The New Nokia Lumia 625 With Amazing 4G Speed!

Nokia Philippines invited us over to see what they had in store for the Filipinos this quarter. As you may have seen a couple of months ago, they launched the one and only Nokia Lumia 625 and the good news is it's here! Yeap you heard that right, the Nokia Lumia 625 finally landed on Philippine shores and it's here to give you and I a better alternative to clearer, crisp videos without fear or prejudice in providing a 480x800 sized 199ppi density screen. I must say it has so many things that Filipinos would really love right from the get go. I love to take home the one I was playing around with but I'm sure this will be available on all carriers in a very affordable plan. Mr. Karel Holub, the General Manager of Nokia Philippines introduced to us this 4.7 inch wonder.

The Nokia Lumia 625 is the most affordable LTE phone in their line. This isn't sold quite largely yet in the country but the promise is to have this be available for the ordinary Juan. They are pricing this quite fair at an RRP of 13,200 pesos. It's one of the most capable phones they have that will mark quality on the areas of  music, videos, imaging and even navigation. This is also going to hold a revolutionary camera engine that can also shoot pure motion HD; plus will also be capable of wireless charging that is unprecedented on other smart phones. This handset also has HERE maps pre-installed which is like augmented reality if you use it in real time. You can even see the location of your friends on it's prime time, which acts more like that dragon radar you used to see in the Dragon Ball series.

 

 We also tried them out that afternoon together with other media practitioners and it's quite surprising to note that this Window 8 powered phone only requires around 119 MB of RAM to run smoothly. If you choose an upgraded version of it via Windows Phone 8 Amber, it will run around 212 MB on a good day. Isn't that amazing? 

While other phones still use wireless G IEEE standards, this one uses BG and N plus, it can also act like a hotspot for your cheap friends who don't have a data plan LOL. Maybe in the near future, Nokia will adapt to AC standards too. Why not?

 Mike Smith, the Product Manager of Nokia Philippines says that they used to have 7,000 apps initially on the Windows Store. Today, they are now up to 175,000 and steadily increasing in useful and worthwhile apps. This is what they were gunning for in the beginning and it's such an awesome treat to see that developers have taken interest in the phones and OS that runs it.

The most important factor in choosing a phone for Filipinos by the way is "Battery Life" as their survey says. So Nokia again will step up the bat and say that this Nokia Lumia 625 has the perfect Li-Ion 2000 mAh Battery to come with it. It's going to last 552 hours of stand by time, 24 h (on 2G) or 15 h 10 min (on 3G) talk time and a whopping  90 hours of music play. I don't think the nice phones you have can match that.

For what it's worth, I'd really love to have this one soon. How about you? Don't you think it's time to have a Nokia? =)

For more information about the phone and other handsets

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Or visit their official website

http://www.nokia.com.ph

Jessy Mendiola Stars As Philippine TV's Maria Mercedes!

Jessy Mendiola has one of the most beautiful faces in the entertainment industry. I've seen her a couple of times. Her past projects all have made her who she is in ABSCBN. A gorgeous lass who's been in one or more relationships in the past, she's someone admirable, beautiful, vulnerable, feisty and now she plays someone who's got all that in one character... the iconic Maria Mercedes.

If you were born in the 90's you probably haven't seen the phenomenal Thalia who plated the role of Maria Mercedes back then. Yes, she's the same actress and singer who portrayed Marimar. It was a humongous hit and people were going crazy when some of the case members and Thalia herself went here for a few days to perform and have a concert. That's a long story, but really I can still remember the whole plot because in a nutshell... if you love Thalia in one program, you would probably love her on other ones too.

There were antagonists and love interests on that particular story, but what would it feel like if they were all portrayed by Filipinos? Would it have impact? Would it even match the former show's performance? We wouldn't know. But just by looking at Nikki Gil, Jake Cuenca, Jason Abalos and her... the combination is just frightening. In a good way that is.

They were a little bit nervous when they sat down as they've probably not been able to experience a blog conference (aside from veteran Jake Cuenca of course!). But they've pretty much gotten the hang of it after a while. Jessy is going to play it big this time since she's in the starring role. She definitely has the body for it to begin with. Plus, have you guys heard her sing? Watch this!

As you may have seen, she's hot! She also talked to Thalia and she even gave her blessing to play this role. She's got a past that anyone would probably despise. She's not well off, she works hard everyday to make a living. Then these guys suddenly fall in love with her. Reel or real life with Jake Cuenca too perhaps? Well, for the record... he did categorically admit courting Jessy Mendiola. Who knows what will happen as they will come even MORE close while shooting this series.

And here's a part of the blog con where they also sang the Maria Mercedes song, this one's hilarious!

I really love the short answers of Nikki Gil in playing this part. She says she's so happy that she won't be playing a poor antagonist because this time she'll be wearing expensive clothes and stay in air conditioned rooms most of the time. She's not afraid of people hating her, she laments Pinoys are really smart viewers already and they can decipher real from reel. When asked about Billy Crawford, she thanked everyone because of giving her the time and space she needed to recover. It was hard but she assures her fans that she has definitely moved on already.

Jason Abalos is already happy and still in love. Although he's with someone non showbiz, he won't trade it with anything else in this world. I know that might have broken some hearts in the process but ladies, he's already taken.

For what it's worth, this project is definitely something to watch out for. Let's all take time out from our busy day and take a moment to see if Jessy portrays Maria Mercedes like what she was in the Spanish telenovela. Let's also see how they would make this a more Filipino version and what changes they have to make to get you hooked on ABSCBN. Congratulations to the cast, crew and to the Director! I hope your show racks up ratings as what ABS CBN can only deliver!

It will be shown soon so mark that on your calendars. You'll see more clips to love her on the Kapamilya network on when this will happen. Make sure you do!

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Abs-Cbn

Feel Ultra Luxurious at Sofitel Manila's Le Spa

To continue my epic Sofitel Manila stay, I decided to put the piece de resistance of my stay in a separate article, because I feel it truly deserves it. I'm sure you'll love this in so many ways. Just the mention of Le Spa probably tipped you off, so let's go with that first. 

Now most of my closest friends know that I NEVER go to spas, nor do I actually do massages because I feel violated LOL. Funny as that may seem, I really am not comfortable with it other than my Dad massaging me when I don't feel well. Le Spa had me really going because just as I arrive at their facility inside Sofitel Manila, the mood was calm, collected and inviting. It was like I was in a Zen garden without the fancy shmancy rocks and sand. It had a more French vibe to it, yet presents a more Filipino approach to massage. I'm no expert in the massage department but I know they've got pretty good taste. Let's take a look at their facility shall we?

Upon arrival, they let us choose our treatment and the corresponding massages that would go well with that. They have a list of things that could better understand your current state, and some information that would help them understand how to make this experience in Le Spa memorable for you. They check on your health and see how you declare how well you've been before this massage happens. 

Le Spa also caters to your senses as they let you choose what particular song would appeal to you. They've got a wide array of music and it's all good. I chose the New Age tunes which my Mom had no clue about. She's also with me during this stay by the way because I felt she deserved to get away from our stressful house every once in a while. Ha!

Le Spa has this gorgeous place to wait on. Their taste in interiors say a lot about them. Soft comfy lounging + zen fountains + soft lights, it was really good to set the mood. I liked the time we arrived there too because there wasn't too many people. You should definitely have this on your stay. They also had us drinking something special.

Served us Ginger Tea. It wasn't too strong, but it was hot. You get a sting in the throat because it's a little spicy. I think that's where it's effect comes into play. Singers would dig this, and so did I.. I bet I'd give those crooners on TV a real tough competitor haha!

Then we proceeded to our room.

We were asked to put on robes and towels then just ring the zen bells so the masseurs would come in. They were all skilled, I did ask for a hard massage. I walk around almost all day so when they were massaging my calves, I almost screamed/swore about how good it was. Arghhh.. they found my weak spot LOL. I felt it was the best thing to do on that part of the body at that right time. Above all else, it was really relaxing and I'd really want to go back and enjoy it for a few hours (but I knew the tub was inviting!) so I had to do that later on as well. 

They also did the facial service I missed during the launch of THÉMAÉ, and boy that had me so freshened up I almost had myself for salad =D.

The tea ingredients felt and smelled right for my face. I really felt a difference right afterwards. My pores were smaller, I felt cleaner, and it was smoother than the last time I checked my skin that day. So this is how it feels on my skin, I'd really want another round of that treatment soon. THÉMAÉ just did its job, and it was awesome! The tub was also in the room!

You can probably rinse out after your massage, or settle for a hot bubbly bath right after.

Here are their other services/signature massages over at Le Spa

Original Beauty Facial by Themae (1 hour 30 minutes)
Hilot Secret (1 hour 30 minutes)
WORLD'S BEST: After Shopping Massage (1 hour)
Hotstone Rolling (1 hour 30 minutes)
Marrakech Sweetness (1 hour)
Slimming Ceremony (1 hour 30 minutes)

Siam Energy (1 hour)

Sofitel Le Spa was really one thing that I should have done the last time I went to Sofitel Manila, I'm glad I was able to do it now. It's the first time I was able to get a massage from strangers, but their people let me feel I was at home. They made me feel like royalty. I had reservations in the beginning but now, I'd wish to do this everyday. It can be addicting, the good kind of addiction that is. It's one way of truly rewarding yourself after years of working hard for the money. I must say, it's worth every penny!

To book one of their Rooms, Signature Massages or THÉMAÉ Facials please do go to http://www.sofitelmanila.com, they've got everything there! Check out why they've been hailed as one the world’s 50 best spas by Luxury Travel and Style Mag, plus take a shot of the Jardin D’Eden room which is highly recommended if you want a more high end-intimate experience!

For more information

Please visit their official website

http://www.sofitelmanila.com

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Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila