ASUS PH launches new ZenBook 14 with ScreenPad

ASUS Philippines just launched their first product of the year in the Philippine Market this 2021, the ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG). In 2020, we have witnessed how to #BeIncredible with the ASUS ZenBook Series in the Philippines, and how it has evolved into the newest Intel 11th Gen models, both boasting the ASUS NumberPad 2.0.

This year, ASUS is committed to continuously search for the Incredible as they launch the All-New ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) with the revolutionary ASUS ScreenPad with ScreenXpert 2.0.

The ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) is designed to match the lifestyle of this generation’s young professionals. It is thin and Incredibly lightweight at 1.19 kg, while still being powered by the latest 11th Gen Intel Core processors. The ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) comes with 16 GB of memory, up to 1 TB PCIe SSD storage, and NVIDIA GeForce MX450 dedicated graphics to help achieve maximum productivity while keeping in style.

The ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) will be available in two stunning colors – the professional and stylish Pine Gray, and Lilac Mist, subtle, sophisticated, and high-end. It also comes with the exclusive ASUS ScreenPad with the latest ScreenXpert 2.0. technology, which features a more intuitive user interface, as well as many convenient shortcuts and functions, allowing quick access to a variety of applications. All these amazing features make the ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) the laptop #BuiltForTheIncredible.

ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) features a highly portable and lightweight design, at just 1.19kg and 16.9mm thin. This makes it perfect for effortless productivity wherever you go, and even for those working at home. It also comes with a 14-inch FHD display with incredibly slim 2.6mm 4-sided NanoEdge bezels that result in a screen to body ratio of 92%. This provides a bigger display area to work on and an uncompromised screen display. With a maximum brightness of 400 nits, the ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) gives users a better visual experience whether indoors or outdoors. 

Aside from its thin and light form factor, the ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) delivers enhanced performance, whether for work or for entertainment use. Featuring the latest 11th Gen Intel Core i7/i5 processors, with 16 GB of memory, up to 1 TB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD, and a full complement of I/O ports including Thunderbolt 4, standard HDMI 2.0 and USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, along with a 3.5 mm audio jack and a microSD card reader, ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) ensures maximum productivity and comprehensive connectivity.

The ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) features a powerful NVIDIA GeForce MX450 dedicated graphics that is capable of accelerating workloads. You can expect up to 1.3x times faster performance over GeForce MX350 graphics, as well as faster, smoother gaming and creating. It also works seamlessly with NVIDIA Optimus technology to give you the perfect balance between long battery life and performance.

ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) adopts an onboard memory design to allow for a thinner and lighter chassis. It also provides a large 16GB capacity, as well as fast 4266MHz LPDDR4X clock speeds to provide plenty of processing power. 

The ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) is available with a 63-watt-hour battery that offers up to 12 hours of battery life for all-day use, allowing users to work an entire day without charging. Along with better battery life, the ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) also offers a fast charge function that charges the battery from 0% to 60% in just under 49 minutes.

USB-C Easy Charge support means that ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) can be used with a wide range of standard USB-C chargers (5V-20V). Users can enjoy ultrafast charging with any PD (Power Delivery) certified charger, including the 65-watt fast-charge adapter supplied with ZenBook 14, or juice up your device on the go with airline chargers, portable chargers, or power banks! It’s incredibly convenient when there are no wall sockets available, such as flights or in vehicles.

The Revolutionary ASUS ScreenPad is now more incredible with its upgraded software – ScreenXpert2.0 which combines the ScreenPad mode and Extender mode from the ScreenPad device, so you can now enjoy these two modes at the same time.

The new user experience will be much better and more intuitive than ever, you can enjoy having a bigger space on your main screen and easily manage your side tasks with a second screen- ScreenPad. With ASUS-developed ScreenXpert 2.0 functions and apps, you can easily switch applications between the two screens using App Switcher. Browse through all open apps via ScreenPad using the App Navigator. Try handy new built-in widget and discover more and more convenient usage with apps running on the ScreenPad.

Here are some of the things that you can achieve with this amazing innovation from ASUS.

Phone Call

Access your mobile phone screen and answer calls directly from your ASUS ZenBook 14 with shortcut feature of the Link to MyASUS software in your Screenpad. Working on your laptop while being able to access your mobile phone will make multitasking easier.

Touchpad and ScreenPad switch

Switching your ASUS ZenBook 14 trackpad to ScreenPad Mode and Touchpad mode will be easier this time because you can now switch modes through the Quick Switch button located in the Navigator bar.

APP Switch

Cross-referencing between your presentation and reports is made easier with the APP switch features. Move your main screen smoothly to your ScreenPad vice versa by clicking the triangle icon in the navigator bar.

Control Center

The ASUS ScreenPad also added a new Control Center button feature that lets you access the basic function keys such as, App Navigator, Screen Capture, ScreenPad lock, and ScreenPad brightness. This also comes in with a floating function key in the upper right corner that can be accessed through the main screen.

APP Navigator

Easily select your preferred apps to be placed on your ScreenPad through the APP Navigator function. This feature is best for those who work on multiple applications and/or documents opened at the same time.

Task Group

Many users often use multiple software tools when working. To help users work efficiently, ScreenXpert 2.0 provides a task group page that allows the creation of task groups. This makes it possible to open multiple applications simultaneously with just one click. Just like in your mobile phones installed applications, Task groups can be named, so it’s easy for users to build groups to suit various types of projects.

The ASUS ScreenPad with ScreenXpert 2.0 is definitely Built for the Incredible, providing you a new way to interact with your laptop and manage the tasks you need while helping you to multitask with no hassle.

The ASUS ZenBook 14 for sure is the perfect laptop for your work-from-home set-up. Aside from its’ features mentioned earlier that ensure you get your tasks done, ASUS also made sure to equip you with the right tools and technology to make working from home as smoothly as possible.

The ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) features ASUS AI noise-canceling audio, which employs machine learning in order to isolate unwanted noise from speech. ClearVoice features for both your microphone and speaker help ensure you’ll hear what everyone else is saying and that they’ll hear you. Multi-presenter mode also optimizes microphone quality from different positions for a great group conference-call experience.

The ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) also comes pre-loaded with Microsoft Office 2019, which means you can already use the popular Office applications out of the box. And since it is a lifetime license, you no longer need to purchase any additional packages, saving you the Php6,995 amount for a boxed version of Office 2019.

The WiFi 6 in your ZenBook 14 allows you to load online content in the blink of an eye, and it’s made even better by ASUS WiFi Master technology, which includes ASUS WiFi SmartConnect. WiFi SmartConnect automatically selects the best WiFi source, so your laptop connects seamlessly to the best WiFi signal and known mobile hotspots.

All of these features combined make the ASUS ZenBook 14 UX435 your best choice for work from home, ensuring you get a great productivity experience while working remotely.

Watch our unboxing of the ZenBook 14 below:

The ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX435EG) powered by 11th Generation Intel Core i7, with 16GB Memory and 1TB SSD is priced at only PhP 79,995, while the model powered by 11th Generation Intel Core i5, with 16GB Memory and 512GB SSD is priced at only PhP 64,995. Both are available in Pine Gray and Lilac Mist colors and come with free Pre-Installed Microsoft Office 2019 lifetime license valued at PhP 6,995.

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HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage: A remake done right

09/07/2021

Everyone is in for a treat this September because the powerhouse actors that are Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac are starring in the much-anticipated limited series Scenes from a Marriage. It is also a long-overdue reunion for the pair as we have not seen them together since J.C. Chandor’s “A Most Violent Year.”

If you have not seen that movie, do yourself a favor and go watch it. It is, without a doubt, a performance by both actors that would convince you that they’ve got their acting chops down. And if you are still unconvinced, then Scenes from a Marriage will set you straight.

Scenes from a Marriage was originally a Swedish mini-series written and directed by the legend Ingmar Bergman. The series delves deeply into a wealthy married couple’s relationship spanning a decade. Despite having to condense the original six-part miniseries into a three-hour film for the American audience, it was still very well received, even earning a two thumbs up from Pulitzer Prize-winning critic, Roger Ebert.

Perhaps Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage translated so well to different kinds of audiences because it was based after his own life and five-year marriage (1965-1970) to wife and muse Liv Ullman. Ullman also top-billed the miniseries with co-star Erland Josephson.

The HBO limited series of the remake gives you a more relatable, modern, well-to-do couple in Mira and Jonathan. Although it does not take away from the essence of Bergman’s original — still examining the same issues of desire, hatred, monogamy, marriage, and divorce — the show’s writer and director Hagai Levi does inject issues that are only present in this day and age given the highly developed social complexities of modern-day America.

Scenes From a Marriage (1974) | Mubi.com

In the opening scene of the first episode, the couple is being interviewed for the PhD study on gender issues by Jonathan’s colleague at the university he is a professor at. In this scene, they discuss Mira’s role as the bigger earner of the household, “working in tech,” distinguished and sought-after, while Jonathan pulls more weight at home due to his more flexible hours as a professor.

Levi presents such a banal scene that might almost be ignored by the viewer, maybe risk it being passed off as an unimportant scene when he, in fact, is already giving you a full introduction of the characters. In the first ten minutes, the viewer is already shown who the characters are as individuals, what their dynamic is like as a married couple, and a history of their relationship — all under the cover of such a seemingly ordinary scene.

It leaves the audience guessing and wanting to know more. There is a subtlety to the way everything is presented by Levi in the show, even in the intentionally muted performances of the actors in especially riveting scenes, that although it may feel like you’re watching something unremarkable it still leaves you emotionally invested in the characters.

The mini-series almost exclusively stars Isaac and Chastain. It’s safe to assume that one can expect a lot of lengthy dialogue. Each episode takes you to an hour of Jonathan and Mira’s life through a span of months, sometimes years, apart. A lot of the backstory of what happened from the last episode to the next is casually revealed in the dialogue between the two main characters.

Personally, I don’t have a problem with films or shows that have a lot of dialogue (*ahem* The Newsroom), but I know it can be tedious for some people. But trust me, every episode of Scenes from a Marriage is slathered thick with such deep portrayal of the necessary emotional climate that each episode demands.

It does not need to be said that the chemistry between Isaac and Chastain is palpable. Maybe it’s the comfortability of being friends in real life. Who knows? After all, Chastain was not originally cast as Mira, but instead was supposed to be played by Michelle Williams. Due to scheduling conflict, Williams had to drop out and Isaac had suggested his friend Chastain replace her.

I dare say that Chastain was the better choice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRuVWHnQlV8&ab_channel=HBO

In addition to starring in the series, Isaac and Chastain are also producers alongside Amy Herzog, Lars Blomgren, Daniel Bergman, Blair Beard, and Michael Ellenberg via Media Res. Scenes from a Marriage airs on HBO this September 12 and is written and directed by Hagai Levi. While waiting, you can catch the emotional trailer from HBO.

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