COOL | Man suits up as Aladdin for Halloween with a twist

Have you already planned a costume for your Halloween party? Well, there are a lot of Halloween attires for sale an online video tutorials as well for you to come up with some amazing Halloween outfits from home. 

If you have a hoverboard, then try out what this guy did. What did he just do? He actually placed a red carpet on top of a hoverboard while dressed as Alladin and it's so cool. Watch the video below.

Posted by Viral Thread on Wednesday, October 28, 2015

COOL | Sports cars zoom past Skyway like a parade

Three months ago, a line of luxury cars drove past the Metro Manila Skyway like a parade of toys that only some of the richest people in the Philippines can buy. For a usual passerby, just seeing one Ferrari makes him/her really get amazed at the vast amounts of wealth that the elite possesses. What about seeing tens of these in an awesome show of money power.

Video Courtesy: Youtube user Leteziaz

Do you think the Philippines shelters a lot of rich people? This line that displays extravagant consumption definitely proves there's a way to financial success through whatever means it was attained.

INSPIRING | Man finds a wallet, shops in the mall, and...

What would you do if while walking in the street, you find a wallet containing some cash and cards? Would you look for the owner and return it or make use of the money for certain use?

The morally acceptable and right answer is to return the wallet to the owner because, of course, it isn't theirs so what's not theirs should be given back to the rightful owner; however, for some people the "finders, keepers" rule still applies. They would defend by saying that it wasn't stealing after all. What if the owner is nowhere to be found? What if there is no ID in it?

Watch the video below as one man attempts to see how certain people would react when he intentionally drops his own wallet.

Video Courtesy: Youtube user DennisCee

Clearly, for the owner who made this experimented, he wanted to know what would happen when he does that. To his surprise, the owner saw one finder who kept the wallet, went inside a shopping mall, and bought some stuff. How would you feel if you were the owner who finds out that what's yours wasn't returned back to you quickly? Would you judge the finder?

VIEW | Five reasons why Glenn did not die in The Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 3 "Thank You"

I'm no longer making some long introduction about Episode 3 of the 6th season of the incredible, action-packed The Walking Dead (TWD), but I have to say one of the best haunting parts of this episode was that scene wherein Nicholas takes his own life by pulling the trigger with the gun pointed to his head after uttering the final words "Thank you," which eventually leads to both of them falling down the hungry herd---Nicholas somewhat arching Glenn.

The last part of this scene shows Glenn helplessly crying out in loss of hope, just "dying" in the hands of the same person this noble character and Rick's moral compass has saved. But did Glenn really die? I have a big feeling he survived and here are five reasons why Glenn, our pizza delivery boy, had a high chance of surviving the deadly grind.

1. Human shield Nicholas

When both Nicholas and Glenn were about to fall, as viewed from a cameraman's perspective, it seemed like Nicholas was surely falling on top of Glenn. And this gave Glenn the accidental shield that could help him survive this episode's walker dominance. Maybe Nicholas' last words connote that he's thankful enough he found meaning for a more acceptable death---to some point helping Glenn make an escape by using Nicholas' body as feeds? Maybe he committed suicide for the best reason, that is, to let someone live?

2. Glenn's facial expression

As he fell down and reached the ground, the camera showed walkers feeding on some innards. Was it Glenn's? It's probable that it was Glenn's, but in all reality, when your innards are already being taken out,  it's either you faint due to blood loss and shock or you die instantly. But at that point in time, Glenn was seen helplessly shouting out loud, crying for help, but it also seemed that he was crying to what he was seeing---maybe he was watching dear Nicholas being scavenged on the spot in an entire blood bath that's too horrific to watch.

3. Glenn's position and the walkers' circle

At a zoomed out, artistic view of the attack on Nicholas and Glenn, you would notice Glenn's head still moving despite the circumstance wherein someone's gut and other abdominal contents have already been taken out and devoured. Notice also that Glenn's head and upper body appears less prone to walkers, assuming that Nicholas' body just have covered Glenn's lower half, which seemingly appears as the point of interest for the walkers.

It surely appears that there are really a few walkers surrounding Glenn's area, thanks to that blocking dumpster which is also primarily the greatest reason Glenn still has the chance to live, if he gets that instant adrenaline kick and acts accordingly. How? The dumpster.

4. The Dumpster

Speaking about the dumpster, I really have a big hunch that Glenn----which at this time is now drenched in Nicholas' blood given that he's not yet bitten because the blood and other body parts rained down on his body---was able to survive by rolling or crawling under the dumpster. Why? The space underneath the dumpster is really big it can fit one human (Asian) body a size like Glenn's. If he's able to do it, there's a big chance he could have survived the attack with the stench of Nicholas' death as his best camouflage.

Can walkers kneel down or bend over to reach underneath? I have seen walkers go under the truck but that's because they lost their lower half and still managed to crawl under. Or maybe I'm wrong and walkers can still grab humans wherever they may be hiding, but not humans masked in blood of the dead.

5. Lucille

If you are reading the comics from which TWD is based, Glenn's death takes place upon the arrival of Negan, one of the best villains in TWD world, armed with a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire named Lucille. Now, this is definitely the coolest way of killing a seasoned TWD survivor. It can also be remembered that major deaths in The Walking Dead usually take place at the very end of an episode. In this TWD "Thank You" episode, the action ended 10 minutes prior to the third episode's finale, which indicates that during this time period, Glenn might have been able to slip himself in the spacious shelter under the dumpster and stayed there until the coast has cleared. And where are we yet in the track of episodes for this season? Third! Just third! Glenn can't just die like that.

BONUS REASON:

At this year's San Diego Comic Con, creator Robert Kirkman told fans to expect “a lot of cool stuff” with Glenn. Meanwhile, actor Steven Yeun (who plays Glenn) said, “The way that we make the show — the writers and everybody really want to focus on making things poignant and purposeful and meaningful. So if it were for Glenn to go, then it's probably going to be awesome." The way that Glenn dies early in the hands of Nicholas doesn't really equate to "poignant and purposeful."

Glenn on set with Jesus Paul Monroe who hasn't been introduced yet. pic.twitter.com/bhtJ8cGcnS

— sp00ky jacob! (@TheAgeOfThanos) October 26, 2015

Another bonus reason for me to really believe he's alive is that Steven Yeung has been spotted in the TWD set with a character (named Jesus) that is yet to be introduced in the series.

@TheAgeOfThanos more Glenn and Jesus! pic.twitter.com/qWekYjXEoG

— sp00ky jacob! (@TheAgeOfThanos) October 26, 2015

Other possible things that may have happened at that time include Nicholas hallucinating on what might happen if he decides to kill himself as they stand atop the dumpster or Glenn just having a beyond-walker-apocalypse bad dream.

So these are the five reasons why I believe Glenn is still alive after that traumatic scene, and these are just my beliefs and opinions. I could be wrong, but my gut feel tells me he's still alive.

However, if Glenn really is dead, then I guess I'd just have to accept what happened and move on. And if that's the case, I can say his meaningless death was poorly written considering all the trials he's been through. He can't  just die because of someone's inability to cope up and act tough. What's your take on this? Are my theories somewhat acceptable?

VIRAL | Touched mother makes letter to thank "teenage" boy who helped young daughter learn how to skate

Jeanen Thomas and her young daughter Peyton were at a local skate park when they came across a group of intimidating teenage boys. However, one of them beyond her prejudice made an act of kindness which changed the way Thomas thought of these boys. 

Peyton, Thomas’ 6-year-old daughter, had been amazed by the boys who pass by the playground and go to the skate park located in Cambridge, Ontario. This interest increased; soon enough she wanted to try skateboarding too. At first, Peyton assumed it was a boy sport, but she and her mother “had a long talk — there's no such thing as boy things or girl things, there's just things, so if something interests you, you can do it."

Dear teenage boy at the skate park... pic.twitter.com/78ry5esoTa

— Jeanean Thomas (@JeaneanThomas) October 11, 2015

Thomas, who’s now 29 years old, was a skateboarder herself. One day, the mom-daughter duo decided to scavenge Thomas’ their basement for her childhood skateboard, bought a pink helmet, and try it out at the skate park. Upon arrival, a couple of older boys intimidated Peyton. Thomas saw some of them smoking and even swearing. 

In just a few minutes, to her surprise, one boy approached Peyton and gave her skateboarding tips. Peyton did have a great time learning. Later that night, Thomas was so touched she wrote a "Dear teenage boy at the skate park" letter, letting the boy’s parents’ know how nice a kid he is. In the viral letter, Thomas said, “She proceeded to go down the ramp in spite of you and your friends flying past her and grinding rails beside her. She only had two or three runs in before you approached her and said ‘Hey, excuse me…’ I immediately prepared to deliver my ‘She’s allowed to use this park just as much as you guys’ speech when I heard you say ‘You’re feet are wrong. Can I help you?’ 

Thomas thanked him saying, "I want you to know that I am proud that you are part of my community, and I want to thank you for being so kind to my daughter, even though your friends made fun of you for it. She left with a sense of pride and with the confidence that she can do anything, because of you." Not only did he help her how to balance and steer, he also gave her a sense of belonging.

LIST | Top 10 Best Jobs in the World 2015

Are you still at a point wherein you're still deciding what career path to take? Are you already part of an industry where you feel you don't fit in or in which you feel it isn't right anymore? Are you ready to take a leap of faith and make the biggest jump of your life?

Image Source: www.wimbledondrivingschool.com

In most cases, a well-compensated job equates to an extra busy schedule which takes away a lot of family time and "me" time. In other cases, there are high-paying jobs that allows for better balance in life. Glassdoor.com, a salary comparison website, has come up with its list of the 25 best jobs in the world in terms of work-life balance which is evaluated from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest).

Manila LifeBox will give you the 10 best jobs in Glassdoor's list because I feel like these are the coolest jobs in the world which gives you the best of both worlds (career and personal life). The list of the top 25 jobs in the world has also been featured in the World Economic Forum's website.

1. Data Scientist
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.2
Salary: $114,808
Job Openings: 1,315

2. SEO Manager
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.1
Salary: $45,720
Job Openings: 338

3. Talent Acquisition Specialist
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.0
Salary: $63,504
Job Openings: 1,171

4. Social Media Manager
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.0
Salary: $40,000
Job Openings: 661

5. Substitute Teacher
Work-Life Balance Rating: 3.9
Salary: $24,380
Job Openings: 590

6. Recruiting Coordinator
Work-Life Balance Rating: 3.9
Salary: $44,700
Job Openings: 446

7. UX Designer
Work-Life Balance Rating: 3.9
Salary: $91,440
Job Openings: 338

8. Digital Marketing Manager
Work-Life Balance Rating: 3.9
Salary: $70,052
Job Openings: 640

9. Marketing Assistant
Work-Life Balance Rating: 3.8
Salary: $32,512
Job Openings: 384

10. Web Developer
Work-Life Balance Rating: 3.8
Salary: $66,040
Job Openings: 2,117

If you graduated with the prerequisite degrees that lead to these paths, then great for you! You've got the most envied jobs in the world!

INSPIRING | Local talents sing their top 5 AlDub love songs, compose original OPM songs

If there is one thing that the phenomenal breakout love team of the year, AlDub, has done to orient and guide the Filipino youth, it's to provide the youth an avenue to show off their talents and not only that but to encourage every AlDub fan to patronize and support original pinoy music (OPM).

Here are videos of their renditions of some of the Pinoy love songs (and some notable foreign ones) that top their playlist. Original AlDub songs have also been created by local musicians, hence, strengthening the place of OPM in the music industry.

Everyone's going crazy over the (kasama na ako haha) #AlDub love team, so here's my top 5 songs from #EatBulaga...
Posted by Volts Vallejo on Sunday, August 9, 2015

Video Courtesy: Facebook user Volts Vallejo

TOP 5 #AlDub Songs. Kainlove boses ni ate. (c) Zandra
Posted by Filipino Dubsmash on Thursday, August 13, 2015

Video Courtesy: Facebook user Zandra

Video Courtesy: Youtube user Carlo Ryan Lipata

Video Courtesy: Youtube user Carlo Ryan Lipata

Video Courtesy: Youtube user MaiDen AlDub

TECH | Super cool futuristic inventions you'd love to have

These days so many amazing stuff are flocking the market in great numbers! From extra smart gadgets to innovations of traditional existing things, there's just too much excitement for what's in store for all of us in the next decade. Our potential as advanced thinking, creative creatures just keeps on growing and expanding beyond what our brains can comprehend.

In this post, Manila LifeBox takes you into The Future Is Now's presentation of really cool futuristic inventions to watch out for. 

What if you can buy a stable, tethered quadcoptet that will record an aerial footage of your adventures or perhaps special occasions like weddings? It's a bye bye to hassle selfie shots and a hello to convenient user-adjusted third-party shots using Fotokite Phi!

What if you decide to fabricate own artistic designs? The Simo Mini printing pen allows you not to only 3D-print, but also to solder, cut, and burn material at your own pace! It allows you to just create anything out of your imaginative minds!

There's also FABtotum PRISM, an advanced 3D printer which allows you to do more than just 3D-print with accuracy, but also allows you to cut, scan, and mill. As soon as the cost of production of these printers go down, local plastic manufacturers will definitely have problems competing and catching up with owners of these printers!

What about owning a smart bike that allows you to navigate the quickest, safest route, and that warns you about anything when you make a turn? But not only that, Smart Halo tracks your calories burned, average speed, distance traveled, time it took to finish certain routes, and as well as elevation. How cool is that!

One of the best innovations I've seen is for the usual day-to-day backpack. The iBackPack is ultra smart in that it allows you to be the life of the party by having cool integrated speakers, USB ports, fast wifi router, GPS navigator, retractable USB cords, and a built-in battery! 

Check out the video for the actual devices!

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel The Future Is Now

VIEW | 5 unusual things that you will usually find in Tinder

So I joined this friendship-dating-and-sexcapade app called Tinder just _____ weeks ago and here are a few of the things that you somehow see or realize in life, but you will find more or get haunted further as you dive into this alternative world of matchmaking. (Note: This will be a speedily written post as I have a lot of stuff to accomplish for the day that's enlisted in my to-do list. This was done in about 30 minutes so I apologize for any grammatical errors po.)

Tinder

1. Boobs

One can consistently see a lot of these when watching pron or going to the beach, but I have never seen a lot of these bumming around in Tinder. Like seriously, girls (I'm not generalizing, but if you go put up your own profile and search for women), you will see at least one (pair hehe or one and a half) in every 8 profile that you come across. It's okay to be a bit seductive  (if that's what you intend to do), but don't make it up to a point that your assets occupy a big third or fourth of the space. It's pretty hilarious.

What's a bit alarming is that a few of these showy girls have these "no hookups" description in their profiles. Interesting.

2. Lots of makeup.

You will definitely see a lot of girls wearing heavy cosmetics in their main display photo. I mean it's not bad to put on something to make you look more attractive, but if you will, guys like me tend to swipe to the left when I immediately see someone's face bombarded with too much facial enhancements. In my opinion, girls who have nothing (or at least less) to hide just let themselves be seen as they are when they're asleep. Be who you are regardless of what you're made of.

Well, I can't blame some of you (girls) for doing so, but sometimes too much of something does more harm than good--in this case, how we (at least  I) perceive you. And sometimes, it somewhat appears like there's this hint of desperation to find a match that comes to mind when viewing such profiles. I guess if that's what you are, I can't stop you from doing that but for me, face sans makeup, I'd like to meet someone not for her imperfections, but for the way she compensates for whatever imperfection she has. I too get a bit fixated when I see a pretty girl with her makeup on, but it intrigues me more to see how she looks like when I wake up beside her in bed.

3. Travel buddies.

Siguro, around one in every 6 girls and/or gays (yep, you'd see them as well even if you only chose women as your match preference) look for a travel buddy and some of them place their escapade photos from the peaks of  Pico de Loro to the seascapes of Boracay up to the extravagant trips in Hongkong. I guess women just love to travel a lot  (meaning, high maintenance haha! kidding aside!).

4. Faces that are...

Well, it's pretty normal to see faces in people-connecting-people (social) platforms, but what I'm talking about here are the intensely surprising ones like selfies that are so close, it's like she wanted me to see every detail of her because there's no space left for me to set my sight on the background or simply because there's no background at all because she entirely bombed the photo haha. Or what about angelic (chinita) faces which make me wonder, isn't she supposed to be taken? Is she playing/fooling around? Or is she just a poser (you know, Tinder requires you to login on Facebook which has a lot of poser accounts)?

On the other side of the spectrum, you'd see faces no more because really, it's covered by the bangs or the angling of the photo was made in such a way that only half of the face is seen (hilarious!). There are also other users who display no faces because they're faced away from us with their backs and their body contours the only things that's left for me to check. It's like they wanted me to judge if they're interesting by their slenderness or body type. Or what about faces that are partly hidden by digital images like a kiss-print (don't know if such a word exists haha) or some emoticons? Haha.

5. No disappointments indeed.

You will still end up having a match (on a high standard) even if the photo that you added is the sole photo that you have and that is either blurred or that was shot when you were still an uglier prince (now, ugly na lang haha). Even when you just put a six-word sentence and describe yourself using your age and a few other things, you will still find a match. :)

As for me, I have decided to spare myself from this craze for a while and switched to spotting while jogging haha. Hopefully, I'll come back later to find more unusual things that you will usually find in Tinder. I guess that's it for now. My 30 minutes is almost over. Again, I have no intention of judging anyone; my purpose for writing this post is to let non-Tinder users out there know what to look forward to. Thanks for reading!

INSPIRING | Filipino kid raises funds for school toilet by making toys out of recyclables

Every day, there are millions of interesting life stories from which one can take great insights. This is definitely one of them.

Image Courtesy: Jeru Cajapin, Indigenous PH

For the first of so many inspiring stories that will be featured here, Manila LifeBox shares with you the story of Jupel, a native Mangyan who had to reach Casillon Elementary School in Baco, Oriental Mindoro on barefoot for around 20 minutes. His state, however, did not stop him from going to school.

Image Courtesy: Jeru Cajapin, Indigenous PH

Not only is he someone to look up to for the perseverance and determination he possesses, he has made one special thing that made him commendable---crafting toys. He made use of recyclable materials like used tires and slippers to come up with toy vehicles. He'd cut the rubber using an "itak" and use sticks to attach the rubbers to one another. He makes vehicles out of his dream to ride one, considering the fact that Jupel burns most of his energy and time walking to his school.

Image Courtesy: Jeru Cajapin, Indigenous PH

His artistic talent in creating such works even earned him recognition by people from Top Gear Philippines. Look at how far this kid could go if only he'd be granted formal art training. But what are the toys for? Actually, he builds these toys to raise funds for his school's comfort room. Such a big-hearted child we have right here!

POLITICS | Preview of the 4 Most Popular Presidential Candidates

2016 is probably one of the most exciting electoral events in the history of Philippine politics as 130 aspirants vie for the top and most coveted government position in the country. While most of them are tagged as "nuisance" candidates, only a handful will be fighting over big shares of the voting public. And they are Jejomar Binay, Grace Poe, Mar Roxas, and Miriam Defensor Santiago.

Who among the four of them will the majority of the registered voters elect? Will it be Vice President Binay, Senator Poe, Secretary Mar Roxas, or Senator Santiago? Let's take a brief look into what these presidential candidates have, what political parties they belong to, and what great accomplishments have they made as public servants. Note that these do not provide complete information, but only a preview on what they are made of as possible choices.

1. Jejomar Binay

2. Grace Poe

3. Mar Roxas

4. Miriam Defensor Santiago

ALERT | #WalangPasok Class Suspensions for October 19, 2015 (Monday)

The effect of typhoon Lando has caused local government units in the country to declare class suspensions on October 19, 2015. The list of area where classes are suspended is as follows.

National Capital Region

Caloocan City - all levels
Las Pinas City - all levels

Makati City - all levels

Malabon City - all levels

Mandaluyong City - all levels

Manila - all levels
Marikina City - all levels
Muntinlupa City – all levels

Navotas City - all levels
Paranaque City - all levels

Pasay City - all levels

Pasig City - all levels

Pateros – all levels
Quezon City - preschool to HS only
San Juan City - all levels
Taguig City - all levels

Valenzuela City – all levels

Abra
Province of Abra- all levels

Bataan
Province of Bataan- all levels

Batangas
Province of Batangas- preschool to high school levels

Benguet
Province of Benguet- all levels

Bulacan

Malolos City - all levels

Hagonoy - all levels

Obando - all levels

Bocaue - all levels

Calumpit - all levels

Meycauayan City - all levels

Paombong - all levels

Cavite
Province of Cavite- all levels

Ifugao
Province of Ifugao- all levels

Ilocos Norte
Province of Ilocos Norte- all levels

Ilocos Sur
Province of Ilocos Sur- all levels

Isabela

Province of Isabela - all levels

Laguna

San Pablo City - all levels

La Union
San Fernando City- all levels
Agoo- all levels

Nueva Ecija

Province of Nueva Ecija - all levels

Pampanga

Province of Pampanga - all levels

Pangasinan
Province of Pangasinan- all levels

Rizal
Province of Rizal- all levels

Tarlac
Province of Tarlac- preschool to high school levels

Zambales
Olongapo City- preschool to high school levels

Source: Inquirer

COOL | Billionaire uses own wealth to help fund innovative solutions to the world's biggest problems

A lot of huge problems dot big portions of the world from poverty to food, water and electricity shortages, to health issues and environmental challenges. And the least fortunate ones are the most helpless and most affected. 

Truth is, a lot of inventions are available to address these problems; however, these don't just sound worthy investing in for some of the world's biggest tycoons and corporations. To date, the top 1% of the world's population now own 50% of wealth. If a lot of those on the top of the social hierarchy would chip in to solve these problems, then a lot of hope will sprout on Earth. 

Fortunately, someone's stepping up. Someone from the world's Richest Circle is using his own money to create solutions that will change the lives of billions of people. Who is this billionaire-philantropist spearheading this project? What are these cool solutions he is supporting? Watch this amazing documentary and be inspired!

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Billionaire in Change

ALERT | Storm signals, heavy rainfall warnings raised as typhoon Lando approaches

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has raised public storm signal no. 4 over Aurora province as typhoon Lando approaches the region. It was last spotted at 185 kilometers East of Baler, Aurora, packing a maximum sustained winds of 175 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 210 kph.

Image Source : PAGASA

The weather bureau said Lando, which is expected to make landfall over Aurora area by Sunday morning. was moving slowly at 10 kph westward. Heavy to intense rains would be experienced within the 650 km diameter of the typhoon

Storm surges, Pagasa warned, may reach a maximum of three meters in Aurora and nearby provinces and up to 14 meters in open sea.

Storm signals were also raised in the following provinces (as of 5 PM):

Storm Signal No. 4

Aurora

Storm Signal No. 3
Ifugao

Isabela, Quirino

Northern Quezon including Polillo Island.

Nueva Ecija

Nueva Vizcaya

Storm Signal No. 2
Abra

Apayao

Benguet

Bulacan

Cagayan

Calayan and Babuyan group of Islands

Camarines Norte 

Kalinga

La Union

Metro Manila

Mt. Province

Ilocos Norte

Ilocos Sur

Pampanga

Pangasinan

Rizal

rest of Quezon

Tarlac

Zambales

Storm Signal No. 1

Albay

Bataan

Batanes

Batangas

Cavite

Camarines Sur

Catanduanes

Laguna

Lubang Island

Northern Oriental Mindoro

Marinduque

Intense to heavy rains caused by Lando will affect the following areas:

Ilocos Norte
Adams, Vintar

Isabela
Santiago City, Santo Tomas, Tumauini, Angadanan, Benito Soliven, Cabagan, Cauayan City, Dinapigue, Divilacan, Delfin Albano, Echague, Gamu, Ilagan City, Jones, Maconacon, Naguilian, Palanan, Quezon, San Agustin, San Guillermo, San Mariano, Reina Mercedes

Cagayan
Abulug, Alcala, Allacapan, Amulung, Appari, Baggao, Ballesteros, Buguey, Camalaniugan, Enrile, Gattaran, Gonzaga, Lal-lo, lasam, Pamplona, Penablanca, Piat, Rizal, Sanchez Mira, Calveria Santa Ana, Sta Teresita, Santo Nia, Solana, Tuguegarao

Nueva Vizcaya
Diadi, Kasibu, Quezon

Quirino
Aglipay, Cabarroguis, Diffun, Maddela, Nagtipunan, Saguday,

Aurora
Casiguran, Dilasag, Dinalungan, Dipaculao

Quezon
Jomalig

Sorsogon
Castilla

Albay
Libon, Ligao City, malinao, Oas, Pio Duran, Polangui, Tabaco City, Tiwi

Camarines Norte
Vinzons

Camarines Sur
Baao, Bato, Bombon, Buhi, Bula, Calabanga, Camaligan, Canaman, Gainza, Garchitorena, Goa, Iriga City, Lagonoy, Magarao, Milaor, Minalabac, Nabua, naga City, Ocampo, Pili, Situma, Tinambac

Catanduanes
Bato, Caramoan, San Andres, San Miguel, Virac, Pilar

Leyte
Albuera, Ormoc City

Lanao del Norte
Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Nunungan

Sources: Inquirer, Pagasa

COOL | A hoverboard that can fly! Looks like anyone can fly on their own in the near future!

Some of us dreamed of learning how to fly when we were young. No, I'm not just talking about the aspiration to maneuver an airplane (although that's big a dream enough), but literally flying as a substitute mode of movement for walking! With this, the possibilities of finding shortcuts to get to your place and finding new angles of your landscapes are pretty endless!

Canadian inventor Catalin Alexandru Duru just brought this dream one step closer to reality as he has successfully launched his own flying hoverboard through his company Omni Hoverboards. The 31-year-old Romanian-born inventor took the Guinness World Record for making the longest and furthest hoverboard flight in history.

Through his invention, he was able to fly 16 feet up in the air at a distance of 275.9 meters over Lake Ouareau in Quebec, Canada.

In an interview with CBC News, he said, “I saw how technology was evolving, and I was thinking ’This is actually possible,' So I thought, ’Why not?'”

Check out this cool flying hoverboard and its pilot Duru in the video below.

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Guinness World Records

TECH | Mark Zuckerberg's Internet.org helps Filipino local factory worker aim for her dreams

“Being connected means having opportunity. We're connecting the world so one day everyone can fulfill their dreams -- just like Marissa,” this is what summed up Mark Zuckerberg’s recent post on October 15 in his account about Internet.org’s ability to help those who have no internet access and bring change to their lives.

Enter Marissa. She is a Filipino factory worker who dreams of becoming a businesswoman one day. From her meager income, she’s able to slowly set aside capital to have more stuffed toys which she sells through Internet.org. Watch the video below.

This is a great story about Marissa -- a young woman working long hours in a factory, yet she uses Internet.org to fulfill her dreams of opening a business of her own.Being connected means having opportunity. We're connecting the world so one day everyone can fulfill their dreams -- just like Marissa.
Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday, October 15, 2015

In the video, Marissa narrates, “Araw-araw sa loob ng pabrika ay pare-pareho. Nag-tratrabaho ako ng mahabang oras, pero may mga pangarap naman ako. Balang araw, magiging negosyante din ako. At sa maliit kong kinikita sa pabrika ay sinisimulan ko nang mag-ipon para sa aking puhunan. Nakakakita ako ng magagandang benta gamit ang Internet.org. Balang araw magiging negosyante ako at magkakaroon ako ng tindahan ng mga manika. Kug makikta mo akong sampung taon mula ngayon ay baka hindi mo nn ako makikilala.”

This just shows that no matter who you are right now, you always have the power to rise above challenges and chase your dreams. Keep moving.

Internet.org is an initiative led by Facebook targeting to provide free Internet access to areas of the world with no or limited internet access. Services offered by the internet.org app include those for education, health, work and communication. 

To avail of these services, just install the Internet.org Android app via Google Playstore or visit http://internet.org/ from your phone. The app is only applicable for Smart, Talk ‘n Text, and Sun Cellular subscribers since these telecome companies are the partners of Facebook in this campaign. Open the app and from there, a dialogue box will be displayed. Then, click Continue and turn on your mobile data connection. After that, the free services can now be used.

HOW TO | 3 easy and affordable steps to own and create a .COM website using NameCheap, BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard, and Blogger

For about five long years, I have experimented on using Blogger as a temporary platform to hinge my writing about any topic that I like or love. And within this time frame, I understood how Blogger works, how I can manipulate and add cool stuff, how I can place some ads, how I can gain traffic, and most important of all, how popular the Blogspot domain is for every person out there who wanted to try out writing but didn't have the funds to go own a website. 

Teka, allow me to explain first what a domain name is in layman's term. A domain name simply is that part of the internet ("www." + domain/keyword + ".com, .ph, .com.ph extension, etc") that you can own. 

So I asked myself, why don't I try to have my own custom domain and not just one that's attached as a Blogger sub-domain/URL? At first, I was hesitant to do it because I knew it would be expensive but then I realized I could have my own ______.com if I only research the prices well enough. And indeed, I did. Today, I purchased this new domain ManilaLifeBox.com which I plan to use as a way to project my other side--the more simpler side of me. It is in this site where I will continue and improve from where I started off, Spotlight Philippines. Okay, let's talk about this blog in another post hehe.

How much did it cost me to buy this domain? I actually looked through a lot of domain registrars like GoDaddy.com, Dot.PH, Pangalan.com, NameCheap.com, Web.com.ph, and Zoom.ph. And I realized that the cheapest for me, thinking on a long-term basis, was NameCheap. I can attest that GoDaddy and NameCheap are some of the cheapest providers for domain registration. However, I have had some security issues with the former because GoDaddy has been hacked in the past by Anonymous. 

The other local domain registrars were a bit expensive on a yearly basis, with the first year having a dropped price (say 350 Php) followed by a 100% increase the next year (600 Php). Some offered competitive price points kaso when WhoIs privacy protection service (which keeps your private contacts like name and address unseen in public directories) is taken into consideration, the total cost differences show up. Look these sites up and see the differences. 

 Now, how did I do it? How did I get ManilaLifeBox.com? These are the three easy and affordable steps to having your own affordable website. 

1. Register your own domain via NameCheap.com. 
2. Pay via BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard. 
3. Use Blogger's free hosting service so you wouldn't have to pay for it. 

FIRST. Purchase your own domain via NameCheap.com. 

Let's start. I have explained to you that NameCheap.com is probably the cheapest of all domain registrars. It's so cheap I bought the domain for a number of years. I actually paid around 2300 Php for four years of ownership and WhoIs privacy protection. If I went for GoDaddy, I would have paid around 3400+ Php. To let you see the difference, check out the images below.

Cost of purchasing Blingph.com plus WhoIs privacy protection for 5 years via NameCheap.com

For example, I wanted to buy blingph.com. I want to own this domain and have WhoIs privacy protection for 5 years. If I choose GoDaddy, I'd pay 3,804.15 Php; meanwhile, if I choose NameCheap, I'd only pay 3,001.89 Php ($63.87 at 47 Php a dollar).

Cost of purchasing Blingph.com plus WhoIs privacy protection for 5 years via GoDaddy.com

That's at least 800 Php price difference. Hence, it was definitely one great deal. Just go to NameCheap.com and check if the .com domain name you want is still available. Then, you'd have to add it to the cart. Eventually, you'll have to register your name, email address, contact number, and personal address. If you don't want these details to get leaked out in public, purchase the WhoIs privacy protection service that's discounted as of today. You may also Google for Namecheap coupons which slashes off around 40-50 Php from the total cost hehe. 

SECOND. Pay using BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard. 

Here's the sad part. I didn't have enough Paypal funds nor a credit card to pay for the NameCheap domain. And this is the problem for a lot of bloggers in the Philippines. We're not that much into credit cards and we don't have US bank accounts to fund our Paypal accounts. (But if you have a Paypal account or MasterCard/Visa credit card, then all you need to do is enter the necessary details.)

I was pretty much eager to have it that I decided to approach a few friends online to ask if they have extra funds that they can send me while I pay them via local peso deposit. How can i pay for this if I don't have a credit card or a Paypal account or bitcoins? I quickly contacted the live chat assistant and asked her if they accept MasterCard electronic prepaid cards like BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard. 

In front of the BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard

Just so you know, the BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard is actually very convenient in paying for shopping online like in stores like Lazada, Zalora, or in purchasing airline tickets online. It really takes off the sweat of having to go to the nearest Bayad Center in a shopping mall. However, I haven't heard of BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard in paying for purchasing a domain/website--add to that the fact that the payment is in dollar denominations. It took several minutes before the live chat assistant was able to verify that they accept such cards. Still, there was fear in mind because the funds inside the BPI ePrepaid card will not be withdraw-able anymore. 

At the back of the BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard

Eventually, I decided to transfer 2,300+ Php from my BPI account to my BPI ePrepaid Mastercard. So, after having transferred the necessary amount, I confirmed my order on NameCheap and was directed to its Payment Page. And it asked me to input the details of my BPI ePrepaid MasterCard. These include my account name, account number, the security code (a three-digit number found at the back of the card), and the expiration date. 

And to my surprise, it worked! The payment process was smooth! You can use your BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard to purchase a domain name or website at NameCheap.com. Woah! I was so excited that I decided to continue with the last process, that is to host it in Blogger instead of buy hosting plans and website builders from NameCheap and the like. It's really cost-effective and cheap! 

THIRD. Host your custom domain in Blogger. 

What is a hosting provider? Why look for a host? You need some hosting provider to keep your information and posts in its servers. Actually, you can pay for it through a lot of hosting plan providers, but Blogger offers it for free (including the template which you can personally edit via HTML manipulation)! 

If you'd quickly type on Google's search bar the terms Namecheap and Blogger, you'll see how you can use your domain with your blogger account. Visit this page to know more. It basically simplifies the steps on how you can host your Namecheap domain in Blogger. After following these steps, you can now start blogging!

Now, why use Blogger and not Wordpress as a blogging platform? First, it's owned by Google. And I haven't heard of any issues with Google at all, other than the fact that it could shut Blogger down anytime. But it's nearly impossible that this site is going to stop operations. Second, there's a bunch of differences which can be summarized by the two images below. Enjoy!

 Chart Courtesy: HowJoyful

Comparison Courtesy: HowToMakeMyBlog 

VIRAL | Realistic AlDub charcoal drawing makes waves online

Seems legit, right? This is actually an artists sketch of AlDub made by Hans. 

A young Filipino urban planner's time lapse video of what seems to be a wonderful piece of work showing awesome sketched charcoal portraits of breakthrough love team of the year AlDub, known individually as Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza aka Yaya Dub, has just gone viral.

ALDUB (Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards Charcoal Portrait) Tim...
Lupet !#jm88
Posted by Tee Radio on Wednesday, October 14, 2015

The video which was posted by Hans Alcanzare, a 23-year-old Civil Engineering graduate from Saint Louis University, has obtained more than 64k views in his Facebook profile as of posting time. It was featured on Facebook page Tee Radio and has now gathered more than 150k views and more than 9k likes.

Image Courtesy: Hans Alcanzare

"I used charcoal pencil---soft, medium, and hard charcoal pencils. I used different line weights of graphite pencil: 8b, hb, h, 3h, 2b. (I also used) nylon brush for smudging. I used Bainbridge paper naman," Hans explained.

So, what's more from Hans?

He dwells in the motto that "it is never too late to be what you might have been." What inspires him is his mom. "She's always there to support me," he added.

Real talent deserves attention so for the first of many posts for the VIRAL tab, this one's definitely cool. Keep it up, Hans!

If you guys know of anyone or some cool members of the youth out there who do great, amazing things in their lives and in others people's lives, feel free to send them to leigh(dot)michiyato(at)gmail(dot)com.