EMONG'S JOURNALS

Filipino food takes the center stage in New York after a US magazine described the Pinoy delicacies as "the next big thing."

Purple Yam's dish of "crispy pig's cheek, ear and snout with lime and chilies" as described by
New Yorkers is actually the Philippines' famous Sisig.

In an article titled “Blazing a Lumpia Trail: Filipino Cuisine Finds a Foothold in New York,” New York Magazine featured a list of promising Filipino restaurants in the city.

Citing how it has been recognized in the United States since last year, particularly by “Bizarre Foods” host Andrew Zimmern, the magazine agreed that Filipino food is the “next big thing.”

“It seems that New Yorkers are finally ready for Filipino food, which has long languished in the shadow of Thai, Indian, Chinese and other Asian standbys,” New York Magazine said in the article, which was also published in the Grub Street blog.

“If you have yet to acquaint yourself with the characteristically tart, sour and fermented flavor palate [of Filipino food], now’s the time,” it added.

Nine Filipino restaurants in New York were mentioned in the article: Vekslers, which combines Filipino and Spanish cuisine; Pig and Khao, which blends Filipino and Thai influences; Lumpia Shack Snackbar, which infuses Chinese elements into Filipino food; Papa’s Kitchen, which is known for its affordable Filipino dishes; Talde, which is owned by Filipino-American chef Dale Talde; Pan de Sal, a Filipino-style bakery; Maharlika, which highlights “ancestral cuisine”; Ugly Kitchen, which offers Filipino drinks and an Asian fusion menu; and Jeepney, a gastropub serving a modern take on Filipino food.

Last October, the Filipino restaurant Purple Yam in New York was chosen by the Michelin Guide as a “Bib Gourmand,” which denotes excellent and budget-friendly cuisine.

In August, popular American men’s magazine Details declared Filipino cuisine the “next great Asian food trend.”

Filipino delicacies such as halo-halo and balut have also been getting a lot of raves in New York.--Source: Grubstreet/NYMag/ABS-CBN News

Pope Francis on Wednesday was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year, saying that the Pontiff had instilled "fairness and justice, transparency, modernity" in his nine months in office as the head of the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis is Time's Person of the Year 2013

TIME's managing editor Nancy Gibbs wrote:

"For pulling the papacy out of the palace and into the streets, for committing the world's largest church to confronting its deepest needs and for balancing judgment with mercy, Pope Francis is TIME's 2013 Person of the Year.
"Rarely has a new player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly -- young and old, faithful and cynical -- as Pope Francis. In his nine months in office, he has placed himself at the very center of the central conversations of our time: about wealth and poverty, fairness and justice, transparency, modernity, globalization, the role of women, the nature of marriage, the temptations of power."

Person of the Year (formerly Man of the Year) is an annual issue of the newsmagazine that features and profiles a person, group, idea or object that "for better or for worse, ...has done the most to influence the events of the year."

The list includes Charles Lindbergh (1927), Mahatma Gandhi (1930), Chiang Kai-shek (1937), Adolf Hitler (1938), Mark Zuckerberg (2010) and US president Barack Obama (2012).

A fake sign language interpreter during the mass memorial for anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela is reportedly being hunted by South African officials after he took to the stage gesticulating gibberish before a global audience of millions.

The young man doing the sign languages is gesticulating gibberish, says a South African deaf association.

DeafSA, South Africa's leading deaf association, condemned the presence of the unknown man at the memorial, which was attended by President Jacob Zuma and scores of world leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama.

While dignitaries were addressing the crowd in the 95,000-seat Soccer City stadium, the young, suited man with an official security pass around his neck produced a series of hand signals that experts said meant absolutely nothing.

Besides the bizarre twist to an event that also saw Zuma booed and jeered, the man's presence on the stage within yards of Obama and Brazil's Dilma Rousseff raised awkward security questions.

"He was basically gesturing. He didn't follow any of the grammatical rules and structure of the language. He just invented his signs as he went along," said Delphin Hlungwane, an official sign language interpreter at DeafSA.

"There was zero percent accuracy. He couldn't even get the basics right. He couldn't even say 'thank you'," she told Reuters.

Hlungwane said the fake interpreter also failed to impart to television viewers - as he should have done - that the crowd gave a hostile reception to Zuma, a scandal-plagued leader who faces an election in less than six months.

"You're supposed to indicate with your facial expressions, even if it's not an exact sign," she said. "He didn't indicate that at all. It just passed him by."

In Britain, the Action on Hearing Loss group said as a result of the fake mimer's actions, "deaf or hard of hearing people across the world were completely excluded from one of the biggest events in recent history."

Man-hunt

The revelations have sparked a man-hunt for the mystery mimer, who is totally unknown to South Africa's deaf community.

The government, which was officially in charge of Tuesday's ceremony, said it had tried and failed to get to the bottom of the matter.

"Government is looking in to this matter but has not been able to conclude this inquiry due to the demanding schedule of organizing events," Presidency Minister Collins Chabane told a news conference.

Zuma spokesman Mac Maharaj said he was checking the reports, while the SABC state broadcaster, which covered the memorial, said it was not involved as it had its own on-screen signers.

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) also professed no knowledge, even though several television clips from a big party meeting a year ago showed the same man gesticulating on stage alongside Zuma.

"I don't know this guy. He doesn't work for the ANC. It was a government event. Ask them," spokesman Jackson Mthembu said.--Source: Christian Science Monitor

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) on Monday summoned GMA-7 executives and the Bubble Gang production staff after the TV show allegedly aired "discriminatory and derogatory portrayal of a woman" in its "Susie Lualhati" segment.

Rufa Mae Quinto and Michael V in a scene from "Adventures of Susie Lualhati" segment

According to MTRCB, the two-minute segment of Rufa Mae Quinto's character depicted her "clad in a skimpy hanging low-neckline tank top applying for the position of cook and seller of puto bumbong with entrepreneur Mr. Beethoven Bunagan (Michael V.)."

It also showed "men ogling at Susie with apparent sexually-oriented delight as the latter's breasts shaked vigorously as soon as she started to handle the bamboo tube."

In the MTRCB Memo, it read:

"In rapidly moving her hands up and down with the end of later releasing the puto bumbong, Susie gave the impression (quite arguably) that she was simulating male 'self-abuse.' Encouraged by the bystanders' alleged carnal delight over Susie, Mr. Bunagan immediately hired the former."

The scene, according to MTRCB chairperson Atty. Eugenio Villareal, "stereotypically portrayed a woman as an object of rather frivolous, albeit carnal, delight. When women are treated as commodities, they are disrespected and degraded."

A "selfie" by no less than the US president Barack Obama himself just goes to prove that "even the best-laid plans of politicians tend to veer wildly off course in this age of social media," as commented by US news daily Washington Post.

The viral "selfie" of US president Barack Obama with Denmark Prime Minister Helle Thorning and
British Prime Minister David Cameron.

President Obama's selfie during the Mandela mass memorial is a group picture from Denmark Prime Minister Helle Thorning and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

An AFP photographer, Roberto Schmidt, took a picture of the three world leaders as they posed for the selfie, a digital term for self-portrait.

The picture shows Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt of Denmark holding up her smartphone, with President Obama lending a helping hand, as they pose for a picture with British Prime Minister David Cameron.

All three of them smile broadly for their selfie while other world leaders pay tribute to Mr Mandela at Soweto’s World Cup stadium. First Lady Michelle Obama, sitting to the left of her husband, does not join in and keeps her eyes focused on the podium.

The picture went viral on social media sites and received millions of hits, and criticism. The mainstream media too put the picture on their websites, some with their comments.

“All of it serves as a reminder — as if we needed one — that even the best-laid plans of politicians tend to veer wildly off course in this age of social media,” commented The Washington Post.

“Moments are everything now, all captured for posterity by thousands of camera clicks and keyboard taps that can go viral as quickly as it took Obama to read the opening few lines of his speech.”--Source: The Dawn

The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will effect a modified total truck ban starting on December 13 to December 20 to ease out the heavy volume of vehicles in Metro Manila during the holiday season.

Big trucks: The transport rigs will have to stay away from EDSA during the Christmas season according to MMDA.

The best part of the MMDA decision is that EDSA (Epifanio delos Santos Avenue) will be truck-free for 24 hours a day, during the implementation.

In a memorandum released by the MMDA chairperson Francis Tolentino on Wednesday, the truck ban will be effective on Friday, December 13, in order to manage the expected heavy traffic during the Christmas season.

“During this period, the Uniform Truck Ban Hours in Metro Manila shall be from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.,” he said.

Meanwhile, routes from South Luzon Expressway (Slex) to pier via South Superhighway and vice versa and routes from North Luzon Expressway (Nlex) to pier via A. Bonifacio Avenue and vice versa shall follow the 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. uniform truck ban.

But EDSA will remain off-limits to all kinds of trucks for 24 hours.

“Uniform truck ban shall be lifted on December 21, Truck Ban Ordinance Implementing Uniform Truck Ban Hours in Metro Manila from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. everyday except Sundays and Holidays,” Tolentino noted.

Cargo trucks and other similar vehicles loaded with agricultural products and perishable goods will be exempted from the ban.--Source: Sun Star

A new beefed-up version of China's Huawei Ascend smartphone is expected to be released early 2014 in an effort to snatch the No.1 position in the smartphone category.

Huawei Ascend P6: The new version id expected to be released April 2014.

According to a leaked internal document, Huawei is gearing up to launch the Ascend P7 in April next year, with the flagship currently codenamed “Sophia”.

The internal document suggest that the Ascend P7 will be a major update over the existing Huawei Ascend P6, famous for being the world’s slimmest smartphone at just 6.2mm thick.

The Ascend P7 will look very similar to its predecessor and the document states it is made from “exquisite materials”. Huawei will probably use the same metal body as the Ascend P6.

The Huawei Ascend P7 should have a quad-core 1.6GHz HiSilicon Balong 910 processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. This will be expandable via a microSD card slot.

It will also have a 5-inch Full 1080p HD TFT LCD display running an unknown version of Android and Huawei’s Emotion 2.0 UI.

Huawei highlights one of the Ascend P7’s unique selling points as the ability to take the “best selfie videos”. This will seemingly be achieved by an 8-megapixel front-facing camera, which is a better resolution that those found in the main rear camera of some high-end smartphones.

There’s also a 13-megapixel camera in the rear with AutoFocus and an LED flash.

The Ascend P7 will be powered by a 2460mAh battery and be able to offer 4G LTE connectivity.

If the leaked internal document is entirely accurate, the Huawei Ascend P7 will be available to purchase from April 2014. This would mean a launch event around the end of March or beginning of April.

We’ve yet to hear any word on pricing for the Huawei Ascend P7, but we expect it will be around the same price of the P6 - $580 (roughly PHP26,000). --Source: Trusted Reviews

Robots do exist and they are among us, but they are the kind that won't turn against humans -- just like the metal humanoids on Will Smith's sci-fi movie, "I, Robot."

Valkyrie, the superhero robot, poses with Nicolaus Radford of NASA Johnson Space Center.

“Meet Valkyrie,” says Nicolaus Radford, deputy project manager at the NASA Johnson Space Center’s Dexterous Robotics Lab, in a video from IEEE Spectrum: “Superhero robot.”

Valkyrie, a 6’2” and 276 lbs. humanoid robot, has an arm-span of 80 inches. It has cameras in its head, abdomen, and knees, and sonar in its middle. All the power it needs is in a battery kept in its backpack. It is white and glossy, and the NASA emblem on its big, broad chest glows a pale, happy blue, like Marvel's Iron Man chest plate. It looks like it would fight for good, not evil.

“What more could you want?,” says Mr. Radford. “We really wanted to design an appearance for this robot that when you saw it, you’re going to be like, wow, that’s – that’s awesome.”

Valkyrie is completely self-contained: She can move her arms, legs, waist and head; is battery-powered; and she's chock-full of cameras and sensors. Ultimately, NASA wants the robot to be able to assist astronauts with EVAs (extra-vehicular activities, or "working on stuff out in space") on the International Space Station.

“Likely, NASA will send robots ahead of the astronauts to the planet,” says Radford. “These robots will start preparing the way for the human explorers, and, when the humans arrive, the robots and the humans will work together."

You can see a much more detailed description of Val over the Spectrum IEEE video below.--Source: NASA/Christian Science Monitor.

A new Pantene commercial created for the Philippines has gone viral, thanks to an endorsement of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, author of female empowerment tome, Lean In.

Screenshot from Pantene Phils latest Whip It commercial

The Pantene ad commented on the great "gender divide" existing, until now, in the most usual workplace -- that the idea of self-esteem and female empowerment has had more correlation with the glossy nature of their hair rather than anything going on inside their actual heads.

"This is one of the most powerful videos I have ever seen illustrating how when women and men do the same things, they are seen in completely different ways. Really worth watching. Lean In prize of the day for sure!" COO Sheryl Sandberg wrote on Facebook. "Congratulations to Marc Pritchard and the Pantene team and Andrew Robertson and the BBDO team."

The commercial pairs clips of men and women acting out similar scenarios in the workplace and illustrates, via a selection of billboard signs, cleverly incorportated logos and projections, just how differently the two sexes are perceived. A male speaker holding forth on a podium is 'PERSUASIVE' while his female counterpart is 'PUSHY'; a father working late is 'DEDICATED' while a mother is 'SELFISH'.

'Don't let labels hold you back' reads the postscript.--Source: Telegraph

Sexy actress Keanna Reeves, 46, is dating a 20-year old man, and they've been a couple for over 8 months now.

Keanna with boyfriend Kevin: She is 46 while he is 20.

"I examined his ID first. I made sure he's above 18 years old because I might go to jail."

This is what Reeves said in an ABS-CBN interview when asked how her relationship with her boyfriend, Kevin, compares with the just-married Freddie Aguilar whose wife is only 16 years old.

"Siguro ang kaibahan namin ni Mr. Freddie Aguilar, ako po, naghahanap po ako ng ID," she said, laughing. "Siguraduhin ko po na 18 above na po siya, kasi baka makulong ako!"

Keanna: "I examined his ID first. I made sure he's above 18 years old because I might go to jail."

Reeves, who is Janet Duterte in real life, started her showbiz career doing sexy roles. She later won as the big winner in ABS-CBN's reality show Pinoy Big Brother.

Keanna and Kevin's full interview will be shown in Korina's "Rated K!" Sunday episode on December 15.

The annual UP Oblation Run kicked off Friday morning at UP Diliman with members of the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) Fraternity joining the event wearing nothing but masks.

The naked runners expressed their grievances over the government's alleged failure to manage the disaster caused by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in the Visayas region.

Latest figures from the government's NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council) showed the death toll from the strongest typhoon ever to make landfall has reached 6,009 with 1,779 still missing.

The Oblation Run (sometimes referred to as the Ritual Dance of the Brave) is an annual event held by the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) fraternity in different universities in the Philippines. It drew its name from the Oblation, a statue of a nude man located in every University of the Philippines (UP) campus, which symbolizes "a selfless offering of one’s self to the country."

Two unidentified naked women, reportedly Koreans, joined the 2005 Oblation Run at UP Diliman.

In December 2005, two unidentified naked women, reportedly Koreans, joined the Oblation Run at UP Diliman. This is the first ever instance that women took part in the occasion. The two, wearing masks to hide their identities, held banners promoting equal rights for women. After posing for photographers, they entered a car which then sped off. The act was condemned by APO.-- Photo credits: ABS-CBN News, Yahoo News, Xinhua.net, Liyamblog.friendster

OWWA, the Philippines overseas workers' administration, has confirmed the identities of 6 Filipino workers who died in a recent terrorists attack in Yemen.

PH deployment ban in Yemen: A terrorist attack has left seven OFWs dead.

OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon identified the six slain overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as Dr. Ruben Valenzuela, Hezel Pueblos-Abalos, Edward Anthony de Guzman, Marivic Corilla Bandenas, Marian David and Aurora Gormate Yumul.

The victims’ families were already informed of the benefits accorded to them being documented workers in Yemen.

Dimzon also said that the families were also told that they are already working out on the repatriation of the victims’ remains but could not give further details on the exact date of the arrival because of the tight December booking.

Dimzon, however, did give any comment on the seventh female nurse victim who was also killed in the attack.

Dimzon said they are still coordinating with Yemen authorities to give them pertinent documents so that they could also inform the family of the victim.

The OWWA administrator added the agency has no record with them on the seventh victim neither with the Philippine Overseas Employment and Administration (POEA).

According to Dimzon, she admitted that out of 1,500 OFWs in Yemen, only 900 of them were documented and members of the agency. She said that together with the other agencies, they have already sent a team in Yemen to meet the OFWs who wanted a voluntary repatriation.

Earlier, OWWA announced that aside from the assistance of bringing back the victims’ bodies in the country, they also assured the victims’ families that death and burial benefits in the amount of P220,000 will also be given.

In addition, Dimzon said that the families of the OFW victims are also eligible to avail of the agency’s Education and Livelihood Assistance Program (ELAP).

She explained that ELAP is a scholarship grant for qualified dependents of active OWWA members (if married, son or daughter; if single, brother or sister) as well as P15,000 livelihood assistance to the surviving spouse/parent. --Source: Tempo

PlayStation 4 fans can now get its preorders ahead of an official launch for Sony Philippines' latest gaming console, from Dec 15, 2013 to Jan 10, 2014, according to the company's preorder page.

The new PlayStation 4 officially launches on January 14, 2014

The preorder page said the PlayStation 4 will officially launch in the Philippines on Jan 14, 2014.

The base price of the console is set at P24,999, with game bundles available for an extra fee. The Killzone: Shadow Fall bundle is priced at P26,899, while the Battlefield 4 bundle is priced at P27,399.

A PlayStation 4 bundled with the camera add-on is also available, and is priced at P26,999.

To take advantage of the preorder service, customers can go to participating Sony Centers listed in the preorder page linked above and provide a 50% cash downpayment towards the system of their choice. They will then receive a claim stub for the launch. Presenting the stub and the official receipt will allow them to pay the remaining balance to purchase the console.

The official launch confers the benefit of a one-year extended warranty aside from the base warranty that comes from the console purchase. --Source: Rappler

Actress Kim Chiu opened her new business Thursday, a bridal boutique which also offers affordable ready-to-wear (RTW) gowns for bride-to-be's and debutantes.

Kim Chiu and her "Adorata" bridal boutique

Adorata Weddings, located in Cubao, QC, features a variety of Hollywood-inspired gowns created by designers Pepsi Herrera and Edwin Tan, who happen to be co-owners of the shop with Chiu.

Aside from bridal gowns, the boutique also sells gowns for debutantes, tuxedos for male customers, and other formal wear.

She said these can be altered off the rack, or customized with additional details or accents.

But the most selling point of the shop is its affordability. Custom-made gowns usually cost about P200,000, according to the actress, while Adorata's selections range from P35,000 to P120,000.

In an interview with ABS-CBN Entertainment News, Chiu said:

"It's my first time na makipag-partner sa isang business. And ngayon, first time ko mag-business ng mga damit, since I love clothes, I love gowns."

"It's so exciting to have a business like this, ready-to-wear wedding gowns, para hindi na sila mahihirapan kung anong design. Para siyang sa [United States] na pupunta ka sa isang store na puro pang bride-to-be. Dito na sila pipili, ta's hindi na sila mahihirapan kung ano'ng design."

"Plus, it's Pepsi Herrera and Edwin Tan! Ang ganda ng taste nila with regards to wedding gowns, so hindi ako nagdalawang-isip na makipag-partner in this business."

"-- 'yung 2013 ko, sobra siyang rollercoaster, kung anu-ano na 'yung mga nangyari, and to end this year, I wanted to open up a business na malayo sa araw-araw kong ginagawa."

"Ganito man 'yung mga sinusuot ko (referring to elegant gowns), it's a different world, kasi it's more into business, selling. Nakakatuwa, parang nararamdaman kong nag-go-grow na ako!"

Adorata Weddings is located at PT Square Bldg. 85, P. Tuazon, Brgy. San Martin de Pores in Cubao, Quezon City.--Photo credits: Showbiznest

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Friday signed the the Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) of Republic Act No. 10627, otherwise known as the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013. according to Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro.

DepEd releases IRR on 'Anti-Bullying Act' RA 10627

Definition:

Anti-bullying acts include cyber-bullying aside from inflicting physical harm to the child and utterance of slanderous statements or accusations which causes the victim undue emotional distress such as the use of profanities, name-calling and commenting negatively on the victims’ looks, clothes and body.

Also include social bullying which refers to any deliberate, repetitive and aggressive social behavior intended to hurt others or belittle any individual or group and gender-based bullying that humiliates a person on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

Coverage:

All public and private kindergarten, primary and secondary schools as well as alternative learning centers are mandated to adopt anti-bullying policies and establish intervention programs which include counseling, life skills training and other activities that will enhance the psychological, emotional and the psycho-social well-being of both the victim and the bully with the inclusion of all concerned parties such as bullies, victims, witnesses, parents, school officials as well as other persons that may be affected by the bullying incident.

Penalties:

Schools must also impose disciplinary measures as part of their child protection policy against the perpetrators depending on the gravity and nature of the cases.

They may also refer the victims and bully to trained professionals outside the school such as social workers, guidance counselors, psychologists or child protection specialists for further assessment and appropriate intervention measures if necessary.

The law also states that the provisions of Republic Act 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, will apply in case bullying incidents result in serious physical injuries or death.

Sanctions to schools in case of inactions:

Private schools shall be given 30 days to comply with the policy and the DepEd may suspend or revoke the permit of a school in cases of noncompliance.

On the other hand, school personnel of public kindergarten, elementary or secondary schools who fail to conform to the act will be imposed sanctions in accordance with the Civil Service Rules and relevant issuances of the department, he said.

Luistro signed the IRR in a ceremony on Dec. 13 at Bulwagan ng Katarungan DepEd Complex on Meralco Ave., Pasig City.

According to Luistro, Philippines is one of the first countries to implement an anti-bullying act in the world.--Source: Interaksyon5

A massive winter storm hit Cairo and the Middle East with local news reports claiming it was Egypt's capital's first snowfall in 112 years.

Camels walk on snow-blanketed fields near a pyramid in Cairo.

The Middle East has been hit by a fierce winter storm, with temperatures in Egypt plummeting over the past two days as torrential rain also lashed parts of the country.

"It is the first time in very many years" that it has snowed in the suburbs of Cairo, said Ali Abdelazim, an official at the meteorological center.

"The whole garden was white," Karim Kheirat told AFP by telephone from the new town of Medinati northeast of the capital.

"It's the first time in my life that I have seen it like this."

Other suburbs of the capital also saw light snow showers, residents said.

The Sinai Peninsula submerged in thick snow.

Middle East countries, including the Holy Land of Israel, were hit by the winter storm Friday.

In the Sinai Peninsula, the storm deposited a blanket of snow several centimeters thick in the mountainous area around Saint Catherine's monastery for the first time in decades.

Mokhtar Hussein, who lives in the area, said he had not left his house since Thursday because of the weather.

"We aren't leaving the house at all because the whole town is covered in snow," he said.

On the Mediterranean coast, gardens, streets and houses in the town of Ras al-Bar were covered by a layer of white after heavy snow, resident Rania al-Mubashir said.

The northern coastal city of Alexandria only received light snowfall, but authorities shut the port for the third consecutive day because of the bad weather and strong winds.--Source: AFP

Google and his mighty army of robots is coming soon to make an invasion, prompting the humans to remember Skynet's T-1000 cyborgs in Arnold Schwarzenegger's futuristic film series, "The Terminator".

PetMan, Google's newly acquired humanoid robot could be "weaponized".

In an earlier article, Google's Andy Rubin had said they've already bought 8 companies involved in robotic designs to power up the new Google Robotics Department.

According to The Guardian, Google is aggressively expanding its robotics division, and the purchase of Boston Dynamics, which produces robots for the military, is Google’s latest foray into investing in companies which are creating products on the cutting edge of technology.

Boston Dynamics (founded in 1992 by Marc Raibert), creates four-legged walking robots that have many applications. They can carry heavy loads, investigate rugged and potentially dangerous terrains, and do the brunt work of the military without putting human lives on the line.

BigDog, the four-legged robot. It is capable of carrying heavy loads of up to 340 pounds over rough terrain, which makes it a perfect for use in combat-style situations. Boston dynamics posted a video of BigDog on YouTube back in 2008, and it went viral. The video has received over 15 million views, and it has inspired people to even make parody videos of it.
Wildcat is one of Boston Dynamic’s more recent gasoline-powered robots. It is faster and smaller than BigDog, and has a galloping or bounding sort of gait. According to the company, Wildcat is capable of running up to 16 mph on a flat surface.
Cheetah. The fastest robot in Boston's list is capable of reaching speeds of up to 28.3 mph. on a treadmill. The company will begin testing it in outdoor situations in 2014.
Atlas is one of the latest two-legged, humanoid types of robots that Boston Dynamics has developed. It has a gait similar to humans, and its arms act like human arms, aiding in balancing the robot. One day, robots like Atlas might be used in cases like assisting in nuclear power plant meltdown situations, or to fight our wars for us.
Petman is another of Boston Dynamic’s humanoid robots. According to information in the accompanying video, Petman can control its temperature through sweating. Though Atlas and Petman could be “weaponized,” Google currently has no plans to do so. Beside the videos here, you can view videos of these robots on Boston Dynamics’ YouTube Channel.

Though Google has stated that it will honor the Boston Dynamic’s existing military contracts, it has no plans of “becoming a military contractor on its own.”

Rubin, former head of Android Inc., said that Google’s robotics project is to develop robots that have real-world applications, rather than ones used primarily for military purposes, Rubin and others realize that the military industrial complex, like the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is funding much of the cutting edge research being done in the field of robotics.

The other seven robotics companies Google has purchased this year are Holomni, Bot & Dolly, Autofuss, Redwood Robotics, Meka, Industrial Perception, and Schaft.--Source: The Guardian

Armed robbers hit a jewelry store in SM North EDSA Sunday evening, December 15, causing panic among mall-goers after shots were allegedly fired.

A policeman guards a cordoned area of SM Department Store where the robbery took place.

There were no immediate reports on the details of the robbery, but a statement from SM Premier Mall Vice President for Operations Steven Tan said that the police are "on top of the situation" and that "no one was hurt" during the heist.

"There is a 'Martilyo Gang' robbery in a store in North EDSA. The police are on top of the situation and handling the matter. No one was hurt. The only weapon used was a martilyo. The mall remains open," Tan said in a statement.

Initial police investigation said that at around 7:00 in the evening, three armed men were able to enter the mall and posed as customers inside the SM Department Store, then smashed a jewelry showcase displayed near its entrance using a hammer believed to have been bought inside.

Meanwhile, a DZMM report said that shots were fired during the robbery, as heard by a number of mall-goers.

Mallgoer Dr. Babes Arce said she and her family were in the second floor of the mall when they heard gunshots from the ground floor.

"Nandito kami sa second floor ng SM North EDSA may narinig kaming isang loud shot. Alam ko baril 'yun e. Tapos nag-scamper na ang mga tao, nag-run to safety sa isang kainan habang narinig ko 'yung mga iba pang shots ng baril," Arce who was still in the mall while being interviewed on radio dzMM. "After a few minutes, medyo naglabasan na 'yung ibang tao, nagkaroon uli ng putukan dito, bumalik uli kami sa isang kainan,"

But Arch. Rene Bacani, representative for the SM mall, denied the gunshots and that what the shoppers heard was the sound of the hammer smashing the jewelry display.

In January 2013, a similar incident happened at a jewelry store inside the department store of SM Megamall where a hammer was also used in the robbery.--Source: DZMM

The holiday shopping spree was marred with violence Sunday night when armed robbers struck at a jewelry store located inside SM North EDSA, Quezon City.

VIDEO: SM North EDSA robbery, shoppers flee in panic

Jessy Mendiola celebrated her birthday in "ASAP" on Sunday performing a sexy dance number of Enrique Iglesias’ “Hero”.

The 21-year old actress wore her red signature dress from her hit teleserye "Maria Mercedes", backed-up by the G-Force dancers.

Mendiola is also the celebrity endorser of McDonald's Philippines. Just recently, she did two viral prank videos with basketball sensation Jeric Teng and with some random guys eating inside the burger fast food.

Filipino food is 'the next big thing' says New York magazine review

Filipino food takes the center stage in New York after a US magazine described the Pinoy delicacies as "the next big thing."

Pope Francis is Time's Person of the Year 2013

Pope Francis on Wednesday was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year, saying that the Pontiff had instilled "fairness and justice, transparency, modernity" in his nine months in office as the head of the Catholic Church.

VIDEO: Mandela fake sign language interpreter is all gibberish

A fake sign language interpreter during the mass memorial for anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela is reportedly being hunted by South African officials after he took to the stage gesticulating gibberish before a global audience of millions.

VIDEO: Why MTRCB summoned Bubble Gang over Rufa Mae scene

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) on Monday summoned GMA-7 executives and the Bubble Gang production staff after the TV show allegedly aired "discriminatory and derogatory portrayal of a woman" in its "Susie Lualhati" segment.

Obama 'selfie' on Mandela memorial goes viral

A "selfie" by no less than the US president Barack Obama himself just goes to prove that "even the best-laid plans of politicians tend to veer wildly off course in this age of social media," as commented by US news daily Washington Post.

MMDA implements total truck ban for Christmas

The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will effect a modified total truck ban starting on December 13 to December 20 to ease out the heavy volume of vehicles in Metro Manila during the holiday season.

'Beefed-up' Huawei Ascend P7 coming April 2014

A new beefed-up version of China's Huawei Ascend smartphone is expected to be released early 2014 in an effort to snatch the No.1 position in the smartphone category.

VIDEO: Valkyrie, the NASA superhero robot for Mars mission

Robots do exist and they are among us, but they are the kind that won't turn against humans -- just like the metal humanoids on Will Smith's sci-fi movie, "I, Robot."

Facebook endorses viral Pantene Philippines commercial (+video)

A new Pantene commercial created for the Philippines has gone viral, thanks to an endorsement of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, author of female empowerment tome, Lean In.

PHOTOS: Keanna Reeves on 20-year old boyfriend: 'I checked his ID first!"

Sexy actress Keanna Reeves, 46, is dating a 20-year old man, and they've been a couple for over 8 months now.

PHOTOS: 2013 Oblation Run protests government's 'unpreparedness' in Yolanda disaster

The annual UP Oblation Run kicked off Friday morning at UP Diliman with members of the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) Fraternity joining the event wearing nothing but masks.

OWWA identifies 6 of 7 OFWs in Yemen attack

OWWA, the Philippines overseas workers' administration, has confirmed the identities of 6 Filipino workers who died in a recent terrorists attack in Yemen.

PlayStation 4 now open for preorders

PlayStation 4 fans can now get its preorders ahead of an official launch for Sony Philippines' latest gaming console, from Dec 15, 2013 to Jan 10, 2014, according to the company's preorder page.

Kim Chiu opens 'Adorata' bridal boutique, offers RTW gowns

Actress Kim Chiu opened her new business Thursday, a bridal boutique which also offers affordable ready-to-wear (RTW) gowns for bride-to-be's and debutantes.

DepEd releases IRR on 'Anti-Bullying Act' RA 10627

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Friday signed the the Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) of Republic Act No. 10627, otherwise known as the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013. according to Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro.

PHOTOS: Cairo gets first snow in 112 years

A massive winter storm hit Cairo and the Middle East with local news reports claiming it was Egypt's capital's first snowfall in 112 years.

VIDEO: Google's army of robots prepare for invasion

Google and his mighty army of robots is coming soon to make an invasion, prompting the humans to remember Skynet's T-1000 cyborgs in Arnold Schwarzenegger's futuristic film series, "The Terminator".

SM North EDSA hit by 'Martilyo Gang', shots fired

Armed robbers hit a jewelry store in SM North EDSA Sunday evening, December 15, causing panic among mall-goers after shots were allegedly fired.

VIDEO: SM North EDSA robbery, shoppers flee in panic

The holiday shopping spree was marred with violence Sunday night when armed robbers struck at a jewelry store located inside SM North EDSA, Quezon City.

VIDEO: Jessy Mendiola in hot birthday dance number

Jessy Mendiola celebrated her birthday in "ASAP" on Sunday performing a sexy dance number of Enrique Iglesias’ “Hero”.