News

Watch a Nokia 6 effortlessly crack walnuts

Published

January 26, 2017

Marvin Velasco

Walnuts are notoriously difficult to break open, and usually need sophisticated tools to get the job done. Luckily, the lady in this video had a newly launched Nokia 6 on hand.

Labelled “Nokia 6 – Drop Test,” we expected the typical torture test wherein the phone would fall multiple times on all sorts of surfaces. What we got was a little more entertaining, and a lot more practical. The woman even goes on to eat the nuts… off the floor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swWU7wukAwY

If you ever doubted the quality of newer Nokia handsets, now’s the time to restore your faith in the brand. Even though this isn’t the same Finnish group we once knew — the brand is now owned by fellow Finnish company HMD Global and manufacturing is done purely in China — the new team figured out a way to preserve Nokia’s signature durability.

Officially, the phone is currently exclusive to China, where it sold out within a minute of becoming available online. That’s an amazing feat considering the high $250 price tag for features you’d find on much cheaper handsets. This goes to show how strong the Nokia branding is despite the long absence.

On the gray market side, Lazada Philippines sold all of its Nokia 6 units yesterday despite costing significantly more than the original retail price. At PhP 18,590 or $375, it’s 50 percent more expensive, and yet it took less than a day for all stocks to run dry.

We’re expecting more Nokia smartphones to be released at Mobile World Congress (MWC) next month; hopefully, they continue prioritizing build quality over gimmicky features, so people like the nut-cracking lady have more reliable means of preparing food on public floors.

[irp posts=”8747″ name=”Nokia launches first post-Microsoft era phones”]

Automotive

Mercedes-Benz holds a Welcome Home campaign to celebrate 140 years

Get freebies and discounts from now until the end of July.

Published

June 22, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Mercedes-Benz has been an important part of Filipino car culture. Stylized as the “Chedeng,” the brand’s cars are still worthy choices today. Now, to celebrate their 140^th anniversary, Mercedes-Benz is launching the Welcome Home Campaign, offering treats and discounts for Filipino drivers.

From now until the end of June, new Mercedes-Benz owners can get an exclusive 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen Replica. The limited-edition replica represents the history of brand’s innovations in the motoring space.

Similarly, until the end of the month, interested customers can start their Benz journey for downpayments as low as PhP 140,000. Discounted prices, however, will go on until the end of July:

MODEL	*Original Price*	*Discounted Price*
CLA 200 Progressive	PhP 3,990,000	PhP 3,490,000
C 180 Avantgarde	PhP 3,990,000	PhP 2,990,000
GLB 200 AMG Line	PhP 4,590,000	PhP 4,090,000
GLC 200 4MATIC	PhP 5,190,000	PhP 4,690,000
EQB 250+ Electric Art	PhP 4,290,000	PhP 4,090,000
EQE 300 Electric Art Sedan	PhP 5,590,000	PhP 3,990,000
EQE 350+ AMG Line Sedan	PhP 6,290,000	PhP 4,690,000
EQS 450 4MATIC AMG Line Sedan	PhP 9,990,000	PhP 7,490,000
Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 4MATIC	PhP 5,719,000	PhP 5,519,000
Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 4MATIC	PhP 5,719,000	PhP 5,219,000

If you already own a Chedeng, Mercedes-Benz will show some love by offering special aftersales initiatives throughout the campaign period. Additionally, there will be more roadshow activations happening the entire year to showcase the latest in the Benz lineup.

Finally, if you have a Chedeng story of your own, Mercedes-Benz is inviting long-time fans to share their stories on social media by tagging the official Mercedes-Benz Philippines account and using the hashtags #Chedeng and #140YearsofInnovation. Featured users can win exclusive Benz merchandise.

Gaming

Ubisoft co-founder dies in plane crash

Claude Guillemot was one of five brothers that founded Ubisoft.

Published

June 22, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Claude Guillemot, one of the four co-founders of Ubisoft, has died last week in a plane crash. He was 69 years old.

As reported via Bloomberg, Guillemot died alongside the plane’s other passenger. They both died in La Baule in France.

Regardless of how you feel about the company today, Ubisoft is still an undeniable reason why RPGs are so popular. In 1984, Guillemot started the company with his four brothers. Since then, it’s become a household name for gaming. Its portfolio includes Assassin’s Creed, Prince of Persia, Splinter Cell, Anno, and Far Cry. Despite the prolific resume, the company is currently struggling to recreate the magic that made it so popular over a decade ago. Its current efforts include remaking Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, which launches next month.

Though Claude might not be your first thought when thinking of Ubisoft, the company is still owned by the family, headed by his brother Yves. Claude, however, was the chairman of Guillemot Corp.

“Ubisoft was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Claude Guillemot, co-founder of the group and chairman of Guillemot Corp., in an accident. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. No further statements will be made at this time,” Ubisoft said about his passing.

News

No new CMF phones this year, Nothing confirms

But Nothing still has a phone scheduled later this year.

Published

June 22, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

For the past few years, Nothing kept launching smartphone after smartphone. Further, every new iteration felt like a reinvention, rather than just a modest upgrade. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, including Nothing’s streak. This year, after announcing that we won’t get a Phone (4), Nothing has announced that CMF is also skipping 2026 for a hopefully better 2027.

Now, whenever there’s bad news about delayed phone launches, there’s only one culprit. The ongoing RAM crisis is wreaking havoc across the entire industry. Because of the AI industry’s desperate need to stockpile chips, consumer-friendly devices find themselves with a scarcity of components, leading to delays or price increases.

Recently, in a moment of transparency, Nothing’s Akis Evangelidis confirms that CMF will not launch a new phone this year. Citing more of the same, he says that “with memory prices where they are right now, we can’t build a phone that feels like a genuine step forward at a price that makes sense for CMF.”

As a tease, Evangelidis did say that the brand is currently working on a sequel to the CMF Phone 2 Pro. Unfortunately, it’s going to take longer for the phone to come out.

All that said, there is a silver lining. Evangelidis concludes the announcement by also confirming that Nothing still has something up its sleeve. “The smartphone launch season at Nothing isn’t over yet,” he said.

This is a huge deal. Previously, Nothing’s Carl Pei said that the Phone (4) isn’t coming out this year. Even with the Phone (4a)’s launch already done and dusted, the brand still has something left in the tank.