Finally, for those of you who have been wanting to grab the free apps of the day from the Amazon Appstore, you can now do so. Amazon has just opened up the gates of its Android appstore to almost 200 countries, including our beloved country the Philippines. This means that you can now purchase paid Android apps not only from the Google Play Store but from the Amazon Appstore as well.

Although there’s really no big difference when it comes to app pricing between the two stores, one advantage that the Amazon Appstore have, as mentioned is the free apps of the day. If you’re patient enough to check out the appstore daily, you’ll chance upon a pretty good app for free.

So, to get the Amazon Appstore Android app on your Android devices, simply go to amazon.com/getappstore. Make sure that your device allows install of apps from unverified sources. You can do this from the Settings tab.

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I recently got the Olioclip iPhone 3-in-one camera len. I thought that since I’ve been using my iPhone 5 for taking shots of anything that catches my attention, I might as well extend its camera capability. So I got the Olloclip after reading great reviews from those who’ve used it.

What is Olloclip iPhone 5 lens?

To cut a long story short, I got my Olloclip iPhone 5 3-in-one lens  a couple of weeks ago. And true enough as published, it’s a great iPhone 5 camera accessory that adds value to the phone’s camera. The Olloclip, for those who are not aware is a small piece of ware which you clip on to your iPhone 5. Specifically you attach it on on the camera part to give you three more type of lens for the iPhone 5′s camera.

Olloclip macro lens, wide angle lens, fish-eye

So with Olloclip iPhone 5 lens attached, you can take macro, fish eye and wide angle shots. Of these three lenses, the fish eye is probably going to be the most used for you and in fact, is the best among the three lenses.

But that doesn’t mean that the Macro and Wide-Angle shots are not as good. In fact, both lens take great photos. The Wide Angle allows you more room when framing your landscape shot by expanding its coverage. The Macro Lens on the other takes extra effort to master its use to get the best macro shot. That’s because you really have to be as close as possible to your subject for the lens to work properly. Once you’ve established the correct distance of the lens to your subject, the Macro lens will work its wonder and give you a great macro shot.

Performance and minor flaw Olloclip iPhone 5 3-in-one-lens

I must say that for the several times that I’ve used the Olloclip, I have no regrets in buying it. As I said, my iPhone 5 has been my point-and-shoot camera since I got it. So, it is but fitting that I add some variety to the shots I take using my iPhone 5. This, I successfully accomplished using the Olloclip.

One flaw that I find on the Olloclip iPhone 5 lens is that it’s a bit loose when clipped to my iPhone 5, Hence, there’s a tendency for the clip to move easily and disalign itself from the camera.

Other than that, I have nothing more negative to say about this iPhone 5 camera. If you’re like me who use your iPhone 5 rigorously, the Olloclip will make you use it even more.

Olloclip iPhone 5 3-in-one-lens – Availability and Price

The Olloclip iPhone 5 3-in-one camera lens is available now for $69.99. You can grab one from the Olloclip website.

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If you’re planning to buy a new iPad Mini or iPad with Retina Display, you might want to get the Smart iPad Mini LTE which is being offered under Smart’s Plan 499 and Plan 999. The same goes true for the iPad with Retina Display LTE. Smart is offering these two tablets at a very reasonable price on flexible payment scheme.

The Smart iPad Mini LTE is available under Plan 499. This comes with  65hrs of 3G/4G/SmartLTE usage monthly. You will be charge P499 a month for data charges within those coverage limit. If you opt for this plan, you need to pay P20,990 (16GB)/P25,990(32GB)/P29,990(64) for the iPad Mini. And you can pay this on a 24-months 0% installment terms. Total monthly amortization plus P499 equals P 1,373.58 for the 16GB iPad Mini LTE, P 1,581.91 for the 32GB iPad Mini LTE or P1,748.58 for the 64GB iPad Mini LTE.

You can also get the Smart iPad with Retina Display LTE under Plan 999 or Plan 499.  For the Plan 999, it comes with unlimited 3G/4G/Smart LTE usage monthly and monthly charge of P999. This is on top of a one-time payment for the device paid in cash or using a credit card with options for a 12-month interest free installment.

Or you can also get it under plan 499 which comes with 65 hours of 3G/4G/SmartLTE usage monthly. This is on top of one-time payment or option to pay in 24 monthly amortization.

More details can be found here.

Visit your nearest Smart Wireless Centers now to grab the Smart iPad Mini LTE or Smart iPad with Retina Display LTE. For existing subscribers, a valid ID is enough for verification purposes.

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I just installed WordPress android app on  my galaxy s3 and is now composing this blog post using Swipe keyboard app. I want to know if I can write a complete blog post using this app.  That means without having to type the words.

So far it seems pretty neat. Entering words is a breeze. The word predictor is pretty accurate.

For those of you who needs to blog while on the go WordPress for android is a pretty good app to use. It’s free on Google play and I’m assuming it’s compatible with most android devices.

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photo credits wetSHOP https://www.facebook.com/wetshop

With barely three weeks of not-so-hard training, I finally did the Duaman event, the second leg of the SwimBikeRun (SBR) Tri-series. I run 3KM, road my bike for 20km and then run 3km again to join the more than 600 participants into becoming duathletes. My total time was ok enough, clocking in 1:37. It would have been faster but I sucked on the bike.

But what impressed me the most was how fast I conquered the 3K runs. I did the first run for around 17 mins. Good enough for my personal record. The early morning uphill run to Antipolo from my place to the Valley Golf loop helped a lot. Since the 3K run in the Duaman was just plain road, I didn’t had a hard time finishing it.

And what baffles me most was how I fast I recovered from biking to running the second 3K run. The first few minutes was hard but after awhile, I’ve regained my running form and finished.

Overall, it was a great experience. I’m hoping I could muster the courage to train for tri. But it’s a long a shot. I’ll be doing a couple of more duathlon perhaps and several half-marathon. Triathlon can wait.

Congrats to SwimBikeRun for a well-organized event. You guys rock!

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The Samsung Galaxy S4 as you may have known by now is upon us. The frenzy has started not only in the U.S. but also here in our beloved country. So, how do you get yourself first dibs on this upcoming smartphone? Well, I’m pretty sure both Smart and Globe will becoming up with their own shindigs to promote possibly the best Android smartphone ever released (yes, it’s not the HTC ONE). But at this early, Samsung Philippines has already launched their own promotional gig.

Samsung Philippines wants you to line up 4 the Galaxy S4. To do this, simple register using your Facebook or Twitter account by entering some credentials and you’ll pretty much assured of a unit come launch date. But wait, that’s not the only purpose of this gig. By lining up for the Galaxy S4, you are actually assuring yourself a ticket for the raffle draw accompanying the launch of the Galaxy S4.The prize, either a Php 5,000 or Php 3,000 discount on your purchase of the Galaxy S4. That’s a huge saving actually, especially since rumor has it that the unlocked unit will be something around Php 30K.

So, what are you waiting for? Line up now for the Galaxy S4. I know you want the S4, who doesn’t?

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I just learned via Smart’s Twitter account that pre-orders for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4 is now live on the Smart website. I hit the link provided by Smart and immediately got into the pre-order page for the Samsung Galaxy S4. Unfortunately, there’s n information yet as to which plan the said smartphone will be available. There’s no words yet as to when it will become available.

Still, if you’re planning to grab this smartphone, and you want to get it from Smart, you’ll be better off registering on the pre-order page as early as now.

And for those of you who are not aware of the specs of the Samsung Galaxy S4, well here it goes:

• Dimensions: 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm (5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 in)
• Weight: 130 g (4.59 oz)
• Display: Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
• Camera Features: Dual Shot, Simultaneous HD video and image recording, geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection, image stabilization, HDR
• OS: Android OS, v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)

So, who’s getting the Samsung Galaxy S4 from Smart Telecoms?

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It’s been a long time since I last attended a local conference related to my profession, librarianship. So, the organizers of the just concluded 3rd International Conference of Asian Libraries or ICoASL 2013 ought to feel honored because I attended their conference (just kidding!). Anyway, the ICoASL was organized by the Asian Chapter of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) and the Association of Special Libraries of the Philippines (ASLP). The ASLP of course always have a special place in my librarian’s heart because I used to serve the Association a long time ago. In fact, they were the first librarian’s group who awarded me with a plaque of appreciation for my good deeds for them.

Anyway, going back to ICoASL, I would have to commend the chair of the organizing committee, Ms. Shirley Ingles-Cruz and Mr. Yap, president of ASLP for coming up with such a prestigious gig. It’s very seldom that you’ll find international speakers and delegates conggregate in our beloved country for a conference such as the ICoASL 2013. I’m also fortunate to have been sponsored by my company to attend the said conference together with some of my colleagues.

You can find more information about ICoASL 2013 through their blog which I believe was setup by the Filipino Librarian himself, Director Vernon Totanes. The blog’s address is http://icoasl2013.wordrpress.com. You can find the presentations of the speakers for the plenary sessions in the blog.

All of the resource speakers during the Plenary Sessions delivered very good papers. But I can’t say the same for some of the speakers and the papers presented during the breakout sessions. But, their efforts for coming up with their respective studies are still commendable nonetheless.

So, once again. Congratulations to all the librarians who worked hard to stage the ICoASL 2013 and I’m looking forward to attending the next conference happening in 2015. Hopefully by then, I could come up with a good paper to submit for the conference.

Meanwhile, here are some more photos I took during the conference. Sorry for the picture quality because I was just using my iPhone, S3 and iPad’s cameras to take these photos.

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Lo and behold! The Samsung Galaxy S4 is now official. It’s packed with advanced specs and hardwares inside and boasts of highly advanced features that will make it your companion for a richer, simpler and fuller life. What more can you ask for from a small piece of metal loaded with intelligent mobile features?

Alright, here are the specs of the Samsung Galaxy S4:

•  5-inch full HD Super AMOLED (1920×1080) display
• 1.9 GHz Quad-core Processor / 1.6 GHz Octa-Core Processor
• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS
• 13MP auto-focus rear camera with Flash and Zero Shutter Lag and BIS
• 2MP front-facing camera, full HD recording at 30fps with Zero Shutter Lag and BIS
• 16GB, 32GB or 64GB memory
• microSD card slot
• 2600 mAh battery
• 130g
• 69.8mm x 136.6mm x 7.9mm

Yummy!

via [Samsumg Mobile]

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Last Saturday, I was invited by my biking buddy, Nixon for a bike ride again. Our target, to brave the hilly terrains of Rizal, via Marikina-Infanta Road, in Baras, Rizal. Our goal, to reach the infamous Sierra Madre Hotel. Before the ride, I did some research to find out the experiences of other bikers and also to find out the distance that we will have to travel. One of the famous route taken by other bikers is going up the hills of Rizal in Baras and going back down to Antipolo via Teresa Rizal. Total distance? Around 140KMs.

And so our group met up in McDo along Marcos Hi-way and start pedaling our way around 6 am. It didn’t take us too long to reach the famous Inang Baling’s pit stop somewhere in Cavinting, which is is the boundary of Marikina and Rizal. And since this is the third time that I took the said route, I didn’t really feel tired at all despite the uphill climb.

After a few minutes, we continued biking our way towards Baras. First, it was a long downhill ride which I enjoyed running at around 40kph plus. After that, it was a long uphill climb towards Baras. The inclination was not too steep compared with the one in San Mateo or even Antipolo but it was longer.

After one more rest somewhere in Palo Alto estate, and reaching the first gate of Garden Cottages, two of my fellow MTB-riding buddies decided to stay on while I proceeded to climb together with several riders who are riding their road bikes. It was one of the toughest uphill climb that I experience so far. But it was well worth it. Somehow, the challenge kept me going.

Unfortunately, after reaching the third gate of Garden Cottages, we decided to head back since it was almost lunch time and we have not had breakfast yet.

So it was a fast downhill ride back to where we started. Stopping by the famous Mang Vic’s Bulalohan for a rewarding lunch. After lunch we all head back west to Marcos Hi-way.

Overall, it was a great ride. Tiring and exhausting. The scorching heat of the sun added to the fatigue but our persistence kept us going. We will surely repeat this ride in the near future to conquer the Sierra Madre loop.

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