2013: Annoyingly Fun

Ahh, 2013. What a great rollercoaster ride you are. From the last Sinulog as a student to the various Christmas parties with family and friends. From the college graduation to finally being a regular employee. From hanging out with college batchmates to having a great time with office batchmates and good friends. From all the happy nights out to the stressful OTs. From the great successes at work to the devastating failures in lovelife. I really had fun going through all of them though I get annoyed by those bad moments and the annoying viral videos. I mean, What Does the Fox Say? Haha.

Thank you to everyone who made 2013 a very memorable one. To the Maluya Family, BSCSMA, @NOW, Batch PHP, NSP Friends, USC CS/IT/ICT Batch 2013, Sci-Hi friends, thank you very much! Thank you also to the person who really changed my outlook in love. I hope you'll stay happy and love the person you are with now.

Most of all, I would like to thank the Lord God for getting me through this topsy-turvy year. Without you, I would never be where I am right now. THANK YOU LORD!

Thank you for being annoyingly fun, 2013. Here's to a wonderful 2014 guys! Happy New Year!

A Christmas of Family and Golden Friendship.

The mood before taking the trip was very positive. We were excited to go back to Cagayan De Oro because it has been a long while since we went there. Unfortunately, we heard some sad news before we even boarded on the plane. The mom of our relative there just died and had to leave for the wake. It was a bit melancholy after I heard the news but that didn't stop us from enjoying our trip there.

We arrived at the house of our relatives in CDO and soon enough, happiness and laughter came in the house despite what happened. We've been to malls (even that new Ayala mall named Centrio), and even had fun despite the trouble with the dogs when they would go out of the house! At the end of the day though, it was all about Christmas and the one we're celebrating for: Jesus.

On Christmas Eve, we had our usual Noche Buena, attended the mass and had a special little program. It's usually long because we had a lot of time before Christmas struck. The program started with the usual song from our relatives from Manila.

After which, we had a nice game of charade relay! It's a mix of message relay and charades where the actual message is the charade. Then there was the Christmas story where "Right" and "Left" were so involved. Haha.

After all those games, the gift giving commenced! First was the traditional Manito Manita with my fellow cousins, then it was the giving of gifts for everyone. It was a good thing that Christmas didn't stop no matter what happened.

On Christmas Day, we went to the wake in Gingoog. It felt melancholic since it was one of those unique Christmas days that this happened. In this trip I have come to realize that we have to move on with our lives despite the sadness we felt that time. It served as a reminder of our life.

Merry Christmas everyone! Oh, will be posting that year-ender in a hour. Laters!

Days of Yolanda

All text for now, guys. The damage is too sad to see so I decided not to put a picture for this one.

We just got out of the monstrosity of that Magnitude 7.2 earthquake that happened 3 weeks ago and now we had to face another: Super Typhoon Yolanda. At first, I just dismissed it as just another typhoon. When I found out that it would be as strong as Ruping (a typhoon that caused a lot of damage in the '90s), I became super concerned. Unlike that one, people were more prepared.

Thanks to PAG-ASA's Project NOAH, the weather forecast for the days when Yolanda would strike, everyone affected was able to prepare. Everyone was panic buying for groceries, people suddenly buying powerbanks so that problems wouldn't arise when we need to call for emergency purposes. This just proves that with the right and accurate information, and swift preparation by the government, casualties could be minimized (even prevented).

On the day that Yolanda struck Cebu, I wasn't just at home. Together with my dad and relatives, we went to my dad's office to get some power supplies. A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is a device that provides temporary power to any electricity-powered device in order for them not to suddenly power down and cause problems. Besides that, we just dealt with the situation that we had at our own homes.

It was hard trying to get the latest information on the typhoon because there was no internet due to the brownout, and the cell signal's not enough to handle mobile internet. Good thing I was still able to text for the whole day (Thanks Globe!). As soon as we got the UPS running, we used it to get internet access. Since the electricity didn't come back yet, the internet connection was faster than usual. I saw a lot of pictures of the damage that Yolanda caused, particularly in Leyte.

Even though most of us are okay, there may still be people who need it. People in the Northern part of Cebu are in dire need of food and water. People in Leyte cannot be reached because all lines of communication are down. A lot more need our help. We should do everything we can to give them what they need. They should be our top priority.

As people have said,

"Since Yolanda is the strongest typhoon (of this year), the Philippines is the strongest country."

Bye Yolanda! You won't be missed.

#BangonVisayas.

The New iPads: Apple Goes All In

Apple.com

Apple just held their annual iPad event last October 22 (23 in the Philippines) and a lot of products have been announced. One of the most interesting ones though are the new iPads. The 4th generation iPad was just a minor incremental update from the 3rd generation because all it added was the A6X processor and the Lightning connector. The iPad mini was a new product in a category that was started by Amazon due to their Kindle Fire tablets and became a success. The main problem was it had a lower resolution screen than its competition at the time (the Kindle Fire HD had a 1280x800 resolution display while the 1st iPad mini only had a 1024x768 resolution display). In their event though, they remvoed those flaws with a bang.

iPad Air

The 9.7-inch iPad started this whole "modern tablet" revolution where you can touch the internet in your hands. After the iPad 2 came out, this tablet never really had a nice thing going for it in terms of design. Sure the 3rd gen iPad added the Retina display, but the weight and thickness had to be sacrificed for that. This year, Apple made the biggest design change since then.

I was surprised at first as to why they named it the iPad Air. Essentially, Apple implemented the iPad mini design to the full-sized iPad. The result is a tablet that's 7.5 mm thin and weighs only 1 pound. You may love them or hate them, but you cannot deny the fact that when it comes to hardware design, Apple's at the top. Despite the tablet losing weight, it gained a lot of power. It has the new A7 chip with 64-bit architecture introduced with the iPhone 5s. Although critics say that 64-bit doesn't really give any improvements until you have at least 4GB RAM, Apple claims that performance is twice as fast as the previous generation. It also has the M7 motion coprocessor which checks the motion sensors in the device without draining much power since it doesn't have to call on the A7 processor. It's also the first iOS device to support MIMO (Multiple In, Multiple Out) technology. This means that there are two antennas inside that give twice the data transfer rate than the previous generation. The iPad Air also has expanded LTE support which means you can use the iPad to its fullest potential in more places. With everything new that was mentioned, the iPad Air still manages to maintain the same 10-hour battery life.

iPad mini with Retina Display

Ever since the mini came out, it became the iPad that everyone wanted. The smaller 7.9-inch screen made it easier to hold in one hand, and yet it still offered the full iPad experience. My gripe with it though was that it had a low resolution screen and it had the A5 processor which is already 2 years old.

Now, they have the iPad mini that everyone wants. It now has the 2048x1536 resolution Retina display. Since the screen is smaller, the pixel density is 326 ppi (higher than the 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX and the new Nexus 7). It also has the same A7 chip found in the iPad Air. Like the 3rd gen iPad though, the tablet is a bit thicker (at 7.5 mm) and a bit heavier (at 0.73 lbs). It isn't really much compared to the huge benefits of a high-resolution display. Despite the display, it still has the same great 10-hour battery that the iPad is known to have.

My Thoughts

Honestly, I'm really confused as to what iPad to get. They both have the same processors. They both have Retina displays. The only difference now is the size and the price. I wasn't really surprised that the iPad mini with Retina display starts at $399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model. Given all that they put in (A7 chip, Retina display, etc.), the $70 price hike is justifiable. Still, I'm in a bind now as to what I'll get. I love it that the iPad Air is 1 pound, but I love the portability of the mini. I'll figure that out soon. The reason why Apple's putting all the premium on the hardware is because they think that the free software (iWork and iLife are now free) and the robust ecosystem will make you think that the premium is worth it. Let's hope Apple's correct with that.

#BangonSugBohol: Story of the Earthquake

This has been a long, long week. It all started last Tuesday, October 15, 2013. It was supposed to be just another ordinary holiday. We were eating breakfast in a way that we usually do during holidays. Suddenly, we felt the earth shaking. It lasted longer than I thought it would. My sister was still sleeping when it happened. While we hurried out of the house, Dad had to wake her up. It was so shocking and frightening because we didn't know what else could happen in the house.

Few minutes after we got out, we were talking about how that earthquake was the strongest one they have ever felt in their lives. My grandma, who lives with us, is already 74 and she feels the same way. We kept talking about it even as that first wave stopped.

Initially, there was no power in the house for precautionary measures. Eventually it was put back on. While watching the news on TV, the aftershocks kept coming. Good thing we have a mirror that can detect the slightest movement due to aftershocks. All plans I had for that day went to a screeching halt.

In the afternoon, all I was doing was watch TV and anime on my computer. I went up to my room shortly after watching certain shows on TV to watch Shingeki no Kyojin. (This is a really dark and morbid anime, but cool nonetheless. I might review it soon!) The sad part about watching it that afternoon was that the aftershocks kept kicking in, so the morbid parts of the episode felt more morbid than usual. After one aftershock happened, I went down to the living room to take a breather. Few minutes later, I went back up to watch again. THEN ANOTHER AFTERSHOCK HAPPENED. After that, I just stayed downstairs and meddled with my phone.

While all that was happening, a lot of sad news came in. People died because the roof of the Pasil Fish Port collapsed. The belfry of the Basilica del Sto. Niño fell. Churches in Bohol were crushed by the powerful earthquake. Some bridges there became impassable. People in Cebu and Bohol are panicking because of the quakes. They either brought tents outside and slept there or simply slept on the roads since they were all scared of going back inside for there might be more aftershocks.

The story didn't stop there though, as the next day was even more troubling. At dawn, ANOTHER aftershock happened and people were awakened by it. Some couldn't even sleep because they were frightened by it. On my way to work, I tried to find some damages of the earthquake. Unfortunately, I never found any until I got in to the elevator area of the ground floor of our building. There were already remnants of the earthquake. When I got to the 7th floor and reached my cubicle in the office, my McDonald's tumbler fell to the chair. At least that's what happened in my cubicle. In other cubicles, I saw CPU towers fall on its side. On the ceiling, there were lights and smoke alarms moved. Thankfully, the network didn't suffer any damage, as that would have affected our work that day. Unfortunately, we felt TWO aftershocks in the office in the morning. After lunch, we were allowed to go home early since the aftershocks really worried the people in the office.

Up to this day, we are still experiencing aftershocks. It sucks that we have to live with this for a while since I am most concerned with the people of Bohol. They are the ones who suffered most in these tragic times. The reason why I put up that picture of the full moon is because it reminded me that despite the darkness, there will always be that light shining on us. We can rise again. We should help those people in need so that our comeback will be stronger than ever. If you're confused as to how you can help, check out @BangonSugBohol on Twitter or those non-profit organizations that you already know, or go here: http://www.istorya.net/forums/content/bangonsugbohol-call-action-help-our-brothers-and-sisters-need-480/. 

Fellow Cebuanos and Boholanos, stay safe always!

Simply Stunning: Gravity review

I've heard a lot of things about this movie. They say that it is a very good movie and it should be watched in 3D. THEY'RE SPOT ON.

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity is a film starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a Mission Specialist on her first space shuttle mission. She is accompanied by Matt Kowalsky (played by Clooney), a veteran astronaut. (WITHOUT SPOILING THE MOVIE) All is well when the mission goes haywire and both Dr. Stone and Mr. Kowalsky are in deep trouble.

The movie in itself is pure in form. There is nothing extra that would distract you from the story. 3D isn't annoying at all. It helps you be immersed in the story and all the emotions it conveys to the watcher. The story alone is very simple, maybe even too simple but that's what I think is one of its charms.

George Clooney still has them good ol' acting chops, but it was Sandra Bullock who shines a lot in this movie. We can feel her every emotion flowing through from the big screen. I always thought that she's a good actress, but this is her defining moment in 2013, maybe even in her entire career! She makes this movie her own. I couldn't imagine who else could play the role.

I didn't really mind all the scientific irregularities in the movie because at the end of the day, people will enjoy how simple yet so immersive this movie really is. I bet it's already your favorite movie of 2013. I would surely agree with you on that.

Those Fruitful 6 Months...

It's been months since I posted something about work and the people in it. That's just because I've been busy working so hard that I didn't really wanna put up any posts about it... until now. It's been 6 months since we started working here. A lot has actually happened even though we never really had a bonding session as a whole batch. Some of us actually bonded through various ways such as drinking sessions (I won't elaborate as to what transpired) or just a normal dinner out. Some of us even bonded due to our overtime in the office and we usually eat together.

To my fellow batchmates, thank you for the experiences that we've shared together and to more of them for the years to come. I love you all!

I'm gonna cut this short because there's nothing more to say except,

THANK YOU!

When in Starbucks...

I love Starbucks. It's a coffee shop that I go to every Sunday with family and sometimes on weekdays when I feel like it. There's something about Starbucks that's really unique (and maybe when you're a regular of your favorite coffee shop) whenever you talk to the people working there. Here's my history with Starbucks since my long standing companionship with expensive coffee has been with them.

When I was still in high school, my uncle had an issue with the coffee shop he always went to. He had problems with their service, so he switched to going to Starbucks. Ever since then, he would always go to Starbucks every Sunday (initially in the first branch in SM before moving to the one in The Northwing) along with his family. Since our family always meets with his, we go to Starbucks almost as much as they do. Because of that, it became an ordinary thing to go to everytime we're in SM on Sunday.

The first drink I got from Starbucks was a Chocolate Cream Chip Frappuccino. I really loved that drink simply because it had chocolate on it. (I really had simpler likes back then.) As time passed by, I wanted to try a new drink to see if I would like it. Then my love affair with the Signature Hot Chocolate started. It was a hot drink, so it takes me longer to finish it. That alone made it taste very very good. It remains my favorite hot drink in Starbucks today. As for my favorite Frappuccino, that goes to the Mocha Frappe. It's like their "vanilla" (plain) Frappuccino. If I get confused as to what to drink, I'd go with that. There are also times when I go with their new drinks, especially when they have a promo.

The important thing with being a regular at Starbucks is the baristas that you meet there. At first, it may seem like an ordinary conversation between a customer and a cashier. The more you keep going there, the more that they get to know you a bit. It took longer for me though since they really couldn't get the name down easily. Up to this day, I see baristas that worked at SM before at other Starbucks and they still know me (even the guard does too!).

I'm sure you guys have your own moments in your favorite coffee shops. Sometimes all you need to do is talk.

A Letter to Globe…

Dear Globe,

I have been a subscriber of Globe when I was still in my elementary years. In my opinion, you always had the edge in terms of your service and promos. I constantly availed the UNLITXT50 promo because it lasted for 7 days and I still had a lot of textmates that time.

Then you changed the pricing and made it P80 for 5 days, which was already expensive for me. When Sun Cellular came along with their P150 Text Unlimited SERVICE for 1 month, I had no choice but to switch.

Then came my interest in the iPhone. I got an iPod touch for my birthday because I was amazed at how much my sister liked it. After a few weeks, I fell in love with the touch that I really wanted to get the iPhone. When my mom got the 4S, I got her iPhone 4. It was already enough for me at the time. That was also the time I went back to using your service because you were known as THE iPhone carrier of the Philippines (before Smart started selling with the 4S).

Fast forward to today. Now I have an iPhone 5 through your Postpaid plan. Your LTE internet is fast whenever it's available and I have no problems with your service except for one thing: CUSTOMER service.

My parents have been trying to pay their bills but they both have issues: my Mom's bill wasn't paid ever since she got the plan I'm using since the billing was all wrong and everytime my Dad wants to pay the bill, the system's offline.

I understand that you just upgraded your whole system but why all of them right away? You could have just done a beta test of your new system to work on just some machines of the business centers and keep the stable and working old system on others. I'm not saying you shouldn't upgrade the system but you could have just done it slowly.

Awhile ago, there was this man who wanted to have a transaction in the business center but unfortunately he wasn't entertained right away. He went on and ranted about why they couldn't serve him. An in-charge of the business center said that some employees there were on sick leave. The man said that that's not an excuse.

Honestly, the man was right. It doesn't mean that they went on sick leave that they cannot provide proper customer service. If this keeps up, subscribers might switch.

I may complain about this, but I hope that you fix this as soon as possible. I love your passion to make our lives better through your services. I still think your experience with iPhone is far superior than the competition since experience trumps quantity.

Sincerely yours,

A Concerned Subscriber

PC Free..

(In case anyone asks, the speaker above my phone is the JBL Micro Wireless. It has Bluetooth to connect to devices. You can buy

Earlier in the week, I used both my phones instead of my laptop. She had her own laptop but it was broken because the SSD (solid-state drive) stopped working. Being the good brother that I am, I allowed her to use my laptop for her school works. During those days, all I used was my iPhone and my Android phone. I wanna share my experience being PC Free, even for just a few days.

Back in the day, it would be hard for me to do anything without my laptop. I needed it to listen to music, check Facebook and Twitter, post to my blog, and do school work. Nowadays, the smartphone replaced my laptop for most of these tasks. I am able to check my Facebook and Twitter even when I'm in the office, and I am already able to post to my blog from it. A smartphone is one of the best examples of portable gaming (sorry Nintendo and Sony, smartphones are eating up your lunch) and is the best way to pass the time when you're waiting for anything.

With that in mind, I watched a few episodes of Legends of the Hidden Temple in YouTube on my Android phone. One thing I love about Android is that Google services work very well with it. Google may have iOS apps but the integration just isn't there. Too bad Android doesn't have a lot of games going for it and that's why I always turn to the iPhone.

Tech speak aside, I think there are still some things that the smartphone cannot replace such as using productivity software like Office, but tablets may have a chance at this one. Still, I feel that I can do more work with a laptop. If I were asked what the PC will be in a Post-PC era, I would say that the future of the PC is more in the laptop.

Whether you agree with me or not, smartphones have already made a huge impact in our lives and I don't think any wearable technology can beat the innovation that happened in smartphones.

iPhone 5s and 5c Philippine Price Guesstimate for Globe

Apple announced two new iPhones: the 5s and the 5c. I've been thinking of what could be the possible pricing of these two new phones. Then I found these two brochures containing the cashout prices of the 4S and the 5 when getting a postpaid plan from Globe.

This is from the brochure of the 4S:

Plan 999 (Unli Surf):

16GB - P23,976

32GB - P30,299

64GB - P35,299

And this is from the brochure of the 5:

Plan 999 (Unli Surf):

16GB - P19,200

32GB - P23,976

64GB - P30,000

As you can see from the prices, the cashout of the 5 is actually lower than the 4S! If this trend continues to the 5s, we may see the same or even lower cashout prices than this.

Here's my guesstimate for the cashout prices of the 5s:

Plan 999 (Unli Surf):

16GB - P16,800/P19,200

32GB - P19,200/P23,976

64GB - P23,976/P30,000

With that in mind, there's still one more question to be answered: how will the 5c be priced?

If I were Globe and I would want to sell many 5c's, this would be the cashout pricing:

Plan 999 (Unli Surf):

16GB - P2400/P4800

32GB - P7200/P9600

Let me remind you guys that these are merely guesses and I could be wrong. I just wish this is correct and call it a day. Haha.

The Fall Smartphone Frenzy!

BGR.com

This fall has been a crazy one so far because of all those product announcements we're getting. It's like they're trying to drain our wallets even before we acquired the money! I wanna know what you, the readers, are planning to get for the Christmas season. Participate in the polls below and argue in the comments! Haha.

What smartphone are you planning to get?
	Moto X
	Xperia Z1
	Xperia Z Ultra
	Galaxy Note 3
	iPhone 5S
	iPhone 5C
	Lumia 1020
	LG G2
pollcode.com free polls

iPhone 5S: The Forward Thinking Way of Apple's iPhone Fork Road

Apple.com

Apple had their September 10 event, and boy all those leaks were real. There were not one, but two new iPhones announced at this event: the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c. I have a separate post for the 5c, so this is all about the 5s. This one's the typical "S" upgrade to the flagship model that they do a year after they've done a redesign, but this is touted as the biggest one yet.

From the outside, it really looks like an iPhone 5: the aluminum unibody, same thinness and lightness, and the same 4-inch Retina Display. Since this is an "S" upgrade, the usual suspects come out like the better camera, better processor, and a new feature to entice users to purchase. The three things I mentioned are the three core upgrades Apple has with the 5s.

The A7 Processor + M7 Coprocessor - This one's been a staple of the "S" upgrades, but there's this one detail that Apple really touted in the new A7 chip: 64-bit. We've seen the shift from 32-bit to 64-bit in our desktop and laptop computers. Smartphones are basically also computers but in a way smaller form factor. What 64-bit means is that the processor can process more at once, so things like opening an app will be faster. The M7 Coprocessor is a separate chip that is responsible for checking the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass. With this, the A7 chip doesn't need to be fired up when using those three sensors. This allows for a new generation of apps which take advantage of all this.

The Improved iSight Camera - Another staple of the "S" upgrades, the camera has been a big selling point of the iPhone ever since the iPhone 4. In every iteration since then, they've made the iPhone have the best camera on a smartphone and here they go again with significant improvements to it. The camera now has a wider f2.2 aperture meaning more light can go in the camera. It stays at 8 megapixels, but the sensor has 1.5 micron pixels, so more light can be accepted by the sensor. Another big change in the camera is in the flash, which the 5s now has "True Tone" flash. This basically means that there is a dual LED flash: one that's white, the other amber. This means the flash in the 5s would help in taking better pictures rather than make them worse. Other notable features include auto image stabilization and burst mode.

Touch ID - This feature has been long-rumored ever since last year because of Apple's purchase of AuthenTec. The 5s now has a fingerprint sensor that's been conveniently built into the Home button. This may sound subtle, but this means that you would be using this feature most of the time. All you need to do to unlock your phone is to touch (not necessarily press) the Home button! Your purchases from Apple's online stores are confirmed by your fingerprint.

The iPhone 5s is $199 on-contract for 16GB of storage, $299 for 32GB, and $399 for 64GB. I'm not going to go through the rest of the features of this phone since it's just in Apple's website and every other tech site that exists. What do I think of this phone, you might ask? Well, I have a lot to say about that.

My Thoughts

Apple.com

I just got the iPhone 5 and based on past experiences, when you have a non-"S" generation of the iPhone, it's going to be a tough sell to upgrade to the "S" generation because the upgrades are incremental. Don't get me wrong, this is a great smartphone to get. It's just that the jump from the 5 to the 5s for me isn't really that substantial. The camera on the 4S has already been touted as the best smartphone camera which has been improved on the 5 and now again on the 5s. I trust that Apple has done a better job with the camera. The one thing that would make me wanna upgrade or not is Touch ID. If it works as advertised (and not end up like Antennagate), then it would be an incremental but fundamental step to what could happen down the line with the iPhone. I'm sure the A7 will do a good job since the A6 is blazing fast. Until I get my hands on one and try it out, I might just skip this one.

iPhone 5C: The Colorful Way of Apple's iPhone Fork Road

Apple.com

Apple had their September 10 event, and boy all those leaks were real. There were not one, but two new iPhones announced at this event: the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c. I have a separate post for the 5s, so this is all about the 5c. I didn't expect Apple to do this since I was used to the notion that Apple only does one iPhone a year but if they needed to move forward and maintain their dominance, this is one way of testing the waters.

The iPhone 5c is a first for Apple, a test whether they can market a new breed of iPhones. The 5c is basically an iPhone 5 in a new "beautifully, unapologetically plastic" shell. It has the same specs as the iPhone 5: A6 processor, 8MP camera, 4-inch Retina Display, LTE. Its differences from the iPhone 5 are better battery life, better FaceTime HD camera, and more LTE bands than any other smartphone in the world (except the iPhone 5s, which also has the same number of LTE bands as the 5c).

Another difference that matters is that this phone is $99 on-contract for 16GB of storage, and for the first time for a mid-tier device from Apple, $199 for 32GB. The thing is that this costs $549 off-contract. The reason why I'm stating this is because this was supposedly the phone that would be friendly for emerging markets. I'll be explaining more of this in my thoughts of the 5c.

My Thoughts

Apple.com

Honestly, it's a good thing that Apple went back to color. I don't know if this is the right time or it should have been last year. The iPhone 5c takes what's good with the iPhone 5 and made it new by putting it in a new shell and with better battery life. I honestly love the blue one! If I didn't have an iPhone 5, I would seriously consider this. I honestly believe that this is the phone that they will promote heavily. Check Apple's website and tell me which iPhone appears first. The first test of this phone is through the preorders. If they are able to deliver, then this will be another huge win for Apple.

Apple and September 10: What To Expect And Do

Last year, Apple held an event in September to launch the iPhone 5 and I did a post about what to expect. Now we're at that same situation, I'm gonna do it again. Last week, Apple made it official that they will have an event on September 10, 10AM PT (that's September 11, 1AM here in the Philippines). A LOT of rumors have been swirling around as early as June and they're only getting more credible (but not to the point of being official) as the months go by. We won't have to wait much longer, but here's what you need to know and how to prepare for the coming announcement.

What To Expect

iPhone 5S - This one is a no-brainer. After doing the release pattern of releasing an "S" model after a redesign twice, I'd be shocked when they name this something else. Anyway, it is rumored that the iPhone 5S keeps the beautiful design of the 5 and brings internal improvements like a new A7 processor, 12MP camera with dual-LED flash, the fingerprint scanner and a possible 128GB storage option. It is also rumored to have two new colors, GOLD (or Champagne) and GRAPHITE (it's more or less gray). They better have one more thing up its sleeve.

iPhone 5C - I've been doubtful of this at first, but the leaks are just keeping it real. If the rumors are correct, then this phone is a plastic-cased version of the iPhone 5. As you can see above, it will come in COLORS. This is aimed more at emerging markets who cannot afford the high-end iPhone. I just hope that the plastic doesn't feel like Samsung's. Gaaaaaah. Both the 5S and 5C will run iOS 7 out of the box if the rumors are correct.

New/Refreshed iPods - Based on announcements on previous years, new iPods are typically announced alongside the iPhones. Don't know what to expect here except that there will be new ones.

What To Do

DO NOT BUY THE IPHONE 5 YET.
- This has been my warning for each year that a new iPhone is about to come out. Do not buy the one that's out right now unless you really need one. You may end up regretting the purchase if the iPhone 5 gets cheaper.

Essentially, that's it. Save up guys, it's going be another expensive holiday season!

iPhone 5 Review

It's been a long time coming. I've been wanting to write this review for so long but I just couldn't find the right time to do it, until now. I know, I know, the next iPhone's going to be announced next week, but if this phone doesn't get phased out, the iPhone 5 would be a bargain at a lower price point! For reviews from this point on, I'll focus on three things: Hardware, Software, and Ecosystem. Hardware would include Design, Specs, Battery Life, Call Quality, and etc. Software is self-explanatory. Ecosystem is where the media, apps, and cloud services are in consideration. Without further ado, here's the review:

Introduction

The iPhone's been here for a long while. Six years, in fact. A lot has changed since Apple launched their first foray into the mobile industry. I used to bash on Apple because I never believed that touch screen phones would be the next big thing in mobile. Turns out, it was more than just a touch screen phone. It had full internet browsing through Safari, the soul of an iPod, and applications that were built for touch. When the iPhone 3G came out, the App Store arrived. That's when the potential grew a hundredfold as developers could create anything they want the phone to do. Since then, it became a giant money-maker for Apple and led to the creation of another successful device which is the iPad. Like I said, times have changed. Android now dominates more than 2/3 of the smartphone market and Windows Phone is starting to gain some (some may sometimes be an exaggeration) traction. Has Apple maintained the gold standard with the iPhone 5?

Hardware

Apple has yet outdone itself at this department. The major change with the iPhone 5 is that it has a 4-inch screen as opposed to the 3.5-inch screen on the previous models. Despite the bigger screen, Apple managed to dramatically shave off weight from the phone. It weighs 112g, and is 7.6mm thin. When I first held the phone, it felt too light! I couldn't believe that it was this thin and light. I have to put on a case so that the weight would be okay. Another change they made is that the headphone jack is placed in the bottom of the phone. This could come in handy for pulling it out of my pocket and start using it in the right position.

Even though I put a case on the iPhone 5, I would be fine without one since they switched to an aluminum unibody with glass in the top and bottom portion of the back of the phone in order for cellular radios to go in easily. Speaking of that headphone jack earlier, beside it is the Lightning connector. That new connector caused a big debacle to owners of accessories with the 30-pin connector which was used for the previous generations. Good thing that accessory makers reacted as quick as they possibly can so by the time the new one comes out, this would be less of an issue. The good thing with the Lightning connector is that it's reversible so whenever it's dark, I don't need to worry about the position of the cable.

The iPhone's camera has always been praised for consistently taking great photos. This one's no exception and boosts the capability of the iPhone 4S's camera with "better" low-light. I did the quotes because I failed to see what's better because it's still quite dark but not as dark as the 4S's. The camera assembly is covered with Sapphire crystal. I dropped the phone a few times already and nothing really happened to it. Overall, the camera was really as great as they claim it to be. Call quality is really good with the iPhone 5, dropped calls are very rare. I was using a Globe Telecom iPhone 5, so results may vary if you're with another network.

Apple doesn't really compete in the specs department, but they don't fail to impress. Although it may be the "slowest" (in terms of raw performance) phone right now, it was the fastest by last year's standards. It sports a dual-core A6 processor clocked at 1GHz (although its maximum clock speed reaches 1.2-1.3GHz), has 1GB RAM, has 16, 32, and 64GB storage, finally has LTE (and DC-HSDPA for those in Europe) and has a 1442 mAh battery. This phone now requires a Nano-SIM instead of the micro-SIM which is also a hassle, but was done to manage space properly. Now with regards to battery life, it can last from about half a day (with heavy usage on LTE and/or gaming) to a day and a half (light web browsing through 3G, calls, texts, and music playback). It seems decent but I miss those days where phones can last 3-4 days before charging. I hope battery technology gets better because that's what Apple needs. That aside, the phone is blazing fast. Operations on iOS are simply faster, even against the 4S which was already fast enough. It's like the speed never faded when I tried using a Beta version of iOS 7! More about that in the next part.

Software

I'm gonna divide this part into two since I have experience using the iPhone 5 with two versions of the operating system, iOS 6 and a beta version of iOS 7. I won't do a comprehensive look at the iOS 7 part since it is still beta software and bugs are to be expected. I will get back to this review if there are any changes made between the beta and the final version.

iOS 6

Since iOS 6 is built-in to the iPhone 5, this version runs perfectly! All the operations that you do with this are very smooth and blazing fast despite it having a dual-core processor. The new stuff with iOS 6 like Facebook integration and Passbook are nice additions. Siri to me is nice for setting alarms and reminders, sending texts and opening apps when I tend to get lazy but after I got through all that, I got bored a bit. The most disappointing part of iOS 6 though is the new Maps app which Apple made. This was a very big fail in Apple's part since they launched a product that wasn't up to their standards. The software and user interface was good for first-generation software, but lacks a lot of points of interest. And with Google Maps containing a lot more data, it's really hard to surpass that. I never found the user interface to be really ugly, but sometimes I get bored of it because it looks like the OS when it just started. It's still functional, but it needs some change.

iOS 7 Beta

The change I mentioned earlier, is found in iOS 7. What shocked me when I first ran it is that it never lost the smoothness and speed. Despite beta bugs, iOS 7 on the iPhone 5 is still fast enough to operate although the next one would hopefully be faster. The UI has a much needed change and improvements like Control Center and AirDrop make this phone a bigger bargain than it was when it had iOS 6.

Ecosystem

iOS didn't really have a strong ecosystem at the beginning. Apple pushed for web apps the first time around. It did have iTunes early on, but the value proposition wasn't there yet. Then the App Store came and here comes the money for Apple. Thanks to that, it spurned a phenomenon where smartphones have apps that turn them into what they were designed for. If there's one thing that makes people stick to Apple, this is it.

I don't really have a lot to say here except that music, movies, TV shows, and apps are very well integrated that I have no complaints using it. iCloud is good but has flaws in document syncing. iCloud Backup is really a great backup solution for iOS devices and data for each app is retained once restored to a new iPhone. Transferring from one iPhone to another is seamless because of this feature. Photo Stream is another underrated but good feature. Pictures can be stored in the cloud these days but not everyone does that.

Conclusion

APPLE MADE A GREAT PIECE OF HARDWARE IN THIS PHONE. ALL IT NEEDS NOW IS BETTER SOFTWARE.

The iPhone 5 has been a pleasure to use, even for a technologically-inclined person like me. It's because of how well the hardware and software is integrated, and how the ecosystem has great support from developers and users alike. Apple keeps innovating in hardware which is amazing, but they are now lagging behind in software. Sure some parts of the hardware like the battery could use improvements, but the energy should be directed into doing great software because that's where Android is excelling at right now. I am hopeful that iOS 7 can change that, but I wish they could do more than just an overhaul of the user interface. There needs to be something that can wow us again and would really make us buy the next one.

For first-time smartphone owners, the iPhone 5 is a great choice although I would hold off a little longer since Apple's having an event next week and they're unveiling the next iPhone (possibly more than one?). After which, this phone will get cheaper if it stays in the lineup. If you're looking for a high-end smartphone but can't afford one, this would certainly catch your eye even more when the price drops.

Treasure…

It's been a while since I've done a personal post, but it would be one that I haven't done in years. Unlike my usual posts, I'm posting this one without a header picture (it's a format I used for a long while now). It's okay if you don't read through the whole post. I won't mind it for this one. If you do read, thank you for your time. So here it goes…

I've done bad things in my life. There were those that I did for the better, and those that I regret because they caused me to hurt the people I care about. Unfortunately this time, the weight of my regret is unlike anything I've ever felt before.

If there's someone I didn't wanna hurt the most besides my family, it would be my newfound inspiration. All because of my f***ing curiosity. I never realized that I could do such a thing until last week when I asked her stuff I shouldn't be asking on Facebook. On top of that, I was being a jerk to her yesterday. 

You know who you are. I am truly sorry for what I did. Sorry for being a stupid jerk who doesn't consider your space. Sorry for being an idiot who doesn't think things through before saying anything.

Going Android..

Last week, I couldn't accomplish anything with the project I'm working on with colleagues that involved an Android app. The only way I could test the project is through an Android device. I could borrow one from a friend or a relative but I would have to return it after borrowing, so I bought one.

This is the StarMobile Jump. It comes in red and gray. It has a dual-core processsor, a 4" screen, has 512MB RAM, and has Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The feel of the phone is nice despite the glossy back. The touch screen is a bit hard to use though since it requires extra force to tap a button and I can't touch it just anywhere. Overall, I'm actually enjoying this phone. Besides, it only costs PHP4990 which is around $111 unlocked. It's dual SIM for those people who care about it.

My first opinion on Android is that the customization options are insane. I can't believe I can do so much on the homescreen (unlike iOS which only has rows and folders of apps). Multitasking and notifications are the biggest strengths of the Android OS. Since it is owned by Google, Google services are great to use. I know I may sound like a newbie to Android but since I really am, that's all I have to say for now.

Now people are gonna stop calling me biased towards Apple. Make no mistake though, I still love my iPhone 5.

JBL Micro Wireless Speaker Review

Last week, I got this speaker from iCenter in IT Park. I needed a new one since the old one I had a weak sound and decent but decreasing battery life. When I first saw this speaker, I was already in love with its simple design and various colors. You could choose from either red, blue or green. At first, I wanted the blue one but in the end I got the red one because A) I didn't have a lot of red stuff and B) I am constantly reminded of someone with this color hahaha.

The sound of this speaker is really really loud for its size. And I can connect to it using Bluetooth so I don't need to use a 3.5mm cable. But when I do need it, the speaker itself has a built-in 3.5mm cable. For the price of P2,990, it's worth every cent I spent it on.

Check Out: The Verge Back to School Buying Guide

From The Verge

Although school started in the Philippines two months ago, it will start in September for places with temperate climate (a kind of climate which has four seasons) especially in the US. This is why technology sites like The Verge post back-to-school buying guides so that students and parents have an idea on what to get for this school year.

This one's special though since this is one of the most sophisticated and beautifully designed web pages I have ever seen. I'm gonna make this short though since this post is merely just to promote this amazing piece of web design. Of course, it has great choices for what to get for students.

Click the link below:

THE VERGE BACK TO SCHOOL BUYING GUIDE

It's Been 21 Years..

Wow. I've been through a lot in the past year. From that harsh times of thesis to the happy graduation day to the first day on the job. It's been really tough to stay ahead of the times. My brain always tends to think of random stuff that even I cannot comprehend as to why I'm thinking about it. Good thing the experience I have throughout those 21 years never went to waste. I may have made mistakes, but I wouldn't be human if I didn't. I wanna thank the people who inspire me to be the best I can be all the time:

Family - They have always been there for me ever since the beginning. When I was down, they pull me up. I always have them in mind for my plans for the future. Whenever I do something good, they support me. They remind me to avoid doing bad things. I really appreciate everything they have done for me. This time, I wanna give back to them.



BSCSMA - These guys are the people I hung out with for the past 4 years. Some of them are even in the same office with me (which is amazing)! I really love this group of people since despite our hectic schedules at the time, we always find ways to chill out and relax even for just one night or something. Hehe. Still, you don't wanna mess with them since they can (and maybe will) outsmart you if you challenge them. Beware. Haha. Love you guys!

Batch PHP - Despite the fact that I met some of these people a few months ago (because the rest are people that I already know from different stages in my life), our bond easily formed during training and will only get better as the time passes. Thank you so much guys for making life at work pretty easy to deal with! Hoping to have more months with you guys. :D

Inspiration ^_^  - I'll just call this person that because I don't want the person's identity to be revealed. I just wanna say thank you for inspiring me to be always happy despite the problems. You never cease to make me happy with your smile, whether sober or drunk-looking. Sorry if I keep on worrying because I have this weird instinct of worrying about people I really care about. I just want you to know that I will always be there for you. Again, THANK YOU.

GOD - He does not need a picture because I don't need to see His face to know that He has always been there for me. Whether I'm up or waaaaay down, He will always be there to guide me through this life I have and hopefully I am able to serve Him well. I love You, God. You know I always do.

In less than 2 hours, I turn 21. I really hope that the best has yet to come and knowing that these people are here, I know I'll enjoy every moment that I have with them. ^_^

The Starbucks Card..

The Starbucks Card isn't actually new, it's a thing that's been going on in the US for a very long time. It's a card in which can act as another way for you to pay for your coffee and food in Starbucks. I was so happy to find out that it's finally coming to the Philippines! If you've checked my Instagram feed (follow me if you haven't! @iamlianixx), then you know my great love for Starbucks. That's why I'm happy that it came!

Here, the card serves as a stored value card (works like prepaid where you buy load) and a rewards card (where you get rewards when you earn enough Stars). A minimum of P300 load is required for you to get a Starbucks Card and activate it. The stored value on the card? You can use it to buy ANYTHING in Starbucks! (Seriously, ANYTHING in their menu.) You only earn Stars when you buy any handcrafted beverage, VIA Ready Brew packets, or Whole Bean packs though. It's still good for Starbucks loyalists everywhere.

Since it's my birth month, and I wanna share my passion for Starbucks, I'll be giving away 3 Starbucks Cards with P300 load each to 3 lucky people!

Yes I know what you're gonna say. "I don't believe you because you did something like this and nothing happened!" You want proof? Check the pic below:

Believe me now? Good. Now, how to win? Simple!

All you need to do is like the pic (http://instagram.com/p/c1fN3im_dB/) on Instagram AND Retweet this (https://twitter.com/iamlianixx/status/366870405010583552) on Twitter in order to enter!

The contest is open for anyone who lives in Cebu (sorry to the rest, I have no budget to deliver outside of Cebu) and lasts until August 16. I will announce the winners in another post..

Good luck everyone!

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid by Starbucks Coffee Corporation or the licensee in the Philippines to do this contest. I used my own resources to acquire the cards. I'm doing this just for you, the readers.

iOS 7 for the Long Haul...

I just read this article from a writer at PhoneDog (read it here) about how he's not going back to iOS 6 because iOS 7 feels very familiar but has that much needed facelift. Last July 10th, I decided to go to Beta 3 in the hopes that it would be more usable than previous betas. After using it for days, I wanted to stick with using it. Despite the usual bugs you would find in a beta, Beta 3 proved to be usable for day-to-day use. Most of the apps I use don't crash as often anymore.

Almost a month later and now using Beta 4, they've made some welcome changes like having the subtle arrow that acts as a guide for the user to "Slide to Unlock". The arrows on the lock screen were traded for pill-shaded handles. The animations are faster than ever as we get closer to the final release. I think there will be two more betas before the Golden Master will be released to developers and the final version to all users. Until then, I'm sticking to iOS 7 Beta. Like the writer, I don't wanna go back.

Messaging (Apps) Overload!!

I talked to a friend earlier this week about the issue of messaging apps and how fragmented this is. Everyday, I use Facebook Messenger since it's been my go-to if I wanna communicate with friends who have Facebook (I recently use it even more than texting!). Then these other apps are here. Skype's been around for a long time and they continue to be dominant because of video calling and calling to other countries without the need for cellular network. Then the deluge of messaging apps came along. WhatsApp, Viber, WeChat, LINE, and even Google with Hangouts. I just found this insane since people now have to use a lot of apps just to send messages to friends.

What these lack is inter-communication between these different apps. Wouldn't it be nice if there was only one standard in which all the messaging apps can use in tandem with their own proprietary standards so that we won't be forced to use a lot of apps! I am hoping one day that I would be deleting some of these apps without an inherent loss on my end.

Sorry for these short weekly posts. I couldn't really post a long one due to work-related stress. I'm gonna love next week since holidays are popping up. I SO LOVE AUGUST. Speaking of August, I might have something up your sleeve soon. Keep your eyes peeled!

The Overtime Feeling..

This week was really hectic for me since it was the first time to experience true overtime in our line of work. I had to do this because of something that needed to be finished in a short amount of time and I wasn't able to commit to an overtime last weekend because I needed to get the other wisdom tooth removed.

At first I thought that it would be a very different experience than just having a lot of assignments that need to be submitted the next day. I thought wrong. It felt EXACTLY like that time, maybe even a bit worse than the time when I had to do my thesis alongside the normal schoolwork. It really makes you think a lot of things especially sleep and a lot of cheesy and love stuff. It drains your brain until you can no longer make sense of what you're doing and what's going on in your surroundings. Sure this may sound overly exaggerated but that's really what I feel. Put that on top of the pain I have to deal with due to the 2nd wisdom tooth that was removed and I really really felt over-the-top tired.

Though I really wanna go overtime again, I just hope I don't have to do it too much and do it unnecessarily.

Salivating over the HTC One Mini...

I've heard so many rumors about HTC coming out with a competitor to that annoying Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. At first I was hesitant, thinking that it may be too underpowered to be a flagship-caliber mini smartphone since the Galaxy S III Mini was really underpowered. Thankfully, HTC wanted to dispel some myths about that when they announced the HTC One Mini.

The One Mini pretty much kept the older sibling's core experiences: the all-metal design, those dual frontal speakers with BoomSound, the social news aggregator BlinkFeed, and the UltraPixel camera. Despite that, there are shortcomings due to its mini size. It has a 1.4 GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor unlike the 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor found on the One, a 4.3" screen, 16GB storage, and an 1800mAh battery. The One Mini also doesn't have the NFC antenna and the IR blaster that was found on the One.

Despite the shortcomings, I'm glad HTC did this. I wanted to try an Android phone but I didn't like the huge screens I'm seeing with the One and the S4 because I wanted a phone that would be more pocketable. I wanna try to be more open to what mobile OS I use (I went through a test drive of the Lumia 720 and it ran Windows Phone).  I've already known why Android's very popular but I wanna experience it for myself. Even though HTC is really hanging in the balance, I love how they work hard to regain the mindshare from people. So far, the One's doing a pretty good job and the One mini's gonna do great as well.

Anyone from HTC, if ever you're reading this, I really wanna try one. I would do ANYTHING just to try one and eventually own one. Like I said in the title, I'm really salivating over this. -_-

While In Pain...

Don't misunderstand this. I'm not hurt emotionally. I'm perfectly okay. It's just that I have this weird pain I got after undergoing a surgery that involved my wisdom tooth.

On the hour after the surgery, I felt a weird kind of pain. A pain that felt like there's a hole inside of me. I know it seems overrated but it was like something that could spread throughout my whole body. Or maybe it's just a reaction from my brain if something like that happens.

Eating really seemed hard to do since I couldn't chew properly. My jaw seemed like it was sprained which could be the reason that I could barely move my mouth. There's also this weird swelling happening inside my mouth which could be an effect of removing a tooth. All I could eat was porridge. Sigh.

The day after, I tried to ignore the pain by going to SM with family. Although I couldn't eat hard food yet, I drank cold drinks and ate a donut. Shortly after we arrived at home from the mall, I got a mild fever. It didn't last long since I felt okay the next morning, but it came back while I was working.

The reason why it happens is due to the infection of the bone that showed after the tooth has been removed. I have to take medicine for fever alongside the antibiotics so that I won't feel weak at work. I also have to lie down on a lot of pillows so that it wouldn't be painful when I sleep.

Last Thursday, I was already able to eat normally. It was a good thing too because I thought I would have to go through a whole week eating porridge. Whew! Here I am today, recovered from the pain of that surgery. The bad news is that I have to go through all this again since I have to have the wisdom tooth in the lower right. With this experience, I know now what to do and what NOT to do.