Monday, February 11, 2013

Realizations on Thesis.


  
Some of my classmates had their thesis defenses last Saturday and thankfully, they passed! (Congrats to Gian, Joseph, Clyde, and Michael for passing!) I asked Joseph and Gian about how they were feeling after the defense. They told me that it was like a giant weight was lifted from their shoulders. I have to agree. For me, this was the most difficult path that I faced throughout my college life. Good thing I did not have to go through it alone because I have a partner during this insane joyride that is THESIS.

I also realized that this may very well be the most difficult obstacle I've faced in my life so far and I could say that small obstacles pale in comparison to this. Whatever I'm facing right now is really small compared to what I faced during the thesis implementation. The feeling that you have accomplished something very important to you and can be used to your advantage is great. 

I sincerely hope that those who have not defended their research or those that are going to will realize the significance of what they're doing and not just do it for the sake of it being a requirement. Do your best in this and the feeling will be all more joyous.

Good luck to those who'll defend their thesis. :)

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

OPINION: Facebook is SLOWLY RUINING Instagram..


Instagram's new Web Feed. Familiar-ish layout? (instagram.com)

As you may have known, Facebook acquired a small startup that is Instagram last April of 2012. Since then, the arguably most popular photo sharing mobile-first app is slowly growing its web presence thanks to its parent company. I know this sounds great for some people because we can now view our filter-heavy (or less) Instagram photos on the web, but to me there's one problem:

WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS MOBILE.

It's the year 2013, and a lot of people are now using smartphones. In fact, Facebook has touted that they have MORE users on mobile now. I know Facebook wants to prove that they can be "mobile-first", but even with that I am doubtful because of Graph Search going to the desktop first. Now I'm worried that it has to share the same fate as Facebook is. The effects of the change in the Terms of Service was already bad enough for Instagram, how much more if they become more like Facebook?

First, Instagram introduced Web Profiles (shameless plug, here's MINE), an easier way to view Instagram profiles when using a regular computer. Then, they introduced Badges for people to put them on websites. Then they have EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS for things that the people you follow do, new likes, comments, etc. Now, they have a full Web Feed which is basically Instagram's Home user interface on mobile, except that it's on the web.

What's next? Uploading photos directly from a computer? If that happens, Instagram would lose its appeal as a mobile-first app and be lumped in with Facebook and that makes me sad. If I had one wish for Instagram, it would be to just go back to being a startup again because for me, Facebook is trying to ruin Instagram. They better hope that the users won't leave.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Back to Basics.


Nokia 1280. DON'T JUDGE ME!
So yes, I got a basic cellphone called the Nokia 1280 today. Don't judge me right away because you don't know why I got this. The reason why this post exists is to tell you all about how I decided to get this phone.

For the past few weeks, the phone that I use for my Sun Cellular SIM wasn't really functioning well. It kept losing signal when I needed it the most, and it would restart by itself more often. I didn't mind at first, but one event gave me a sign that I need to change my phone. It was Thursday, and I was on my way to an important orientation for a contest that I'll join three weeks from now. I needed to get some documents from the coach so that our school is okay to join the event. My phone kept losing signal to the point that I had a hard time communicating with the coach. It took me around 20 to 30 minutes just to contact her. Good thing we found each other or else I would have been later than I was that time.

So awhile ago, I looked for a phone to replace the crappy phone I had. I first thought of getting an Android phone. Clearly, there are a lot of choices but I have a budget since I don't want to crush the certainty that I'm going to get my dream phone. I first decided to get one of the most popular budget Android smartphones, the Cherry Mobile Flare. It has a dual core processor with a 4-inch display and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). The problem was that the build quality of the phone isn't comparable to other budget smartphones out there. I didn't wanna break a new phone after a few months, so I decided not to get it. We then chose a simple Nokia phone that can do calls and texts. I was okay with the Nokia 1280. It even has a flashlight! Hehehe.

I realized that this could be a great time to compare how phones were before to how they are today. Are the benefits of having more functionality outweighing the disadvantages? Is it making our lives better for the long term? I'll know soon enough. :)