Enterprise
XTREME to launch new appliances and open more stores
Also plans to open 20 stores by end of 2020
XTREME — a Philippine home appliance brand — is going big this year. For 2020, the brand is expanding its portfolio of appliances. To mark the expansion, the brand also aims to open 20 more stores nationwide before the year ends.
Aggressive expansion plans
With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, most businesses are slowing down with their plans to expand. However, that is not the case for XTREME. The brand has been aggressively marketing its appliances through a series of promos on Lazada and Shopee.
Now, the brand is planning to expand even further by opening new stores nationwide. By the end of 2020, 20 concept stores will serve more buyers looking for affordable appliances. That is a huge jump from today’s five stores nationwide. However, it doesn’t stop there. The brand is actually targeting to open 50 to 60 stores by the end of Q1 2021.
With store expansion comes brand-new products from the brand. These new products will solidify the brand’s lineup of affordable home appliances. These include Android TVs, tower fans, baking ovens, rangehood, dishwashers, air fryers, pressure cookers, and air coolers. Some of XTREME’s product lineup has also received meaningful updates.
Appliances for everyone
XTREME really has a wide range of appliances for every Filipino buyer. The brand has managed to build on their products by selling them at affordable prices. Their product portfolio ranges from LED TVs to speakers, air conditioners, refrigerators, gas ranges, microwave ovens, multi-cookers, and electric fans.
All these appliances are available on all XTREME concept stores nationwide. For those who prefer to shop online, the brand has a Lazada and Shopee store as well. All product information is easily accessible from their website, so buyers have a clear idea of what they’re buying.
Enterprise
The future inside your next hotel, cafe, or classroom visit
Samsung’s connected ecosystem is transforming the way businesses shape our everyday life.
I walked into Samsung’s newly opened Business Experience Studio in Manila expecting a typical corporate showcase. Instead, it felt like I had stepped into the near future of everyday living.
The lights shifted on their own, and the screens responded instantly. It was a glimpse of how businesses are about to transform the places we move through every day.
This was Samsung Electronics Philippines bringing its SmartThings Home and business ecosystem together in one space.
The experience reimagined hospitality, retail, education, and even high-compliance industries in a way that felt seamless, and surprisingly personal.
Because while all of this is built for businesses, the end result is something every customer will feel the next time they check into a hotel, grab a quick meal, or walk into a store.
Hospitality that meets you before you even reach your room
The hospitality zone felt like an intelligent concierge waiting to anticipate needs.
Hotels can now use Samsung’s connected systems to simplify check-ins and lessen the long lines that usually greet you after a long trip.
The moment you enter your room, SmartThings pulls everything together through one interface. Lighting, temperature, entertainment, and even comfort features feel like they were set up by someone who knows you.
The rooms use Samsung’s hospitality TVs paired with immersive audio and smart cooling systems like the One-Way Cassette and WindFree Air Conditioners.
It creates an environment that stays comfortable even when the outside weather behaves unpredictably.
The entire room behaves as one connected space that adjusts naturally. This means hotel stays will start to feel more restorative and less like a checklist of things you need to adjust manually.
A faster and smoother retail experience
The retail and quick-service restaurant zone delivered the biggest shift for anyone who has ever stood in a long queue.
Samsung Kiosks showed how ordering meals can feel smoother and less prone to errors, especially during peak hours when service teams get overloaded.
Payments, orders, and confirmations happen in one place, and customers move faster without losing accuracy.
Digital displays placed inside and outside the store captured attention the way a good storefront should.
Retailers can change menus, promos, and visuals instantly through VXT CMS. It means the next time you pass by your favorite cafe, the signage that lures you in may have been updated seconds earlier.
Classrooms that feel more collaborative
The education zone felt less like a lecture hall and more like an open studio.
Samsung tablets, Flip Pro digital boards, and Samsung TVs created a learning environment where students and teachers could move, annotate, mirror, and collaborate with ease.
Galaxy tablets running Samsung DeX turned into mini workstations. AI-powered productivity tools made it easier to consolidate notes, manage tasks, and keep everyone in sync.
It was a showcase of how future classrooms will focus on how people use technology together rather than simply placing gadgets on desks.
Technology for industries that work in demanding conditions
The final zone highlighted rugged devices like the Galaxy XCover7 and Galaxy Tab Active5.
These were not built for air-conditioned offices. They were created for industries that operate in unpredictable environments.
The devices are tough enough to handle drops, vibration, and harsh conditions while maintaining connectivity and real-time communication. It means that frontline teams can move confidently without worrying about equipment failures.
Samsung Knox added a layer of security designed for industries where data protection is non-negotiable.
Administrators can manage an entire device fleet remotely and lock and wipe compromised units instantly. They can track locations securely, and broadcast urgent messages to teams on the ground.
Combined with SmartThings Pro, it creates an ecosystem where businesses can monitor, automate, and safeguard operations without slowing down.
The intelligence that ties it all together
As I moved through each zone, the common thread was this idea of an intelligent system supporting our daily life.
Samsung’s Business Experience Studio showed how AI and connected devices can help businesses work smarter while giving customers smoother, more delightful experiences.
The future might not look like flying cars and neon skylines. It may look more like hotel rooms that prepare themselves before you reach them.
Or cafes that take your order without delay, classrooms that adapt to how students learn best, and workplaces that stay productive even in challenging environments.
If this showcase is any indication, that future is already waiting the next time you step into your favorite hotel or store.
Enterprise
Netflix officially announces bid to acquire HBO, Warner Bros.
The deal might get inked by late next year, at the earliest.
As of late, Warner Bros. became the hottest property in the world of entertainment. Despite efforts to revitalize the brand among audiences, Warner Bros. Discover, as the bigger company is known, has decided to put itself up for sale. Of course, there were a lot of potential contenders. Last month, rumors swirled that Netflix might end up becoming the library’s main suitor. Now, it’s official: Netflix is set to acquire Warner Bros for around US$ 82.7 billion.
The history of Warner Bros. in the modern era represents one of the biggest mergers in history. In previous years, the company merged with several notable properties including HBO, DC, Discovery, TNT, and Cartoon Network. It was, and is, a conglomeration of gigantic proportions. However, recent failures have prompted the company to pull the plug.
As noted above, Netflix toyed around with the idea of buying the property for itself. Now, the deal is nice and printed, ready for approval.
Notably, it hasn’t been approved just yet. The likeliest window for the deal to get approved, if it gets approved, is after the third quarter of 2026, which is when Warner Bros. Discover will break off into two separate entities. In the meantime, other suitors and the government itself might put up some opposition to the huge merger.
Should it push through, most of the library will enter Netflix. The few who don’t follow will likely go with Discovery, which isn’t part of the deal. Additionally, HBO Max might end up getting shelved and folded into Netflix.
SEE ALSO: Netflix might acquire HBO Max
Enterprise
Mutant launches 2026 playbook to guide brands on earning credibility
The new ‘Make It Make Sense’ report reveals how Southeast Asian brands can build credibility in small, authentic spaces.
Mutant has launched its 2026 regional playbook, Make It Make Sense, a guide designed to help PR, content, social, brand, and influence teams strengthen credibility in a rapidly shifting communications environment across Southeast Asia.
The report outlines the growing challenge for brands operating in the Philippines, where the competition has shifted from gaining attention to earning trust.
Mutant notes that national conversations are increasingly shaped by micro-communities on TikTok, Facebook Groups, and private messaging platforms.
These smaller spaces have become central to building belief, as Filipino audiences grow more selective about which voices they consider authentic.
This trend reflects broader behavioural shifts across the region. With algorithms driving how information spreads, awareness has become easy to achieve, while credibility has become more difficult to secure.
Mutant’s 2026 playbook explores how brands can stay relevant and culturally grounded while navigating fragmented digital ecosystems.
The guide breaks down several key areas: the rise of believability as a competitive advantage; approaches to managing algorithm-driven social platforms; the growing importance of cultural fluency in PR; the need for clarity and consistency in content strategy; the influence of authentic micro-communities; and how brands can balance regional ambitions with local insights.
For companies in the Philippines, Mutant emphasizes that long-term brand strength will come from credibility built through culture, communities, and everyday behaviour rather than through visibility alone.
The full Make It Make Sense playbook is available for download on Mutant’s website. Media inquiries, interview requests, and expert commentary are available through [email protected].
-
Reviews1 week agoPOCO F8 Pro review: Lightweight, heavy hitter
-
Reviews1 week agovivo X300 review: The point-and-shoot I’ll always carry
-
News1 week agoPOCO F8 Series: Price, availability in PH
-
Reviews1 week agoPOCO Pad X1 review: A tablet that keeps up with your day
-
Reviews7 days agovivo X300 Pro review: Going the X-tra Mile
-
Drones2 weeks agoDJI Neo 2 review: Fly without fear
-
Reviews1 week agoPOCO F8 Ultra review: An Achievable aspirational all-rounder
-
Accessories2 weeks ago2025 Black Friday Sale Gift Guide









