Jayvee Fernandez | Pinoy Tech, Diving, Gadgets

Unboxing and Installing Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

Jayvee — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:21:57 +0000

Today is the global launch of Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty. If you pre-ordered, you’re assured a copy today. I got my hands on the standard edition for South East Asia. Interesting that the box does label the regional distribution as this has implications to the server.

Also got my dog tag and Starcraft II shirt.

You will need an Internet connection to install and authenticate Starcraft II. So for those living in the Paranaque area today, Skycable is undergoing a plant maintenance and thus all Internet and cable is down. I managed to connect to the Internet by turning my Samsung Galaxy S into a WiFi hotspot using the Mobile AP settings. Yay!

I’m installing Wings of Liberty for both the Mac and PC. While the install is happening, you will be required to sign up or login to a Battle.net account and link the game with your ID. Just like Steam, you can also opt to download the client in case you lose the DVD.

Oh the box comes with 2 guest passes for Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty. Anyone want them? First two to comment, I can give you the keys and please do install the game and add me up on Battle.net. It also comes with 2 free keys to 10 days of WoW. Well if anyone wants that …

Midterm review: Samsung Galaxy S

Jayvee — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 05:27:11 +0000

It’s a damn good phone.

Samsung has been hit or miss with their phones that run third party operating systems in the past few years. But After seeing their proprietary Bada OS and now, the Galaxy S running on Android, I can barely talk as my foot is in my mouth.

I squeezed a lot of time during a recent weekend dive trip to tinker with the Galaxy S, also known as the i9000. I’m a big fan of Android (I’m actually a big fan of a lot of things in tech) and what it has to offer users. I’ve also been reading about all the praise the Galaxy S has received worldwide; and now, an opportunity to finally use it.

The problem that potential buyers encounter when making the leap into Android isn’t really about the operating system itself. Rather, the decision is made harder because of fragmentation, which refers to the phenomenon of having many device manufacturers coming out with their own Android phones (running on different versions, mind you). With many Android devices being manufactured by Sony Ericsson, HTC, Motorola and Samsung, buyers may be overwhelmed with making informed decisions on what to stick with.

Samsung really gave everything to make the Galaxy S a beautiful device. There are three features that made this phone a head turner in all parts of the world: Super AMOLED, TouchWiz 3.0, and a huge 4 inch screen. Let’s tackle each feature.

The myth was that Samsung came with a new type of display called “Super AMOLED” which increased clarity and brightness on a 480 x 800 screen, the current resolution of their flagship device. The fact is not only is the Galaxy S brighter than the Google Nexus One or the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 (which has an even higher resolution at 480 x 854), the “Super” part about it makes this screen slimmer, which is why, if you hold the Galaxy S on its side, you’ll be amazed at how thin it is. The day after I unboxed the phone, I exposed the phone to three days worth of usage on the beach in Malapascua, Cebu. Despite the harsh sun, the rumors are confirmed to be true: you can use the Galaxy S under direct sunlight. Barely any glare.

Last but most important, AMOLED technology is by nature a battery life saver, which means that I got a good full day’s use on a single charge. By full day, this means moderate to low data usage (turn on 2G browsing to conserve battery life) and regular usage for SMS, calls and a bit of gaming.

If HTC has its Sense UI, Samsung has its TouchWiz and right now, it is up to version 3.0. In the past, Samsung lagged behind in the UI war with their widget based interface that didn’t really work out too well. Surprisingly, it seems to work well with Android. Or to be more accurate, it doesn’t look like Samsung had something proprietary embedded over the operating system, which is great! If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Now TouchWiz isn’t specific to Android as Samsung’s Bada software also uses this for their Wave phone. Nonetheless, it has a lot of practical yet subtle doodads that make the overall experience great.

Samsung didn’t pull any punches with the screen size: a 4 inch screen feels great to the thumbs. I’m honestly not a big fan of touch screen devices because of the whole texting thing, but among all the Android devices I’ve used in the past, this was the easiest. I know that the XPERIA and the Galaxy both have the same screen size — thank the UI or thank the actual screen itself, it’s much easier to SMS using Samsung’s device.

Oddly, in other parts of the world, the Galaxy S comes with a sliding mini USB cover to protect the input from foreign particles. The one sold in Asia doesn’t have this cover, exposing the port.

Also, not that I’m complaining but most phones to date come with a stock microSD card for memory expansion. The Galaxy S has 14GB of usable memory (2GB is used up by the system and a lot of the preloaded crap I had mentioned) and no microSD card. 14GB is great, but not for your media collection.

Overall, the Galaxy S comes highly recommended. I share the opinion of many other tech writers who have touched, sniffed and made love to the phone: it stands out as one of the better Android devices for 2010. Considering that the iterations of 4 inch screens for Android has just begun, Samsung got things right on its first try.

Oh right now you can grab the Galaxy S through Globe Telecommunications. They have it on exclusive for the rest of the month. They also have an Android page for this. Here’s a tip: if you’re running on Android it makes sense to enroll in those unlimited data plans like SuperSurf (Globe). To register, just text SUPERSURF220 to 8888. That’s unlimited internet for 5 days.

To make it easier, here’s the current Globe promo. The Galaxy S is free with the following plans:

Plan 2499 with 36 month lock in period from now till July 31 2010
Plan 3799 with 24 month lock in period from August 1 2010 onwards
PHP 32,995 for a prepaid kit with Globe SIM

I’m worth PHP 2,500.00

Jayvee — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:57:43 +0000

This was written several months ago in March ’10. It still is very timely.

And a quote from the blind item blog:

Who is this nobody ( I don’t even what to call him/her) who is charging companies money in exchange for people to attend their events?

This nobody is claiming that he/she is very influential in the online community that he/she can make them attend events. For a price of course – this nobody is charging companies and PR firms PhP 2,500.00 for each attendees.

The problem is some of the attendees are not even aware that their souls are being sold by this nobody, and some who are aware are not even charging that high.

So even attending events is now a business?

I really think that it must be said. That between the whispers of the blog community (I refer to the more visible community that attends events), it comes to no surprise that they’re aware of it already. Of course no one wants to speak up, but hey, where’s the fun in that?

It’s a different kind of sickness. I’m not even talking about envelopmental journalism. I’m talking about the basic notion of making money out of your friends. In subterfuge.

On a lighter note, I do take offense on the fact that I’m only valued at PHP 2,500.00 to show up in events.

This yoghurt thing

Jayvee — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:23:14 +0000

Apparently Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is now serving frozen yoghurt. It’s pretty good. But despite the menu of flavors they have, I still prefer the ONE flavor that they don’t advertise: the plain yoghurt with a honey stick.

Or you can be a total douche and run to Starbucks and grab two small sachets of honey which is free. I don’t know why CBTL still charges customers for their honey sticks. Maybe it’s because the liquid sugar they have on the counter is free and honey is a “step up” from this sweetener since it’s also a natural antibiotic.

Hey cool, Angry Birds is also out on the N900

Jayvee — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:55:08 +0000

I really couldn’t believe it: Angry Birds is out for the N900. This is what I’m talking about — it’s not about the phone these days. It’s really about the apps and the developer community. Developed by Rovio Mobile, Angry Birds is a catapult simulator that differs from traditional releases such as Worms and Scorched Earth. Angry Birds has a puzzle element with the objective of toppling green pigs from the safety of their not-so-sturdy abodes. You can fire birds with different abilities using a slingshot weighing in the velocity using your finger.

Oh and it goes without saying that since I’m playing this on an N900, it’s got really good multitasking features so I can always tab through my email, SMS and other apps without closing the game.

Grab Angry Birds from the Ovi Store. It’s free. If you’re getting a “this game is not available in your country” error, simply ignore it and login to your Ovi account from your phone. The download will commence from there. Oh and if you want more levels, check this out.

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The Panty Shield for Underwater Cameras: Leak Insure

Jayvee — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:14:25 +0000

One of the horrors of bringing a camera into the water is the fear of having your housing leak. Sure, you’ve greased your O rings and meticulously cleaned the crevices of your case from sand particles and dust. But there is that nagging feeling that something beyond your control can happen and you won’t have the precious time to save your camera from a flooding incident. Rather, you’re stuck underwater watching water consume your expensive piece of electronics.

So it’s here — the “panty shield” for underwater housings. If in case it really does leak. Leak Insure absorbs 400x its mass in water, trapping and slowing the flood into its absorbent surface giving you more time to react and surface immediately without harming your camera.

Price: PHP 475.00 for the small and medium sizes and PHP 550.00 for the large size. You can order from Splash Photography: +639175259639 (Shoppesville Arcade, Greenhills Shopping Center Level B, Store # 2003). Look for Jovic.

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Malacanang listens to blogger’s advice

Jayvee — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:27:09 +0000

[Click to enlarge]

Although in real life, the Philippines has a new president, it didn’t reflect as such on the Internet. After President Benigno S. Aquino III was sworn in, Malacanang’s website, http://www.op.gov.ph/ still had former president GMA’s face on their home page. Blogger Rico Mossesgeld noticed this and went the extra mile to “suggest” the change to the Malacanang web team through a blog post — with an HTML template of a placeholder while the site remains in construction.

This is Rico’s blog post with suggested HTML code.

This is the Malacanang website now with Rico’s placeholder text and tweaked HTML coding.

So it’s true. The president does listen.

(Not so) simple joys

Jayvee — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 04:09:07 +0000

A month ago, my MacBook’s backlight gave way. No, the screen wasn’t broken — but I’d have to shine a strong LED light into the screen to see anything. RIght now, my crippled portable is confined as a glorified desktop computer with the external display hooked to a 22-inch monitor. Computer-less in my travels I decided to move my entire Dr. Who (and Firefly) collection into the N900. Pair it with an X-Mini hamburger speaker I won last year at an Intel party. The N900 has turned into a media house for almost all my movies until I get my MacBook fixed (from a pragmatic — and Scroogelike — outlook, it still works).

It’s only now that I’m truly appreciating the convenience of a kick stand!

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The Sardine Run in Pescador Island, Moalboal, Cebu

Jayvee — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:30:15 +0000

Three months ago, there were reports of millions of sardines mysteriously appearing along the reef of Pescador Island in Moalboal, Cebu. There were mixed reports — some had said the sardines had been there for years while others say that this is a “now” phenomenon. Net of it all: recently, divers from all over the country made the journey to Moalboal to experience millions of sardines dancing and shimmering amidst the blue backdrop of the ocean.

With the sardines come predators. Thresher sharks prey on the balls of sardines stunning stragglers with their tails ’round the clock. It is common to see at least two sharks circle around you. If you’re lucky you’ll get to see 6 in one dive. This was the most spectacular underwater orchestration I have ever seen.

The threshers here compared to Malapascua are smaller, but sightings are more frequent. The fact that divers do not need to wake up early in the morning to catch a Monad Shoal dive in Malapascua is more convenient. In Pescador, you just have to remain neutrally buoyant in one of the hanging coves and enjoy the show. Peak time is noon to around 3PM. That is feeding time.

Right now, Pescador Island is a “no strobe,” and “no tank banger zone” as the threshers are sensitive to light and noise. There is also a “no gloves” policy so divers aren’t tempted to latch onto the reef wall. There is also a “no net” policy for the fisherfolk and fishing is regulated to hand-line casts.

During our trip, we were blessed with a whale shark sighting and got to interact with it for 3 minutes. That was my 75th dive. Amazing. AMAZING!

If you’re planning a trip to Moalboal, I suggest you do so very soon. It is worth it. Nothing compares to the shapeshifting orchestration of the sardines. Due to the limitations of my camera I was not able to document an entire ball of sardines because it was simply too big to fit into the lens.

A blow by blow account of the most exciting 3 minutes of my life

Jayvee — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 03:04:53 +0000

Welcome to Pescador Island. Having dove the area the previous day we already were very much acquainted with the mysterious sardine run that appeared around the island. Locals discovered the sudden influx of millions of sardines. Two months prior, word got out to the dive community. Along with the sardines came predatory thresher sharks that would appear ’round the clock for feeding time. Today though, we were not prepared for what we were about to experience!

0:01 The plan was to descend to 60ft and wait in one of the coves. The cove would disperse the bubbles that we were making underwater so as not to scare the sharks away. Less bubbles, the better. Within one minute of waiting, our dive master pointed downwards, suddenly excited. Expecting threshers, we were in for a very special treat. A whale shark’s mouth suddenly became visible from 70ft and the fish was making its way up.

0:06 That’s me screaming “OH MY GOD!” in tandem with everyone else.

0:16 Still screaming, I decided to swim into the blue towards the fish. The whole body became visible at this point and the whale shark was around 20 ft.

0:25 Despite how “slow” the fish looks due to its nonchalant and graceful movements underwater, it is pretty damn fast.

0:32 Wowie had the same idea and swam after the shark as well. As you can see, he’s finning pretty damn hard to catch up as well.

0:39 That’s me laughing and catching my breath. “It’s too fast!”

0:51 Jan appears on my right. A stroke of luck — the whale shark decides to make for the surface and breach, which meant that we would be able to catch up. I swim faster to get a better view.

0:59 You can hear my dive computer beeping. It’s not just mine. Everyone was beeping. We were too excited and were rising fast. We stabilized at 40ft. Again, from the video it seems that the shark moves very slow but don’t be fooled by its graceful movements — it’s fast!

1:19 A small school of sardines swim by adding a bit of foreground to the already amazing sighting.

1:39 In full view (what an amazing sight!), the shark starts to dive again.

1:42 Holy #$%^ it’s getting closer. We’re at 80ft.

1:48 We make eye contact as it turns toward me. I have never experienced anything like this before. Adrenaline and fear were playing a game of tug of war with my wits.

1:53 I must point out that although I had video on the whole time I was barely looking at the camera. I’d glance once in a while to see if I still had the creature within my frame. The shark passes me. I was two meters away. I wanted to swim closer but doing so might have agitated the fish.

2:08 The shark makes its way to my dive buddies. You can see strobes going off. We had a “no strobes” policy for shooting the threshers and sardines because the former have very sensitive eyes. Nobody said anything about strobes off with a whale shark. HEH.

2:59 One of the girls screaming “Oh my god!” as it makes its way back towards us. WOW. Heck, everyone was screaming.

3:08 One last pass, but not as close as the previous one.

I had snorkeled with whale sharks before in Donsol but it has no comparison to actually diving with one. Moalboal was a big dive spot in the 90′s but because of dynamite fishing, the area degraded. Due to storms, Pescador Island’s white sand has now eroded into the rough cliffs. The mysterious arrival of the sardines has created a boom in local tourism. Who knows how long the fish will stay?

If you’re planning on going to Pescador Island to experience the sardine run, you have to go NOW.

Jayvee Fernandez | Pinoy Tech, Diving, Gadgets

Unboxing and Installing Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

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It’s a damn good phone.

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