Technology: YouTube offline video playback now on mobile

YouTube Philippines has launched a new offline feature on December 11, which will allow all users to watch videos even when they’re not connected to the Internet for 48 hours.

To choose a video for later viewing, simply tap on the offline icon.

“We want to make sure we are making YouTube as enjoyable as possible for our growing base of mobile users in the Philippines,” said John Harding, Vice President of Engineering at YouTube. “By launching a new offline feature for YouTube today, we hope to help people move past the challenges of data connection, speed and cost to enjoy a smooth, buffer-free version of YouTube.”

“By making these popular videos available for temporary offline viewing, our partners will help fans connect more easily with their favorite content, while also helping bring more viewers to their videos. We hope to keep finding better ways to make video content more affordable and accessible in the Philippines,” said Ryan Morales, Country Marketing Manager for Google Philippines.

Korean agency SM Entertainment threatens DOH with plagiarism lawsuit over music video

SM Entertainment, the agency of the all-girl band f(x), said the DOH didn’t have its permission to use the song for the infomercial.

According to a statement on their website, the song for the DOH’s infomercial was in fact plagiarized from f(x)’s own song “Rum Pum Pum Pum” which was on the group’s album last year. The agency added that it is already looking into the possible legal remedies.

The DOH meanwhile has not yet issued a comment on the matter, but will do so this week; according to Ivanhoe Escartin, the health agency’s director for the National Center For Health Promotion.

The controversial video, titled GaBo (a combo of “gaga”and “bobo,” which was uploaded by the DOH to its website on November 30 but was quickly taken down, shows a group of cheerleaders dancing to a song inside a gym. Voiceovers can then be heard calling teen girls and boys as “gaga” and “bobo” for failing to abstain from unprotected sex and thus ending up with an unwanted pregnancy. A male adult voice can also heard urging the teens to wait until they are ready.

DOH Acting Secretary Janette Garin then appears at the end of the song saying “A planned life is a good life.”

However, various sectors slammed the DOH video for being tactless and counter-productive. Many in the online community asked how calling teens idiots would make them listen. Among others, the National Youth Commission asked the health agency to delete the video as it did nothing but stigmatize and alienate the youth.

Chinese Baby Girl thought to be ‘stillborn’ survives after being buried for two hours

The Chinese mother, Lu Xiaoyun, believes she was only four months pregnant and the still unnamed baby could not have been alive after birth. Her husband, He Yong, who was coming from work, discovered her drenched in a pool of blood and immediately rushed her to a nearby hospital.

When the responding ambulance staff asked about the baby, the father told them it was pointless to check on her as she was stillborn.

However, doctors at the hospital insisted to see the ‘dead’ infant to determine the real cause of death.

Upon reaching home, the father could no longer find the baby. His mother-in-law told him she buried the newborn in the backyard under a tree after they left two hours before.

He quickly rushed to the grave and dug up, and was shocked to discover their daughter was still alive and breathing. He immediately went back to the hospital with the infant and doctors told him his wife was actually six months pregnant and not four as Mrs. Lu had initially believed.

The baby then received treatment from the hospital for three days, but has to be discharged because the poor family could no longer afford the expenses.

The father said he is the only one working in the family and they have another daughter, 7, while his aging mother-in-law is also sick.

Fortunately, the story of her premature daughter was picked up by Chinese social media and went viral. Donations had since been pouring in from generous and good-hearted people, enabling them to return their daughter to the hospital and placed under close observation inside an incubator.

From being a ‘stillborn’, the girl is now called a ‘miracle baby’.

Miss World 2013 Megan Young Posts Kissing Photo with Mikael Daez

Miss World 2013 Megan Young shared an intimate moment with her fans and followers just days before she end her reign.

On her Instagram Megan Young posted a blurred photo of her and a man kissing and holding hands on a beach. The picture includes a blurred saying "Make each moment count. Make each memory amazing."

The man was look a like with Mikael Daez, the actor who had been romantically linked with the beauty queen. Several netizens recognize Daez, most of them are happy for the couple.

Few days ago, Daez posted a black and white photo with a woman that resembles Young. 

The photo showed the couple as they about to kiss.

In an interview last month, Daez didn’t admit nor deny that he is in relationship with Young.

Kylie Jenner's is going too far with surgery.

The 17-year-old star is the youngest sibling of half-sisters Kim, Kourtney and Khloé Kardashian, and rose to fame with her family on reality TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

While the older women were the original attraction, Kendall a successful career as a fashion model.

Kylie is just as prolific, although those close to her are said to be worrying about her apparent cosmetic surgery procedures - something she vehemently denies.

Kylie Jenner's friends are reportedly trying to convince her she's going too far with surgery.

"She's convinced her lips can set her apart from her sisters and even has plans to launch her own make-up range one day, but in the meantime her friends are trying to convince her she's going way too far. If someone doesn't step in, she could end up like those child stars who have taken surgery too far and have been through the mill emotionally and physically," an insider told British magazine Now.

Kylie has been rocking a plumped-up pout, but claims it is all down to clever make-up and not surgery.

However, others have commented on her frozen face recently, claiming her arched eyebrows have the tell-tale signs of Botox.

"It's turning into a joke. There are rumours that she has had work done but she doesn't think it's a big deal and can't understand what all the fuss is about. Yes, she's denied it, but growing up in her family, having a boob lift it's as normal as a cleanse, tone, moisturise," the source added.

Korina Sanchez declared persona non grata in Japan

A satirical and fictional news website posted an article today about Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declaring Filipino news reporter Korina Sanchez a persona non grata. The said fake news was spread over social networking sites.

According to the satire news provider, Abe wholeheartedly declared Korina Sanchez as an unwelcome person anywhere in Japan for hoping – during the December 3 episode of ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol – Typhoon Ruby would entirely hit Japan instead of the Philippines.

It added that Abe ‘half-heartedly’ declared former Vice President Noli de Castro persona non grata for wishing that half of typhoon Hagupit would go to Japan.

Many of Filipinos online believed the said satire news, while some knew it was a fake news.

World's fattest man dies age 44

The world's fattest man Keith Martin a British,who weighed 445 kilos at his heaviest, has died of the age of 44.

Mr Martin died from pneumonia following a lengthy battle with his weight, eight months after a gastric sleeve was fitted which reduced his stomach to a quarter of its size.

According to the UK's: 

The Mirror, Martin's weight balloon after consuming on average 20,000 calories a day.

His unhealthy diet included six-egg fried breakfasts and lunches and dinners consisting of pizzas, kebabs, take-outs and Big Macs.

Each day he sank 3.5 litres of coffee and two litres of fizzy drinks.

Since the age of 16, he said he had continually struggled with his weight which lead to sever depression in his twenties.

Keith spent most of his time playing video games and watching TV and used food as a means "to ease the pain" and before he knew it, "he was binging every time" something upset him.

“I’ve always been depressed. I am an agoraphobic — I’m afraid of public places — but it was never treated."

“I just want to be happy, without needing food to make me happy.”