RIM Unveils The BlackBerry PlayBook

New Professional-Grade Tablet Delivers Unmatched Power and Web Performance




San Francisco, CA – BlackBerry DEVCON 2010 - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today redefined the possibilities for mobile computing with the unveiling of its new professional-grade BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet and BlackBerry® Tablet OS.

Perfect for either large organizations or an “army of one”, the BlackBerry PlayBook is designed to give users what they want, including uncompromised web browsing, true multitasking and high performance multimedia, while also providing advanced security features, out-of-the-box enterprise support and a breakthrough development platform for IT departments and developers. The incredibly powerful and innovative BlackBerry PlayBook is truly a game-changing product in the growing tablet marketplace.

“RIM set out to engineer the best professional-grade tablet in the industry with cutting-edge hardware features and one of the world's most robust and flexible operating systems,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “The BlackBerry PlayBook solidly hits the mark with industry leading power, true multitasking, uncompromised web browsing, and high performance multimedia.”

The Tablet You'll Want to Take Everywhere
This beautifully designed and incredibly powerful tablet is ultra portable, ultra thin, and super convenient for both work and play. Measuring less than half an inch thick and weighing less than a pound, the BlackBerry PlayBook features a vivid 7” high resolution display that looks and feels great in your hand. With such a unique mix of utility, performance and portability, you’ll want to take it everywhere.

The New Benchmark in Tablet Performance
At its heart, the BlackBerry PlayBook is a multitasking powerhouse. Its groundbreaking performance is jointly fueled by a 1 GHz dual-core processor and the new BlackBerry Tablet OS which supports true symmetric multiprocessing. Together, the abundant processing power and highly sophisticated OS enable the BlackBerry PlayBook to provide users with true multitasking and a highly-responsive and fluid touch screen experience for apps and content services.

Uncompromised Web Browsing
With support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1, Adobe® Mobile AIR® and HTML-5, the BlackBerry PlayBook provides customers with an uncompromised, high-fidelity web experience and offers them the ability to enjoy all of the sites, games and media on the web. For more than a decade, the mobile industry has worked to bridge the gap between the “real web” and mobile devices through various apps and technologies and, in fact, a significant number of mobile apps today still simply serve as a proxy for web content that already exists on the web. The BlackBerry PlayBook closes that gap and brings the real, full web experience to mobile users while also opening new and more exciting opportunities for developers and content publishers.

High Performance Multimedia
The BlackBerry PlayBook features premium multimedia features to support high-quality mobile experiences. It includes dual HD cameras for video capture and video conferencing that can both record HD video at the same time, and an HDMI-out port for presenting one's creations on external displays. The BlackBerry PlayBook also offers rich stereo sound and a media player that rivals the best in the industry.

BlackBerry Integration
For those BlackBerry PlayBook users who carry a BlackBerry smartphone*, it will also be possible to pair their tablet and smartphone using a secure Bluetooth® connection. This means they can opt to use the larger tablet display to seamlessly and securely view any of the email, BBM™, calendar, tasks, documents and other content that resides on (or is accessible through) their smartphone. They can also use their tablet and smartphone interchangeably without worrying about syncing or duplicating data. This secure integration of BlackBerry tablets and smartphones is a particularly useful feature for those business users who want to leave their laptop behind.

Enterprise Ready
Thanks to the seamless and secure Bluetooth pairing experience and the highly secure underlying OS architecture, the BlackBerry PlayBook is enterprise ready and compatible (out-of-the-box) with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server. When connected over Bluetooth, the smartphone content is viewable on the tablet, but the content actually remains stored on the BlackBerry smartphone and is only temporarily cached on the tablet (and subject to IT policy controls). With this approach to information security, IT departments can deploy the BlackBerry PlayBook to employees out-of-the-box without worrying about all the security and manageability issues that arise when corporate data is stored on yet another device.

QNX Neutrino Reliability
The BlackBerry Tablet OS is built upon the QNX® Neutrino® microkernel architecture, one of the most reliable, secure and robust operating system architectures in the world. Neutrino has been field hardened for years and is being used to support mission-critical applications in everything from planes, trains and automobiles to medical equipment and the largest core routers that run the Internet. The new BlackBerry Tablet OS leverages and builds upon the many proven strengths of this QNX Neutrino architecture to support a professional grade tablet experience and to redefine the possibilities for mobile computing.

An OS Built for Developers
The Neutrino based microkernel architecture in the BlackBerry Tablet OS delivers exceptional performance, high scalability, Common Criteria EAL 4+ security, and support for industry standard tools that are already familiar to hundreds of thousands of developers. The OS is fully POSIX compliant enabling easy portability of C-based code, supports Open GL for 2D and 3D graphics intensive applications like gaming, and will run applications built in Adobe Mobile AIR as well as the new BlackBerry® WebWorks™ app platform announced today (which will allow apps to be written to run on BlackBerry PlayBook tablets as well as BlackBerry smartphones with BlackBerry® 6). The BlackBerry Tablet OS will also support Java enabling developers to easily bring their existing BlackBerry 6 Java applications to the BlackBerry Tablet OS environment.


Key features and specifications of the BlackBerry PlayBook include:

• 7” LCD, 1024 x 600, WSVGA, capacitive touch screen with full multi-touch and gesture support
• BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
• 1 GHz dual-core processor
• 1 GB RAM
• Dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing), supports 1080p HD video recording
• Video playback: 1080p HD Video, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV
• Audio playback: MP3, AAC, WMA
• HDMI video output
• Wi-Fi - 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB, charging contacts
• Open, flexible application platform with support for WebKit/HTML-5, Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Adobe Mobile AIR, Adobe Reader, POSIX, OpenGL, Java
• Ultra thin and portable:
o Measures 5.1”x7.6”x0.4” (130mm x 193mm x 10mm)
o Weighs less than a pound (approximately 0.9 lb or 400g)
• Additional features and specifications of the BlackBerry PlayBook will be shared on or before the date this product is launched in retail outlets.
• RIM intends to also offer 3G and 4G models in the future.


Availability
The BlackBerry PlayBook is expected to be available in retail outlets and other channels in the United States in early 2011 with rollouts in other international markets beginning in (calendar) Q2.

RIM will begin working with developers and select corporate customers next month to begin development and early testing efforts.

The BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK is planned for release in the coming weeks and developers can register for early access atwww.blackberry.com/developers/tabletos.

For more information, visit www.blackberry.com/playbook.

*Bluetooth support required.

Anniversary of Ketsana (Ondoy) Brings Together Students and World’s Best Architects

Climate change is happening more rapidly than expected. As in many developing countries in the tropics, the Philippines’ poorest are already directly hit and they are the first ones feeling the impact yet least able to adapt.

September 26, 2009 with the advent of Ketsana with almost 500 deaths and billions lost became the inspiration for the United Acrhitects of the Philippines, the Climate Change Commission, the City of Taguig and the MyShelter Foundation to go beyond the traditional way of repairing after the storm, but building better habitat braced for a cycle of climate challenges.

The Philippines is consistently on the top ten on the Climate Index Risk as having the most deaths and property damage. Therefore, more and more there is a need to reorient the focus from Low Carbon initiatives, and look to a vision of Zero Climate Casualty initiatives.

Design Against the Elements (DAtE) is a global design competition to look for new blueprints from the best architects from around the world for urban solution for communities already bing hit by the early manifestations of climate change. Through this project it would be a way to bridge the movement of new ideas on how to build resiliency through the use of design and architecture which can lessen the impact of the yearly expected flooding and drought which cause massive migrations of low income urban sectors.

On this first year’s anniversary after the most damaging typhoons to hit the country, DAtE would like to request for your support by publishing this competition that will revolutionize housing in response to climate change. The winning design will be built in the prototype community for displaced teachers in Taguig City, Philippines.

There are currently 74 professional architects registered as of present for category 1 and another 110 for student entries from around the world. Easily one of the most participated design competitions in Philippine history.

The registration to this competition is extended to October 15, 2010.

We look forward to be working with you in developing and achieving safer and more resilient urban communities especially in developing countries.

The website is on: www.designagainsttheelements.org

The short introduction of this project is on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoXVfE3u6I0

With your help it will make a difference and help us make this pioneering model in urban climate adaptation a success.

Know how to shield your child’s eyes from blue light

For growing children, the eyes are their windows to the world as they explore new surroundings and learn new things each day. Thus, assuring their healthy vision is vital in providing them the best foundation for their early development. However, active children’s eyes undergo plenty of stress daily. Aside from the invisible ultraviolet light that can damage their eyes, there are also blue light rays that can harm their vision.

“Blue light is a wavelength within the visible spectrum of light. Despite having a wavelength that is less strong than ultraviolet radiation, it still has the ability to penetrate the skin and cause cell damage,” explains Dr. Mary Rose Teodoro-Chang, a pediatric ophthalmologist. “It’s the most energetic portion among visible light and is present in varying degrees and intensity in everything we see.”

A child’s eyesight, rapidly developing from birth to four years of age, continues to develop its 20/20 vision, until he reaches the age of 7 when the process begins to slow down. Being at their healthiest at the onset, the eyes’ lenses can be very clear and can absorb more light, making them more susceptible to damage caused by the accumulation of free radicals on the eyes. This eventually causes lesions on the retina.

In order to avoid the hazardous effects of blue light on children’s eyes, mothers should be equipped with the proper knowledge on how to shield their children’s eyes through proper nutrition. Mothers should be aware about Lutein, a key nutrient that helps shield the eyes from harmful blue light rays. It also slows down oxidation, preventing free radicals in the eyes.



“Accumulation of free radical in the eyes can cause irreversible damage,” Dr. Teodoro-Chang says. “Lutein serves as a filter against the damaging effects of overexposure to blue light.”

Experts highly recommend introducing Lutein-rich food sources to a child’s diet. Spinach and other vegetables, preferably green and leafy ones, are excellent sources of lutein.

With studies proving the importance of Lutein in children’s eye health, leading children’s nutrition company Wyeth has also pioneered the inclusion of the much needed nutrient in its milk formula. A constant innovator when it comes to healthcare and nutrition, Wyeth has been working with mothers to promote healthy eyesight among children.

Apart from diet considerations, children can also be trained to maintain healthy eyesight habits. Caution them from watching too much television, spending plenty of time in front of the computer, and overexposing themselves under the sun’s direct rays.

With the healthy habit of staying away from too much light exposure, a steady supply of green vegetables and recommended servings of a Lutein-rich milk food supplement, mothers can be assured that their children are in the best condition to see the world through a brighter point of view.

Good times with the barkada relived in Jolly Teen Fair

Ask any Pinoy teen about the key to their happy and carefree lifestyle and their answer is simple: an unending quest for shared barkada moments. Nothing beats having the right company to embark on awesome life adventures. Even something as ordinary as hanging out at the school yard after class or at a friend’s house on weekends is enough to triple the excitement with these fun-loving teenagers. From watching videos to playing cool computer games and sharing funny stories over affordable snacks – teen life brims with countless memories worth living out.

And with the meaty and juicy Jolly Hotdog, teen life can definitely be more enjoyable. This was exactly what the guests experienced during the Jolly Good Times Fair hosted by Jollibee at the SMX Convention Center recently.

During the exclusive event to launch Jollibee’s new Jolly Hotdog TVC, the guests got to relive the fun and memorable times of teen life in a school fair setting complete with an interactive photo booth, overflowing food and a mini-concert starring Popstar Princess and new Jolly Hotdog endorser Sarah Geronimo.

Guests were given access to an all-you-can-eat Jolly Hotdog treat and great giveaways such as Jollibee gift certificates, signed Sarah Geronimo CDs and iPod shuffles, apart from enjoying the virtual fair ground.

For the attendees, the event was a welcome respite from their work and enabled them to relive those good old jolly times with friends -- proof that good company plus great food truly make for perfectly fun moments.

Jollibee enables teens and even teens-at-heart to have even more enjoyable times with the ideal snack selections. The Jolly Hotdog makes for a delicious treat perfect for a barkada’s happy moments. Available in two variants, Jolly Hotdog Regular and Classic, the Jolly Hotdog is perfect for the taste and budget of teen barkadas reeling to go on and on for more happy, quality bonding times. The Jolly Hotdog Classic is affordably priced at P42 for solo, P53 for value meal with drink, and P73 with both regular fries and drink. The Regular variant on the other hand is only P25 solo, P36 with softdrink and P56 with both fries and drink. Even the popular and talented young star Sarah Geronimo agrees: “Just like me, my friends also love to keep it simple. Good times with my barkada also mean catching up on each other’s busy life while enjoying Jolly Hotdog.”

Avon gives birth to the Avon Baby Line

August 31, 2010 – As the company for women, Avon always puts the needs of women at the forefront, becoming a companion in every woman’s life journey. From the budding teenage years of exploration to the full-bloomed beauty of womanhood, Avon stands right beside them by continuously developing and providing world-class products that cater to a woman’s changing needs.

Testament to Avon’s commitment is its latest product line catering to mothers: Avon Baby line of baby soothing oil, tear-free head-to-toe wash and shampoo, and moisturizing baby lotion. The launch event, hosted by celebrity mom Isa Litton, was a day of activities for mothers and children held at the Taguig Arts Center. Kids were treated to fun-filled workshops for drawing animation, storytelling and learning programs that honed the children’s presentation skills and confidence while mothers enjoyed talks on proper baby skincare and sharing each other’s parenting experiences.



“As the company for women, Avon has always made it its mission to focus on their changing needs and desires. We understand how life-changing motherhood is as well as the many challenges it brings. With our Baby line, we want women to feel that we’re with them in their journey by providing them with products that will help them along the way,”
said Avon Philippines General Manager, Mike Gudgin.

Included in the Avon Baby collection is the Avon Baby Moisturizing Lotion, Baby Head-to-Toe wash and shampoo, and the Baby Soothing Oil which soften, cleanse, and sooth baby’s skin. Designed for mothers, the entire collection comes in easy to use packaging for single-handed use.

The Avon Baby line is made out of gentle, mild products specially formulated with natural ingredients. It is created by doctors and developers who are mothers themselves, made with the love and concern that only a mother understands. All products are dermatologist tested, with infusions of organically-derived ingredients like conditioning Vitamin E, soothing aloe, and calming Chamomile. All products are also tested to be hypoallergenic and suitable for sensitive skin.

“The Avon Baby line collection considers a mother’s convenience with bottles that are easy to hold, allowing moms to easily manipulate and apply the products on their babies. The three variants complete baby’s total cleansing and bath cycle, making babies smell fresh and clean all day,” said Elyss Punsalan, Associate Category Manager for Personal Care.

The event culminated with the children presenting their workshop creations to their mothers, who were clearly proud of their young ones. And just like any mother, Avon takes pride in its growing family of world class products.

Global brands Gawad Kalinga and Cebu Pacific work for sustainable communities

By building and strengthening sustainable communities in less privileged areas, Gawad Kalinga (GK) has helped countless Filipinos enjoy a better quality of life. This is a vision shared by Cebu Pacific which supported the organization’s upcoming GK Global Summit in Singapore

As event partner, the country’s number one airline and Asia’s third-largest low-cost carrier flew the Philippines’ GK delegates to the summit recently. Apart from arranging the group’s Clark-Singapore-Clark and Manila-Singapore-Manila flights, the airline also extended to the delegation a free 200-kilo baggage allowance.

“GK succeeds in its nation-building efforts because its programs cut across economic classes to empower people—both volunteers and beneficiaries,” shares Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice president for marketing and distribution. “It’s a mission that our airline supports as we endeavor to uplift Filipino lives through travel.”

GK, which began in the Philippines in 1995, now has 2,000 sites in the country and across Asia, including Cambodia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The organization continues to expand globally as volunteers from different countries bring or implement their own GK programs back home.

Initiated last year in Boston, the GK Global Summit is a convention of groups and individuals who share GK’s quest to end poverty. This year’s event takes the now-global organization one step closer to its goal of making the lives of five million families better by establishing more communities with a holistic approach. The country’s representatives to the summit are expected to share other innovative programs with the rest of the GK Philippines community as soon as they alight their Cebu Pacific flight home.

Aside from this particular initiative, Cebu Pacific’s parent company JG Summit Holdings Inc. has actively worked with GK to complete the Jack n’ Jill Village in Taguig. Together with its other business unit Universal Robina Corporation, thirty-six families in Pinagsamahan Village in Taguig are now proud to have their very own homes at the Jack n’ Jill Village. Aiming to uplift the living conditions of families in Taguig, JG Summit Holdings Inc. and GK’s forged partnership are paving the way to build more sustainable communities.

With a world-class fleet of 21 Airbus and eight ATR 72-500 aircraft, CEB is the preferred airline of many organizations and individuals. One of Asia’s fastest growing airlines, it has 16 international and 33 domestic destinations and is the only airline in the country that flies from four key hubs: Manila, Cebu, Clark and Davao.

Delicious Jollibee Chicken Barbecue choices for everyone

Throughout the years, chicken barbecue has always made its way to Filipino mealtimes and has become a favorite among many chicken lovers. And this classic dish becomes even more special when we find different and creative ways to enjoy it.

Leave it to Jollibee to let Pinoys delight in this special dish in a variety of ways with the Jollibee Chicken Barbecue. With its juicy and tender, delicious inside and out goodness, there’s definitely a Jollibee Chicken Barbecue combo to suit everyone’s taste preference.

Craving for “perfection”

In a short span of time, Jollibee Chicken Barbecue has gained its own loyal fans. Pyey Fabie, a graphic designer, is one of them.

A perfectionist at heart, Pyey ensures that his artworks are not just creative but flawless as well. “I can be very meticulous with my work. I agonize over every image, every color, and every line until it is perfect,” he says.

While he demands the best from himself, he makes sure to indulge in hearty meals of his favorite Jollibee Chicken Barbecue. Pyey visits his usual Jollibee store a couple of times a week to have his 2-pc. Jollibee Chicken Barbecue with rice. “Good food inspires me. I guess that’s why I am such a fan of Jollibee Chicken Barbecue. One whiff of its smoky-sweet barbecue taste and I know, this is a product that Jollibee perfected and I appreciate that,” he added.

Old favorites, new combo

Another big fan is young entrepreneur Christine Kempeneers. Having grown up with Jollibee, she recalls the many times when the family would frequent Jollibee to have their fill of their favorite Jollibee Palabok Fiesta. Other weekends were spent at home enjoying her mom’s own chicken barbecue recipe. She still remembers those two meals as part of her best childhood memories.

And now with the Jollibee Chicken Barbecue and Palabok combo, Christine is delighted that she can conveniently enjoy her two favorite meals. “Now I get my fill of my two favorite meals. Honestly, I get a fleeting feeling of my happy childhood every time I eat it.”

And then there’s the new Jollibee Chicken Barbecue and Jollibee Spaghetti combo which is a hit especially with kids. Every Pinoy kid, after all, loves Jollibee Spaghetti. And by pairing it with the juicy, tender and tasty Jollibee Chicken Barbecue, you’ve got the perfect treat for kids.

Just ask 13-year old Mikee Eusebio who admits she makes her mom bring her favorite combo as pasalubong all the time. “I love it when my mom comes home from work with Jollibee Chicken Barbecue with Spaghetti. The spaghetti and chicken barbecue really go well together, it’s such a delicious meal with the spaghetti complementing the taste of the chicken,” says Mikee.

Mikee will be celebrating her birthday soon and she plans to treat her friends to her favorite Chicken Barbecue and Spaghetti meal combo. “I’m sure all my friends will super like my birthday treat, especially since they’ll get to have both the chicken barbecue and spaghetti in one sitting!” she enthuses.

A bucketful of treats

Among co-workers, the Jollibee Chicken Barbecue 6-piece bucket is also a winner. Account executive Nina Valle, whose days are filled with meetings and presentations, gives her and her officemates a satisfying treat between meetings, client calls and brainstorming sessions.

“When I order in a six-piece Jollibee Chicken Barbecue bucket treat, meetings become more fun and more productive, parang ganado lahat,” she shares.

Jal Natividad, one of Nina’s teammates and close office friend, says no one can resist the call of Jollibee Chicken Barbecue. “We even have some non-team members volunteering to pitch in just so they can share the Chicken Barbecue with us, so at times we go for the bigger 12-piece bucket,” she reveals.

Sometimes they also enjoy their favorite Chicken Barbecue bucket after a hard day’s work. “I always look forward to those evenings when we’d automatically gravitate towards Jollibee,” narrates IT guy Armand Aguado. “Those nights, we don’t just share food–which is so good–we’re also sharing experiences, becoming closer as a team and as friends,” adds Kate Geronimo.

Great for sharing

Filipinos love good food because it’s great to bond over. The Lin family from Quezon City is one big fan of the new 12-piece combo bucket that features two favorite chicken treats - the Jollibee Chickenjoy and Jollibee Chicken Barbecue. “Sometimes we can’t choose between our two favorites, so it’s great that we can have both in one bucket. Now, everyone in the family can enjoy their favorites,” says mom Corazon.

The Lin family usually catches up with each other during Saturday night dinners. “My kids are growing up fast and as a mother, I do my best to know what’s going on in their lives. Having their favorites makes it easier to call them to the dinner table,” she explains. The kids agree that this makes for a fun but not necessarily quiet meal. “Sometimes the kids have a contest on who can eat the most chicken!”

With the variety of Jollibee Chicken Barbecue choices, families and friends are sure to have their fill of their favorite barbecue chicken in many delicious ways. So visit any Jollibee store to dig into these juicy and delicious inside and out Chicken Barbecue treats, or call 8-7000 for Jollibee Express Delivery Service (Metro Manila stores only).