Candid Prejudice

VideoPhill: Finally found an Alternative to the Good Old Media Player Classic

2011-11-23T00:11:00.001+08:00

The video formats I have in my local hard drive come from various sources. The most numerous format so far is AVI, which is ideally the file extension for movies and other 700MB video files that can be burnt on CD. Next to AVI, there are other formats such as MOV, WMV, MKV, and FLV. Most of the MOV files I have were recorded from my Apple device. Some MOV files are videos directly downloaded from the Apple website such as high-definition trailers and video tutorials. I used to have a separate player for MOV files, the Apple Quicktime, but then realized that I can just download the minimalistic codec to play the file on the Media Player classic. For more than a decade already, I have been a fan of the MPC, but not until I discovered VideoPhill. Just like the MPC, VideoPhill takes advantage of advanced video compression technology to deliver high-quality videos with the minimal use of resources. In addition, the player provides a very user-friendly interface for me to organize my own video archive.

The capabilities of VideoPhill are beyond that of a regular video player. The software application hosts a number of functionalities that truly redefined how I categorize and view my videos. A very convenient feature of VideoPhill is the thumbnail generation for virtually every file format, which is unlike the MPC that had certain issues with generating thumbnails especially for uncommon file formats.

VideoPhill may be downloaded by following this link. It's free to try and the developer has been very generous with the trial features.

Premium Tickets for Manny Pacquiao versus Juan Manuel Marquez Boxing Event

2011-11-11T10:01:00.001+08:00

The third installment in the Pacquiao-Marquez trilogy will take place in the MGM Grand Garden Arena on November 12 at 3:00 PM. Great ticket deals are available at Top Ticket with prices starting at $150.00 for the closed section in the circuit row. The next cheaper price is in row R of the 201 section at $475. As expected, boxing tickets are quickly selling out in conventional ticket outlets. For the best-value seats, grab one here.

For concert tickets from great stars, click here.

Archiving Videos with VideoPhill

2011-11-09T11:04:00.001+08:00

While I was looking for a software application to manage my huge archive of video files consisting of movies, music videos and TV series, I came across VideoPhill player and VideoPhill recorder. It has an extensive feature set that will certainly provide video archiving solutions. In particular, I was interested with the player since I won't be doing recording assignments for now:

http://www.videophill.com/index.php?page=player

The software application is really worth a try so here's the download link:

http://www.videophill.com/index.php?page=download

Music App Updates on the iOS 5

2011-11-08T10:23:00.001+08:00

When Apple announced the iOS 5, the company pointed out the convenient feature of deleting songs or entire albums right on the mobile device. This feature is in contrast to the previous capabilities only available when in sync with iTunes on the PC or Mac. Apple was certainly proud of this simple feature that they had to hype it up during the announcement.

Deleting an entire album

Another useful feature which was less advertised is adjustable scrubbing. Scrubbing simply means the ability to search for a particular part in a song by dragging the small silver circle that determines the specific point in the song timeline. In the previous versions, scrubbing had a less precise control because fine-tuned searching was not available.

The iOS 5, on the other hand, features the ability to scrub along any part of the song with adjustable precision. If one scrubs along the song timeline, hi-speed scrubbing is enabled. Sliding the finger down from the timeline adjusts the scrubbing rate. Half-speed, quarter-speed or fine scrubbing are enabled as the finger is slid down further.

Deleting one song at a time

Quarter-speed scrubbing

Fine scrubbing

Hi-speed scrubbing

Half-speed scrubbing

Memoirs on a Post-It: Boracay Eatin'

2011-11-07T07:55:00.000+08:00

Memoirs on a Post-It: Boracay Eatin': I never thought that I would visit Boracay twice this year. Thanks to PISO fares which JP and a cousin got, I managed to do so. It still...

Sprinkle: Most Addictive Gaming App of the Month for the iOS 5

2011-11-06T18:59:00.001+08:00

In this physics-based shooting game, friendly-looking aliens are armed with weapons that shoot jets of water onto their meteor-stricken village to put out fire. In Sprinkle, the player is anchored on the left side of the panel with limited movements. The water gun can be aimed around 360° and its platform can be moved vertically upward or downward.

Welcome screen

The aim of the game is simply to put out fire using the sprinkler that sets the water trajectory. The source of fire is the rain of meteors falling from the sky. Usual scenarios already have fire burning right at the start of the game. A major challenge in Sprinkle is the hardly accessible location of burning areas that needs to be put out. Hard-to-reach locations are strategically watered down by using the contours of the landscape. Water jets are tunneled through curved holes and are aimed at stones and other scenario components to reach concealed locations.

To effectively make use of the resources arranged on a particular village, timing and strategy are crucial. Movable blocks of wood or ice are placed on certain locations so that water reaches the burning areas.

Sprinkle is a lot of watery fun that could last for several hours. The app has a total of five worlds with twelve scenarios each designed with increasing difficulty. The first few stages are relatively very easy to finish, while some can be really challenging. Easier levels can be finished in a single try, while those which are more difficult may require at least ten trials. Each stage lasts for less than a minute. A basic strategy is to sprinkle water immediately since fire can easily spread on the grassy grounds.

For each scenario, the player is limited to a certain volume of water more than enough to kill the fire if efficient strategies are applied. To get five stars, which is the highest rating for each level, 5000 units of water volume must be left in the reservoir. At least 4000 units of water volume will give a four-star rating, 3000 a three-star rating, and so on. Collecting a total of 36 stars in a particular world opens the next world that needs to be saved.

Aiming on the right trajectory can be challenging. Thus, shooting trials may be performed by shooting tiny amounts of water jets until the right trajectory is found. This strategy helps a lot in saving great quantities of water volumes.

Players who are able to finish all the scenarios complete with five stars are granted access to the six bonus stages at the end of the five saved worlds. After finishing the bonus stages though, nothing surprising happened. But right after saving the six worlds, a short video clip of the happier aliens is played along with the credits. Players may also view an introductory video of Sprinkle that sets the plot of the game.

Easy first stage

Completing every scenario with five stars

Bonus stages

Difficult last stage

iCloud Features Augment the Power of the iOS 5 on the iPhone

2011-11-05T13:03:00.001+08:00

Cloud storage has been around for quite a while now. Servers first took advantage of this virtual infrastructure to enable online collaboration among the users working on the same project. Clouds also provide additional processing resources beyond the capability of the client computer. The iOS 5 implemented this feature with innovative features that surely stand out against contemporary cloud services.

iCloud configurable settings

Upon updating to the latest iOS version, installation procedure prompts for the account information to be entered. The same account registered in the Apple store may be used for the iCloud service. Apple provides 5 GB of free storage with functionalities that beat other cloud services.

Configurations for the iCloud are found in Settings > iCloud. A new option right on the first page of the Settings menu accommodates the iCloud configuration settings. By sliding the on/off switch for each feature, data is wirelessly synced to the iCloud. A great innovation of this service is the ability to sync across various iOS devices such as the iPod touch and the iPad.

By enabling Photo Stream, photos are are automatically uploaded to iCloud and are downloaded to other iCloud-enabled devices bearing the same account. This feature is very convenient for viewing a sideshow of the pictures taken from different devices onto bigger and wider screens.

Emails from the MobileMe account are also synced. MobileMe email service is free but I haven't registered yet so the switch on the snapshot is still turned off.

Contacts, calendars, reminders, and bookmarks stored on Safari are conveniently synced with the iCloud. For the meantime, my Notes are not yet synced since items in that app are still with my Gmail inbox. Documents and data from other apps may be stored on the cloud too.

A security feature is included in the last option of the menu. Find My iPhone enables remote locking of the iPhone and erasure of data whenever the device is lost or stolen. Using Wi-Fi, GPS or cellular network triangulation, precise location of the device is provided.

Finally, synced information can be checked online through the iCloud website.

The New Blogger App on iOS5

2011-11-05T08:32:00.001+08:00

Blogging on the iPhone has never been much easier than the Blogger app. Although blogspot.com is owned by Google, the previous Blogger app was created by another independent developer. Features had been great but there were a number of bugs and the user interface needed a complete overhaul. Nonetheless, the original app worked allowing anybody to make a quick post through the iPhone.

Welcome screen

The new Blogger app, on the other hand, is truly a game-changer. First of all, it is free. The original app created by another developer cost a minimum. The new one adapted by Google, Inc. is absolutely free. In addition, most issues are fixed with more versatile settings to configure.

The Blogger app opens with the neat favicon familiar from the blogspot.com website. Managing the blog becomes so easy with the configurable settings as shown on the second snapshot.

Blogger settigs

Speak Feature on IOS 5

2011-11-03T17:58:00.001+08:00

Siri is only available in the iPhone 4S. For the rest of us who have not upgraded our iPhones yet, that exclusive feature must have made us consider about purchasing the next incremental update.

Hearing the voice of Siri (less the functionality)

An accessibility feature in the iOS 5 accessed in "Settings > General > Accessibility > Speak Selection" is the closest thing we can ever get to Siri. A snapshot below shows an instance of taking advantage of the feature. A sentence is typed on the Notes app. Upon selection of this line of text, a Speak option is shown on the rightmost part. Tapping on the Speak option triggers the computerized voice to read the text which sounds very similar to Siri.

iOS 5 on 3GS Camera

2011-11-03T17:48:00.001+08:00

The iOS 5 supports the latest iPhone 4S, the iPhone 4, and thankfully my iPhone 3GS, which was released in 2009. Most of the features are implemented on the 3GS except for Siri.

The camera user interface and functionality improvements, in particular, are really very useful. I am truly impressed with the autoenhance feature that automatically provides the required edit on otherwise gloomy pictures.

Grid settings, one of the few improvements with the 3GS camera running on iOS 5

2011-06-06T16:58:00.000+08:00

As the clock was about to hit 6 o'clock, the beautiful summer sun was beginning to set. Before finally retiring for the day, it illuminated the clouds of the late afternoon sky. It seemed to sympathize with the seemingly lifeless tree nearing its end. But like the sun that would shine again the following day, this tree should be born again in multitude.

Around Sendai 『仙台の周りで』

2011-03-12T14:15:00.003+08:00

Footages on TV are heart-breaking.
This is the Sendai that I knew--a home for more than 3 years.

The Spiritual Journey: From Addictive to Enlightened Relationships

2011-03-04T17:13:00.001+08:00

An enlightened author himself, Mr. Eckhart Tolle brings out the best ideas on how to extend the power of now in one's self to love relationships.
The Spiritual Journey: From Addictive to Enlightened Relationships

Memoirs on a Post-It: Valencia Day

2011-03-01T11:24:00.000+08:00

Memoirs on a Post-It: Valencia Day: "I've always loved Valencia, the little mountainside town just ten minutes from Dumaguete. Valencia is cool, a little town that goes uph..."

Qyosko's baby back ribs

2011-02-28T15:30:00.017+08:00

Tender, saucy baby back ribs served in Qyosko became one of our recent favorites. Who would not fall for this mouth-watering delight? That succulent meat ready to be peeled off from its bones dipped in savory sauce is a perfect addition to one of those lazy Sunday afternoons.

To enjoy this yummy treat, visit Qyosko in Dumaguete.

View Larger Map
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cagayan de Oro to Dumaguete

2011-02-25T16:03:00.003+08:00

Since childhood, the trip to Negros has always been a major excursion activity with my family from Cagayan de Oro. My mother was raced in Sibulan, a town near Dumaguete. And Dumaguete is the most progressive city in Negros Oriental. Recently, I've learned to love this city more, especially its beautiful nearby towns like Valencia and Bacong.

Going from Cagayan de Oro to Dumaguete and vice versa is, however, a not so convenient trip. Cebu Ferries only serves this connection once a week: on Saturday to Dumaguete and on Sunday to Cagayan de Oro. If I had to travel during the week, then I will have to go via Cebu or Dapitan, in which trips are more frequent.
The trip going to Dumaguete from Cagayan de Oro via Cebu usually involves 6 legs:

(1) from point of origin to CDO port in Macabalan;

(2) from CDO port to Cebu port arriving at Pier 4, which takes about 10 hours served by Superferry and Trans-Asia, with ferries leaving at 8:00pm from CDO;

(3) from Cebu port to Cebu City bus terminal by taxi, which takes about 15 minutes;

(4) from Cebu City bus terminal to Santander fastcraft terminal, which takes about 3.5 hours with buses leaving at an hourly interval;

(5) from Santander fastcraft terminal to Sibulan fastcraft terminal, which takes about 15 minutes with fastcrafts leaving at an hourly interval; and

(6) from Sibulan fastcraft terminal to Dumaguete City, which takes about 10 minutes by multicab.

All the time durations involved would sum up to about 15 hours.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Google iphone app's actual image search

2011-02-24T13:10:00.005+08:00

Out from the Google labs and into the iPhone, the Google app has this nifty feature of doing actual search of snapshots taken from the iPhone camera. Google has really done an excellent job in pushing the envelope of search technologies.

Here's how it works:
(1) The Google app has three search options: text, image, and voice. Text search is the traditional searching everyone's familiar about. Voice search uses voice recognition technology to convert sounds heard thru the microphone into searchable text. Image search, the feature that will be described here, allows for actual snapshot searching by comparing the snapshot taken to the billions of photos in the Google images repository. If the snapshot contains text, the app has a built-on OCR to convert it to editable text.

(2) In this illustration, a book on differential equations by Rainville and Bedient was used for the image search. The green, red, and blue smooth-cornered squares scan the image to match with similar images on the web.

(3) The search results are shown below. The red rectangle indicates that a book of similar cover was found: Elementary Differential Equations, which is the right book we were looking for. The green rectangle is the OCR scanning capability of the app where it was able to read the searchable text. The blue rectangle matches the image to a certain landmark, in this case, a landmark in San Francisco, which is not quite accurate.

(4) Choosing the first scanning result, Google automatically searches for the book, which can be found in Amazon.com.

I've tried this app on several images and realized that it works well in searching for logos, book front covers, movie intertitles, mobile phone images, and landmarks. Tried searching for people's faces but it didn't return good results.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Love, Sex, and to be Reunited with Old Friends is Sweeter the Second Time Around

2011-02-10T12:54:00.003+08:00

And what about the title? Well, it's to stir every suspicion you have.

Meet Dr. Rolando Bantaculo. He's my physics teacher in college and one of the best buddies I have when i was in Japan. A very lively guy who's always willing to accompany me anywhere, that is, if he's in good mood. In good mood. Several times I've been unfriended from his Facebook, and it will take weeks to regain that sacred spot on his friends' list. All those years I thought I knew him well, but I kept offending her several times. Yup, that's a 'her' because I'm attempting to offend you one more time. Just kidding, Sir!

I have plenty of memories with Sir Rolly, as I fondly call him when he's around. When he's not, Landing or Gi-atch will do. It only felt like yesterday in April 2007 when he gave me that warm hug in one cold spring in Sendai. Then we began learning about each other and enjoyed the company often. He's had the most colorful personality.

Picture taken during Koichirou's baptismal. Koichirou is the son of Ate Rose and Matsuki-sensei, a Japanese medical doctor. Behind us is Kuya U, yes U, the best cook and older brother in Sendai.

If I had to make a list of the most memorable events we've had, it will be this:

1. The trip to Disneyland in May 2007
2. Our first trip back home in December 2007
3. The feud with Kuya Kevin (first FB unfriend event)
4. The feud with Nanding (another FB unfriend moment)
5. Several sleepovers in his apartment and our plans to conspire on something
6. Endless Charice moments
7. The iPhone moment

YouTube Video

8. The McDonald's wifi piggybacking sessions

9. Strolling around electronic shops

10. "I lost my bag"

YouTube Video

Waaah! There's too many to contain them in one entry. Anyway, that's just a glimpse of Sir Rolly, one of the shapers during my early- to mid-twenties.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

タイ国・泰国

2011-02-10T08:21:00.003+08:00

Three days from now, I'll be bound for Thailand. The trip to this foreign country is just beginning to sink in. The excitement is just starting to grow.

First off, I need to do some research about the country, which I will do today. I've had several Thai friends before and they were all nice. I have a great feeling that the trip is going to be pleasant because I know for a fact that there are a lot of similarities between Thai and Filipino cultures. And for other foreigners, most of them would prefer visiting Thailand over the Philippines. That's one thing I need to know why.

We've reserved the tickets sometime around Christmas. This picture reminds of that day. I was at Bo's coffee that night when we purchased the ticket online and right in front of us was a Thai restaurant that I've never been to. I often call that day a Thai coincidence. Before having that coffee at Bo's, we've had dinner at a Thai restaurant, Siam, located in Rosario Arcade.

Prepare!
• itinerary (detailed today)
• clothes good for three nights
• camera/phone
• passport/tickets
• meds/toiletries

Finish!
• grades
• slides for Saturday's plenary talk
• application for board exam

Oh well. I'm off to school now.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Off to the Shrine

2011-01-27T20:41:00.002+08:00

This is an exhilarating view at the top of the mountain where the Japanese Shrine in Valencia is located. Having chosen the wrong road cost us a one-hour climb uphill with romantic stopovers once in a while. Tiring? Yes. Happy? So happy.

I enjoyed that weekend so much even though it's not anymore the holidays. That was the worst time to indulge myself in guilty pleasures. My successive unplanned extensions to stay in Dumaguete ruined her week too, but a calming symmetry after this disorder emerged right at the very end. We learned about each other so much.

Don't Die, Baby.

2011-01-27T19:41:00.002+08:00

Not now. Not in 50 years.

We often thought that only death can separate us. We're so happy having each other around and we don't want this to end. Not in 50 years. Not in a lifetime.

For 27 years, we trod different paths that seem to have no chances of crossing somewhere. It's 27 years of discovering my own world; 27 years and a day for her. We saw the world in our own eyes without each other's influence, and we're always caught by surprise everytime we learn that we looked at our world in almost the same way. This is the ultimate test for compatibility, not F.L.A.M.E.S.! But even in this test so far from being astrological, the stars above the heavens seem to align for us because we'll end up getting married while sharing the same level of Love as it suggested.

I hope it won't be too much to ask for another 50 years of sharing a life together, and of sharing our talents to the rest of the world.

Hot Human > Init Tao > Initao

2011-01-11T15:39:00.002+08:00

Midway along the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan corridor (CIC) is a beautiful beach resort packed with numerous facilities and activities to choose from.
As ziplines become a common attraction for tourists, this resort features a unique one--a zip that runs across the shallow waters of the beach.

Colors of Camiguin

2011-01-11T14:42:00.001+08:00

These colorful souvenirs pretty much resemble the spectrum of scenic spots in Camiguin.
Driving around the island throughout the day, hot and cold springs are favorite stopovers. Shores of white sand lure tourists to the island's beach resorts.

Odd animals

2008-05-23T23:05:00.000+08:00

These are my pets presenting their own share of scandal. Posted this one in YouTube and unlikely became the most viewed among my videos.

Undoukai!!!

2008-05-23T12:29:00.002+08:00

Below are some pictures taken during the Undoukai (運動会), a Japanese sports meet. Featured here is the Tohoku University (Faculty of Engineering) Undoukai held somewhere in Sendai City.

Here's a video clip of the Tug of War game. Two opposing departments of 25 participants each demonstrated brute strength in trying to win over the game.