Techie Foodie - All about tech, food and design

App: Overswipe for iOS

2014-08-13T20:33:00.000+08:00

Do you take a lot of photos and love to show them to people? Have you ever showed photos to a friend using your phone and accidentally swipe to an embarrassing photo or even........a not-safe-for-friends photo? Overswipe is a good app to help you with that.

The app is pretty straight forward and to quote the description from the app page:

Overswipe™ is the first photo app that prevents over-sharing. No longer worry about friends swiping into other photos on your phone. Overswipe™ will only share the photos you want someone to see.

Basically, you first open up the app, it asks permission if it can access your photos and after clicking okay, it automatically shows you a grid of your photos. Just select the photos you want to share and press the DISPLAY button and it then shows just the selected pictures. Pretty useful if you want to show multiple photos that are far from each other.

You have an option to upgrade to pro for $0.99 which basically just adds passcode security so that anyone viewing through the app can't just go back to your thumbnails.

My Thoughts on Freelancers a.k.a Digital Workers

2014-08-11T11:44:00.000+08:00

I've been freelancing on and off for the past few years already and decided quit my corporate job and go full time and work remotely.

But like any decision, it wasn't easy to drop everything and go a different path. It's not as easy as saying "Oh, I want Japanese food" and then after 1 minute "Oh, maybe pasta would be better". It's a decision that you have to think long and hard. Here's my thoughts and a few stuff I picked up as I go along.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

My initial advice to some people who I've talked to that are considering working remotely is to think long and hard. If you have a corporate job, especially if you've been working for 5+ years, here are some questions that you ask yourself:

Am I ready to take the plunge?
Do I have enough savings to support me for AT LEAST 6 months?
Am I willing to work probably more hours than what I normally did when I worked in corporate? (It happens)
Am I prepared to face the situation where I am desperately looking for clients?
Am I prepared to deal with all sorts of clients? Difficult clients? Clients that don't pay?
Do I have a plan B?

These are the questions at the top of my head at the moment. If you have other suggestions, feel free to shoot me a comment below.

Now, I'm no expert but here's some advice I'd like to give based on experience:

Be Organized
Create to-do lists, but a whiteboard or have a notebook. Just organize your stuff.

Rates and how much you're worth
Even if you're starting off in a freelance site like oDesk or freelancer, you should still create your rates. You never know when a friend or acquaintance would recommend you to a future client. The last thing you'd want is to send a late email because you had to cram and figure out your rates first.

I cannot stress enough the importance of researching the going rates of your services. A lot of freelancers will charge their clients too high or too low. Most often, they charge low. Please don't charge too low just to get a client. Case in point - oDesk. When you're starting off, sites like oDesk are good places to get the ball rolling. However, the difficulty in oDesk is that there are a lot of contractors who charge ridiculously low rates (and I mean disgustingly LOW) just to get clients. In effect, oDesk became known as a place to get cheap labor. I'm not generalizing since I met my long time clients there who pay very well.

Email Saves
Personally, I think contracts are really good tools to protect both parties from any confusion and future stress especially for big projects. However, I'm pretty sure that more often than not, a lot of freelancers still work without contracts which is why email is very important. ALWAYS COMMUNICATE VIA EMAIL. It doesn't matter if you've talked through the phone, personally or through skype, always make it a point to send an email summarizing what you've talked about and ask if you forgot to include anything. This may not be a formal contract but believe me, being able to go back through your emails will save you from a lot of trouble.

Learn to say NO
There will come a time that clients will come all at the same time. Please, don't be a hero. If you think you can only handle 3 clients at a time, then POLITELY talk to the other clients and explain. If you're lucky enough, there will be clients that are willing to wait.

Your Workstation
As a freelancer, your main tool (money maker) is your computer/laptop. Treat your machine as an extension of yourself. Take care of it, do regular check-ups and back up your files, back up your files, back up your files. Did I say back up your files? I remember one incident I had when I was in the middle of a website project and my laptop just decided to conk out. I couldn't work at all and had to reformat my laptop. This would be okay if I didn't have a deadline in 2 days. It's a good think I had back ups of my work in my external drive and my dropbox so I just continued working after reformatting.

You Are Your Own Boss
This cover a lot of stuff but I'll try to keep it short and concise. The day you start as a digital worker is the day you become your own boss. That said, all decisions will completely depend on you. There are no more sick leaves to file. Miss work for a day means no income for that day.

Being your own boss will make you realize that any problem is your problem and there's no one else to fix it but you. Learn to accept that there will be problems and learn to keep calm. The last thing you'd want is to have a melt down in the middle of the day.

Plan
In any corporation, there are key performance indicators or KPI's that guides you and helps you figure out your role and your goals as an employee. Just like that, as a digital worker, you should be able to plan out and determine your role and goals. You need to find out where work will be coming from in the next 6 months or in a year's time. Plan well and plan for the worst. Plan today, tomorrow, next week, next month and next year.

“Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised.”
- Denis Waitley

Being a Freelancer or Digital Worker is slowly beginning to be a good option for a lot of people. It opens a lot of opportunity for growth and, like me, be able to travel while working. You can have a meeting while you're in Barcelona and 5 days later, have another meeting while you're in Amsterdam. The possibilities are endless.

“In reality, there's more work out there for digital workers than you could possibly imagine. oDesk-Elance represent somewhere between 2-5% of the overall potential marketplace. That's the truth. We're very early in this game; the first inning really. ”

- Damien Darby

Changes, Being a Digital Nomad and the Future

2014-08-08T16:38:00.000+08:00

Changes
These past few weeks have been so exciting and full of adventure that I will never forget. This blog has been a little inactive for the past few months with just a few post here and there and since we came back, I realized that just as other things evolve, this blog should too.

I changed the layout a couple of times before I got to what it looks like today. Perhaps it was the start of the changes that were to happen and is happening. I had a conversation with Nina the other night about her involvement with the blog and we both agreed that this blog has been my baby and I should continue with it since I've invested a lot of time and effort. She recently put up a new blog @ baninya

Digital Nomad

Our recent trip in Europe made me realize how much I appreciate and love what I do. I can jump from Austria to Latvia and to Spain and still be able to work and earn money. It's clear to me that THIS is what I want to do. THIS is what I've been waiting for, my AHA! *lightbulb* moment.

When we got back, I started to read A LOT of digital nomad blogs. Although there were some that seemed to be just trying to $€££ an idea, majority of them were really inspiring. I'm really lucky that Nina was open to the whole idea and shared the same feeling like I did. So we're slowly starting to plan, research and prepare.

Some of you might be asking, what is a Digital Nomad? To give you an idea, let me quote a summary from Eli @ becomenomad.com

Digital Nomad Lifestyle= Relying on the internet and portable technology (laptop) to sustain a nomadic lifestyle

He then breaks it down and gives more details:

Style of travel = Digital Nomads lifestyle tends to have a milder component of travel than other existing lifestyle of nomads. This is because Digital Nomads are dependent on a certain amount of infrastructure to sustain their lifestyle and, as a result, most Digital Nomads spend a few months in a place before relocating.
Location chosen = Digital Nomads will generally chose locations that are big cities or capital cities. This is due to the infrastructure needed with a stable environment and good internet connection. As well, many Digital Nomads rely on co-working locations (offices) to do their work.
Routine = Digital Nomads lifestyle usually pushes to a more stable routine than most other nomadic lifestyles and this is because of the focus on work online. Because of this, Digital Nomads will generally have a regular work week and do their travelling on the weekend. Even though their life may be more routine, do not underestimate the travelling done on weekends as this can be anywhere!
Local in disguise = Because of the relative stability and routines associated to a Digital Nomads lifestyle, those adapting it generally become locals in disguise. A Digital Nomad’s social circle usually encompasses more locals than other travellers because of their routine in a regular work week. In other words, digital nomads pick locals as friends or fellow digital nomads, and not tourists, since they work during the day and usually have the evening, and weekends free.

Source: becomenomad.com
Image by Freepik

Paghayo 2014 - My Perspective

2014-08-04T00:53:00.000+08:00

After a little more than 3 weeks, we are finally home.

The Ateneo Chamber Singers' Paghayo 2014 tour started July and ended on August taking with them the Champions trophy for the Musica Sacra category and a gold medal for the Mixed Chamber in the World Choir Games in Riga, Latvia and the 1st prize in the Habaneras category in Torrevieja, Spain.

Pictures from my phone (plus a few from Nina) and some details below. It's my first time in Europe so please bear with the oooh's and the aaaah's. :)

VIENNA
We started the tour in Vienna, Austria where they had a series of concerts organized with the Visayan community in Vienna. We also visited Ms. Lourdes O. Yarraguierre, the ambassador of the Philippines in Vienna.

I think Vienna was the perfect "welcome" for me to Europe given the situation. I loved the weather, the transportation system and the sights to name a few.

BRATISLAVA
Before flying to Riga, we were fortunate enough to go on a quick tour of Bratislava where we visited some of the tourist spots.

We tried out their local cola - "Kofola" which was sweet but with a light sour after taste.

Kofola - Love Cola

RIGA, LATVIA
With just days to spare, we flew to Riga, Latvia to compete in the world choir games. It was my first time to witness such an event where the worlds best choirs come together and compete in various categories. We met so many people from different countries and made new friends. It was surreal.

The experience of course was so much better with our guide, Sarmite who is probably one of the sweetest persons I've ever met.

I'll never forget that "15 minute walk"

TORREVIEJA
After Latvia, we flew to Spain and rode a bus to Torrevieja for the next competition. We were all settled in one hotel along with the other participants from other countries.

I love how they keep their beaches as-is without destroying anything (like what they're doing to Boracay). Best word to describe the people of Torrevieja? Beach Bums.

VALENCIA
On our way to Barcelona, we stopped over at Valencia to have lunch and some free time. Of course, when in Valencia, one must have Paella!

We sort of encountered a thief while waiting for our bus. A girl sat beside Papa Ces and opened her big map. Papa Ces apparently felt that the girl was trying to open his small belt bag and stood up not knowing that she had already taken his camera battery. All it took was her to cover her hands with the map and wait for the perfect time. Tsk tsk tsk.

BARCELONA
After Valencia, we stayed overnight in Casa Gracia, a quaint hostel in Barcelona before heading to Puig-Reig. If you're looking for a place to stay near shops, sights and restaurants, Casa Gracia would be a good option to consider. We stayed in a room for 3 and the others shared a room good for 6 people.

We had a little time to either stay in for burgers and a movie or go out to have dinner. We decided to walk around and eat at Tapa Tapa which was roughly an 8-10 minute walk from Casa Gracia. I had a beer and Nina got a Sangria while we munched on really good chorizo, mushrooms and green peppers.

PUIG-REIG
The next day, Mama Rosa picked us up and we went around Barcelona briefly before heading to our last stop, Puig-Reig to meet our host families. Due to the limited number of available families, some of us, including myself and Nina, were "orphans" and stayed in a hostel.

Puig-Reig is a town with an approximate population of 4,000. The people are very friendly and the weather is perfect.

SAGRADA FAMILIA
Was fortunate enough to also go to the Sagrada Familia and be toured around by the rector. When you're inside, you just feel the solemnity and the prestige and it just leaves you in awe the whole time you're inside. Wow, just wow.

LAST FEW DAYS

If you love taking photos, Europe will not disappoint. From the beaches, to the churches and historical monuments.

It's not everyday that you are given the opportunity to travel and be part of a ~~group~~ family with so much passion, dedication and love with what they do - their craft, their God-given talent. I am so thankful for being part and witnessing an amazing family share their talents to the world and make the Philippines proud. We need more people with the same love, passion and dedication that you guys have.

To my new friends, congratulations and thank you. Thank you for the warm welcome. Thank you for the very memorable trip which I will never forget.

Thank you Nins. Thank you for the best birthday gift. I am so so so so so proud of you. I love you. :)

DFA Passport Information

2014-06-19T14:30:00.002+08:00

We've been getting a lot of messages regarding info on passport application and renewals after blogging about my passport renewal experience so I thought of creating this post to further help and answer these questions.

What do I do first?
Head over to the official website www.passport.com.ph to set an appointment. There are a total of 6 branches you can choose from depending on your location.

DFA Aseana - Pasay
DFA NCR West - SM City Manila
DFA NCR Central - Robinsons Galleria
DFA NCR East - SM Megamall
DFA NCR South - Metro Alabang
DFA NCR Northeast - Ali Mall
What do I need to bring?
Make sure to bring BOTH original and photo copied documents and IDs.

Requirements for NEW passport applications can be viewed here.
Requirements for passport RENEWAL applications can be viewed here.
How much do I have to pay?
First time passport applicants:
Regular Processing (15 working days): P950.00
Express Processing (7 working days): P1,200.00

For Renewal of passport applicants:
Regular Processing (15 working days): P950.00
Express Processing (7 working days): P1,200.00

For Replacement of a lost expired passport:
Regular Processing (15 working days): P950.00
Express Processing (7 working days): P1,200.00

For Replacement of a lost valid passport:
Regular Processing (15 working days): P950.00
Express Processing (7 working days): P1,200.00

DFA HOTLINE: 737-1000

Note: This blog is not connected to DFA or any government organization. If you have any questions regarding your application, it's best to call the DFA hotline.

7-Eleven Launches Mason Jars and Mustache Straws

2014-05-24T12:46:00.000+08:00

I'm sure a lot of you noticed how Mason Jars and paper straws have been bought and sold by a lot of people recently. It was only a matter of time. 7-Eleven recently launched their summer Slurpee with a new look. You can choose from 4 designs complete with mustache straw.

Haven't seen or heard about anything similar for 7-Eleven Philippines though. At the moment, they rolled out the Slurpee & Gulp.

[source]

OTTO - The Hackable GIF Camera

2014-05-23T13:32:00.002+08:00

Meet OTTO.

Created by Next Thing Co., OTTO is a customizable camera powered by Raspberry Pi. Make and share camera modes that shoot photos with your unique style.

OTTO works by first rotating a crank that pops up from its top just like an old camera. You crank to make a GIF. After taking the photo, simply rewind the crank one turn and your GIF is good to go.

How OTTO works

OTTO lets YOU decide how it takes pictures. Besides being the only camera that makes animated GIFs, OTTO’s an image making machine that can transform into hundreds of different cameras with a quick tap. GIFs, time lapses, impromptu photo booths, or something brand new, OTTO is ready for adventure!

OTTO lets you take photos with a real camera, while still being able to easily share them to your favorite people. Photos taken with OTTO are viewed and shared from your smartphone.

OTTO is also the first product to be built on the Raspverry Pi compute module.

Check out the video below or visit their Kickstarter page.

Word Lens is now Free

2014-05-22T14:18:00.000+08:00

Word Lens translates printed words from one language to another with your smartphone's video camera, in real time with no network connection necessary.

Basically, you first choose which language you want to translate (to and from), just point it to the sign you want to translate, wait for the app to focus and the app instantly translates it to you just like the image below.

I have it installed in my iphone and pointed it to some random stuff here at home and it worked pretty well. There were some errors in the placement of letters/words for some images though.

The company who created Word Lens announced that they are joining Google and as a thank you to the community, they made the app and language packs free to download for a limited time.

I'm really curious to see how Google would integrate this to their products. Perhaps adding more features on to Google Goggles?

Apple wants Beats for $3.2B

2014-05-10T13:17:00.000+08:00

So if the news going around is true, Apple reportedly wants to to acquire the company Beats Electronics for $3.2 billion, which is best known for its not-so-cheap headphones. Why Beats? Well, for one, Beats has been known as a marketing phenomena when it first launched years ago. I mean, for you to be able to sell a huge amount of headphones that costs roughly $300, they must be doing something right.

Also, I think that with the Beats acquisition, since Beats also has a line of speakers, Apple can open a new door by getting into the home-audio market which is slowly building up its momentum.

Tus' Claypots and Skillets

2014-05-10T11:01:00.000+08:00

After a long time and a number of Techie posts, we’re back again with another Foodie post.

What is your definition of comfort food? Perhaps something you indulge yourself when you’re in a nostalgic mood or maybe when you just want to uplift your mood when you’re feeling emotional. Whatever your reason is, comfort food will always be there to give you satisfaction and leave you contented.

For us, indulging in comfort food isn’t just the food, it’s the place and overall ambiance that makes the experience better and more memorable. The place should have a warm and homey ambiance and the food must not only have the best quality and affordability but it must give us the opportunity to choose.

And Tus’ Claypots and Skillets definitely serves up.

Tus’ is the Spanish word for yours, a name chosen to reflect a place you can call your own, your home.

The brainchild of Kai Sason and Krsna Algenio, Tus' was born out of a vision to provide you a simple yet warm and comfortable experience, much like an afternoon spent at your lola’s house.

When we walked in the place, we instantly get a feel of what’s to come. This place will never fail your senses. You can see your food being cooked, hear the most soothing music, feel the warm ambiance and my favorite, the smell of the faint aroma of wood burning inside the brick oven. There are ample tables and chairs both in the ground and second floor without sacrificing space. Good for family gatherings and even business meetings.

Tus’ serves breakfast starting at 7:00am. I had a breakfast meeting over there a few weeks ago and we had the Bacon & Egg and Breakfast Sausage. Portions are very generous and filling. They also serve pancakes and breakfast gozlemes.

Moving back to the main menu. During another visit, we started our lunch with their signature Chicken Caesar Salad. One order can be good for 2-4 depending on the appetite. We loved the sauce and how the thick bacon strips adds that extra savory taste in every bite.

For the main course, I had a medium rare Spicy Lemon Pesto Steak with Smashed Potatoes on the side. I just love how the lemon, pesto and the spicy kick of the chili balances each other. The meat was cooked as I liked and it was tender and juicy.

To end our meal, we had their popular Half Baked Cookie which was served hot from the oven and that first bite was just amazing! The contrast of the hot and cold plus the perfect combination of vanilla and half baked cookie is really the best way to end your meal.

Overall, we loved our experience in Tus’. The food was excellent. The people were great. And in the end, with a stuffed belly, you’ll feel like you’re home.

Tus’ Claypots and Skillets

D1 Westgate Center, Filinvest

Alabang, Muntinlupa City

+632 8283178

www.tusrestaurant.com
https://www.facebook.com/tusrestaurant

Breakfast @ 7:00am - 10:30am

Lunch @ 10:30am - 2:00pm

Dinner @ 5:00pm - 10:00pm

App: French Girls

2014-03-14T17:38:00.000+08:00

Do you like taking selfies? How about drawing? Maybe both?

French Girls is a fairly new app that is slightly similar to the once popular Draw Something app. Basically, the app lets strangers anonymously draw portraits based on selfies that you and other people have posted.

Pretty fun and interesting way to interact with friends and strangers. Check out the official website. Available in the AppStore.

App Review: Tabata! Daily 4-Minute Workout for iOS

2014-02-20T22:03:00.000+08:00

If you're the type who gives 1,000 excuses to get out of doing any type of physical activity, then Tabata! might give you that extra push to get off that couch and start working out.

Tabata! is a simple and fun app that will help you get up and start training. The best thing about this is it will only take 4 minutes of your time with no equipment needed, just your own body weight.

The interface is far from being the typical serious fitness apps in the app store. You can view each exercise before you start your workout for the day and even mark your favorite exercises so it appears more often in your daily workouts. The exercises are very doable and can be done even if you have limited space.

You can toggle the sounds as well as adjust the intensity of your workouts by increasing the number of sets you want to do depending on your fitness level.

Each exercise set will be done for 20 seconds followed by a 10 second rest. You can pause anytime if you need more rest.

Overall, the app is pretty straight forward and simple enough for everyone to use. I just started using this and I'm on my second day. You can download the app in the AppStore by clicking the link below or visit their website

Free Stock Photo Sites I Like

2014-02-20T12:12:00.000+08:00

As a designer, I am constantly in need of stock photos for client projects. Although there are a lot of premium stock photos sites available, sometimes you just need a quick search for smaller projects. Here's a list of stock photo sites I use that offer free photos.

[sxc.hu]

First one in my list is stock.xchng. This is my very first go-to site when I first started. It has a bunch of good high resolution stock photos/textures to download.

[SplitShire.com]

Created by Italian designer and photographer Daniel Nanescu, SplitShire is another good site that offers stock photos for both personal and commercial use.

[LittleVisuals.co]

Little Visuals offers various types of stock photos from nature to abstract. You can download zip files in bundles or you can subscribe and wait for 7 hi-res files sent to your email every 7 days.

[DeathToStockPhoto.com]

Free high-res lifestyle photography sent to you monthly, to do whatever you please.

Who Just Called?

2014-02-12T17:46:00.000+08:00

Updated as of July 7, 2014

If you're like me, there are times that I hesitate taking calls from unknown numbers specially those phone calls coming from a land line. But of course, from time to time, I take these phone calls and yes, telemarketers, banks etc. So what I do is I immediately record their numbers. Here's a few numbers you'd want to take note whenever you get a phone call from them. Just a heads up :)

HSBC - (02) 7750031
HSBC - (02) 9767100
HSBC - (02) 9762600
Citibank - (02) 9443100
Citibank - (02) 7958600
East West - (02) 2146500
East West - (02) 2389400
Caritas - (0917) 8264696
Caritas - (0917) 5261430

I took note of a few more but it's in my old phone. You can comment below if you want to add a number :)

*Updated my post and included Caritas agents as well.

DFA Metro Alabang - Easy Passport Renewal

2013-09-04T14:18:00.001+08:00

CLICK HERE FOR UPDATED INFORMATION

In case you haven't heard, the DFA office in Alabang recently opened to service residents located around the area. You can now process your passport application and renewals without the hassle of going all the way to Pasay.

I recently tagged along with my friends since they were going to renew their passport as well. It only took us a little under 1 hour from verification to payment to processing and fingerprint/picture taking. Fast and hassle free considering that there were around 100-150 people that morning.

My friends were set for 10am and I scheduled my appointment at 10:30 so I got there early around 10am. We were asked to wait downstairs in front the mini food court and supermarket cashiers of Metro Alabang. The food stalls were still closed so I went to the nearby Starbucks (couple of steps away) to grab a coffee. At exactly 10am we were asked to form 2 lines and went up through the elevators. Again we formed 2 lines outside the DFA office, 1 for the 10am appointment and the other for the rest of the appointments. Got inside the office around 10:35am and had my printed application verified and got my queue number. After that, we waited a couple of minutes to have our documents and old passport cancelled. After that, you pay and wait for your number to be called for finger printing and picture taking. Done at 11:20am.

To apply, just head on over to the DFA Alabang Passport Website and set your desired time and date. Make sure you confirm, print your filled application and prepare the necessary documents indicated in the website(there is a copier inside so you can have your documents xeroxed if you forgot). I prepared my drivers license, birth certificate, college transcript of records, community tax certificate and barangay clearance (from AAVA office). Php 950 for regular and Php 1,200 for rush.

Microsoft to acquire Nokia’s devices & services business for EUR 5.44 billion in cash

2013-09-03T11:54:00.000+08:00

Microsoft Corp today announced that they have agreed with the Nokia board to purchase all of Nokia’s Devices & Services business, license Nokia’s patents, and license and use Nokia’s mapping services for EUR 5.44 billion in cash.

Nokia and Microsoft partnered last 2011 with the Nokia Lumia smartphones.

Here's a clip taken from the microsoft website:

“It’s a bold step into the future – a win-win for employees, shareholders and consumers of both companies. Bringing these great teams together will accelerate Microsoft’s share and profits in phones, and strengthen the overall opportunities for both Microsoft and our partners across our entire family of devices and services,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft chief executive officer. “In addition to their innovation and strength in phones at all price points, Nokia brings proven capability and talent in critical areas such as hardware design and engineering, supply chain and manufacturing management, and hardware sales, marketing and distribution.”
“We are excited and honored to be bringing Nokia’s incredible people, technologies and assets into our Microsoft family. Given our long partnership with Nokia and the many key Nokia leaders that are joining Microsoft, we anticipate a smooth transition and great execution,” Ballmer said. “With ongoing share growth and the synergies across marketing, branding and advertising, we expect this acquisition to be accretive to our adjusted earnings per share starting in FY15, and we see significant long-term revenue and profit opportunities for our shareholders.”
“For Nokia, this is an important moment of reinvention and from a position of financial strength, we can build our next chapter,” said Risto Siilasmaa, Chairman of the Nokia Board of Directors and, following today’s announcement, Nokia Interim CEO. “After a thorough assessment of how to maximize shareholder value, including consideration of a variety of alternatives, we believe this transaction is the best path forward for Nokia and its shareholders. Additionally, the deal offers future opportunities for many Nokia employees as part of a company with the strategy, financial resources and determination to succeed in the mobile space.”
“Building on our successful partnership, we can now bring together the best of Microsoft’s software engineering with the best of Nokia’s product engineering, award-winning design, and global sales, marketing and manufacturing,” said Stephen Elop, who following today’s announcement is stepping aside as Nokia President and CEO to become Nokia Executive Vice President of Devices & Services. “With this combination of talented people, we have the opportunity to accelerate the current momentum and cutting-edge innovation of both our smart devices and mobile phone products.”

The Return of San Benito Wellness Organic Eggs

2013-08-28T15:20:00.002+08:00

San Benito Wellness is back and can be found in Puregold Molito Alabang!

What are Organic Eggs and how is it different from regular, non-organic eggs?

Environment
The first thing to note is that the chickens used for regular eggs are like machines. They are kept in tiny cages and fed genetically engineered food and antibiotics. Chickens that produce organic eggs are different. They are fed an organic diet and free range which simply means they aren't locked up in small cages.

Cost
Like I said, a lot of people prefer the regular eggs due to the prices of organic eggs which can range from 50-100 pesos more ($1-$2) but you should also consider that this is because farmers feed them organic food and they need to build and have bigger room for the chickens to roam freely.

Health Benefits
A very simple explanation for this is that organic eggs are healthier and have higher levels of Folic Acid, Vitamin B and Omega-3 since they are treated better and eat better compared to regular non-organic eggs that have high levels of antibiotics that were fed to the chickens.

Galaxy S4 3-month review

2013-08-19T16:13:00.001+08:00

UPDATE: Well, barely 6 months in and my S4 decided it wanted to kiss the floor. Ouch! It wasn't a 10 foot drop, more like a 2.5ft flat drop on the asphalt *cough* "gorilla glass" *cough*. So I went to Globe to have it checked and obviously it wasn't covered by the warranty so the guard directed me to the nearby Mobile Bazaar and brought me to this stall and introduced me to this guy who they always recommend to subscribers who needs to have repairs that can't be covered by their warranty. After showing my phone, he instantly blurts out "Sir, 12,000 po repair nyan". Uhm okay...wow.

Before anything, this post is based on my experience with my phone. You may or may not agree. Comments section is always open for discussion (:

It's been around 3 months already since I got my Galaxy S4 as retention from my current subscription plan and I wanted to blog about my observations, rants and raves.

Size
Before I got the S4, I researched for weeks whether or not the size would be good enough for me since I have big hands and I tend to surf the internet and watch videos. The 5-inch display, at least for me, hits the sweet spot and is just within that border of big/small screens. It's big enough for me to watch movies and navigate with one hand. The Note 2 would be a good alternative but when I found out that the S4 and Note 2 had the same "value" in my subscription plan, I felt it would be more practical and economical to get the S4.

Build
Okay, first negative comment would be the durability of the body. What shocked me is that the 1 and only time I dropped my phone from around 2-2.5 ft, it left a dent in the metal corner of the phone. Imagine forming a piece of clay into a rectangle and dropping it. So irritating. So it pays to get a simple and durable case. I don't really mind the plastic feel of the phone. It makes it lighter and easier to bring around and I really hate carrying a heavy phone.

Software
Samsung went quick with updates for the S4. Since I got the S4, I've already updated around 3-4 times. The software is quick and snappy but tends to bog down when there are a lot of apps open which is acceptable. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the performance of the phone. Playing games is a breeze without any lag. I do appreciate the updates that Google constantly implement on their apps like Maps and Hangouts.

Signal
Okay, one more thing that pisses me off sometimes is that for some reason, I have no signal - ZERO. To be fair though, I don't know if it's the phone or the telco though a friend also complained of the same thing but anyway, it's annoying. There would be times that it shows 4G but there's no signal...Eh?

Battery
I don't know about you guys but after 2 months, my battery went from good to whaaaaat?! While it's understandable that my battery is drained because of heavy use (mobile data / wifi - on, sync - on etc), there are times that I'd have to charge 2-3 times a day. Take note, thats from 90-100% down to 5-10%. Another thing I observed is that there are times that the battery heats up fast when I use it.

Overall, I'd give the S4 an 8/10.

Starbucks enters agreement to acquire Teavana

2012-11-16T14:55:00.000+08:00

Starbucks recently announced that they have agreed to acquire Teavana - the Starbucks of Tea. Though it wasn't indicated in the blog entry by CEO Howard Schultz, the cost of the acquisition will be around $620M.

Since our very earliest days as Starbucks Coffee, Tea and Spices, Starbucks has been heavily invested in the tea business. Back in those days, we scooped 27 different varieties of tea for our customers in the original Pike Place Market store – and after acquiring Tazo back in 1999, our commitment and passion for tea only increased further as that brand became an established part of our portfolio in both our stores and in grocery channels.

Today I am delighted to share with you the exciting news that on the back of a record financial performance for Starbucks in our fourth quarter and fiscal 2012, Starbucks has entered into an agreement to acquire Teavana. This transaction should signal that we have moved our plan to fundamentally transform the consumer tea experience in both North American and international markets into high gear.

Over the past 15 years, Teavana has built world-class capabilities in tea authority, global sourcing, merchandising and best-in-class retail store unit economics around its single-origin estate teas. Teavana’s considerable tea expertise, coupled with the romance and theater of the retail experience that is at the very heart of Starbucks heritage, will create a differentiated customer experience.

Our enthusiasm for this news is matched by a commitment to continue growing Tazo – an already thriving $1.4 billion brand for Starbucks. Teavana complements Tazo and, in fact, unleashes Tazo to compete aggressively as our premium entry point for consumers seeking an innovative and differentiated tea experience while providing us with flexibility to pursue a two-tiered global tea marketing strategy.

We are excited about what’s ahead and welcome your continued thoughts and feedback as we redefine the tea experience for customers around the globe.

Onward,

Howard Schultz

source

DataBlitz responds to recent raid and X-Play press release

2012-11-07T15:13:00.000+08:00

Here's the official statement of DataBlitz on the raid that happened recently:

To Our Beloved Gaming Community & Friends,

Monday, Nov. 5, 2012, will be remembered as a day of infamy and shame for the gaming industry with XPlay initiating a disgraceful harassment action against DataBlitz for alleged selling of "unauthorized" stocks of NBA 2K13.

Yesterday, XPlay released an official statement listing down various details of meetings between XPlay and DataBlitz in the weeks l
eading to the launch of NBA 2K13. In spite of all that's been said in their press release, they've conveniently omitted the most pertinent details:

1. All the meetings that took place between Xplay and DataBlitz were initiated at the request of XPlay. DataBlitz has never asked to meet with XPlay and were only asked to participate in meetings and/or to join XPlay's so-called "marketing programs" (which are really nothing more than just glamorized parlor game events). DataBlitz participated in the meetings and "marketing programs" out of courtesy to XPlay and no such thing as "primary partnership", whatsoever was ever discussed, offered, nor penned on paper, whatsoever.

2. Apart from just saying that they will be distributing NBA 2K13, XPlay has never indicated in any form of writing or communications whatsoever to DataBlitz that they are the exclusive distributor of the game.

3. Thirdly, and this is the most important and glaring omission in XPlay's press release: in spite of the above, the fact is that DataBlitz still went ahead and purchased a considerable quantity of NBA 2K13 stocks from XPlay as a gesture of goodwill towards XPlay, even knowing that they are still very new to the industry of console games, without any proven track record whatsoever to speak of along this front.

However, it is the understanding of DataBlitz that XPlay is just another reseller of the game, and as we still live in a free country the last time we checked, DataBlitz reserves its right to buy stocks of the game from other sources, apart from XPlay, so long as these are legitimate, genuine, brand-new, original games, that are and always have been the hallmark of our product offerings to our customers.

DataBlitz has been in the gaming industry for over 17 years now, and our record speaks for itself, we have always maintained a pristine reputation as the one reliable source for original and genuine games at reasonable prices. From the very beginning when piracy dominated the market 17 years ago and up to this day that we have been able to steadily educate our consumers (without harassing anyone) about buying and patronizing original games and software, we have remained steadfast in our core belief of looking after the welfare of the gaming public first and foremost.

If there suddenly are now parties out there who see the vibrancy of the gaming industry as a way to profit immensely by using sham claims of being the only party that possesses "authorized" stocks (whatever that means) in order to shove overpriced games down the throats of the gaming public, this kind of modus is just against the core principles of DataBlitz and something we just cannot and will not go along with.

At the end of the day, we have the welfare of our customers at heart, not the twisted desires of these opportunists. Even if it means this will be a lonely battle, as Monday's events have shown that we were very obviously the only one unjustly and unreasonably singled out, we shall always remain as the one beacon of light and hope for gamers everywhere and carry on the good fight to stop such forms of profiteering through harassment.

via DataBlitz Facebook

You can also view X-Play's press release here

[Foodesign] Wendy's Refreshes It's Logo

2012-10-15T23:15:00.002+08:00

After years of using its iconic pig tails girl, someone at Wendy's finally decided "Hey, let's redesign and make our logo look hip!".

With the redesign in collaboration with Tesser, we still see the iconic pigtails girl plus the blue and red combination. The biggest and most obvious change is the font which now looks more hand written compared to its traditional western serif font which has been going through slight updates since 1969.

image source: http://www.fastcodesign.com

[DYK] Hexadecimal codes for Designers

2012-08-12T12:32:00.000+08:00

Did you know:

Those 6-digit combinations you see in photoshop or in website codes are hexadecimal. It's basically made up of 123456789ABCDEF with A being 10, B means 11, and so on.
The first two are for red, the next two are for green, the last two are for blue. Meaning: RRGGBB.
The higher the number, the brighter the color so #0000FF means blue and #000000 means black.

source: codeacademy

Foodie Trip #1 - Germany

2012-08-11T19:09:00.002+08:00

All right, all right. I’m getting off my lazy butt and start blogging about my recent Europe trip with the Ateneo College Glee Club. Hahaha! I know, this is waaaay overdue but I’ve finally finished collecting and editing my Europe food pics and now it’s time to post. Yay! :)

The great thing about blogging late, though, is that nostalgic feeling you get when you start recollecting those experiences.

Ok, fine, enough excuses. Here we go!

First foodie trip blog is Germany.

I love this country. I love the people, the scenery and of course, the food! There’s just something extremely serene and nostalgic about Germany. I always feel like I’m in a Jane Austen book and the only thing missing is that I’m not wearing petticoats and puffed sleeves.

I’ve been in this country twice and the best thing about those trips is that we always stayed at small towns and lived with German host families. We got to fully immerse ourselves in the culture, and that included food. From breakfast to supper, it’s all authentic.

This time, we stayed in a town called Oberweyer. Just remembering its name, I swear I could smell the faint nip of that cold morning wind I always woke up to with its unique blend: a little mint, a little dew, sharp and cold but calming and fresh. Surrounded by fields and farms, that little town had a world of its own; one that I would gladly come back to.

Ugh! I’m getting teary-eyed!

All right, let’s get back to business! Food!

Waking up in Oberweyer is the best thing in the world. I was staying with the Hannapel family and everyday is a foodie adventure. The normal spread is first, there’s a basket of different kinds of freshly-baked bread. My favorite’s the one loaded with all kinds of seeds. There’s also a platter of cheese and cold cuts (there’s never a day without cold cuts! *sigh* happiness!)

Breakfast spread

Cold cuts platter and cheese

My favorite bread bun. I think those are sunflower and sesame seeds.

Aside from those, there's always a soft-boiled egg next to your plate. Cracking those eggs, sprinkling salt on them and eating them off an egg cup...felt like breakfast in a manor in the 1800s.

And then there was smoked salmon, cream cheese, juice, fruits jams, a big jar of Nutella, your choice of tea or brewed coffee and of course, the perfect breakfast ender: yogurt.

For days, I was in breakfast heaven. But it didn't end there.

The usual fare.

The great thing about living in a small town is that everybody knew everybody and town festivals are very personal and engaged.

The kindly people of Oberweyer hosted a barbeque party for us and almost all the families attended. There was merry-making, overflowing beer and sodas, singing and field games in the afternoon sun. But a barbeque isn't a barbeque without meats smoking away in a hot grill.

Yup. German version of lechon.

German lechon. They certainly do know how to handle meat. The pork had a wood-smoked aroma, medium rare with a hint of crushed pepper and was tender as *bleeeeeep!*

I have only three words for it: Oh. My. *bleep!*. *bleep!*

Ok, four words.

Not a barbeque without your creamy carbs.

The frankfurters disappeared so fast I didn't get a chance to take photos. Not even on my own plate.

I can't believe how much sauerkraut I ate. I used to hate this.

Here's some more food from the Hannapel household:

Heidi's home-made mini-pizzas.

Garden salad with nuts and deep-fried, bacon-wrapped goat cheese. Oh mother...

A trip to Germany isn't complete without beer and liquor. I drank so much Radler at the town parties but what I loved the most was our last night at the Hannapel's. Peter pulled out his best bottles and we drank the night away, laughing and telling stories and taking crazy pictures and videos. Thinking back on that night, I remember why I cried so much when it was time for us to leave.

Downing it.

I miss Oberweyer!

Updates! Updates!

2012-07-18T18:01:00.000+08:00

Wow it's been 3 months since our last post and for some reason, a lot of our uploaded pictures are gone! :(

Anyway, we'll be posting again soon!

Instagram for Android is now available

2012-04-04T08:21:00.000+08:00

After weeks of waiting, Instagram for Android is finally available for download at Google Play.

Click here to download

What is Instagram?
A beautiful way to share your world. It's fast, free and fun!   

Pick from one of several gorgeous filtered effects to breathe a new life into your mobile photos. Transform everyday moments into works of art you'll want to share with friends and family.  

Share your photos in a simple photo stream with friends to see - and follow your friends' photos with the click of a single button. Every day you open up Instagram, you'll see new photos from your closest friends, and creative people from around the world.  