News
Apple Intelligence starts arriving for iPhone users
But still lacks a lot of features
If you compare the iPhone 16 with last year’s model, you might have noticed only a few middling improvements. That’s because Apple is hinging this year on its take on artificial intelligence, or otherwise known as Apple Intelligence. Now, a bit more than a month since launching the new flagships, Apple has launched the first version of the AI model.
As with most flagships that launched this year, the iPhone 16 features Apple Intelligence. The AI-based software will offer the usual trimmings that most users will come to expect: assisted photo editing, image generation, and query answering. However, unlike its competitors, Apple Intelligence is a work in progress, launching separately from its main device.
Today, Apple has finally released the first version of Apple Intelligence. At its current state, the software can edit out unwanted elements from a photo, spruce up a chunk of text, or summarize a wall of notifications.
Siri is also getting a slight makeover. You might not detect the changes at a glance, though. The most tangible change is how the voice assistant interacts with the user. It can understand human nuances and tics much better than before.
If this set of updates doesn’t impress (like most AI-based software today), take note that this is just the very first version of Apple Intelligence. The company still has a lot of features in store in coming updates. For example, the software still doesn’t have the AI-assisted image generation feature it promised earlier this year. Most of the currently released features are still due some major tune-ups in the future.
SEE ALSO: Apple Intelligence is upon us
Enterprise
Sony teams up with 13 companies for sustainable global supply chain
Sustainability through introduction of renewable plastics
Sony, along with several companies, have established the world’s first global supply chain for the production of renewable plastics that can be used in Sony’s high-performance audiovisual products.
The supply chain consists of 14 companies across five countries and regions. The various plastic materials manufacture through this supply are slated for use in Sony’s products that will launch worldwide.
High-performance products such as audiovisual equipment involve a wide variety of plastics. The result is a complex supply chain that makes it difficult to visualize and manage the entire flow.
Additionally, plastic components that require high performance in terms of flame resistance and optical properties cannot be fully replaced with plastics from material recycling.
To address these challenges, these 14 companies have collaborated to visualize the existing supply chain for Sony’s products:
- Sony Corporation
- Mitsubishi Corporation
- ADEKA CORPORATION
- CHIMEI Corporation
- ENEOS Corporation
- Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corporation
- Hanwha Impact Corporation
- Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.
- Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
- Neste Corporation
- Qingdao Haier New Material Development Co.
- Ltd., SK Geo Centric Co., Ltd.
- Toray Industries, Inc.
- Toray Advanced Materials Korea Inc.
Sustainability through renewable plastics
The new supply chain created will enable the production of multiple types of renewable plastics from biomass resources with a mass balance approach.
This allows Sony to proactively source raw materials for its products with quality, as well as properties equivalent to virgin fossil-based plastics.
Defining the supply chain also helps the companies track and document GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions data in a verifiable way.
This allows participating companies to leverage the data to advance efforts to reduce their carbon footprint going forward.
Sony’s initiative with a wide range of global partners is part of the “Creating NEW from reNEWable materials” jointly launched by the electronics giant and Mitsubishi.
It aims to achieve zero usage of virgin fossil-based plastics through the introduction of renewable plastics.
Laptops
TECNO’s MEGABOOK laptops are now available in the Philippines
Exclusively sold at Laptop Factory
With the launch of TECNO’s two MEGABOOK K Series in the Philippines (MEGABOOK K16s 13th and MEGABOOK K15s), they have also announced an exclusive partnership with Laptop Factory — one of the Philippines’ fast-growing laptop distributor.
This will further usher in new productivity solutions to Filipino professionals, students and digital consumers.
Two Ks for Dual Use-Case
TECNO’s MEGABOOK K16s 13th shines on its own way. Equipped with a 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-13420H processor alongside a max 32GB DDR4 memory and 1TB SSD configuration, this laptop can easily handle heavy workloads including multitasking, graphic design, even data analysis.
Its large 16-inch 16:10 Full HD display covers the 100% sRGB color gamut. Along with its 2.5W quad speakers, this MEGABOOK brings an immersive audio-visual experience. There’s also the large 70Wh battery — promising of up to 12 hours of use.
The TECNO PC Manager cross-device collaboration app exists for better harmony with your existing TECNO phones and tablets. And with the laptop running the latest Windows 11 version, it also has a built-in Microsoft Copilot AI key to further improve work efficiency. Despite all these ginormity, it manages to weigh at only 1.5kg.
Meanwhile, the MEGABOOK K15s is affordability is at its core. Its slim and light body is beneficial for commuting, while its basic configuration (suitable for daily software operation) together with its long battery life makes it the perfect complement for students and budding professionals. This makes it a true “entry-level high-performance” laptop.
TECNO x Laptop Factory
Laptop Factory is one of the fastest-growing laptop retailers in the Philippines. They are known for their wide selection of global brands, abundant stocks, and know what the local market wants. It’s even recognized by other major laptop brands for its strong growth, competitive pricing, and value-for-money deals.
With this exclusive partnership, TECNO gets a direct path into the Philippine laptop market by tapping Laptop Factory’s well-established offline retail network. For Laptop Factory, the collaboration means expanding its lineup with TECNO’s high-quality laptops — giving Filipino consumers more solid choices in the productivity space.
Together, both brands aim to deliver laptops that fit the everyday needs of Filipinos — whether for work, school, or everything in between. All while growing alongside the country’s rapidly evolving digital market.
Buy a TECNO Laptop, Get a Free Phone!
With this exclusive partnership, TECNO and Laptop Factory are giving away free phones when you purchase one MEGABOOK:
- Buy the MEGABOOK K15s (SRP: ₱44,999) and get a FREE TECNO POVA 7 (8+256GB)
- Buy the MEGABOOK K16s 13th (SRP: ₱46,999) and get a FREE TECNO CAMON 40 Pro 5G (8+256GB)
From February 7 and 8, this BOGO promo is available Buy One Get One Free is available only at Laptop Factory QC Main Branch. From February 9 onwards, the said promo will be available in all offline Laptop Factory stores nationwide.
The number of free gifts is limited, available on a first-come, first-served basis only until February 15th.
Gaming
Horizon Hunters Gathering is an upcoming co-op roguelite spinoff
If you liked Nightreign, you might like this.
Like Valve, the PlayStation’s tentpole franchises are allergic to the number 3. The Last of Us, the ongoing God of War arc, Spider-Man, and Horizon all don’t have a third game yet. These franchises, however, have all gotten rumors of spinoffs. Now, Horizon is getting more than just a rumor; an official co-op spinoff is happening. Say hello to Horizon Hunters Gathering!
Today, Guerilla unveiled Horizon Hunters Gathering, an official co-op roguelite set in the Horizon universe. The game will feature multiple players working to take down difficult enemies, bosses, and dungeons.
The title shares similarities with Elden Ring Nightreign. For one, players can choose between six characters with different roles. The main mode, called Machine Incursion, takes players to a wide map with powerups and roaming monsters. The map then has a shrinking ring that… well, you know what a shrinking ring does.
Horizon Hunters Gathering also has a different game mode called Cauldron Descent. Compared to the Nightreign type of gameplay, Cauldron Descent is a more traditional roguelite mode. Players enter a dangerous dungeon and choose alternate paths that vary in challenges.
Both game modes will be available through an upcoming closed playtest through the PlayStation Beta Program.
Because this is from Guerilla themselves, this is an official game. But it’s far from the only spinoff for the universe. Previously, NCSoft, a South Korean gaming studio, announced Horizon Steel Frontiers, an MMO set in the Horizon universe. Like Horizon Hunters Gathering, Steel Frontiers has an unknown launch date.
SEE ALSO: Horizon Steel Frontiers is an MMO set in the Horizon universe
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