Category Archives: International

Business, International, Social Media, Technology

SOMEONE AT GOOGLE FAILED TO GOOGLE ‘ALPHABET’

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Google is now Alphabet
Google is now Alphabet

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California  (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – So Google is now part of Alphabet, a new holding company that will manage Google and all of its other products. Why is the new company called Alphabet?

Google/Alphabet CEO Larry Page says it’s because Alphabet means a “collection of letters that represent language, one of humanity’s most important innovations, and is the core of how we index with Google search!”

But the domain name for Alphabet is abc.xyz — not alphabet.com (which is currently getting hammered with traffic it seems).

It looks like neither Google nor Alphabet own alphabet.com — BMW does. Alphabet is part of the BMW group and a business mobility solution with a focus on fleet management and financing. Alphabet was founded in 1997, so it’s unlikely that the company will give up its long-established domain name.

The bottom line is, someone at Google didn’t think of googling ‘Alphabet’ before he or she recommended the new name for the giant Internet search company.

Total fail.

 

 

Fashion, International

THE END OF NEW YORK’S FASHION WEEK AS WE KNOW IT

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imageNEW YORK, New York (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – Fashion aficionados always look forward to New York’s Fashion Week, held in February and September of each year. It  is a semi-annual series of events (generally lasting 7–9 days) when international fashion collections are shown to buyers, the press and the general public. It is one of four major fashion weeks in the world, collectively known as the “Big 4,” along with those in Paris, London and Milan.

But this event is on the verge of being extinct.

There’s a new fashion phenomenon that’s gaining enormous popularity — from Manila to Sydney, from Berlin to Tokyo.  It’s the underwater fashion show.  It features models wearing designer clothes that look amazing above and under water.

The fashion shows feature the usual runway, but is built atop a pool of water, equipped with cameras that project scenes that happen underneath the surface. Models first parade on the above-water runway then jump into the pool for the remainder of their ‘catwalk.’ Giant screens in the auditorium let the audience see what’s happening in the pool.

Most, if not all of the designer dresses  become damaged in the water, but the  resulting display of the designs under water only contributes to a true appreciation of the artistry of the designers.

The new phenomenon is creating a lot of financial headache for the organizers of the fashion weeks in New York, Paris and London and Milan.

Government, International

PHILIPPINES: VICTIMS OF TYPHOON HAIYAN PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

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Haiyan-survivors_CNNPH
Photo courtesy of the Australian Embassy

PALO, Leyte, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – The Aquino government proudly announced recently that it has found P350 Billion ($8 Billion) in savings from the 2014 budget, yet it has failed to release funds previously approved for Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) rehabilitation.

It is no wonder that the United Nations, in a scathing report, gave the Aquino administration a failing grade for the dismal effort to build decent and sufficient permanent housing for those displaced by the devastating typhoon almost two years ago.

A total of 205,000 housing units needed to be built or reconstructed in the typhoon-hit areas, but the Philippine government has built just 2.5 per cent of the units.

It has taken foreign governments to undertake efforts to provide housing for the thousands who lost their homes because of Haiyan.

The Australian government has officially handed over housing units to around 8,000 persons or 1,533 families who were affected by the super typhoon. The units were turned over in a ceremony last July 28 at the Palo Municipal Hall in Palo, Leyte led by Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Bill Tweddell.

“Australia and the Philippines have a deep and warm relationship covering broad areas including development, trade and defense cooperation. Australia will always stand ready to support the Philippines and the Filipino people in times of disasters,” said Tweddell.

During the turnover ceremonies, the housing beneficiaries pledged their allegiance to the Australian government. “If our own government cannot help us with our basic needs, we might as well recognize the foreign government that is helping us,” one of the housing beneficiaries said.

Along with the ownership titles for their homes, the grateful residents also received their Australian citizenship papers.