Better "Selfie" with Huawei Ascend G6

Huawei unveiled a new stylish smartphone Ascend G6 to the public on May 31, 2014 at SM North Edsa Annex Cyberzone.   Huawei, the third largest manufacturer of smartphones worldwide, introduced its new contender in the smartphone category, with its new ambassador Jasmine Curtis Smith.

 The Ascend G6, heralded as the mini Ascend P6, boasts of an eight-megapixel rear camera and a five-megapixel front camera.  Users can also take 88-degree wide-angle shots and explore endless creative options with additional features such as the Voice Photo, it is  a voice-activated hand-free “selfie” function to improve selfie pictures multi-shot capture and horizontal shooting.  The front-face camera has a four-element lens and comes with “audio-controlled spontaneous snapping, auto-scene recognition and auto-facial enhancement.

The launch also coincided with the introduction of Huawei’s first brand shop, located at the fourth floor of the SM North EDSA Annex Cyberzone. “This is only the beginning of our commitment and desire to cater to our customers’ growing demand for high quality mobile phones at reasonable prices,” said Charles Wu, Huawei Technologies Philippines country manager.

In photo (l-r): Wu; Gavin Dai, Huawei Technologies Philippines CEO; Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Huawei ambassador; Leo Bernardino and Ellen Bernardino, Berlein general managers; and Richard Estanislao, Digital Mobile Engine Group operation OIC.  

Better Pizza with Papa John's Chicken Carbonara Pizza

YOUR FAVORITE CHICKEN CARBONARA NOW IN A PIZZA!

I never tried carbonara pizza before, until I made a visit to Papa John's, theirs is the Chicken Carbonara Pizza. This creamy and delicious pizza is made of bacon and grilled chicken. There is a nice twist on the classic, they use white creamy sauce instead of the usual red sauce. Believe me this tasted so much better, blending my three favorite cheese in a pizza is just plain divine. The dough is soft and baked just right complimenting the taste of grilled chicken and white sauce. Chicken carbonara pizza is best to partner with chicken drummettes and wingettes and hot salad.  Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. Truly committed on its brand's promise.

Papa John’s brings together two all-time favorites in one amazing pizza as it presents its newest Pizza flavor for this quarter-- The Chicken Carbonara Pizza.
Using only the best ingredients, the Chicken Carbonara Pizza combines Crispy bacon in creamy carbonara sauce with a blend of Parmesan, Romano and Mozarella Cheese, topped with grilled chicken, onion, bacon and mushroom!

How they prepare their pizza, with all the fresh ingredients.

As part of the launch, Papa Johns is offering three group meals big enough for the whole family. Set A includes 1 Family Chicken Carbonara Pizza; 2 Orders of Herbed Parmesan Breadsticks and 4 Regular sodas for P815; Set B: 1 Family Chicken Carbonara Pizza; 4 Orders of Soup and 4 Regular sodas for P831; and Set C: 1 Family Chicken Carbonara Pizza; 2 Orders of Pasta and 4 Regular sodas for just P833!

In a country where Pizzas and Pastas are in great demand, the well-known US Pizza chain ventured to the Philippines . Papa John’s Pizza was launched in Manila in 2011 by President and sole franchisee, Mr. Paul Soo.

Papa John's prides itself for its commitment to quality, and for providing a menu that's prepared with only the finest ingredients. From fresh vegetables to its never frozen, hand-tossed original dough and superior-quality tomato sauce, Papa John takes special care to ensure all of their pizzas are made with zero trans fat.
Total commitment to quality and superior ingredients make for one pure pizza excellence.

Now on its 3rd year, Papa John’s now has 17 outlets in the National Capital region. Below is the list of Papa John’s branches: Robinson’s Galleria; University Mall Taft, Manila; Greenhills, Annapolis; SM Megamall; Brickroad, Sta. Lucia; Tomas Morato; SM Fairview; SM North Edsa; Greenbelt 3; Jupiter Makati; Waltermart, Sucat; Visayas Ave. QC; Ever, Recto; Bluebay Walk, Pasay; Shell Julia Vargas; Dona Soledad, Paranaque and Banawe Quezon, City

Shoppers Get to Experience New Zealand for Three Days

Experience New Zealand at Glorietta with Singapore Airlines

 The New Zealand Embassy, in collaboration with Singapore Airlines and Ayala Malls, recently launched a mall-wide promotion, giving shoppers a chance to experience the beautiful and scenic sights of New Zealand. The promo will run from May 23 to June 22, 2014, leading up to the exciting three-day Experience New Zealand Fair from June 20 to 22 at the Glorietta Activity Center, Palm Drive. The fair offers mall-goers a taste of the finest food and beverages New Zealand has to offer, as well as the best deals en route to this picturesque destination.

To join the promo, shoppers may simply purchase a Singapore Airlines return air ticket to either Auckland, Christchurch or both, plus a P2,000.00 single and/or accumulated worth of receipts from any Glorietta 1 to 5, The Link and/or 6750 merchants. Raffle tickets may be claimed at the concierge at the Glorietta Activity Center, Palm Drive upon presenting the aforementioned requirements. Two lucky winners will stand the chance to win an ‘Experience New Zealand’ tour package for 5 or 6 days to Auckland, New Zealand, inclusive of a Singapore Airlines return ticket from Manila, Cebu, Davao or Kalibo, accommodations and tours. Tickets can be purchased from www.singaporeair.com, SQ Mobile App, Singapore Airlines/SilkAir Ticket and Reservations Offices, and travel agents. Ayala Mall’s AMORE and VIPinoy card holders, as well as Singapore Airlines’ Krisflyer members may also double up their chances of winning by simply presenting their membership cards along with the proof of purchase to increase their raffle coupons.

Participating travel agents are also offering tour packages to New Zealand starting from USD 1,197.00 per person, for a minimum of 2 persons travelling together. Shoppers availing of the tour packages are also entitled to join the raffle promo. For more information, you may contact the following agents: RAKSO Air Travel and Tours, Inc at 812-9667 (Makati)/ 353-4809 (Manila) or email at support@raksotravel.com; Travel Specialist Ventures at 928-7487/373-1449/9210580 or email atrowena.coloma@travelspecialist.ph ; Trends Travelmart at 478-5401/478-5654 or email at marissa@trendstravelmart.com; Interlink at 524-0016 to 18 or email atditsalcain@yahoo.com; Ecozone at (045) 887-0332/332-8961; The Marvels of Travel at 842-7548 or email at lilianne6500@yahoo.com; Land and Sky Travel at (032) 254-5434 or email at richelle.landskytravel@gmail.com; I Love Travel at 232-1366/242-7281/340-3034 or email at ilovetravelntours@yahoo.com; Log on Travel at 313-6319/313-6337 or email at log_ontravel@yahoo.com; or the Singapore Airlines Tours Desk at 753-5151 to 52 or 756-8899 local 7001/7002 or email attours_mnl@singaporeair.com.sg, cc reservations@siaholidays.com.ph.

For bookings and more details, visit www.singaporeair.com. You may also contact the Glorietta concierge at 752-7272 for more details on the promo

Marshall Phone Case Amplifier Now Available in the Phils.

Protect your phone with cases that capture the classic look and feel of Marshall amplifiers. Black soft-coated case and vinyl wrapping holds your phone in a vice-like grip, protecting it from any obstacles you may encounter on the road.

You can grab your Marshall case at P1,200 available for iPhone5 at Beyond the Box, Digital Hub, and Digital Walker.

Silicone case, perfect fit , snaps on easily, shock absorbent in classic black for a rockstar feel.

Reader's Digest Holds the Annual Trusted Brands Award

In an ever changing world of preferences, and with the ongoing shift in the relationship revolution between companies and their consumers, is there still such a thing a BRAND LOYALTY?

On its 16th year, Reader’s Digest conducts its annual Trusted Brands Survey in recognition of the companies that have consistently maintained excellent products and service to earn them a Platinum or Gold award.

The grand awarding ceremony will be held on Wednesday June 4, 2014, at the CROWNE PLAZA MANILA  Gracing the event will be Readers Digest Asia editor in chief Sue Carney and Readers Digest Group Advertising Director for Asia Pacific, Sheron White as well as the top executives of the winning brands.

The Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Survey has a well-established reputation as the premier consumer-based and international measure of brand preference. Each year, it has approached ordinary consumers and asked their opinions on what brands of products and services are important to them.

The survey is carried out on behalf of Reader’s Digest by Ipsos in 7 markets:  Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Philippines. Those surveyed include Reader’s Digest  subscribers as well as randomly selected consumers.

This year’s categories include consumer electronics, finance, household products, personal products, food and beverage, health and personal care, services, motoring, and telecommunications.

Respondents are asked to name their most trusted brand in each of the product categories, then give each brand named a rating on a scale from 1 (Poor) to 5 (Excellent) on six qualitative criteria: Trustworthiness & Credibility, Quality, Value, Understanding of Customer Needs, Innovative and Social Responsibility. Each brand then receives a score based on the number of times it was named by respondents, multiplied by the average rating of the six qualitative criteria.

Trusted Brand award winners are identified for each of the eight surveyed markets as well as on an Asia-wide level. In order to win an Asia Trusted Brand award, the brand must win a Trusted Brand award in at least 3 of the 7 markets surveyed.

Backed by years of research Readers Digest confidently dissects the features a trusted brand must possess in order to maintain relevance and purpose for Asian consumers. A trusted brand enjoys international appeal, yet at the same time upholds a strong local connection.

Being ranked on the Trusted Brand list is a great achievement, but maintaining this ranking involves a genuine commitment to protect and fulfil the promises made to the consumer. It means ensuring the quality doesn't drop. It means that great taste stays the same. And it definitely means delivering the same value and consumer satisfaction year in and year out, while always remaining open to innovation and reinvention – no easy task!

Are your favorite brands  among the most trusted in the Asia?

Edge of Tomorrow Holds Special Sneak Previews on June 2 & 3

“EDGE OF TOMORROW” HOLDS SNEAK PREVIEWS JUNE 2 & 3

Warner Bros. Pictures' new exhilarating sci-fi thriller “Edge of Tomorrow”starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt will have special sneak previews on Monday and Tuesday, June 2 & 3 in selected theaters across the country.

The Doug Liman-directed action-adventure will be available for previews in cinemas starting at 7PM on the aforementioned dates. Regular ticket prices will apply.

Hailed by U.S. critics as Cruise's “best movie in years,” “Edge of Tomorrow” currently has a 92% fresh rating at the review-consensus site Rottentomatoes.com. Variety's Justin Chang described the film as “cleverly crafted and propulsively executed sci-fi thriller,” while Edward Douglas of ComingSoon.net praised it as “The best action movie of the summer.”

The epic action of “Edge of Tomorrow” unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world.

Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop—forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again.

But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

The international cast also includes Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Jonas Armstrong, Tony Way, Kick Gurry, Franz Drameh, Dragomir Mrsic and Charlotte Riley.
Liman directed “Edge of Tomorrow” from a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth, based on the novel entitled All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka.

Opening wide across the Philippines on June 5, “Edge of Tomorrow” will be distributed in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
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Max Factor Whipped Crème Foundation

Max Factor Whipped Crème Foundation

The latest foundation innovation from Max Factor contains a hydrated formula that harnesses the texture of whipped cream to deliver a fresh, flawless demi-matte finish that won’t dry out your skin

INSIGHT

Many women have previously been left disappointed by other foundations, such as mousses, as they can appear drying as some formulas exclude water.  This could lead to flaking on dry areas and a ‘caked on’ finish. Women want to dull the shine of oily skin but still achieve a fresh-looking, flawless matte finish with a slight radiant glow (demi-matte


CATEGORY NEED

A hydrated foundation innovation that contains water and glycerine to reduce the appearance of dry skin on application, delivering a matte result that still looks fresh, soft and perfectly even

FEATURES & BEAUTY BENEFITS

Max Factor’s Whipped Crème Foundation is a new foundation innovation featuring a lightweight, hydrated formula that delivers a perfectly flawless, on-trend demi-matte finish.
The super-smooth, hydrated formula is designed to achieve the perfect balance between controlling shine and enhancing the skin’s natural luminosity in one quick, easy application.

The result is a flawless, demi-matte look: a matte look but with a fresh, radiant finish – not shiny, just sophisticated and flawless.


PRODUCT INFO
 Available in 8 shades
 Oil-free, dermatologically tested and suitable for sensitive skin
 Max Factor Whipped Crème Foundation will be available nationwide from  March 2014
 Suggested Retail Price: 895.00

Inanc Balci is the youngest CEO at 28

WHERE  WERE YOU AT 28?

Inanc Balci, co-founder and CEO of Lazada Philippines

While many of us can only dream of changing the world, Inanc Balci is already doing it. At 26, he co-founded South East Asia’s online retail tiger Lazada and now, at age 28, he sits as the Chief Executive Officer for Lazada Philippines. 

On Being a young CEO

Balci, a Turkish raised in London, attended Purdue University in the U.S. with a double-degree in Industrial Engineering and Economics. Afterwhich, he worked on mergers and acquisitions for an investment bank in London. While working for the investment bank, Balci saw the eminent potential in e-commerce which led him to join Rocket Internet and eventually co-found Lazada in Southeast Asia.

In the Philippines, Balci heads a pool of more than 300 employees, all of which he works very closely with. With an unabashed outlook, agile wit, and a laser-sharp eye for details, Balci perfectly fits the bill to lead a rapidly-growing online company.

Online Shopping in the Philippines

In a country where shopping malls are practically part of the fabric of the society, online shopping is something quite a number of Filipinos are unaccustomed to—there comes the perennial trust issue on using credit cards, the surprise surcharges, and unfortunately, the products not arriving at all. 

The malls in the Philippines, on the otherhand, have creatively articulated themselves to be not just shopping destinations but also as a means of recreation (i.e. be it the cinemas, the gaming zones, the restaurants, or as simple as the airconditioning they offer as a break from the raging tropical weather outdoors)—all of these were the issues that Balci had to dispel—and dispel he and his co-founders did. 

Lazada has made shopping quick, effortless, and risk-free to South East Asia and in the Philippines, this is the same principle that Balci is harping on to the Filipinos. 

How is this so? First, Lazada accommodates all those shoppers without credit cards via its cash-on-delivery payment mode. This is essential given that not everyone has a credit card or is keen on sharing their credit card details to someone—or anyone for that matter. This makes online shopping risk-free for everyone.

Being an archipelago of 7,100 islands, accessibility is always an issue—a significant portion of consumers doesn’t have time or access to visit the malls but with a minimum of PhP 1,000 purchase, Lazada offers free nationwide delivery, to customers anywhere in the Philippines, just log-in, shop, and the products will be delivered at the customer’s doorstep. Lastly, Lazada offers the flexibility of having the customers return the products within 30 days for free—provided that the products are in mint condition.

In a span of two years of being in the Philippines, Balci has steered Lazada to further heights and now with more than 40,000 SKUs, reaching 90-precent of the online population of the Philippines, and ranking as the 4th top Facebook brand in the country with a direct audience close to 2 Million. 

What the dot-com bubble holds for Lazada is still yet to be revealed, but one thing is for certain, Inanc Balci, the 28 year-old co-founder and CEO, is definitely changing the way Filipinos buy.

About Lazada

Lazada (www.lazada.com.ph) is Philippines’ largest online shopping mall and is pioneering e-commerce by providing a fast, convenient and secure online shopping experience combined with an extensive product offering in categories ranging from mobiles & tablets and consumer electronics to household goods, toys, fashion and sports equipment. Lazada is continuously striving to offer its customers the best possible shopping experience with multiple payment methods including cash on delivery, extensive warranty commitments and free returns. Lazada mobile applications for Android, iPhone and iPad provide additional convenience to its consumers’ allowing them to shop anywhere, anytime. 

For more information, please visit http://www.lazada.com.ph. For updates on Lazada’s latest innovations, as well as activities, contests and promotions, connect with us via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/LazadaPhilippines).

GrabCar : Rides Made Awesome

Taxis offer the convenience of having a car without the hassle and expense of parking and gas, and you can book a taxi with the use of the app available for iOS and Android, it enables users to pledge a tip to the driver to pick them up right where they want, whenever they need a ride. With that in mind comes, GrabTaxi, consumers can now grab an affordable private car without the hassle of ownership and provides the same safety standard.

GrabTaxi, the largest Southeast Asian taxi-booking mobile app, is launching GrabCar on the existing mobile app. GrabCar is a brand new service that provides an authorized on-demand private driver for anyone without the hassle of owning a private car.

This new service provides a new option for passengers and also expands the benefits of GrabTaxi to a new network of drivers. Like GrabTaxi, GrabCar offers private car drivers the opportunity to build on their income by providing them with a much wider user-base and an efficient driver-to-passenger matching.

Anthony Tan said, “What has ensured GrabTaxi’s success in Philippines has been its ability to adapt and evolve to meet our user’s needs. That’s why we are introducing GrabCar; we see that there is an opportunity to fill a gap in the industry without taking away business from our core user-base of taxis. GrabCar will give our passengers that upmarket personalized experience while ensuring a fun and authentic ride.”

Brian Cu, Natasha Bautista and Anthony Tan

GrabCar will complement the public taxi industry by providing an affordable alternative supply to meet this demand. GrabCar will provide passengers the option to select a private car if they require one and a higher chance to make a successful booking during peak hours.

Anthony Tan added,” GrabCar not only gives consumers more options, it will also be positive for taxi drivers in the GrabTaxi network. This will increase the volume of cars available to passengers and build consumer confidence and loyalty in GrabTaxi, eventually leading to more people using the GrabTaxi platform and more rides for taxi drivers.”

The introduction of GrabTaxi into the Philippines has helped repair an inefficient system and develop a safer environment for both passengers and drivers. As a core component of the mobile app, GrabCar holds closely to the pillars of GrabTaxi, which are safety, convenience and speed.

To use GrabCar, users can select the GrabCar option which appears on your GrabTaxi app. This will help narrow down the search to GrabCar vehicles for an affordable chauffeured trip.


The free GrabTaxi app which incorporates the GrabCar function for smartphones and tablets is available from Google Play (Android), App Store (iOS), Windows Phone, and the BlackBerry World app store.

About GrabTaxi
GrabTaxi is a for-profit social start-up with a mission to revolutionize the taxi industry. GrabTaxi started in Kuala Lumpur and now has operations in Singapore, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Runners-up in the 2011 Harvard Business School Business Plan Contest, its core product is a taxi-dispatch service with GPS-enhancements, allowing passengers to hail the nearest taxi with extreme ease. Since 2012, tens of thousands of taxi drivers have been using the GrabTaxi mobile application to receive bookings.  Passengers can book taxis on their smartphones and tablets with ease and enjoy a great user experience. As a humble start-up, GrabTaxi believes that business and social value can be achieved in parallel. It hopes to make a difference in Philippines’ public transportation by making it easier, safer and more efficient to book taxis.

Zomato and its latest feature Collections

Zomato, the world’s leading  online and mobile restaurant discovery service, announced the launch of its latest feature called Collections.

Based on user activity and interest, Collections will feature popular restaurants across specific themes and trends. Building
on its exhaustive restaurant content, Collections on Zomato covers everything from daily dinners to Romantic Dining, Late Nighters, Breakfast Places, Pet-Friendly Restaurants, and many more.

Zomato Collections Website Home

Since it began in 2008,  Zomato has been providing in-depth information for over 228,000 restaurants across 12 countries.

Its core content features include menus, photos and geocoded coordinates for restaurants; allowing users to find, rate and review restaurants, as well as engage in social interactions with other foodies.

Zomato currently sees over 16 million monthly visits globally, across its web and mobile platforms, from people searching for places to go out for a meal, get home delivery, catch up at a cafe, or enjoy the local nightlife. The highly targeted platform makes it convenient for restaurateurs to interact with customers who are looking for meal options.

“Having added a social layer to restaurant discovery, we wanted to go a step further and provide information that foodies want, but may not necessarily want to search for. With Collections, we’ve turned popular theme-based searches into bite-sized lists of restaurants that address specific use-cases.

In addition to the search aspect of Zomato,”, said Deepinder Goyal, Founder and CEO, Zomato. Collections will enable users to browse restaurants presented in categories based on popular themes in their city. For example, Delhi includes a ‘Legendary’ Collection, which covers famous, unforgettable restaurants in the Indian Capital; London includes ‘Gastropubs’, and Lisbon features ‘Beach Bars’, among other city-specific themes.

Zomato Collections Website

“Collections provides restaurant information condensed into in a visually engaging format across web  and mobile to make restaurant discovery effortless”, added Deepinder. Whether one is looking for business dining options, a perfect spot for a dinner date, or a meal with a live performance, Collections addresses a wide range of use-cases.

Zomato was started in Delhi in 2008 by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah. The company has since expanded its services to 41 cities across India, UK, UAE, South Africa, New Zealand, the Philippines, Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Portugal, and Qatar.

For more information, please visit: http://www.zomato.com

LAMUDI EXPANDS OPERATIONS IN ASIA

LAMUDI EXPANDS OPERATIONS IN ASIA

Fast-growing property portal continues global expansion with Sri Lanka launch

 Leading real estate player Lamudi (www.lamudi.com) is expanding its presence in Asia, with the
platform launching in Sri Lanka this week.

Lamudi is now available in seven new markets across Asia, the Middle East and
Africa, with launches also announced today for Jordan, the Ivory Coast,
Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius and Zimbabwe. This brings the number
of countries where the platform is available to 28.

Lamudi is a global property portal operating exclusively in emerging markets.
The company benefits from the resources and local know-how of teams in
each of its countries, with support from global headquarters in Berlin.

Co-Founder and Managing Director, Paul Philipp Hermann, said: “Countries like Sri
Lanka have the perfect trifecta for online property: each has a strong
real estate market, growing rate of internet usage, and a young and
vibrant demographic.

We are expanding our presence in Asia because, quite simply, we could see a
 demand that was not being met. As more people in each of these markets
switch online, they want to have access to the same resources that are
available elsewhere.

Whether its buying a house in Sri Lanka or renting an apartment in Jordan,
Lamudi is helping to meet the growing demand for e-commerce in emerging
markets.”

Wilhelm Hammes, Managing Director of Lamudi Sri Lanka (www.lamudi.lk)
 said: “Now is the perfect time to be entering the Sri Lankan market.
The property sector has seen significant growth since 2009, as
infrastructure has improved and investors have come back. We want to be
there to grow alongside this thriving industry.”

Lamudi is already on track to being the number one real estate marketplace in
the region. Launched just six months ago, the company now offers 340,000
 property listings worldwide across its platforms.

In Asia, Lamudi is already market leader in two countries, Bangladesh and
Myanmar. The company recently announced $7 million USD in investment for
its Asian operations, including funds from the investment arm of
international multi-sector retailer Tengelmann Group.

Founded in 2013, Lamudi is now operating in Algeria, Bangladesh, Cameroon,
Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya,
Mauritius, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria,
Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania,
Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

For further information please contact Global Communications Director Katy Campbell at
katy.campbell@lamudi.com / 0049 15209058759


About Lamudi

Lamudi was founded in 2013 and is currently available in 28 countries across
Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. The leading real estate
 marketplace offers sellers, buyers, landlords and renters a secure and
easy-to-use platform to find or list properties online. For more
information, please visit http://www.lamudi.com/