WeblinksCentral

[GALAXY Note] Introducing Premium Suite with Ice Cream Sandwich

2012-05-26T22:18:00.001+08:00

Always keep a digital notebook on you with the GALAXY Note. The S Note app lets you jot down thoughts, record experiences and share ideas. What would you use it for?

http://bit.ly/Jup0aL

Software upgrade for GALAXY Note offers exclusive S Pen optimized applications, enhanced multimedia features and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

S Note, an unique tool that combines your notes and sketches with other digital content, giving you a new way to create your own stories. Also includes innovative shape- and formula-match functions, instant digitization of tables and grids, and knowledge search engines.

Along with a new look and feel, the Ice Cream Sandwich update provides a more intuitive user interface, faster performance, Face Unlock, Snapshot, Photo Editor and other features.

Plus, GALAXY users can also access an exclusive GALAXY Note level in Angry Birds Space (http://samsung.angrybirds.com/galaxynote), the newest Angry Birds game from Rovio Entertainment, along with a special package of 30 challenging levels in "Danger Zone".

This update is available in the Philippines already, i just updated mine yesterday. I was notified that an update is available. I updated OTA (over the air) til 31% then suddenly someone called. Download gone?! Then I check and check and check for update the whole day, 'no update available'.

Then i downloaded and install the latest Kies. Nice, update available. After hours of download (around 346mb), failed in the middle of installation. I so worried that i might have bricked my Galaxy Note. Good thing everythings back to normal upon removing and reinserting the batt, whew!

So, starting all over again. Using Kies, fail and fail and fail. Download doesn't get pass 37%. But i kept repeating the procedure, around 20 times, no joke!

Finally download get passed 53%. I went to the washroom. When i came back my Note was halfway thru the installation already. And it went thru successfully.

One thing I liked on ICS was its Phone and SD card encryption. I'm trying it now. will keep you guys posted.

Facebook Acquired Instagram for $1 Billion

2012-04-15T22:50:00.001+08:00

Facebook acquired the hugely popular photo-sharing app Instagram Monday, April 9 for roughly $1 billion in a combination of cash and stock.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the acquisition in a post on his Facebook Timeline Monday.

The sale is expected to close later this quarter, and will bring the nine-person staff of Instagram to the social network.

“For years, we’ve focused on building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family,” Zuckerberg said in the post. “Now, we’ll be able to work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests.”

Zuckerberg went on to say that the company will be building on Instagram’s strengths and features and growing the app independently rather than “just trying to integrate everything into Facebook.”

Facebook plans on keeping features within the app that allow photos to be published on other social networks, and the ability to have followers and follow people who are not necessarily your Facebook friends.

“We will try to learn from Instagram’s experience to build similar features into our other products,” Zuckerberg said. “At the same time, we will try to help Instagram continue to grow by using Facebook’s strong engineering team and infrastructure.”

Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom echoed Zuckerberg’s statements on the Instagram company blog adding “We’re psyched to be joining Facebook and are excited to build a better Instagram for everyone.”

Instagram launched its iOS app in October 2010, and came to Android for the first time last week. This is the first time Facebook has acquired a company or product with so many users. “We don’t plan on doing many more of these, if any at all.” Zuckerberg said. “But providing the best photo sharing experience is one reason why so many people love Facebook and we knew it would be worth bringing these two companies together.”

Facebook's Instagram for Android Hits 5 Million Downloads in 6 Days

2012-04-15T22:39:00.001+08:00

One day after Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion, Its six-day-old Android app has already crossed the five-million download benchmark.

The long-awaited Android version of Instagram’s popular iOS app was a success from the beginning. Within the first 24 hours after the app launched last Wednesday, it had more than 1 million users. While the app’s momentum has slowed slightly, it continues to be downloaded at an impressive pace.

Instagram for Android is currently the third most popular free app on Google Play and the most popular app that isn’t made by Google.

The startup’s iOS app launched in October 2010. It took seven months for that version to reach 4 million downloads, according to Bloomberg. The app has now been downloaded more than 30 million times.

Instagram’s Android momentum likely helped set the startup’s impressive $1 billion price tag. In addition to acquiring a huge presence on Apple devices and a location tagging system people actually use, Facebook now has one of the most successfully launched apps on Google’s operating system sitting in its portfolio.

Lookout vs. Avast! Mobile Security

2012-03-23T10:38:00.000+08:00

For the longest time I have used Lookout on my smartphones because "they" said it was the best for mobile security. It was definitely easy to use, had a clean interface, and I am assuming it did what it was supposed to do. I saw where it scanned applications, checked new installs, etc. I used the free version. The premium version has even more function.

By the same token I have used aVast! on my computers for the longest time and never had a problem on any of my PCs due to viruses, spyware, etc. When I found out that aVast! had a mobile security app out, I had to give it a try. To be fair toward Lookout, I used the free version of aVast! as well.

My finding is that aVast! blows Lookout out of the water. Both scanned applications and files, checking for viruses and spyware, walware, etc. Both have alerts and can be tracked via GPS.

However, aVast! has a customizeable scanner where you can check apps, SD card, both, and even set up the scan schedule. It has a privacy advisor and lets you know which apps (and how many) can access and do what on your phone. It lets you know which apps are tracking your location, which ones can read your messages, which ones can access your contacts list, access your accounts, and which ones can change secure settings. It even tells you which apps are accessing web pages you open.

It goes further by listing which apps are running, gives you the option to force close apps, has a built-in web shield, user controlled sms and call filter, firewall for rooted phones, detailed anti-theft settings, general settings, and can even be password protected so no one can access aVast! without the pw!

All this...for free! After giving it the full tryout, I have removed Lookout from my phone and will be relying on aVast! from now. They have served my computers flawlessly for years, now they will serve my smart phones!

Of course many believe that smart phones don't need any type of mobile security, and that such applications are just snake oil. I however, like having some peace of mind, even if it is a facade.

[GALAXY Note] Animating Touch

2012-03-17T08:28:00.000+08:00

Become a cartoonist with Animating Touch! When you create key frames, other in-between frames are built automatically. Skeletal animation also makes it easy to simply drag and drop. Select from the various available backgrounds, adjust the speed and size and export and share away!

[GALAXY Note] Animating Touch http://youtu.be/SG-F3jxj8e8

Become a cartoon creator! Animating Touch is an animation editor that allows you to create your own movies. Creative work in Animating Touch is quite easy. First, you don't need to draw every frame to get smooth motions. Instead of this, you create keyframes only and intermediate frames are built automatically. Second, skeletal animation is used here. It means every object consist of a number of connected "bones", which can be dragged.
Here are some ideas how you can use it:
- Drawing quick drafts of short stories or comics
- Creating hand-made greeting cards with your custom story
- Using as an animation training aid or a toy for children. It can be a good tool for little filmmakers
- Just for fun

Below is the list of features
- Skeletal animation
- Motion tweening
- Three built-in models
- Two editing modes. You can edit vertexes as well as rotate and drag whole objects
- Various items that can be attached to characters - weapons, speech bubbles, hats, etc
- Onion skinning
- Adjustable speed of animation and scene size
- Various backgrounds
- Exporting animation as video and sharing it

Find out more at http://bit.ly/AnimatingTouch_GalS

iPad2 vs iPad3

2012-03-12T09:11:00.006+08:00

iPad2 vs iPad3

The primary 'upgrades' to the new iPad include a Retina display, a better rear facing camera, support for 4G LTE and a faster processor.

The New iPad comes in the same physical package as the iPad 2, so it won't look any different. Infact, it is thicker and heavier.

Retina Display

The new display technology is bound to be more impressive and faster, especially if you were to compare it side-by-side with an iPad 2, but the reality is that you won't use it that way.

The display on the iPad 2 is pretty good for reading your e-mails, surfing the web, watching movies, playing games and using apps (many of which are still stretched versions of iPhone apps anyway).

If you're an avid reader of ebooks, want to play the newer action games that support higher resolutions or really want to zoom in on text to see if it will stay smooth, you're likely going to benefit from this new display.

iSight Camera

The upgraded 5 megapixel rear facing camera that they are calling an iSight camera is a vast improvement over the iPad 2's laughable 0.7 megapixel camera and the video capture capability goes from 720p to 1080p (the front facing VGA camera remains the same).

Having said all of that, I've used the camera on my iPad 2 a handful of times in the 4 months that I have owned it, not because of the poor quality images but because it's just not a great form-factor for taking pictures and videos. In fact, I feel kind of foolish using an iPad as a camera, especially shooting video because it's so unnatural. Shooting video outside with an iPad can be especially challenging since the display is hard to see in direct sunlight. And in the Philippines, walking with your iPad on the streets attracts thieves and pickpockets and you'll more likely to have your iPad stolen.

4G LTE

If you really want to pay for yet another data plan, you certainly will be surfing, streaming and downloading faster than the iPad 2 owners. You can only get 4G LTE service on the New iPad from Globe and Smart but I highly recommend you make sure that actual 4G service is available in the areas that you frequent (home, office, school, etc.) before you sign up for another data plan.

A5X Dual-Core Processor

We don't have any specific published speed differences from Apple when it comes to the actual processor, but what is significant in the A5X is the quad-core graphics support that will make high-resolution gaming look amazing and smooth.

So for me, most of the 'enhancements' aren't enough of an incentive to buy the new iPad. Only the display and graphics performance would be, if I was a gamer but I'm not.

If you own an original iPad or nothing at all, you have to decide if any or all of the 4 main differences are worth the extra $100.

Up close with the Samsung GALAXY Beam

2012-03-07T21:19:00.000+08:00

A projector jammed inside a smartphone may seem awkward or crazy to some--and it's not a new idea--but the Samsung Galaxy Beam may be the most elegant execution of the mash-up yet.

http://on.mash.to/yAw1GX

[GALAXY Note] Angry Birds Space teaser 2

2012-03-07T16:22:00.000+08:00

One small fling for a bird. One quantum leap for birdkind. Angry Birds Space. Launching with Samsung GALAXY Note.

http://bit.ly/zQYEuL

[GALAXY Beam] First Hands-on Video

2012-03-07T16:13:00.002+08:00

This is the first hands-on video of GALAXY Beam from the Mobile World Congress 2012.

http://bit.ly/z0E1fS

GALAXY Beam is Samsung's new projector smartphone that allows you to display and share multimedia content or business information instantly no matter where you are.

For more information: http://www.samsungmobilepress.com/2012/02/26/GALAXY-Beam

[GALAXY Note] Angry Birds teaser

2012-03-07T16:10:00.003+08:00

Houston... we have a slingshot. Angry Birds Space. Launching with Samsung GALAXY Note.

http://youtu.be/Lz5u_2dQzkA

Samsung Galaxy SL I9003, Galaxy Tab 3G and WiFi models getting Gingerbread update soon

2011-08-06T21:02:00.001+08:00

Samsung Russia has announced that it’s entire line of Galaxy products are getting the Gingerbread update. While many phones have already got the update , the company has promised that it’s bringing the gingerbread update to the Galaxy Tab 3G and WiFi models and also the Galaxy SL i9003. The Galaxy 3 and Galaxy 5 will not get Gingerbread love but only Froyo !

Here is the status of the rollout from Samsung:

Model	Release date update
Galaxy Ace (S5830)	12/05/2011
Galaxy Fit (S5670)	05/19/2011
Galaxy Gio (S5660)	07/07/2011
Galaxy S (I9000)	07/04/2011
Galaxy Mini (S5570)	08/07/2011
Galaxy Tab (P1000)	getting ready
Galaxy Tab WiFi (P1010)	getting ready
Galaxy scLCD (I9003)	getting ready

Here are the improvements due to the Gingerbread update ( translated from the source )

Improved user interface enables rapid access to settings and intuitive control. Members will also appreciate the optimized system with support for multitouch input and a function copy / paste in one touch.

Higher performance – on time smartphone and download HD-video was cut in half.

The ability to use the front camera of the applications.

Best performance in 3D-games and the ability to control with built-in motion sensor (gyroscope).

Enhanced support for audio codecs and audio effects for high-quality audio playback and recording.

Support for embedded video on web pages (WebM / VP8).

Extending the device by optimizing the energy consumption and monitor the use of battery power with the charts and displaying statistics.

Source (in Russian), FoneArena

Samsung Galaxy SL GT-I9003 vs. HTC Desire A8181

2011-06-26T12:21:00.005+08:00

I bought the Samsung Galaxy SL GT-I9003 last June 12, 2011 at Techno Kid SM Mall of Asia.

Price:
It's the cheapest that day. Samsung Mall of Asia and most stores sell it for PHP17690.00, some stores has even higher price tag.

Techno Kid has the same price but after asking for a discount, they finally agreed to give it to me for PHP17100.00 (USD393.00). The lowest price I got that day. Plus, I got a brand new sealed unit.

Update (2011/06/19): I went to Mall of Asia to buy another unit, luckily Techno Kid doesn't have stock. At first, I don't want to go in to Berlein (another store at Mall of Asia) because they were selling it for PHP18,000+ last week. But my mom went in anyway. To my surprise they're giving it for only PHP16790.00. After asking for a discount, we closed the deal at PHP16,700.00.

Screen:
Compared to the Amoled of HTC Desire which you can hardly see anything under the bright sunlight; the Samsung Galaxy SL's Super Clear LCD is perfectly clear and readable under the bright sunlight.

Unlike HTC Desire, the Galaxy SL's screen is less sensitive. You need heavier finger tap for it to register. Getting used to Desire's screen sensitivity, my tap on Galaxy SL often doesn't register. But after installing a Screen Protector, the screen seems to be more sensitive for light taps.

Keyboard:
The Samsung developed keyboard is way better and accurate the the default Android keyboard. Additionally, it comes preinstalled with Swype.

Light Sensor:
The light sensor is very active. The LCD screen adjusted the brightness level constantly as you move around dark and bright location. Unlike HTC Desire, it's screen initially adjusted automatically upon turning on the screen, but when you move to and from areas with different light, the screen doesn't adjust until you turn it off then on again.

Memory:
My Samsung Galaxy SL has 4gb of storage. 2gb is alloted to Phone Storage and another 2gb is alloted as Internal SD. When you insert a Micro SD, it is detected as External SD.

Keep in mind that not all Android apps can be installed to the SD card. Those apps need to be installed on the Phone Storage. Compared to the HTC Desire's 170mb phone storage, you can enjoy installing tons of apps to your Galaxy SL without worrying about not getting enough space.

The only downside is when you move apps to SD, it moves to the Internal SD which is limited to 2gb. I still do not know if apps can utilize the external SD as I still got more than 80% free memory on my SD.

Task Manager/Battery Life:
The Samsung Galaxy SL has a built-in Task Manager and a Task Killer. Now, I do not need to worry about leaving my apps open. I just hit the Home Button and after a while, there's nothing on the Task Manager anymore. When going back to an application opened earlier, I noticed the Galaxy SL opens it from the start, meaning it has automatically closed the app for me and therefore consumes less battery. All these things, HTC Desire can't do.

For the battery life, I used Quick Battery to monitor my battery percentage. I usually charge my phone to 100% before goin to bed, for the Galaxy SL my battery is still at 96% when I woke up at 5am. The HTC Desire's battery dropped to 88% the next morning.

This is the reason why I never believe the specs sheet. Always trust what you see/hear.

Camera:
The camera of the HTC Desire is clear and sharp but it is very prone to handshake. Using it with flash inside a dark room also produces clear pictures.

The camera of the Galaxy SL was not that clear but good enough for everyday photo blogging. It is less prone to blurred pictures due to handshake. But the lack of flash makes it impossible to take picture on dark environment.

Loudspeaker Quality:
For the loudspeaker quality, gsmarena.com used some audio analyzer and rated HTC Desire as "excellent" and Galaxy SL as "average".

Again, all I can say is always trust what you see/hear. For me, the Galaxy SL's loudspeaker is way better, louder, clearer than HTC Desire.

These are all my opinions and actual observations that I wanted to share. I'm not liable for any inaccuracy posted on this blog.

How To Remove Samsung Galaxy SL GT-I9003 Dock Icons

2011-06-19T19:38:00.001+08:00

The Samsung Galaxy SL GT-I9003 just like any other smartphone comes with a default dock at the bottom, which has the icons to the most commonly used apps. And the apps arrangement and display in Android mobile phones are just like that of the iPhone. Most people would prefer to have the same icons and apps in the bottom dock section, but some won't like them. They would either want to get rid of it, or replace those items with those which they wish to keep in there.

Here is an easy guide on how to replace the icons of the dock on Samsung Galaxy SL GT-I9003 - Go to the Applications Menu. When the menu is open, tap Menu key located at the left of the center menu key. Then, select the Edit option. This will make all the app icons highlighted and movable.

Android SMS Backup and Restore - How to view XML on a Browser

2010-11-02T11:34:00.000+08:00

I downloaded the "SMS Backup and Restore" app for android. There's an "Add XSL Tag" option, its purpose is so you could view your xml file on a browser.

I tried and tried but could not open the xml file. I googled and found this site. I downloaded the SMS.XSL file, put it in the same directory of my xml file, and it open my XML on a browser.

I wonder why the developer of SMS Backup and Restore did not include the xsl file or specify instructions about the file on their app. I had to download it from another site.

View the backup data using a Web Browser:
To be able to view the files on a computer, the first thing to do is to make sure that the preferences for “Add XSL Tag” and “Add Readable Date” in the Preferences of the app are checked before taking a backup.
Copy the backup file to a folder on the computer.

Download (right click on the link and select “Save Target As” or “Save Link As” or equivalent on your browser) the SMS.xsl (SMS Backup & Restore) or Calls.xsl (for Call Logs Backup & Restore) file and store it in the same folder as the xml file.

Open the xml file in the browser. The browser will now display it in a friendly HTML format.

Cebu Pacific Flight Attendants / Stewardess / Cabin Crew Dance Practice

2010-10-04T13:26:00.000+08:00

Cebu Pacific Flight Attendants during their practice :)

Cebu Pacific Dancing Flight Attendants

2010-10-02T21:23:00.001+08:00

Flight Attendants dancing while demonstrating flight safety guidelines.

A friend of mine shared this video on Facebook yesterday, thought of posting it here so it'll be easier for you guys to find.

I saw another video on youtube, her name is Trissia Sambalilo. Well, if you guys want to see more of her, you know what to do :-)

Impressions on Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350

2010-05-03T23:43:00.002+08:00

I got my Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350 two days ago (May 1, 2010) at PHP8500 (around $179). I got the black one which is nicer because it's back color is black, different from the front color. A perfect camera for beginners or bloggers who just want to capture the perfect moment. With iAuto, you don't need to do anything, just turn on your camera and shoot. No more adjusting scene settings manually, iAuto automatically adjust the the settings for you. It can even switch to macro mode automatically. If iSCN advanced is enabled, the camera automatically takes another shot with optimal settings so you could choose which one to keep later. Perfect for capturing that special moment easy and fast with only 1.6sec startup time.

The flash is great, effective range up to 7.9 meters, ideal for shooting long range.
Wide Angle lens lets you shoot more subjects without going farther.
Optical SteadyShot image stablization reduce or almost totally eliminate blur very effectively.
Sweep Panorama is very nice, allows you to take panoramic shots with just one sweep.
Metal Body, very light and handy 91x52x17mm and weighs 100g. Unlike what other users commented, it has a sturdy construction and feels durable.
It captures movie in HD at 720p and 30fps using MP4 format.
It accepts both Memory Stick and SD cards, another features I've considered. SD cards are much affordable and compatible with most devices.
Very fast focusing at only .3sec.
The usual Face Detection is also included.
The shutter button doesn't have two distinct notches in it's travel (pre-focus and click). Instead, it appears pressure sensitive - light pressure to pre-focus and click to shoot. I like this because there are times when we ask someone to take a photo for us. Some people just don't understand pre-focusing, they just click the shutter right away. This often results to poor photo quality. Sometimes you also need to spend time teaching them to take the shot. Nothing is perfect, but with the DSC-W350 you'll notice very few autofocus failures. With pressure sensitive shutter button and fast focusing, I get clear pictures almost all the time.

One thing I would complain about the DSC-W350 is it doesn't allow me to take my pictures at 2MP, the resolution I always use, not too small, not too big the file size. The DSC-W350's available resolution is from VGA, next higher resolution is 5MP. It's max resolution is 14.1MP.

Conclusion, I could live with VGA and 5MP shots. The DSC-W350 is perfect for my needs, small and light, very fast response, long effective flash range, nice image stabilization, fully automatic. Nice picture quality at very affordable price.

Hot Girls, Bikini Girls, Girls Next Door, Candid Girls

2010-05-02T20:39:00.001+08:00

DoubleViking.com presents Hotties in the Wild!

go to : http://www.doubleviking.com/hotties/main.php

This is Double Viking's personal collection of hot girls in the wild. You will not find any celebrities, models or magazine scans. Only 100% real girl next door types. If you have photos of your girlfriend, mom, sister, etc.

Raven Battery Extender | iOn Battery Timer | Nokia Energy Profiler

2010-04-26T14:34:00.002+08:00

This post will offer you the many ways to extend and enhance your mobile phone’s battery life, stand-by time and talk time so that you can make better use of all the other amazing games and mobile applications for Nokia Series 60. More information about the remaining talk time and stand-by time of your phone means you being able to make those crucial calls when you need to rather than losing communications between an active call due to zero battery power.

Some of these Nokia apps even lets you set profile and organize your phone’s default battery consumption behavior, some informs you about the exact remaining battery time to the last minute while some simply speaks out to you when you lose a bar in the battery meter.

The featured battery related applications that I am going to feature today and that really stands out in my opinion are: Ravensoft Battery Extender, Capree iOn Battery Timer and the original Nokia freeware called Nokia Energy Profiler which is developed by Nokia themselves.

The Nokia mobile applications should work on all Symbian 3rd edition devices (S60 Version 1, 2 and 3 or FP1, FP2 and FP3) and 5th edition smartphones (S60 Version 4 and 5 or FP4 and FP5).

I like all of these featured mobile applications as they are all very special in terms of their features and I am also confident that most of you will like nearly all of them, still if you prefer one over the other then do let us know through your comments. Without any further delay let me get into the Nokia battery applications that can really change things for the better.

Ravensoft Battery Extender:

Before you download Ravensoft Battery Extender for Nokia you should know that playing with how the hardware of the phone behaves with your battery is really of much importance, hence you should always read through the details of Ravensoft Battery Extender thoroughly. Ravensoft Battery Extender takes into account the default behavior of your phone’s operating system on its Lithium Ion mAH battery. When you chat hours after hours with your friends or when you browse the web from your S60 mobile browser or the Opera Mobile S60 browser for example, your battery uses up memory. As you browse even more it begins to consume more and more battery power which then drains your battery completely turning your mobile phone off.

With Ravensoft Battery Extender you will be able to profile down your battery consumption level according to the remaining power of the battery. Effectively it lets you select some preset profile values which can turn off the power hungry functions like your GPS or Opera Mobile when your battery meter values falls down low. With only one click you can switch battery profiles to completely change your phone’s battery consumption.

Battery Extender for Nokia

You can choose to run your phone with full force by selecting the ‘Outdoor’ profile of Ravensoft Battery Extender which will enable all functions of your phone, thus letting you share your waypoints or geotags easily through apps like Google Maps or Garmin Maps when you need to. When you are back at home you can activate the profile ‘Improved Battery’ so that it can extend the remaining battery life by automatically switching functions like Bluetooth, GPS, Screensaver, accelerometers etc or any other background apps.

There is also another profile which is Max Battery and it can trim down functions and processes like crazy. It is most effective when you are going away for the weekend or if you are not going to use your phone other than talking or making a call. Of course, you can revert to the original profile anytime and also choose your very own custom settings whenever you want.

Capree iOn Battery Timer:

Imagine a situation when you have started out for a day long road trip with your friends and after one hour of being on the road you realize that you have forgotten the charger at home. Even more of a yucky situation is when you realize that you have to make an important call to your boss and your battery dies on you just 5 minutes before the moment, but hey guess what?

Battery Timer

Battery Details Menu

No more will you have to suffer like that because with Capree iOn Battery Timer you will be able to monitor your battery power level or battery charge left in terms of minutes and hours accurately. Thus you will always know how many hours or minutes you have left before your battery turns against you which gives you sufficient time to make that important call you really need to make on schedule. This is just one example on call management of how you can utilize iOn Battery Timer, I can give you a thousand more if I had more time.

Beside having an awesome menu appearance, Capree iOn Battery Timer provides you with precise info like letting you know the exact amount of time left to complete battery discharge, the time and date when the discharge will occur, your average battery life cycle per charge etc. It conveniently provides access to the information of battery charge on the display screen of your phone as a home screen widget.

Nokia Energy Profiler:

Nokia Energy Profiler is a freeware application that is based on the 3rd edition and 5th edition N-Series and E-Series Symbian OS platform of Nokia smartphones. Nokia Energy Profiler also supportsTouch UI based Nokia smartphone devices. I am guessing that Nokia Energy Profiler’s compatibility will be extended for the newly introduced Nokia X-Series phones very soon. At its core, the Nokia Energy Profiler is a Nokia freeware through which you will be able to gather detailed information about any application’s energy consumption rate. This will help you to determine whether keeping a mobile application running on your phone is worth the power it consumes.

Nokia Energy Profiler is mainly aimed towards any S60 mobile application developer and theme developer to examine specific functions or bugs in any application’s power consumption behavior. However, because of the interactive display and pretty graphs of Nokia Energy Profiler many end users find it of much use as it helps them to maintain and better profile their symbian device’s installed applications.

Nokia Energy Profiler

Nokia Energy Profiler shows detailed information about several features of an application on its phone including the individual and cumulative power consumption level, the voltage redundancy of the application, RAM usage level, process activity levels, both GSM network, WLAN and WiFi signal strength, 3G internet packet transfer speed and ip network speed.

All Nokia 3rd edition Symbian devices including the Nokia N97, N95, N96, N92, N91, N86, N75, N82, N81, N80, N71, N73, N77, N78, N79, N85, N76, 6120, 6290, 6110, 5700, 5800 XpressMusic Touch UI, N95 8gb, 6121, 3250, Nokia E72, E75, E71, E70, E90, E66, E65, E63, E62, E60, E61, E50 and the recently announced 5800 Navigation Edition are supported.

What is JQS.EXE?

2009-04-01T08:52:00.000+08:00

If you open the Windows Task Manager you might notice the process jqs.exe that is running with a low priority. Jqs.exe uses about 1.5 Megabytes of computer memory and 2 Megabytes of virtual memory while running. It also initiates I/O processes frequently if those columns are activated in the Task Manager.

Experienced computer users might guess that the process is related to Java and that is the case indeed. Jqs.exe is the Java Quick Starter which was designed to improve the startup time of Java applets and applications by prefetching Java Runtime Environment files frequently into memory. That’s mainly interesting for users who work with Java on a day to day basis. Everyone else might be better of disabling the Java Quick Starter. Think of a user who encounters one Java applet per month (or week), would it make sense to run the process all the time because of those few instances where it might start the application or applet faster?

Jqs.exe is definitely querying the Windows Registry for instance. The performance increase might not be huge but you will free up some computer memory and some I/O processes on the computer system.

Now, if you want to disable the Java Quick Starter process you can do that in the Windows Control Panel. You find a Java entry there which will open the Java Control Panel.

A click on Advanced and the selection of Miscellaneous will display the activated Java Qucik Starter entry. Uncheck the box to disable the process. This will be visible in the Windows Task Manager immediately.

You can enable the process again in case you would like to use it at a later time.

Activate Sun Cellular GPRS / 3G / MMS Settings

2009-03-16T09:36:00.002+08:00

First, you have to activate your account by texting ACTIVATE to 2300

If auto config fails, here's how to manually input the connection settings for both GPRS/3G and MMS on the Sun Cellular Network:

For GPRS/3G Settings

Tap Start > Settings > Connections [tab] > Connections
Under My ISP > Tap create new modem connection
Name it something easy to remember I use: Sun Internet
In the drop down select: Cellular Line (GPRS,3G) tap Next
Access point name: minternet
Tap Finish

For MMS Settings

Tap Start > Settings > Connections [tab] > Connections
Under My Work Network > Tap create new modem connection
Name it something easy to remember I use: Sun MMS
In the drop down select: Cellular Line (GPRS,3G) tap Next
Access point name: mms
Tap Finish

MMS Settings under Messaging

Open your MMS application and go to Settings/Options
Under Server > add a new Server name it: Sun MMS
Gateway: 202.138.159.78
Port: 9201
Server address: http://mmscenter.suncellular.com.ph
Connect via: My Work Network
Tap Ok and set it as default

Starbucks 2009 Planner

2008-11-04T11:56:00.003+08:00

It's November 4, 2008 red is out at Starbucks again! But I'm very disappointed with Starbucks' planner design this year. The paper quality is the same, the hardbound outer cover comes in three colors, black, blue, and red. Looks like its been bookbinded at Recto. However, its bookmark that comes with a little metal pendant at the end is cute. I planned to cut it and tie it onto my cellphone hehehe. This year it only takes you 16 stickers to complete and avail of the so called "Limited Edition 2009 Starbucks Planner". Limited edition but everybody has one hahaha. Because of this, the design and the lack of exclusivity makes me a lot less enthusiastic about collecting stickers for the planner.

One more disappointment, no Peppermint Mocha this year :( It's my favorite. Dark Cherry Mocha is fine but its no substitute for Peppermint Mocha, the drink I've been waiting for that comes only once a year :( I don't see any reason how/why I would collect stickers for the planner.

One nice thing this time are the mugs and tumblers, quality was lower but the designs are great. Very unique compared to the old traditional design that only change the theme of the tumbler/mug. I liked almost all of them.

Now, I'm planning to collect those tumblers, instead of wasting my money to get 16 stickers for a crappy Limited Edition Starbucks Planner!

Unionbank Credit Card Scam

2008-10-29T20:56:00.005+08:00

Unionbank's credit card scam? This happens to me three times already, the latest was this September-October. Unionbank calls me up for C.I., I told them that no C.I. neccessary because I didn't apply for a Unionbank credit card and I'm not interested either. After a few days, their C.I. called our personnel department at the office, needing my consent, I told our personnel department not to give my info as I didn't apply for any Unionbank credit card. After a few days, a courier delivered my card, I said I didn't apply.....(not yet done with what I'm saying), he reacted "Ay sige, sauli nalang natin.", as if so many people are not accepting the card delivery. Finally today (October 29,2008), a Unionbank Statement of Account arrives with a Php1500 billing. They give you a credit card by force yet the annual fee is not even waived. I would be crazy to keep the card. I might have considered keeping it if it's free.

I didn't apply, I didn't receive, I didn't activate! I think this is some kind of Unionbank scam or Unionbank card sales agent scamming for Unionbank's commission. The C.I. agents were probably involved with this scam either as I've already told them that I don't want any Unionbank credit card.

Upon calling their customer service, my personal info were all wrong. My address is 3rd floor, telephone extension is 301, birthmonth is August. The registered info with Unionbank my address is 2nd floor, telephone extension is 018, birthmonth is June. Someone must have applied on my behalf without my signature??? Asking the customer service to cancel my card is so much HASSLE!!! I was told that no Cancelling Officer was available and I have to wait for the Cancelling Officer's call within three days. If I didn't received any call, I'll have to call them up again for follow-up. Grrrr! There's no way I'm using any Unionbank credit card no matter how good the deal offered.

Why does Unionbank tolerate this kind of scenarios? With this, I would think that Unionbank is involved with this scam, not just their sales and C.I. agents.

Geovision DMMultiView v8.22 on Vista

2008-09-26T21:47:00.001+08:00

Geovision's DMMultiView v8.22 is working fine on XP. But I've encountered problem on Vista. I've spent two weeks tinkering with several laptops running on Vista. Geovision's DMMultiView v8.22 just won't work. After entering the username and password, all you see is "Connect to server" and that's it. Emailed Geovision's tech support didn't help either, no one was able to help me. One day, I got a Vista laptop on which the MultiView was working properly. After reformatting it, the MultiView won't work again. This time I was able to isolate that it's no hardware or Vista Edition problem, I called up our supplier and we checked every possible setting one by one. After hours of tinkering we found out the UAC is causing the problem. Why does Vista make it so hard for everybody? What is UAC anyway? UAC is so irritating, asking confirmation with every click you make.

Fitness Tips To Increase Sex Drive & Libido

2008-06-27T10:12:00.000+08:00

This article was emailed to me by ShapeFit, so I thought of posting and sharing it here.

Success in the Bedroom - Fitness Tips To Increase Sex Drive & Libido

Is there any worse nightmare for most men then being a failure in the bedroom? It is by no coincidence that we are bombarded with advertising for drugs aimed at treating erectile dysfunction during televised sporting events and our favorite evening prime time shows. Viagra®, Cialis®, and Levitra® are absolutely three of the hottest selling pharmaceuticals of all time! There is a good reason for this, as sexual health problems are not only real, but becoming an epidemic. It just so happens that a majority of men, at some time in their lives, will at least experience a mild form of erectile dysfunction. For some, that may mean a few isolated incidents, but for others, it can happen with alarming and depressing regularity. Oh and women, I haven’t forgotten you! Lack of desire, vaginal dryness, and trouble achieving orgasm are just a few examples of what plagues the modern woman in the bedroom. For some, it isn’t any kind of sexual ‘failure’ per say, but simply lousy lovemaking. Mundane to approaching boring is the complaint of more than a few couples. What can we do? While the drugs mentioned above have a high rate of success, at $10-$15 a dose, they are no bargain. Worse yet, most health insurance programs won’t cover their prescriptions. How do we recover (or rediscover) our sexual health? Believe it or not, success in the bedroom is almost 100% achievable without prescriptions. We need to both have sex and have it great! Let’s look at the three key areas to work on to dramatically improve our sexual experiences.

First of all, sex is healthy and a health fitness topic. It is by no mistake that you are reading this on a website dedicated to getting in better shape. It is also important to note that to have great sex, it best to be in great health. The three key areas of focus are desire (libido), performance and mentality. More to the point, testosterone, blood flow and psychological factors that influence virility and make sex the incredible experience it should be. Let’s look at testosterone first and the impact it has on bedroom performance.

Testosterone

When we think of testosterone, we think of mostly a male hormone, and one that fuels the most masculine aspects of men at that. The hormone that drives men to go on a quest, slay the dragon, climb the tower and rescue the damsel (or princess). It is also the hormone, in both men and women, linked to sexual desire. Testing for testosterone is not a bad idea if you notice any sort of issue with a sagging libido. Testing is either done by blood or by less invasive saliva. Check with your urologist and see about getting tested. Normal ranges of total testosterone are said to be in the range of 350-1250 nanograms per deciliter of blood. However, many urologists report that sexual desire in men is often still lacking in the lower part of that range (350-650 ng/dl). Many experts agree and that for sex drive itself, a total testosterone range of 700 ng/dl is preferred. Unfortunately, Viagra®, Cialis®, and Levitra® don’t have any effect on desire. Their success is dependant upon arousal. So, how can we naturally increase the serum levels of testosterone in our bodies to give us a new found libido? Below is a checklist of must do’s that will have you back in the sack and begging for more in just a few months.

Normalize weight

To optimize your testosterone levels, lose the excess fat, especially around your midsection. Men who are 30% or more over their ideal bodyweight, tend to experience a sharp decrease in testosterone levels, and thus desire. The same can be said if you are too much under your ideal bodyweight. If body fat levels get too low, a decrease in testosterone can also be expected. Wrestlers and bodybuilders both, around competition times when cutting their body fat to 5% or less, will often experience a sharp decline in libido. Get on a calorie adequate nutrition program, exercise correctly and watch your sexual desire hit all time highs.

Nutrition breakdown

How do we eat for maximum testosterone? Balanced mainly, focusing on adequate lean protein sources, plenty of fibrous vegetables, some whole fruit and a few whole complex carbohydrates, and moderate amounts of healthy fats (especially monounsaturated forms like olives, avocados, and raw nuts plus some essential fatty acids from fish or fish oils). If you are over fat, simply strive for 1 g of protein, 1 g of wholesome carbs, and 0.5 g healthy fats per every pound of lean body mass. If you are under fat, increase the carbs to 2 g per pound of lean body mass.

Watch the booze

Not only will alcohol consumption handicap your fat loss efforts, but it is definitely the enemy of testosterone. Alcohol raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol, a primary testosterone antagonist, suppressing testosterone production for up to 24 hours. If you believe you need a drink (or several) to get in the mood, you are severely misguided. A glass of wine now and then with a romantic dinner is okay, but a bender at the bar is going to do nothing but hurt your sexual life.

Limit soy

Soy protein foods and protein isolates have been shown to decrease testosterone levels in several studies. This is possibly due to the phytoestrogen compounds that soy contains. It could also be that soy may negatively impact the endocrine system, disrupting normal hormone production. In any case, limit or avoid soy as much as possible.

Stop stressing out

Don’t stress! I bet that sounds easy enough, but for most people, the hardest thing in their lives to limit. We can try to avoid stress, but it will find us. Try practicing breathing exercises, yoga or meditation. Also, normalize sleep patterns and exercise. While stress will always be around, we can always minimize it with a healthy lifestyle.

Exercise

Resistance exercise using heavy weights is the number one way to increase testosterone. There is a synergistic balance between weightlifting and testosterone levels. Your body will make more testosterone to repair damaged muscle from workouts, then with the more muscle mass you now have, more testosterone is naturally floating around in your blood stream. Not to mention that your partners desire will also pick up when he/she sees the results, a firm chiseled body built by iron and used for love, on them.

Rest

Rest is a hugely important factor in optimizing hormone levels. Lack of sleep raises cortisol levels much like alcohol consumption and heavy stress. Aim for 7-9 hours a night and be consistent with bedtimes. Avoid caffeine in the pm hours and alcohol as much as possible.

Take DIM

DIM is actually Diindolymethane, a phytochemical found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage varieties and cauliflower. It is not a testosterone booster per say, but an estrogen reducer. Estrogen is a female hormone, that makes women what they are. It is also another testosterone antagonist. Unfortunately, most women produce far too much estrogen because of poor health habits. Men carry estrogen as well, but typically much less than women. Men are also estrogen heavy these days for the same reasons as women… can you say man boobs? You can supplement with this or simply eat a ton of broccoli and cabbage, either way, less estrogen means more testosterone available.

Blood Flow

So, now we have our desire back, but the function isn’t there. Have you men ever experienced either not being able to achieve an erection or maintain one of ample firmness to have successful intercourse? Have you women lacked vaginal wetness and had to either endure painful intercourse or rely on over-the-counter lubricants? If so, you are not alone! It can be frustrating and depressing! It is the main selling point of Viagra®, Cialis®, and Levitra®. These drugs function as vasodilators due to the action of inhibiting the production of the enzyme PDE-5. Once PDE-5 is blocked, Nitric Oxide is freed up and vasodilation occurs, which is a widening of blood vessels. Increased blood flow is the result. Is there a way to naturally do this and avoid these expensive prescriptions? You bet!

Take Arginine

Specifically, L-Arginine increase Nitric Oxide production. While the act of suppressing PDE-5 is not involved, the more Nitric Oxide, the greater the blood flow anyway. Turkey, fish, eggs and nuts are great sources of Arginine. You can also take this as a supplement, either in direct form or in a timed release form. Expect a few weeks of consistent use to achieve the desired results. The nice thing about arginine is that it is an amino acid and non-stimulant.

Exercise

Plain and simple, exercise in almost any form increases blood flow and more blood flow means stronger and more lasting erections. It also means more vaginal lubrication. With working out, there really is no substitute and little downside as you get sexier, friskier, and then get it good more regularly because the blood is going where it should.

Avoid Vasoconstrictors

Excess caffeine, ephedra, cold medicines, and aspartame are all vasoconstrictors. These are working against blood flow and highly inadvisable to be taken any time close to coitus. While your morning coffee will likely have little effect on your roll in the hay that evening, you should avoid these items within 6-12 hours of sex, especially if you have ever experienced impotency. Aspartame and cold medicines are primary examples.

Lower Hypertension

If you have high blood pressure, you need to lower it. This alone is a primary reason for age related impotence. Lower blood pressure means more blood volume engorging vessels. The best way to lower blood pressure is by eating a balanced, whole foods nutrition regimen including lots of essential fatty acids from fish or fish oil, vegetables and lean proteins and getting plenty of exercise and sleep. Most cases of high blood pressure can brought under control this way.

Avoid Blood Pressure Meds

Sound contradictory to the above recommendations? It is, but if you suffer from extreme hypertension, take blood pressure medication only until you get it under control, then it is really best to wean off these meds and control your hypertension with exercise and nutrition. Blood pressure medications have long been associated with increased impotence, and that isn’t the only side effect.

Sound Nutrition

Eating a balanced diet and drinking plenty of pure water will enable the body to function optimally. That means blood goes right where it is supposed to and hormones are secreted as needed. Clean meals mean clean blood and a clean body, inside and out. Stay away from ketogenic type diets, where all carbohydrates are strictly limited and ultra low fat diets as well. All macronutrients are necessary to maximize blood flow. Strive to eat 4-6 small meals a day, starting with a lean protein source, lots of veggies, fruit or other wholesome carbohydrate in moderation, and finished with a little healthy fat.

Masturbation

If you aren’t having sex, masturbate! If you are, but it is not of good quality, pleasure yourself anyway! If it’s great, still do it! I know it is often thought of as a taboo topic, but sexual stimulation of one’s self serves to both satisfy a very primal need and at the same time, it dulls oversensitive nerves (in men this can cause premature ejaculation) allowing sex, when it happens, to involve blood flow that is more lasting. I recommend it for both men and women, regularly! You can do it simultaneously with your partner or have your partner do it to you or just go it alone. With practice, the body begins to develop a response on its own. You discover g-spots, build endurance, and enjoy yourself and your partner even more.

Psychological

What about the psychological? Some experts have said that a vast majority of sexual health cases involve, at least in part, some psychological element. Some have even suggested physical impotence is even rare, that the true problem is between the ears. I disagree, but the toll sexual issues have on the mind is real and a bout with physical impotence can lead to a now mental problem. Once in the mind, the problem can go from snowball to avalanche, completely out of control. No good discussion on this subject can responsibly take the mental effects out of the picture. So, what can we do to fix our minds to allow us to perform again?

Don’t think mechanics (Men)

During foreplay, if you’re thinking about getting or maintaining an penile erection, you are asking for trouble. This type of over thinking takes the edge off a very natural act and becomes only a disturbance. Relax, breathe deep, enjoy the moment and during foreplay, you will get aroused. You just won’t think yourself there. If foreplay is long, you may go in, out and back in an aroused state and that is fine and normal. If you are an analytical mind, you will need to release yourself from that a to b to c mechanical methodology. If sex is reduced to an instruction manual, nobody will want to have it too often. Sex is sensual, not scientific or mechanic! Trust your body!

Don’t think mechanics (Women)

Women, stop trying so hard to have an orgasm! You can’t have one by your mental efforts. You need to also relax, take a deep breath and enjoy every part of your sexual experience. You need to let go to climax. Men, you need to be understanding and loving throughout, gentle and expressive to your partners. Women will better ‘in the mood’ and more likely to go all the way to orgasm if they feel close to you, both physically and emotionally. Women, trust your body!

Put away the porn

Sorry, but this is not helping you. Trying to relive pornographic fantasies while in a real lovemaking scenario is a recipe for disaster. First of all, porn isn’t real sex like most people have it or should expect to have it. Average guys are not typically that well endowed anyway, with some fictional perfect timing for her every time. The surgically enhanced women in these always seem to achieve that perfect climax (in porn films, these are usually very loud, almost always simultaneous with the males and on cue). Porn is a big money business, there are lots of STDs and drug use involved, and people involved in these are in it for any reason but lovemaking. Porn will serve only to confuse you in the long run, both physically and mentally, with often devastating consequences to your partner and self. Some of the most notorious serial killers in history had pornographic addictions (i.e., Ted Bundy). Sexual molestation is on the rise, in homes, churches and schools! You think porn has influenced that? Yep, in most cases I bet! It also causes a desensitizing of the sex act, that makes it less special and it either becomes pretty boring and unenjoyable or the user must continue to explore darker and more sinister forms to maintain the level of excitement, such as urinating, bondage, snuff (illegal), or even child porn (illegal) films. See where this can lead? Just leave it alone, guys and gals, for your partner and yourself! Sex will improve faster without it. It’s no object lesson!

Exercise

Exercise releases endorphins and these chemicals make you feel good. When you feel good, you have energy and are better primed for sexual activity. Your thoughts are clearer and more positive and you feel better in your own skin. Workout several times a week, it will pay huge dividends in how frisky you feel, how energized you are, how well you function and how clear you think. The better body also goes along way in making you feel good in your nakedness, even with the lights on.

If all else fails, try EFT, hypnotherapy, or acupuncture

Sometimes these issues can become so problematic, a deeper psychological approach is necessary to purge the negative thought patterns. Sometimes emotions or events from our past are still affecting us, even subconsciously. That is where a specialist can really help. EFT, or Emotional Freedom Technique, is something I strongly suggest looking into. It is a method of repeating phrases, negative and positive, while tapping on the energy meridians on the body. Sound hokey pokey? It isn’t and this treatment has worked on thousands for everything from golf improvement to cancer remission. Hypnotherapy is another that allows us to recondition our emotional state to lose weight, beat illness or improve our sex lives. Illness and physical ailments are more emotionally influenced than most people realize. If you can’t release yourself from what’s mentally holding you back, seek professional help.

I hope this article was helpful. I believe you can have frequent and satisfying sex lives until old age. I wish you true love on every level and better sex lives.

By Zach Smith