stars Frediemar "3MarTzy" Serafico, Karl "KarlTzy" Nepomuceno, and Tristan "Yawi" Cabrera.

Nexplay EVOS welcomes back pro player Jeff Lenjesson "S4gitnu" Subang with fresh faces Michael "MP the King" Endino, Kenneth "Cadenza" Castro, Mariusz "Donut" Tan, Emanuel "Elpizo" Candelaria, Renren "Ureshi" Nitsuga.

MP the King is known to take the jungler role. His top champions include Karina. For Cadenza, he takes the middle lane with Khufra, Ruby, or Jawhead as his most used champions. Gold-laner Donut uses Wanwan, Alice, or Aldous, while roamer Elpizo has Selena, Yve, and Mathilda as his main champs. On the other hand, Ureshi defends the Exp Lane with Thamuz, Chou, and Benedetta as his top champions.

Former TNC Pro's Dylan "Light" Catipon joins RSG Philippines with gold-laner Clarence Jay "Kousei" Camilo, who is expected to replace Joshwell Christian "Iy4knu" Manaog. Kousei is known to take the middle lane with Chou as his top hero. Adrian "Toshi" Bacallo will be sitting out this season as well.

Jefferson "Amethyst" Santos and Jhonville Borres "Outplayed" Villar complete Smart Omega's nine-man roster, while ONIC PH will be keeping their core team intact. Jungler Kenneth "Saxa" Fedelin joins Bren Esports to bolster its lineup. With so many diamonds in the rough, Season 9 is definitely one to watch with plenty of surprises for long-time fans and viewers.

 

NEW RULES

This season brings new rules for the eight teams to count home. The team to be ranked first will determine the placement of the third or fourth-ranked teams to be placed in either the first or second match, and the same will follow for subsequent ranked fifth or sixth positions as well.

Each team can have as many as three assistant coaches or analysts to support them; however, only one will help the head coach during the drafting phase. The rules were adjusted this season to raise the competition level and empower players.

MPL-PH Season 9 will commence from February 18th to April 10th, with playoffs starting on April 28th to May 1st 2022. The weekly schedule is as follows:

Friday: 6 PM onwards
Saturday: 4 PM onwards
Sunday: 4 PM onwards


Exciting awards also await promising players such as Rookie of the Season, Regular Season MVP, and Grand Final MVP.