Built for the Daily Grind: CASIO PH Spotlights All-Weather G-SHOCK Lineup

Manila, Philippines — Philippine weather has been unpredictable lately. A commute that starts in blistering heat can easily end in a sudden downpour, so the watch on your wrist needs to keep up. CASIO Philippines spotlights five G-SHOCK models that balance durability, everyday function, and style for commuters navigating unpredictable weather and busy city routines.

These timepieces are made with the realities of daily transit in mind. With 200-meter water resistance and G-SHOCK’s signature shock-resistant construction, they can handle sudden rain, crowded trains, jeeps or UVs, and the movement that comes with getting around the city. Features like timers, world time, and LED illumination add another layer of everyday practicality—perfect for routines that rarely go as planned.

"Filipino commuters deal with a lot in a single day, whether it’s a sudden downpour or a train car that feels like an oven," said Sena Kuroda, Regional Sales Manager, CASIO Philippines. "G-SHOCK was built for exactly that kind of unpredictability. Commuters shouldn't have to choose between a watch that can keep up and one that looks good doing it."

For commuters leaning into retro street fashion, the GA-140-1A1 (₱8,860) delivers a strong dose of retro character and nostalgia. Inheriting the oversized, rugged case of the original GA-100 line, its dial design nods to the classic boomboxes and portable stereos of the ‘80s and ‘90s. The result is a bold, vintage-influenced look that adds flair to everyday outfits while retaining the toughness G-SHOCK is known for.

For a more commanding look, the GA-700-1A (₱7,920) stands out with its dynamic three-dimensional face and substantial case. Its sculpted hands make the display easier to read at a glance, and a five-year battery keeps maintenance minimal. A dedicated front button also provides quick access to illumination—especially useful during evening commutes or in low-light settings.

Built for the long haul, the GA-010-1A (₱7,770) and GD-010-1 (₱7,960) combine G-SHOCK resilience with a 10-year battery, so you don’t have to worry about frequent battery changes. Both are made with bio-based resin and finished in versatile black colorways that work easily from transit to the office. A prominent front button activates a high-brightness LED, while the choice between the two largely comes down to display preference: the GA-010-1A features a textured analog-digital dial, while the GD-010-1 offers a large, high-contrast digital display for quick readability on the move.

Rounding out the lineup is the GA-100-1A1 (₱8,870), which pairs a blacked-out aesthetic with the rugged design language long associated with G-SHOCK. It combines four digital displays with aluminum hands for easy readability, while high magnetic resistance shields it from the everyday interference of phones, laptops, and transit turnstiles, exactly the kind of exposure a daily commute brings. Its utilitarian look makes it a solid choice for commuters who appreciate the classic, hard-wearing side of G-SHOCK.

Together, these five models reflect everyday commuters’ priorities—long battery life, quick illumination, easy readability, and personal style. In a city routine shaped by sudden rain, crowded transit, and long days on the move, durability becomes less of a technical feature and more of an everyday necessity.

These models are available at CASIO and G-SHOCK stores nationwide, as well as through the CASIO Philippines online store.

Lenovo & Motorola Qira Expands Personal AI Across Devices and Apps

Berlin, Germany — Lenovo is expanding its vision for personal artificial intelligence with the latest evolution of Lenovo & Motorola Qira, a personal AI designed to work across compatible devices, applications, and services.

First unveiled at Tech World earlier this year, Qira began moving toward wider availability at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in March, when Lenovo announced the initial rollout across more than 20 Lenovo devices. At Lenovo Innovation World during IFA 2026, the company announced several major expansions that aim to make the AI experience available to more users.

One key update is broader PC support. Lenovo & Motorola Qira is expanding to eligible Lenovo PCs with 16GB of memory, allowing more devices to access the platform beyond higher-memory configurations. Since its initial rollout, Lenovo says Qira has reached more than 80 supported PC configurations across its consumer and commercial portfolios, alongside select tablets and Motorola smartphones.

The experience is also expanding to eligible Motorola devices receiving the Android 17 upgrade, including select Edge, Signature, and Razr models. The rollout will happen gradually depending on device and market. Qira will also be integrated into the moto watch ultra, making it the first wearable to support the personal AI. Users will be able to interact with Qira from their wrist through voice commands or by accessing its features directly.

Another important development is deeper integration with everyday productivity applications. Through Lenovo's collaboration with Workato, supported users will be able to connect Qira with services including Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Contacts, Slack, Outlook Mail, and Outlook Calendar. This could make it easier to locate information, manage updates, and take actions without repeatedly switching between applications.

Lenovo is also expanding Qira's connections with Notion and Perplexity, giving users additional ways to work with projects, documents, research, and visual references.

Privacy and user control remain central to the platform. Lenovo describes Qira as having a hybrid, local-first architecture that prioritizes on-device processing where supported. Personal knowledge added to the system is encrypted and stored locally, while cloud processing uses secure, encrypted services when required.

With support for six languages and plans for additional device families and form factors by the end of 2026, Lenovo & Motorola Qira represents Lenovo's broader effort to make personal AI more connected, contextual, and accessible across the devices people use every day.

PH-Owned Fintech Firm BCRemit Marks 10 Years, Surpasses US$1B in Cross-Border Transfers

Manila, Philippines — BCRemit, a Filipino-led global digital remittance company, has crossed US$1 billion in total processed transactions as it celebrates its 10th anniversary. The milestone solidifies its position as a major cross-border payment platform for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) as the company expands into enterprise payments and new regional corridors.

Founded in 2016 by former overseas worker Oliver “Bong” Calma and his son Jose Angelo “Gio” Calma, BCRemit was built directly out of the founders' personal experience with the high costs and delays of sending money home. Rooted in the belief that OFWs deserve to 'send money back home faster,' the platform has now processed over one million transactions across its network.

“Our mission has always been to show that Filipino-led innovation can offer transformative solutions to the world,” said Oliver Calma, Founder and CEO of BCRemit.

By leveraging blockchain technology and USD stablecoins, BCRemit has disrupted traditional remittance channels, reducing average transaction costs to approximately 1% with zero hidden fees, cheaper than the global average remittance cost of 6.4%. This next-gen fintech remittance infrastructure enables near-instant transfers, bypassing the 3-5 day delays typical of legacy banking networks and ensuring recipient families have access to fast and secure digital services and receive maximum financial value from their loved ones abroad without friction.

Today, BCRemit operates across 24 countries worldwide. Its international footprint expanded following strategic market entries into Spain in June 2021, backed by licensed entity BC Remittance S.L. to establish a regulatory passporting foundation across the European Union, followed by rollouts in Canada in January 2022 and the United States in August 2022.

Beyond standard transfers to Philippine banks such as BDO and BPI, cash pickup locations, and e-wallets like GCash and Maya, the platform offers direct bill payments through BCRemit Pay. Overseas workers can directly settle government obligations, including SSS, Pag-IBIG regular/MP2 savings, and loan repayments, alongside property bills and mobile top-ups. To complement its digital channels, BCRemit provides 24/7 human customer support to maintain personal trust for critical family transactions.

Looking ahead, BCRemit is extending its cross-border settlement capabilities beyond retail transfers. The firm is scaling its payment rails to serve small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), business process outsourcing (BPO) firms, and freelancers, while offering white-label payout integrations for third-party financial institutions.

Additionally, BCRemit is preparing to launch in high-volume corridors across the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, with priority target markets including Saudi Arabia, Australia, Japan, and South Korea.

Operating under the regulatory oversight of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Banco de España, FINTRAC, and the Bank of Canada, BCRemit remains committed to strict compliance while serving over 10.8 million overseas Filipinos worldwide.

For more information, you may visit https://www.bcremit.com/ or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Roblox Unveils Major Updates to Expand Gaming, Creation, and Creator Earnings

Roblox is entering a new chapter as the platform celebrates 20 years of innovation and looks to give creators more ways to build, reach, and monetize their games. At its 12th annual Roblox Developers Conference (RDC) in San Mateo, California, Roblox Corporation announced a broad set of updates covering three key areas: Play, Build, and Grow.

Under Play, creators will soon be able to make their Roblox games available as standalone applications across mobile devices, PCs, and consoles. Roblox is also expanding browser-based gaming, with Chrome support expected by the end of the year, allowing players to launch games directly from an Experience Details Page without installing the Roblox app.

The platform is also introducing offline and single-player capabilities that can be combined with online gameplay. Developers will gain additional tools for creating 2D and puzzle experiences, including orthographic camera support and sprite-sheet imports. New social features, such as a Friends chat tab that follows players across experiences and voice typing, are also being introduced.

For creators, Build represents another major development. Roblox's prompt-to-game tool is expanding into public alpha testing in Singapore and Serbia after its initial New Zealand rollout. Creators have already published approximately 9,000 games using Build, with 71% reportedly coming from people who were new to Roblox Studio. Roblox also plans to introduce prompt-to-scene generation and expanded NPC capabilities, including NPCs that can participate in playtesting.

The Grow initiative focuses on creator monetization and game discovery. Roblox Wallet will provide eligible U.S. creators aged 18 and above with a financial account designed to support real-currency earnings, daily payments, and fund transfers. Global expansion is planned for next year, while the Roblox Card, connected to the Wallet, is expected to roll out next year.

Roblox is also enhancing discovery through its Moments tab, where players can watch gameplay videos and transition into games, alongside updates to its discovery ranking system.

Additional announcements surrounding RDC include the launch of Dream Racers, an AI-built racing game showcasing Roblox's 4D “Cube” technology, the Roblox Fall Games Preview, the return of classic branding for the platform's 20th anniversary, and the 2026 Roblox Innovation Awards.

With these developments, Roblox is continuing to expand beyond its traditional gaming model, giving creators more tools to develop experiences, connect with audiences, and access new monetization opportunities.

Vivo Club Brings Dance, Technology, and Youth Creativity Together at NUDC Campus Tour

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Vivo Club launched its campus tour with the National University Dance Company (NUDC): The Dawgpound, celebrating NUDC’s fourth anniversary on September 13 at NU Nazareth School’s St. Candida Hall.

Supported by Vivo Philippines, the event brought together young dancers, choreographers, student creatives, and dance communities from different institutions for a day centered on self-expression, collaboration, and performance. It also marked an important milestone for Vivo Club’s Gen V fellows and core team, who took an active role in organizing the event and connecting with fellow students.

The celebration featured three competition categories designed to highlight different approaches to dance. The Yard featured a 1 vs. 1 Open Styles Battle, while The Den challenged participants through Solo, Duo, or Trio Choreography Showcases. The Pack brought together 8–12-member teams for a Mini Crew Competition.

The competitions showcased emerging talent and culminated in a series of performances that highlighted individuality, creativity, teamwork, and stage presence. AJA emerged as the champion of The Yard, with SLHENDERMAN named finalist. In The Den, Ash took first place, followed by Ellin Imperial and Duttyvybazz. Undefined Crew claimed the top spot in The Pack, followed by Full Artist’e Dance Company and Outlaws Alliance Dance Crew.

Undefined Crew also received the Vivo Club Choice Award, recognizing the group for making a strong impression through its performance and presence.

Beyond the dance floor, the event created opportunities for students to interact with Vivo Club and experience its latest technology. Interactive activities allowed Gen V fellows to connect with attendees and introduce them to the Vivo community. The Vivo X300 FE was featured at the Vivo Club booth, while the Vivo X300 Ultra powered the event photobooth, helping attendees capture memorable moments.

For the Gen V fellows, the NUDC anniversary celebration served as their first major opportunity to represent Vivo Club. Their participation demonstrated how young people can use their creativity, skills, and interests to help shape communities.

As Vivo Club continues its campus tour, the NU stop sets the stage for more experiences that connect technology, creativity, and youth culture. By bringing communities together through shared passions, Vivo Club aims to create experiences that go beyond the screen and into student life.

Students can follow Vivo Club on social media for updates on upcoming campus tours and register as members through the Vivo website.