MARK your (Google) Calendars, people: the biggest Internet event in history is happening today, August 25, 2018—inside the boxing ring and you could watch the livestream on YouTube PPV.
Two of the most popular YouTubers—Logan Paul and KSI—are taking their rivalry to the squared arena to trade punches in what many are also calling the biggest “white collar” match ever.
Wait, Who? What? And why?
Either those two sentences made you feel so clueless or so Tito (or Tita).
Do you know Logan Paul? Do you know Logan Paul besides the controversial “suicide / dead body” video controversy he posted?
Let me bring you up to date.
Logan Paul is a 23-year-old American YouTuber who first found fame on the now-defunct video sharing app, Vine. When Vine shut down, Paul had already gained enough following that he easily made it big on YouTube, where he now has 18 million-plus subscribers (earning him around $15 million annually). He has also built a lifestyle brand, called Maverick, and his merchandise have added even more millions to his bank account.
When he’s not trying to be funny doing pranks or making awful rap songs, Logan uploads equally crazy stuff. Like the one where he and his friends camped out in Japan’s Aokigahara forest, a notorious hot spot for suicides, and filmed a dead body.
But being the Internet celebrity he is, he quickly made an apology—via a tweet.
KSI, on the other hand, is Olajide “JJ” William Olatunji, in real life. He is a 25-year-old British YouTuber who began making gaming videos of him playing FIFA when he was 15 years old. He has around 18 million subscribers
He is also famous for his “disses” (insult music videos) directed at other YouTubers talking about their fame, their millions and how much better they are than their counterparts. It’s like listening to inside jokes—except with a lot of cursing and lyrics that won’t make sense unless you know them. Oh, he’s also become controversial for trivializing rape in some of his videos.
But like Logan, he’s also earning millions from his YouTube videos, reason enough to make him drop out from school.
The Logan vs KSI match isn’t actually the first time these YouTubers are settling their differences with punches to the face. It all started when KSI challenged another (lesser) famous YouTuber, Joe Weller, to a boxing match in February and claimed victory.
After winning the match, KSI said: “If any YouTuber wants it, you can come get it. Jake Paul, Logan Paul, any of the Pauls, I don’t care.” A few fiery YouTube videos were later exchanged and the rest, whether we like it or not, is history.
This isn’t just a one-fight deal as the two have already scheduled a rematch happening in the US in February of next year.
The UK flight will take place at the historic Manchester Arena—the same venue where the likes of Mike Tyson, Amir Khan and David Haye filled the 21,000-seater arena during their boxing glory days.
And just like real boxing matches, the KSI vs Logan match will also have several undercard matches featuring—you guessed it—other YouTubers!
The second main event will feature their little brothers Jake Paul, Logan’s brother taking on KSI’s sibling Deji. Other matches include: JMX vs Coach Richards; Momo vs RossiHD; AnEsonGib vs Jay Swingler; FaZe Sensei vs overtflow; Rackaracka vs Scarce; Call me Ham vs Jrizzy Jeremy.
Sounds ridiculous?
Well, we haven’t even talked about ticket prices which start at £34 ($43) and going up to £516 ($666), or the fact that none of the people involved are actually fighters (not counting their verbal tirades or diss battles). Or the fact that KSI vs Weller was, as you’d expect, a terrible bout, pretty much like watching those barangay boxing matches we have during fiestas but with higher production values.
As for the Logans? They also have a history of putting equally terrible live shows that aren’t entertaining or funny, reviewers say.
Still, the hype is real and reports say they are selling lots of tickets, and no you won’t be able to watch for free either as YouTube is charging $8 for the PPV—and warned that those who will try to live stream the match will be banned.
As expected, people are calling the match an insult to the sport of boxing, and I pretty much agree. It’s also hard to take this fight seriously, despite all their training/workout videos (KSI is training with Floyd Mayweather Sr.), or how they’ve tried to imitate how the WWE and MMA do their prefight promos about hating each other in real life. Because, in reality, it’s just another gimmick for these two Internet celebrities to add millions of views, new subscribers and dollars to their already fat bank accounts.
Oh, KSI also came up with this YouTube Boxing Championship Belt. I know it’s impossible, but I hope that’s one title our Pambansang Kamao, Sen. Manny Pacquiao would consider for his next fight—and I’d be more than happy to pay, just to see these influencers take some real punches on their smug faces.
WIRELESS CHARGING FROM BASEUS
ONE feature that a lot of people are now looking for in their smartphones is wireless charging. It’s not really a new technology, but it has become popular ever since Apple adopted it for the iPhone 8 and iPhone X.
If you’re an iPhone user and would like to experience the convenience of wireless charging, you might want to check out these new products I’ve discovered from Baseus.
Baseus’s new #gowireless line allows you to get extra juice for your mobile devices hassle-free. No messy cables and, of course, fast charging for your Qi-enabled devices.
First is the Baseus Simple Wireless Charger. The simplicity lies with the ease of use as you don’t need any cord to plug in or out of your device when you need to charge; all you need to do is place your smartphone on top of the charging pad. It will even notify you when it’s fully charged.
It stands out from other wireless pads because of its transparent tempered glass surface, where you can see its high-technology chips and visible circuits and some readable details. It’s made of a lightweight, matte-textured polycarbonate backplate with rubber-like stoppers at the bottom to prevent it from sliding and keep it securely in place.
It also has a bright LED indicator and it automatically goes to sleep when your smartphone is fully charged. Charging time on my iPhone X took around two hours. Another device that caught my attention is the Baseus 1+1 Wireless Charger Backpack Power Bank 5000mAh.
Yes, it’s both a protective case and a wireless charger powerbank which adds 150 percent extra power to your iPhone X. You can use the magnetic PU case to protect your iPhone X from scratches and minor bumps.
The battery pack attaches easily via magnet and it supports lightning headphones so you can charge or enjoy music/calling at same time. There are also four LED lights on the side to indicate how much power it has left and show you its charging status. It also has a Foldable Kickstand design, which you could use when watching videos.
The Baseus Bracket wireless powerbank, on the other hand, is a stylish wireless charging pad plus an 8000 mAh power bank. It has a full-screen digital display, USB dual output, intelligent quick charge and 5W wireless charging capabilities.
Finally, there’s the Baseus Wireless Charger Gravity car mount. Now, charging your phone in your car with all those dangling wires can be messy and a bit distracting, and if you have other passengers who also need to charge, you’ll even be competing for that free port of your car charger
If you have a Qi-enabled phone, this car mount doubles as a wireless charger with a built-in intelligent clip that allows it to adjust to the required current depending on the device. It attaches to your airvent and you can easily secure and remove your phone with one hand.
For more information, visit www.baseus.com.
FITBIT CHARGE 3 BETTER THAN EVER
FITBIT announced the latest evolution of its Charge family of devices, the Fitbit Charge 3. Charge 3 features an elevated, premium swimproof design
with a touch-screen display, 15+ goal-based exercise modes, essential smart features to stay connected to what matters most, up to seven days battery life, and Fitbit’s most advanced sensor and algorithm technology in a tracker.
Fitbit’s Charge family is the most popular of Fitbit’s product lineup, with 35 million devices sold to date. Meanwhile, IDC estimates shipments of fitness trackers will continue to comprise a significant portion of the overall category for the next several years.
Charge 3 is crafted from exceptional, lightweight materials, including an aerospace-grade aluminum case and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 display for a slimmer, modern silhouette, increased durability and more comfortable fit for men and women. It features a crisp, touch-screen display that is nearly 40 percent larger and brighter than its predecessor, offering a more intuitive experience with easy access to your most important information.
Fitbit Charge 3 is the first wearable with an inductive button, which includes new patent-pending technology that provides a streamlined, swimproof design, increased space in the device to add more sensors plus a larger battery with up to seven days of use, and more effortless interaction while maintaining the performance expected from the brand’s most advanced fitness tracker.
Charge 3 also delivers the most advanced health and fitness features found on a Fitbit tracker to date. With more than 9 trillion minutes of heart rate data tracked, Fitbit has enhanced its 24/7 PurePulse heart rate technology for even greater accuracy during exercise compared to Charge 2; and provides a better measure of calorie burn and resting heart rate to optimize workouts and uncover health trends. The addition of a relative SpO2 sensor—a first for a Fitbit tracker—adds the potential to estimate relative blood oxygen levels and help track new health indicators, like sleep apnea. Fitbit helps millions of users better understand their sleep patterns and the lifestyle habits that can impact them. The company started tracking sleep in 2009 and has built one of the largest databases of sleep over the past seven years with more than 7.5 billion nights tracked. Fitbit also introduced Sleep Stages & Sleep Insights based on heart rate variability to give you an even more in-depth understanding of sleep quality.
The Fitbit Charge 3 will be available starting November for P9,990 in black with a graphite aluminum case, or blue gray with rose-gold aluminum case.
A FEW DROPS OF WELLNESS WITH Sobba
A MONTH ago, I met with Harry Freires, a multiawarded Filipino chemical engineer. He claims that his creation, called Sobba Alkaline Drops, can help restore the body’s PH level to keep you healthy, among a lot of other benefits.
Freires said he was working as a chief engineer in 1987 at a British-owned water plant company in the dessert of Al Kharj, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, when he first invented Sobba and has since worked on perfecting it.
Sobba is short for Sterilized Oxygenated Bicarbonate—Buffered Alkaline. Registered under the Food and Drug Administration Philippines, it’s an excellent acid and alkaline fighter that helps restore blood pH level to 7.4, returning your body to its homeostatic state.
“Most of the food and drink we take are acidic in nature, while some are strongly alkaline. Our body has naturally build-in ‘buffering system” to resist and maintain your blood pH to normal. However, as one grows older, the body’s buffering capacity decreases,” explained Engr. Freires. “Sobba helps to resist and maintain blood pH level to normal and assist your body’s requirement to attain a homeostatic state.”
Sobba is an ozonized water treated with high-energy oxygen to contain elevated oxygen levels for the prevention of serious diseases. The buffering action of Sobba also aids in oxygen absorption (dissolved oxygen directly proportional to alkalinity) to help achieve optimum health and a better life. Among its many benefits are: maintaining the body’s healthy blood pH balance; effectively preventing acidosis and alkalosis; aiding the body’s self-healing capability; increasing the body’s oxygen absorption and strengthening the body’s immune system.
For information, visit www.Sobbatechnology.com.