Meeting the Demands of the 21st Century through Dynamic Learning

We cannot deny the fact that the innovations in technology has now reached immeasurable level of success thus improve the lives of the majority around the world.

All industries are experiencing massive changes in the way they do things. The so-called “4th Industrial Revolution,” deemed to revolutionize the way industries shape our world concerning new technological discoveries, is now happening. Innovations and advancements in technology, with words like “Artificial Intelligence,” “Nanotechnology,” “Bioengineering,” “Renewable Energy,” “Quantum Computing,” to name a few, have profound effects on the many facets of our lives that several years ago were deemed impossible.

To be able to take advantage of all these developments, we need to start collaborating to form communities who would nurture each other and prepare the future generation for what the modern times bring.

Every era produces a wave of people with a different mindset. Education, as the pillar of what forms a society, has a critical role in making sure individuals are ready to maximize opportunities that the future holds. It can make nations thrive during era shifts by nurturing learners with the skills, talent, and mindset to push forward. While leveling up content, enhancing programs and techniques are essential, it is the active cooperation by different sectors to contribute to learning can the goal of preparing a fully equipped individual can be achieved.

COLLABORATION IS KEY

No man is an island. That has never been truer especially when we talk about education. The call to assist in character building and information sharing to learners is no longer just limited to educational institutions and teachers. Families, communities, governments and private industries are encouraged to join this endeavor. Every touch point of a learner from the moment he or she wakes up at home, interaction and encounters that they have as they go through the routines of their day, their whole environment and ecosystem contribute to their growth. Through collaborative partnerships among different stakeholders, we may be able to supply a holistic learning experience that would equip future leaders and professionals with the foundation needed to make nations prosper in the 21st century and beyond.

RELEVANCE AND APPLICATION

While primary subjects are essential in the formation of a learner, it is in its application that real relevance is built. It is no longer enough to merely know the basics of the language, maths, and sciences. Current times call for students to apply these fundamental learnings to understand trends, political landscapes, global happenings, and economies. Higher levels of discussion are encouraged to apply theories learned to the practical realities.

CONTINUOUS SEARCH FOR INNOVATION

Learning never stops. Not just in the 21st century. Breakthroughs are being discovered every day that is in not enough to settle with the what we know today. Information is available everywhere and learners should be taught how to take advantage of it. The future generation should be equipped with the open-mindedness and critical thinking to process this readily available information through different mediums. Innovation and disruption are born from new ways of thinking. Students of today should be encouraged to do just that to be able to champion the 21st century.

That’s why Partnerships for 21st Century Learning (P21), a recognized global organization who aims to be the catalyst for 21st century learning, created the Framework for 21st Century Learning. It emphasizes that priority should be given to developing learning competencies such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. These learning proficiencies can prepare students for future challenges and opportunities that this new era brings. REX has continuously enhanced and leveled up to provide the right support to all partners – educational institutions, teachers, families, communities, individuals, and governments – so they can better assist students to meet the demands of current times. Efforts are currently being done to make each stakeholder understand their role in shaping the future generation beyond the four walls of the classroom. This is the future that the 21st century brings.

As REX continuously innovates and finds ways to assist in creating a set of ready generation for the future, it also poses a challenge to each today — how do you contribute to shaping the future generation? Find out more about the essentials of 21st-century learning and join us in the conversation. Visit www.21c.rexbookstore.ph.

Converge Powers AXA Life’s Internet Needs

To be more competitive in respective field, a company must make the effort to acquire the best service it can use to achieve its goals and serve more customers. This is what AXA Life Philippines did when it engaged with the leading pure end-to-end fiber optic Internet provider Converge ICT Solutions, Inc. as its prime Internet service partner.

Alan Smyth, Group Head – Corporate Sales at Converge ICT Solutions, Inc., said AXA Life subscribed to Converge ICT’s 100Mbps dedicated Internet offering for AXA Life’s headquarters. The insurance firm also chose the iBiz fiber broadband plan for its branches, mainly in Luzon.

He said AXA Life, one of the country’s largest and fastest-rising insurance companies, first looked at the traditional DSL-type of Internet connections. “Since we don’t have DSL, we offered our fiber-optic broadband connectivity instead. It turned out to be better for them. Now, they are able to enjoy higher bandwidth compared to what they used to pay for.”

Also, with Converge ICT’s pure fiber Internet, Smyth said AXA Life agents became more productive. A lot of them use AXA-developed Web applications to do everything online, including uploading of contracts. This made signing up a new customer become even faster.

Smyth added that when AXA Life saw how Converge ICT’s network looked like they were impressed even if the company hasn’t expanded yet nationwide. “They saw that we have a more modern network that is able to meet their requirements.”

Just like any connection, Smyth admitted that there may be possible glitches. But if and when they do happen, Converge ICT guarantees that they are resolved faster. “We have a dedicated account manager and a support and restoration team made up of tech personnel that will provide support to AXA Life,” Smyth adds.

Grace Uy, Chief Financial Officer of Converge ICT, for her part, gave credit to Converge ICT’s modern network and affordable yet competitive rates. “But in this age, it’s not just about the speed and rates but also about the best customer experience. These are the most likely reasons why AXA Life chose Converge ICT.”

Jesus Romero, Chief Operating Officer of Converge ICT, echoed that customer experience has always been Converge ICT’s key business proposition. “We have always provided the best customer experience. From selling to the first customer engagement, to implementation and after-sales, we always try to make the customer happy. I hope others will see this, how we can support their digital engagement, their connectivity requirements and challenges. We will constantly look at ways how to make them as flexible as possible,” Romero declares.

As for AXA Life Philippines Chief Information Officer Ivan Buenaventura, they engaged Converge ICT to see if the company can offer them an improved Internet experience. “We had a very expensive and non-flexible Internet connection for the last 5 years. It was pretty stable but we tried Converge ICT to see how they can help make our Internet experience better.”

He also cited Converge ICT’s after-sales service capability as a distinct advantage aside from cost efficiency. “They respond directly and promptly to solve our issues in less than a day. They were well rounded, had good coverage, and very stable. Of course, the fast connectivity and outstanding after sales support are well appreciated,” he commented.

Converge ICT is fairly new in the game but still, AXA Life went with Converge ICT as the company’s primary Internet provider, according to Buenaventura. “There’s Converge and there are the old ones, but our users doesn’t know that. It’s really more for redundancy especially during connection outages.”

He relates that during the first week going live, they had a major regional outage. But Buenaventura found Converge ICT’s responsiveness as very good. “We were provided constant updates as to what happened and they resolved it in less than a day. Since then, we did not experience any big outages anymore.”

Buenaventura also expressed satisfaction that he is even willing to make Converge ICT the primary Internet provider for the AXA Regional Shared Services Center located in Makati. And he is willing to partner with Converge ICT for the connectivity needs of AXA Life branches nationwide. “Right now, it’s just the Luzon area. Eventually, if Converge ICT covers Visayas and Mindanao, I would definitely tap them as my primary Internet provider.”

Converge ICT Solutions, Inc. started in 1992 and already has a congressional franchise. The company has many Tier 1 international peering partners to ensure fast and reliable connectivity and also partnered with top domestic peering partners such as PLDT and Globe. It currently has the 3rd largest Internet backbone in the country to help further improve the Internet experience of Filipinos.

For more details about Converge ICT, Inc. and its Internet offerings, visit www.convergeict.com.

Acer Chromebook Tops CNET’s ‘Top 25 Battery Life Laptops and 2-in-1 Hybrids’ List

You may think that your laptop brand has durable and long battery life and 2-in-1 hybrid. However, you might reconsider if you read CNET’s new list.

CNET recently published its “Top 25 battery life laptops and 2-in-1 hybrids and the #1 spot went to the Acer Chromebook R 13 with a distant lead of 13 hours and 2 minutes of battery life, providing more than an hour of additional battery life compared to the next closest competitor.

Three other Acer notebooks also made the list including the Acer Aspire S 13 with 9 hours and 46 minutes, the Acer Chromebook 14 with 9 hours and 30 minutes, and the Acer Chromebook R 11 with 8 hours and 11 minutes.

 

High Grounds Cafe At Tomas Morato Is Now Open

Highgrounds Café is now open at Scout Rallos Tomas Morato, Quezon City the country’s first and only fully branded gaming café.

As hundreds of players can be accommodated there at any given time. Gamers can also enjoy glorious snacks and other mealtime favorites during breaks from their game so they can recharge their batteries and be ready to dominate the competition again.

The Predator G1 squeals with beastly bravado that suits today’s brawny gamers with its ultra-powerful Intel Core™ i7 6700 processor (8M Cache, up to 4.00GHz) inside and 32GB DDR4 2133MHz memory for enough show and swagger and truly rock the house with its fiery performance regardless of gaming title while the 3TB 3.5-inch 7200 RPM and 256 GB M.2 2280 Solid State Drive combination is a force to reckon with in terms of storage capability. For visual clarity that lets you get your head—and eyes—into the game, trust the NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1080 with 8GB of GDDR5 graphics card to deliver the goods when it comes with an awesome and immersive game experience.

Operated by the country’s top gaming café brand TheNet.com (TNC), High Grounds Café will definitely capture the attention of both gaming enthusiasts and professionals alike. It is fully armed to the teeth with top-of-the-line and powerful Predator gaming PCs in a gaming environment that’s unlike any other in the country today.

Customers can rent out these fully-capable gaming PC’s at only PHP 100 per hour.

The opening of High Grounds Café is also the perfect battlefield for the launch of the Predator 21 X which gives gaming pros, and tech enthusiasts the best and most fearsome gaming laptop ever. Targeting the well-heeled and loaded tech lovers out there who will spare no peso in getting the most advanced and powerful gaming rig around, the Predator 21 X is a perfect fit for gamers who seek a whole new point of concentration in terms of sound and visuals, interaction, cooling and power efficiency never seen before in any gaming laptop.

 

TNC.com owner Eric Redulfin said High Grounds Café breaks the barriers in what used to be Internet-surfing-only cyber cafes. “The environment now is totally different in terms of cyber cafés. What used to be just for Internet surfing and browsing metamorphosed into complete full-fledged gaming centers. Of course the Internet is still there, but gaming now takes the spotlight and the attention of game-loving and esports aficionados in the country.”

For more about the Predator gaming system, go to the Predator Philippines Facebook page – @PredatorPhilippines.

 

 

Acer Launches New High-Performance Notebooks, Desktop PC

Acer never ceased from innovating as they unveiled another series devices of high-performance notebooks and a desktop PC.

Packed with premium audio technologies, crystal clear displays with IPS technology2 and the latest NVIDIA ® GeForce ® GTX 10-Series graphics and high-performance 7 th Generation Intel ® Core ™ processors, the Aspire V Nitro Black Edition models (V Nitro 17 and V Nitro 15) and Aspire VX notebooks are ideal for people who like their videos crisp, games smooth and audio clear.

Likewise, Aspire GX series desktop PCs are also ideal for users who are passionate about entertainment, but appreciate expanded capabilities that their mobile cousins don’t offer.

Aspire V Nitro Black Edition & Aspire VX

Both notebook series come with up to a 7 th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor that is designed to bring incredible performance and responsiveness, immersive 4K entertainment and longer battery life to mobile devices. The chipset is the perfect match for the notebooks’ equally impressive GPUs, the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or 1050 Ti graphics.

Whether a movie buff or a gamer, users will be able to fully enjoy the latest releases and titles without compromise.

The Aspire V 17 Nitro Black Edition featuring a 17.3-inch display is available with optional integrated Tobii eye-tracking hardware that when combined with touchpad gestures, enhances productivity and makes the device more responsive through the use of eye movements. Users are able to more quickly and conveniently navigate across apps and programs with a simple glance.

Gaming is also enhanced with eye tracking, creating deeper immersion and allowing gamers to aim, shoot and explore freely using their eyes in over 45 titles like Elite Dangerous, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and WATCH_DOGS 2 ™ .

The sleek Aspire V Nitro Black Edition models are the ideal device for those seeking high-quality entertainment on a notebook. Under the aluminum cover, Acer combined 7th Generation Intel Core processors to drive performance and the latest NVIDIA technologies, starting with up to a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card with 6GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM 1 and up to 16GB of DDR4 system memory, upgradable to 32GB using two soDIMM modules. They also come with a NVMe PCIe Gen 3 or SATA SSD 1 , and a HDD 1 of up to 2TB capacity for additional storage.

The Aspire V Nitro incorporates Acer’s AeroBlade metal fan 1 to release thermal exhaust even more efficiently, while Coolboost™ technology allows users to manually control the cooling process when heavy use requires an added boost. The Aspire V Nitro notebooks also include DustDefender™, which uses dual high-speed fans with reverse rotation to remove dust build-up and improve heat dissipation.

Connectivity comes in the form of a USB Type-C port with Thunderbolt ™ 3 for speeds up to 40Gbps and support for dual 4K video output simultaneously, two USB 3.0 ports (one featuring power-off USB charging), two USB 2.0 ports, and HDMI connection. It connects wirelessly through 2×2 802.11ac MU-MIMO technology, while a Gigabit Ethernet port is available for wired connectivity needs.

The new Aspire V Nitro notebooks come with a fingerprint sensor embedded in the top left corner of the Precision Touchpad. This enables Windows Hello, allowing a more secure password-free sign-in with a touch of the finger.

Users will revel in crystal clear visuals with the inclusion of an optional 4K (3840×2160) Ultra HD 1 display panel. Complementing the display is the inclusion of Acer Color Intelligence™, a system that dynamically adjusts gamma and saturation in real-time, optimizing screen color, brightness and saturation without clipping and over saturation.

The high-quality entertainment experience is also driven by the audio technologies featured on the Aspire V Nitro, including four speakers tuned with Dolby ® Audio ™ Premium and Acer TrueHarmony ™ Plus technology. Acer TrueHarmony Plus delivers more accurate, clear sound reproduction and a wider bass range with an advanced paper cone speaker design framed by a foam material. Skype for Business Certification ensures people can communicate with crisp and lag-free quality, and also allows for clearer, higher quality audio and a great Cortana with Voice experience on Windows 10.

The Aspire VX 15 features large cooling vents and an edgy red chassis, clearly showing its determination for gaming. The iron red backlit keyboard makes sure gamers are always striking the right notes during gameplay, while also providing a hardcore look and feel without that hardcore price-tag.

The 5.5lbs (2.5kg) Aspire VX 15 also comes with up to a 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor, offering significant improvements in performance over preceding generation processors, all the while providing lower battery consumption. The notebook also comes with up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 1 graphics with GDDR5 VRAM (delivering up to 32GB/s bandwidth).

Speed is also a notable attribute of the memory system, offering up to 16GB 1 DDR4 memory out of the box and can be user-upgradeable to a maximum of 32GB. Storage is provided by a 512GB SSD and 1TB HDD 1 .

Keeping all this running at optimal temperatures are the dual fans, installed to ensure however much you push it during a gaming session, your machine is up to the task and will support you with super-smooth gameplay. That gameplay experience is further supplemented with high-definition audio with Dolby Audio Premium, as well as Acer TrueHarmony sound and Skype for Business certification, and boasts great visual clarity with a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS screen 2 .

Aspire GX Series

For those seeking out additional capabilities that only a desktop model can offer, Acer created the Aspire GX series desktop PC. These VR Ready 1 PCs come equipped with up to 7th Generation Intel Core processors, up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM, and up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 graphics.

What’s more, they’re capable of delivering stunning 4K 1 resolution visuals and support up to 4 displays at once for maximized gaming experiences. Also, there’s no shortage of storage with up to a 3TB 1 HDD and a 256GB SSD, and sports a handy Wireless Charging Deck 1 for keeping users’ mobile devices powered up and ready to go. To top it all off, the GX series features a striking and edgy armor-inspired housing with front-facing LED lighting that emits a sinister red glow.

Price and Availability

The Acer Aspire V 15 Nitro Black Edition will be available in North America in February starting at $1,199; in EMEA in February with prices starting at €1,299; and in China in February starting at ¥8,999.

The Acer Aspire V 17 Nitro Black Edition will be available in North America in February starting at $1,399; in EMEA in February with prices starting at €1,299; and in China in February starting at ¥8,999.

The Acer Aspire VX 15 will be available in North America in January starting at $799; in EMEA in January with prices starting at €899; and in China in January starting at ¥5,499.

The Aspire GX series will be available in North America in March starting at $899 .99 ; in EMEA in February with prices starting at €799; and in China in February starting at ¥5,999.

Exact specifications, prices, and availability will vary by region. To learn more about availability, product specifications and prices in specific markets, please contact your nearest Acer office via www.acer.com.

Curve 500 ES' Debut in HiFi Exhibition

The biggest annual audio and visual exhibition is returning to showcase the best of the high and foreign brands that offer consumer and professional electronics for Filipino eyes and ears.

More than 5,000 enthusiasts visited and over 300 products are shown and displayed held at Dusit Thani Manila on November 12 and 13, 2016.  It is the biggest and most entertaining HiFi event of the year! Exhibition rooms that are carefully designed and crafted to optimize maximum feel of audio and visual products will be installed for everyone to experience the November HiFi madness.

On top of all the products, LD Systems, a German pro audio brand, joins in the November HiFi exhibition showing off its state-of-the-art audio equipment which includes their newest game-changer – the Curve 500 ES Plus. The first of its kind, this hybrid array speaker system can convert to either a stereo system ideal for home use, or a portable vertical line array system ideal for a stage use. It defies limitations and transcends barriers of sound systems as it can be practically used for any application.

Compared to big audio systems that lack clarity and sound, and even to household speakers that does not extend its power to produce better sounds, the Curve 500 ES provides pure, clear, honest sound that amplifies sound detail with its WaveAhead® Technology. This kind of technology puts three tweeters in front of a powerful full-range driver and offers a wide dispersion of mid and high frequencies with an ultra-compact enclosure.

Jay Durias, a composer, singer and songwriter of the band, South Border is inspired to make more good music with LD systems. “What’s important is a good sound,” Durias said in his promotional interview video with LD Systems. “A good sound is equal to true sound, and if you have that coming to you as a performer, you will have a good performance because are affected by a good sound,” he added.

Great sound when performing using Curve 500 ES.

More than this, he mentioned that his favorite top-of-the-line product of LD Systems is the Curve ES 500 Plus. “Curve 500 is one of my favorite speakers,” Durias emphasized. He further added, “It is my all-around home theater and PA System.”

With the Curve ES 500 Plus, its patented SmartLink® System allows you to connect up to 4 satellite speakers through its slide-and-lock mechanism and produces a uniform and excellent sound experience. A dynamic listening pleasure, the Curve ES 500 Plus can connect four of your musical devices such as your computer and keyboards, simultaneously. Jay Durias said, “Aside from the good sound, it is so easy to set-up.”

The Curv 500 ES Plus has a 4-channel mixer, DFX and Bluetooth, while its 1840W peak power can offer powerful audio to a room of 400 people. The Curve ES 500 sure does reshape what you think is impossible in the audio world.

The company that brought LD Systems to the Philippines, Audio Video Solutions Corporation, will also showcase the Cameo – a new brand of lighting systems from Germany. Cameo lights are perfect for professional stage use and can even be used at home, for those times when you want to throw epic house parties.

With all these top notch products, one does not miss it being showcased in the November HiFi exhibition. LD Systems products are available at SM Appliance, Gadgets Hub @ The SM Store, Astroplus, Odyssey, Robinsons Appliance, Intune, and other leading appliance and music stores.

The Gaming Predator System Has Arrived

Every serious gamer knows that battles are won by having a ruthless ally on your side. It can maintain its cool on every extreme gaming session and it will definitely not bail you out on lagging behind the volume.

 

The gaming predator has arrived, held last June 25, 2016 at Makati City, Philippines. These competitively priced gaming products with superb specs will definitely have a massive effect on every galaxy you explore, strike fear in the deepest and darkest dungeons, overrun fierce armies, and hack off the heads of horrific zombies with its powerful performance, arresting designs and other bonuses so gamers cannot ask for more.

On the other hand, don’t be deceived by the size of the Predator G1 for it packs a powerful punch in its one liter armored frame. Get crisp view of the battlefield with its NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics card as lights up this pocket-sized powerhouse PC, while you roar your aggression with its sound-reactive Growl Lights and snarl with power through its 6th generation Intel Core i7 processor.  Startle your enemies as well with the Predator G1’s 4TB hard drive, a monumental storage bin for your ferocity and strength.

Predator and its killer design

The triple-fan system and Predator FrostCore, a swappable fan design, help keep this monstrosity cool to keep heat down while performance is ramped up. The killer DoubleShot Pro feature is a superb network solution that optimizes bandwidth so that playing online will be much fiercer. The ProZone keyboard gusts with absolute gaming accuracy while the Predator DustDefender boasts of the world’s thinnest fan blades and CoolBoost to enhance cooling power.

With its bold highlights, razor sharp angles and dynamic geometry, create a gutsy visual effect that will surely catch the eyes of other gamers with the Predator 15. Its black-and-red color combo speaks vividly of its immense power. The unique thermal rib design establishes a lasting impression, an aura of power and high performance like that of a set of legendary armor you get from a tough boss. Its customized LED-backlit keyboard makes your gaming truly immersive and game all you want since the Predator 15’s fiberglass frame allows for superior and robust stance. Sleek and edgy are the words to describe once you get a hold of Predator 8. It roars with load reasons why gamers should consider going serious gaming, tablet-form. The hot Predator 8 features a cool design that won’t make you think twice since it’s packed with excellent gaming aptitude enough to last you on any game front. Its dynamic hairbrush lines on its aluminum rear cover speak of energy and power, while its 4 Dolby Audio stainless steel front speakers are impressively designed as well.

Face the Predator

Widen your perspective of the frontline and allow yourself to get a better view of your enemies before they even make the slightest move. With DoubleShot, prioritize and optimize the Predator’s innate strength to make yourself a formidable presence to your opponents. Representing the Killer DoubleShot Pro feature of the Predator, enhance bandwidth where you can combine wireless networking and Gb LAN at the same time to make gaming sessions faster and lag-free more than ever.

 

“We know gamers like to show off their triumphs for all the world to see, or challenge other gamers to see who’s tougher so for the Predator gaming system, Xsplit made video recording and game streaming even more seamless. Now, capturing gameplay for live streaming became more exciting with our upgraded software for the new Predators. We can’t wait to see and hear gamers’ reactions once they get their hands on these new Predators,” explains Miguel Molina, Senior Product Manager for Xsplit in the Philippines.

 

For his part, Calum Chisholm, Country Manager of Intel Philippines said as gaming devices ramp up power, Intel needs to keep up by coming up with even more superior processors. “Gaming devices’ tremendous requirements for speed and power have always been enormous and Intel will continue to keep up with the pace. Serious gamers need serious rigs, and we will not disappoint their need for superiority especially when competing against other gamers with the latest Intel processors inside this new Predator gaming system.”

 

“Everyone knows the success of the Predator that made it the superior device for serious gamers and gaming enthusiasts, but as we promised, we’re not done yet. We’ve upped the ante in gaming device standards, and this new Predator gaming system, with much, much more to offer, is the answer. No one else came close to what the Predator can do but there are still a lot of potentials for gamers to have that enlightened gaming experience and #ConquerNewWorlds, whether in games or in real life,” declares Steven J. Funcke, Predator Marketing Manager.

So get to #ConquerNewWorlds and create your own #PredatorPH experience with the Predator gaming system that includes the Predator G3 and Predator G1 desktops, the Predator 15 laptop, the Predator 8 gaming tablet, the Predator X34, the world’s first 34-inch curved gaming monitor, and the Predator Z650 short-throw projector.

Get the Predator gaming system at PC Express Gilmore, the Villman Computers Philippines at SM North Edsa and Octagon Computer Superstore at SM Megamall.

For more about the Predator gaming system, go to the Predator Philippines Facebook page – @PredatorPhilippines.