A Workhorse that Flips: ASUS ZenBook Flip 15 UX562

A dream laptop computer, I’ve been looking for that thing since last year. The power I need in computing, video editing, word processing, making presentations, spreadsheets, plus a little gaming may require a few hardware parts of it to be in the high end of the spectrum. In this day and age it is a little scare to reach that level because sometimes, more powerful pieces in the puzzle mean you’ll have to shell out a lot. I’ve seen executive level laptop computers bore the hell out of me and it costs like a second hand car. Albeit dreamy, the price would be a nightmare and for this you just need to think about the essentials, be smart to only get the ones you need that matches your lifestyle. This is what the ASUS ZenBook Flip 15 UX562 gives.

Now I’m not the type who hard sells stuff. The dream laptop for me is what could do the job because it could take the beating of everyday operation. As soon as I took this ASUS ZenBook Flip 15 UX562 for a spin I almost gasped when the thing flipped around 360’. I know ribbons live in hinges and they’ve got hardware that made to withstand this feat for a number of times that some military standards were passed, normal drop tests with it too.

This beast uses an Intel Core i7-8565U Processor, comes up to 512GB SSD storage, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Graphics Card, with an infinity pool looking 15.6-in LED-backlit 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) glare touchscreen plus a pre installed Windows 10 OS and the handy ASUS Pen.

At this price point (around Php 99,995), it looks relatively affordable than those which would have the same specs (different brands). Aside from it being an apt workhorse, the ASUS ZenBook Flip 15 UX562 is aesthetically gorgeous, something that I wouldn’t be ashamed of taking out in a business meeting or coffee shop. It is some serious laptop goal and with how they packaged all those different parts into one unit that flips around crazy, your presentations, your office meetings might be a lot easier to go without projectors anymore. It is also the comfiest to have on a desk, your lap and perhaps any place you would want to work on. If you get adaptable hardware that works as tough as you do, wouldn’t that be a good buy?

Exactly. So if you’re looking for something that works and could withstand the wear and tear of everyday office abuse, this tough cookie named ASUS ZenBook Flip 15 UX562 might be the one investment you could do. It’s available in leading shops nationwide, not really hard to find online too.

Aicelle Santos is Back in the Philippines

We have all been missing her. It’s been a year since she had gone to UK and did Miss Saigon’s Gigi Van Tranh. She’s Aicelle Santos and she’s back in the Philippines.

Aicelle says “Doing Gigi was very personal journey for me, she taught me a lot about myself as a person and being an actor. I wasn’t in my comfort zone, being away and far from home made me think about the important things in life. It made me cherish family and friends, it made me more independent. Whenever I open a show for any musical or concert, I am really nervous, but it was so good to hear them applaud, I felt that surge of power. I am the same me but I just learned to wear a bikini, it was a holistic experience. Living alone was hard, homesickness is real, but it reminds you why you are there. I am glad to go home and do this musical show on GMA.”

About getting married she says “It felt so nice to be here, to hold hands, to walk in a mall and simply just do boyfriend and girlfriend things. The long distance relationship wasn’t really hard, one year went by so fast, the only thing weird about the distance is touch, but we waited. We also surprised each other twice. The experience doing that made me realize things, it is a blessing, I even learned a lot in my solitude.”

Aicelle will be performing in Ballet Philippines’ Tales of Manuvu, the local production showcasing the culture of the Manobo tribe in Mindanao. It is a pop rock opera ballet and will end on March 31st. She will also be part of successful show Studio 7. She will also do the role of Elsa in the Himala: Isang Musikal by Sandbox Collective and 9Works Theatrical Group. They have received several standing ovations in that project and she is very grateful to be part of it.

She adds “I want to live in the moment and embrace life. I want to thank everyone who supports me, and to the Lord who continues to guide me in this path. Here’s to creating more music and marrying the man I love!”

Aicelle would like to thank her GMA Artist Center family, her sponsors for the short luncheon Sapporo Noodles, Dentiste and Aficionado Perfumes.

Make sure you watch out for her as her star shines brighter this year!

Unity Ride Launched Against Double Plate Law

It looks like they had to resort to a show of force today and by the looks of it, they’re a couple thousand people strong. Riders from across Luzon, their leaders and even Angkas rode from EDSA People Power Monument to the Philippine Senate this morning to show their outrage against the Double Plate Law authored by Senator Richard Gordon and Vicente Sotto. This is the senate solution against the riding in tandem crime problem via RA11235. It mandates the Land Transportation Office to issue bigger reflectorized plates for two wheeled vehicles enough to be seen 12-15 meters away from the naked eye. Riders deem this anti poor, and pose a safety risk for the rider, the passenger and even other road users.

They also claim no consultation was made before or after the enactment of the law as it was signed by Duterte already last week. It makes sense because not all motorcycles are created the same way, not all models have places to put the front plates modifications done on bikes would pose more risk to accidents. Criminals simply could change plates, use fake ones to mislead authorities.

They also issued a strong joint statement.

Present at the occasion were various rider groups including Robert Perillo the President of Bulacan Motorcycle Rider Federation, Eric Lazarte Head of Philippine Advocates for Road Safety, Rod Cruz Chairman of Arangkada Riders Alliance, Felipe Rabulan Head of Bull Riders Club, Jobert Bolanos Chairman of Motorcycle Rights Organization, Christopher Cristobal Chairman of Road Guardians of the Philippines, Shaun Roberts President of KRG, Manny Capiral of Cavite Eagle Riders and ANGKAS Head of Regulatory and Public Affairs George Royeca.

They are hoping for a resolution, they have valid arguments and we all hope this becomes a start of an amicable one, not just for Angkas riders but the whole motorcycle community.

Fix Tax Woes with the TAXWHIZPH Mobile App

Bea Binene, one of GMA’s brightest stars is the new face for the TAXWHIZPH Mobile App. It is an all in one app that provides taxpayer assistance inside the app. It does automatic tax calculations, updates your tax calendars and the thing also files tax returns electronically.

Mon Abrea, author of Got A Question About Taxes books and person behind TAXWHIZPH App

Tax Whiz and expert Mon Abrea from Asian Consulting Group says “I do sincere and real content and even if my followers are a few, they are game changers, senators. We are a social enterprise ready to help the clueless or people who are given the wrong advice. This is the time where we need to work together. You just have to approach our associates and you’ll get help from them and the government agencies. When it comes to business we all want to save from taxes, through legislation we should take off renewals, just pay and make it easy to do business. Whoever you are, doing it in mobile services should suffice, looking forward I hope government agencies would help. Here, we even adapted a 4 day work week. People now have more time with family, even some work at home just as long as deliverables are met. Productivity is on top, honesty too, it includes people, it includes you. You don’t have to fear paying taxes or start something new.”

He also lauded Bea and says “Not all celebrities do that but she did it personally. It is important that people do not fear it.”

The app also captures information on receipts to extract TIN numbers, name, address, date and amounts. Your returns can be filed through it so you get seamless processing of your papers. Soon, they will also include mobile payment options so you can transact with partner banks. The app also assists you in choosing the specific form you need in order to pay the correct taxes, generate and prepare your return documents. If you also plan to put up business, they can help you decide income and business tax procedures plus Asian Consulting Group’s publications and monthly seminars. It also reminds you of deadlines so you pay the right amount of taxes when it’s time to do so.

Bea Binene says “Aside from acting, I also am into business. Mix and Brew Coffee just launched a few months ago. We have our own blend, local ones and international ones. We are armed by coffee science, our baristas are also skilled and we are in popups and soon we will be in a mall.”

She adds “I started in a franchise expo, I met him (he was a speaker) and thought he’s an expert in taxes so it was nice to see them in that place. They personally assisted us and they explained to us everything. We feel BIR is the enemy, but they explained where it goes, when and where receipts are issued. To know when it is VAT and NON VAT, to claim and encourage people to collect receipts and save a lot in taxes. Now I have peace of mind, even though I don’t have a big business yet. It is better to be safe rather than end up with cases against BIR on TV for the whole world to see. Here in ACG you will see how you can do it legally, there are resolutions to tax issues and their advocacy is real.“

Go download the app on the App Store and Google Play then subscribe to the service today. It would be but proper that you start paying for your taxes and if all you need is proper guidance, you can start with this app. It’s also completely free, all thanks to ACG and their partner government agencies Filipinos now have a place to go to when asking questions about taxes!