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realme Narzo 50A Unboxing: a budget gaming buddy!

Budget play option

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These are confusing times, as the Hulk said. With a flurry of devices being released near the end of 2021, we’re going to unbox the realme Narzo 50A.

The box provided with the phone has an eye-catching color. The word “Narzo” is very prominent. Perhaps realme really wanted to scream their Narzo line. You won’t mistake this for anything else.

Opening the box was quite a challenge, it feels as if the cover has separation anxiety with the main box. Once successfully opened, the document container will greet you with “feel the power”!

Also included in the document holder are the phone case and the SIM tray ejector tool.

For the main attraction, the phone itself is resting snugly on the box. The unit has the “Oxygen Blue” colorway.

Greeting us at the front is the 6.5-inch mini-drop fullscreen, with a 720×1600 HD+ resolution. The screen-to-body ratio is 88.7 percent with a peak brightness of 570 nits in sunlight mode. To top it off, we also have an 8MP in-screen selfie camera.

Along with all of that beauty lies the charging chord and the power adaptor, USB Type-C and an 18W charging brick.

Heading onto the back, an interesting design awaits. The Oxygen Blue colorway pops, truly an eye-catcher. As needed by every mobile device, we have a triple camera setup: 50MP for the main camera, 2MP macro lens, and 2MP portrait.

That back looks… wow?

The design of the realme Narzo 50A is intriguing, streaking below the camera, we have a patterned design and the other half is smooth and simple. Maybe realme couldn’t decide on what design they should go for, so maybe they went for both. Other than that, the design is pretty solid and it gives the Narzo 50A a unique and striking look. The huge camera at the back is noticeable, but realme also placed a fingerprint sensor with the cameras.

The sides of the phone are familiar territory. On the left side, we have the sim and memory card slot, on the right we have the volume rocker and the power button.

On the bottom, past and present collide as the Narzo 50A has a USB Type-C and a 3.5MM headphone jack. People would love this especially if you’re still with the wired earphones gang.

But for those considering buying the phone, earphones will be bought separately as they do not have them inside the box.

Quick specs

The realme narzo 50A is equipped with the Helio G85 Gaming Processor, with 4GB of ram, and a whopping 6,000mAh battery. That’s about it for this article as we are going to dive deeper into the device as a performance review is coming up next.

Price and availability

The narzo 50A will be available in the 4GB+6GB variant during the brand’s 11.11 mega sale on Lazada. As an exclusive early-bird offer, the narzo 50A will be available at PhP 6,990. That’s PhpP1,000 off for the Narzo 50A!

If you’re reading this too late or you don’t mind the sale, then the actual retail price of the device is Php 7,990. 

The colors offered by the narzo 50A will be Oxygen Green and Oxygen Blue. Be sure to check out their official store in Lazada to learn more about the early-bird discount and more.

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vivo V29 5G Grand Launch in the Philippines

Aura Light 2.0 and more

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vivo V29 5G

The vivo V29 5G will officially launch on Monday, September 25 at 7PM in the Philippines. You should check out the vivo V29 5G Grand Launch. You can watch it on this Facebook event page.

We already know that the vivo V29 5G comes with Aura Light 2.0. An improved version of its lighting system first showcased on the vivo V27 5G. Aura Light 2.0 will automatically adjust its color temperature to harmonize with the surroundings.

We also know that it comes on two stunning colors: Milky Way and Starry Purple.

Elsewhere on the phone, you’ll find a 6.78-inch 1.5K AMOLED FHD display. It has up to a 120Hz refresh rate and a pixel density of 452ppi.

The screen is HDR10+ certified and is also 100% DCI-P3, offering users breath-taking details and colors for an astonishing visual experience.

vivo has also worked on the phone’s eye protection features for both its hardware and software. The phone has reduced blue light and screen flickering to ensure safe usage.

If you want to learn the rest of the specs along with other surprises, you should definitely check out the vivo V29 5G Grand Launch.

Price and availability

The vivo V29 5G comes in two storage options. Pricing are as follows: 12GB+256GB is PhP 24,999 while 12GB+512GB is 26,999. It’s available in vivo’s official stores, Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop.


This article is a sponsored press release by vivo Philippines.

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Philippine TV Network introduces AI sportscasters

The first in the country

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AI Sportscasters
Photo from FB.com/GMANetwork

It’s happening. While debates continue to rage on about what role Artificial Intelligence or AI should play with its rapid advancement in recent years, a Philippine Television Network jumped the gun and decided to introduce AI sportscasters.

GMA Network, widely considered the second largest broadcasting network in the Philippines, proudly introduced on Saturday, September 23 are MAIA and MARCO — two AI-generated sportscasters. They will be reporting on NCAA Season 99, a collegiate sports association in the country, as well as other local and international sports news. They are expected to appear across the network’s broadcasting and social media platforms.

In their own introduction article, GMA Network said the two were generated by artificial intelligence using Image Generation, Text-to-Speech AI Voice Synthesis/Generation, and Deep Learning Face Animation Technology.

Unfavorable reactions

The Facebook post concerning this news was met with unfavorable reactions in the comments section.

Facebook user Aple Balagtas Bangaysiso commented: “As a communication student, it is very sad. A job of a real person replaced by AI. This is very alarming for media industry. The kind of innovation we never wished.”

Sh1n Boo also left a comment lamenting that “this gives a lot of wrong signals,” and added “I’m a big fan of AI tools but sadly this is very out of touch.”

Another commenter named Paul Emmanuel had this to say:
“There is no urgent need for AI sportscasters nor any caster there are. Why would we need these things when we have lots of skilled people that can do it better than them. I disagree with this.”

Many of the comments on the particular Facebook post shared the same sentiments

Conversations on AI, ChatGPT, and more

Discussions about AI surges when ChatGPT hit a scene. It’s an AI tool that can analyze billions of words and the relationship between them. It uses GPT-3.5, a specific language model created by OpenAI.

It’s been used to generate many things with many different sectors being alarmed of how it will be used. The education sector was one of the first to react, fearing that students will rely more on the tool instead of traditional research and writing methods.

SEE ALSO: ChatGPT Explained

Taking over jobs

Globally, there are many discussions happening in conferences, podcasts, and even informal settings about how AI can take away jobs. The ongoing writer strike has also touched on this matter.

Disney+ has already come under fire recently for admitting that the opening credits for the show Secret Invasion was made with AI. Meanwhile, YouTube channel Corridor Digital, known for their breakdowns, reactions and recreations of CGI effects, came under fire for producing an AI-generated “anime”. On TikTok, there are also several posts of AI-generated song covers of global and K-Pop artists.

Despite all these, Senior Vice President and Head of Integrated News, Regional TV, and Synergy Oliver Victor B. Amoroso notes that their AI sportscaster initiative ” promote[s] inclusivity in our reporting.”

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Google ridicules Apple again in a new ad

#GetTheMessage

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Google is back to its old tricks. After the relatively successful #BestPhonesForever campaign, the company has launched a new dig against Apple. This time, the campaign sends another attack at Apple’s refusal to adopt the RCS protocol.

As most Apple users know, one way to tell a fellow iPhone user from an Android user is the green bubble. Android users pop up as green bubbles on iMessage, instead of the standard blue. Whether inadvertently or on purpose, Apple turned iMessage into an exclusive club that can easily tell those who aren’t part of the club.

In the new #GetTheMessage campaign, Google parodies an Apple launch by releasing an Apple-like trailer for an “iPager.” Meant to be a stand-in for the iPhone, the parody device uses the same messaging technology as Apple’s flagship, resulting in “broken group chats,” “zero encryption,” and “pixelated videos.” All of these lead to a call for Apple to adopt RCS as a standard.

The lack of RCS on Apple is more than just a green bubble. As Google parodies, the difference in standards leads to reduced security and a lack of features. Apple, unfortunately, is remarkably against the adoption. Tim Cook notoriously told an inquiring reporter to just get an iPhone.

SEE ALSO: Pixel and iPhone are friends in a new series of ads

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