Entertainment

Smart NFTs gives users chance to win FIBA Finals Pass, Gilas Art Prints

For the hardcore Gilas supporters

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Smart NFTs

Smart Inc., is going all out in their sponsorship of the FIBA World Cup 2023. Not only are they delivering multiple ways for you to watch the games, they’re also launching exclusive NFTs or non-fungible tokens. It features digital collectible called Shinys.

The FREE Shinys feature FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 mascot, JIP. It’s the first NFT raffle of its kind in the Philippines.

Each minted Shiny instantly entitles subscribers to a raffle entry. A raffle entry earns a user a shot at winning one FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Finals Pass, and Gilas Art Prints. The Prints are made by Mike Swift aka Mr. Pinoy Hoops. He is most famous for his massive art tribute to Kobe and Gianna Bryant at the Tenement Court in Taguig City.

Also up for grabs are Smart and Gilas shirts and limited-edition Gilas-themed Smart Prepaid load cards.

8 Shinys to collect

There are a total of eight (8) Shinys NFT that are up for grabs.

Smart subscribers may get one FREE Gilas Shiny per day at Smart Booths. Details are as follows:

  • The Philippine Arena in Bulacan on Aug. 25
  • Smart-Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City rom Aug. 25 to Sept.1.
  • The SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City from Aug. 25 to Sept.1.

To mint the FREE Shinys at the Smart booths, subscribers must connect to a Smart mobile internet, scan the QR code, and fill out the form on the YEY Platform powered by BlockchainSpace Asia. Upon successful registration, Smart subscribers shall receive their unique Shiny for the day.

Entertainment

A Minecraft Movie is getting a sequel

It’s scheduled to premiere in July 2027.

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A Minecraft Movie was decidedly not for me. However, there’s no denying how much the movie was so effective for younger fans and gamers who grew up with Minecraft. It’s one of the highest-grossing movies this year. Even if I didn’t personally like it, I still consider it a success for videogame adaptations. Now, recognizing the film’s success, Warner Bros. has signed off on a sequel to Jack Black’s blocky caper, as confirmed by Variety.

It’s a mystery where the sequel will take players. Not to spoil anything, but the original movie did end with virtually loose ends neatly tied into a bow. Then again, Minecraft is an endless well of content. Where one story ends, another can just as easily open up in its place. As a game, it’s a completely open sandbox where nothing is limited.

However, to establish continuity, the sequel is reportedly tapping the talents of director Jared Hess once again. Chris Galleta might also come back to write the screenplay.

Interestingly, Jack Black is not confirmed yet. But given how much of a star he was as Steve, it’s hard to imagine a sequel without his energy, so it’s likely that he’s coming back. On a more positive note, Jason Momoa, who co-starred as Garrett Garrison, is expected to co-produce the sequel.

Warner Bros. has currently scheduled the sequel’s premiere on July 23, 2027.

SEE ALSO: Now Playing: A Minecraft Movie

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Entertainment

Is this baby Rosalina in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie?

The unnamed baby is wearing the same colors and has a wand.

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Less than a month ago, Nintendo announced a sequel to the widely lauded Super Mario Bros. Movie. The upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie will take audiences to outer space. It’s based, of course, on the game of the same name. Since the movie is coming out in the first half of 2026, Nintendo doesn’t have a lot of time to hype audiences for the sequel. However, the company might have just sneakily released its first teaser.

Right now, we don’t know much about the sequel’s story. All we know is that most of the main cast is coming back to reprise their roles, including Jack Black as Bowser. However, we still haven’t seen hints of a new character critical to the Galaxy series: Rosalina.

Today, Nintendo posted a mysterious video, titled Close to You, on its social platforms. The four-minute animated video shows an unnamed baby playing in their room. Suddenly, their pacifier starts floating away. The baby tries to get it back, but it floats to a mobile high up above the baby’s crib. The baby then presumably takes their first steps and falls before their mom catches them. Then, the video ends abruptly without so much as a title card.

Though the video is a mystery, there’s a high chance that the baby is Rosalina, Super Mario Galaxy’s space princess. The baby, who is also blonde, is coincidentally wearing the same colors as Rosalina. For a short time, they’re also holding what looks like a wand. Could this be a baby Rosalina?

Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait for Nintendo to confirm the baby’s identity… or even what this video is about. If it is a teaser for the movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie premieres on April 3, 2026.

SEE ALSO: I played Mario Kart World and it was a full-throttle race to the finish

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Entertainment

I took the vivo V60 to Han So Hee’s fanmeet

Fan energy, camera tested

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vivo V60 Han So Hee
Photos shot on the vivo V60

It’s not every day you get to see Han So Hee in person. On September 13, I found myself at her Manila fan meeting. This was my first time at a fan meet, and the energy was noticeably different from the K-Pop girl group concerts I frequent—softer, more intimate, but just as filled with devotion.

Han So Hee was visibly tired, but that almost made the night more moving. You could see her push through with genuine effort to show appreciation for her fans. At one point, she even stepped off the stage to take a selfie with a fan who had shared a deeply personal story. I wasn’t fast enough to capture it, but the moment spoke volumes.

This isn’t the aforementioned moment. Close enough, though.

The fanmeet

The program had playful bits too. A highlight was when she was asked to copy poses from fan art. It was a treat both for the fans and for my camera—visually sharp, fun to shoot, and perfectly suited for social feeds.

Somewhere in between, she also revealed a small but telling personal preference: she’s a binge-watcher. She wants to know how a story ends, so she’d rather power through a series than wait week after week.

So Hee thinking about her answer during the quiz session where we learned she’s a binge-watcher.

And then there was the hi-touch session. I wasn’t sure how I’d react until it was my turn. I walked up, scrunched my nose at her, and she did the same back. 

It wasn’t a hi-five, it was a firmware upgrade for my soul.

We weren’t allowed to take photos or videos during hi-touch so this is So Hee with a cute pouty face instead.

The funny thing is, before the event, a friend had asked me which of her dramas they should watch. Without hesitation, I rattled off a list—My Name and Soundtrack #1 topping my recommendations. That’s when I realized I wasn’t just there to test a device. Somewhere along the way, I’d actually become a fan.

vivo V60

Still, I did bring along the vivo V60. Seated further from the stage, it became the perfect challenge for the phone’s telephoto camera and Stage Mode. I was a bit disappointed to learn that Stage Mode only worked for photos this time around. I’d had such a good time using it for fancams on the vivo X200 Pro that it felt like a step back.

Even so, the V60 held up. Shots within a reasonable range looked clean, and those where I didn’t push the zoom too hard were the best. Once you go beyond 10x, things get dicey.

At that point, it’s less ‘zoom’ and more ‘interpretive art,’ but Han So Hee’s face card refused to fold.

But that’s also the charm—having a camera that helps you capture fleeting moments, even from a distance, made me appreciate the fan meeting differently.

That night wasn’t really about testing tech. It was about being present for a star who, despite the fatigue, showed up wholeheartedly. The V60 was just my lens into it all—a reminder that sometimes the best shots are the ones that let you relive how it felt to be there.

Here are a few more photos from the fanmeet.

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