Mario Maurer and Baifern Pimchanok for Penshoppe Fancon 2013

It was awesome awesome awesome! I couldn't be so happy to see them in the flesh! We were there to cover Mario Maurer and Baifern Pimchanok's Fan Conference at the SM Mall of Asia. As you know we've been able to do this these past few years, and if Penshoppe throws an event like this, it's just massive! With Thai Superstar Mario Maurer and the gorgeous Biafern Pimchanok in the Philippines, you're sure to witness something good for the senses... I love these two!

But before that, the fans were treated to trivia games

These guys were so serious too because the prize alone was too good to be true, they were given personally autographed tees from Mario and Baifern. That was really sweet!

 Then they came in, and everyone went wild!

 I don't know where they get their skin but these guys look so flawless! Baifern looks like a smaller, thinner and prettier version of Jinri Park whilst Mario Maurer looks better in real life than in photos. He looks thin in my shots but he was quite a well built guy when we saw him there!

Cute as a button, Baifern and Mario took time to say hi to fans at the SM MOA Atrium. It was jam packed and even the higher floors were full of around 3-4 layers of people. It was epic!

MORE PHOTOS HERE!

Nuvali's Greenstallations!

This weekend was a little adventurous as we chose to head down south to experience Nuvali once again. I've been indulging in art since my Cebu trip and this one's quite the same. It's not just pieces though because we're talking about world class artists on this one.

Manila's art scene was in attendance

We were also provided with this ensemble of tribal music. I must say when they picked up the nose flute we were all in a trance!

We were so honored to be in the presence of 4 great artists namely Mr. Mario Mallari Jr. (a scrap metal - eco artist), Architect Juan Carlo Calma (internationally acclaimed Architect/Interior Designer/Visual Artist) , 1996 TOYM Awardee Michael Cacnio (known for his intricate themed brass sculptures), and Eduardo Castrillo whose works include the several huge monuments in Ayala plus the People Power Monument along EDSA. I specifically like the words of Eduardo Castrillo when he talked about how this project came about when they approached him to make the sculpture. He didn't believe in competitions because it inhibits the creativity of artists so this was something of a good thing for him, more so the green responsibilities and theme that came with it. The other artists were really just elated that they get to be in the midst of people in this caliber. They have probably seen their work too.

Then they started to unveil the pieces they made for NUVALI, they call it GREENSTALLATIONS!

A toast from executives of Ayala Land, Ayala Museum, Nuvali and the artists themselves made this official. We also went to each sculpture, and got a few photos of these huge pieces. All works from the masters!

Now more than ever NUVALI will be doing something great not just with the environment but with CULTURE itself with these iconic sculptures.The majestic space will not only benefit the residents, the community and people in NUVALI but will make Filipino art known to the country, and soon the world! Each piece depicting an artist's interpretation of evoliving, something that even other countries have taken notice. It was even featured on CNN a few months ago.

World class NUVALI now has world class artwork on the grounds of their 1,860 hectare property in Laguna. It will be nurturing generations to come. From Sports, Business, Nature and Culture, they've got it covered. Congratulations to the artists, Nuvali for getting this world class artwork for Filipinos and non Filipinos around the world to enjoy!

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http://www.nuvali.ph/

Nokia Philippines Launches The New Nokia Lumia 925!

We were invited to a posh afternoon of all things Nokia last week at Salon De Ning in The Peninsula Manila. Manila's tech bloggers and media were excited because it's the launch of one of the most awesome handsets ever produced by the Finnish company called the Nokia Lumia 925.

Executives from Nokia Philippines, Microsoft Philippines and Smart Communications were there also to witness the unfolding of this newest piece of hardware from Nokia which boasts stern support for all 2G, 3G and 4G networks, 16 Million colors via its AMOLED capacitive touch screen and a tough Corning Gorilla Glass 2 exterior. It's only 4.9 ounces with dimensions set at 5.08 x 2.78 x 0.33 inches. It feels so comfortable in the hand when held up. It's got Wi-Fi support for standard 802.11 a/b/g/n networks so if you are on an access point that supports old networks, you can still connect with that (more like backward compatible).

The primary camera is 8 MP which also has the propreitary 3264 x 2448 pixel Carl Zeiss optics. The camera also has features like optical image stabilization, autofocus, dual-LED flash on the back and even has photo interface where you can edit the image onto different ones/modes not found in other brands. They painstakingly made sure they have the right kind of software to support their images which is a plus on my books. 

Nokia Lumia 925 also uses PureView technology which delivers outstanding photos in the goal of almost having it look life like. It's also got geo-tagging so you know where you took the photo and have that indicated on all apps that support it. A single touch on the screen takes the photos, it analyzes and shows you the best photo if taken on a series. It's also got 1080p HD video at 30fps and has video stabilization if your hands are too shaky.

It's a tad bigger than my iPhone5 and has got pre installed software from the Nokia Store which you can also mix and match according to your personality. The free apps are quite nice too and complements the handsets quite well. They have worked with these game and software developers closely so they can bring you only the best for your phones.

To test the photo capabilities of the Nokia Lumia 925, they got these two boxers cum models to do their thing. The handset can take series of shots and put them all into one photo, making you the master of your own images. +1 on that! It's images were quite good even on the very dark Salon De Ning but I haven't seen much noise on the output as we tested it out that afternoon. Game titles such as Temple Run, Toy Story Jigsaw Puzzle, Photo Funia Capsule and Amazing Alex are available so if you are into these games, go ahead and grab one of these Lumia handsets!

The handset will be available at SMART mid August so make sure you go to your nearest wireless center and ask about special plans and how to get it. It will also be released in the market around the same time so if you are looking for a smartphone with great specifications, features without breaking the bank, get the Nokia Lumia 925!

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http://www.nokia.com/ph-en/