Alternative to Google Reader

Google has announced that it will shut down it's popular RSS aggregator - Google Reader on July 1st. I've been a user of Google Reader only for the past year and I've grown to love its simplistic features. Knowing that the end is near for my beloved Reader, I searched online for alternatives but it's not as near as simple and functional as Google Reader. Then I hit gold when I bumped with The Old Reader.



It's interface is more stylish but still simple enough to make your move from the Old Google Reader to The Old reader seamless. Import your data now and give it a try.

Share

Crushing on the Sony Xperia SP

Fearless Forecast: Sony will be the 3rd leading mobile manufacturer in 2013. With a strong line-up of new phones coming up in a few months, Sony is poised to take on a bigger share of the smartphone market. Starting with their flagship release and in my opinion the prettiest looking mobile phone - the Xperia Z. Sony will follow this up by releasing what I expect to be a mid-level category phone Xperia SP.



Sony Xperia SP boasts of the following specifications:

4.6-inch 720p HD Reality Display

1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor

3G and LTE capable

1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage (expandable via micro SD slot)

Pre-installed with Android 4.1

8MP rear camera capable of recording 1080p videos

Available in 3 colours: Black, White and Red

My favorite part is the he notification light, which is more than an eye candy since it can change the lighting color based on an activity such as playing music content the lighting will resemble the album artwork and pulse in beat with the music. You can also assign lighting color to your contacts so you will know instantly who is calling you without even looking at the screen. Pretty neat right?



I'm psyched at the direction Sony is taking to be competitive in the on going smartphone wars and pissed off at the same time by being tempted to buy a new phone.

Share

Futureproof Technology

I have a 2011 Samsung Galaxy Ace android phone. At that time, it was still running Gingerbread version out of the box. That seems to be lightyears from now the way that updates are coming out. Samsung has stop supporting updates for my phone after Gingerbread. Then came Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean updates and my phone is proper-outdated.

Luckily, there are people from XDA Forums, who still develop custom ROMs. WTF is a ROM? If you're living under a rock (in a techy geek's perspective) One of the best things about the openness of the Android platform is that if you're unhappy with the stock OS, you can install one of many modified versions of Android (called ROMs) on your device. Thus, my outdated device is not so outdated anymore:



If you compare 2011 smartphone specifications to that of 2012, you'd be surprised to see the gap in terms of chipsets and display. But functionality is unique to every individual. If you use your mobile mostly to play games then graphics and memory specifications are gold to you. But if you're like me who just use it for calls, sms, social networking and playing music - then you don't need any cutting edge specification to get your fix.

Ever since the Nokia 5510 days, Filipinos are enamored by the use of Mobile phones. It has become almost a necessity for any individual. There's also comes the unecessary pressure of trying to keep up with the latest releases if you're that type of person. But to me, I don't feel like I need to invest that amount of money to something that will depreciate in value in a matter of months. I'd rather put my money into traveling - invest in experiences... they last a lot longer. Futureproofed.

Share

Cherry Mobile Fusion Tablet - Price and Specs

I admire Cherry mobile for coming up with low cost alternatives for the budget conscious. They recently launched The Cherry Mobile Fusion which is priced at Php3,699. Here are the full specifications:

Screen Type: Capacitive Camera: Front VGA Camera Memory Internal memory: RAM: 512MB Internal Storage: 8GB Battery: 3000mAh Data Connectivity: Wi-Fi and USB Port CPU: Android Ice Cream Sandwich; Single Core Display: 7-inch display WVGA resolution Bluetooth: None



This is something I would buy if I don't have a smartphone but since I do it won't make sense to buy a tablet with a much lower specs. If you plan on buying those cheap ass no-name china brands, I'd say just buy this tablet. The 1 year warranty will give you some peace of mind and the facility of customer & technical support.

Share

Do Not Buy CASIO Digicams!

How can something made in Japan be as crappy like CASIO digicams? More than a year ago, I asked a former officemate of mine to buy me a CASIO EXILIM EX-Z700 when she was in Japan. The cam was quite good aesthetically but quality wise a lot is left to be desired. Lately, we experienced white horizontal lines and overexposed shots in the images that we took. After researching on the internet I found that there are a lot and I mean a LOT of people who also has the same problems with their Casio digicams. I also found out that not only the EX-Z700 has this kind of problem but even the most recent models that Casio released to the public. Yes, this problem can be repaired by changing the lens mechanism of the camera but wait there's more... repair costs around $100 which is more than the actual price of the unit! So i guess, that's not an option I'm willing to take more specially knowing that after a year I'll have the same problem all over again. If you're lucky and you've encountered this bug before your warranty expires then take it to the nearest Casio branch but I'm sure you'll be back there in no time.

I still can't believe why Casio, a Japanese company known for their excellent watches, has not made any changes to the design of their cameras. If you're planning to buy any CASIO Exilim line of products (EX-S10 EX-S880 EX-S770 EX-S600 EX-P505 EX-FH20 EX-F1 EX-V8) I advise that you read other reviews before purchasing this half-baked cookie. The market is sprawling with better products so do your homework first before shelling out hard earned moolah for a tin can.

5 Reasons Not To Buy The 3G Iphone

5. The Camera. There is no improvement from the first Iphone, not even for the software. It is still 2 megapixel, and has no flash or vanity mirror.

4. The price is $200 less than the first one, but you're not taking into consideration the additional $240 you will be paying for the contract over the 2 years.

3. No keyboard. The iPhone's software keyboard has documented issues.

2. Lack of upgrades. There is still no stereo Bluetooth, no MMS, no video recording, no character counter in the SMS app, no IM capability, no cut-and-paste, etc.

1. The 3g Radio. Yes, I am going to complain about the 3G radio. Apple stuck a UMTS/HSDPA 3G radio in the iPhone. But why not use AT&T's HSPA network, which means faster uploads for pictures and e-mails? This offers about 3.36Mbps, where other phones in the market support 7.2Mbps.





Zeman, E. (2008) Five Reasons Not To Buy The 3-G Iphone. Informationweek.com

McAfee Identifies World's Most Dangerous Domains

Wednesday, June 04, 2008 - by Daniel A. Begun
McAfee has released its annual "Mapping the Mal Web" report, which reports on "the riskiest and safest places on the Web," after analyzing "9.9 million heavily trafficked Web sites" using its own McAfee Site Advisor technology. Topping the list of most dangerous domains is the .hk domain (Hong Kong); the safest domain is .fi (Finland).

Ranked in order, the top five most dangerous country domains are:

* .hk (Hong Kong)
* .cn (China)
* .ph (Philippines)
* .ro (Romania)
* .ru (Russia)

In order, the top safest are:

* .fi (Finland)
* .jp (Japan)
* .no (Norway)
* .si (Slovenia)
* .co (Columbia)

In addition to country domains, McAfee found the .info domain to be the most dangerous generic domain--claiming that as much as 11.8 percent of all .info domains pose legitimate security threats. McAfee also reports that "the chance of downloading spyware, adware, viruses or other unwanted software from surfing the Web increased 41.5% over 2007."

"For administrators of top-level domains this study should act as a wake-up call. Last year's report spurred Tokelau's domain manager to reexamine its policies," said Jeff Green, Senior Vice President of Product Development & Avert Labs. "Not all domain managers are as accommodating so our mission is to educate consumers of the dangers and protect them in every way they enjoy the Web whether through their PC, the Web itself, or mobile phone. With our new secure search and website safety certification, we're taking the guesswork out of searching and surfing online so that consumers enjoy a safer Web experience."

McAfee’s motivation for producing and disseminating this report is not completely altruistic. While consumers will benefit from this knowledge, it is also designed as a scare tactic (legitimate or otherwise) to frighten people into purchasing and using security software developed by companies such as McAfee. The report also increases the perception of McAfee as an industry security expert, which leverages its potential market share for providing security solutions to the very domains it identifies as risky.

"The domain risk assessments come from the McAfee SiteAdvisor site rating database. SiteAdvisor tests sites for the presence of risky behaviors such as browser exploits, adware/spyware/Trojans/viruses, high likelihood of receiving spam, affiliation with other risky sites, and aggressive pop-up marketing."

Street Fighter 4 (IV) : Will bring back the kid in me...

I have a rich history Street Fighter or let me call it SF hereon for brevity. I first played it in the classic NES console at my cousin's house. Very vividly I still remember kicking his ass with my sonic boom using Guile (LOL). Then I was in my fifth grade in elementary when I first played SF using the arcade machine. One peso coins were still used back then as a token and if I'm not mistaken it costs around 3 one peso coins per game. I had my breakout addiction to this game during my freshman 'til my sophomore year in high school. I played everyday spending my daily allowance just to get my fix. I was relentless... trying to master combo after combo. It's kinda bittersweet when I think of how I wasted money on such a useless activity. Anyhow, more about this as a future fodder for my blog.

So what about Street Fighter 4? Take a peek at CapCom's official SF website here. From what I've seen it still boasts the same 2D appeal only in a larger, flashier scale. Most, if not all the Street Fighter 2 characters are coming back like Ken, Ryu, Chun-Li, Vega, Balrog, Blanka, Zangief and Guile while new characters like Abel, El Fuerte, C. Viper, Rufus will be introduced.

I felt that the kiddo version of me will be resurfacing upon seeing this game hit the nearest Timezone branch. Oh well... being the responsible grown up that I am now, I can't do the same mistake I did before. Money is too precious to waste since it's the output of my sweat and blood. But of course, that won't stop me from playing a couple of rounds of this bad ass game.

This is not an I-Fad: Sansa Fuze MP3 Player

The thing about me is I dislike riding the bandwagon. Before I-Pod became a household name I've been always planning to buy one of these expensive gadgets but for different reasons (mostly just being frugal) and after years of drooling everytime I pass by techie stores, I still don't have one as of now. Nowadays, almost every joe and jane proudly wear the trademark white I-pod earphones around their neck like it's a part of their office uniform. I've lost my craving for these "mainstream" mp3 player. But as fate would have it, a new temptation has come along... Sansa's FUZE. Mannn... with my midyear BONUS just around the corner I can't help but look at the possibility of owning one of these babies but then again my alter ego (Mr. Cheapskates) will takeover in this trying time. Here is an in-depth review if you're looking for a quality alternative to the overrated I-pod.