A Hologram Pet: Our future best friend?

This blog post is a part of Design Blogger Competition organized by CGTrader. Please click here for more details about this project.

This image is owned by ноlоgгам USA.

Who doesn't love pets? I guess almost everyone loves to have a pet. In fact, some people own more than one pet. Pets are very adorable, not to mention, they’re very loyal too. While many can afford to own pets, what about those who can’t and those people with pet allergies? 

We all know that most of these cuties are very expensive and high maintenance. For example, a Hyacinth Macaw parrot would cost you around $6,000-12,000, which is more expensive than buying a new Family Hub Smart Fridge.  Another example is Löwchens which is also known as “little lions”. These small, long-haired dogs that have been recognized as a breed since the Renaissance will cost you around $10,000 dollars. Wow! That is surely a lot of money! You can already buy a decent car with that amount.

A lot of people, including myself, have pet allergies. Pets with fur like dogs and cats are sometimes causing allergies, especially to people with other allergies or asthma. And it’s another sad story when some people chose not to own pets as it may risk their lives.

So, i’m thinking…what about a hologram pet that you can produce from a pocketable gadget? I think it is a very cool replacement, trendy and very convenient to have. You can play with your hologram pet anytime, anywhere without any hassles. It is very low maintenance too - no food, no water, no vaccines, no grooming needed, etc. All you have to do is charge it and you’re good to go. And I’m pretty sure people with pet allergies will love this idea. They can now play with pets without worrying about getting allergies.

If given a chance to make this a reality, I would love to design my hologram pet where owners can:

• decide what kind of pet to play.
• decide its breed, size, skin & hair color, body type, etc.
• select which emotion the pet will show & act.
• create a schedule so hologram pet would automatically show up for a play.
• breed their hologram pet.

While this concept sounds really amazing, we need to accept the fact that hologram pets can never replace the wonderful feeling that you can experience when you hug & kiss a living pet. 

What do you think? Would you like to own a hologram pet?... a living pet?... or both?

Draw Like A Pro!

At times, we tend to draw random objects especially when we got nothing to do, totally bored, or when meetings or class discussion becomes boring. 

Most of the times, we do not care how terrible our drawings would look like as long as they look cute to us and make us smile. But, what about if we want to get serious, and want our drawings look more professional?

No worries!  Google just recently launched a new experiment that uses machine learning algorithms to match your doodles with nice looking and perfect-like drawings from talented artists. Thanks to AutoDraw! This will surely make you look like you know what you’re doing. See cool presentation below posted on Google blog. It's amazing how you can improve your drawing so instantly!

Wanna try? Click here and enjoy!

A glass bottomed pool on the 42nd floor!

Photo owned and posted by traciling via Instagram.

The latest talk of the town is a glass bottomed pool located on the 42nd floor of the Market Square Tower in Houston, Texas. Dubbed as Sky Pool, it extends 10 feet over the side of the eye-catching Houston building, allowing thrill-seekers to view the busy street 500 feet below.

Good news to those who don't want to take a risk, there is another pool on the fourth-floor terrace. Yehey!

Social media were flooded with posts about Sky Pool. Some have excitedly included it in their bucket list, while others were terrified and very hesitant to try it.

What if the bottomed glass breaks? I hope not! The bottomed glass is made of 8-inch thick Plexiglass. By the way, Plexiglass is used as an alternative to glass sheeting. It offers similar transparency to glass, but it is more durable and relatively shatter-proof. There you go! It is safe and shatter-proof so no need to worry, just enjoy swimming while watching friends 500 feet below.

Here's a video of the Sky Pool posted in YouTube by New York Post.

Samsung S8 and S8+ are now ready to impress the mobile world!

Photo is owned by Samsung.

The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are finally here! Both models have Infinity Display, and it’s totally stunning! Over the past few years, Samsung is really trying hard to provide us ‘head-turner’ smartphones, paired with one of the best softwares in the mobile world. 

The S8 and S8+ are the first Samsung phones with on-screen navigation buttons. Both devices sport 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, 64GB of on-board storage, and microSD card support up to 256GB. According to their website, these new devices are driven by the world’s first 10nm processor. Plus, owners of these elegant devices will get to enjoy using them ‘rain or shine’ as both devices are water and dust proof with IP68-rated performance. 

Samsung is also introducing Bixby - Samsung’s new intelligent interface similar to Siri of Apple. Bixby is integrated to select apps like Camera, Messages, Gallery and Settings to help you interact with your phone efficiently. As you use your S8 device, Bixby will intuitively learn your interests and preferences to offer a more personalized suggestions and help. You can activate Bixby by simply tapping the button below the volume control. 

Another notable feature of S8 and S8+ is the iris scanner. It is believed that iris scan is an effective mechanism that would prevent unwanted snooping since the patterns in our irises are very unique and virtually impossible to replicate. 

What about the camera? Selfie lovers and photography enthusiasts will be so delighted as both devices offer 8MP front camera and 12MP Dual Pixel Sensor rare camera, with F1.7 lens and large 1.4µm pixels that will surely bring in more light to capture best moments.

For more details about its prices and specs, you may visit samsung.com. The phones will be available on April 21 in the US and other major regions, and Pre-order will start on March 30.

World's first Gigabit LTE device is now available!

Photo owned by Telstra

Telstra has once again wowed the world with its super fast internet connection. The Telstra network, in partnership with Netgear, Qualcomm and Ericsson, is now offering its customers a download speed of up to 1Gpbs and upload speed of 150Mbps over its 4G network.

Last January 31, 2017, the giant telco amazed almost everyone in Sydney when it tested the network and introduced a new router to let customers experience the super fast speeds. 

This amazing router is called Nighthawk M1 mobile router. It is the world's first Gigabit LTE device.

According to telco's claim, this powerful device will allow customers to download a 300MB hour long TV episode in as little as 16 seconds, and a 3GB HD movie in just 3 minutes! Wow!

The Nighthawk M1 device uses multiple 4G bands, and can provide fast internet connection to up to 20 devices. This single-sim device is already available for only $360. Customers can also take advantage of this awesome device on a range of plans offered by Telstra.

Click here to view Telstra's mobile broadband plans.

NYC's "The Big Bend" - the longest building in the world?

Many condo developers in New York are quite challenged to NYC's zoning law. As stated in R6 Quality Housing Option of NYC's zoning rules, a 55-foot height limit is being observed for buildings located on narrow streets. Hence why a Greek-born architect has conceptualize "The Big Bend".

The Big Bend is going to be skinny and curve measuring 4,000-feet-long, which is planned to be constructed on the Billionaire's row. Click here to take a quick preview of this amazing concept.

Ioannis Oikonomou, architect and founder of Oiio Studio, wanted people to think it as “long instead of tall". On its website, Oiio Studio says:

“If we manage to bend our structure instead of bending the zoning rules of New York we would be able to create one of the most prestigious buildings in Manhattan...The longest building in the world.”

They've also added that The Big Bend could become an adequate architectural solution to the height limitations being implemented in Manhattan. It is also their goal to provide a structure that will surely stand out without worrying about the skyscraper limit.

Here's a video clip of The Big Bend created &posted by Skyscrapers & MegaProjects.

National Museum Planetarium is now open with FREE full dome shows

This image is owned by National Museum of the Philippines.

The National Museum of the Philippines has just launched its new full dome Planetarium projector. This hybrid projection system, integration of the 1975 analogue projector and the new digital projector developed by the Japanese company Goto, is the first in Asia.

There will be 3 shows available to choose from:
    1. A Planet for Goldilocks

    2. Hayabusa Back to the Earth

    3. Journey to a Billion Suns

These shows are open to children from 5 years old and up.

As part of their inaugural offering, the shows will be offered for free until April 30, 2017.

Here is the Planetarium Show Schedule:

Tuesday-Saturday: Planetarium Program:
1st show: 9:00 am - A Planet for Goldilocks
2nd show: 10:30 am - Hayabusa Back to the Earth
3rd show: 1:00 pm - A Planet for Goldilocks
4th show: 2:30 pm - Journey to a Billion Suns
5th show: 4:00 pm - Hayabusa Back to the Earth

Sunday:
1st show: 10:00 am - Journey to a Billion Suns
2nd show: 2:00 pm - Hayabusa Back to the Earth

For more details, feel free to contact the National Planetarium at (02) 5277889 or email: nmplanetarium1975@gmail.com.

iPhone 7 (RED) supports HIV/AIDS programs

A special-edition red iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will go on sale worldwide starting March 24, 2017. 

These awesome-looking red iPhones will be available only in 128 GB and 256 GB storage options. So, sorry 32 GB lovers. The red iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will be priced starting at  $749 and $869, respectively.

What's cool about these special-edition iPhones is, some proceeds will go to the (RED) organization that supports AIDS prevention and research. 

According to www.apple.com,

"For 10 years, our partnership with (RED) has supported HIV/AIDS programs that provide counseling, testing, and medicine that prevents the transmission of HIV from a mother to her unborn child. So far, we’ve raised over $130 million through the sale of our (RED) products. Now we’re introducing iPhone 7 (PRODUCT)RED™ Special Edition. Every purchase brings us a step closer to an AIDS‑free generation."

Kudos to Apple and RED for this partnership! I hope other companies will follow this trend and sponsor similar causes and programs. This will surely make a difference!


Editor's Note: 

Please be informed that the red iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have all the same features and capabilities as before. Apple is expected to release a new version of iPhone in September 2017. Here are the detailed specs of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus courtesy of GSMArena.

The Fountain: World’s largest multicolor dancing water feature

Photo grabbed from okadamanila.com

Hey fountain lovers! Okada Manila is soon to unveil the newest landmark in the Philippines, and the world’s largest multicolor dancing water feature - The Fountain. The unveiling will happen on March 31, 2017, 7PM at Okada Manila, New Seaside Drive, Entertainment City, Parañaque City.

Live performances by international pop music sensation Robin Thicke, World of Wonders, Asia’s Golden Girl Gerphil Flores, and the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra will showcase their world-class acts. 

Beauty pageants enthusiasts, Miss Universe fans, and Pianatics will be more delighted as Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach will be the event's guest host. Isn't it exciting? I guess, everybody loves her!

This video is owned by Okada Manila

Mark your calendars now to witness a special preview of Okada's advanced projection mapping experience, the Crystal Corridor, and an extraordinary fireworks display.

Click here for tickets & general event FAQs.

Summer Tips: What’s the best SPF level?

image courtesy of Ronile

Everybody loves Summer! Often times, we’re more likely to ask ourselves - what’s the best SPF level for me?

Okay, first of all, let us define SPF. Sun Protection Factor, commonly known as SPF, is a measure of how effective a sunscreen will protect your skin from UV rays. Ultraviolet radiation (UV rays) has wavelengths classified as UVA, UVB, and UVC. These UV rays can cause sunburn, premature skin aging, eye damage (including cataracts), and worst - skin cancer.

So, if you’re planning to go out with friends or family this summer, make sure you bring with you a sunscreen with enough SPF to protect you against harmful UV rays.

So, what’s the best sunscreen and SPF rating?

There is no specific sunscreen brand and SPF level that we can call as the best sunscreen product and the best SPF level, respectively. When it comes to UV protection, you need to pay attention to the ingredients. According to skincancer.org, you look for a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, plus some combination of the following UVA-screening ingredients: stabilized a avobenzone, ecamsule (a.k.a. MexorylTM), oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide to make sure you are protected from UVA and UVB.

While we can't exactly tell which SPF level is the best. Here is a helpful SPF chart that will guide you on choosing which SPF level is recommended based on your skin complexion.

Image owned by hawaiiantropic.com

Let me end this article with some tips:

• avoid too much exposure to sunlight.
• avoid tanning and UV tanning booths.
• cover up with clothing and user UV-blocking sunglasses.
• apply sunscreen with at least SPF 15 (or more) every 2 hours, or after swimming and excessive sweating.
• see a doctor, at least once a year, for a professional skin exam.