DULDULAO DOT NET This Day & Beyond

Category: Press Release

Property Oscars 2015

And the Oscar goes to…

With awards season drawing to a close, it is not only movies and actors that deserve recognition for their work. Global real estate network Lamudi rolls out the red carpet for the Property Oscars—recognizing some of the leaders in international real estate.

Category: Tallest Building

And the Oscar goes to…the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is 829.9 meters (2,722 ft) high and has claimed the official title of tallest building in the world since opening in January 2010. It is almost twice the height of the Empire State Building, which was the world’s tallest building for nearly 40 years.

Burj Khalifa features 162 floors, took six years to be build and is owned by Emaar Estates. It holds several records such as tallest skyscraper, building with the most floors, world’s highest escalator installation, world’s highest restaurant and nightclub, and many more.

Both the height of the building and its costs are enormous. The building’s price tag, at US$1.5 billion, was about 37 times the amount of the Empire State building.

Category: Oldest Building

Considered the oldest building in the world is the nearly 7,000-year-old Barnenez, overlooking the bay of Molaix in Brittany, France. The estimated weight of the massive stone structure is 13,000 to 14,000 tons. It features 11 chambers, each entered by separate passages. No doubt the building has had many more than one owner and purpose.

The Neolithic monument was built around 4,800 BC and classified as a tumulus (a type of grave) in 1850. But over time it was not only used to host the dead. At first the building was 32 meters long, 9 meters wide and 8 meters high. In 4,200 BC and 3,900 BC the building was extended to six further chambers added to the west, increasing its size to 72 meters long, 25 meters wide and over 13 meters high. The structure was almost destroyed after it was used as a quarry for paving stones.

Category: Most Expensive Home

The 400,000-square-feet private skyscraper—situated in the south of Mumbai, India—is the residence of the world’s fifth richest man, Mukesh Ambani. He is the chairman of Reliance Industries Limited and moved in to the 27-storey skyscraper with his wife and three children.

The first six floors are only parking lots, followed by a huge lobby with nine elevators going up Ambani’s 167.64-meter-high (550 feet) home. In the enormous home, which is known as Antilla, no two floors are the same in terms of interior and materials used. The property features several storage rooms, lounges, a large ballroom with 80 percent of its ceiling covered in crystal chandeliers, several swimming pools, a yoga studio, an ice room with man-made snow and a four-story open garden.

The costs of the world’s largest and most expensive home were approximately US$1 billion.

Category: Most Expensive Building

Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the world’s most expensive building is the Abraj Al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower. It is owned by the government and had an estimate building cost of US$15 billion.

The 601 meter-high building is part of the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project, which was introduced to modernize the city in order to cope with the massive amount of visitors who make the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Abraj Al-Bait Towers has a large prayer room capable of holding more than 10,000 people and also includes a five-star hotel to host the pilgrims, who participate in the Hajj each year.

Category: Most Famous Home

The White House is the most famous home in the world and principal workplace of the most powerful man in the United States—the President.

Built in 1792, it features six stories, of which two are in the basement, 132 rooms, 16 bedrooms and 35 bathrooms, measuring altogether 5,901.65 square meters (or 55,000 square feet). Each week the White House receives up to 30,000 visitors, 65,000 letters, 3,500 phone calls and 100,000 emails.

In 1962 Jacqueline Kennedy, the wife of the president, directed the extensive and historic redecoration of the White House. For each room there a different theme related to the early republic and world history was selected. The best-known room is the Oval Office, which also provides the backdrop for many Hollywood blockbusters.

REFERENCE & MEDIA CONTACT:

Rodel Ambas

Head of Content and PR, Lamudi Philippines

Email: rodel.ambas@lamudi.com.ph

Phone: +63 917 3015127

February 18, 2015
ASIA: The World’S Skyscraper Capital

Global property portal looks at region’s sky-high towers.

Home to the bulk of the tallest towers on the planet, Asia is without a doubt the world’s skyscraper capital. From Dubai to Shanghai, the region dominates the list of the world’s supertall buildings.

Of the top 10 tallest towers around the world, just two – the recently completed One World Trade Centre in New York City and the Willis Tower in Chicago – are located outside Asia and the Middle East.

Stacked one on top of the other, the 10 tallest towers in Asia would measure more than five km into the sky. These top 10 tallest towers are shown on a new infographic, released by global property portal Lamudi.

With its towering commercial centres and tendency towards high-density living, China leads the world in skyscraper construction. Of the record-breaking 97 buildings measuring 200 meters high or taller that were completed around the world in 2014, 58 of these were located in China. This represents roughly 60 percent of the global total, according to figures recently released by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

The city of Dubai currently holds the title for the world’s tallest skyscraper. Reaching 829.8m high, the Burj Khalifa is the tallest artificial structure on earth. For those without a serious fear of heights, the super tower is also home to the world’s highest observation deck, located on the 148th floor.

The Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is the region’s second tallest tower. Located close to the world’s largest mosque, Masjid al-Haram, the five-star hotel is designed to cater for Muslim pilgrims visiting the holy city. The structure has 76 state-of-the-art elevators offering easy access to the mosque for prayers.

In third place is Taipei 101 in Taiwan, which stands at 508m and was once the tallest building in the world. The skyscraper’s unique design is based on the number eight, which is considered lucky in Chinese culture. The design was chosen to withstand the earthquakes and typhoons that are common in the country.

Elsewhere in Asia, the Shanghai World Financial Center, the International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong and the Petronas Towers in Malaysia also make the top 10 list.

Currently under construction in China is the 632m Shanghai Tower which, once completed later this year, will be the world’s second tallest building. However, at 660m, the Ping An Finance Centre in Shenzhen will overtake the Shanghai Tower in 2016.

Set to reach 1km into the sky, the Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia will take the title of the world’s tallest building once it is completed in 2019.

ABOUT LAMUDI

Launched in 2013, Lamudi is a global property portal focusing exclusively on emerging markets. The fast-growing platform is currently available in 28 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, with more than 800,000 real estate listings across its global network. The leading real estate marketplace offers sellers, buyers, landlords and renters a secure and easy-to-use platform to find or list properties online. For more information, please visit http://www.lamudi.com.ph

Visit Lamudi Philippines on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.

REFERENCE & MEDIA CONTACT

Rodel Ambas

Head of Content and PR, Lamudi Philippines

Email: rodel.ambas@lamudi.com.ph Phone: +63 917 3015127

January 23, 2015
GetMed: Revolutionizing healthcare in the Philippines

We have all experienced the difficulties of finding a doctor and quickly get an appointment. More importantly, on emergency situations, we might not even have an idea where the nearest hospital is or which doctor to call.

For Arthur John Abarquez, one of the founders of UNA I.T. SOLUTIONS, it was on a Maundy Thursday a few years ago when his wife suffered a serious fall, which resulted to shattered bones in her left forearm and hand that compelled him to recognize this need. “We rushed my wife to the hospital but the ER Doctors couldn’t do anything to relieve her pain. They needed a specialist who, at that time, since it was a holiday, was not available. It took them several hours to locate a doctor who had to travel from Calatagan, Batangas to Manila. It was grueling hours of waiting for my wife and myself. I wanted so much to help her but I was helpless, we were at the mercy of the capabilities and the reaction time of the hospital where we brought her,” he shared.

“Had a medical directory, at the very least, been available then, it would have helped us locate the nearest available doctor, not necessarily from the hospital we brought her to but still within immediate reach,” Arthur added.

UNA I.T. SOLUTIONS, the company behind the Health Lifestyle app called GetMed, envisions the product to revolutionize healthcare in the Philippines. The company was built in collaboration with some of the country’s profile experts in pharma, information technology, and consumer marketing – all coming together for one direction – to develop a product that would give everybody an upperhand in managing their healthcare, emergency or otherwise.

GetMed simplifies patient experience in just one touch of a button. Just as how we use online tools to book a restaurant or request for a cab service, patients will certainly demand the same experience in self-booking a doctor’s appointment.

“You would not even want to entertain the idea of waiting,” says Paolo Castaño, a reputable pharma and marketing expert, “so GetMed capitalizes on convenience. With the app, you can conveniently book appointments with MDs, find out nearest hospitals or clinics. The app can immediately give you a directory of doctors grouped geographically and according to specialization.” It is also linked to Waze so you get to manage traffic as you proceed with your respective appointments.

Unlike the many medical apps which are limited to information base, GetMed is highly interactive. “The app is not just an information base, but engages the doctors, patients, and helps build a better lifestyle on day-to-day basis,” shares Chris Hatton, an I.T. expert who had professional stints with a leading global software company in Europe & the Middle East and specialized in Government contracts.

A free download, GetMed Version 1 is available in Android and IOS version. Initially, Version 1 has over 17,000 registered doctors on the database, covering the majority of the country. It also has over 3,000 Hospitals, Clinics & Barangay Health Centres located in Luzon, Visayas & Mindanao. All listings for both doctors and hospitals are 95% accurate.

“A lot of things are coming for the app,” says Chris, “but we do not want to rush things. Importance of the app right now, with Version 1, is the simplicity and usefulness. We just want to make sure we are doing it the correct manner.”

GetMed is aimed at making the Philippines a major player in the app-business, a product that is made in the Philippines that will make us proud. Its mission is to bring healthcare at the touch of a button, manage your healthcare more efficiently, conveniently and more precise.

From L-R- Arthur John Abarquez, Paolo Castaño and Chris Hatton

“We believe in the project. And Philippines is the right place to launch this kind of product and that’s important. We have such great faith in the Philippines. Great technology skills. We’re very Filipino. We have Filipino staff. We use Filipino developers. We are proud that this is a Filipino-made product. It’s the first time that we are consolidating the data of doctors and patients into one big picture. We’re bringing quality life.”

REFERENCE:

Jerome G. Samson
Event and Activation
09167861568
jerome.g.samson@gmail.com

January 20, 2015
Infographic: What will your house look like in 10 years?

Smart home technology gaining traction in emerging markets.

From the moment you wake up in the morning, the house reacts to your needs. The automated lights turn on slowly to wake you up at a scheduled time. From the comfort of your bed, you switch on your coffee machine so your morning cup is fresh and hot by the time you arrive downstairs for breakfast.

You enter the bathroom and stand in front of your intelligent mirror. The mirror’s reflective surface springs to life with all the information you need to kick-start your day, including the weather and the morning’s top news. The device also plays your favourite music so you are always guaranteed to start the day in a good mood.

After getting ready, you go to the kitchen for breakfast where your smart refrigerator alerts you that you are nearly out of milk. With the tap of a finger on the fridge’s touch screen, you can restock your fridge and order all your groceries for the week through an online store.

The infiltration of technology to assist with these small daily tasks may just be the beginning. The fully-connected home is designed to boost energy efficiency, protect against intruders and even monitor your family’s health. With the rapid growth in the home automation industry, so-called smart home systems have already hit the mainstream – although the high cost of such devices keeps them out of reach for many. But there are signs that this is about to change.

This year, revenue from the smart home market is expected to exceed $US48 billion, according to recent Strategy Analytics forecasts. By 2019, the sector’s market revenue will increase to $115 billion. By the end of this decade, nearly 12 percent of global households will have at least one type of smart system installed. In fact, Tony Fadell, the CEO of Nest – the connected homes product company that was bought by Google earlier this year – has predicted that within a decade, every electrical device in your home will be connected to the internet.

While the smart home market is quickly gaining traction in developed countries, there are now signs that the trend is spreading to the emerging markets. Consumers in the Asia Pacific region has been particularly keen to embrace the new connected technologies, as tech companies begin to acknowledge the opportunities in this sector.

Connected home firm Icontrol Networks expanded to Asia in October, with the company partnering with a Japanese cable provider to offer a smart home system that consumers can install themselves. This month, Chinese electronics firm Xiaomi invested 1.26 billion yuan (about $200 million) in home appliance company Midea, as it looks to expand into the smart homes market.

Lamudi’s Global Co-Founder and Managing Director, Kian Moini, said: “The smart home concept is all about making living much more comfortable, as well as more efficient, which means that the concept has universal appeal. As prices come down in the coming years and people worldwide begin to focus more on issues such as energy saving, we expect to see this trend sweep the emerging markets as well.”

REFERENCE & MEDIA CONTACT

Rodel Ambas
Head of Content and PR, Lamudi Philippines
Email: rodel.ambas@lamudi.com.ph
Phone: +63 917 3015127

January 13, 2015
Hydrating healthily in life 24/7

It is already a fact that we need water every day to keep our bodies healthy, functioning well and strong enough to withstand sickness. Yet we still go for drinks that quench our thirst and at the same time are
flavorful and enjoyable to drink – juices and carbonated drinks are the usual suspects. They do taste good and give us some added nutrients; however, it is probable that some of them have chemicals that will not be as healthy as some minerals that are needed by the body.

Fortunately, Pocari Sweat, a health hydration drink by Otsuka Philippines Pharmaceutical Inc., brings hydration to a healthier but enjoyable level. Pocari Sweat is highly recommended to those who are
in need of immediate hydration, most especially those who have an active lifestyle and those who suffer from dehydration because of illness.

Pocari Sweat has a refreshing mild taste, even best when it’s cold, you won’t need another beverage to wash off a strong taste and flavor from your usual drink. Yet, children as young as one year old can
safely drink it. It does not have artificial coloring, no preservatives, no caffeine, and no artificial sweetener, which then makes it safe for anyone who needs immediate hydration.

Especially now during these months when “ber-month” celebrations are close at hand, numerous parties will be held with family, friends, and co-workers from before the Christmas season until the New Year.
Alcohol will definitely flow and other fun activities will get you into that party mood that lasts up until the sun rises.

Those who love to go on a night out after work can get over hangover easily just by drinking Pocari Sweat before they turn in after their night cap. There is no fun in having those head-cracking hangovers.
When we drink alcoholic drinks like beer and cocktail, we get dehydrated easily because we tend to do a lot of restroom breaks.

Alcohol also drains the electrolytes that our bodies need to function that is why when we get drunk, we sometimes can’t get a hold of ourselves. Coffee and some warm soup may give us some relief for a
time, but still, the best way to battle hangover is to replenish our body with enough electrolytes – something that a bottle of Pocari Sweat can give.

Pocari Sweat comes in 330ml can (Php 24.00), 350ml PET bottle (Php 24.00), 500ml PET bottle (Php 35.00), 2L PET bottle (Php 125.00). Pocari Sweat is available in major chain drugstores, supermarkets and convenience stores.

REFERENCE:

Jerome Samson-09167861568

AMPR Publicity & Communications Inc.

December 16, 2014
Introducing Quattron Pro, Another Engineering Marvel from Sharp

Elevate Your Home Entertainment with a Beyond UHD Experience

The evolution of the television set has already come a long way, from the traditional wood-enclosed ones that offer monochromatic pictures and then moving to color, from the cathode ray tubes to LCD to plasma, and now with LED.

Never content with just following the trend, Sharp (Phils.) Corp. has decided to take it up a notch by helping change the way we see pictures on TV. A few years ago, Sharp introduced Quattron Technology, a proprietary color technology which adds the sub-pixel Yellow to the traditional Red-Green-Blue color setup, for a more natural reproduction of colors, making it more brilliant and lifelike.

Now, Sharp is going even further with the game-changing Quattron Pro Technology. Simply put, Quattron Pro uses the 4-Color Technology and heightens it with the Quattron Pro Drive Engine. The Quattron Pro Engine is a built-in upscaler which transforms the quality of Full HD TV, making it comparable to 4K-Ultra HD picture quality. It is a great improvement on the usual Full HD resolution, adding 10 million subpixels to the 6 million subpixels that Full HD normally has.

Sharp Quattron Pro offers stunning resolution that is better than the other Full HD TV products available in the market today. This means more detail, more depth, and more color. And with the addition of the Quattron Pro Drive Engine, everything looks better when seen on this TV. It upscales any content and makes full HD content almost equivalent to Ultra HD quality.

Quattron Pro is also future-ready in the sense that it allows you to play 4K content without discernible loss in quality. It is a viable and more practical solution, compared to buying a 4K TV today when there is not enough 4K materials available in the market to justify buying one. So, instead of buying a 4K TV hoping to use it in the future when there is more 4K content, you can buy a Quattron Pro now, enjoy Full HD content that is as close to Ultra HD quality as possible, and be ready for the future when 4K content is more readily available. Complementary to the visual precision of Quattron Pro is its sound quality. It has been awarded the THX Certification, a globally accepted standard for sound reproduction. THX was founded by world-renowned Star Wars director George Lucas, who initially created THX to make sure that cinemas could recreate the sound – all the nuances and subtleties – the way filmmakers intended. THX Certification has since then been adapted into home entertainment, with televisions going through 30 test categories, 400 bench tests and 1,000 data points to make sure that only the best of the best are approved and awarded. Because of these rigorous tests, a THX Certification is an instant guarantee that your TV has the highest cinema-house standards for both visuals and sound.

There is no doubt that the television is a ubiquitous part of every household. But Sharp understands that in today’s world, your home-viewing standards are higher than ever. Trust Sharp to provide quality enjoyment and leisure time with the breakthrough Quattron Pro Technology. This commitment is made clear through Sharp’s “Our Brand, Our Pride” philosophy, a pledge to uplift the quality of Filipinos’ lives with exceptional products.

For more details about Quattron Pro, visit www.aquos-world.com

For Reference:

Jerome Samson- 09167861568

Ana Manansala- (02) 706-1971

AMPR Publicity & Communications Inc.

December 5, 2014
Affordability Key Deterrent from Buying Property: Report

Global property portal releases new research on real estate in the Philippines.

Affordability is top of mind for Filipinos who choose not to buy property, with more than 60 percent of renters in a recent survey of online house-hunters citing cost constraints as the primary reason they leased their home.

The findings are contained in new research from global property website Lamudi, which today released its first report on real estate in the emerging markets. The report, Real Estate in the Emerging Markets, provides a comprehensive overview of the property sector in 16 emerging countries, including the Philippines.

The report is based on a series of online surveys conducted with house-hunters and real estate agents in each country, as well as onsite data from Lamudi’s global network of websites. The research examines the habits of online property-seekers, while offering insights into the future of the property sector based on interviews and surveys with local property experts.

The customer survey examined house-hunting habits among buyers and renters. For renters, affordability emerged as the key reason why many Filipinos choose not to buy their own home. More than 60 percent of renters surveyed said they could not afford to buy property. For buyers, the main driver for owning property is security. Nearly three-quarters of buyers cited security as their primary motivation for purchasing a home.

According to the survey of real estate agents, the country’s economic outlook is seen as the top constraint on the property market, reflecting current concerns about a potential slowdown. However, agents and brokers remain overwhelmingly optimistic about the future of the market. More than 90 percent describe their outlook for the next 12 months as positive.

Lamudi’s Global Co-Founder and Managing Director, Kian Moini, said: “The primary conclusion that we have drawn from our research is that the future for the Philippine property sector is extremely bright. In fact, two-thirds of the real estate agents we surveyed are expecting growth of eight percent or higher in the property market this year. The country’s real estate market has emerged as one of the most promising in the Asia Pacific region.”

The report features a series of in-depth interviews with key figures from the property industry of each country, including Jose Romarx Salas, Head of Research and Consulting at Pinnacle Real Estate Consulting Services.

Mr Salas said the key challenge for the Philippine property market was finding enough land to accommodate development. “In Metro Manila, that’s the challenge: looking for suitable land. Some developers are even willing to bid high, which pushes up already skyrocketing land prices in the capital,” he told Lamudi.

The 16 countries covered in the report are: Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mexico and Colombia.

The full report is presented in an easy-to-read online format, available for viewing on the Lamudi website. Visit www.lamudi.com.ph/research.

ABOUT LAMUDI

Launched in 2013, Lamudi is a global property portal focusing exclusively on emerging markets. The fast-growing platform is currently available in 28 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, with more than 750,000 real estate listings across its global network. The leading real estate marketplace offers sellers, buyers, landlords and renters a secure and easy-to-use platform to find or list properties online. For more information, please visit http://www.lamudi.com.ph

Visit Lamudi Philippines on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.

REFERENCE & MEDIA CONTACT

Rodel Ambas
Content Editor, Lamudi Philippines
Email: rodel.ambas@lamudi.com.ph
Phone: +63 917 3015127

December 2, 2014
Lamudi rolls out iOS App to Global Network

Fast-growing property portal’s iOS app now available in 27 countries.

International property portal Lamudi has rolled out its iOS app for property seekers in a further 11 countries, making the popular mobile application available across the company’s global network.

The iOS app has been progressively rolled out in countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America since it was launched in June. The app, Lamudi: Real Estate for Sale & Rent, is now available for iOS users in 27 countries in the emerging markets.

With the release of version 1.5, the Lamudi iOS app has been made available in the Middle East for the first time. The app is now available with right-to-left orientation for Arabic speaking house-hunters in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Countries which already have the app will also benefit from improved speed and security for easier browsing.

The iOS app was this week launched in: Algeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Zambia, Sri Lanka, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Lamudi’s Android app was rolled out to 28 countries in the emerging markets earlier this year.

Lamudi’s Global Co-Founder and Managing Director, Antonius Salis, said: “Our website now hosts more than 750,000 property listings around the world. All of these have been made available to iOS users through the updated Lamudi app.

For existing users, we have also made several improvements to the overall experience. The app is now more secure and faster to use, making searching for real estate on the go even more convenient than before.”

The app provides the perfect platform for house-hunters to rent, buy or sell property on the go. A key feature of the Lamudi app is its customised search function, which allows users to easily switch between the 27 countries available in the app.

The app also provides match alerts, with users receiving a notification as soon as a property that suits their needs hits the market. House-hunters can bookmark their favourite properties to access at any time and on any device.

All listings on the app feature high-quality photo galleries, detailed property information, maps, and multiple contact details for property owners or agents. Users can also share their favourite properties with family and friends via Facebook, Twitter or email.

ABOUT LAMUDI

Launched in 2013, Lamudi is a global property portal focusing exclusively on emerging markets. The fast-growing platform is currently available in 28 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, with more than 600,000 real estate listings across its global network. The leading real estate marketplace offers sellers, buyers, landlords and renters a secure and easy-to-use platform to find or list properties online. For more information, please visit http://www.lamudi.com.ph

Visit Lamudi Philippines on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.

REFERENCE & MEDIA CONTACT
Rodel Ambas
Content Editor, Lamudi Philippines
Email: rodel.ambas@lamudi.com.ph
Phone: +63 917 3015127

November 25, 2014