Sony New Alpha A7 II Stabilization Power

Sony Alpha A7 II

Sony’s excellent Alpha A7 series of full-frame mirrorless cameras has evolved a lot since its introduction a year ago. The original Alpha A7 and its higher-resolution sibling, the A7R, were announced last October. Both promised (and mostly delivered) a full-frame sensor and pro-DSLR performance in a smallish body. This summer, the A7S joined the party with its 4K video and ISO 409,600 capabilities.

Now there’s already a second-generation A7 for the series. The new Sony Alpha A7 II (Mark 2) has a magnesium alloy frame, and it keeps many of the same specs as the first-gen A7: A 24.3-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, shutter speeds of up to 1/8000 second, ISO that cranks up to 25,600, and all the Wi-Fi and NFC options we’ve come to expect on newfangled cameras. It also has the same hybrid autofocus system as its predecessor, encompassing a combined 142 phase- and contrast-detection points. Sony says that AF speed has improved by 30 percent over the original A7.

But this one borrows a great trait from Olympus’s OM-D and PEN cameras. The new Sony camera has a five-axis stabilization system built into it, and if it works anywhere near as well as the system found in Olympus’s cameras, it should make the second-gen A7 an attractive option for macro and telephoto shooters.

You’ll still have to splurge on the A7S to get 4K video capture, but the new Sony Alpha A7 II does use the higher-bitrate XAVC S codec that Sony has been rolling into its newer high-end cameras. Recording 1080p video at 60fps and 50Mbps—about twice the bitrate of the AVCHD video mode on the original A7—the A7 II should provide a nice uptick in the video-quality department. Keep in mind that previous Sony cameras have required a 64GB Class 10 SDXC card to record XAVC S video, so plan your storage-card purchases accordingly.

Like the first-generation A7, the new camera tops out at 5fps in burst mode, but this one is able to shoot at that speed with autofocus enabled. You’ll get a slightly higher-resolution tilting LCD screen on the back of it (1.2 million dots vs. 921,600 on the original A7), as well as the same 2.3-million-dot OLED eye-level viewfinder.

It’ll also have the same price as its predecessor. Starting today, the Sony Alpha A7 II is available for preorder as a a kit with a 28mm to 70mm E-mount lens. That price drops to $1,699 for the body only, and the cameras are set to ship on December 9. The original A7 will survive, and it’s now one hell of a bargain. Its new price is $1,300 for the body only and $1,600 as a kit—very low prices for a year-old full-frame camera.

BMW Exec Cited by TESDA

Joel Villanueva

MANILA, Philippines—The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) cited on Wednesday a luxury car manufacturing company executive for helping produce world-class automobile technicians.

Tesda Director General Joel Villanueva awarded BMW-Asia senior vice president for special projects Kay Segler with a special citation for his contribution to the country’s technical-vocational education and training (TVET).

In a simple ceremony held at the Tesda Women’s Center in Taguig City, Villanueva said that Segler’s contribution and invaluable support had provided world-class training for TVET trainees in automobile technology.

According to the Tesda chief, “Dr. Segler deserves the accolade for leading the way in involving BMW through its support for advanced training modules and providing access to the company’s innovations and technologies…[in producing] top-level technicians with competencies at par with international standards.”

Segler, who is in charge of expanding BMW operations in the Asian region, has come up with programs providing TVET to aspiring automotive mechanics and for being instrumental to the establishment of the Jose Ch. Alvarez (JCA) technology complex in 2012.

The JCA technology complex within the Xavier University compound in Cagayan de Oro City imparts BMW automotive technological innovations to Tesda students in Northern Mindanao.

Villanueva said that the training complex “adopts BMW’s standards to maximize the learning experience of the students in the automotive, computer, electronics and mechanical courses” which would keep their skills at par with automotive workers in other countries.

“We need more executives like Dr. Segler, a friend of tech-voc, who can harmonize business with social responsibility,” the Tesda director general concluded.

Mio Fuse Wristband Heart Rate Monitors

If you have not heard of Mio Global before, perhaps now is the time for you to sit up and pay attention to what they offer. Mio Global happens to be the manufacturers of the world’s first heart rate monitors that are capable of offering continuous, performance-accurate data without the need for a chest strap, and this time around, they have announced the availability for one to place a pre-order for the Mio FUSE. The Mio FUSE Wristband happens to be one unique activity tracker unlike others that we have seen before, since it will boast the functions of a heart rate monitor, sports watch, and all-day activity tracker, rolled into one.

Sporting a 0.99 correlation to EKG (electrocardiogram), the Mio FUSE would make its mark in the market as the most accurate wristband to provide heart rate, step count, distance, speed, pace, and calorie burn. Similar to the rest of the Mio products that are in the market, the FUSE will play nice with other devices such as smartphones, bike computers, GPS watches, and different sport devices.

The Mio FUSE Wristband works by transmitting heart rate data through Bluetooth Smart 4.0 and ANT+. It is different from the other sports devices in the market that remain tied to a closed manufacturer’s infrastructure, as the Mio FUSE wristband will be able to play nice with third-party apps, providing users with total and full control over how they can track, store, and review workout data.

Working in tandem with the Mio GO app, the Mio FUSE will allow users to set their heart rate zones, select preferred device settings, customize display screens, and automatically sync data. Not only that, users too can monitor their progress towards a daily step, distance, or calorie burn goal simply by checking their stats displayed on the device itself, or through the use of Mio GO. Expect the Mio FUSE to arrive in time for the holiday season, where it will boast of two sizes; and Crimson and Aqua colors to pick from.

P91.3 M TESDA Calamity Rehab Allocation

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in Western Visayas (Tesda) has allocated P91.3 million for emergency response, rehabilitation and recovery for 7,510 beneficiaries in 2014.

The amount will be spent for trainings of beneficiaries in several livelihood and entrepreneurial skills to help them recover and cope up from the destruction brought by calamities in the region.

Of the P91.3 million, P35.2 million will be given to Iloilo province (2,921 beneficiaries), P23.6 million will be given to Capiz (1,933 beneficiaries), P9.5 million will be allocated to Negros Occidental (784 beneficiaries), and P7.4 million will be given to Antique (607 beneficiaries).

The allocation will help train and rehabilitate the beneficiary-victims of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), which devastated northern Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, and Antique last year.

Meanwhile, Tesda also has an allocation of P59.4 million this year for the special training for employment program (Step), which is in collaboration with the members of House of Representatives in 18 congressional districts in Western Visayas.

An estimated 4,356 beneficiaries in the region were expected to undergo training with the province of Negros Occidental, which has seven congressional districts receiving P23.1 million for 1,694 beneficiaries.

The province of Iloilo, which has six congressional districts, will have P19.8 million for 1,452 beneficiaries, while Capiz, which has two congressional districts, will have P6.6 million for 484 beneficiaries.

Aklan, which has a lone district, will have P3.3 million for 242 beneficiaries, while Antique with a lone district will get P3.3 million for 242 beneficiaries.

Guimaras, which has a lone district, will have P3.3 million for 242 beneficiaries.

Other Tesda training programs for 2014 in the region are training for work scholarship with an allocation of P73.9 million for 9,537 beneficiaries, and the private education student financial assistance with an allocation of P20.4 million for 2,941 beneficiaries.

Iloilo LGU Avail TESDA Scholarship Voucher

ILOILO CITY - Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary Emmanuel Joel Villanueva turned over scholarship vouchers worth P3 million when he visited this city on Tuesday.

The scholarship vouchers were divided among the provincial government of Iloilo, city government of Iloilo and the municipality of Mina where they each got P1 million worth of vouchers under the agency’s Training for Work Scholarship Program.

Vice Governor Raul Tupas, Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and former Mina Mayor Lydia Grabato received the vouchers from Villanueva in a simple ceremony held during the half time break of the Shoot for Your Dreams, an exhibition game between TEAM TRABAHO of the Secretary and TEAM SPECIALISTAS in Iloilo City.

For this year, out of the P73,902,000 allocation for the implementation of TWSP in Western Visayas some P21, 049, 189 were alloted for the province of Iloilo benefiting 2,806 grantees.

It will be recalled that an additional P1.4 billion was released by President Benigno Aquino in 2014 to augment TESDA funds for the TWSP.

In his short message, Villanueva assured that the administration of President Aquino continues to think, make and create ways to reach out to Filipinos and to have meaningful programs.

Through the SHOOT for your DREAMS, Villanueva wants to reach out especially to Filipino youth and let them know the various scholarships being offered by TESDA which they could avail of and will help them reach their dreams.

The exhibition game at the Iloilo Covered Gym was the first stop where Philippine Basketball Association’s former star players Alvin Patrimonio, Marlou Aquino, Jerry Cordinera, Bal David, Bobby Jose and Rodney Santos along with players from the local media joined Villanueva in TRABAHO TEAM.