UNDER THE MICROSCOPE The Central Bank recently announced the rollout of the new polymer banknotes series (₱500, ₱100 and ₱50), in addition to the previously released ₱1000 note, which was front-page news as well as meriting a massive two-page colored ad in national- circulation newspapers (must have cost hundreds of thousands pesos). The topic also trended in social media, arousing much interest and garnering hundreds of comments. The new banknotes, which are legal tender, and therefore, of great interest to all, are said to be longer lasting (up to seven years) than paper notes, more hygienic, have more security features to prevent counterfeiting, and also have “accessibility features to help the elderly and persons with visual impairment.” The new notes did away with the portraits of heroes and past presidents, but now boasts of the biodiversity of Philippine flora and fauna. Not a few are lamenting that we are forgetting “those who have fallen during the night” and asking if we really want a country devoid of heroes. They have a valid point there, since we Filipinos do have short memories. Setting aside that point (which I’m sure will fester during this current politically charged election season), let’s examine the Central Bank claims about these new banknotes. Looking at the notes’ much-touted symbols of national pride, we can’t help but notice the absence of our beloved Waling-Waling (Vanda sanderiana), the queen of all orchids. Instead, what is featured is the sampaguita flower (Jasminum sambac), which is not even an endemic species but native to India and other neighboring countries. The fact that it is still the national flower of the Philippines in spite of it being foreign speaks volumes of our colonial mentality and lack of awareness of what is ours. The Waling-Waling has given rise to a burgeoning orchid industry elsewhere (Hawaii, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan) but has sadly been neglected at home. It is time the Waling Waling is named the national flower instead of the foreign sampaguita. The new notes may be longer lasting, it being made of polymer plastic, they are not as environment-friendly as their paper counterparts. Even when destroyed, their plastic nature means they are not biodegradable and will persist for hundreds of years in the environment. These new notes are said to be more hygienic than paper notes, since viruses and other bugs “do not live long” on their surfaces compared to paper notes. The two-page ads showcase 15 security features of the “First Philippine Polymer Banknote Series.” I can’t wait to see and feel these new features! No, really, we should be able to appreciate how hard it is to counterfeit these new notes. But we know, counterfeiters are also smart and will soon figure out how to make reasonable facsimiles of these notes. But while they haven’t, let’s enjoy the security features these new banknotes sport. What’s more interesting are the comments elicited by this social media-trending event. Pundits are saying that the ₱1000 note should have featured a turtle instead of an eagle, so that it wouldn’t fly off your hands the moment you grasp it. With a turtle, it will at least take a while before it can amble off at its leisurely pace. It speaks of the current economic climate of inflation and how quickly we spend our hard-earned money. Another commented that while it is nice to hold new banknotes, many can’t even touch the bills, since they don’t have the wherewithal to earn them. Others decry the loss of the ₱20 bills, which were replaced by the heavy coins that are hard to carry around. While you can’t please all of the people all of the time, we should at least take care of the more pressing issues (inflation, corruption, joblessness, poverty) more than just changing banknotes. But this is a season for counting our blessings. So, as the President said, the advent of the new banknotes will “add excitement to our kids when they come and ask for their Aguinaldo.” Merry Christmas, everyone!
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WTF?! Google has rolled out a new "feature" on its iPhone app that essentially injects its own links to websites. They are calling this "page annotations" which detects notable names, places, and things mentioned on a webpage (likely good targets for search queries with good ad performance), highlights them, and turns them into links that load up more info from Google when tapped. The idea, Google notes in its Web Search Forums, is to let users "quickly get additional context about people, places or things – without leaving the site they're on." When you tap one of the annotated terms, it opens an overlay window on top of the website showing a Google knowledge panel with more details pulled from the search engine's database. On the surface, it sounds like a handy way to get quick context while browsing. But there are those concerned about Google injecting its own links and content over the top of their websites. It's not quite as egregious as some of the other anti-competitive practices Google has been accused of, but it's another example of the search giant's dominance over the web. To be fair (but not really), Google is allowing website owners to " opt out " of the feature by filling out a form, though it notes that opt-outs can take up to 30 days to go into effect. Just Spotted! Googles New Fake Links On Websites That Take You To A New Google Search! JUST Saw This On A Search Engine Roundtable Article. It Highlights The Text And Then A New SERP Pops Up Inside The Page. This Along With Other Moves Keeps Making Me Think That They Are Doing... pic.twitter.com/x9n6N57Pwn The move comes at a sensitive time for Google, which is facing intensifying antitrust scrutiny and calls to have its search monopoly reined in. Just recently, the US Department of Justice suggested forcing it to sell off Chrome as a potential remedy for its allegedly anti-competitive behavior. It's worth mentioning that in its initial description of this Google app feature, they vaguely state that clicking the annotated links directs users to its own search results page for that entity. However, it later clarified to Search Engine Roundtable that the annotations actually open an "app tray" overlay on the same third-party webpage – without navigating the user away from the original site. If the user wants to return to the third-party content, they can simply close the app tray overlay. The underpinning technology behind Page Annotations seems similar to a new ad format Google launched earlier this year that turns webpage text into sponsored links leading to Google searches.The 100+ best Black Friday Walmart deals still available: Here's your last chance to save
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While Black Friday is officially over, Cyber Week is still very much still to come, and there are plenty of laptop deals running between the two sales. But with so many brands and models available, how do you determine which laptop deal is the best fit for you? To supplement my beloved Chromebook and Lenovo Duet , I decided to buy a Windows laptop. However, Apple's Mac lineup has its own appeal. Plus, I need to think about budget PCs and really figure out the power I actually need versus what I think I need. Our team of CNET experts have tested all computers we could get our hands on to help you decide on the best laptop to buy for the upcoming holiday season. We've combed through the bulk of laptop deals to present the top options available from reputable retailers like Amazon and Best Buy . Take the Apple MacBook Air M3 , for instance. It's CNET's pick as the best overall MacBook , and now you save $200 on it. Check back on this page as we continue adding deals we find for the Black Friday weekend through Cyber Monday. And if you're seeking computing power that is even more mobile, head over to our roundups of the best Black Friday phone and tablet deals so you don't miss out. Best Black Friday laptop deals The latest model in Apple's lightweight lineup, the M3 MacBook Air sits at the top of our list for the best laptop of 2024 . This model features a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, an 18-hour battery life, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It's also designed to work with Apple Intelligence . All colors and configurations are currently $200 off at Best Buy. This HP Pavilion Plus earned the overall top spot on our list of the best Windows laptops of 2024 . This configuration features a 14-inch, 2,560x1,600-pixel display, 512GB of storage and an Intel Core i5 processor. It's also equipped with multiple USB-C and USB-A ports, an HDMI port and a headphone jack for serious versatility. Featuring a 14-inch, 1,920x1,200-pixel touchscreen, the Lenovo Yoga 7 is the best two-in-one laptop of 2024 . This discounted configuration boasts some powerful hardware, including 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, an AMD Radeon 780M GPU and an AMD Ryzen 7 processor. It also comes with the Lenovo Digital Pen stylus. This Alienware model is already one of our favorite gaming laptops for folks on a budget, and right now you can pick it up for even less. There are a few different configurations on sale, but this $1,300 model is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. This laptop can handle almost anything you need without weighing down your backpack or your lap. It has a 16-inch touchscreen display, an Intel Core i7 processor, 32GB of RAM and a whopping 1TB of storage. This 2024 laptop has a touchscreen display, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. It also has the Snapdragon X Elite processor, AI capabilities through Copilot Plus and gets up to 20 hours of battery life. Black Friday gaming laptop deals This 16-inch gaming laptop has 16GB of RAM and a GeForce RTX 4060 along with a 1TB SSD. It's not top-end, but it's a very solid choice for pretty much everyone who wants to game on the go and still enjoy solid specs. This 15.6-inch gaming laptop features a 165Hz refresh rate, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, 32GB RAM and an AMD Ryzen 9 processor for gameplay as fast as your fingers can type. The 1TB solid-state drive can also hold your games and your work files with room to spare. Black Friday laptop deals for students This budget-friendly Acer is the best cheap laptop of 2024 . With an AMD Ryzen 3 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, it's designed for the basics like scrolling social media and checking your email. It also has a built-in webcam, and an HDMI port and weighs just 3.2 pounds so it's easy to take on the go. Black Friday MacBook deals A large screen and powerful hardware make this one of the best laptops for creatives. It's packing some decent specs as well with 18GB of RAM and a lovely 16-inch screen. An excellent choice for Apple fans or fans-to-be. Black Friday Chromebook deals This affordable Lenovo two-in-one is one of the best Chromebooks of 2024 . It has a compact 11-inch screen, making it really easy to carry around all day, and it still squeezes in 4GB of memory too. What should you look for in a Black Friday laptop deal? One of the biggest considerations is which laptop configuration is on sale. With the best laptop deals , typically only a specific version of the laptop is discounted, and making any changes to the hardware, specs or even color could affect the price. This means that sometimes you find that, for example, the 512GB model is actually cheaper than the 256GB option. Be careful when you're adjusting specs and look out for sudden price changes. Ultimately, you're looking for the biggest savings compared with not only the price but the usual "street" price for a laptop. Don't be fooled by list prices. Use price comparison sites or shopping extensions to make sure the discounted price is actually a good deal. Which retailers usually offer the best Black Friday laptop deals? You can usually find laptop deals at a variety of retailers. Major retailers like Best Buy and Amazon , plus smaller competitors like Newegg , Adorama and B&H Photo , tend to offer sales on more specific models, while manufacturers such as HP , Lenovo and Dell usually host larger sales that cover more models and configurations. If you're looking for a specific model, you'll want to keep checking back throughout the holiday shopping season for the latest batch of deals. Will laptops be cheaper on Cyber Monday? Usually, there are no significant differences between the Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts. Big hitters like Best Buy and Amazon tend to bring out the big discounts directly on Black Friday. You might be able to find some additional savings on items that haven't run out just yet. If there's something that catches your eye, we'd recommend jumping on it immediately. Most of these discounts end as soon as the product is out of stock.
Dec. 4 (UPI) -- An Alberta steer originally bought for meat ended up becoming a beloved pet and a local celebrity known for his frequent trips to the local Tim Hortons drive-through. Sylvan Lake resident Kelly Landry said she originally bought the Holstein steer, named Magnum, with the intention of harvesting him for meat, but quickly became attached to the animal. "He's cow, but with the mentality of a horse and the personality of a dog," Landry told CBC News. She said it didn't take her long to decide Magnum was a friend, not food. "He would come to see me and 'moo' at me," she said. "He would run around the barn and call for me." Magnum has become a popular fixture of the community, and is often seen with Landry riding on his back. The duo are best known for their trips to the Tim Hortons drive-through, where the steer's favorite treats, Timbits, come from. "I like to go to Tim Hortons. Many people do it with horses but that's too common," Landry said. "It's just to have some social time and people love to see it." She said Magnum always attracts a crowd in the drive-through. "They were surprised, happy, and they took many pictures," she told Central Alberta Online . "Some invited me to take a coffee... some people came to have a chat, ask some questions." Read MoreOPP bill a bitter pill to swallow