Category Archives: Human Interest

Business, Human Interest, International, Science and Environment, Technology, The Media

SILICON VALLEY ENTREPRENEUR HAS SOLUTION FOR GROUP ‘SELFIES’ : RETRACTABLE BOOM POLES

April 30, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Silicon Valley, California – Had there been a Nobel Prize for social media entrepreneurship, a Silicon Valley man would have been nominated for his ingenious solution to group ‘selfies.’

It is estimated that 4 out of every 5 smart phone owners take a photo of themselves on an average of three times a week and post the ‘selfies’ on social media. More and more, however, thanks to that infamous selfie taken by Ellen DeGeneres at this year’s Oscars, selfie-enthusiasts are resorting to group selfies with their friends and family. The big challenge is that unless one has long arms, it is difficult to capture all the group members that needed to be in the photo.

Enter this entrepreneur who goes by a single name of Chakra. Like the Silicon Valley companies that have grown into multi-billion enterprises, Chakra operates his small business from his garage.

His solution for an all-inclusive group selfie? A retractable, telescopic boom pole similar to the boom poles used by film and broadcast companies to extend the reach for their microphones. Chakra’s invention which has been recently patented uses a thin telescopic pole which, when retracted , is about the size of a pen – thus making it easy to carry around anywhere for those instant selfie moments. At one end of the pole is a custom adjustable clip that can hold a smart phone or tablet. It is bluetooth-enabled so that the selfie taker can click the camera wirelessly from his or her end of the pole.

The Adobo Chronicles has learned that smartphone giants Samsung and Apple are competing to be the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of this new device.

Stay tuned. In the meantime, go get a ‘selfie.’

Business, Human Interest, International, Science and Environment, Travel

METRO MANILA : THE VENICE OF ASIA?

April 28, 2014 Pol Pinoy 1 Comment

Pasig City, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – The Philippines’ Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) seems to have found the perfect solution to the metropolis’ daily traffic nightmare, and it has its unintended positive consequences.

MMDA has just reopened the ferry service along the Pasig River, enabling commuters to cut travel time between the cities of Manila , Makati and Pasig by almost two hours. MMDA says that the two ferries it has launched this week will greatly reduce the number (in the millions) of commuters that rely daily on bus and jeepney transportation to get to and from work or school.

Little did MMDA know that the ferry boats – dilapidated buses placed atop flat barges – is putting Metro Manila on the world map and has sent nervous chills to the Italian city of Venice, known for its gondolas. Metro Manila is on its way to being recognized as the Venice of Asia, thanks to the Pasig River ferry boats.

However, the new service is not necessarily getting all positive reviews from commuters.

Riders were exposed to trash floating in the river—plastic wrappers, broken chairs, Styrofoam—on top of the foul smell emanating from its murky waters. “It smells like rotting things, like a canal’s stinky water. I had to cover my nose all the time,” Jovy Cabilitasan, a 37-year-old Makati resident, said. Her aunt Paneng Loreto, 68, fainted, apparently from the boat ride and the river’s assaulting smell. Passengers also noticed illegal settlers who had turned Guadalupe Bridge into their shelter.

But the MMDA has dismissed these complaints, saying that eventually, riders will get used to it and the ferries will become a prime tourist attraction.

Film and TV, Human Interest, International, The Media

OPRAH WINFREY TO SUE KRIS AQUINO OVER JAMIE FOXX INTERVIEW

April 26, 2014 Pol Pinoy 28 Comments

Los Angeles, California – Oprah Winfrey, America’s undisputed queen of television and host extraordinaire is suing the Philippines’ presidential sister and television host Kris Aquino for defamation.

The lawsuit is in response to a recent televised interview conducted by Aquino with American actor and singer Jamie Foxx aired on the Philippines’ ABS-CBN television network. Aquino, who makes no secret that she is a avid fan of Foxx, told the actor that she is the Oprah of the Philippines.

Lawyers for Oprah, who has her own cable network, OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network), said that the American host and actress was not happy about the comparison. “In fact, there is no comparison at all,” the lawyers said. “Oprah’s breadth of experience and interviewing skills are not even a close match to the neophyte Aquino,” the suit alleged.

The Adobo Chronicles has not been able to reach either the Winfrey or Aquino camps for comment.