Lazada just had a blast with its 11.11 sale. This year’s sale sets new records for the online store company, with over 11 million deals from local and international brands sold to customers in the Philippines.

Lazada tallied one million sold items within the first hour of the 11.11 sale. One million users also shopped for various items on the website. By the end of the sale event, Lazada shoppers spent a total of 205 million minutes shopping on Lazada. That’s equivalent to watching a marathon of harry Potter for 187,000 times. Filipinos also proved to be shopping-savvy, collecting up to PhP 170 million worth of vouchers during the sale. One person’s shopping cart even amounted to a whopping PhP 1.2 million.

Bigger league of millionaire sellers

Dealers and sellers also set a record for increasing the membership of Lazada’s millionaire-seller league. The league, where sellers past a million peso sale mark earn membership, gained 1,140 new sellers because of the 11.11 sale.

Top brands in the 11.11 sale include Xiaomi for mobile category; CooCaa for home appliance; Pampers for mother’s care; Hydro Flask for general merchandise; Maybelline for health and beauty; and American Tourister for fashion.

This year’s 11.11 sale proves that e-commerce is booming the country. Globally, e-commerce is growing steadily, with China’s Singles’ Day event this year crossing the US$ 38 billion mark for total sales.

When will Trump’s obsession with Huawei end? For more than two years, the US government has wandered into an on-and-off relationship with Chinese companies, especially Huawei and ZTE. Currently, the Chinese corporate world is suffering a massive ban on American soil.

Huawei, the ban’s main target, operates purely through a temporary extension granted by the US government. Unfortunately, the license runs out in a few days on November 18, US time. Even then, the current one is already the second extension since May’s definitive ban. In fact, the government already talked about ceasing the extensions altogether.

However, if their previous “promises” are anything to go by, even this particular promise was made on shaky ground. First reported by Politico, the government is expected to extend Huawei’s extension a third time. Unlike the previous 90-day extensions, however, the upcoming one will extend the company’s license by six months.

Though surprising, a third extension likely stems from the government’s recent headway with a more permanent deal. As such, the Trump administration will gain much more by keeping Huawei as a bargaining chip during the deal’s negotiations.

Still, this is getting tedious. For months, both the US and China have been in a relentless tug-of-war for Huawei’s right to operate. However, despite all the news, the issue hasn’t seen a definitive conclusion. Huawei is still in the same mire that it’s been in since May. Who knows when it will end?

SEE ALSO: Taiwan suspends sale of three Huawei phones

The holiday season is here!

If you’re still struggling in coming up with a gift idea, Team Instax might have just curated one for you. Fujifilm partnered with Craft Easy to create the instax Mini 9 Craft Kit.

The craft kit comes with a unique, retro tin box that comes in five colors — each with an accompanying message and particular design. Inside you get a Mini 9 camera, a pack of film, as well as crafting materials including wooden clips, washi tapes, and a set of fun stickers. This special bundle could be a great gift for only PhP 4,499 (US$ 89).

instax Mini 9

The instax Mini 9 is an instant camera that lets you take better selfies that you can print thanks to the built-in selfie mirror placed next to its lens. There’s also a close-up lens attachment if you want to photograph your subjects closer. Lighting can easily be adjusted, too, with its brightness adjustment dial. To operate the camera, you only need two AA size alkaline batteries. Happiness is just one click away!

The Mini 9 is available in Flamingo Pink, Ice Blue, Lime Green, Cobalt Blue, and Smoky White. The camera retails for PhP 3,999. It’s available at Fujifilm authorized dealers nationwide.