News
Huawei officially announces Harmony OS
Android should be worried

A few months ago, the Trade War took an ugly turn and its effects were seen on consumer technology for the first time. As a security measure, the U.S. barred Huawei from doing any business with American companies. In a nutshell, Huawei could no longer depend on Android and use Play Services for its smartphones.
This was the tipping point for the Chinese giant and it vowed to not succumb to external pressure. Immediately, there were reports that Huawei has ramped up work on its own operating system, dubbed Hongmeng OS back then. And even though the U.S. scaled back sanctions after a few weeks, it was clear to Huawei, it needs a backup plan.
On August 9, Huawei has finally shown off its new operating system, officially called Harmony OS. Keep in mind, the development has been in process for years, but it got an accelerated push due to the ban.
At the Huawei Developer Conference, the company said Harmony OS is built on a microkernel, meaning it can be deployed on a wide range of devices. This is similar to Google’s Fuchsia OS, but it leverages in-house “Ark” compiler to process multiple languages like C/C++, Java, and Kotlin. Additionally, HTML5, Linux, and even Android apps will be able to run on the OS in the coming future.
Huawei will be releasing a Software Development Kit (SDK) soon for developers to make apps across multiple devices like televisions, smartphones, smartwatches, and even car kits.
The first device to run Harmony OS will be launched by Honor and it’ll be a smart television. We won’t be seeing a smartphone running Harmony OS this year and the company still affirms its dependence on Android.
Work on version 1.0 of the OS was started two years back and version 2.0 of its microkernel will be released next year while version 3.0 arrives in 2021. The company’s Consumer Business Group CEO Richard Yu also added Harmony OS will be faster and safer than Android.
According to Huawei, there’s no root access in the OS, making it safer than Android. They also boasted EAL 5+ certification, an international standard for assurance levels. Lastly, the operating system will be made open-source in the near future.


The long-running Tales series (25 years now!) has a new title coming! Tales of ARISE will be released in Southeast Asia on September 9, 2021.
Here’s the release date trailer to get you hyped.
What is Tales of ARISE?
The game will follow the story of Rena — the star that has been ruling the Dahna planet with an iron fist for the past 300 years. Renans have been depleting Dahna of its natural resources, enslaving most of the planet’s population in order to do so.
This tale follows the fight to free Dahnans of their fate and will be experienced through the eyes of Alphen, an iron-masked Dahnan fighting to free his people, and Shionne, a girl from Rena, who’s on the run from her countrymen. They will be joined through their journey by characters like Rinwell and Law that will help them in their fight for freedom.
Southeast Asia Game Editions
All pre-orders and Day-1 retail package version will receive a new costume for Alphen and Shionne, as well as outfits accessories and new cooking recipes and ingredients.
- Tales of Arise retail package version is only available for the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 in Southeast Asia.
- The package version includes pre-order digital bonus only for the first production. The number of initial production is limited and will end as soon as it runs out.
Digital Platforms
On Digital platforms, a Deluxe and an Ultimate edition will be available. The Deluxe edition will have the following items:
- Premium Item Pack, containing gold, cooking items and Boosts
- Premium Costume Pack, including 8 full costumes and 6 accessories
- Premium Travel Pack, allowing for better cooking and crafting abilities as well as discounts in shops
The Ultimate Edition will have all the content from the Deluxe Edition as well as new costumes for the characters including special costumes in collaboration with other BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment games.
A physical Collector Edition will be available and include the same content as the Ultimate Edition, along with an exclusive figurine, a Steelbook, an Artbook and the game’s Soundtrack. This edition can be purchased at participating retailers in Southeast Asia.
A special Hootle Edition will be available exclusively and in limited quantities on the BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Asia store at a later date. This edition will include, in addition to the base game, a metal case, an Artbook, the Soundtrack, a 15 cm Hootle plush along with 4 accessories, Hootle DLC for the game as well as stickers and 3 art prints.

Google Drive was not working for PLDT users in the Philippines.
Multiple users in the Philippines have taken to Twitter to express frustration that Google Drive is down. The earliest tweets started at around 7PM (GMT+8). As of writing, the service continues to not work for some people.
wtf i was supposed to pass my pts and google drive is down xjjenwkwkwjw help
— 🐾 (@phiiidenise) April 22, 2021
Me checking on twitter if google docs is down too: pic.twitter.com/61jDyJqFYz
— KenjiTech (@tech_kenji) April 22, 2021
my workaholic self is shaking google docs is down… pic.twitter.com/Ixto1vFEBe
— Alyssa 😜 (@justalysssaaa) April 22, 2021
Some tweeters have pointed out that the problem is with the Internet Service Provider PLDT. Some have switched to using a different ISP and it has worked for them.
Okay so google docs is down when using PLDT, tried using mobile data hotspot and now it works.
— andreamarie (@aindreamarie) April 22, 2021
google docs is down— i thought it was just me and my phone but my laptop too and i guess everyone else using pldt.
— MJ Camingue (@mjcmnge) April 22, 2021
PLDT replying to queries
PLDT has yet to fully acknowledge the problem and have only so far replied to a handful of customers who have tagged them to flag the issue.
Sorry to know you’re having issues with your service, @dhenner08. Do not worry, we’ll help you out. Kindly send us your telephone number, account number, email address and mobile number via DM so we can further assist you. We’ll be waiting. Thanks! – Brey
— PLDT Cares (@PLDT_Cares) April 22, 2021
Sorry to know you’re having issues with your service, @tifguevara. Do not worry, we’ll help you out. Kindly send us your telephone number, account number, email address and mobile number via DM so we can further assist you. We’ll be waiting. Thanks! – Brey
— PLDT Cares (@PLDT_Cares) April 22, 2021
As of 4:24AM (GMT+8), the service has returned for some users.
Google Drive is Google’s cloud service that’s also home to its Office Suite of apps including Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. Several people rely on the service both for study and work.

The youngest sibling from the Mi 11 series expansion announcement, the Mi 11 Lite, has made its way to the Philippines.
Despite an overall slim footprint, it does sport a 6.55-inch FHD+ AMOLED DotDisplay with a 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10. It also has a 4,250mAh battery with 33W fast charging.
Powering the phone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G chip. It’s a chip that’s more than capable of handling most of what you’ll do on a smartphone. Into gaming? Yes, this phone can certainly handle that. It even employs the LiquidCool tech to keep you cool even as the game heats up.
It also has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Yes, this is only the 4G version. No word yet if the 5G one will arrive in the country. Its camera setup are as follows: 64MP f/1.79 Wide. 8MP f/2.2 UWA, 5MP f/2.4 Telemacro, and 16MP selfie camera.
The phone will come in three colors: Boba Black, Bubblegum Blue and Peach Pink.
Price and availability
The Mi 11 Lite will retail for PhP 14,990 and will be available for purchase from Authorized Mi Stores and partner retailers nationwide as well as our official stores in Lazada and Shopee starting April 24.
Watch our Mi 11 Lite Unboxing and Hands-On
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