Rachy's inimitable touch

Photos by Joey Viduya

When the country’s only floral architect Rachy Cuna embarks on a project  be it the interiors of a resort or the birthday party of a friend  trust that it will be a work of art. So when Rachy and Allure’s Büm Tenorio, Jr. recently threw a birthday party for PeopleAsia editor-in-chief and Allure editor Joanne Rae Ramirez, they did it with a blast.

The party exuded a relaxed, elegant ambience as it was held at Casa Celestina, Rachy’s ancestral home in the heart of Manila. Homely music played and exquisite wine overflowed as prominent guests and intimate friends gathered around the gorgeous celebrator. Seen gracing the event were Joanne’s husband Ed Ramirez, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, Sen. Loren Legarda, Trade Secretary Greg Domingo and wife Weng, philSTAR.com COO Rose Anne Belmonte and no other than Derek Ramsay.

Guests partook of the Thai fare prepared by chef Sakon Fonmoncee while creative genius Rachy himself primed some delectable langka ice cream, from Fiorgelato, instead of the usual birthday cake. Büm sang the night away with heartfelt songs.

Everybody went home happy and satisfied with gifts from Rachy and The Body Shop.

Happy birthday, Joanne!

Thin, light and powerful

As the demand for ultra thin notebooks continuously grows, Samsung Electronics Philippines Corp. (SEPCO) recently launched its first ultrabook, the Series 5 Ultra, at Privé Luxury Club at the Fort.

The Samsung Series 5 Ultra is available in 13” and 14”. The 14” version pushes the envelope of computing performance with an Intel Core i7-2637M processor, 6GB memory, 1TB of Hard with 16GB SSD ExpressCache system. The powerful processor works with the latest AMD Radeon HD 7550M graphics card. The result is a graphics performance that is 2.2 times faster than the competitors. The Series 5 Ultra is able to do a blazing fast cold boot in just 20 seconds. It will wake from sleep in two seconds. Web browsing is twice as fast as the previous generation notebook PCs. It is currently the only ultrabook with an integrated Optical Disc Drive. In terms of connectivity, the 14” model offers full-size HDMI, VGA, two USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, 4-in-1 multi SD card slot, Ethernet and webcam. All of these come in an ultra light package of 1.84 kg and a thickness of 20.9 mm.

For even better mobility, the Series 5 Ultra 13” is just 14 to 17.6 mm thin and 1.38 kg light. The Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB memory, 500GB storage and 16GB SSD ExpressCache ensure that performance is not compromised. To offer maximum connection to other devices, the 13” model also carries full-size HDMI and a VGA dongle to connect to new TVs and legacy projectors. Data connectivity is enhanced with a USB 3.0, two USB 2.0 ports, 4-in-1 multi SD card slot, Ethernet and webcam.

Both models carry Samsung’s superior LCD technology with 300nit HD LED SuperBright screen, Image Enhancer technology and anti-reflective screen, enabling consumers an ultra viewing experience even in bright sunlight.

The performance has been further enhanced by the extended battery life. The Samsung Series 5 Ultra delivers up to 6.4 hours of battery life on a single charge. The Samsung Battery Life Plus is a true anti-aging battery technology, which keeps 80 percent of the cell’s original capacity in a life cycle lasting up to 1,500 charging cycles or three years. This ensures that the battery can last up to five times longer than other notebooks.

Samsung also introduced its Ultra Icons, who are achievers and entrepreneurs that embody self-empowerment. The Ultra Icons were Juliet Herrera of Serenitea, Alfie Sy of Cash Cash Pinoy and Eugenio Gonzalez of Quick Delivery. Each of them received a Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook in recognition for their revolutionary ideas in the Philippine business.

Business unit director for IT at SEPCO Eric Sulit summed up the event saying, “With the Samsung and Intel partnership, we can jumpstart the adoption of ultrabooks. Our findings strongly indicate that consumers demand more than just thin and light devices; they also want higher levels of performance, bigger storage and longer battery life. The Samsung Series 5 Ultra will be the first to answer these needs.”