My Holiday Wish List

1. Let there be peace on earth.

2. A pink diamond pendant.

3. Panasonic home theater system with wireless rear speakers.

4. POD by Atlantic CD organizer.

5. Cereal dispenser by Zevro.

6. Carlos Falchi handbag.

7. Nohonon desk character.

8. Sennheiser wireless headphones.

9. Kindle digital reading device by Amazon

10. A trip to the banana republic.

Happy Holidays one and all!

Holiday Shopping: In Time for the Holidays (Attn: Procrastinators)

I must admit that I am a sucker for shoes and bags. Be it online shopping or in-store shopping, you will always find me in the shoes and bags aisle. It’s my way of accessorizing my get-up since basically I am a jeans and casual top kind of person. If I see somebody down the street, the first thing I look at is the kind of bag the person is strutting around. That’s how I judge people, basically. I judge them with their bags.

Why bags? A bag can be anything it can be. The possibility is endless. Somehow I am drawn to the intricate layout, the fine workmanship, the quality of the material used, the color and texture, the size, the shape, the ease of use and the overall impact. How a bag looks defines the taste of the person wearing it. What about people who don’t wear bags? They’re both lucky and unlucky. Lucky because they don’t have to carry a weight on their shoulders. Unlucky because their life is boring. Besides their hands are always full, with no bag to put in their stuff.

I know, you are raising your eyebrows now. That’s alright.

This is my mantra. Life is too short not to be enjoyed. I try to enjoy my life by incorporating variety and just enjoying the little things that give me pleasure. One of them is bags and shoes.

It doesn’t have to be that way for you. Just enjoy whatever little something that you can enjoy that won’t strain your budget. I used to buy pens every week. Any color, any design. It just gives me the pleasure knowing that every time I write, it’s always a different feel.

Anyway, I shop online most of the time. The only other time that I am shopping somewhere else is when I’m at TJMaxx & Marshalls (I should get compensated for promoting them on this blog). I even go to Ross, sometimes. I hardly go to the mall and buy from specialty shops because it’s boring. Getting something that looks like it is mass-produced for an entire generation, just doesn’t appeal to me. I want something that is at least of limited production, that way the chance of me bumping into somebody sporting the same accessory is slim to none.

So where do I go online to shop for the things I like? I go to smartbargains.com, overstock.com, zappos.com, amazon.com and lately to endless.com.

I’m sure you are all familiar with these sites. But let me just tell you why I go to these sites. I like smartbargains.com because it does have a good array of high-end brands at affordable prices. The only thing that I don’t like is the standard shipping which is quite not at par with the other sites in terms of speed. I like overstock.com because it has an even bigger array of products to choose from and shipping is fast and affordable. But sometimes, price-wise they really are not the cheapest you can get online. I like zappos.com because of their wide array of apparel and fashion accessories and they carry the top name brands. Zappos.com also offers fast shipping. I like amazon.com because you basically can find anything under the sun, plus they always inform you on when you should order so it gets to you at a particular time. Amazon.com even offers a subscription to its customers so they can ship certain products for free if it’s eligible for prime shipping (two-day). This is such a good deal if you are a regular amazon.com shopper because you will really save on shipping and the product is delivered to your door faster. Lately, I got into the habit of buying my shoes and bags at endless.com. It’s a remarkable site that offers free overnight shipping. It’s always fun shopping from endless.com because you don’t wait for days for your item to arrive. You order today before cut-off time and immediately, the following day your ordered item is sitting on your doorstep. Isn’t that great? Definitely it is. Plus if you want to return a product, you simply go online and print out the return shipping label, repack the item, seal and label and drop it at the post office at no additional expense on your part and no third party to deal with. Besides the site itself is remarkable. It is for now, dedicated to bags and shoes, for men, women and even children. The site is also designed such that online shopping becomes almost as good as in-store shopping wherein you can scrutinize every aspect of the product before deciding on buying it. Endless.com does that with an advanced web interface wherein you can look at the product in different angles and zoom in to see a closer view of the material, the design, the color, and even the texture. Try it online, and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

And for all of you procrastinators out there, it may not be late yet (as of this writing) to shop for a present that will get to the recipient on time. Give a bag or a shoe from endless.com. You will not be disappointed.

I have to get going. I’ll get myself another bag.

Blackberry 8320 & T-Mobile’s HotSpot@home Service: A Closer Look

T-mobile recently upgraded its mobile service by providing the so-called HotSpot@home subscription which allows a mobile subscriber to initiate calls utilizing a wi-fi connection at home, and in turn making unlimited calls that doesn’t use up the subscribers monthly minute allowance. This service also allows the subscriber to be connected to hotspots nationwide. With the service your mobile provider automatically connects you to the network in range whether it’s a hotspot or a regular cellular network at home or on the road for uninterrupted mobile service. Indeed, it is an ingenious idea if only it is perfected.

I live in a slightly elevated area and so my cell phone signal is constantly absent. In fact I cannot initiate a call if I’m at home, so with T-mobile’s new offering, a new hope dawned on me that I can have a reliable connection while at home.

With the HotSpot@home service, mobile calls can be made using existing wireless signals from your local network through UMA (unauthorized mobile access). And since the service requires a HotSpot@home enabled cell phone, I decided to say goodbye to my T-mobile Wing phone and upgraded my used-to-be Blackberry-less mobile life to a Blackberry-ful one. It was about time to see what a Blackberry can do compared to my previous mobile phones.

First off, the good things about the Blackberry 8320. It is smaller in size compared to its other Blackberry predecessors and more lightweight. It uses a mini trackball for multidirectional and easy manipulation of programs and files or messages in your message folder. It has a camera with a built-in flash at an adjustable capture range. It has a media player that can play several kinds of media files. It is wi-fi and Bluetooth enabled. It allows data transmission using GPRS/EDGE, edge, GSM, UMA, uma signals. It has voice dialing. And it is designed to work with your wireless network for free unlimited mobile calls at home after subscribing to T-mobile’s Hotspot@home service.

The bad. It has no video capture feature. Another bad thing is the fact that the blackberry is a blackberry, thus, there maybe some mobile tools that you like and have gotten used to with your other mobile phones that run on a windows mobile platform which you cannot run on the Blackberry 8320. A good example is YahooGo, a mobile application that provides maps & navigation, weather, instant messaging, etc. No matter how many times I tried, this application was never able to successfully run on my Blackberry 8320. There was always an error at startup. So I guess there are possibly a few bugs that need to be fixed.

Another application that I love so much that I also was not able to work successfully on the Blackberry 8320 is the Avantgo mobile service. Surprisingly though, I was able to download and successfully run the mobile version of Windows Live Search.

One thing to note is, if you want to make use of the full functionality of this cell phone, you should be ready to pay for the extras like subscribing to the Hotspot@home service as well as the Blackberry unlimited e-mail service provided by T-mobile. This is good if the service is really a necessity for you, but for people who just want to explore the technology, think twice.


The Hotspot@home service is supposed to allow an easy handover from your Unauthorized Mobile Access Network (UMAN) to your cellular network so there is no discernable service interruption. However, the technology probably is still too raw and not yet perfected because on several occasions, I have initiated a call using UMA and was cut in the middle of a conversation because somehow my signal went from UMA to EDGE. Even with a good wireless connection at home, surprisingly the device shifts from UMA to EDGE and even to GSM transmission modes constantly & intermittently. That I find really unappealing because once this occurs, the medium of communication is disrupted which is quite not what this technology is meant to do.

Now what exactly is the difference between these kinds of signal transmission? You can find the answers by visiting T-mobile’s information page. But here’s a quick comparison. UMA signals allow you to make voice calls for free, allowing GSM & GPRS transmissions through your local/at home network which is first authenticated by your mobile service provider’s UMA Network Controller. If you require high-speed data transmission like browsing the internet, you’re better off with an EDGE connection because it is an enhanced form of GPRS and is sometimes referred to as 3G. GPRS is more or less a slight variation of EDGE, which still allows data transmission but at a slower bandwidth. A GSM signal is only good for voice calls or text messaging but not for data transmission that requires a bigger bandwidth like internet browsing or video transmission. uma and edge on the other hand, simply indicate that you have the signal but the signal you’re getting is weak.

As soon as I got my Blackberry, I started doing the necessary tweaks and fixes to customize my phone to my style and preference. Of course, I wanted to have my own distinct ring tone so I just moved ring tones from my old phone, a Motorola v3xx simply by putting in the microSD chip from the old phone to Blackberry’s microSD slot. I then copied the ringtone files from the microSD to the device’s ringtone folder and it worked without causing too much headache on my part. Being able to do that is a plus to the Blackberry because some cell phones are really so hard to configure in terms of customizing ring tones.

Then comes setting up the push e-mail. Of course, like I’ve said, you have to subscribe to T-mobile’s Blackberry unlimited e-mail service. Setting up took a while because for some reason, if you are not able to find your way to the service books, you will not find the option to set-up personal mails using your personal e-mail accounts from yahoo, hotmail, gmail, etc. The device is preset for easy setup to your enterprise e-mail server at work but first you need to know certain information that only your system administrator can provide.

Basically once everything else is in place you can manage your device from your desktop using Blackberry’s device manager software and from there you can sync your contacts, calendar, to do list, files and folders.

Overall, the Blackberry 8320 is an excellent phone. The easy user interface provided by the keypad and the mini trackball is a definite plus (but probably not for people with big fingers). I find it really appealing. In fact, once you get used to the feel of the Blackberry, you find it hard to go back to using your other non-Blackberry phones.

If you want to read e-books using your Blackberry, just download the Mobipocket reader and you’re ready to go.

T-mobile’s HotSpot@home service is a good start, but I think the technology could be better.

Tell Me If This Ain't Funny

The Filipino Ingenuity…Err…What?

A man who was happily sipping his cup of café mocha as he came out from an infamous coffee shop was distracted by the sight of two men who were working on the road side in a residential area in South Bay in California.

One man was busy digging a hole on the ground, and as soon as he finishes digging about a foot-deep hole, the other man immediately fills the hole up with dirt. The man was really puzzled so he asked the two men what exactly they were up to. It turned out that those two men were just hired to work overseas from the Philippines.

Curious Guy: Can you explain to me what you are trying to do? It doesn’t look like you are having fun.

PINOY1: (Trying so hard to express himself in the English language). Well man, you know man, we just got hired man. This is our first job in the U.S., and you know man, we do well. We do our best.

Curious Guy: (Still confused). But what exactly are you doing boring a hole in the ground and the other one filling it up as soon as it’s done?

PINOY2: We are on a contract. There were three of us, Filipino workers. But today, the one who is assigned to plant the trees is absent because he’s sick, that’s why we just had to do what we can do without him. We just can’t stand here and do nothing. We have a job to finish!

Stranger Than Fiction: The Case of My Missing Jewelry

Around this time last year, I lost a piece of jewelry, a gold bracelet that is worth more or less $300. The strange thing was, I put it with my other jewelries in an easy access cabinet in my room, and the rest of my jewelries were there and remained untouched. At first I was thinking that perhaps one of my kids played with it and probably misplaced it around the house. So I let the days go by, hoping that somehow the missing jewelry will be recovered somewhere in the house.

Then I started getting suspicious with one of my house helpers because she was acting strange. She was actually the most responsible and most trusted of three nannies that I had, and suddenly she wouldn’t even look me in the eyes when we talked.

In the Philippines, it is commonplace to resort to black magic and witchcraft and things that are considered taboo and superstitious in this modern world. So it is not a surprise to hear stories about skulls and magic oils or cards and beads that has some kind of spell or trick that can help solve a mystery.

I was particularly curious as to the veracity of these things so what perfect opportunity for me to venture into these unchartered waters.

Did you even hear about the saint that has no mercy? They call him, St. “Merciless” Anthony or simply put, St. Anthony—Without Mercy. People believe that he is the helper of people who have been robbed of their material possessions. According to tales if you seek help from this saint whatever things that are stolen from you will be returned or else the thief will lose his sanity. In Cebu, there was this place wherein you just find these believers and they do practice the art of seeking help through this kind of worship. I went to the place, all on my own and knowing that it was in the slums, of course I had to look as rugged as I can, knowing that in that place not only worship and black magic abounds but some gangsters and drugs as well, just to give you a clue to where I went. I met this old lady. She was all relaxed while she spread her deck of cards out in a piece of concrete in an open roadside spot. Her name was Antonia—the female breed for Anthony. She had this strange look about her. She looked like she was left in time. At first her face really looked scary with all the black spots that accented her old wrinkly face. She then asked me, “What are you here for? What did you lose?” I thought well, you’re the witch with the tricks, tell me! But it was easier to just fess up about my lost jewelry. She then told me that I have several options and of course it came with a price. She said that whoever was my suspect, I can just write her name on a piece of her custom-made paper and she’s going to feed it to her treasured skull inside a chest and the thief will---DIE! So I thought, OMG, I don’t want to be a murderer or an accessory to it so I told her NO. Then she told me to just write the name of my suspect as an addendum to a prayer and she was going to say the prayer every night for the next 7 days and it will cause unrest to the thief and possibly drive her insane. She said that her prayer was so effective that as soon as she starts the seven-day ritual the thief will be awaken in the middle of the night and will hear strange murmurs from the skull that she hid in a chest and she worshipped to. So I thought to myself, wow, I can’t believe that in this day of advance technology, these practices are still thriving. Out of curiosity and I was there anyway, I opted to take choice B. Antonia, the witch doctor then spread the deck of cards one more time and asked me to take two cards. Whatever numbers were on the card that I took represented the amount I needed to pay to her for her service. Luckily it was just two figures in Philippines pesos. I left and really had doubts about the truth to the effectiveness of the practice. In fact, I came as a skeptic, and went home even more in doubt, but I had a unique experience.

Then the next few days I was just paying close attention to my aides in the house and see if there was any visible manifestation of black magic spell. Then I noticed that one of my house help who was the suspect was obviously not sleeping well at night with her red tired eyes but I didn’t confront her because I didn’t have proof that she did it.

When I went to see my pedicurist I casually shared the incident. She then told me that she knew of a spiritual psychic who can shed some light on what happened. She said that the woman she is referring to had solved several similar mysteries in the past of missing stuff. So off we went to see her the following night.

As we entered the house and met her, I was able to sense a feeling of lightness around her. I was able to feel that the lady had some honest sense in her unlike other fake psychics or spiritists. So we played and picked the cards, then right away she gave me a very fitting description of the person who took my jewelry. I was amazed because I didn’t even tell her anything about who were the people in my household and how they looked but somehow her description was right up the nose. She said that she will pray for her to feel the guilt and return the stolen item to me. This time, I was sure that indeed my jewelry was intentionally and willfully taken from where it was kept.

Things progressed in the house and indeed, I was able to feel the suspect’s guilt even more. This time, she would no longer talk to me and if I wanted her to do an errand she did it quickly and disappeared right away as if she couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with me.

A week later, I went to Bohol for my Christmas vacation. I confided to my sister about the missing jewelry. She then told me that they knew of someone who can help me recover my missing piece and so we decided to see him but deep within my heart I was resigned to the fact that whatever was gone, was not meant for me. It was gone for good.

Then I met this healer who was probably in his mid 20s. They told me that he had the power to tame people. In fact, his second wife was a tall, fair-skinned, beautiful Filipina that you would not even imagine to have wanted to live a simple life with a quack doctor in the mountains of Bohol. They told me that this guy was exceptionally gifted and he can clearly decode to you in a picturesque outline who took what from you.

As soon as we arrived in this small shanty in a little hilly part in Bohol, we sensed a really different world that was way too domesticated and probably a bit crude fit for a life away from the hustle and bustle of the city. But mind you, these people still have cell phones. I had my cell phone too, just in case I need to call backup. No, my point is, in that place, the contrast of the modern world and the unsophisticated life in the mountains is eye-catching.

Anyways, we sat for a few minutes and waited for the guy to come out. As soon as he came out, immediately he told me what I lost. He even described in full detail what color it was, and how thick it was. I was baffled and surprised because we never said anything—not a word to him. But my sister told me that the guy was really blessed with something that was supernatural. I tell you, I had never been so completely amazed in my whole life. But this guy really brought the house down. This guy had one thing, one thing that you and I would want to have in this high-tech age. And it’s one thing that is probably more sophisticated than any modern gadget that we have these days. I’d compare it to a display screen or a monitor that you can mentally influence to graphically display a vivid image of things that you want to see. You know what he had?

He had this little bottle with oil inside. The oil rises with the rising of the tide, I was told. So if it’s high tide the bottle is filled with oil. If it’s low tide, the bottle is half empty. And that bottle was probably his most effective weapon in doing what he did best--healing and solving mysteries. With just a drip of that oil, sick people from different places who came to be healed were cured. And amazingly without replenishing the oil in the bottle, the bottle never ran dry. According to tell tales, he once preempted a second attempt to burglarize a home by giving the victim a forewarning based on what he visualized in his bottle of oil.

Then the healer went on to tell me that the thief is a short lady, with a stout frame, and she has straight hair at shoulder’s length. And boy, there was only one person in my household that could fit the description that he gave, perfectly. She was my once most trusted aide and now my suspect.

He didn’t stop there. He told me that if I can find that blue overnight bag with a red trim and zip opening, my bracelet is concealed under a layer of folded shirts. As he said this with utter certainty and confidence, he was looking at his bottle as if he had closed-circuit TV that broadcast the information that he just gave me. Right away, I felt blood rushed through my entire being. It was like finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I was glad I had my cell phone at that time, and so I immediately called up my other sister who was in the house in Cebu and told her to find the bag. You could hear me repeating the description that the healer gave. They tried to locate the bag but they couldn’t open one big luggage that had a lock on it and my suspect was nowhere. So I told them to just abandon the pursuit of recovering my missing jewelry. For me, it was enough to know that people that I entrusted with so much confidence are after all, not worthy of it.

I immediately told my sister to send all maids home for a Christmas vacation. My ulterior motive was to finally clear the coast. I didn’t want to go back to Cebu and deal with the issue of confronting the culprit. I just want to let go of the incident. My suspect at that time seemed like she was at her wit’s end. In fact, the other people in the house in Cebu were telling me that while we were in Bohol the maid kept staring on thin air and was obviously overwhelmed with guilt and didn’t know how to atone for the wrong that she had done. To me her being without peace was enough punishment for the wrong that she did.

I was convinced that she did it, but whatever it was, something was stopping her from returning the item to me. It could be the desperate need for money or it could be the big ego that surpasses all form of shame or guilt.

Then my brother knew about the incident and he reacted strongly to it. In fact, without my knowledge, he himself went to another spiritist/healer in Cebu. According to him, once he got to the healer’s house immediately the healer knew what he was there for. The healer held his pulse, then told him that he was asthmatic as well, and amazingly enough, it was true. When my brother directed his attention to the missing jewelry and asked the spiritist who did it, meaning who stole my jewelry, the lady immediately told him that it was someone who is a not-so-distant relative. That really struck a chord with my brother because what he was just told was absolutely true. The maid’s middle name is the same as my last name. (In the Philippines people take their mother’s maiden name as their middle name, so the middle name always bears some kind of relative consanguinity or blood relationship. By the middle name alone, you can tell if a person is somehow an expanded part of your family tree.) The lady told my brother that the one who took it already pawned the item at a local pawnshop and that she (the thief) has no plans of returning it, no matter what.

My brother was so furious that as soon as he found out, he immediately wanted to confront the suspect, but I pacified him, telling him that even if all fingers are pointing towards her, still we didn’t have any solid evidence to support our suspicion. So I told him to just forget it, because all material things in this world just come and go anyway. It’s our dignity and honor that stays with us even when we’re gone. Besides, being a thief for a person and being dishonest is truly a curse—and it’s enough punishment.

The experience drew me to acknowledge the existence of unseen forces in human life that were clearly manifested in the strange coincidences. It’s almost as if those three people were looking at the same crystal ball even if they were geographically distanced being located in different parts of the Philippine islands.

I didn’t even think that remnants of black magic or witchcraft still exist in this modern age. But quite frankly, I was proven wrong. Good or bad, the experience really was an eye-opener for me. There are things in this modern day that make you think with reckless abandon that technology is in and old practice is taboo. But guess what? There are things in old practices that are much harder to decode than a well-written programming syntax or a precisely programmed integrated chip designed to perform complex as well as extraordinary functions. Truly, we cannot disregard or deny the fact that technology at its best still co-mingles and breeds with the purest form of supernatural existence in some unheard of corners of this planet.

That healer—I’d probably refer to him as the guy with a crappy cell phone but with a very sophisticated bottle of oil.

Still to this day, I haven’t stopped figuring out the obvious puzzle surrounding the existence of supernatural beings. Hard as I tried, there are no explanations for why some things are, the way they are. There’s only room for acceptance that no matter how advanced technology can get, you can still be taken aback by something so pure, and just SUPERNATURAL.

Heating Up Your Home This Cold Season

Winter is here and in some parts of the country temperatures have dropped to freezing or even below freezing point. Without adequate heating inside your home it could be uncomfortable to move around the house and do stuff. You probably would just want to stay in one spot where you can comfortably warm yourself up under a nice cozy blanket.

If you look around the stores there are actually several portable heaters that you can get to heat up your home. They come in different shapes and sizes and they are normally selling below $100 or even below $50. The problem with these portable heaters though is the fact that they could be a fire hazard because they suck in too much electricity which can really pose a problem especially if your house wiring is not updated or you still have old non-standardized electrical setup in your home. These portable heaters though small in size can consume as much as 1500 watts per heater. Imagine fifteen 100-watt bulbs all lit up at the same time. Take three heaters and run them at the same time and bam!...your fuse will blow up or your circuit breaker will trip off especially if you are using other appliances at the same time. You could be lucky if you have a circuit breaker in your house. What if you don't and you live in a house wherein the wires used are old and not meant for high-powered appliances? That's where the risk of fire comes in because the amount of electricity pulled out from the source is too much more than what the wires can handle, thus, causing the wiring to overheat and who knows what's going to happen next? Imagine small pipes with a strong surge of water pressure going through it. It can't withstand the pressure, thus, the pipes burst open. Do you get my point?
Don't take the risk especially if you don't have a circuit breaker in your home. Fires triggered by faults in electrical wiring can easily spread throughout the house in seconds.

In our case, we don't use our central heating unit because it's too much to heat up the entire house. Instead, we opted to use several portable heaters for the different rooms. When we had two 1500-watt heaters everything was fine but as soon as we added one more heater of the same power rating the circuit immediately shut off. Power overload--that's what it was. So now I was left with a dilemma as to how I can keep my room warm enough for me to sleep comfortably at night.

After searching the internet I found another form of heating that uses low electric consumption and doesn't dry up the air unlike typical heaters. What I found was Econo-Heat panel heaters. It's basically just a panel made from a heat conductive material that you can mount on your wall and it uses less than 500 watts. I experimented with it and I'm actually happy with the result. I replaced one of my portable heaters with two panel heaters that I installed in two separate rooms. What this heater does is, it dissipates a low but constant heat while it's ON. And that heat really keeps the room at a comfortable temperature. Besides the heat that is emitted from it does not really suck up the moisture of the air because the amount of heat dissipated is at a constant low. You have the option of plugging it through a timer so it automatically turns ON and OFF at certain times of the day or you can also plug it through an automatic temperature sensor so it does the same thing once a desired temperature is set. This panel heater can be easily mounted on the wall but make sure that you put it in a strategic location away from windows or openings with cold draft coming in. It is best to put it on the part of the room which is properly insulated so the heat can bounce off across the room. It is best if you make sure that your room is properly sealed from small openings where cold air can come in. Insulate. Insulate. Insulate your room properly. If you have a bigger room you will most likely need more than one wall panel heater. Keep in mind also that when you install these panel heaters, you don't put them too high because heat rises.

These panel heaters are a little more expensive than the portable ones that you see around the stores but they could be more cost-effective in the long run. And perhaps they maybe the only solution you can get if your household electrical circuit cannot handle too much electrical load.

I also needed another portable heater for my computer room because it can really get so cold at times so I shopped around for a low-power heater. Luckily, I found one at Sharper Image and it only takes 150 watts of power. It's good for its size but you have to keep it really close to you because you cannot expect it to heat up the entire room. They refer to it as the big small heater because it really is able to dissipate enough heat for its small size enough to keep you warm.

There are other heaters in the market and they claim to be safe, economical, efficient and effective but they are way too expensive at more than $400 for a unit.

For now I'm happy and warm with my choice of heating our home during this really cold season. I hope you are warm and happy too.

Geek Switch: Migrating Files from an Old PC to A New One

You’ve decided that it’s time to upgrade your computing life by getting a new computer to replace your old sluggish machine. Now what?

Most of us cannot detach ourselves from all the files and programs that we have in our old computers and chances are, we will be multi-tasking between the old and the new computers which is actually very unproductive. You want to get rid of the old computer but you do not know how to integrate your old programs, files and settings to the new machine.

There are several things that you can do. You can transfer your files to your new computer using built-in utilities that come with your OS (operating system) or you can download free utility software that will help you migrate your files for free or you can just cut the chase and buy a utility software that will do the job effectively for you.

But first before you even decide on moving your old files to the new computer consider the tools that you need in order to establish a path between the two computers for the transfer of files. You have several options. First you can connect the two computers through your network (assuming you have your existing network), by connecting both computers to your network router’s Ethernet ports. The second method is to connect the two computers using the serial/parallel ports and of course you need a serial/parallel cable, but this connection would provide the slowest data transfer between the two computers. The third and the fastest method is to connect the two computers through the USB ports and of course, you need a dedicated data-transfer USB link which is available at most computer accessory outlets. Another method can be performed by utilizing external storage media that can hold ample amount of data.

To establish a path between the two computers you need to connect them using a data-transfer cable that you can plug into the USB ports of your PC. I got one from Belkin and indeed it makes the file transfer much quicker and easier. The data-transfer cable comes with its own software that will help manage the transfer of files and settings between your old and new machines. I think the software that comes with the Belkin data-transfer cable is provided by Laplink. Laplink also has its own version of the same migration tool. You can buy and download online, PCMover, a PC migration software by Laplink (a trade name) and with it comes an optional data-transfer cable that you may choose to be mailed to you after a few days. Either way, you get the same results. It’s a bit pricey at $45-$50 but it takes the guesswork out of the task of migrating files and settings between your old and new computers. I used PCMover to migrate files from my Windows XP laptop to my new Windows Vista machine. My new laptop that runs on Windows Vista does have its own utility software that can perform the migration of files but I don’t think that it migrates the settings as well. I didn’t try it because I just want to successfully migrate my files and settings in one sweep so I opted to pay for a software to do the task more easily for me. With the tool I was able to migrate 30 GB of data in six hours. The good thing about PCMover is it gives you a clear outline of what programs and files are sitting in your old computer, which ones are already existent in the new computer in a newer version, which files are candidates for transfer, which programs may not work in the new system.

All you need to do is to confirm which programs and files you want to migrate by simply selecting and deselecting. And in the event that there’s an error in the transfer, you can always go back to where you left off even in an aborted migration because whatever files you have migrated already, they will stay in the new machine. Of course, you can always undo the migration process using the same software.

I am a very impulsive person and impatient too. So what happened was when I first grabbed my new computer, I couldn’t wait to transfer my old files to the new computer and finally say “Hasta la vista” to the old one. So I went online and purchased the software that might just do an easy transfer of files. I got PCMover and paid more than $40, but they did send me a laplink (USB data-transfer cable) that arrived in the mail a few days later. One drawback with the purchase was that I wasn’t sent the unlock code right away and customer care wasn’t readily available to assist me. So I had to wait until I got the serial number through an e-mail before I was able to fully utilize the software capabilities. This software does what it promises to do and it’s easy for the average computer user. You can even download a trial version of this software but it doesn’t migrate your settings to the new computer. So what’s the relevance? Sometimes you want to keep the same look of your desktop and all other settings that are carried out at startup. If you use only the trial version, you can only transfer some programs and files and your settings are left out. But if you really don’t need to keep the old settings then just make use of the trial version.

So here are a few points to note if you are thinking about migrating your programs, files and settings from your old PC to a new one. (Or even if you are not.)

1. If you just got a new PC chances are you got the better ones with dual processors and probably with a Windows Vista operating system. If you have a computer that runs on Windows Vista, it comes with a utility that helps you migrate files but not settings from your old computer to a new one.

2. Before you migrate your files, decide on what method of transfer you want to use and make sure you have the necessary accessories (hardware) and the software. It is always good to plan ahead.

3. Before performing the migration process, decide on which files you want to keep and which ones you want to get rid of. In my case, I uninstalled programs that I know I will not be needing anymore. That way, I had a better view of the files and programs that will be moved to my new computer.

4. Make sure that your old system and files are free of malicious programs by first performing a system cleanup that includes running an antivirus software, a registry scanner, and an anti-spy software. You basically have to wash off the dirt from your old computer before you move your files to the new one because you don’t want to pass on the junk that’s been sitting in your old computer to your new machine.

5. Plan a good time to do the migration process knowing that it takes time to complete the process. Depending on the size of the data that need to be transferred it could take from a few hours to at least half a day to complete.

6. It also helps to do a little research before you even decide on which software to use to successfully migrate your files.

7. You always get what you pay for. If you get your software for free, the migration process maybe a little bit more challenging and painstaking. Have a good supply of patience and perseverance.

8. If you want an easy pass with not much mental work on how to do the migration process then be ready to pay with real hard cash for a software than can make the process headache free.

9. If you want to do away with the migration process, hire the geek squad. Stores like BestBuy offer a service wherein they do all the work for you when you purchase your new computer, and of course it’s at an additional cost to you.

10. If you are not even ready to get rid of your old computer yet, well, lucky for you. You’ll save a lot of cash. But you’ll have more wait times in front of your computer that could really be frustrating and probably you’ll speed up only one thing by dealing with your old sluggish computer—your aging process.

So it’s about time for an upgrade. Be a geek. But be a happy geek. Get it?

SAMSUNG SUPPORT: Are You Kidding Me?

I called up Samsung technical support at 1-800-SAMSUNG because I needed to get additional information after I have exhausted all measures that were provided on their SAMSUNG support site.

I was gladly forwarded to a technical support engineer and the conversation that transpired went a little like this.

TSE: Can I have your first and last name?

Me: Mao ni akong ngan.

TSE: Can I have your phone number starting with the area code first?

Me: Mao ni akong numero sa telepono.

TSE: Can I have your complete home address?

Me: Diri ko aning dapita nagpuyo.

I did provide the information that they needed (though above, I chose to playfully annoy the reader by putting a reply in a different dialect). Excuse my deviousness at times.

Anyway let me continue to the juicy part of the conversation.

TSE: What is the product?

Me: A television.

TSE: Is this your first time to get technical support?

Me: Yes.

TSE: Have you registered the product before?

Me: No.

TSE: Can I have the model number?

Me: (excitedly provided the model number)

TSE: Can you repeat that again. I could not find it. It’s not showing up.

Me: (ran my way to the back of the TV and uttered every digit in the model number as perfectly as I can)

TSE: Still I don’t see it.

Me: It’s probably because this product was purchased in the Philippines.

TSE: Wait a minute. Let me put you on hold for three to five minutes. I have to talk to my supervisor and see what we can do.

Me: (waiting for five minutes)

Then the technical support engineer came back on the line.

TSE: I’m sorry but we cannot help you with this product because we don’t support it.

Me: (I could sense my hair color was turning red). What? But this is a SAMSUNG product!

TSE: I understand Ma’am, but we don’t support your product because it was not purchased in the U.S. It doesn’t even show up in our database.

Me: (My BP just went up 3 point 14 sixteen points higher) You know what, all I want is just to get the name of a SAMSUNG authorized service center around the area where I live so I can have my TV fixed because I have basically read your FAQ and technical support on site and it didn’t help. Can you just give me a name of the closest service center?

TSE: Well, let me put you on hold for another three to five minutes. I will talk to my supervisor and see if there’s anything we can do.

Me: (waiting for another five minutes)

TSE: Ma’am we’re really sorry but we cannot provide you with any information. I suggest that you visit the SAMSUNG Philippines site and from there you can get help on what to do.

Me: (I could sense that my hair color just turned to neon red—if that color exists!) What? Are you trying to tell me to go to the SAMSUNG Philippines link, then what, I’ll have a technician from the Philippines come all the way to the U.S. to fix my 61-inch SAMSUNG DLP TV? Is that what you are suggesting?

TSE: No Ma’am, but we really cannot help you.

Me: (frustrated and furious) This is ridiculous! All I want is for you to give me a name of a service center for SAMSUNG television in California so I can call for an in-home service because as far as I know I have done the necessary steps to fix my ailing TV and has even replaced the lamp myself, and all it needs right now is a technician to come and see what’s wrong with it, and you cannot even provide me with that kind of help?

TSE: You see Ma’am we understand your concern but that’s not the way our system works. We have to input the correct model number so we can do the next step and your model number is not even in our database.

Me: BYE! (ended a totally futile undertaking…)

See? The best products are not necessarily the best buys that you can get these days because no matter how good a product is, if it’s not backed by a good technical support system, it’s useless. I tell you, it’s horrible when you paid thousands of dollars for a product and as soon as it stops working you’re left alone to solve your dilemma. It sucks, big time. Can you imagine a woman servicing a huge TV with kilovolts of fatal stored electricity inside just because the technical support department considers it a mortal sin to namedrop a service center for the product? And I tell you the product that I was seeking support for is not even a region-exclusive product, meaning, it’s not intended for Asian region use only because unlike typical televisions, that TV has a voltage rating that ranges between 100v-240v and it even automatically adapts to the voltage supply of the household. Otherwise it would have been stupid of us to ship that TV from one corner of the globe to another and would have been equally stupid to seek support for the product in the U.S.

Well to the SAMSUNG tech support in the U.S., get this. I will not have my TV repaired. I’ll just get a new one and I’ll make sure it’s not a SAMSUNG.

November Scare: Of Fires & False Alarms Courtesy of ADT

It's December. Yeah, it's been a while since I posted anything on my blog. It's not that nothing noteworthy transpired but I was still very busy putting my blogging life on track. Anyway, Halloween passed and nothing scary happened. You know it's always fun when something really freaks you out then you realize that it's not really what you think? That's why it's always fun to put on a "Chuckie" mask during trick-or-treat night then watch people jump out of the way as you cruise past them.

Halloween's long been over. I can't see any residue of it now, but I would like to note something that happened after Halloween that really sent me to panic.
In the month of November alone there were countless fires in California Hills that raised thousands of homes to the ground. It was a scary time. It was also a time wherein people were extra cautious about fires or the possibility of a fire igniting anywhere in the dry part of California.

I was myself not at peace with all that fire news and with all the ashes being blown in our direction even several miles away from where the actual fire was. I knew that anything that has to do with fire will send me to panic.

Then one afternoon after I picked up my kids from school, the phone rang three times. I looked at the caller ID and it was a "1-800" number so of course I was not paying much attention because, I thought it was just some telemarketers. Then the phone rang the fourth time, and it was my husband calling from work, telling me that ADT just called him that the fire alarms in the house went off. Honestly, I felt like I just woke up from a bad dream and realized that I wasn't dreaming at all. I was confused, and all I can say was, "What? I was here all along and I didn't hear any alarm go off." I could sense panic in my voice and I was all nervous. What if indeed there's some fire brewing in the house somewhere? I checked every corner of the house. I was sure of one thing. Our installed fire alarms never rang, not once. While I was checking every corner, somebody knocked on my door and well, guess who stood there? Two fire fighters! They brought along this huge lengthy monster fire truck and it was there in front of our house ready to spray its massive hoses filled with gallons of water to put out any fire. My! I was really in panic mode now. All I could spit out was, "What's up?" They told me that ADT Security called them up because my fire alarms went off. So I told them, "First, the fire alarms didn't go off and second, we are not subscribed to ADT!" So they left without any incident, but I can no longer switch off my panic button. My blood was rushing through my head and all I can hear was my heartbeat. So I did continue with my search in the house for any smoke or anything, then the next thing I hear was, "Sheriff here!" I went downstairs and right inside my house by the kitchen was a police officer ready for some crime-busting action. This time I could feel the sensation of tiny needles pinching my face as the blood rushed even more to my head and my face in sheer panic. Now, I wasn't only nervous but I was furious because I was unpleasantly surprised since stupid ADT could not figure out whatever signal they are reading from their monitoring system. The police officer told me that they got a call from ADT about a burglary in progress. Lucky enough, I had all my IDs to prove that I was the woman in the house and there was no incident as reported. Two hours after the police officer left I was still trying to make sense of everything that happened that day.

See, when we moved in the house, there was already a different security system that was installed and since I thought probably since ADT is more infamous than them then perhaps ADT is a better service. So I did call up ADT to activate the security system in the house but I didn't proceed with it because I would have to spend more for the installation because they couldn't figure out how to make the old system work with their system. To make the long story short, ADT never succeeded in installing and activating a functional security system in the house. So where did they get all that signals that sent firemen and a police officer to the house? I don't know! I guess tech doesn't talk to sales or customer service for that matter. And who's the victim? The unsuspecting resident in the house who doesn't even have a clue that someone out there is getting and monitoring signals that is supposed to correspond to what goes in the house. It's a travesty! How can they possibly provide us with a monitoring service? I don't even get a bill from them for their service. And my God! The attempt to make use of their service was yet in July and four months later their monitoring department still doesn't know that we were never successfully subscribed to ADT. They suck!

I'm sure of one thing. If there even was a real fire in the house at that time, they would have no way of detecting it because whatever signal they're getting to respond in that manner was probably just an erroneous signal that they just can't interpret, and if it was a real fire alarm their system would not even decode it because you know why? THEY DID NOT SUCCEED IN INSTALLING AND ACTIVATING THE SECURITY SYSTEM.

Now, just reliving that incident makes me feel angry. I would have thanked them if indeed they have given me a free monitoring service for months and it was a working service. But it's not! I hate to say this but the next time I will be unduly inconvenienced, I'll wage a war against them in BIG BOLD BLACK LETTERS. Yeah, man, WAR!

Pacman: You're The Man!

Many Filipinos today are rejoicing after Manny Pacquiao claimed another victory against the "baby face assassin", Marco Antonio Barrera. Once again Manny Pacquiao proved that he is the better fighter in the ring compared to Barrera. The fight was much highly anticipated by boxing fans all over the world because of the fact that both fighters are well-respected in this sport. I was expecting of course for more heavy punches from both sides of the ring, and possibly a knockout. But today's fight did not deliver the same depth that Manny Pacquiao's previous fights had. It wasn't really as explosive and exciting as his previous fights. The commentators were saying that it was out of Manny's respect for Barrera that made Manny paced his moves the way he did in today's fight.

Was it worth paying PPV? Yup, it wasn't great, but it was good. Though I should say that Barrera failed to deliver his guns after waiting for a long time to have the opportunity to reclaim the title.

As usual I like Manny's signature "rambunctious" move in the ring wherein he throws a quick punch then quickly moves to the other side, so that as soon as the opponent throws the counter punch it just lands on thin air. Manny is just so quick. He almost always have that lightning speed agility in the ring. That's what really makes every Manny Pacquiao fight a sellout. It's the fact that Manny will always try his best to entertain the crowd by throwing the right punches at the right time. And let's admit it, almost all other boxing bouts are just boring. You usually just see two people slow-dancing their way to the 12th round. But not with Manny.

Anyway, kudos to you Pacman. You're the man!

◊» Filipino What?

Living Large

Imagine for a minute that you're a king, what would you eat for breakfast?

Some people think that breakfast is not as important as the other meals in the day. In fact, some people skip breakfast and some combine their breakfast with lunch, thus, the term "brunch".

For some of you who don't know breakfast, breakfast is the most essential meal of the day. Breakfast is meant to break your 8-12 hour fast, depending on what time before you go to bed do you stop eating. During your resting hours you deprive yourself of food because you're not using much energy compared to when you are up and about. Besides, you can't eat and sleep at the same time, unless you are a sleepwalker who manage your way to the fridge even while you're in deep slumber.

There are people who are on a diet, who think that by skipping breakfast they are able to increase their chance of losing weight. It's the notion that less meal intake equals less calorie intake too. And this is absolutely wrong. In fact people who are on a diet should start up the day with a full breakfast--a breakfast that is fit for a king. Why? Loading yourself up early in the day curbs your craving for food later on the day. It also helps pump-prime your metabolism early in the day, which is ideal if you want to lose weight. Chances are no matter how big your breakfast is, you'll burn it up as you go through your day.

If you eat breakfast, the next question will be, are you eating a healthy breakfast?

Eggs, butter, pancakes, sausages, cereal, muffins, bread, milk, juice, coffee--these are the popular choice for a typical breakfast. If you eat these, are you eating right?

I don't know with you really but I have a different flavor for breakfast. You see I like variety. I want a bit of everything. It is more filling and enjoyable when you eat something that is not boring.

My typical breakfast would be eggs, some bread(multi-grain), sausages, fruits, cheese, hot chocolate, oj, H2O. Sometimes when I'm really in a hurry, I'd eat fiber-loaded cereal with a banana. And at some other time, don't be shocked to see me munching on some dried fish or sardines and rice for breakfast. I'm a Filipino, remember?

Anyway, my point is eat, and enjoy what you are eating. But keep it healthy. Remember, it is always good to enrich your diet with fiber and antioxidants.

I'm even keeping it a habit to supplement myself with fiber that comes in capsule form. This helps sweep off the gunk inside my gut from eating meat, fat and processed foods.

Lately, I've gotten into the fruits and cheese breakfast. Couple it with a cup of cafe mocha decaf and voila, I'm living large. I first got my eye on it at Starbucks. What comes in it? Two kinds of cheeses--brie(my favorite) and sharp cheddar, some fruits--strawberry, a slice of apple, grapes and lastly, a few slices of raisin bread. Wow, the thought of it is already mouth-watering. All these, you can easily grab at $5.55. Too much? Well, fix your own. I did the same. I found some nice pecan raisin bread, got some fruits and cheese, and now my mornings are never boring with my kingly breakfast.

It doesn't take much to eat a healthy diet. Remember, you are what you eat. If you eat too much junk, your body will eventually show signs of premature degradation, thus, you are speeding up your aging clock.

Slow down, smell the coffee, enjoy a healthy breakfast. It's your passport to a more enriching lifestyle.

I tell you, you don't have to be rich to live large. You just have to enjoy the little things in life that matters, and one of them is a healthy breakfast fit for a king.

Remembering Special People

I used to work with a guy, well, not really. He was a bit on the feminine side. He was actually my mentor when I was in college, then surprisingly when I started my job we ended up as colleagues.

Anyway, he was not the nicest of people. He was actually nasty, typical of his gender preference. It's almost as if gay guys are given that privilege to talk nasty to other people. Of course it is well-tolerated in the country where I come from. People think that they're entitled to it because they're different.

I used to hear other people criticize him for being tactless, brutally honest and just plain a**hole sometimes. But that was the way he was, even when I used to attend his Spanish class. He always had his way of awakening your fighting spirit, if you have one.

Anyway, I do remember him because he used to look at me, teased me and pretended to chase me, while I also pretended to run away. He used to say, "I'm gonna eat you" then he would put his fist close to his mouth as if he was about to take a bite on an apple. In a way, he was fond of me for some reason.

But what is clearly etched in my memory, is not how he used to play around me but how he was witty and funny at the same time. He always had the extra pizazz to spice up a boring day. He would come to work neat and fashionable and as soon as you threw compliments his way for the way he looked, his usual reply was, "I thought you never notice" and then he'd give you that raised eyebrow and that look that clearly said, "after all, you're not dumb as you look". That almost always awakens the villain in me, and I would always give back a look that depicted, "you're not as smart as I look, damn it!" with both hands on my hips. And with the exchanged glances we managed to smile with sarcasm at each other. Of course, we loved each other and we only did it for fun.

At some other times, he would be so blunt and almost egotistical after he would openly declare, "Only for those who can afford!" when we gave him a compliment on his nice shoes, nice pen, nice shirt, nice tie. Sometimes he would even finish it off by saying his favorite "I thought you never notice" line. It always drew laughter among us.

Brutal as he was, many people still loved him because he was such a generous guy. He never failed to share his food or gifts to us. He was even willing to pay for food for a village of hungry people like us, every time we strum on his kindness.

He was really fun, except for the few times when he got so explosive, and that happened when something was not done right in his department.

I remember him sharing to us his spiritual side, telling us how he never failed to utter his night time prayers, no matter how tired or drunk he was.

Above all, I remember him for his talent. He has a knack for Broadway shows. In fact he recreates the Broadway hits like Miss Saigon or Les Miserables for students to experience and to be exposed to, to develop their performing arts skills. He can dance really well. He can also project like a pro. He was really exemplary in his art and his creative skills. I'd liken him to Christopher Walken, who's also a Broadway talent, with the he way he walks, talks and stands tall.

He was also a very well-versed speech and communications instructor. I was a fan of him. He was highly intellectual. He was on top of his game. To this day, I'm still a fan of him.

I haven't seen or heard from him since 1998, but I still remember him so fondly especially when I catch myself borrowing his lines and his phrases while I try to look funny and intelligent at the same time.

Intelligent and funny people are diamonds in the rough. They don't come by that often. Supply is dangerously low.

I'm glad that I knew him. If I could put together my own memory wall, he definitely would occupy the center spot on that wall.

To Blog Or Not To Blog

People who blog often find it hard to post a new weblog on a regular basis, especially those who are particularly meticulous in terms of the kind of information that they post in their blogs like me. If you are blogging just for the sake of posting something even if it does not make sense, you wouldn't feel the same degree of difficulty. You see, blogging needs a good train of thought for you to be able to compose an interesting log about your fields of interests. You need to take time to sit down, ponder on what you want to write about, and finally work your way through the keyboard to input the information that you want to share. Yet there is no specific guidelines as to how you should create and record your blogs. In fact, a blog can go any which way you want it to be.

Let me just say that once you have made it a habit to blog, you kind of feel an itch to write a blog as often as you can. It almost makes you feel like you have this growing need to speak out, be heard or just be able to vent your thoughts through your blog. The question though is, do you really have the time to do it?
In my case, after all the things that I need to accomplish in a day, with my current schedule, it is virtually impossible to blog as often as I used to. But like I told you, once you are into blogging, you're in for that urge to blog. It's just a matter now of creating a balance between the different priorities, so that blogging can proceed without compromising other daily tasks which are more important.

Why should you blog?

1. Blogging is as good as any hobby. If you enjoy it, keep on doing it.
2. Blogging frees your mind of hassles and perhaps unpleasant thoughts. It's a good way to ventilate yourself mentally.
3. Blogging is an excellent way of record-keeping. This is especially useful if your blog covers topics on useful tips, sites, howtos, utilities, tools, practical solutions and just about anything that can come in handy at certain times. I've been basically going back to my blogs to refer to stuff that I can use to solve problems as such as computer-related ones. I tell you, my blog has really been useful to me personally because what I particularly know now, I don't necessarily remember all of it three months later.
4. Blogging is an art. It's a form of free expression, thus, however you do your blog, you impart a bit of your artistic inclinations.
5. Blogging is a powerful tool that manages to break through global boundaries and different cultural genres.
6. Blogging is free media. It's your personal free press. Use it, but use it responsibly and effectively.
7. Blogging sharpens your mind ( with good practice) and enhances your communication skills.
8. Blogging helps update your know-how on things that interest you. Why? Because to effectively blog you have to be informed, and to be informed you have to read. Reading allows you to absorb fresh ideas, information and simply updates your basic knowledge on anything under the sun.
9. Blogging has commercial value. If you know how to do it, blogging can bring financial rewards.
10. Best of all, blogging allows you to compete with the rest of the world, as everyone tries to bombard everyone with limitless information. It's just a matter of who among us can impart the most useful kind of information to any audience at a given time. Information is power, remember that.

Why shouldn't you blog?

1. If the last time you had a good night sleep was when someone accidentally hit you in the head and you passed out.
2. You are too stressed to even spell "BLUG".
3. Your blog is more of a punishment than a treat.
4. Your blog is sending all kinds of red flags.
5. Reading your own blog becomes a painstaking task.
6. Your blog is a comprehensive array of well-crafted back links from other blogs.
7. Your blog is turning the rest of the world against you.
8. Your blog is just a waste of prime internet realty.
9. Your blog is absent. When? When you write about something and there's really nothing there.
10. When blogging is really not your thing. Find something else to waste your life on.

No, don't listen to me! Come on guys, you know better than that. Blogging is blogging. To each his own. Live and let live.

Nuvi 680: Cruising In Style

K. I must admit that I don't drive without my nuvi 680 in hand. It always sits on my dashboard, so I am totally worry-free as I take point A to point B. It is basically my travel guide which of course never runs out of patience if I insist on taking a different route. You see, the funny thing is, try to imagine somebody looking at a map and guiding you as you drive. If it was a real passenger in your car, chances are when directions are not followed, it's going to lead into an argument or an altercation. With the GPS (global positioning system) though, you're the boss. It is typical to hear, "...in 0.3 miles turn left on ..." from your GPS device, but if you miss the turn, you'll hear, "...recalculating..." and if you miss again, and again, your GPS device always will recalculate for you (without yelling at you!)

I'm sure a lot of people don't even know that this technology exists--the capability to be tracked by satellite wherever you are within continental USA, Canada, Europe. And for some who know, perhaps the thought of having a GPS device in their vehicle doesn't entice them. Well, technology is not for everyone, but for the lucky few who appreciate the advances of technology, you're in for a more convenient life, not necessarily simpler, though.

So what does the nuvi 680 do? Basically, it is a more feature-rich device compared to the nuvi 660. Both the nuvi 660 & 680 employ an MP3 player, a hands-free speakerphone which is bluetooth enabled so you can make and receive calls from and to your cellphone using the nuvi, preloaded maps with categorized POIs(points of interest), bigger touch screen, extras like cruising speed and simulator, option to travel using shorter distance or shorter time, loud speakers, voice options for the audio guide (male or female). The nuvi 680 does even better with MSN direct. As the nuvi 680 is mounted on the vehicle dock, MSN direct is activated giving you up to the minute information on traffic, weather and even a comparison on gas prices. Wow,that's really useful!

These GPS models are a bit pricey compared to their other counterparts, but you always get what you pay for. Honestly, the GPS is so useful to me that I actually own both the nuvi 660 and the nuvi 680, so I'm never without it when I'm on the road. Tip: You can always compare prices and get good deals using pricegrabber.com.

I got mine about $300 cheaper compared to retail prices from electronic stores even at sale prices.

The nuvi always gives me a kick everytime I hear, "...recalculating...". I hope one day they'll make one that is more humanely involved, one that says stuff like, "Moron, I told you not to go that way!" or "You're helpless, you cannot even drive your way out of a trash can!" or "That's it! You're on your own genius!" I think that will be more fun. It will be of course, limited edition for the witty few funny people. I'd be the first one to get it as soon as it is available.

Before I forget, the screen of the nuvi is easy on your eyes and the graphics on the monitor adapts to whether it's daytime or nighttime automatically, so you can easily see where you're going whatever time of day it is.

Anyway, the nuvi is a nice little work of genius, that I can never do without. It's as if it is surgically attached to me, indefinitely. Get one now, and live large.

PINGO: The Best & Most Cost-Effective International Calling Service

It is a fact that when you are away from home, and you want to keep in touch with friends and relatives across the globe you are willing to pay anythings just to hear your loved one's voice.

For most of us, Filipinos, we love to keep in touch with our relatives, thus, we spend a good portion of our overseas earnings for long distance calls.

With the advent of voice over internet protocol, or simply VOIP, international long distance call rates have become less expensive than they used to be. But cheap doesn't mean satisfactory service. Some VOIP long distance providers just don't give you a good two way communication media, thus, you suffer with audio problems which of course is fair because "you always get what you pay for". Right? No. Just like all other services, you can still find a good bargain. So even if you pay cheaper long distance rates, you can still get a good service for your money.

Let me just share to you what services I used to avail of to initiate international long distance calls. First off, YahooVoice Phoneout service. At 19 cents a minute to call a landlline or a mobile phone across the globe from your computer, you already get a good value for your money. Of course with some local phone providers you get cheaper rates at 16 cents a minute (looks like it) but when you add up taxes, subscription fees and a bunch of local and national taxes, it really doesn't come out cheaper at all. Agree?

Then I tried TalkPlus. They charge less than 15 cents a minute for a call to the Philippines from the U.S. The one thing I like about it is you can call from your cellphone. Tip: If you have a MyFaves subscription with T-Mobile, you can just add the access number as one of your MyFaves contacts and you can talk for hours from your mobile phone without eating up your minutes. Another advantage of TalkPlus is you can either call through, meaning, you dial their access number to reach an international number, or you can set it to call back by initiating a call through the internet and as soon as you are connected to the called party your phone rings.

The only drawback is, sometimes, you have to take several tries to get connected to the number you are calling. But the voice clarity is remarkable. It's almost as if you are not using a VOIP service.

Then I found PINGO. And bingo, I'm stuck on it for good. So far it's the best VOIP service out there. Let me point out the good stuff. First, it charges me 13.8 cents to make a call to the Philippines from the U.S., so it's the cheapest I've found, basically. Second, it's fairly easy to use. All you have to do is sign-up online on their website, buy your minutes, perhaps opt for auto-recharge, register your PINPass numbers. PINPass numbers are your regular phone numbers or mobile phone numbers that you register so you can initiate a call from those numbers and the system will validate your call right away without a need to enter a PIN number. So if you register your home phone number, as soon as you call the PINGO access number, you can then proceed with dialing the country code, area code and phone number without much of a hassle. Again if you have a mobile phone, and you are subscribed to unlimited minutes like MyFaves, you can call as well from your mobile phone. You can register up to ten PINPass numbers. Isn't that neat? The voice clarity is superb. Third, there are no connection fees and extra hidden charges. You really get a good run for your money with their service. Bonus: You get $5 of free minutes if you refer a friend and when you first sign-up for the service.

Is there anything bad about the service? Well, the fact that it's cheaper and much more easier to use, you might get used to calling home as often as you want and as long as you want. So be forwarned. I will guarantee you that if you try PINGO, you will love it. PostScript: I don't get any monetary bonus from featuring this service in my blog, except for the satisfaction of course, of sharing something useful to my blog readers. Enjoy!

◊» The Geek In Me

Cool Stuff for the Geek

Electronic toys are fun to play with especially if it keeps you efficient and entertained. Most gadgets that we do have these days allow us to multitask but with all the bugs and fixes sometimes it becomes a painstaking experience. Nevertheless, technology is evolving faster than it used to be. With the growing number of competitors trying to outdo each other in the technology market, a new idea easily branches into another concept producing even more products with slight enhancement from the original prototype. Thus, we, the consumers are bombarded with an endless array of electronic toys sending us to confusion as we try to decide which ones really stand out in terms of price and functionality.

Let’s take a look at a few gadgets.

The cellphone.

Try visiting gsmarena or mobileburn and you will see the newest cellphones in the market, even those that are still in production and are not yet released for sale. With cellphones, you can have whatever functionalities you like, small or big, with camera or without camera, with mp3 player, with FM, with calendar, with calculator, with wi-fi, with edge technology, with HSDPA(high speed download packet access, with 3G, with keyboard, with stylus, with touch screen, with Bluetooth, with IRDA port, in several dimensions and shapes & shades to choose from. From mere cellphones, to camera phones, to music phones, to internet phones, to smart phones. After a while you really get bored. That’s the bottom line. But when a new technology emerges, it's kind of inspiring to venture on technology again.

HTC Atlas (T-Mobile Wing). Does it give you wings to fly? I was torn between a Blackberry 8800 and T-M Wing. Never had a Blackberry, yet I got the T-M Wing. The screen isn’t as bright as my old QTek S200. A good thing with it though is it has a slide out keyboard which come in handy when you want to check your e-mails or maybe use one of the mobile office tools that come preloaded with the device( mobile word, excel, powerpoint). Another good feature of this device is it runs on Windows Mobile 6. There isn’t really that much of a difference in terms of the processing speed. Sometimes it even comes in as sluggish, but there’s an easy option for you to stop all running programs, or check for running programs that are eating up your system resources. Another notable difference is you can easily customize your settings without having to download a separate tool like the resco file / registry explorer to be able to effect change in your ringtones, alerts, and alarm settings. Say you want to have an mp3 song for a ringtone, all you have to do is upload your ringtones on a microSD (the phone comes with the slot) then just copy and paste the ringtones you want to the corresponding ringtones folder. The device itself is average to me compared to other devices of similar features and functionalities, but if you do subscribe with T-mobile you get a few useful tools like the web service. This device is Wi-fi and Edge/GPRS enabled. If you are in a hotspot you can connect using wireless technology and browse the net like you would using a regular computer. However, if you are subscribed to the web service the Edge/GPRS technology allows you to connect to the net at a slower pace compared to the wi-fi but still it is very useful. A really good tool that comes with the gadget is Windows Live Search powered by NavTeq and Traffic. It gives you the ability to search for POI (point of interest) near your location, get directions, get maps, route your destination, zoom in and zoom out in the map, get traffic data and pretty much do anything that you can do using mapquest or googlemaps. It really is very handy. It’s a good alternative to having your own GPS system while on the road at no cost. Except for the web service of course. Add to it the 2.0 megapixel camera, the expandable memory, the media player, the pdf reader, and all other necessary tools for organizing, and it’s a pretty efficient mobile tool.

iPhone. Well this cellphone has most of the consumers anxiously waiting for its release which is scheduled on June 29th this year through AT&T. And yes, there’s no pre-order option. I wouldn’t talk much about it because I haven’t held one but basing on the commercials that they show on TV or on their website, it seems pretty impressive. It definitely introduces a breakthrough technology using the electronic keypad which is easily manipulated by touching. Is it the only phone that employs such in the market? The answer is NO.

HTC Elf. Even before iPhone could get to the hands of the consumers the Elf is already making a buzz in the market at about the same time, with its rugged form factor and the TouchFLO technology that works pretty much like the iPhone. By touching the screen on a particular direction you can pretty much browse through the menus like flipping the pages of a book. Check out their website.

I-Mate Ultimate. I-mate introduces its Ultimate line of phones which are quite attractive in terms of design and form factor. It managed to break the typical smartphone or pocket PC look and incorporated a sleek and clean design for their cellphones. The good thing is you can choose from five (5) Ultimate designs. The better part is they all employ the latest Windows mobile OS, Windows Mobile 6.

The Mobile reader.

If you love to read e-books you probably are still reading them through your palmtop or pocket PCs or smartphones. It’s time for you to upgrade. E-ink already made its way to the mobile market. E-ink has redefined the way mobile readers read. Unlike reading from a computer e-ink makes your e-books look more like a regular book without the glare, and it pretty much can be read clearly even outdoors.

Sony Portable Reader. You can load your e-books and read just like you would a regular book. This device is basically intended for a mobile reader’s needs but it also employs other media capability like playing audio files, and other documents. It has a slot for SD cards or a memory stick and can hold a library of books. So beware as soon as you start reading through the portable reader you might not be able to stop.

Iliad by iRex. iRexTechnologies is also into the e-ink technology. The Iliad is a few hundred dollars more expensive than the Sony e-reader but it also has more for the money. It is wi-fi enabled so you can easily connect to the internet and browse the net and it allows you to annotate files and store them in your PC or in your Iliad. You can basically read and write using the Iliad. You can also connect it to your PC, so if you are browsing the net and you find something interesting, just download it to the Iliad, unhook from your computer, lay on the couch and read like you are reading a regular paper. It has a slot for Compact Flash and MMC. You can even connect a USB stick into it.

With Sony you get a coupon that is usable towards the purchase of e-books at their own e-book site Connect eBookstore. With Iliad you can download from manybooks.net or from any e-book site that sells e-books in pdf format or mobipocket format. You can go to ebookmall and subscribe to a lifetime service with free downloads. Better yet, scour the net and find the best and free e-books. How about trying blueportal.org? Enhance your mobile reading life now.

UMPC. Ultra Mobile PC. You see them now as the ultimate in mobile computing. Their size is only a little bigger than that of the Pocket PC or PDA but their capability and processing speed is that of a regular PC. I don’t see though that much of an advantage when using this device because the screen is too small and most of the time you use a stylus instead of a keyboard. I mean, I have a Fujitsu tablet with an 8.5” screen and it’s a full-size laptop in terms of functionality and it’s still pretty lightweight. But if you want to explore technology and you can afford it get one. Perhaps it’s a life-changing experience.

Wireless media/Entertainment.

Slingbox. If you haven’t made use of the slingbox get one now and enjoy TV through the net. But why would you want one when you probably have a big HDTV in your living room? If you don’t want to share your viewing experience with anyone then you can just sit in front of your computer and watch your show. Or if you travel a lot and you are too hooked to the boob-tube then you definitely have to sling it.

iPod Video. So you managed to download your favorite TV shows and movies from iTunes but are you going to watch them through that small screen? There’s an alternative. Get an iPod dock with video player and be able to watch your videos on a 7” or 8.5” screen on the go. Get one from Philips, Memorex, or Altec Lansing.

Apple TV. Stream your movies from your iTunes library to your TV using this device through a network. It will be an amazing experience.

Travel Gear.

GPS. A lot of people are still not convinced about the usability of a GPS. Try one and you will not be cruising without it. Getting directions, checking for Points of Interests and getting the feeling of having a companion while you drive is a good experience. Just be able to keep your eyes on the road though. There are lots of them out there. Which one will you pick if you are a beginner? Well, it probably helps if you get one with a touch screen option or perhaps one that gives you spoken turn by turn directions. Try Garmin Nuvi 200. If you want a bigger screen with mp3 player, Bluetooth capability and a better interaction get the Nuvi 660. There are other good GPS products out there like TomTom but based on my research, so far these two made it to the top.

Airport Express. Stuck in a hotel room with wired internet that you share with your family or a companion? How do you get around this dilemma? Get Airport Express by Apple and you can easily create your own wireless network with firewall and security encryption. You will be unwired in no time. You can also get one from LinkSys. The good thing about the Airport Express is it lets you stream your music wirelessly through your network.

Other interesting gadgets.

Sony VAIO LS Series. With duo processors, maximized storage capability, TV tuner, own desktop camera, and a superb space-saving design you will most likely want to have one. Check out the site for more information.

Flybook VM. It’s a laptop that has an intuitive design. Unfold the laptop and you pretty much have something that looks more like a separate flat screen and a keyboard just like modern PCs.

Computer-less e-mail printer. Print e-mails and photos directly without any computer. Just attach the printer to your phone at home and get pre-set spam-free e-mails delivered to you 24/7.

◊» The Geek In Me

TJMaxx: A Woman's Shopping Haven

Why do women who love shopping love to go to a place called TJMaxx? Why not? There's nothing better than browsing through an endless array of stuff, and if you are a serious shopper who wants to get a good deal, it is always exciting when you find a good bargain somewhere in the stack of discounted stuff. I am not crazy about brand names, but I know that some designer stuff really matters in terms of the quality of their product. They have to take care of their name, thus, you can always count on a good product from the leading designer brands. Right? Call it crazy, but you can just drop me off a TJMaxx outlet, leave me there for a day and I am perfectly happy.

Men just don't get it. Shopping to women is like hunting to men. Call it a sport if you like. And what better way to go hunting than being in a huge maze of discounted designer goodies? There is always that thrill of finding something of good quality and paying less than half of the MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price). (I should get a TJMaxx gift C for writing this, huh?) Do you agree with me? But just don't go overboard. Remember, you are there to hunt for a good bargain and not to splurge, though if you have the money to do it, shop to your heart's content.

I hardly even go to the mall to shop. I don't get the same excitement that I experience when I shop at discount stores. I don't like discount stores in general, but a few of them make it to my list like TJMaxx, Marshalls, Home Goods. The rest of the discount stores, I could care less if they stay in business or not.

What else, aside from getting a good bargain attracts me to go shopping to TJMaxx? Simple. Most of the time, you get stuff that are one-of-a-kind. Getting a bag that doesn't look like it's been mass-produced for seventy-five million people is awesome. It gives you the feeling of exclusivity in terms of ownership, unless of course, you bump into somebody who is sporting the same apparel or accessory. So even if I love shopping, I wouldn't be as excited if I were to shop in mall outlet stores.

I know that the stuff that I get from TJMaxx will not end up an untimely demise inside my forgotten collection of unused stuff. They will of course serve a good deal of wear & tear before I
pass them on to a worthy recipient.

And for as long as TJMaxx is there, my shopping days will always be exciting.

◊» Because I'm Not A Man

Geek Laughter: How A Mouse Works

If you are a geek, you are most likely fascinated by the inner workings of a particular function, task, machinery and so on. Often than not, though, the simplest of tasks are set aside for the reason that they don't involve much thought-provoking discoveries.

Take for example the case of a mouse click. How many processes do you think are involved to carry out the basic functions of your mouse? Hmmm... like moving your mouse around your screen area. Come on, it's not rocket science, but if you can only see (and you will!) how much work is involved, then you would take the necessary precautions, so as not to eat up your system resources. Do you want to find out what it's like? Click on ' How A Mouse Works ' and I promise you it's more fascinating, than it really appears.

Well if you are reading this paragraph that means that you didn't click on the above link otherwise, you would have been laughing so hard by now that your tear ducts are all stimulated causing your eyes to get tear-filled as you burst in successive laughter.

I salute the genius and the creativity behind this work. It's the work of a real thinker, with a good sense of wit and humor.

Well, I hope you had fun, because I sure did.

◊» The Geek In Me