ASUS Republic of Gamers Joins First Ever ComicCon Asia 2018 – Announces an Exclusive Promo Nationwide for Fans and Gamers Alike

A weekend full of geek stuff packed with intense tournament and exciting promo bundle

Manila Philippines, March 22, 2018 – ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) the undisputed number one gaming brand in the Philippines joins the very first and highly anticipated ComicCon Asia 2018 in SMX Convention Center in Manila starting March 24 to 25, 2018. ComicCon Asia ™ was created as an event to showcase Filipino, and Asian, talent, and apart from international and regional celebrity guests, there will be plenty of industry panels. It is not just a meet-and-greet with famous actors and actresses, it is also a proper industry con where one can learn from the people behind the scenes: the artists, creators, and producers.

The Republic of Gamers in action

Catch ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) and all its exciting activities lined-up including the newly introduced “The ROG King of Games Tournament” a competition that challenges end-users to be more critical in various games from MOBA, FPS, combat and many more. The ROG King of Games Tournament is open to all attending end-users and they can win exciting prizes from the Republic of Gamers. The ROG experience zone, built for gamers and geeks alike, will be enjoyed because it will allow users to experiences ROG’s latest gaming machines and accessories while at the same time enjoying a lot of on-site promotions.

 

Moreover, if you plan to buy a new laptop, ROG has something to offer during the Comicon event days. End-users will get a chance to take home a limited edition ROG Join The Republic jacket when they purchase any ROG or ASUS FX laptop March 24 until March 31, 2018 in all ROG Concept Stores and authorized resellers nationwide. To make it more exciting, ComicCon attendees will have a chance to receive exclusive ComicCon bonus items from select dealers when they purchase or upgrade the units they will buy between March 24 and 25 at the ROG experience area. Freebies will be worth up to PHP 10,000 in upgrades or items are in partnership with Complink and PC Express.

 

“We have been supporting eSports from the very beginning and right now we want to expand our reach by not just supporting one aspect of gaming but rather complementing the entire gaming industry with our products and latest innovations,” shares, Sarah Dublin, ASUS Philippines Product Marketer for Republic of Gamers.

Joining the biggest eSports tournaments for the past two years is part of our primary goal to show our support for the gaming industry in the Philippines and we believe that participating in Comicon Asia™ is also a great way for ROG to be visible and engage to a wider audience that look for powerful gaming machines and accessories,” Dublin concludes. To know more about the activities of ASUS Republic of Gamers, head over to ROG Philippines’ official social media pages. For hassle-free purchasing of ROG products online please check out the official ROG store in Lazada:

Vivo V9 AI-powered FullView Display Unvailed in the Philippines

Aside from the launch of the new flagship smartphone V9,Vivo also introduced its newest endorsers, Ivan Dorschner and Edward Barber. 

Global smartphone brand Vivo has revealed its all-new sleek and stylish V9 flagship unit at the City of Dreams Manila in a summer-themed unveiling that was attended by over 200 members of the press and other guests. 

Vivo welcomed its guests late Thursday afternoon at the Wave, a contemporary poolside deck, restaurant, and bar so they can experience the V9 and take selfies and photos with the sunset as their backdrop. Vivo then picked one lucky and creative photo posted on Instagram to win a V9 unit.

The program continued at the City of Dreams Grand Ballroom with Myx VJ Ai dela Cruz as the host. They were formally welcomed by Vivo Brand Director Annie Lim who recapped the smartphone company’s feats in the Philippines. Since it entered the Philippine market in 2016, Vivo has been steadily rising to become the country’s top three brand with over 5,200 stores and 1.5 million users nationwide.

Vivo’s Jomari Morales followed Lim's remarks by presenting all the goods on the V9. She highlighted the Vivo V9’s 90% screen-to-body ratio, the 24-megapixel selfie camera and 16MP+5MP dual read camera, and the AI-powered photography for a “perfect view” and a “perfect shot.”

Morales also presented the Vivo V9’s improved game mode that would enable users to take calls or open other apps without pausing the gaming applications or play without any interruptions.

After her presentation, Vivo’s Junior Brand Manager Christian Jocson revealed that anyone can enjoy a V9 for a “perfect” price of Php17,990 with pre-orders beginning on March 26 until April 2.

Lim, Morales, Jocson, and Xian Gana from Vivo then answered the media’s questions during the Q&A. Their exchanges were focused on the Vivo’s plans in the Philippines and the V9's capabilities.

Vivo partners, Ayala Malls and SM Supermalls, were also recognized during the event during the ceremonial exchange of tokens. Lim handed the malls' representatives with a Little V doll. 

Vivo executives led by Brand Director Annie Lim answered some of the questions of the media during the V9 press launch.

Fresh faces of Vivo  

Vivo also welcomed its newest endorsers, up-and-coming actors Edward Barber and Ivan Dorschner.

Barber is the onscreen partner of young actress Maymay Entrata who also joined the event. Entrata was the first who joined Vivo in September 2017 during the launch of the V7+. His endorsement deal with Vivo is something MayWard fans have been patiently waiting for since the pair already worked together for the smartphone brand during their first Making Mega shoot in Germany last year. 

Dorschner, meanwhile, charmed the press with his good looks and charisma. He was one of Kuya’s guests in Pinoy Big Brother in 2010. Since then, he became one of GMA Network's top leading men after starring alongside young actress and fellow Vivo endorser Barbie Forteza in the primetime series "Meant To Be."

Barber, Entrata, and Dorschner also picked three lucky winners of the Vivo V9 during the raffle. They also joined the Vivo executives for a toast for the V9. Also with them onstage were other Vivo endorsers young pop soul singer Sassa Dagdag, acoustic singer-songwriter TJ Monterde, and balladeer Jason James Dy who closed the night with their performances.

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. 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: ASUS FINALLY ANNOUNCES THE ARRIVAL OF THE MOST INTELLIGENT ZENFONE, THE ZENFONE 5!

Barely a month after receiving global fanfare on the announcement of its latest generation of smartphones during the MWC 2018 in Barcelona Spain, ASUS Philippines now gives ZenFans all the more reasons to celebrate with the much awaited confirmation on the arrival of the ZenFone 5 series in the country. Mark your calendars as this April 14, Filipinos will finally welcome the ZenFone 5 series in the local market.

For its local launch, ASUS Philippines goes #Backto5 as a nod to an entire heritage of strong mobile photography-centric smartphones. And this time around, the newest ZenFone 5 series does not only feature premium designs but also champions mobile photography anew with the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.

THE MOST INTELLIGENT ZENFONES, THE ZENFONE 5Z & ZENFONE 5

ZenFone 5Z is an exciting next-generation 6.2-inch, dual-camera smartphone that comes with a beautiful 19:9 all-screen display (ASUS’s first-ever phone to have this feature) featuring a 90% screen-to-body ratio, packed in a 5.5-inch body size. It’s also the first-ever ZenFone model to harness the power of the latestSnapdragon 845 Mobile Platform with AIE, featuring a 3rd Generation AI platform that includes the Hexagon 685 Vector DSP, Adreno 630 Graphics, and Kryo 385 CPU.

ZenFone 5Z also benefits from the Snapdragon X20 Gigabit LTE modem, delivering speeds that surpass the gigabit barrier for a 'wireless fiber' experience, as well as integrated 2x2 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth^® 5 for ultra-low-power wireless earbuds. The extreme-performance ZenFone 5Z comes with 6GB RAM and 64GB ROM, offering breathtaking performance combined with outstanding energy efficiency for long-lasting battery life.

ZenFone 5 features an exquisitely crafted design, an amazing dual-camera system, and is powered by thelatest Snapdragon 636 Mobile Platform. For an instant blast of extra power, the exclusive ASUS AI Boost (also available on the ZenFone 5Z) optimizes performance for games and other demanding tasks.

The ZenFone 5 features intelligent dual-camera systems that adapt and learn, delivering perfect photos every time. Equipped with the latest flagship Sony^® IMX363 sensor with large 1.4µm pixels, an f/1.8 wide-aperture lens, 120° wide-angle secondary camera, four-axis optical image stabilization (OIS) and AI-enhanced camera features — including AI Scene Detection for 16 different scenes and objects, AI Photo Learning, Real-time Portrait and Real-time Beautification — ZenFone 5Z and ZenFone 5 encourage creativity and free the user to concentrate on the subject rather than the camera.

CAPTURE THE VIBRANCY OF LIFE THROUGH THE ZENFONE 5Q

The ZenFone 5Q is a stylish 6-inch smartphone featuring the world's first globally-announced true quad-camera system with high-resolution and wide-angle cameras at both front and rear.

ZenFone 5Q removes the limits on photographic creativity, with a high-resolution main camera — 20MP Sony at the front, 16MP at the rear — and, uniquely, a secondary 120° wide-angle camera at both front and rear. Unlike rival systems, each camera works independently every time for perfect selfies, wefies, landscapes, portraits or groups shots.

The 6-inch Full HD+ IPS display has a Full View 18:9 aspect ratio and an ultraslim bezel, making the pocket-friendly ZenFone 5Q as compact as a standard-aspect-ratio 5.5-inch phone.

Powered by the Snapdragon 630 Mobile Platform, ZenFone 5Q combines incredible performance, optimized power efficiency and a 3300mAh battery with advanced security and convenience features — includingNFC, triple-slot SIM/microSD card holder, rapid face unlock and fingerprint recognition — for a mobile experience like no other.

MARKET AVAILABILITY

The ZenFone 5 series has sparked the interest of many, and without a doubt this particular ZenFone generation pushes the envelope; especially with ZenFone 5Z and ZenFone 5 being dubbed at the first ever line-up of most Intelligent ZenFones.

Full specs, pricing, online reservation of units and the bundled freebies will be announced in the next few days, so stay tuned to the ASUS Philippines Facebook Page and the ZenTalk Philippines Forum.

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About ASUS

ASUS is one of Fortune magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies, and is dedicated to creating products for today and tomorrow’s smart life. Our comprehensive portfolio includes Zenbo, ZenFone, ZenBook and a range of IT devices and components, along with AR, VR and IoT. ASUS employs more than 16,000 people worldwide and over 5,500 world-class R&D talents. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, the company won 4,511 awards and earned approximately US$13 billion of revenue in 2017.

Qualimed-STR collaborates with Sharp in bringing quality health care through technological innovations

Qualimed, a healthcare network facility which is consistently providing quality healthcare innovations that is affordable and accessible to all. In collaboration with Sharp Philippines Corp., a global leader in electronics manufacturing, QualiMed Health Network relaunched its newest facilities, the QualiMed Hospital-Sta. Rosa, Laguna last March 22, 2018.

Held at the QualiMed Training and Research Center (QTRC), the event was attended by medical professionals and top executives from both QualiMed and Sharp. In addition, country's biggest print media companies and online bloggers. During the event, QualiMed STR and QTRC showcased their state-of-the art facilities and latest medical technological innovations.

QualiMed-STR executives Chief Operating Officer Atty. Nirmala Vanguardia, QTRC Training Director, Dr. Salvador Castañeda and Dr. Jose Tecson and Sharp’s heads Peter Villanueva, Amor Joaquin-Golifardo and Ireneo Lontoc graced the event which celebrates another milestone towards in the pursuit of their goals.

“We cover all the specialties and the sub-specialty, so in the community which we are serving, there is no need to go to Metro Manila because we already have our doctors and expertise in this place. Our doctors and medical professionals are trained in terms of their technical skills prior to unboarding and of course not to mention the Sharp plasmacluster installed in our ICU, ER and OR,” COO Atty. Vanguardia said.

With Sharp's mission to make our everyday life more convenient and easier, the company continues to strive to introduce newfangled ideas to changing needs and demands of the market. One of their recent innovative contributions is the Plasmacluster Ion technology-the original disinfecting technology suppressing the effects of airborne viruses and breaking down and removing airborne molds. Sharp collaborated with Qualimed and CRL Laboratory, a DENR

accredited Air Monitoring and Testing service provider to head starts their mission in providing quality air.

Aside from hospital and other facilities, Sharp Special Projects and Business Development Manager Mr. Ireneo Lontoc shared during the launch that their company already catered their air purifying technology in airports.

“In the Philippines, kung pupunta po kayo ng abroad, you could pass by the Mabuhay lounge. Actually, we have already installations in their canteens and smoking sections. Definitely an air purifier has beneficial effects in the smoking areas,” Mr. Lontoc said.

“Even in the car, we have car ion generator. It can deactivate all the odors, even the food smells. The need of plasmacluster is whenever there is air contamination particularly.” he added.

With Qualimed as their hospital partner, Sharp aims to set the goal to help produce quality air through their newest technology Plasmacluster Ion (PCI) Technology. It is a unique air purifying technology developed by Sharp. It strongly supplies comprehensive protection against airborne threats in a safe and chemical-free way. This is highly recommended for people suffering from asthma and allergic rhinitis.

At the latter part of the event, Sharp held a raffle draw for all the guests and gave away their Plasmacluster Ion Technology. Qualimed’s Dr. Jose Tecson and COO Atty. Vanguardia led the hospital tour to showcase the high-tech facilities and the installed PIC technologies.

The significant cooperation between Qualimed and Sharp leans towards their goal of establishing sustainable and healthy environment for all. Thus, this milestone in medical industry is more than a contribution towards its longstanding goal in giving quality healthcare. Qualimed-Sharp innovations collaboration painted a hopeful addition in nation building that boldly suffices the market and society’s constantly changing demands.

*This is Press Release

PH Eco-Motorcycle Recognized in WGSN’s Design Futures Report Under Engineering Nature

The Department of Trade and Industry’s Design Center of the Philippines sees Philippine design steadily rising into the international design scene as locally-made eco-friendly motorcycle Green Falcon lands in WGSN’s Design Futures Report.

“With Green Falcon and Bamboo Extreme getting featured in WGSN, it pushes the Philippines’ status a notch when it comes to material and design innovation. It celebrates the Philippine design industry’s capability to develop products that are forward thinking, and potential in influencing global design,” said Rhea O. Matute, Executive Director of DTI-Design Center of the Philippines.

WGSN is an internationally-renowned online trends forecasting portal, where excellent research, data and insights are provided to help businesses stay relevant, keep abreast of future trends, and tap into their potential growth opportunities.

In WGSN’s report entitled Engineering Nature, the Green Falcon was listed among other product and material innovations that combined technology and engineering with natural elements.

“Moreover, it recognizes Design Center’s efforts, and in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry, in growing its vision for the Philippine design industry,” added Matute.

The Bamboo Extreme is a collaborative project between Design Center of the Philippines and DTI-Industry Cluster Enhancement aimed at modernizing bamboo to capture the millennials’ way of life, filled with adventure, exploration, and experimentation.

Inspired by café racers in the 1960s, the Green Falcon is notable for using bamboo for the motorbike’s upper body, a first in the production of motorcycles. It remarkably emphasized how bamboo as a material can be pushed beyond the usual, normal, and traditional product applications such as furniture, home accessories and lamps and lighting.

“What is highlighted in the Green Falcon is a natural or organic ergonomic component in the use of bamboo for the motorbike’s body shell,” designer Christopher Paris Lacson says about the bamboo body shell. “It allows the rider to feel comfortable sitting as he would on a wooden chair.”

Lacson especially designed the Green Falcon for adventurous millennials, who highly regard design, performance, and sustainability while supporting the Philippine design industry as well. Mimicking the speed of a falcon, the eco-friendly motorbike can put its gear to a speed of 100-110 kph. It also uses electricity for power, its contribution to zero pollution on the road.

“What we are doing, with bamboo and other raw material composites with technology, we are breathing a new paradigm in materials. It is a paradigm breaker,” Lacson explained about the combination of natural material and technology. “I would like to think that this is something that is hopefully at the edge of a new trend.”

While he believes Filipinos are very creative people, he noticed how most Filipino consumers would still look to other countries’ products, and not the locally-made ones.

“It’s about time we shift their perspectives on products--from Ducati to Banatti [manufacturer of the Green Falcon], from foreign to local,” Lacson remarked, wanting to inspire local industries and leaders to create and develop more tools that can transport the country and its people to inclusive growth. “I hope that other countries will begin looking at us, and would want to try something from the Philippines.”

The Design Center of the Philippines, and attached agency of the DTI, is the only national agency for design, and the leading agency committed to cultivating a culture that thrives in creativity, value creation, and innovation.

AMD eBlast: Radeon Software Brings Faster, Smoother Performance

AMD released Radeon Software 18.3.1, the latest update to Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition, bringing major performance gains and optimizations to a variety of eSports titles, including PlayerUnkown’s BattleGrounds, Overwatch and Dota 2.

These gains are thanks to a special project within the Radeon Software group known as Project ReSX (Radeon eSports Experience). Over the past few months, AMD worked closely with developers on in-game optimizations and built optimizations directly into Radeon Software, to fine tune performance for the world’s most popular games on Radeon GPUs, ultimately ensuring the best possible eSports experience for Radeon gamers.

With 18.3.1, PlayerUnkown’s BattleGrounds, Overwatch and Dota 2 are more fluid, responsive and faster for gamers than ever before. See the performance improvements for yourself in the charts below. You can learn more about Project ReSX here. You can download Radeon Software 18.3.1 here.

ASUS Philippines Officially Launched Its Newest Compact and Lightweight Premium Notebooks – the ASUS X407 and X507

Compact and lightweight laptops feature up to a 7th Generation Intel Core i7 CPU, dual-storage design, slim NanoEdge display bezel, and fingerprint login

ASUS Philippines, during their Asus 360 showcase in SM Megamall Fashion hall, formally announced its newest addition to its robust notebook line-up – the X407 and X507, a pair of compact and lightweight laptops designed for daily computing and entertainment.

They’re powered by up to a 7th Generation Intel^® Core^™ i7 processor and NVIDIA^® GeForce^® MX110 discrete graphics, and feature a dual-storage design with a 1TB HDD and pairable with an M.2 SSD. The X407 and X507 have a super thin NanoEdge display with a slim bezel for an immersive viewing experience. Both feature a fingerprint sensor for quick and easy logins with Windows Hello. Despite its large display, X507 is extremely portable, with an overall weight of just 1.68kg. The 14" version, ASUS X407, weighs just 1.42kg.

The ASUS X407 and X507 is a perfect device for people who are looking for a notebook that offers great performance, portability, premium design without hurting your wallet.

Everyday laptops with amazing performance

Both X407 and X507 are designed for daily computing and entertainment. These Windows 10 laptops also support new and exciting Windows features including Cortana with voice recognition, allowing the user to wake the device from sleep mode simply by saying the “Hey, Cortana” command. For maximum convenience and compatibility, X507 includes a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A port, two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port and a microSD card reader, as well as 2x2 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth^® 4.2, despite coming in an ultrathin form factor.

Both laptops support fast charging, requiring only 49 minutes to charge a near-flat battery to 60%. In addition, ASUS SuperBattery technology ensures a 3X-longer battery lifespan compared to traditional laptop batteries.

NanoEdge display for immersive Full HD visuals

X407 and X507 feature a Full HD NanoEdge display with a slim bezel for an immersive viewing experience. The narrow bezel design provides a larger screen area, while 178° wide-view technology enables viewing from extreme angles without any color shift, making it perfect for sharing content with friends and colleagues. For a 15.6” laptop, X507 is extremely compact and portable — with a thin 21.9mm profile and an overall weight of just 1.68kg. Meanwhile, the 14” X407 weighs just 1.42kg. They are available in a choice of Star Grey or Icicle Gold finishes.

Moreover, with a thin 7.1mm bezel and 73.8% screen-to-body ratio, the NanoEdge display on X407 provides you with more screen area for more immersive viewing.

Built-in fingerprint sensor

Despite being entry-level laptops, X407 and X507 both have a built-in fingerprint sensor for quick and easy logins with Windows Hello. With each fingerprint being unique, it’s a more secure way of ensuring user profiles and data stay safe. A 360° recognition function ensures accurate scanning, even if the user’s hand is wet.

Exclusive ASUS software and technologies

X407 and X507 feature a Tru2Life Video makes any video look amazing. Through intelligent algorithms, it optimizes the sharpness and contrast of every pixel in every frame by 150% to produce incredibly vivid and realistic visuals; while Splendid display technology optimizes imagery to provide richer, deeper and more accurate colors.

X407 and X507 feature exclusive software and technologies including ASUS Tru2Life Video, ASUS Splendid and ASUS SonicMaster-enhanced audio. SonicMaster audio technology — co-developed by the ASUS Golden Ear team — delivers the most incredible sound ever heard on a laptop, thanks to its innovative combination of hardware and software.

“Our goal this year is to bring closer a premium entry-level product that offers both productivity and entertainment to our Filipino consumers. At ASUS, we bring forward the best devices to complement a lifestyle that is performance driven, stylish with a kick of premium look yet very affordable,” shares Joey Nocom, ASUS Philippines Country Product Manager.

Holding true to our promise of bringing the incredible to Filipinos, the latest ASUS X407 and X507 offers amazing performance, unbounded visuals and premium design on a very compact notebook that you can bring anywhere, anytime,” Nocom concludes.

AVAILABILITY & PRICING

The ASUS X407 and X507 will be available in the Philippines by third week of March and the price starts at PHP 27,995 and is going to be exclusively sold in Lazada Philippines but will be available nationwide to all ASUS authorized dealers and resellers by April 2018. Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.

SPECS AND CONFIGURATION

	ASUS X507	ASUS X407
Processor	7th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-7500U processor 7th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-7200U processor 6th Generation Intel® Core™ i3-6006U processor	7th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-7500U processor 7th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-7200U processor 7th Generation Intel® Core™ i3-7100U processor 6th Generation Intel® Core™ i3-6006U processor
Operating system	Windows 10 Pro Windows 10 Home
Display	15.6” HD (1366 x 768)panel with 45% NTSC color gamut and anti-glare coating	14.0” HD (1366 x 768) panel with 45% NTSC color gamut and anti-glare coating
Graphics	UP TO NVIDIA® GeForce® MX110 discrete graphics UMA
Memory	Up to 8GB DDR4 RAM	Up to 8GB DDR4 RAM
VRAM	up to 2GB GDDR5 VRAM
Storage	Dual-storage: 1TB/500GB HDD 5400rpm/7200rpm with 256GB/128GB M.2 SSD Single drive model: 1TB/500GB SATA HDD 5400rpm 256GB/128GB M.2 SSD	Dual-storage: 1TB/500GB HDD 5400rpm with 256GB/128GB M.2 SSD Single drive model: 1TB/500GB SATA HDD 5400rpm 256GB/128GB M.2 SSD
Connectivity	1 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A 2 x USB 2.0 1 x HDMI 1 x headphone-out & audio-in combo jack 1 x microSD card reader	1 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A 1 x USB 2.0 1 x HDMI 1 x headphone-out & audio-in combo jack 1 x microSD card reader
Wireless	Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi with Bluetooth® 4.2 802.11b/g/n with Bluetooth® 4.0	802.11ac Wi-Fi with Bluetooth® 4.1 802.11b/g/n with Bluetooth® 4.0
Battery	3-cell, 33Wh
Colors	Star Grey Icicle Gold
Size	364.8 x 266.4 x 21.9mm	328.6 x 246.3 x 21.9mm
Weight	1.68kg	1.42kg

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About ASUS

ASUS is one of Fortune magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies, and is dedicated to creating products for today and tomorrow’s smart life. Our comprehensive portfolio includes Zenbo, ZenFone, ZenBook and a range of IT devices and components, along with AR, VR and IoT. ASUS employs more than 16,000 people worldwide and over 5,000 world-class R&D talents. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, the company won 4,511 awards and earned approximately US$13 billion of revenue in 2017.