LIST: 5 tech treats for tots

MANILA, Philippines — Kapamilya actress Denise Laurel is proud on how she raised her seven-year-old son, Alejandro, to become an obedient boy today. 

In an interview with Philstar.com during the recent launch of Discovery Kids App, Denise said she was blessed to have such a great son.

“He’s great. I’m blessed with such an obedient boy and he’s easy to talk to. I didn’t need to punish him kasi kausapin ko lang siya, gets na niya,” the actress said.

Now that her kid is now at the stage of wanting to be playing with someone, Denise said she is making an effort to “bring him out and get him around things that are athletic and activities with other children where he can play with so nagagamit ang energy niya.” 

Designed to spark curiosity and encourage exploration, Discovery Kids is a watch-play-learn experience and a specially curated slate of content within a safe, enriching world that kids might love and parents can trust. 

“Educationally, it will help him learn more while having fun and at the same time, for me, it will be more like I have something that I can trust that I can leave him with, without worrying what commercials would come up, what content it is for kids his age, so at least mas kampante ako,” Denise said.

“There’s a little bit of something for everyone. There’s education, animals, baking, cooking, there are games that influence children to do the right thing like cleaning up, not to litter or throw trash anywhere,” she added. 

The app aims to combine the best of science, nature and the wonders of the real world with beloved characters and unforgettable entertainment.

Getting kids started at debit card, passbook 

Philstar.com/File

American business magnate Warren Buffett once said: "Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago." That is how important savings is, so educating young ones to save up is very important these days.

For RCBC Deposit Products and Promotions Divisions head Emmanuel Valdes, it was the parents who are the ones to start the saving for their children as early as zero year old.

“I started saving for my kids nung wala pa silang malay, at the age of zero. And then nung medyo aware na sila at the age of five, I introduced to them the value of savings. Eventually, what we saved from them, we transfer na for the kids for them to continue. Hopefully, this is the instrument na gamitin nila for their kids,” Valdes told Philstar.com.

Valdes added that the reward system also discipline young ones to spend wisely.

“When they have a good achievement sa grades, you give them something. When you give them something you also discipline them to spend wisely. Siyempre hindi maiiwasan yung bata na may konting bilin pero make sure to always tell them to keep a portion,” he said.

“Whatever you have, save the 10 percent of it. It maybe small but 'pag tuloy tuloy mo na ginawa 'yun, marerealize mo na malaki na pala 'yung naipon mo. As the years go by sila na voluntarily magsasabi na i-set aside na ito,” he added.

Recently, RCBC launched GoSavers Kiddie and Teen Savings Account. It comes with its own debit card and passbook that will assist children in tracking their hard-earned savings. It is also the first start-up savings account in the country that offers a comprehensive insurance package for both parents and the child.

“In a lot of ways, it was the parents who normally start the savings. It’s the parents who introduce how to save sa kids. This is the reason why we designed this product na we’re encouraging not only the students, the youth, but also their parents as well,” Valdes said.

“Our goal is really to have a financial inclusion program for kids. For us, it is very important to have savings. It starts from small savings going up, and so on. Our mission is for people to trust the banking system rather than the traditional alkansya. This is important because it will serve as their foundation as they grow up. Discipline is there, to learn to budget and have a financial control on their money,” he added.

From accidental invention to global sensation

From a mere button, PopSockets now come in over 100 designs. Photo release

In 2010, Philosophy professor David Barnett had a problem: when getting his groove on listening to music on his phone, his earphones got tangled. In a moment of genius, he glued a button to the back of his phone to keep the cord neatly wrapped – this was the moment when the seed for PopSockets was planted. Fast forward to today, that simple button expanded into a simple device that works as a cord wrap, and also as a handy phone grip and a phone stand.

It may have started out of David’s garage but the brand soon became a commercial success. It became a hit even among celebrities such as Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Fifth Harmony, Serena Williams, Gigi Hadid, Jared Leto and Michael Phelps. The company has sold over 35 million grips and mounts in 2017. Available at Urbanize, Elecom, Bratpack and, Rustan’s department stores, it now comes in over 100 various original designs, including licensed ones such as Harry Potter and Marvel.

Predator, not the movie
 

Acer Day 2018 celebration. Photo release

From LAN games to online games, Filipinos love gaming. They need a gaming device with powerful technology and smoothness for them to enjoy more.  

Acer recently boosts its high-end gaming laptop Predator and Nitro with the launch of new 27-inch ultra high resolution monitors that bring games to life.

“Our battle-tested Predator gaming monitors have proven their quality and reliability as a top choice of pro-gamers and tournaments around the world,” said Acer President of Digital Display Business Victor Chien.

The new Predator XB273K gaming monitor aims to bring games to life in ultra-high definition (3840x2160) immersion and features a rapid 144Hz refresh rate that aims to provide smooth images and tear-free gameplay when fast-moving objects buzz across the screen. NVIDIA G-SYNC eliminates screen tearing by adapting to the framerate of the outputting device.

The IPS 3 display panel features a wide color gamut of 90 percent of the DCI-P3 color space for vibrant colors that pop out and deeper blacks. For enhanced color vibrancy, VESA DisplayHDR  400 certification ensures better contrast and color accuracy so users experience AAA games as they were meant to be.

Acer, a leader in computer hardware technologies, kicked off its annual Acer Day celebration last July at the Glorietta Palm Drive Activity Center. Themed “Play Music Together,” the launch event doubled as a concert and dance show featuring Moira dela Torre and IV of Spades, both youth music icons of today, as well as renowned dance troupe the G-Force. 

Until September 17, discounts are in store for those who visit and complete the first challenge at any of the 33 concept stores. 

“Music has been around for decades, and yet it manages to stay youthful, trendy, and innovative,” shares Sue Ong-Lim, Sales and Marketing Director of Acer Philippines. “In a way, this mirrors how the brand regards technology, in that it should always be fresh, modern, and inventive in terms of its design and capabilities.” 

Educational game play

The Happy Meal is now a mobile application. Photo release

Filled with character-themed games, the Happy Studio app is a place where kids can explore their creativity while developing useful skills. The app, downloadable for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, has been designed in collaboration with a panel of child development and play experts. These experts have been working with McDonald’s to create a fun new environment that grows children’s imaginations and encourages innovative thinking.

In the Happy Studio app, kids can choose to step into the shoes of an inventor, an artist, or a musician. Each activity is focused on developing certain skills while putting the child into playful mini-scenarios.

As an inventor, kids can build various objects with their favorite characters while learning creative and logic skills as they go. As an artist, children are able to improve their creative skills and exercise their imagination. As a musician, kids are able to explore musical patterns to help improve their rhythm and timing. Parents can also join in on the fun with features such as Happy Readers, for quality bonding experiences with their kids.
 

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