Virtual Options

Does the Nokia Asha 309 Fit the Masang-Pinoy?

2012-10-07T21:59:00.001-07:00

Considering the Philippines as a third world country with more than 90 percent of its population living in poverty, one will wonder how it can be tagged as the text capital of the world. This may be due to the close family ties among Pinoys (local term for its residence). A cultural value that Pinoys pride themselves of. In this regard, the easiest way to connect with family and even relatives to the farthest degree is through texting.

But for "masang-pinoy", an expensive smart phone is a big no no. Usually, their budget in buying a new cellular phone is about 5,000 pesos or less. Besides, it is not advisable to use expensive smart phones in public places because of pickpockets. As a victim, I now prefer to use a cheap one wherever I go.

More than 95% of Pinoys are prepaid users under several telephone companies available which offers unlimited texts to same networks. With this in mind, it is now usual to have several SIM cards from different networks to cut texting cost. That is why the masang-pinoy also prefers cellular phones with dual or multiple SIM feature.

Aside from being affordable, the other thing masang pinoy are looking in a phone is its multimedia feature. Pinoy loves listening to mp3 music so much that almost all jeepney passengers I see have their ears plugged with headset.

Riding with the trend nowadays and with the spread of free wifi spots, social networking use through mobile phones is also becoming popular among masang-pinoy. Before, only high end smart phones rule these feature. But thanks to the rise of affordable cellular phones with wifi capability that are available in the market today.

Having all these in mind, does the Nokia Asha 309 fit the masang-pinoy? It is the latest member of the Nokia Asha Touch smartphone family. Have a glimpse of its look by checking this video, Introducing the Nokia Asha 309.

It brings you the fast cloud-powered Nokia Xpress browser, social networking, pre-loaded Nokia map, and provides you access to thousands of key apps including 40 free EA games. It's ready to entertain with video and music, and the preloaded Internet radio application allows you to stream content via Wifi from thousands of stations 24/7 around the world. It fits into the range right in between the Nokia Asha 305/6 and Asha 311.

See the detailed specification and feature here. Nokia Asha 309 Slick Phone with fast mobile Internet - Nokia

Choosing the Right Camera that Suits Your Lifestyle

2012-10-07T04:29:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a compact digital camera? Try to have a glimpse of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T110 with my initial review. This may not be available now in the market but it can be of good comparison.

I have chosen to buy this camera, first and foremost, because of its stylish slim and sleek appearance. I was easily attracted with its design the moment I had a glimpse of it. It is available in two attractive colors, gray and red rouge. But let us dissect the other features if it suits your taste.

First, one good thing about this camera is its 3.0" wide screen touch panel LCD. You can review your shots in vivid colors and ultra-sharp contrast. No more worry about tiny buttons. Just tap the screen to review shots and select functions.

In the world of photography, everything circles around the lens. This camera has a 16.1 megapixel lens for capturing finer details. It sports a Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar 4x Optical Zoom lens.

Taken in Yunnan, China

The camera also has a Sweep Panorama Mode, to let you capture breathtaking shots of expansive landscapes. Just press the shutter and shoot the scene with a continuous sweeping motion and the camera does the rest.

Here are samples of panoramic shots I took in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines.

If you want to take photograph immediately and do not bother to select the right mode, the Intelligent Auto Mode (iAuto) automatically adjusts the settings for you. This camera has a smarter auto mode giving clear image results, faces with natural skin tone and less blur.

Do you love YouTube videos? With this camera you can shoot movies in HD. Your movies will look stunning to the 720p high-definition MPEG4 recording format.

Here are the other advance features of the camera.

Optical SteadyShot Image Stabilization
High Sensitivity Mode (ISO)
Intelligent Scene Recognition Mode (iSCN)
TransferJet Technology
Smile Shutter Technology
Face Detection Technology
Anti-blink Function
Creative Painting Tools
Soft Skin Mode
Motion Detection

Taking Photomicrographs Using My Sony Cyber-shot Digital Camera

2012-10-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

If you want to take some photographs and videos of microscopic features you are examining under a microscope lens, a simple digital camera is all you need. No need to have very expensive special equipment to capture beautiful images.

As a malaria microscopy validator I need to record still photos of my findings to be included in the report. I have done these simple steps and techniques in the validation of microscopy results from in vivo therapeutic studies of antimalarial drugs.

JoPas in action

Below is the list of materials and equipment you will need:

A compound microscope
Digital Camera
Specimen in a glass slide
2 stable chairs with backrest

In order to capture a clear photomicrograph shot, the position and level of your digicam must be stable. You can use two chairs with backrest in order for you to have a good control in positioning the digicam. Rest your hands on top of the backrest as seen in the figure below.

Once the specimen is in focus under the microscope, level your digicam lens to the light coming out from one of the eyepiece. You must be aware of the microscope's eye point or point of focus so that it would be easier to get the distance the camera must be from the eyepiece. You can check this out by holding a piece of blank paper above the eyepiece. You will see a light or image projection on the paper. Move the paper closer or farther from the eyepiece until it is in focus. That distance is the microscope's eye point.

light projection shown is not yet in exact focus

the exact microscope's eye point showing a clear light projection

Once you see the light or image projection on the display or screen of the camera, lower the digicam slowly until reaching the focal point. Be sure to keep the position of the image projection at the center of the display as you lower the camera. You will notice that the diameter of the image projection is increasing until the whole field of view is in focus.

From there use the zoom function of the camera until the image fills the entire camera's display. Once adjusted, click the shutter slowly. You can reduce blurring by setting the self-timer to [2sec] and turning off the flash. Press the shutter button and hold the camera steadily. It takes a little practice to hold the camera steady, so take enough shots to make sure you have good ones with the right lighting and focus.

There you have it. You can now transfer the images into your computer and edit them to your desired appearance.

Converting Videos for Nokia C2

2012-10-04T06:27:00.000-07:00

By using the Free Studio from DVDVideoSoft.com you can easily convert your video into formats that can be played on your Nokia C2 cellular phone. You need to download and install first the freeware from the said website.

Now open the Free Studio Manager and click the icon named "MOBILES".

Then Select "FREE VIDEO TO NOKIA PHONES" from the list of freewares

Click the "Add Files..." to select the video you want to convert

Then select the video format that is suitable for the model of your Nokia phone (see figure below)

Click "Convert" and conversion will start

Upon completion of conversion process click the folder icon so that you can transfer your converted video to the memory card of your Nokia C2

During the initial playback of your video on your Nokia C2 a message will sometimes appear saying "This video may not play well in this device". Just click "OK" and your video will continue to play.