Deuts.NET

Payphone

deuts — Sun, 13 May 2012 13:28:55 +0000

I suppose nostalgia just hit me. Saw this payphone sitting idly at the corner of the mall. Makes one wonder, when was the last time you used a payphone?

I doubt it if kids of today (maybe even the adults in their early 20′s) do still know what you mean if you say you’re gonna call “collect”. Do they even know the concept of an “operator”?

Blame it on the iPhone I used to take this picture.

Did you know that?

I post every little detail about everything I find interesting on my Tumblr blog. You can follow my on Tumblr at deuts.org.

Let Us Opt Out of EMail Newsletters in One Click

deuts — Thu, 10 May 2012 03:27:11 +0000

If you are an internet service sending newsletters to email addresses, regardless of whether they were legitimately obtained, there should be a one-click unsubscribe link at the bottom of the message.

There are times when I sign up with an internet service, I just want to get over with all the check-marks and options at once just to “test out” the service. If I decide the service is not for me, I just ignore it and never come back. The problem is they already have my email address. And now they are regularly sending me newsletters I didn’t even want in the first place.

A good internet service places a quick unsubscribe/opt out link at the bottom of any message they send out to users. The bad ones, they put a footer message informing that you can opt out of their newsletter by logging in and changing your preferences from their website.

Unsubscribing should be a one click process (or two at the most). I can’t recall what my username and password were anymore (I use different passwords for different sites). So the quick remedy, I report it as spam.

And you know what happens when I report your message (thus, your email address) as spam in Gmail? The system will learn from that and may mark all your other messages to other Gmail users as spam as well.

Did you know that?

You can follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/deuts

Notes on the ‘Ghost Protocol’

deuts — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:02:06 +0000

IMDB: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol:

The IMF is shut down when it’s implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization’s name.

Two points about the movie I would like to raise:

The movie, it seems to me, has been flaunting iPhones and iPads as their mobile device of choice. I actually wonder if it were an Apple Inc. Production?
They have always been telling their agents as: “Your mission, should you wish to accept, is…” In the four M:I movies, I have yet to see someone decline a mission, so why bother with the phrase “Should you wish to accept?” #kidding

Did you know that?

For chess-related news and articles, you can visit chesshive.com.

Spiderman III Trailer

Hands On with the Nokia Lumia 800

deuts — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:39:54 +0000

Note: I forgot to shoot the video in landscape mode.

Saw the Nokia Lumia 800 on display at the Globe store in Greenbelt 4. I have to admit, this is the first time I put a hand on a Windows Phone device, and my impression: the OS design was sleek. With the advancements in mobile hardware these days, device manufacturers can ensure the snappiness of this OS.

Of course, I’m an iPhone guy, but I have to say the cool interface of WP7 can be better in its own right. If only there can be as well enough number of apps to support the platform.

Definitely now, WP7 is better than Android. Ironic, because Android is supposed to be a “free” open source OS so one should expect to pay lower for an Android device, given the same hardware specs. But that is not the case if you truly look closer into the smartphone market.

Did you know that?

I post every little detail about everything I find interesting on my Tumblr blog. You can follow my on Tumblr at deuts.org.

Archiving My Tweets via TweetNest

deuts — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 12:07:54 +0000

Follow me on Twitter at @deuts.

We have to admit, Twitter is a great platform to publish our short notes and thoughts. Other than interacting with friends, both online and personal, I also use it to share links I find interesting as well as bookmark sites for future reference.

The problem, however, is you don’t really have a way to browse, manage, and search through your tweets in Twitter.com especially if you have accumulated a sizable number after some time — at least not for now.

That’s why there have been ways to archive your tweets like this Ozh’ Tweet Archiver WordPress plugin, which I used at my separate WordPress install. I installed it before my number of tweets reached 3,200, that’s why all my tweets are intact since the beginning. My only problem with this solution is that the posts do not link back to the original Twitter permalink.

That’s why recently I gave TweetNest a go, which is currently running here. Yet, another complication — it was only able to save into my own database the last 3,200 tweets (since the install), so that the earliest tweets it was able to pull and preserve were the last 28 of May 2011. I have been a Twitter user (and tweeting) since March 2007.

If I have been aware of this limitation (it was Twitter’s by the way), I should have installed TweetNest before I reached 3,200 tweets.

Did you know that?

You can follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/deuts

iPad 2 vs. 3rd Gen iPad: What Are They Missing?

deuts — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:46:09 +0000

What 3rd Gen iPad reviews usually talk about is whether it is worth the upgrade if you already own an iPad 2. Case in point: Thoughts on the new iPad.

To be fair, they did mention that the new iPad is definitely ~~a good~~ the best buy if you are gonna be a first-time iPad owner. But what they really failed to consider was that: if you were to buy your first iPad, there’s actually an alternative — to get the iPad 2 instead.

To me, they’re answering the wrong question. The right question should have been: If you were to buy your first iPad, would you forgo the new iPad and settle for the cheaper iPad 2 instead? Simply stated: are the new features and upgrades of the new iPad (i.e., Retina display, quad-core graphics, 4G LTE, etc.) worth the US$100 premium from the price of the iPad 2?

I already had my take about it: Why I opted for iPad 2 instead. What about your opinion?

100 Reasons to Jailbreak

deuts — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:14:38 +0000

Jailbreaking is a hundred percent safe, a hundred percent legal, and a hundred percent free.

Now, tell me how to jailbreak my iPhone 4 running iOS 5.1 and baseband 04.12.01.

Did you know that?

For chess-related news and articles, you can visit chesshive.com.

Why I Opted for iPad 2 Instead?

deuts — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:34:21 +0000

(Updated: please see notes at the bottom of this article)

Why did I settle for iPad 2, and forego the new iPad — or iPad 3?

(Note: Apple is not calling the new third-generation iPad the iPad 3, but for purposes of this post and the discussions hereinafter, and to avoid confusion, I’ll refer to the third-generation iPad as the iPad 3.)

When I sold my iPad “Classic” back in June 2011, I had it then in my mind to just get the next version of the iPad. Thus, the delight when the iPad 3 was announced by Tim Cook last March 7, 2012 (or March 8 in the Philippines).

The major improvements (or changes) of the iPad 3 from the iPad 2 are:

Retina Display — capable of 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi);
New A5X Chip — same dual-core processor as the A5 chip of the iPad 2 but the upgrade comes in the quad-core graphics (vs. dual-core GPU);
iSight — 5-megapixel back camera;
4G LTE connectivity — for faster cellular data browsing;

See detailed comparison at the Apple Store.

Before I took the plunge and got the iPad 2, I have watched the video reviews by The Verge and MacWorld. And from that, here are my impressions:

Retina Display

The only improvement I guess that I considered relevant to this decision is the iPad 3′s Retina Display. For each pixel of the iPad 2, there are actually four pixels in the iPad 3 — thus one color is broken down into four “more descriptive” colors, making the pictures (and texts) finer — in short, it could display more details.

Yet, I speculated:

I have a poor eyesight — I wore glasses since high school. With the naked eye, I’ll probably couldn’t tell the difference;
I have fiddled with the iPod Touch and iPhone 3GS, and even with my glasses on, I actually couldn’t tell the difference the Retina Display makes on my iPhone 4;
Notwithstanding my poor eyesight, even tech bloggers are using microscopes to demonstrate the difference that Retina Display makes;
These Retina Display Ready iPad Apps sure now require bigger storage space to accommodate their high-resolution interfaces. (Oh crap! I’m pretty sure we iPad 2 and iPad 1 owners are as well burdened by these upgrades if these apps’ developers don’t maintain separate versions for Retina Display and non-Retina Display devices. Glad I bought the 64GB model).

Aside: Do All Those Pixels Matter?

Quad-Core GPU

Quad-core graphics is most useful for heavy-graphic games in the iPad. And yet, I am no gamer. I have better — or rather “more productive” — use for my device. Apart from chess, I only usually play some “pick-up gameplay” games — those you turn to play on if need to kill time.

5-Megapixel Camera

I’m not comfortable and I don’t want to be using my iPad as a camera device. It’s just awkward to shoot with.

Yet, a camera on a tablet could prove helpful in video conferencing, or maybe when it’s really necessary and you’re running out of alternatives.

Aside: 21 Reasons You Should Never Take Pictures With An iPad

4G LTE Connectivity

In the Philippines? Come on! Maybe in the next two years. Enough said.

Conclusion

In addition, I also contemplated on the following factors:

Discounted price — following the announcement of the iPad 3, iPad 2 prices dropped by Php5,000 to Php6,000. That translates to around US$115 to US$140, which is actually more than the discount offered in the US at US$100.
Time is of the essence — in simple words, I can’t wait any longer! So far we’ve seen long queues at Apple stores in the US. We’ve read about the iPad shipping estimates slip. So when should we expect it reaches Philippine retail stores — in 2 or 3 months? Besides, I’m going to Kuala Lumpur next week, and I can’t wait to bring my iPad with me.

Thus, I bought the iPad 2 instead.

Now tell me if I’m vindicated in the comments below.

Updates

March 18, 2012

This discussion is not complete without the following points:

The new iPad ships with an improved battery capacity. Yet, with the Retina Display and all, the device just managed to match the battery life of those previous versions, which is 10-hours web surfing on Wi-Fi.
The new iPad also sports the Personal Hotspot feature, which lets you tether your cellular data connection to other Wi-Fi devices. This feature has been available to the iPhones but not to the previous versions of the iPad. Nevertheless, I already have my iPhone to tether — backed by the Boostcase Hybrid for additional battery juice if necessary — and on top of that a Huawei E5 HSPA+ mobile wi-fi router.

March 26, 2012

Yes I feel vindicated. Gizmodo noted that because of the new iPad’s bigger battery, it takes around twice the time to recharge to full capacity (100%) than it usually takes the iPad 2. This is a big letdown especially when you’re going out of town and forgot to recharge the iPad overnight.

Did you know that?

I post every little detail about everything I find interesting on my Tumblr blog. You can follow my on Tumblr at deuts.org.

The Idea of an iPad Mini

deuts — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 07:14:56 +0000

Kyle Baxter breaks down the advantages vs. disadvantages of a smaller version of an iPad (e.g., a 7″ to 8″ display):

I have no doubt that Apple is working on a small iPad, but that’s a separate question of whether they will actually release it.

Personally, I don’t like the idea of an iPad Mini, iPad Nano, or whatever name. I’m not entertaining the idea of getting both, if there will ever be a smaller version. And I hate debating with myself which screen size should I get.

I’m already spending a lot of effort deciding whether I should get the new iPad (3rd Gen) or settle for iPad 2. And I’m already sick of deciding. So please put a stop at my agony.

Did you know that?

You can follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/deuts

Boostcase Hybrid — a must buy for iPhone 4/4S users

deuts — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 12:43:04 +0000

After reading good reviews and buy recommendations about the Boostcase Hybrid from PTB, Abuggedlife, and Technograph, I finally gave it a go and bought one. Indeed, it is capable of doubling my iPhone’s battery life, especially when I’m nowhere near a power outlet, places other than the house or the office.

I’ve been to out-of-town trips where I found my iPhone’s battery dead (or almost dead) before the trip is over. These are the instances that the Boostcase battery pack could have proved very useful.

Don’t get me wrong, I consider the iPhone’s battery to be the most reliable and most consistent compared to say an Android (more on this in another post) and even BlackBerry. I mean I can install any new apps on the iPhone without worrying much about any additional strain on the battery, as compared to when using Android and BlackBerry. Of course, unlimited 3G use especially when using the Maps app can drain a lot of battery.

The foregoing photos are all taken by yours truly:

After a week with this Boostcase Hybrid, here are my impressions (will update this list once I note more experiences. I’ll also be glad to answer questions about the device if you post your questions at the comments section below):

It is sleek and sturdy, and actually looks good when attached to the iPhone — if you can forgive the additional bulk. The design and construction is nowhere near the cheap category;
Recharge of the device by itself took around 4 hours, even with the iPhone adapter;
You can check the Bosstcase’s battery status by pressing the the power button at the bottom of the battery pack (though, I’ve noted the battery status as indicated are not accurate sometimes);
The Slimfit SnapOn case alone without the battery pack is a little thick at the back, as compared to other protective cases in the market (see photo);
The battery pack gets a little hot when attached to the iPhone — so stowing away the combo at your pocket might sometimes prove to be uncomfortable;
Another reason to love more the iPhone besides the awesome OS and the supporting apps. The fact that new iPhone models come out only once a year (as compared to weekly announcements of new Android devices) and that the form factor are all the same even after the upgrade from iPhone 4 to iPhone 4S, third party manufacturers are able to come out with impressive accessories just like this one to cater to the huge iPhone userbase — you don’t get these great third party accessories for BlackBerry and Android devices!;
The one thing that actually made me think twice before buying the Boostcase is that the next version of the iPhone (call it iPhone 5 if you may) may not share the same form factor, thus rendering it useless once I upgrade my device;
One best case scenario in the use of this accessory is if you don’t want to be plugging your iPhone to a power outlet or to your computer anymore. You could charge the Boostcase on its own (for four hours) to full charge, and attach it to your iPhone when the latter’s battery is already down. Then you won’t be away from your iPhone anymore while it’s charging;

By the way, I bought the Boostcase Hybrid at Power Mac Center in Greenbelt 3, Makati, for PHP3,550.00.

P.S. You can watch more video reviews about Boostcase Hybrid here and here.

Did you know that?

For chess-related news and articles, you can visit chesshive.com.