Disney Infinity - Marvel Super Heroes 2.0 Edition Launch

Mike Schneider Senior Producer Disney Interactive

I've been playing consoles since I was a kid. I journeyed far and beyond Manila to get a decent challenger in some of the games I play and have championed some of them. I got pretty rusty already because the usual games I played became outdated in a couple of years and it was pretty hard to learn new ones later on. I still have a my Playstation addiction and can play a mean round or two of any game of your choosing. I can easily adapt because I am a gamer no matter how new these console goes out in public.

/*Image from Disney.com and not mine.

One of the innovations on these consoles that got my attention lately is this game in particular called Disney Infinity. I haven't played the game yet but when we got to the launch a few days ago, they were already releasing the second edition. Think of multi-player, then use characters from Disney and Pixar. Think of the game play that would come out in their various skills and superpowers done in spectacularly designed environments made by professional ones or community members who even give their designs away for free via Toy Box. You can just imagine the possibilities. The recently launched one includes The Disney Infinity Marvel Super Heroes Starter Pack version 2.0 includes the game software, the Disney 2.0 Base, The Avengers 3 piece character set (Iron Man, Black Widow and Thor), two toy box game discs, your own game web code card and Toy Box 2.0 software too. They also released Spiderman and Guardians of the Galaxy play sets so you can mix them up if the game allows it. You would need to play specific quests in order to make that available in the game. 

In the Disney Infinity Marvel Super Heroes 2.0 Edition, they are bringing more fresh content and story lines. They also believe that they'll be impressed with how these new characters would be involved inside the story doing flying, web swinging, crawling, smashing a lot more. The Toy Box 2.0 was also improved by a mile making it easier and efficient in making random or designed pieces wherever and whenever they are in the country. Characters can also be updgraded in skill so don't fret if you're going to need the playset 2.0 to mix with first edition ones. They'll be mixing and matching them as long as you do the special quests in the game. The all natural games  will surely make adventure lovers love it even more when it arrives on your doorstep. Last year's event got us excited over the developments coming to the version 1.0, now that they've got 2.0 and pretty impressive characters in the story. 

Gameplay is nice. I played an hour or so on my first try. I loved how free the environment was because you can fly, you can change characters by placing a different one on the Disney Infinity pad. You can also use the game discs to boost the powers of your characters as if it wasn't powerful enough. The graphics, it has more to improve but I think the thing to consider is that it's made cartoon-ish so don't expect life like characters. They also needed to make them equate with the other characters from other shows and that is a bit complicated. You also need to do special quests in order to use the other characters. Aside from that, skill upgrades are available while inside the game so your superpowers improve as you get further in the story. I like the modes where you can also ride a motorbike and roam around the city that way or be in versus mode to battle for the best time.

What I like is the fact that it is now here in the Philippines. In the past we always had to import things like these just to get it. It's presence along may spur gaming trends because it's not like the oridnary consoles we had these past few years. It's a new technology, it's got a Toy Box and a lot of gaming opportunities. I wish I had compatible consoles but it's a good thing you can play this on the PC by downloading off their website. Register now and make your own Disney Infinity a reality!

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Moonshine Bar in Jupiter Street Makati

Tucked away in Jupiter street in Makati is this quaint little oasis full of gourmet cocktails and hearty comfort food. It's perfect for the yuppie crowd or just anybody from the area. After a hard days work, all you need is a cold drink and really good food to make your stress go away. It was raining a bit when I arrived and it felt perfect to be there even if I didn't know a lot of people from this place - it's got a lot to do because the bar is conducive for talk. So when you're there, stay nice and wear a smile and grab one or more Mason jar cocktails; and enjoy letting lose every once in a while.

Moonshine Bar is the child project of college friends (TITAN Restaurant Group) Chef Jehrad Dolino, Chef Rain Barbers, Renz Mediarito, Chef Jared Sto. Tomas, and Gian Mathay (who's based in Cebu). They were the naughty and notorious bunch in college, they were the ones that were more known for getting drunk before, while and after class. They were kind of frustrated seeing some businessmen that didn't even have culinary background, but have built pretty great restaurants. They knew they could do it, maybe even better. In the beginning. they didn't get to storm ideas that well because everyone wanted to trump each other - not surprised since they're all alpha males. They got together and butted heads one day, 3 off of 5 agreed with a more "Speakeasy" concept. It's a retro 1920's vibe, wherein movies, are usually seen where gangsters hang out.

The Interiors

Yes, the concept's quite great. I love the few unique pieces they have on the lot like this light fixture on top of the table we dined in.

It's made of exposed light bulbs, glass jars and wrought iron whilst the tables were a mix of wood, upholstery with leather and a couple of  bunk chairs. 

Seating can probably go around 50-70 people including the ones outside the porch. Just like you I can't take away my eyes off the mirrors and brick walls. It's not too fancy shmancy and they've got a great bar whipping up some great cocktails and drinks this side of town.

The lighting is perfectly set for that "secretive" kinda place that "no one knows" feel they were going for. There's not much people around this area which would be perfect for the intimate gatherings you might want to have with friends, officemates and even family. There's a slight drawback on the brick walls though because once that other tables become a bit rowdy, you'll hear them quite much. Since you probably go here for fun, you wouldn't really notice it and might actually think they're you're friends too.

 We went there on California Wine Night so there were a ton or two of our foreign friends from Europe, US and Asia having fun with the multitude of wines they have inside the store. Still, nothing fancy but more relaxed.

It's very near the Buendia MRT station, I literally walked from there. It's in front of the Car shop and about 5 buildings away from the street corner beside a little known Persian restaurant if my memory serves me right. Ladies, you are STRONGLY encouraged to go to this place not just for the drinks but the hearty food choices they have that you'll see in a bit. I didn't even know I'd meet really good people in this joint but I did so if you're alone, don't despair, you can meet people here. The place is tops for those who don't want ultra commercial places that charge an arm and a leg on drinks and chow, which gets us into our next piece. 

Saving Can Start Early with Electrolux Appliances

Good morning guys! Today we're bringing you the Electrolux Save and Share Blog Series which is part of the Electrolux Delightful-E campaign which aims to help you save money and precious time by making everyday tasks simple and easy. Remember about my article here for saving just by washing clothes? Today, we get to ask Electrolux brand ambassadors about creative and effective ways to save household expenses, to ultimately share blessings to other people who enjoy their Electrolux appliances. In this one, we get to talk to my favorite Chef in the world, Chef Bruce Lim and Mommy Mundo's Janice Villanueva about how they battle day to day's quirks.

At home, just like you... we often think of ways on how to get bills taken cared of. Utilities comprise a big part of the budget and if you get to efficiently use it while lowering costs, you end up using the money you save on more important things. My water bill is crazy, so is electricity. I always end up complaining when I see the numbers at the end of the month when I should have done the deed while we were in the middle of everything. We asked Chef Bruce and Ms. Janice some simple questions to see how they do it and what they do to not have bill shock especially on regular things like utilities. They gave their two cents about how they do it in their homes, you can do this too. Listen up!

Hi Chef Bruce and Ms. Janice! What do you do to ensure that utility bills (especially electricity and water) do not spike up?

Chef Bruce says "I have a family of boys who get dirty a lot and they can change clothes up to 4 times a day. So I have to make sure that my appliances is energy saving like my Electrolux washing machine it has energy saving features that I love! My air conditioners are all Electrolux inverters that also help me save on the energy bill!".

Ms. Janice on the other hand says "My household consists of 8 persons- 5 family members and 3 household staff and keeping utility costs down all boils down to education. For my husband and I, the homeowners, choosing energy efficient appliances, using the right settings for specific situations, and knowing how to use appliances properly are the key. Trickling this down this knowledge to the household helpers and kids is also important. To give an example with the use of airconditioners: 

1) Buy an energy efficient aircon by checking the EE rating, make sure you buy an aircon with capacity that matches the size of the room. 

2) For the helpers, teach them how to keep the aircon filters clean, and how to turn the aircon on and off and set proper thermostat setting. 

3) For the kids, teach them that airconditioners consume a lot of electricity so every hour you save from aircon use can be a big deal. Tell them for example that turning on the aircon at 7pm instead of 6pm everyday, will save you a lot when you multiply each day by 30 days in a month.

Teaching kids is also based on age appropriateness- like for teens, you can teach them to use the timer already. For school age, teach them how to turn and set the thermostat knob to keep aircon energy efficient. For younger kids, teach them to use the fan when it’s possible and the aircon only when really really needed already. When talking benefits, you can even say that cost of that extra hour of aircon use amounts to the price of their favorite toy. Speaking in kids’ terms helps them understand better and allows them to be more involved."

I see Chef Bruce, I too believe in technologies such as inverters would really make energy monster appliances like airconditioners to be efficient. Imagine how much you would be able to get if you use them almost everyday. Inverters make aircon compressors only work when you have already achieved the specific comfort and coldness. It can get you at least 30-50% cheaper on the regular bill because it consumes less power. Even if it costs more, you get some kind of return in investment because of the savings you get from it. Pretty neat stuff. 

Ms. Janice also made some points on the value of teaching kids how much they spend on electricity. Some simple things and adjusting specific times on when to turn appliances ON and OFF or when needed is key. I delved more on on that part on my second question.

Since you are both parents, do you find it important to share the value of savings to your kids? If yes, how do you do it? At what age is it best to start introducing the value of money and saving? Any tips on how other parents can creatively do this to their kids?

Chef Bruce says "Yes, as early as you can. I always explain to my boys about the value of a buck. I teach them about not wasting food and how to make use of the leftovers. Like a roast chicken will be dinner then breakfast will be a chicken sandwich and snack time will be chicken noodle soup.

My family and I all have reusable water bottles, we stay in one room when its play time so we use just one air conditioner. Piggy banks are the way to go as well. So all the change I have in my pockets goes into a family piggy bank. Then when its full I we change it in the bank and I show them how much we saved. Then it becomes a play day with daddy!"

Ms. Janice adds "Like in anything, early education is important. Making saving a habit and instilling this in our kids early is the first step towards their financial wellness. The most basic is to open a bank account for them. If they are of age, involve them in this process. Bring them to the bank with you, show them how you fill up the form and deposit slip, give their money to the bank teller and show them their passbook. Money gifts from birthdays and Christmas make good seed money for their first junior savings account. Show them how their money earns interest every month. Then every time they get money gifts or their weekly allowance, provide them with healthy reminders and prompts to make them decide to keep the money in the bank than to spend it.

Besides this, you can also have concrete activities to provide a bit more “instant gratification” and let them reap rewards of saving money. When my kids want a new toy and we will not buy it for them because there is no special occasion, they will save up for the toy and earn money by saving their allowance in school, doing chores at home (we have a rate card for different chores), make crafts to sell to their lolas, uncles and aunts and our family friends and even at some of the mini markets/ bazaars that I organize. They also sometimes work at our kid-friendly events as staff and earn an allowance which they also put in their savings fund."

You get it fresh from these people who live pretty successful lives. It does matter when you've got your family involved in using appliances efficiently and have savings off of it whether you are an advocate of using electricity and water like they do. I learned quite a lot just by asking them a couple of questions and got answers just like what experts do. They want you to have the same things they enjoy while hoping you'll live life to the fullest at your homes. It's easy if you get to know how to integrate key Electrolux appliances too. To know more, please follow @ElectroluxPH on Twitter and Instagram. Or like their channels below. You can start early, trust me it's easy!

  

For more information about their products:

Electrolux Philippines

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http://www.electrolux.com

Smart Ways to Stream on Blink Without Credit Cards

I've used this app several times to watch live TV and several NBA games as it's pretty handy on my iPhone and Android devices. The Blink App which is available in the Apple Store and Google Play is the best local video on demand streaming service in the country. Add to that the site www.blink-now.com and a gigantic array of Hollywood movies, TV series and live cable channels, this is just something you can't live without if you're indulgent in watching shows. The problem though lies in paying for it, but I think this news might be just the answer to your questions.

The country's biggest network Smart Communications has just recently partnered with Solar Entertainment so that you would be able to  access their services even without the need for credit cards. How? That's easy. Grab your smartphones and Text the keyword BLINK 60 for catalog movies, BLINK 90 for new movie releases and BLINK 250 so you can have unlimited access to all TV series to 3161 for Smart and TalkNText or 2354 for Sun. After texting, you'll receive a confirmation for the purchase and the ePIN which you can use as a promo code. Proceed to the www.blink-now.com website or your Blink-Now App and watch your favorite shows wherever, whenever. This means, you don't need a credit card to purchase it and just get access paying with your prepaid load or postpaid bill instantly. Convenient, I know. The deal is, can you see the possibilities now that you can do it on these channels?! Exactly.

If you are in EDSA and stuck in traffic, or chilling at home while it's raining, even when there's no electricity... you can only think of one thing if you want streaming right. Go make yourself useful and make your smartphone your window to the world. It's this easy because it's Smart! Check out their BLINK offers here!

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Smart Communications

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http://smart.com.ph/