Saturday, February 8, 2025

Let's Do The News! (February 8, 2025)

                                    

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte revealed that being left by a boyfriend or girlfriend is more painful than being impeached. She added that she is feeling well despite the impeachment she's facing. Duterte says she is not attending the impeachment trial.

- The COMELEC, government agencies, and various election stakeholders join forces to fight vote-buying and vote-selling in the May elections.

- The Philippine National Police advises the public not to simply believe those posting on social media calling for a revolt against the government.

- The Grenfell Tower, the site of the fire that killed 72 people nearly eight years ago, will be demolished, as confirmed by the UK government.

- Hamas names the next three hostages to be freed in exchange of Palestinian prisoners as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

- Carl Edwards, Ricky Rudd, and Ralph Moddy are inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

- The Netflix sports docuseries Formula 1: Drive To Survive's Season 7 will stream this March 7th. This upcoming season highlights the F1 24 season.

- The Biohazard RE:VERSE online multiplayer game will end its service this June 29th.

- The Webtoon Artist Associations condemn PeanuToon's sudden closure, demanding adequate compensation for artists.

- The ESA is launching its new iicon video game conference this April 27-30 in Las Vegas.

- ADOR issues brief response to NewJeans' renaming to NJZ.

- Nate Robinson's kidney transplant is a success.

TTFN.

Friday, February 7, 2025

Love Live! Superstar!! Season 3 Original Sound Track - The beginning of the Superstar

The final season of Love Live! Superstar!!, aired on NHK ETV in the fall of 2024 for 12 episodes, marked the conclusion of the adventures of Liella!, the school idol unit representing Yuigaoka Girls High School. This final chapter of Liella's story featured Wien Margarete's revenge plot, which unfolded as Kanon Shibuya left Liella! to form a new group called TomaKanoTe alongside Margarete and the newly enrolled Tomari Onitsuka. 

The storyline followed the girls on their trip to Shanghai and the showdown at Yuigaoka that led to Liella!'s unification. It also addressed the fate of the founding members after graduation and Liella!'s last challenge to defend their title. The story culminated with the original five members of Liella! performing the song that started it all.

Love Live! Superstar!! Season 3 Original Sound Track -The beginning of the Superstar
Love Live! Superstar!! Season 3 Original Sound Track
The beginning of the Superstar

With the story of Liella! well and truly over, the original soundtrack has arrived, making it a must-have for fans who have been part of Liella's final chapter from start to finish.

It's a two-disc OST featuring all of the background music heard in the show, curated by Yoshiaki Fujisawa. The OST also includes TV-sized versions of Liella songs, especially the opening and closing theme songs.

It's their way of saying thanks for watching the final season of the Love Live! Superstar!! TV series.

Liella!'s story is finished but the world of Love Live! will continue...

My FH5 Log: COBRA Meeting

The COBRA version is the most potent variant of the fourth-generation Ford Mustang and the kind of Mustang we, 90s kids, fondly remember. Here in Forza Horizon 5, let's thrust through time uncovering the most potent Mustang.


We begin with the 1995 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R, the last Exclusive Prize Car of Forza Horizon 5 that I got from the Midnight Muscle Storm Season Playlist.

The fourth-generation Ford Mustang was launched in 1994 and although it runs on the same Fox Body platform as the third-generation model, it features a muscular and round exterior design while staying true to the Mustang's roots. It was offered with the choice of a 3.8L V6 engine with 145HP of power and the 215HP 4.9L V8 engine for the GT model. The Cobra model features a GT40-style 5.0L V8 engine producing 240hp of power. Mated to a 5-speed Borg-Warner MT, it sprints from 0-60mph in 6.3 seconds and has a top speed of 140mph.

The 1995MY Cobra R saw the V8 engine's size increase by 5.0L to 5.8L, resulting in 300hp while mated to a Tremec 5-speed MT. The only drawback is that only those who carry a racing license or manage a race team to drive one.


When the fourth-generation Mustang received a minor change in 1999, donning Ford's New Edge design language, it didn't take long until the Cobra R joined the lineup as a special limited-edition model. Limited to 300 units, the 2000MY Ford SVT Cobra R is powered by a shorter 5.4L DOHC Modular V8 engine mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox, producing 385HP of power.


In the twilight of the SN-95 Mustang came the cream of the crop, the 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra. This model is powered by the supercharged 4.6L Terminator V8 engine with 390hp of power.



With the COBRA meeting done, it's time to let the cobras clash around Guanajuato's Bola Ocho to see how potent the Mustang Cobra came in this generation. Let's roll the tape.


Here are the results...

1995 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R - 1m02.996s

2000 Ford SVT Cobra R - 1m01.061s

2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra - 1m00.761s

"Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines"! The 2003 Mustang SVT Cobra, with its Terminator V8 engine, is truly the apex predator of the SN-95 Mustang lineage. Although it is the last model to carry the Cobra name, it perfectly encapsulates the essence of the Mustang for kids who grew up in the 90s.


With the last two cars from the game's final series update, the grand total in Forza Horizon 5's car roster is 891. That's it. 891 cars, including DLC cars, prize cars, and Forza Edition cars. It's a shame that they won't be adding any more after this, there are only a few days left before Mi Ultimo Adios.

Until then, let's enjoy the final days of Forza Horizon 5. Let's make the final moments of Horizon Mexico special for this will be the final stop of the Forza Horizon saga. It's a shame there won't be another Forza Horizon after this.

Goodbye, and good luck!

Let's Do The News! (February 7, 2025)

                                   

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- China is still yet to respond to Philippine President Bongbong Marcos' challenge to stop harassment in the West Philippine Sea in exchange for the return of the Typhoon launcher to the United States.

- Senate President Chiz Escudero says that the impeachment rules to be used in the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte in June will be drafted while the Senate is on recess.

- The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Anti-Bullying Law, reviewed by the Department of Education (DepEd) following the increasing cases of bullying in schools nationwide.

- US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court over "baseless" accusations against Israel.

- Nissan pulled out of the merger talks with Honda, according to reports. Nissan doesn't want the car company to become Honda's subsidiary.

- Long-time Formula E race director Scot Elkins is retiring after the upcoming Miami E-Prix.

- Dark Horse Comics confirms layoffs amid the split of parent company Embracer Group into three companies last year.

- The new Smurfs movie is coming this July 18th with Rihanna voicing the role of Smurfette.

- A live-action movie adaptation of the Bakugan franchise is in the works.

- K-Pop girl group NewJeans have officially renamed NJZ amid their standoff with ADOR.

- Fantagio's rookie boy group LUN8 adds Fantasy Boys contestant Yuma.

- Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter of baseball star Shohei Ohtani, is sentenced to 57 months for theft.

- The late actress Barbie Hsu's ashes arrived in Taiwan. No memorial service will be held.

TTFN.

Thursday, February 6, 2025

My FH5 Log: Wake up, Challenger!

The third-generation Dodge Challenger is no doubt the biggest upset in the muscle car market. When it was launched in 2008, it was an underdog. But it soon became a rising star, even a top contender in the muscle car market. In 2015, it became a real force to be reckoned with when the Hellcat variant was added. So, how did they do it? Let's find out.

The one that propelled the Dodge Challenger to the top of the muscle car food chain is the Challenger SRT Hellcat. 

Powered by a supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8 engine, it's the most powerful engine ever made by FCA (now Stellantis). Dodge claims it can produce over six hundred horsepower, but it has been verified to generate 707 HP, the most powerful V8 engine ever made in a production car. 

With the red key fob engaged, all of the power from its supercharged V8 engine is unleashed. To withstand the monstrous power output, a specially designed 8-speed automatic gearbox is developed to manage the extra power and torque. Thanks to its potent engine, the SRT Hellcat can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than four seconds and reach a top speed of 199 mph.

Fast forward to the early years of the US of A under the Trump administration, the Dodge Challenger's status as the apex predator of the muscle car food chain was cemented by this; the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon.

The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is a special-edition Challenger SRT that made supercars cowered in fear because of the supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8 engine producing up to 840HP of power and the fastest 0-60mph time of any production sportscar, 2.3 seconds to be precise. It was well known for breaking every world record in history, especially the fact that it was the first production car in the world that can do the longest wheelie as verified by the Guinness Book of World Records.


Thanks to the insights gained from the Dodge Challenger Demon, the team at Dodge aimed to develop the flagship variant of the third-generation Challenger. They incorporated all the knowledge from the Hellcat, Demon, and Redeye into this model. The result is the Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, which I won in the final series update of FH5 titled "Midnight Muscle." This car is the second-to-last exclusive vehicle in the game, just so you know.

The Challenger Super Stock was unveiled during Dodge's Fourth of July celebration in 2020. This model is based on the Hellcat Redeye but features an additional 10 horsepower on its supercharged 6.2L HEMI V8 engine, bringing its total to 807 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque. Equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission, the Super Stock can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.25 seconds. It achieves a quarter-mile time of 10.5 seconds at a speed of 131 mph, with a top speed of 168 mph (tire-limited).




With the Challenger Hellcat lineage taken care of, it's time to find out which of these three Hellcats is the fastest as the main festival grounds struck midnight. Let's roll the tape.


And now the results...

Challenger Hellcat - 1m17.411s

Challenger Demon - 1m16.693s

Challenger Super Stock - 1m15.025s

What a hell-raising shocker, ladies and gentlemen. I thought the Challenger Demon had the upper hand but it's the less-powerful Challenger Super Stock that emerged victorious. No wonder they made the Super Stock the range-topper of the third-generation Dodge Challenger.


As I mentioned before, during my time in Hell's Paradise, Dodge's reign of terror on the streets with their Hellcat lineup has come to a dramatic end. From the introduction of the Challenger SRT Hellcat to the emergence of the ultimate Challenger Demon, Dodge has established itself as the motoring industry's knight of the apocalypse. As the brand transitions into the electrified era, we can be certain that its audacious legacy will not be forgotten. Dodge has rewritten the rules of performance with a mix of passion and adrenaline.

EPILOGUE

I have grown to respect the range-topper of the final-generation Dodge Challenger, which just gave me a devilish idea. After a platter of Devil's Food Cake, here she is, in her devilish glory.





I shall now call you "Aroma", after the Gaarmagedon member from PriPara, Aroma Kurosu. The devil's in the details, devi!


Under Aroma's spell, let's find out if the Devil Cookie crumbles, and to find out, I went to an EventLab creation devilishly called "Devil's Rush Raceway SS", packed with unforgiving elevations worthy of its name. Don't crumble for me, Devil Cookie. Aroma is on your side.


The elevation really is "hell" but Devil Cookie's harder to crumble, thanks to Aroma's thingamajigs.


The third-generation Dodge Challenger is celebrated by Mopar enthusiasts as a major highlight of the muscle car era, thanks to the incredible power of its Hellcat engine. With the fury of the Hellcat roaring to life, this car has left an indelible mark on the asphalt, embodying the spirit of performance and excitement.

I said this before and I'll say it again. See you in hell, Dodge.

That takes care of the cremation.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Korean government agencies ban Chinese AI app 'DeepSeek'

 

The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy of South Korea has temporarily blocked the use of DeepSeek, a Chinese generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool. This marks the first government-imposed restriction on DeepSeek. Following the ministry's decision, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense also implemented similar measures. The ban was imposed over concerns that DeepSeek collects excessive training data, potentially creating security vulnerabilities and increasing the risk of information leakage.

According to government and information technology (IT) industry sources on February 5, the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy prohibited the use of DeepSeek within its internal networks. State-owned enterprises, such as Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and Korea Plant Service & Engineering (KEPCO KPS), which handle nuclear power plant operations and power transmission facility maintenance, respectively, have also banned the use of DeepSeek. This marks the first case of restricting DeepSeek in the South Korea public sector.

The bans by the ministry, KHNP, and KEPCO KPS appear to be due to security concerns. DeepSeek has been criticized for its potential to leak data and its weak personal information protection measures. Ha Jung Woo, head of Naver Future AI Center, stated, "It is already well known there is a high risk of personal information leakage," adding, "All user data from DeepSeek-operated chatbots and apps are stored in Chinese databases." A ministry official explained, "The Personal Information Protection Commission has raised concerns at the government level about DeepSeek’s data collection and processing practices, which remain unresolved. As a precaution, DeepSeek has been blocked from use in our internal network." A KEPCO KPS representative added, "Nuclear power plants are classified as top-level national security facilities, so we need to be cautious about the possibility of key information being collected by AI systems hosted on Chinese servers." A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed, "We have taken necessary measures, including blocking access to DeepSeek."

Beyond South Korea, other countries are also moving to ban DeepSeek. On the previous day, the Australian government prohibited the use of DeepSeek on government systems and devices. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated, "DeepSeek poses unacceptable risks, and this immediate ban is for the protection of national security and national interests." Italy’s data protection authority, Garante, issued a ban on DeepSeek on January 29, citing its lack of transparency in handling personal data. Taiwan has also prohibited its government agencies from using DeepSeek, while Japan, the UK, and the Netherlands are considering various regulations regarding its use.

As governments worldwide restrict DeepSeek, private companies are reacting sensitively and reinforcing their security measures. In South Korea, Kakao, LG Uplus, and Line Yahoo (a joint venture between Naver and SoftBank Group) have instructed their affiliates to prohibit the use of DeepSeek for business purposes.

Kakao has partnered with OpenAI (company behind ChatGPT) and plans to integrate its technology into Kakaotalk. In addition, the company has prohibited all employees from using DeepSeek’s AI services.Analysts suggest that this move aims to prevent potential data leaks and strengthen its alliance with OpenAI, DeepSeek’s rising competitor. Kakao recently notified its employees that "the use of DeepSeek for internal business purposes is strictly prohibited."

This decision appears to be a response to concerns that DeepSeek collects not only users’ names and birthdates but also keyboard usage patterns and audio data for AI training.

At the same time, Kakao’s strategic partnership with OpenAI seems to have influenced this decision. As the first South Korean company to form an alliance with OpenAI, Kakao is working on joint product development. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who visited South Korea on February 4, attended the 'Kakao AI Media Day' event and stated, "I have a long-term appreciation for Kakao and share their AI vision."

An industry insider noted, "With DeepSeek emerging as a strong competitor in the AI market dominated by OpenAI, Kakao appears to be aligning itself with OpenAI." Given that Kakao is integrating OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its new AI service, "Kanana," the company likely considered data protection risks in making this decision.

Line Yahoo has also recently informed its headquarters and major affiliates, including Line Plus, IPX, and Line Games, that DeepSeek is prohibited for business use. A company representative stated, "This decision was made as a precautionary measure against security risks."

On the same day, LG Uplus issued an internal security notice prohibiting the use of DeepSeek. The company has banned employees from accessing DeepSeek through its internal network for business purposes and has advised staff to refrain from using it on personal computers until its security stability is verified.

Meanwhile, China appears to be countering this trend with aggressive policies and government-backed initiatives. The Chinese government has allowed domestic companies to utilize the personal data of its 1.4 billion citizens for AI training, while also providing research and development (R&D) funding and tax incentives. As a result, Chinese AI firms like Alibaba, Tencent, and DeepSeek are joining forces to strengthen their technological capabilities in a bid to challenge the U.S. in the AI sector.


Source: allkpop 

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Let's Do The News! (February 6, 2025)

                                  

Your daily round-up of today's news...

- US President Donald Trump withdrew the country from the UN Human Rights Council and halted funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Last year, the US exited the Human Rights Council and cut off financial support to the agency that assists Palestinian refugees, following accusations from Israel that it was aiding and abetting Hamas militants.

- Australia, Italy, and Taiwan became the first countries to ban Chinese AI firm DeepSeek, citing security concerns.

- The MalacaƱang has yet to react to the House of Representatives' approval of the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte. Meanwhile, the Senate plenary was not allowed to mention that the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte had been received.

- Philippine President Bongbong Marcos extended PNP chief Rommel Francisco Marbil's term by four months. Based on a memorandum dated February 4, 2025, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, it is stated that the President approved the extension of Marbil's service in the government beyond the compulsory retirement age of 56.

- Belgian police hunt for gunmen in Brussels underground.

- The UK government has decided to demolish the Grenfell Tower, according to Deputy PM Angela Rayner in front of the bereaved relatives and survivors. Seventy-two people died when the tower block in west London caught fire in June 2017.

- Zhou Guanyu has been named reserved driver for the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team.

- The inaugural Trans Am Hall of Fame will be inducted this February 21st during a celebratory dinner at Sebring.

- Volkswagen teases its upcoming ID.ONE EV city car.

- Filming for the second season of the ONE PIECE Netflix show is complete.

- Netflix previews over 20+ K-dramas and films coming this year, including the final season of Squid Game coming this June.

- AHOF, the boy group formed from the Universe League grand finals, is set to make its official debut in the first half of 2025.

- The Trump administration bans transgender athletes in women's sports.

- This Sunday's Super Bowl will no longer feature the "END RACISM" tagline at both ends and will be replaced with two separate words.

- Actor Antonio Vinzon changed his screen name to Anton Vinzon.

TTFN.