Living the ‘A life’

It was a momentous evening at Valkyrie in Taguig City as Samsung introduced its new Samsung Galaxy A Series. The A Series is the brand’s first full-metal body smartphone with a sleek and stylish design that boasts powerful performance and gives the way to access the A life.

Samsung Electronic Philippines Co. (SEPCO)’s IM business unit director Digs Dimagiba said, “In recent years, millennials have shown how different they are from previous generations. They willingly and freely throw themselves into the unknown to chase their dreams, follow their passions, break away from their comfort zones and live the A life. With this kind of optimistic disposition and on-the-go lifestyle, we are excited to announce the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy A Series, the perfect smartphones that empower the millennials to fully access the A life.”

SEPCO product manager Melanie Lok introduced the innovative features of the A Series, highlighting the improved front-facing camera that allows better selfies with greater ease. While on stage, Lok demonstrated how the Galaxy A Series’ innovative photo-taking features, such as Wide Selfie, Voice and Palm Gestures Activation, and Beauty Face Features, make selfies easier and more fun to take.

The A Series comes in a variety of colors and sizes, and advanced features that bring the smartphone experience to a new level of functionality. Available in three variants — A7 (in black, white and gold), A5 (in black, white and gold) and A3 (in black and white) — this smartphone features screens that stand at 5.5”, 5” and 4.5” respectively.

The Galaxy A Series ambassadors Lauren Young, event host Yassi Pressman, DJ Callum David, Janina Manipol, David Guison and Lissa Kahayon were introduced. The brand ambassadors, who represent diverse social circles and command a strong following on social media, shared how the Galaxy A Series allows them to access the A life to the hilt.

Yassi Pressman said, “I found myself enjoying the A Series’ super slim, full-metal body.” Meanwhile, Lauren Young found the full-metal unibody of the Samsung Galaxy A as its the most appealing feature. Its stylishness, she added, makes it the perfect accessory to tie up an everyday look.

“As a DJ, I’m always at bars with loud, thumping music, which makes answering calls hard,” said DJ Callum David. “Luckily, my Samsung Galaxy A5 can intelligently adjust sound output based on where I am, so I can hear things loud and clear,” he added.

Actress and commercial model Janina Manipol gushed about the A Series’ advanced selfie-taking capabilities, while fashion bloggers Lissa Kahayon and David Guison talked about its stylish full-metal body and super crisp Amoled screen.

Tweets were quickly posted about the launch using the event hashtag #theAlife. For added excitement, a tweet challenge was announced where media guests who had the most number of posts about the event had the chance to win a Samsung Galaxy A5.

Guests enjoyed canapés and drinks as they awaited who would win the two Galaxy A5s that were raffled off that night.

Empowering the youth

A tropical experience was set at Hyve in Bonifacio Global City recently for Dell Philippines’ summer-themed event.

The fun, summer vibe welcomed guests as soon as they entered the venue. Leis were handed out to guests, who were led to the photo booth area and treated to several party carts offering ice cones, blue lemonade drinks, popcorn, ice cream and cotton candy.

Dell Philippines ended 2014 by giving back to the community and donating more than P10 million to ChildHope Asia Philippines Inc. (CHAP) and Children’s Joy Foundation Inc. (CJFI) as part of its Powering the Possible Youth Learning program. The tech industry leader has partnered with the two organizations to further its computer literacy project and reach out to more than 5,000 underserved youth across the nation.

Dell Philippines president Richard Teo said, “The children are our future, and access to technology and education is critical to ensure their success in a connected world. We look forward to continue our partnership with ChildHope Asia and Children’s Joy to bring cheer to their lives and those of the wider community.”

CHAP, a leading advocate for street children, helps poverty-stricken children become more responsible by providing educational opportunities outside a traditional school setting. The Dell Youth Learning grant is the third grant awarded to CHAP. The organization will use the funds to continue its Mobile Education Van program to reach and assist 500 street children and out-of-school youth in Metro Manila. CHAP will also extend its program to include the second phase of Financial Education, which is a vocational/technical service skills training and Alternative Learning System (ALS) for Basic Education to select street children.

CHAP president and executive director Teresita Silva said they were very grateful for Dell’s continued support in their efforts to advocate and defend the rights of street children that can help protect them from the vulnerabilities of life on the street. She said, “Through this continued program, we aim to educate and ensure these marginalized children can acquire the education and skills to prepare them as future productive members of the community.”

CJFI executive director Rosemarie Dimagnaong said the partnership with Dell has helped CJFI empower children through education and computer literacy.  She said,  “The Children’s Joy Foundation has been a recipient of Dell grant and technology solutions for almost a decade and this organization plans to expand its program scope to reach more youth and children across the country. From two facilities equipped with computer e-labs in Quezon City and Davao City last year, CJFI is adding five more facilities in Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, Cebu and General Santos City.”

CJFI will further its reach by rebuilding four day care centers in Tacloban City that were severely hit by typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Thus, allowing the kids to receive not only care, but also education and an introduction to computer technology.

This year alone, Dell Philippine team members have volunteered more than 2,100 hours, mainly with CHAP and CJFI, to support technology education and other life skills.

Teo added, “I am very proud for our team members’ commitment to ‘powering the possible.’ Their contribution has enabled a significant number of young Filipinos to have access to knowledge through technology. We hope this knowledge can become their catalyst for lifelong learning and future career readiness.”

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