NEWS ITEM

HTC phone hopes to rival iPhone, Galaxy

HTC has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the HTC 10, which it hopes
will rival the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S7 thanks to a new camera and the
inclusion of high resolution audio features.
The HTC 10 - the successor to the firm's M9 that was released in 2015 - had
been heavily rumoured online for some time, with the Taiwanese firm
claiming it has been working on the phone "behind closed doors for 12
months".
The new device comes with a 12-megapixel rear camera that includes optical
image stabilisation (OIS) technology designed to take better photos even
when the hand holding it is shaking. It can also record video in 4K resolution.
These are similar specifications to one of its perceived rivals, the iPhone 6s
Plus, which launched in September.
The HTC 10 also has a larger aperture in the lens on the front-facing camera,
which HTC says lets in more light and will take better "selfies". The battery
can also last for up to two days, the firm claims.
The HTC 10 arrives as the Taiwanese firm continues to struggle in the
smartphone market - both its high profile launches last year, the M9 and A9,
failed to sell as well as the company had hoped, leading to 15% staff cuts in
August.
However, the firm's other ventures, most notably the HTC Vive headset, have
been met with early acclaim and positive sales.
The HTC 10 also supports high-resolution audio, which is clearer than
standard sound, and the new phone will come with a set of high resolution
audio earphones in the box, while the phone will also be capable of upscaling a user's existing songs into high resolution.
HTC says it has also worked with Google to "reboot" the Android operating
system that runs on the device. The number of native apps has been reduced,
while more have been integrated together to make the phone faster, creating
what HTC is calling the "best of Google and HTC".

Originally published as HTC phone hopes to rival iPhone,

Galaxy
Name : Haryo Hendrawan

NEWS ITEM
MANILA
The U.S. military has been conducting joint patrols in the South China Sea with the
Philippines and is increasing its presence on the archipelago with rotational forces and
equipment, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said Thursday.
Speaking at a news conference in Manila with his Filipino counterpart, Carter said the
first South China Sea joint patrol was carried out in March and the second was
completed in early April.
The Philippines is now the second country, behind Japan, with which U.S. forces have
conducted joint patrols in the controversial sea, according to a defense official.
The announcement comes as China continues to act aggressively over disputed
territories in the South China Sea.
China has created some 1,200 hectares of artificial islands atop reefs in the disputed
Spratly Islands, a group of islands, reefs and cays near the Philippines that are claimed
by Beijing, Manila and others.
Rotational forces
Carter said hundreds of U.S. troops and about 10 aircraft will remain in the archipelago
immediately after annual joint Balikatan exercises conclude on Friday.
About 200 U.S. airmen from multiple Pacific Air Forces units are being deployed with
three HH-60G Pave Hawks, five A-10C Thunderbolt IIs and an MC-130H Combat Talon
II to Clark Air Base on Luzon island through the end of the month.
In addition, up to 75 U.S. military personnel will stay at Camp Aguinaldo, just east of
Manila, to work on interoperability between the two militaries and enhance join command

and control capabilities. A defense official said the forces at Camp Aguinaldo would be
primarily Marines.
These rotational forces will have routine follow-ons by other U.S. troops, according to a
senior defense official. The follow-ons will be regular, but not continuous, the official
said.
Other types of aircraft also could be deployed for a rotation in the archipelago in the
future, another defense official said.
ISR, maritime awareness
Carter announced several U.S. military investments as part of the Southeast Asia
Maritime Security Initiative that are focusing on maritime domain awareness and
intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance.
The United States will provide the Philippines with an aerostat reconnaissance blimp and
outfit a Philippine Navy patrol vessel with upgraded sensors to survey surrounding
waters.
It also will help modernize the Philippines National Coast Watch Center and enhance a
joint information network to allow the sharing of classified communications between U.S.
Pacific command, based in Hawaii, and key Philippines maritime command centers.
This will be an important boost for Philippine maritime domain awareness and their
ability to see whats happening out there past their coasts, a senior defense official said.
The Philippines is receiving about 80 percent of the $50 million allotted for the Maritime
Security Initiative's first year, according to a senior defense official.
The five-year, $425 million program is aimed at assisting Southeast Asian nations in
improving their naval and coast guard capabilities.
Name : Eduardus