The Zero Calorie Adventures of Milk & Coffee
This is actually a dream come true!
Last July, I opened a new domain on wordpress to give space to my much awaiting comics, which is The Zero Calorie Adventures of Milk and Coffee. It’s a bunch of Filipino (Tagalog) comic strips that focuses on the friendship of the characters Milk and Coffee and friends.
The story line came out of no where, when I kept on wearing my weird shades and I started drawing my mini me. That’s explain why ‘Coffee’ had this bug-eye/heart-shaped shades. While the other characters are based on people I encounter and some friends.
The comics is in Tagalog, so sorry for the English-speaking fellas who are following me. It’s actually a risk because I don’t have an idea how it will go since I’m never familiar with the local SEO and how the new site’s Google ranking will climb up. Plus the fact that it’ll be composed of mostly images, I think it will be a great challenge for me.
But anyway, to my Filipino friends here, please supportĀ The Zero Calorie Adventures of Milk and Coffee. I’d appreciate it if you will follow and like our posts both on blogs and Facebook.
Just kindly go to these link and hit like:
Milk and Coffee Adventures – Twitter
Milk and Coffee Adventures – Facebook
Milk and Coffee Adventures -Website
Thank you so much!
This blog will never close, by the way. I have plenty of poems to share to you, so please, please stay tuned!
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Interlude: What I’m doing when I’m not writing?
Well, I got lots of work — busy as hell. I, however, still managed to write poems and lyrics because whenever my hands are free, I just grab my phone, open Evernote and type all the words I could think of.
But every time I write something, I need a separate time to proofread what I wrote before posting it. So, I keep my Evernote aside for the mean time and just launch this game called “Crossy Road” to refresh my mind and be ready for the meticulous reading.
It’s actually a crazy game available for both iOS and Android phones. All you need to do is to let the character cross safely the road without hitting by cars, trucks or obstacles, until you earn or beat your own high score.
I swear it’s very challenging!
You also can choose different in-game characters, like this Mad Wizard — my favorite. And you can purchase them with real cash or by just collecting coins during the adventure to get them. (They give free coins from time to time, I swear, so no worries of getting bored with the game with one character only).
It’s fun, colorful and addicting. You should try it too.
By the way, after writing this post, I will give way to this game and get back to re-read it.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 3 — In my View.
I could not imagine myself holding a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 this 2014. Thanks to my friend who became very supportive to me to complete my goal last 2013, and now I own my dream phone. As much as I don’t want to let go of my Samsung Galaxy S III, I have to give it to someone who dreamed of having it — I apologize to my Mom, someone wished for it first (IIRC). Haha!
This device is more than what I’ve expected. The fluidity of the screen, the built-in storage, RAM capacity, plus the new features of the S-Pen got me really impressed even though I’ve seen it a lot from different reviews in the world wide web. I could say that you really need to get hold of it before you could say that it’s really a fantastic smartphone from Samsung.
Design
The design was very sophisticated because of its faux leather (plastic) back cover design. It’s very light, and very handy as well, even though this device is really big. It has 5.7 inches (with 1080 x 1920 pixels) display that’s protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, which is perfectly good for viewing experience. S-pen is still located at the lower right, back corner of the smartphone. It’s quite hard to pull from from its space, and the reason behind, I think, is that Samsung has designed it to anticipate the chances of losing the stylus. Loud speaker is already located at the bottom part of the device as well, which made the speaker sound more efficient, so you won’t need a mount or external speakers anymore. As for the USB slot for charging and transferring files, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is now using micro USB 3.0. It enables the device to speed up the file transfer and charging. Don’t worry though as it could still use the microUSB 2.0 cable. Moreover, Remote IR is located on top of the device, right near the 3.5mm headphone jack slot. Sensors and the front-facing camera are all at the right side of the call speaker (unlike with Galaxy S4, on both sides of the speaker), but it still functions well in recognizing air gestures.
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Feautures & Built-in Apps
Specs
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is running Android Jellybean 4.3 with the latest version of TouchWiz. It can run with fantastic fluidity because of the Quad-core 2.3 GHz and Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processors and chipset and 2.38gb of RAM — actually, 3gb RAM in total — the rest of the RAM is used when the phone is idle. Because of that, I enjoy more on maximizing the multi-window features and other high-graphic games and sketching apps. I just hope it would be as stable as this in the future. It’s Ā capable of finding LTE connection, date plan users — I believe you can ask your network to provide you the LTE set-up if you’re jumping from a non-LTE device and sim card to maximize your internet speed experience.
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Lockscreen
The lockscreen is now more efficient to use. You can now do some activities without unlocking Ā your phone. You can either choose your list ‘Fave App’ or ‘Camera App’. You may also activate your ‘S note’ for immediate use. And the awesome part here is that once your music player is on, it can show you your playlist and choose a song directly from it.
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By the way, you can also add a ‘Personal Message’ in the lockscreen as well.
S-Pen
Most of the features are quite similar to the Samsung Galaxy S4 features particularly the Camera, Menus and Navigation. But one of the things that make the Galaxy Note 3 standout is the new S-Pen features that would captivate your Note 3 experience. By clicking the S-Pen button, the Air Command will give you access to 5 menus — the Action Memo, Scrapbooker, Screen Write, S Finder and Pen Window.
- Action Memo – pops a notepad up andĀ then allows you to put notes on it and do cool features with it, like saving, calling, texting or emailing a contact; directly searching to the internet, finding a place.
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- Scrapbooker – allows you to save pictures or screen shot. It could be perfect if you love taking screenshots and putting note on it. Simply select the Scrapbooker, draw a square and it captures the target object. It’s not an ordinary screenshot, though.Ā It provides information like the link where you got it.
- Screen Write – it’s almost the same as the Scrapbooker the only difference here is that you can write or draw directly from the screenshot. It’s good for highlighting things in the images.
- S Finder – Find everything in your phone by using it. Ā Apps, photos, files — Everything. In the picture below, I tried to look for the “Sketch”.
- Pen Window – it’s almost like the Multi-Window feature. It gives power to your phone to open small windows of apps, like YouTube, Contacts, Calculator, Browser and more.
Speaking of securing your S-Pen, there are few options in the ‘Settings’ that would keep your S-Pen in mind so you won’t lose it.
My Magazine
It was a cool feature that has been added to the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. You get to read and see update from your favorite News and Social Media sites in a Flip board style.
S Note & Evernote
To get your writing experience on the top level, this device is also empowered with the note-taking apps. It’s either you use your S-Pen or tap on your touchscreen keyboard, it’s fine.
(S Note – Left; Evernote – Right)
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Sketchbook for Galaxy
Most fantastic built-in app for me is the Sketchbook! I love to draw that’s why. I’ve tried this app on my friend’s Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and it was a great experience. But the smoothness of the of the Note 3 adds awesomeness in the app. I was able to get some training in this app. I will post some of my works here on blog after this blog.
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My overall experience so far is awesome, I’m getting what I need from this phone. Ā One thing I’ve noticed, but this is not a major issue of this device (it could be the app), is that the My Magazine app doesn’t totally close even if you keep on hitting back. It keeps running in your RAM. It could be helpful for your battery if you clear your RAM often.
XOXOXOXOXO
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Flexi phones: Would you like them?
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 was the most amazing phone I’ve ever seen so far in my entire life, but to tell you honestly, I was pretty much disappointed because it’s not the flexible phone I was expecting. But rumours came out and said that leading smartphone companies are going to launch something closer to my expectation. Thus, they invented the Flexible smartphones.
Samsung has created Samsung Galaxy Round. Here’s some of the things it does…
On the other hand, LG is joining the future trend, since it has invented the LG G-Flex, and I was amazed. I actually fell in love to its Wolverine (X-men) characteristics. Check it out:
Between the two, I would choose the one with Wolverine effect, the LG G-flex, unless if Samsung has a new feature to release. But all in all, both are perfect, especially for the people who always put their mobile phones or bags where it could damage. These smartphones are sure win.
Hope to see more of this in the coming years.
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XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
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How’s your Smartphone Battery?
Smartphone users are all dealing with the same problem everyday: Battery life. Sometimes, I always wish there were AC outlets or usb ports everywhere so I can charge my phone right away, when I need it.
I experience this everyday of my life, even when I sleep. I never turn-off my 3G since I have always to be online for my job and whenever I’m downloading. I sometimes sleep with 90% of battery and wake up with 30% — and sometimes, even lower than that, otherwise it’s dead. I needed to recharge my phone as I take a bath going before I go to the office or somewhere else.
Because of that experience I thought of collecting the best tips I found in the world wide web on how to get your battery always “on”, which is I’m trying to implement now in my daily activities with my phone. Fortunately, there are plenty of them, so let’s start with…
(Click to read further)
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Are the Filipinos ready for Google Glass?
In the anime series Dragon Ball Z, we saw saiyans, or Frieza and his forces, used an eye radar as a monitor to detect the nearest dragon ball, know the status of their pods, calculate a distance to distance and measure the strength of their enemies. The only one that makes it āboomā is the aura of the super saiyan, Gouku. If I were to guess, I would think that Google Glass creator/inventor got the inspiration here. It makes sense that, in my own opinion, for people with active lifestyle Google Glass can be really helpful in their busy activities and businesses. Without holding on a phone, notepad, tablet or any devices that support their multitasking abilities, they can work on things all at the same time.
Google Glass was actually released via invite. Meaning, few people was able to get hold of it to test its functionality before it is mass released. Itās currently, undergoing many software update to make sure that every user will find it the new era of mobile gadget. But what could be the impact of this to the Filipino?
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Well, if you travel from time to time via car, motorbike, bicycle (or kalesa), then good job, because this can be perfect for you. GPS is one of the things being developed in this device. It already ran many update for this functionality to make sure that itāll truly guide you to the correct path you’re going to. It can also give you update about the āwhatās ups?ā in a certain location ā like identify the common attraction or events by showing you popular photos of that particular place.
If you’re a person who loves to be updated, then it’s also right for you since it can do stuffs like searching in Google, play music and video and find news. All this via voice command ā just like Siri and S Voice. It also screen of what you see and what you see from the glass. Well, no selfies here, except if youāre looking into a mirror.
I donāt how it will be distracting, but for sure there will be some factors that may affect your safety, most especially when you’reĀ on-the-road. One of things Iām sure of here, itāll catch the attention of many people. In fact, I can now imagine secretaries and bosses wearing this. And then in the future, even people from public relations and communications.Ā But one of the businesses that should prepare for this gadget is no other than the Philippine cinema. They should be aware of this as well, since some people might use this for film piracy. No one could tell.
Other than that and to be honest, between the Smartwatches and this device, I think people would still choose the Smartwatches since it’s very flashy and, so far, have more functionality than Google glass. But I’d love to have one it the future. In spite that I ain’t fan of sport-type eye wear, I would still wear one of this if it’s launched here in the Philippines.
Thatās it for now.
XOXOXOXOXO
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BBM on iPhone and Android Phones
The long wait is finally over for iPhone and Android phone users because BBM is finally available in iTunes, Google play and Samsung store. (Yey!)
Truthfully, mixed emotions is what I felt on this release — I’m happy because I will now get to experience BBM since I haven’t touched a Blackberry smartphone before, and sad because, well, we know the falling story of Blackberry and that’s why they ended up making their supposedly exclusive app available to every mobile phones. And despite of the trending release of other messaging apps (i.e. Line, Kakao Talk, Viber and Wechat), BBM reportedly have been download 5 million times in just 8 hours, enough to say that many have really waited for this.
REGISTRATION
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As first time user of BBM, I needed to line-up on a queue of an unknown number, I’ve submitted my email for registration, and I was able to “Create a Blackberry ID” and got my very own BBM Pin after a couple of days.
For those, who have BBM already, no longer have to wait that long. Just hit the “Sign In” button and you’re up.
(By the way, that’s my BBM PIN — add me)
SPEED
It’s faster versus the messaging apps I’ve mentioned. I think it’s because it requires few 3G MB to run.
FEATURES/UI
For the first time user like me, few things I’ve discovered:
1. Ping – just like YM, it has Buzz to alert your chatmates if you’re online or just want to caught their attention. It alerts you with the usual BBM or assigned tone; not with a loud awkward buzzer.
2. Light (LED) indicator – choose colours that will differentiate your BBM alert to the rest of your message app. The colours are white, yellow, green, cyan, blue and purple; or none. For me, I chose white since none of my app is using that colour.
3. Tabs – 2 purposes. #1 to check if your active chats, groups, invites or updates on the activity, and #2 to configure the settings and access help.
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4. Ads – so far, so good. I ain’t seeing any ads at the moment since week 1. But for sure there’s a reason behind with all these release. Later on we will find out.
5. R, D and check – You’ll be able to see this while chatting. It normally stands for Read, Delivered and Sent. These identify whether your message has reached the receiver.
6. Emoticon – What messaging can stand without this feature? None, of course. But these are none moving ones, just enough to say what you feel in a fraction of a symbol.
7. Group chat – I don’t know the number of volume of people you can invite to join a group conversation, but as far as I know it can accommodate as many as you want.
8. Ā Attach – You can attach a note and picture and send it via chat.
9. Status – You are also allowed to share what your currently feeling in this feature. You can tell people if you’re busy or not really. You can, by the way, Ā tell people your activities.
10. Invite – You may choose among Barcode Scan, PIN, Email, SMS and NFC to invite people to add you or join you on BBM.
11. Profile Picture – Aside from your status, you can also set your favorite picture as your DP.
MY POINT OF VIEW
Well, it is a great app so far – a must-try. I invited some of my friends to try it as well, so we can experience how fast it is compare to other messaging app.
I just hope for the best for the Blackberry about this. That’s it!
XOXOXOXOXO
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On my way to getting a New Smartphone
Like other people, if I found the phone of my dreams I never stop checking the official site, different carriers’ sites, youtube for reviews, and phonedog.com to see the dogfight and 30-day challenge of the device. I see to it that I knew everything about my dream smartphone before it land falls onto my hands, because I want to maximize all features to my daily activities like gaming, writing, reading, taking selfies, browsing, watching movies and listening to FM and MP3’s. Never I had a phone which made me look like dumb not knowing what’s stored in the box.
Running in my head are 4 phones: iPhone 5S, Samsung Galaxy Mega, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Ā Leading: Samsung Galaxy Note 3.
I don’t know why I considered iPhone 5S on my list, perhaps the gold color captured my eyes that are attracted to sophistication plus it’s running the latest iOS7, which, they say, never far from the Android interface. If you’re also a fan of “Forensic Science”, it’s a good catch because it has finger print recognition feature. It’s expected to be out in the Philippine Market on December.Ā While Samsung Galaxy Mega is very huge — enough for my gigantic hands, though — with the screen size of 6.3 inches, it’s very useful for my four-eyed face. Yeah, I love big screen nowadays. It’s empowered to capture LTE signal, Dual-core and Qualcomm Snapdragon 400.Ā Meanwhile, Samsung Galaxy S4 has been lingering in my thoughts due to it’s awesome speed, features and light-weight design. The only thing that place it in my second choice is that it looks very similar to my current smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S3. But its air gesture, dual camera functionality and other “life companion” features, that make it simpler than the Galaxy note 3, make it a better choice.Ā On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, takes the tech-nerd-sh*t out me because of its newly added stylus features and enhanced capacity (See features here) plus it’s running Android 4.3. While other gadgets have already been released in the Philippine market, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is expected to arrive in stores on September 25th, so I still have few days to mourn for my savings before it goes bye-bye.
I don’t like to consider iPhone 5c since I’ve already had an encounter with Iphone 5. Aside from the new featured colors and the cheaper material that it’s made of, everything is just the same — don’t get fooled.Ā HTC One? Well, it was a great phone as well, however, its features are quite mediocre for me compare to the smartphones in my list.
But even though Samsung Galaxy Note 3 got the weight among all my choices, my mind might still change and switch to what I think is the best.
What about you? What smartphone you’re eyeing these days?
XOXOXOXO
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The Samsung Galaxy Note 3: Revealed
After months of relying on the leaked images, reviews and rumors in the internet, Samsung has finally revealed the latest in the Galaxy Note family, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.
Some rumors were proven wrong, and most of them go beyond the real specs of this much awaiting gadget. But what entails with the new Samsung Galaxy Note 3?
Well, it actually comes with full HD Super AMOLED 5.7-inch display with 1920×1080 resolution (that’s 397 pixels per inch), which is not that far from the Galaxy Note 2 with 5.5-inch display. It runs on a 2.3GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 800 Processor and a RAM that jumped to 3GB (from the traditional 2GB of its predecessor), and Android Jellybean 4.3. Back-camera flashes with 13MP which is capable of 4k video capture and 1.9MP front-facing camera. The device has internal storage of 32/64 GB and it’s expandable using microSD card. And, the battery, it compliments the size of the display with the size of 3200mAH.
Meanwhile, the design isn’t similar to the Galaxy Note 2 since the edges of the Galaxy Note 3 are quite sharper. And instead of plastic casing that gets negative comments from the critics, they used leather finish for the backing. So definitely it won’t be mistaken as Galaxy Note 2, unlike the previous review with Samsung Galaxy S3 and S4. Design-wise, Galaxy Note 3 so far gets my eye sparkling — I want to pre-order now!
The highlight of the Galaxy Note family is, of course, the S-pen. Galaxy Note 3’s S-pen gets cool features for superior experience that it brand itself “more than just a pen”. It enables you to enjoy the upgraded functionality by simply hovering or doing air gestures on your device. Firstly, once you hover your S-pen on your device, a dot will appear. In the Galaxy Note series, when you push the dot, it will show you the Air Command that allows you to choose an action from something that you have written (calling a phone number, add contact, or sending a message). Secondly, transferring something to your Scrapbook app is only as easy as encircle the items you want using your S-pen. This Air Command is very usefully for most fan. And thirdly, drawing a box on your screen will pull up a list of useful application that you can use. This is perfect for multitasking to show notes or images that you can refer to while working on other task on your device. Remember, the application you chose will be shown as big as the box you’ve drawn on the screen.
For me, this is a big “Yes” for must haves; however, price is still TBA here in the Philippines. No matter how much this phablet will be though, it’s worth it to have this device.
To see the video of this device… Click Click Click
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Samsung Galaxy S4 – Active & Zoom
I thought Samsung Galaxy S4 was the onlyĀ latest brand in the family of Samsung Galaxy, until I saw two more releases ā The Active and Zoom — which will join the S4 in PH. Many got curious about the differences of the specs and looks of these varieties from the original Galaxy S4; so letās find out what entails with Samsung Galaxy S4 Active and Zoom, and know their advantages and disadvantages.
Obviously, youād notice the designs are quite far from what we usually see from the Samsung Galaxy S4. Activeās option & back capacitive touch were replaced by buttons and placed in both sides of the home keyĀ buttonĀ . The very fine spaces of the volume rocker/power button from the casing shows that it canāt be penetrated by dust or water. There are some videos on Youtube that show the vulnerability of the device when dropped on water. Although it’s slightly thicker, wider and taller, itās designed to endure more natureās hazards to lessen your worries when you go outside for camping, hiking, kayaking or any other hobbies that include dust, mud and water. Its specification quite changed as well. It has 5-inch full HD 1080p display in an LCD panel, and not super AMOLED, so expect a little narrow in some views and washed out colors when showering under direct sunlight though it seems bright indoors. Similar to its predecesor, Samsung Galaxy S3, back-facing camera has 8mp but with slightly higher front-facing camera of 2mp. Active still lives with Quadcore processor and LTE signal, plus the same features like the air gesture, dual-camera shot and many others are still in the box. (Click here for the complete specs)
On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, for me, has a beautiful back camera which made it look more like a digital camera and more buffed. The down part of this unit is that some of its specs has downgraded, for example, it only has 4.5-inch full HD display and chipset ofĀ Dual-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A9. More than that, it’s bulking for some people, especially those people who love putting their mobile phones in their pockets and likes putting back protection or fashionable cases. Moving forward to the bright side, it has super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen and it’s protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. But the highlight of this device, and the reason why it’s called zoom, is the 16mp back-camera, theĀ BSI CMOS Sensor with 10X optical zoom and its Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) — perfect for instagraming and mobilephone photography. (Click here for the complete specs)
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XOXOXOXO
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A smarphone with 41MP camera?
Some smartphone fans choose the best quality of camera as their primary criteria on choosing the best phone for them. For me, itās also important because I love taking āSelfieā photos and picture of views outside our condo and, of course, when Iām having a trip. I donāt want to settle for low pixel camera because they are kind of unreliable especially when itās dark or Iām in a moving vehicle.
Before, it was okay to have VGA Ā — itās actually because you would just capture and not share it because phones donāt have Instagram during those times. Then 2MP to 13MP came in, making every caption clearer and more high definition. But with Nokia Lumia 1020, 13MP isnāt the ceiling we need to be settled. Ā Indeed, it is the best camera phone you can find in the market these days.
But what will you do with this high pixel camera?
One of the advantages of having 41MP is that you can already desire to zoom the farthest objects a Samsung Galaxy S4 could not reach. You will be able to enjoy high resolution and high sensitivity features and color balance for exposure in photos that you would take. Thus, it enables you to capture the tiniest pores and blemishes of your skin-conscious friends without having pixilated issues.
On the other hand, if youāre already having troubles on storing large file size of pictures from 13MP, well, you should expect more here. Having a good cloud storage app or high memory SDās with Nokia Lumia 1020 is recommended to store all the captured moments. You might also have uploading issues with Instagram and Facebook, and ended up resizing the photos for you to post them online.
Obviously, 41MP camera is exaggerated compare to what DSLR cameras could offer. Perhaps, Nokia shouldnāt try making overrated difference.
XOXOXOXOXO
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Our Life with Smartphones
Mobile phones have changed the life of everybody of this generation. Whether Ā student or an office guy, a housekeeper or owner of the house, or a simple businessman or an extravagant CEO — they admit it! — they cannot live without a smartphone in-hand.
Personally, I love my smartphone a lot ā a Samsung Galaxy SIII. It keeps me connected whenever, wherever I go — office, home and, of course, with the outside world. I use it for gaming, recreation, sending text messages and email, calling and (like right now) for blogging. For me, it’s very useful and I’m satisfied its speed and features.
But what smartphones do right now? How does it create impact in everything we do? And, how does it change our way of living?
I can give you 6 reasons.
1. Collaborations made-easy
It’s the first thing that pops out in mind because I exchange thoughts almost with everyone, everyday. Most likely, I use group conversation to discuss everything under the sun with my friends and colleagues. Sometimes, I could not find an excuse to skip meetings because connectivity is no longer a problem because of mobile data plans and the ready-to-download VoIP application.Ā All you have to do is to apply for a plan, and pick and download your preferred application (Gtalk, YM, Viber, Skype, etc.) or tap on your built-ins (BBM, Chat-on, etc.), connect to the internet and you are all set.
Smartphones has been useful to connect people with all types of businesses around the globe.
2. Knowledge on-the-go
“Power of sun in the palm of your hands” is one of the powerful quotes in the Marvel movie “Spiderman” that, for me, describes smartphones of these days since the accessibility of most information in the internet is just a few taps awayĀ on the touchscreen or keypad.
As you know, unnumbered population of eBooks are now downloadable and searchable via different websites and online merchandise. E-News and eMagazines were invented and redesigned to suit our mobile phone lifestyle, to make it more readable and up-to-date.
And who else doesn’t know Twitter and Facebook? The online portals that keep you updated from all types of there is — news, quotes, jokes, links, events and more — and trends what people are talking about. By all these and your smartphone, you will never be outdated.
3. Brings out the Paparazzi in you.
From VGA quality, smartphone camera turns out to become as high quality as Ā DSLR cameras, thus, people become addicted capturing moments wherever they go.Ā Some applications, such as Instagram and Camera360, provide filters and quality themes to make every picture more captivating and enhanced.
4. No to dull moments.
Ever experienced stuck in a traffic and you don’t have anything to do but to stare at the people beside you? Or is therea case whenĀ you’re in a room simply staring at the ceiling?
Mobile phones are now capable of doing most of the things you want to do –play MMO or HD games, watch movies, sing along with random people, and simply search prayers in the internet. Not unless you’re driving, you may just simply turn-on the speaker mode and listen to your favorites tunes or ebook.
5. Keeps you prepared
Even before, cellphones were made, if not to rescue us, just remind us few things. Technology of the smartphones of todays have been specialized with added features to make it more fit to your lifestyle.
See that handy notepad app? Bring it in a office meeting or use it take note of something that pops up in your mind. You save paper wherever you go.
Unexpected events that need a footage? Use your phone as camcorder.
And, blinded by the darkness? You can even use your smartphone as torch.
For me, a Dictionary app is always ready, especially when I encounter familiar words or translation.
6. Storage
From diskette, we’re already at the age of flash drives, external hard disks and cloud storage . People I know always have those in-hand or online to store their files like pictures, movies and etc.
Smartphones are also a good storage device for such things that are worth-keeping. Some have internal memories that can store up to 64GB and are expandable using memory card. Plus smartphones are connectable via USB chord, bluetooth and wi-fi direct.
Also some cloud storage apps are already connectable. Personally, I trust “Dropbox” Ā with this.
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How about you guys? How does smartphones change your life? Let me know.
XOXOXOXOXO
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Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 — Another Confusion: Tab or Phone?
What I like from Samsung inventions of smartphones and tabs is that it match lifestyle and the activities of every user. Unlike Apple products, Samsung make sure that your gadget can be used for any kind of connectivity, either via mobile data, wi-fi or local network. In other words, their gadget are closer to becoming wholesome. The only thing I don’t like that about them is that there were times, especially when the Galaxy Note edition was released, that you’ll be confused of the type of the gadgetĀ you’re holding. Is it a phone or a tab?
The newly released edition of Samsung Galaxy, the Note 8.0 or N5100, has a size of 135.9mmx210.88mm (8 inches) or almost a size of a diary. Interface and excellent multi-tasking ability are more similar to Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (and 10.1) because it is also powered byĀ Android Jellybean v4.1.2.Ā Phone capabilities are available for this gadget since it uses a micro sim; however, I don’t feel comfortable holding it up to my face because…well, it feels weird. What makes it different from its ancestors is it has a longer S-Pen that is designed to do more activity than its first version, like it can now be used for clicking back and option sensors, switch pages when reading ebooks, and write directly to your S-Planner.
Despite of the confusion, the gadget is jam packed withĀ Quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A9;Ā 5 MP rear camera (with 2592Ń 1944 pixels, autofocus) and 1.3 front-facing; speed ofĀ HSDPA, 21 Mbps and HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; andĀ 16/32 GB storage and 2 GB RAM. Ā For some countries, it recognizes LTE signal which is the fastest mobile data so far. Other than that, it has TFT capacitive touchscreen, no corning gorilla glass (so you’d need a screen protector) unfortunately and Non-removable Li-Ion 4600 mAh battery.
It’s good buy. Perfect for those who preferred something in between of Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and 10.1. Fast connectivity is guaranteed. Just a little advice: use a headphones when taking calls.
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Images were from: click hereĀ and click here
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Choosing a Network for Data Plan Here in the Philippines?
Ever since I’ve got my very first prepaid cellphone (a large Nokia with a very large battery — which I forgot the unit name) I was very observant when it comes to the signal of the network I chose. I was able to compare it because Papa, Mama and I were using different networks. Papa was Smart, then Mama and I were Globe, and sometimes we switch.Ā I was able to experience also having both sim card at the same time when Nokia 3310i came — Papa bought a special cover with two sim card slots and you just have to press the keys *3370# (if I’m not mistaken) to switch sim cards and restart the phone. I’ve also experienced being a customer of Sun cellular when I started dating people, because it’s cheaper and it’s the first network who introduces the unlimited calls and half-cost per text charging for prepaid. The longest running sim card I had — which I still have today on my generic Samsung phone — is Globe.
Right now, I’m connected with both Globe and Smart through data plans. And to give you a quick review here’s some points that might help you decide to choose.
But first, before I start, I just wanna make it clear that I’m talking about plans here, particularly data plan. Not the prepaid a$$es who eat a lot of load because of mobile internet.Ā These are based on experience, usage and location.
Okay. Here we go!
Experience
If you are earning above the minimum wage rate, you are closer to getting a plan from a network, but application and approval maybe tough if you’re trying to get plans worth Php1500 and up. If you are one of the lucky ones, however, getting this is easy, except if you’re under a BPO type of industry.
Unfortunately, I’m one of the BPO dudes. With all the requirements, certification and all the means I have in the world to prove that I’m capable of paying my bills, GlobeĀ required me to have a credit card. And since I don’t have credit cards and they want to get more clients, luckily, I still got approved. It took them two weeks though to process my application.Ā While with Smart, I applied with the same requirement and tomorrow after they called me to claim the phone.
When it comes to customer service, Smart gets an outstanding points and Globe still suck with that. I hated smart, but I guess they have different ways on treating prepaid and post-paid customers. I kind of love their promptness in their answers. I will give kudos to Globe though because when I called them about the additional features for their plan, they gave what I supposed to have for the month.
And speaking of plus, Globe has it all – free texts, calls and overseas. Smart is just solid when it comes with the number of free text and calls — they know their roles on giving these things inclusives on time — I just wished they have more promos.
Usage
Due to the few free calls and text inclusives of Smart Telecommunications, I tend not to use it often for regular calls and texts. But who the hell cares, by the way, when you have data plan which allows you to access free VOIP like Skype, Viber and not to mention Chikka.Ā But you need to have enough data credits to use these common applications.
And speaking of Data, Smart has 1.5 GB limit per monthly cut-off, while Globe has around 700-800 MB. When you consume all these data, either via browsing, streaming and downloading, your internet speed will go down to unbelievable and head-popping less than 300 kbps. Thanks to the fair usage that implemented this kind of thing for broadband and data plan users. But Globe’s limit is low, they should increase more than that since people download lot’s of stuff these days.
Location
Well, what I am referring to hear is the internet speed of the data plan based location. I usually go around Manila, Makati, Pasig, Mandaluyong and Antipolo. And I would give the crown to Smart for providing me speed that sometimes breaks the limit of my expectation. Globe is giving around 1-2 mbps Ā on the said locations while Smart gives 3-5 mbps in average. And since I need to check emails all the time and stay tune for concerns via chat, and also to stay online with my friends on my social networking account, I need faster internet for better response.
All-in-all, I could still say that this guys are doing a great fight. Although Smart is better for me when it comes to data plan, Globe won’t go home with teary-eyes because I love their free stuff a lot better than Smart.
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Jellybean Got Updated plus Google Play Apps
I was playing the new Google Play apps when I received an update notification from my phone, and I’m pretty excited to let you guys know something about the AndroidĀ Jellybean v4.1.2 and how it will improve your smartphone experience particularly with your Samsung Galaxy S III.
What has been added? Well, to find out I tried to look as many things as I could. I went to different parts of my smartphone‘s menu to discover what does this Jellybean v4.1.2 bring . Let’s see…
First thing I noticed though is that the new version added more option in the notification board. It can be now customized, re-organized and allows you to choose only the features you want to see. You can find it’s option under Settings>Display>Notification Panel.
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They also added a new feature which is called the multi-window bar. You will see it in the left portion of the screen and ut displays apps shortcut, which makes navigation easier, home button friendly and more easy toĀ customize. I find it more useful than the EasyTouch App. But the cool thing it can do is that it can open 2 windows at the same time. All you have to do is that drag the chosen app to the screen and whoala! In the picture, I opened both my FB and Twitter account at the same time. Cool, isn’t it? Well, that’s why they call it the multi-window bar — it is design for multi-tasking for a very smart phone like the Samsung Galaxy S III.
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Another cool feature added is the smart rotation. It requires face recognition and the auto-rotation ‘ON’ in order for it to work, because it determines the orientation of your face and movement. It’s great for those who loves to read or watch videos while you’re lying down.
Furthermore, it added cool stuff for your phone’s gallery. First, the view where you can choose from Spiral, folder view and Starwars look-like photo selection (I don’t know what to call it).
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And second the photo tagging. It’s not the usual Facebook photo tagging. This new feature allows your phone to recognize the people in your contacts. It also reminds you the weather condition when a certain photo was taken — just sync it with accuweather — the dates and your current location.
Another thing I found out is the “Page Buddy” which allows your phone to create addition slide or page in your home screen once you connected it to a headphone or dock.
And finally, Jellybean 4.1.2 added application like “Paper Artist” which is good for your instagram habit and Group Cast that allows you to view photos/file or listen to music together via wifi connection.
Despite of these newly added features, it doesn’t not affect the fluidity of the Samsung Galaxy S III navigation. It’s very nice! It gives the multi-tasking feature a shot, and I really like it. It’s almost like having Samsung Galaxy Note 2 at the same time, only with the absence of the S pen and the larger display.
By the way, all these upgradesĀ available now in the Philippines.
XOXOXOXOXO
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Battery Problems on Smartphones
If you’re a smartphone user and hardcore fan of mobile application and internet, then you probably always have your portable phone chargers everywhere you go, ready to plug-in when needed because you’re phone battery drains so fast, it couldn’t even last a day.
I’m having the same problem. My day never ends without plugging my phone’s charger either on my computer or the nearest electric outlet. Sometimes, I wanted to buy a solar-powered charger just to make my charging on the go but it doesn’t just make sense.
I tried to find ways, of course. And to stretch the battery life, for example in my Samsung Galaxy S3, I usually do these routines that I learned from my daily activities:
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Google Play 2013 Apps (Part 1)
I welcomed the 2013 New Year with flu (Yey!) but that won’t stop me from checking the coolest app that you must have this new year.
To be honest, I’m already attached to my Samsung Galaxy S3, and even now that the iPhone5 and iPad mini were already launched in the market, I haven’t gotten a second thought of replacing my mobile phone and my Galaxy tab 8.9.
Last month, I barely downloaded apps for my gadgets, but I chose the ones that made me feel the thrill, cuteness and knowledge. But even the year ends, I still believe that these Apps Ā should welcome the new year with you!
1.Ā Dead Trigger
If you’re a fan of the latest zombie movies and series, you must be enjoying Dead Trigger already. If not, you got to download this! And although Samsung Galaxy S3 has higher definition when it comes to graphics and screen color, the best experience is still in my SamsungĀ Galaxy Tab 8.9 when I play this game. You know, the larger the screen, the better the view, and the more you see the zombie fast approaching.
Everything in the game is cool, bloody and heart-stopping, except the control is kind of difficult because you’re hands has to be good in navigating touch screen buttons without looking. (You will get used to it if you often play the game, though.) And for those who get easily dizzy with first-person game, you can always adjust the movement sensitivity in the options, just like what everyone is doing in the counter strike. It affects somehow your in-game speed in turning and moving around, but it adds thrill.
Moreover, the fun part here is you can use weapon other than guns to kill zombies, like chainsaw, crossbow, brain grinder and more. Some are available when you buy credits via site or when you save in-game cash.
Just a reminder: when you start this game, get ready to be addicted.
2.Ā GunStrike.
If you don’t want zombie games but want a cool and cute shooting game that will enhance your anti-terrorist skill, well, this one is for you!
Cute — yes — because you’ll be shooting these bubble head, little terrorists. The game is either you do survival mode or campaign mode or the mini games. And same as the Dead Trigger, more thrill awaits in-game. You can upgrade your weapon and buy health and special items by purchasing using in-game cash. Well, you can also shoot birds and other special characters, other than the terrorists, to gain special items — just keep your eyes open for them.
Controls are also the same, but I don’t why I am able to shoot better here in than in shooting the zombies in Dead Trigger. Perhaps, here, you don’t have to move around. All you have to do is to aim and aim — which is sensitivity-friendly — without the after-game dizzy feeling.
3.Ā POU!
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Adorable, cute and lovable unknown creature. I feel like they revived the NeoPets or Tamagochi with Pou. He or she is totally costumizable every time he reaches a certain level. You can feed him, play the mini games, make him sleep, cure him when he’s sick and give him a bath. Best app that you can check from time to time.
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What I like about this app is that it has a global ranking. That means you will be able to see what other Pou fans are up to on their own pets. You can view who leads the mini games and tops the rank of the best looking Pou, and your friend’s Pou (if you know their Pou’s name). It is really fun and it doesn’t waste too much of your phone/tabs battery.
4. (Andwhatdoyahknow!!!) There’s Hangaroo 2!
If you miss this Kangaroo and looking for more sensible game that will challenge you in general knowledge, sports, popular quotes, history, etc; well, he’s back with same interface with lots of new categories, fun and learning! Never did this game disappoint me when I’m so bored in the house.
Same as ever game mechanics, you just have to guess the word(s) to free the Kangaroo. 4 mistakes and he’ll see him hanged, but don’t worry no real animal is harmed in this game…So, please enjoy!
5. Lastly, Easy Touch
Here’s another reason why iPhone has to sue Android. Just kidding. Well, this application, of course, is iPhone-inspired but design perfectly for Android phones.
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This app will enable you to navigate the home and other phone features without pressing the home button. As you know, theĀ numero unoĀ problem of most smartphones are the damaged home screen button. This app will help you reduce your phone’s chances of experiencing same trouble.
Some people said it was hard to uninstall to Android phones but no need to worry, I believe the app has already been updated and you’ll see the app instruction how to navigate, uninstall and even change the button design.
I find it helpful because I’m worried of getting damaged home and lock keys; but it works perfectly fine with my Samsung Galaxy S3 because it covers all the functions I need instead of pressing the home key.
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More Apps to be reviewed this January, so keep on reading! Happy New Year!
XOXOXOXOXOXO
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My Samsung Galaxy S3
I havenāt seen ICS OS from any Android devices yet, thatās why Iām quite amaze with the features Iāve seen in my new Samsung Galaxy S3.
First, it works very well with my current subscription with Smart Telecommunication. Truly, its speed is faster and very competitive with other existing smart mobile phone, including iPhone 4S and 5. I tested the speed and here are the results:
Next feature I love is its awesome video preview. I believe it takes a large RAM to get this thing working fast; Samsung Galaxy S3 didnāt disappoint me on that. I just donāt like it when itās showing the āprivateā videos, so be careful with other people borrowing your phone.
Click click click here to read more!
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Iāve finally got my very own — Galaxy S3!!!
Iāve got this for āFreeā under a corporate plan ā one of the benefits from my 2nd promotion as the Manager in our department. Although this is a phone of my choice, I didnāt expect that one day Iāll be having an opportunity to have this. I didnāt even dream about having Samsung Galaxy S3 when it was launched because it’s quite expensive.
Anyways, to give you a little background about my new phone: It has 4.04 Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS (upgradable to 4.1 Jellybean), 11 GB internal memory (upgradable up to 64GB via micro SD) and mini-sim enabled. The 8mp back-camera and 1.9mp front-facing camera added the flavour to itās amazing super AMOLED screen and corning Gorilla glass 2, which enables me to view the full blast of colours of everything I see in the phone. Sound is good as well — compare to my Galaxy Tab 8.9 ā or is it because of the headphones that are very helpful on giving you clearer and more dynamic sound? I also love its ādesign for humanā features like the motion sensor for auto-call when you put the phone on your ear, Ā check new top updates or emails by tapping the head of the phone, share files by tapping S3 to other mobile phone and detect device by shaking it.
After a few days of having my Galaxy S3 on hand and watching bunch of fearsome drop test, I bought 2 covers for it: 1 white and 1 dark blue. And since it already has corning gorilla glass, I think I don’t need to buy it a screen protector anymore.
(These cases available at Juan at Your Service for a very affordable price. You can visit their facebook fan page to see the more of their amazing offers. Click here.)
When it comes to performance, I could say that its beermatch is the Smart’s Data plan — fast and reliable here in Antipolo and in Tondo, Manila — but, as you know, I’m still in the process of getting to know my Galaxy S3. I’ll try to share more about it on my next post.
XOXOXOXOXO
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Sims on Google play
Count me in to the number of gamers who got addicted to the fun world of Sims. I enjoyed the game a lot especially when it was released in Nintendo DS. I just stopped playing Sims when I became a busy player of Granado Espada and Flyff, both MMORPG’s. However, still, Sims took most of my time because it was irresistably addicting. I even skipped a few meals and my favorite tv series for it.
I just found the game for free when I visited the Google Play Store. The game was released by the same game publisher, Electronic Arts Nederland BV.
Actually, there’s nothing too much to expect from the game, except for the mobile phone experience. It features same cool stuffs like pets, toddlers, jobs, relationship with other Sims and the “Wohoo”. And, new features are only limited to the dress-up closet, children store, dog items and wedding wear.
It is really fun! It requires internet connection, though, to get things running. You may also need more than 1GB storage to fit in the 826MB size of this app.
But I think it’s worth it to download this game app. I haven’t encountered any lag or force close problem on my Galaxy Tab 8.9 so far. You should try it on your device.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
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Android Apps Perfect For Bored People…like me!
After the reformat, my Galaxy Tab 8.9 still performs well. Well, actually, much even better than before. It gets faster (perhaps because of the upgraded version) and it gets additional feature like the fit-to-screen button for every application.
Recently, I got bored. This leads me to downloading 4 not-so-new apps that are more addicting and helpful for me, which I would like share with you, guys.
First is the 1945 iFighter.
(Click for larger images)
Iām a super fan of this game. My best friend Ryan and I have spent lots of time and money for this game when we were still addicted to Arcade games. Yeah, we love this more than the Street Fighter. And if you guys have Arcade game hang-over, this is the best game for you.
Game control is not a problem. You can choose from joystick, touch and motion controls. Itās up to you where youāre more comfortable. Iām on Mission 8 of hard level so far, and Iām not sure about how many Mission it has.
Cool thing about this game is that it has two jets that you can unlock when you finish the mission.
Click Click Click to read moreā¦
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Tabby on Trouble
I didn’t know that my galaxy tab got an issue with its tethering function. I was not sure if it was the signal problem or it was a factory defect, that’s why I had it checked with the Samsung Service Center at SM Megamall. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to diagnose the problem. They had to master reset everything, wherein they deleted all my files, and upgrade the OS version; but it still didn’t do any good.
I suggested to check if it was a network related problem. They inserted a post paid sim, and (thank God!) tethering worked. Therefore, it was a network problem. I decided to check it with Globe telecom, my net provider, but I’m still waiting for their feedback.
Sigh, I didn’t know I would came to this point where I should go bye bye to my apps and precious files when te problem was with the network. If only, I knew…sigh (again)!
But moving forward, I bought Tabby a new leather case, a corporate looking one.
It damages my tab, though. Ā It freaking leaves stains at the back of Tabby’s white cover, making it look dirty. The gadget cleaners couldn’t remove the stains. I already used a special cloth, but it didn’t remove anything. I guess I have to ask the store, where I bought the case — for sure, you know what will happen there.
Anyway, aside from the tethering and mess up, evrything is still working. Regret is there because of the files I lost but I can’t do anything. At least, I can still type and browse and play and download — that’s more important. I just wish I can something about the stains.
XOXOXOXOXOXO
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Andrei’s Galaxy Ace Plus
I bought Galaxy Ace Plus for Andrei a couple of days ago. It was supposed to be my anniversary gift for him. But since I was broke last January due to the lay-off and had lots of financial priorities, it became a super late gift. He understood, though, because he too had stuff to deal with. The original plan was supposed to be a blackberry phone. But I didnāt know what ran into his head that he chose an Android phone. All I knew is that he kept on watching phone reviews on Youtube, which made me a bit paranoid because it was digging my conscience. I was like telling myself āI need to buy him a new phone now! I need to buy him a new phone now!ā
But they say, everything comes in a perfect time, hence, the new phone!
Click click click to read more
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Instagram 101 ā part 2
To be honest, I’m starting to love Instagram. It goes well with my Camer360 shots. I didn’t know the two would be a great combination.
And before I write something about Instagram as a social network site, here are some of my sample shots:
I used Nashville effect in most of the photos; my favorite.
By the way, above is our new puppy, Sanchai. She was a gift from one of our neighbors. I ain’t familiar with her breed, since I wasn’t at home when she was given to us. She’s very cute, though, isn’t she?
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
LoveYourself, Inc. — Dare. Care. Share.
The Zero Calorie Adventures of Milk & Coffee
Ejomlexus 