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Be not a Balloon

John Daniel Castillo — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:52:24 -0800

After three months, here I am again writing on another page in this blog. Well, I have been pretty busy with work and stuff that I didn't got time to write.

Anyhow, last November 4 was my birthday. Thanks for all those people who remembered and greet me on my special day. Though I am not here to give details as to what happen on that day. Let keep that secret OK. What I want to share now is about a simple message on my birthday card that really hits me on the heart.

My company used to create cards for each birthday celebrant. I am sometimes the one who worked on creating that stuff. We used to write random quotes that might inspire the person on their special day along with cakes and filmed greetings to make the day memorable. But I guess this card that was created for me was not that too randomly created. I got this simple card with a hand drawn balloon, and on it was my picture with the words "Try not to get too carried away! Happy Birthday." Simple enough but might have lots of meaning, either in a positive or a negative way. And as I see it, I rather look on the brighter side. To show you what i mean, let me tell you a story I just made up.

Once there was a big red balloon that always aims high. He's always pumped up all good that he stands out among the other balloon. All the other balloon envy him, and he is proud by how others appreciate him. Until one day, the balloon get tired of being just a balloon for display. "I wanted to have a job, I don't want to be for display anymore" he said. The Balloon maker heard this and said, "Just you wait for a while. Soon you'll have a job."

Not a minute later, a little child came into the store and bought the big red balloon. The balloon was so happy. The child played with him, carry him around and everything was well.

Later that day, the child brought the balloon to an Air balloon show. The big red balloon was amazed to see bigger balloons, and they are way bigger than him. The air balloons goes high up in the sky until they look small.

The Big Red balloon, which now feels he's not that big anymore, said to himself, "I want to be something better, I want to be something bigger. I don't want to be here, I want to go higher."

The Wind Cloud heard this and said, "Are you sure with what you want? It is not easy up here." "Oh yes, I am pretty sure! Besides, I always aim high!" the balloon answered without hesitation.

After hearing the balloon’s reply, the cloud blows wind to his favor. The clumsy child slipped the string, letting go of the big red balloon. The balloon then started to go higher and higher up in the sky.

The balloon was so happy. Looking down, he saw everything so small, which makes him feel that he is bigger. The wind carried him away and he goes wherever it blows. But now that he's up, something strange happen. Since the sky has lesser pressure than the in ground, the air inside the balloon started to go crazy. The balloon’s head gets bigger and bigger, until it can’t handle all the air inside. The balloon then pop, bursting all the air out and started to crash down on the ground.

Hitting the ground, the balloon is now just a poor deflated rubber that no one wants and can never be used again.

Sometimes things goes pretty well on our side, all were working just as we planned. And when that is the case, we became more like a balloon with head always pointing up, aiming high. Well, everyone dream big right?? I am not saying that you shouldn't dream big, what I am saying is just be cautious.

Like the balloon, every one of us wanted to escape from the grasp that is binding us on the ground. We always aim to go higher, we wanted to be rich, to be successful, we wanted to be famous and so on. We grab every opportunity, we sway with the wind wishing that the tie will loosen and eventually let us go. But we never realized the goodness of the current situation we are having. We always look forward yet we don’t take time appreciating where we currently are and what we currently have.

So let us not be like a balloon, don't get too carried away by the things that are happening around you. Try to appreciate the things around you. Know your strengths but also know your limits. Keep your string on the ground and don't be too carried away by the force that keeps you up.

I may not understand why such a quote us written on my card, but at least I learned something. I will keep that quote s a reminder of who and where I am. How about you?

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New Composition: Ian

John Daniel Castillo — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 22:40:24 -0700

When my friend died about a month ago, I said to myself that I would write a song for him. I used to write song whenever I'm sad, maybe that is because I have a lot in mind during those times and I only express it through writing. And so, yeah, after a month since his burial, I have finished the score.

Its a bit tough on my end, i am a good poet yes, but not a good singer ar even a good musician.. I just play percussion and have little knowledge about chords and notes, I actually play a G family chords on guitar and g and C family in keyboard. So yeah, as you knew it, I wrote a song and tried to place a rhytm to it. I first finished the chorus actually.

Chorus Draft

And so, i think it was good enough.. It have a tune that I like, not too sad, not too lively.. I say it has the feeling I want to deliver. So then, since i liked the chorus, I started working on the verses. This is much challenging than I thought, really i messed up with this one.

Verse tryout

Yeah, I know you see what I mean with "Messed up" after watching the above video.. So I thought i need some help. Good thing I have some friends at church who knows better than I am when it comes to playing guitar. They've agreed to helpme out. So, Julian helped me arrange everything. He quite liked the song and the chords I placed onto them, he just tweaked it a little bit. I may call him the "song arranger" while i am the composer :P So yeah, we're sit on it for about an hour, give feedback on what we're doin. Then another friend came, the award winning Zanthy, and listen to the song we are playing. He think it sounds cool so we loop him in. So it goes like this, Zabthy strums, Julian lead, and I sing. Then we thought it was good enough to be recorded, so I picked up my ipod and we've recorded the jamming. And so, a new song was born :P Thanks to my church buddies who helped me :)

Ian

Well, I love it. Except for the tambourine and tapping noise in the background. That's my youngest brother, too stubborn and energetic to keep himself silent.. He's just too KSP that he want to be included in the recording :P.

That's about it, hope Ian likes this song as he did to the previous song I wrote (Tuta). I named the song after him, isn't that cool?

Here's the finish score:

Intro:
Nasan ka man, Hindi malilimutan
At kahit kailan, habang buhay tayong magkaibigan..

Verse 1:
Noon pa man, sa bawat araw na dumadaan
Batid sa mukha ang kasiyahan
Di man magsalita, ngiti ay nakikita
Sa mga biro at kalokohang nagagawa

Bridge:
Di man laging nagkikita, kamustaha'y di mawawala
Sa ihip ng hangin nadarama, pagkakaibigang naiiba

Chorus:
Sa bawat buhos ng ulan, alam kong ikaw ay nariyan
at hindi rin maglalaon, darating din ang panahon
Sa kumpas ng halaman, sa bawat hanging nararamdaman
sinasambit ng aming puso'y habang buhay na pagkakaibigan..

Verse 2:
Mga yabang na walang patid, mga tenga'y hindi maipinid
Patuloy paring nakikinig kahit sa dramang inihahatid
Tinitibok ng puso, hanggang sa ating pagkabigo
Nadyan parin, sinasabi parin "Hindi ako lalayo"

Repeat Bridge
Repeat chorus 2x

Outro:
Nasan ka man, Hindi malilimutan
At kahit kailan, habang buhay tayong magkaibigan..

Drop your comments and suggestion, I'll be happy to hear some feedbacks.

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T-shirt Design: OTD Nuvali Run

John Daniel Castillo — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 01:58:08 -0700

Sorry if this post was a bit late. Been busy with lot of stuff taht I forgot to update my blog :p.

Last June 19,2011, My company Outsourcing Things Done have joined the New Balance Trail Adventure Father's Day Run 2011 at Nuvali Laguna. The fact that was set on Father's day, was a Sunday, and I have a preaching engagement in our Church's Youth Service that specific date, was the reason I was not able to come with them.

So, to atleast support them for their activity, I proposed to our company management to create a shirt as a token for their participation to the said event. I know a friend who screenprinting, and I think he can work on making my idea happen. To sum it up, after several discussion, the management agreed. I am therefore tasked to create the design and do make my idea happen.

Several back and fort of the task and we're all good. Presented below are the final approved shirt designs.

This has been a training ground for me and I was happy that my workmates appreciate my effort and thanked me for it. On the other hand, I gain no single money from this project if you may ask. Me and my friend agreed to give all the proceeds to our church as our first fruit, and we're happy to do so. In fact, we're blessed by what we did. A few days later, my friend was hired in his job application. :)

Well, if you have design projects that you need help with or shirt printing that needs to be addressed, please don't hesitate to contact Earl Anore or me and we'll be happy to help you out.

Comments and suggestions are welcome too!

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I wish a bicycle could fly

John Daniel Castillo — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 01:02:57 -0700

I wrote an article back when I was in college and I thinking of sharing it with you. So here it goes:

When I was a child, I’ve been amazed of the different things around me. I often ask myself how this is and how is that. I used to crack my toys open just to satisfy my craving for understanding. I tried to do things erroneously that led me onto discoveries. And though I was in, most of the time, for serious troubles, still I’m on to it. I just laugh when I look back at those memories where I almost split my hands in half just trying to make my own piggy bank, and the almost get paralyzed when I tried to plug a key on an outlet barehanded. Gosh… but curiosity now returns its fruits.

But one of my most unforgettable memories was when I first rode a bike – a mountain bike. Haha! I just can’t help but laugh every time I recall those bumps, crashes, stumbles, and falls I had. During my childhood, I don’t have a bike that fits my age, those ones with extra tires to support balance. That’s why every time my neighbor allowed me to experience his bicycle, I took every chance to master it.

At that very young age of eight, I already had a thought that life was unfair. I can’t muster all those balance and concentration I need to manipulate that huge vehicle (I was small then that’s why I think it was huge) and I am annoyed just to think of it. I’m envious of those children who went fast with theirs. I thought, just at those times, that if a bike can have four wheels like a car, then I’ll never need to balance. But I can’t do anything. I just sigh and wish that I can have my own bike to ride, a bike that will fit my age.

As I thought of those things, I still tried to do everything efficiently with what I can do to satisfy my cravings. I walked with my (though it is not my own) bike, assuming that I’m riding it. Then the next thing I know is that I’m sitting on its seat! I step then go… step then go… then I bump and crash and stumble and fall… then I step and go again ignoring the pain and the scratch, and the wounds. I wanted to learn and I have to learn! Then there I go again, step and go. I was focusing onto my thing when I noticed that I’m heading for slope – a downward slope! “I’m on it!” I said. Then the uncontrollable two-wheeled vehicle run down and down the path frenzied in acceleration. I just go and go and go… it seemed that I’m scared, but in my mind was the enjoyment of the ride. I was balancing my self!! I was about to take a hang of it and I know I am… then I crashed…

Yes it hurts me more than before, but at least I learned something. Nothing stopped me from doing what I want. Again, I get on to it. The bike is still big, but I can manipulate it now. I can go smoothly now, and I discovered that the brake is not just an accessory for it but built for a purpose – to slow you down and to stop when everything is pulled by momentum and gravity in acceleration.

That day, I learned one of the greatest lessons of my life. That sometimes, we have to learn things the hard way. Because if we have everything we want and easily get everything we wish, knowledge and understanding will be out of reach. Yes, I bumped, I crashed, I stumbled, and I fell… and it caused me a lot pain. But if I haven’t had the chance to experience those, I’ll never appreciate how good it is to ride a bicycle. I know now that I just have to learn to balance things first so that I can go farther from where I am.

Though I am satisfied with what I have in the bike, I never stop to venture things after another. That very day also, I saw a large flying vehicle up in the sky. I just said to my self, “...Someday, my balance will soar as you do. My tires will rotate through clouds, and birds will accompany me as I ride. And when that day comes, I can say, ‘I am close to heaven’.”

I just sit boldly on the grass, following the flying metal with my eyes until it’s gone, then I let go of a big sigh. Discontented with what I just learned, unsatisfied with what skill I’ve acquired, still craving for what I have to learn, but what I have is all I know… so I just said, “How I wish a bicycle could fly… I want to see my bicycle up in the sky!”

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What to do before you die? Live life to the fullest!

John Daniel Castillo — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 06:05:04 -0700

All things end, we always know that. None really last forever, and everything or even anyone at some point will leave us behind.

A close friend of mine just died. At a young age of 21, he haven't really expirience what life has to offer to the fullest. He have lived his life (as I knew it) hunting down girls (yeah, he did that since highschool) and playing virtual reality online games (which he tries almost all thats on trend). He is also breeds certain hedgehogs, gerbil, and dogs as he is recently unemployed before he died. It is really hard to accept, but to tell you, he was just found dead in front of his PC while playing ragnarok (he already have chicken pox). My friends are chatting with him via Facebook, then in a snap, his life ends. Even now, his family, girlfriend, and even us (his friends) can't accept what happened.

That specific scenario was just one of the proof that you can't control where life really ends. Maybe the person sitting next to you will be gone forever in a matter of time, no one really knows.

Many people in search of living their life to the fullest sometimes creates a list of "What to do before I die." They do a long list of things to do, places to go, things to eat, things to buy, collection to start etc.. and it goes on and on. This thought I think is not the right way or even the right term to use. I think it will be better if it, instead of a selfish list, is a guide on How to live my life to the fullest.

I myself was inspired by the following quotation and am living that way, I think I might share some with you. This is how I live my life to the fullest, and I know it's working.

"Live Simply, Give More, Expect Less" - Too much of everything is a poison to a man. Things we got might kill us when taken too much that what life really prescribe. So I say, live simply. Not too luxurious, not too budget tight, just simple. Give those extra to those in need rather than absorbing all the blessing and make yourself too stuffed. Give more, people might return the favor. But expect less so that there'll be more room for hopes.

"Face you fears" - Don't hold back of doing something because you're afraid of the outcome. Remember that you never know what's behind a mountain unless you overcome it. Things might not work the way we expect it, but remember tht all things work together for good. get out of the boundaries you know and discover more of your self, your weaknesses and you capabilities. By doing so, you are getting close to meeting who really is the person inside of you.

"Appreciate Life" - Life throws all sort of things, it is sometimes good, but most of the time bad. Whatever hits you, appreciate it! Look into the brighter side and look onto its details. Even if what happens give you some wounds and scars, accept it. Appreciating every moment will make your short stay worth while and will give you smile. Be happy enjoy the moment bit by bit up to the last second.

I can't really express what I want to say as english is not my native language, but maybe this vid ,ay do. I was inspired by this video. It tells you one special message that only you can understand.. It actually moved me. So please see. Credits to those who created this awesome vid.

Fallen from Sascha Geddert on Vimeo.

I hope this inspired you living your life. Remeber, we don't really stay long here on Earth so do your self a favor, live your life to the fullest. That way you won't have any regrets and you'll end your day smiling :)

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T-shirt Design

John Daniel Castillo — Fri, 20 May 2011 13:25:35 -0700

I was asked by a friend to create a design that was intended to be printed on a shirt. He want's fruits of different sorts and he want some options if it'll be in 3, 2, or 1 colour. So I presented the following drafts:

Single Color Design

2 Colored Design

Three Colored Design

Well, they all look good to me. But I don't know if those are ok. I just want to share it to you guys and maybe you'll have some insights.

Photo Manipulation: Shatters

John Daniel Castillo — Thu, 12 May 2011 11:53:00 -0700

Just another creation by me that I would like to share. Hope you like it.

Photo Manipulation: Progress

John Daniel Castillo — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 09:44:37 -0700

Human race have always been evolving eversince. Today, our world have been bombarded by hundreds of new technologies, from cellphones, internet, gadgets of all sorts, to buildings, power plants, connection towers; you name them, we have almost it all and still counting. But aren't we forgetting something behind?

I have created this photo manipulation to show that we have neighbors to share our world with. They should be also considered.

Click the image to enlarge

The image was made with a mossed rock, a bonsai, and a box turtle (see images below). I hope this convey the message I want to share.

Please share. Let us not forget them. They still deserve a big part of the planet.

P.S. Don't put the weight to the turtle :)

Gadgets: Introduction

John Daniel Castillo — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:11:29 -0700

Gadgets and technologies, who are yet to see one? None maybe, as todays generation have been bombarded by innovations; improving and creating machines that will aid human in their everyday life. Cellphones, tablets, notebooks, computers, gaming consoles, they are everywhere. Out of curiosity and creativity, all of these stuff came to life. And I think they will continue to evolve.

I am really a one curios person that has a techie side. I really love trying on gadgets and giving my thoughts about their features. And, as part of being me, I will dedicate a part of this blog featuring gadgets that I have, giving details about them and sharing my experiences while using them. I may not review the latest gadgets as I don't have enough purchasing power to grab the trend but I will try to keep pace.

This part of my blog isn't about showing you just the pros but also the cons. I am not a paid advertiser so I am not bound to show only the good side of the product :) What I will share in this part of my blog are about what I percieved about the products based on experience and several sources in the web.

I hope you can spare me a little of your time reading my blog :) Until my next post! :)

Stripe: My Nokia 2690

John Daniel Castillo — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 05:34:44 -0700

So, as i said in my last blog, I will do some review of the gadgets that I have been using. And this will be the first article that will fall under that category. I want to introduce to you the features of my buddy, Nokia 2690.

I have been using this phone for about seven months now since my mom gave it to me when she came home from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It's quite sleek, modern looking phone and I like it (since I really love the white/black/silver combination). Now, let us little by little describe what this little buddy really has in store for us.

Nokia 2690 is a 2G network GSM phone. It was announced in November 2009 and was made available on the market in March 2010. The bar mobile phone comes in four colors, and users can choose from: Graphite, White silver (this is what I have), Hot pink and Blue.

Design:

I really dig the design of this small buddy, specially the mix of black and white. A bit classy and trendy. Well, it not just look good though. Let us focus on its design feature.

Nokia 2690 is a medium-sized, slim handset, which fits perfectly in all standard pockets. The front and the back parts are covered by a white glossy plastic, while the keypad is made from a shiny black plastic. Even though most of the front part seems to be covered by the display, in fact this is only an illusion as the actual screen only measures 1.8-inches, which is sadly one of the smallest displays on the market.

Below the screen, there are the four keys used to handle the phone's menus: Accept and Reject call keys, as well as two contextual keys. The Navy-Key in the middle is surrounded by a thin metallic stripe, which makes it easy to click on. The keypad might seem a little too small, but you won't have too much trouble when you need to use it. The backlighting is very good and even on all keys, so using the phone in darker areas will cause no troubles at all. The back cover of the phone features a grid pattern that improves the grip over the phone. The phone's module camera is also on the back side of the phone, together with a small loudspeaker.

The left side of the phone features a small microUSB port, while on the left side there a microSD slot for memory card. On top of the phone one can notice a 3.5mm jack port, as well as the small charging port. Nokia 2690 measures 107.5 x 45.5 x 13.8 mm and weighs 80.7g (including battery).

Overall, I think Nokia did a good job with this model when referring to design. Without being too impressive in terms of look, Nokia 2690 still manages to outclass most of the handsets in its low-budget range.

Display and Camera:

Nokia 2690 includes a 1.8-inch TFT display that supports 262K colors and a 128x160-pixel resolution. This is one of the smallest displays and the only excuse for Nokia including such a downrated display is the fact that Nokia 2690 is a low-budget phone. At least the colors and contrast look pretty good, while the quality of the image on such a small display is pretty low. Sunlight eligibility is somewhat mild, but dialing will not cause you any problems.

The VGA camera embedded in Nokia 2690 doesn't have any additional features, and it can capture shots with a maximum resolution of 640x480 pixels. Thanks to the Bluetooth and microUSB port, users will be able to transfer their pictures or store more on a microSD memory card.

There are only the standard additional settings for the camera software, such as White balance and Effects. As there's no dedicated key for camera, users will have to use the big Navi-Key button as shutter.

When it comes to quality, taking into consideration that the maximum resolution you can use is 640x480 pixels, there's really nothing to discuss. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that people who buy this device will not complain because of the camera, which should not be the reason you're buying it.

Menu and Software

Nokia 2690 runs on a Series 40 5th Edition platform with Feature Pack 1. One of the most user-friendly interfaces on the market, the S40 seems unchanged on the surface, and offers the Nokia 2690 user an excellent experience. The phone's firmware includes Flash 3.0, animated menus, submenus and icons.

Nokia's Series 40 5th Edition UI allows you to experience streaming videos, image rendering, mobile 3D graphics and scalable 2D Vector graphics. The Series 40 5th Edition also supports Adobe's Flash Lite 3.0, the interoperable platform that enables the accelerated development and delivery of rich graphical mobile content, and includes audio file playback and streaming capabilities that provide audio and music enhancements to mobile gaming and the multimedia experience.

The handset also includes some useful applications, such as Alarm clock, Calendar, To-do list, Notes, Calculator, Timer and Stopwatch. The menu is fully customizable and you can designate any MP3, MIDI or AAC file as a ringtone. The candybar comes with Opera Mini browser installed by default, so the experience will be smooth.

The phonebook can store up to 2,000 contacts, and each can be filled with up to two different phone numbers. The fonts can be customized, but only those displayed when opening Contacts and messaging sections.

Also, some Java games come preinstalled – Block'd, Club Painball, Miki's World, Sudoku and Snake III. The handset is compatible with Java MIDP 2.1 applications, but there is a limit to the size of any app that you might want to install on the phone, and that's the usual 1MB. This might be the case for most Java-compatible applications, but I noticed that I could run some files that were around 1.5MB in size. Nevertheless, not all Java apps will work on this mid-end device, so you might want to try that out for yourselves.

Communication

Nokia 2690 candybar is fully compatible with GPRS and EDGE Class 10. Benchmarks revealed that the performance was pretty average when it came to data-transfer speeds (EDGE 149 Kbit/s download and 70Kbit/s upload), but that may greatly vary depending on location and carrier.

The phone features Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support and microUSB connectivity. Synchronization with the PC is possible as long as you get a microUSB cable.

In terms of messaging, the candybar accepts standard text messages, MMS, as well as emails. The native email client works with POP3, SMTP, and IMAP4 protocols.

The quad-band (GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900) network-compatible candybar has a good GSM signal reception. The sound is average in quality at both ends. The vibration alert is medium, which means you won't miss too many phone calls if you keep it on the Silent profile.

Nokia 2690 is most likely powered by an ARM9 family processor running at speeds of up to 220 MHz. While not the fastest phone on the market, it won't lag more than its class competitors when browsing through the menus.

The candybar embeds 32MB internal memory, but only 25MB is user free. The storage space can be expanded as the phone features a microSD slot card, up to 8GB.

Multimedia

Thanks to the microSD memory slot users will be able to use the phone as an MP3 player also. And 2690 does not disappoint, especially if the stereo headset (WH-102) coming in the original package is replaced with better 3.5mm headphones.

Even though it doesn't provide the best multimedia experience, for the price you pay, the handset does a great job. Besides the embedded music player, you will be able to take advantage of the stereo FM radio function, which only works when headphones are inserted into the 3.5mm jack port.

Battery

The 860 mAh Li-Ion (BL-4C) battery has an officially stated life expectancy of 336 hours in standby and of about four hours and 30 minutes in talk-time mode. I wasn't expecting anything good from this battery knowing that it's the same as Nokia's 2220 slide handset, which isn't a great one when it comes to talk time. Fortunately, my 2690 made it for about 3 days on a normal use, but you can easily keep it for at least 5 days without recharge. I consider the overall autonomy of the battery more than acceptable for a low-budget device.

My Overall Perception

Well, I may say this is not the best phone. Because of its cheap price, apps are limited and camera quality is not really impressive. However, as compare to phones with the same price range, this buddy I considered the best!

It includes lots of features that almost qualify it for the mid-budget line-up: Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support, microUSB port, microSD memory card slot. I was also pleased with the battery's autonomy and sound quality of the music player and stereo FM radio function.

Disclaimer: Most, if not all, of the information and content on this blogpost came from the review of Nokia 2690 by Softpedia's review. All rights reserved.

Digital Painting Tryout

John Daniel Castillo — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 05:58:58 -0700

I am not really a graphic artist, though I want to be one. I just learned and acquired skills by observing those who have the skills (people back in my college days), and by trying and exploring it out.

I really want to enroll in a digital graphic school to hone my skills better and also to be a "certified" digital graphic artist. The sad part, enrolling in a school with such course is too expensive. So for now, maybe I'll settle to tutorials. :)

Well, I worte this blog just to show you my Digital artwork I created recently. Though this is not my drawing, i've enjoyed coloring it and giving it life :) This is actually not my first as I have tried colorizing several images in the past.

Well, you can comment on this, and if you see some stuff in which I can improve, please let me know :) I appreciate constructive criticisms.
:)

This is the Image i've downloaded from the web.

This is the processed Imaged, the final product.

By the way, this is done using Pixelmator, a photo editing software for Mac.

Trends in Real Estate Websites

John Daniel Castillo — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 01:19:45 -0800

Real estate is a valuable and often expensive purchase. Copious research is done by home buyers before venturing out to acquire real estate. In this day and age, gathering information about a property is typically done online, and an effective and captivating website design can make or break a home sale.

There have been trends on how these specialized websites are presented to the public. Here are some of those trends used by successful real estate websites.

1. Traditional/Sophisticated Theme vs Modern/Contemporary design

Property realtors want to convey the message that they’re reliable and well-established. They want home buyers to feel that they will be purchasing property from a company that’s dependable, steadfast and time-tested. That’s why most of them opt for a classic and sophisticated theme for their websites, rather than a sleek, modern theme.

Even so, some runs their site against the flow. They let the creativity flow on the design but maintains the simplicity and ease of use of the site. Whatever design you choose, Real Estate websites must stay clean and simple to add ease to the complexity of the business.

2. Image Heavy Designs

True that RE websites has lot of images. it is because home buyers want to see what they’re potentially buying without having to take the time to travel to a property. Real estate websites typically contain a lot of images for this very purpose. Images also introduces realtors to the customer. It tells the customer what type of houses does this realtor sold and how he present it to the market. Poor, low resolution images can be a turn off for most buyers.

3. Photo Gallery and Slide Shows

Again, photo galleries allow website visitors to see what properties look like without having to leave their computer. That is why you’ll often find image galleries that feature properties that realtors currently have available. Virtual tours are also in demand to convey the same message. These features saves time and aids in decision making of the buyers, whether or not they want to see the property in person.

4. Property Locator, Maps and Street View

Many real estate websites provide a property locator feature for home buyers to find properties for sale in areas they are interested in.

Real estate property locator features are usually a Web form with various input fields — such as property type, property features, price range, zip code, etc. — so that you can easily narrow down your search to the exact type of property you’re looking for.

Many realtors use a third-party service or application (such as Google Maps) to enable this feature on their websites. Street views and measuring walkability (such as WalkScore) are also great stuff to add and realy helps the customer to see whether they would fit in to the property they are looking for.

5. Mobile Versions and QR codes

Smart phones are in-demand along with other iOS gadgetssuch as tablets. In this reason, RE websites must also connect through those gadgets. That is why lot of realtors have a mobile version of their sites. This feature increase the usability of the site and reach more customers, even those on the go. It also assist greatly those first time home buyers to came up wth their decision of buying a home.

QR Codes (create your QR code) are also a good feature as most smart phones can read a web profile using this codes and it makes the site easy to remember.

Lessons from Experience: Assets and Liabilities

John Daniel Castillo — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 21:54:49 -0800

Living in a third world country, I have understood how important money is. Each piece makes the world go round, without it, your nothing. That is how life goes with people who were not born with a golden spoon, I belong to that group. And being one gives me some lessons which I wanted to share with you.

Before I start let me give you a glimpse of my history. I was born in a typical Filipino family, not as lucky as those who live in luxury. Being the eldest of five siblings, I have experienced all the struggle of my family. My parents have no means of income when I was on my mother's womb. They just harvest fruits from wild fruit trees and vines in the mountains of Antipolo city. That may explain why I look odd. When I was born, I relied on my mother's milk for nutrition. However, since she doesn't have enough milk, I was fed with water from nearly cooked rice (am). We are really poor back then. We've gone through the days where we only have rice and salt for dinner. We even have to tear down our fence made of edible plants (Malunggay) so we'll have something to eat.

I grew up experiencing life's up and down. We have managed to survive because of my parents' effort, planting vegetables and fruits, then having a little canteen with those cooked veggies. Suddenly, the canteen was closed. Even so, we still manage to survive with the help of other people. My father worked as a church janitor and eventually became a pastor. Being a pastor, he manages to make me finished my elementary and high school on a public school.

Then he told me that he will not be able to support me for college. So what I did is to apply for scholarship grants that are available. By God's grace, I became a scholar with Php10,000 (230USD) allowance per semester. I have enrolled myself to a local university whose tuition is around Php3,000 (70USD) per semester, so I'll still have extra money to support my other siblings' schooling. I have managed to be graduate from a four year - Bachelor Degree course by maintaining my grades and being an active student. Now, I am the one working to finance our family's daily needs.

Those experiences shed me a lot of tears but teach me tons of lessons. One thing I learned that greatly affects my way of living is wise spending of money. It is about realizing which are assets and which are liabilities and understanding those terms better than an accountant do.

Back in my College days, my teacher in accounting defines Asset as anything owned by an individual or a business, which has commercial or exchange value and Liability as a loan, expense, or any other form of claim on the assets of an entity that must be paid or otherwise honored by that entity. Therefore, many people believe that the more asset you have, the richer you are. That belief drives people to buy every gadget, or any property available, or any new trends that are out on the market.

I define these terms differently based on Robert Kiyosaki's Book Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Robert stated in his book that Asset is anything that PUTS money in your pocket and Liabilities is anything that Takes AWAY money in your pocket. I have agreed with that statement and have been living with it. I've tried to think of it, whenever I spend my scholarship allowance, "Will this stuff give back my money or will be just an expense?", "Is my purpose of purchasing this thing will make it an asset or a liability?"

Try to reflect, is a smart phone an asset or liability? If it will be used in business and connection, maybe yes. However, if it will be used just to brag around, then it is not.

That way, I have minimized spending for my gain and have focus on things, which will give me more money. Back in college, I've used my extra allowance to buy candies, pad papers, ball pens and other school supplies and resell them in the classroom rather than buying myself a brand new phone. That way, I have my money back even greater than before. I have taken the risk and reap the fruits.

The same still applies today, even I am earning well now. I choose to walk than taking a taxi, and I saved almost half of my daily fare expense. I also choose to buy things which I can use for business rather than getting fancy with all new stuffs. One example is when I spend Php 1,000 to create button pins instead of buying myself branded clothes. I earned Php500 by selling those buttons pins which makes me able to buy clothes :)

This may not be as big as you think. Even so, huge things start from tiny ones. I don't know about you, but I do believe that no one will be poor if he knows how to manage his own expense. I hope to be successful by this practice and looking forward to having my own business. Be a wise spender, that makes the difference.

New Look (Again)

John Daniel Castillo — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 01:25:17 -0800

And here i am again, doing revision and playing around my Ubertor site :) Well, I have updated my blog again after the revision from the blue template. Well, this time I just played with design, not a big deal and with no message to be conyed unlike my oder design. you know, people like me do not settle :)

i hope you like my new web design, well as for me - I Love It! :) For those people who haven't seen my previous website design, I'll attach it below :) Yeah, hang around and browse my site.. Oh, and comments are always welcome :)

Glamorous Besy :)

John Daniel Castillo — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 02:55:34 -0800

Hi.. Pretty inspired (and inloved) with my bestfriend that I manipulate her photo in a way that I can :)

You can simply right-click>View Image so see it in larger screen. However, in any way you look at it, she still stays glamorous.. haist... <3

Dream Phone

John Daniel Castillo — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 05:30:21 -0800

I will be saving up for this one :) Badly need for work where mobile internet is in demand.

LG OPTIMUS ONE with Google™ P500

LG Optimus One runs on Android 2.2, Froyo, the latest edition of Google's mobile platform, which allows for two to three times faster and smoother internet browsing, web-page loading, application pop-ups and multi-tasking. What transpired is a smartphone that blends superb design and with ease of use, making it the perfect entry point for prospective smartphone owners.

Key Features

Wi-Fi Hotspot
3.2" capacitive touchscreen
Voice Search
LG's App Advisor service
Best for discovery
Android Platform 2.2

Approximated Price:
LG Optimus One P500

PHP 12,450

http://www.lg.com/ph/mobile-phone/all-phones/LG-P500.jsp

My Bestfriend's Birthday!!

John Daniel Castillo — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:27:40 -0800

To my Besy,

A simple message is all I could say.. Happy Birthday.. :)

Depth of field in Pixelmator

John Daniel Castillo — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 03:33:49 -0800

This tutorial will teach you how to achieve a Depth of Field Text Effect in Pixelmator. It will also teach you about adding texture for your text background.

1. Create a new 1024x768 file @ 300px per inch.

Next, to achieve a good lighting effect, we will have to create Gradient. Create a new Gradient and set the color stop to #757476 and #282828.

Then, add gradient to our new document. using gradient tool, click from the center then drag the mouse outward.

Now we will add some texture to our gradient. We'll have to use a wall texture image. You can download the one that I use here. Drag the image, scale to fit if needed (CMD+T). Then, set the blending mode to multiply. We'll have something that looks like this:

Now, using type tool, start to type the first letter of your word. In this tutorial, we'll be using the word DEPTH so we would likely to start with D. I used Arial black for the font with 80px size. then we will right-click on the text layer then hit convert to pixel to make the text editable as we will apply filter later on.

Now click on Filter>Blur>Gaussian and set the radius to about 25.

Then we would like to make the letter to look like it is closer, so we will add shadow to it. Lets duplicate the D, then let's invert its color by clicking CMD+I (if your using a white font color) or click Image>Brightness and Contrast then set the brightness to 0 to make it black. the Idea is to create a dark shadow behind the text. Then move the shadow atlas 2-4 pixels to the right so it will look like this:

You get the idea, we will be repeating the same process but this time, we will apply less blur. So we type in next letter, E using type tool of-course. This time, it will be less smaller by about 20 px. So the font size will be 60px. The E should be placed under D.

We will repeat the process of blurring, but now with only at 15 radius. Also we will repeat the process of adding shadow.

Then with the next letter, P. But using much smaller font about 50px. This time, there'll be no blur as we want this to be the focal point of the design. But we will create a shadow still. Now it's the shadow that needs the blurring. Blur the shadow and set the radius to 20.

Now with the next letter, T. You get it, much smaller font, about 40px. then this time, we will make this one blurrier. Set the blur radius to 20. Duplicate the letter and create a shadow.

On with the last letter, H. Smaller font, about 30 in size, then blurrier about 25. Do the same process in creating its shadow.

It's coming all together nicely now. We would like to group the letters so we can position them more nicely. Select the layers of all the letters (including its shadows) the right-click>Group. Now position the group to the center of the document.

We would like to add some more texture to the letters. So now, duplicate the wall texture and place it above the group(letters). And here it is, our final creation.

Now, this is how my layers are arranged. Check yours for consistency.

A Walk to Remember :P

John Daniel Castillo — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 23:55:46 -0800

This is my everyday route on the way to work :) Upon dropping off in Kalayaan flyover, i walk all the way to our office building. See the map :)

View Walk to the office :) in a larger map

Fresh new Look to save Amphibians

John Daniel Castillo — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 01:24:10 -0800

From Blue, my Site now turns to Orange White Combo!

As you can see, website design have been changed. All those blue stuff, dripping paint design, was replaced by this clean, minimalist orange white design. Why is that so? Hmm..

Nothing significant about the changes. But, if you can see the graphics presented, you can see a frog and oranges. Well, this is because I want to help protect the diminishing population of amphibians. One of the endangered amphibian is presented in the banner, the "Golden Mantella" (scientific name: Mantella aurantiaca). These frogs are critically endangered due to degraded habitat.

I am an animal lover, whatever creature it may be. So I am taking part of the preservation in the best way I can, even by web design.

For those who haven't seen my past website design, here it is.

I am happy of the changes made, simply because they are made for a cause.

You can visit http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/04/amphibian/species-photography to see other aphibians that are under protection. Please help spread the word, join the race to save these poor creatures.