Cheftonio's Blog

Pulse Oximeter attached while playing Monopoly Deal

2012-01-27T07:59:00.000+08:00

We've been addicted to Monopoly deal for a couple of weeks now. This time, we decided to use our new gadget with it... a Pulse Oximeter!

I can now scientifically sense if the other player is winning or losing! hahaha!

Kidding aside, it's my brothers gadget to aid him in his first-responder (paramedic) like volunteer endeavors.

Cheftonio
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iPod Nano 1st Gen Replaced with 6th Gen!

2012-01-26T21:25:00.002+08:00

Today, I finally claimed my new iPod Nano 6th Generation in replacement for my iPod Nano 1st generation! I sent it to Senco Link, an authorized Apple service center located in Tomas Morato last November 19, 2011 after hearing about the iPod Nano recall. (Blog: http://cheftonio.blogspot.com/2011/11/apple-ipod-nano-1st-gen-recall-in.html)

At first, I was afraid that I might get an iPod Nano first gen that is not as pristine in condition as a replacement to my iPod Nano 1st gen (Bec they said that they will replace the first gen unit with a refurbished first gen unit also). My unit was well taken care of. The original plastic when the unit was bought was still intact upon surrendering it to the authorized service center and therefore, if they remove the plastic, they will be holding an iPod Nano first gen that's still in top shape, like brand new! Only later did I know that instead of another first generation iPod Nano, they'll be replacing it with a 6th generation iPod Nano without even spending a centavo!

A little bit of history. I didn't buy that unit brand new. I got it second hand from a "relative". I don't like spending a lot on gadgets because I discovered that if I wait, I could get it one way or another, like now and sometimes even for free! I've been wanting that 6th Generation Nano ever since I discovered that it can be turned into a watch!

As per asking the service center, the iPod Nano 6th gen I got won't be covered with a warranty. I checked Apple website and it said otherwise. According to Apple, I am covered until January 15, 2013. Anyway, I would believe Apple more.

Got the unit wrapped in a static-proof pouch

Nano surface still protected with sticker protector

Power and volume buttons, flawless!

Soon to be a multi-purpose watch!

At first I planned to sell it and add the money I will get to my "iPhone 5 fundation" since my iPhone 3G is already jurrasic and annoyingly slow at times. But, this is also something that I wanted so.. I decided to keep it! I finally have a Nano watch! Next mission is to find a watch strap similar to something like these:

Some of the best straps I've seen so far.

Do you have an iPod nano first generation hidden somewhere? Dig it up and turn it into a sixth generation iPod nano! Just surrender the unit itself, even without earphones, charger and box.

Read up more about the replacement process in my other blog:
http://cheftonio.blogspot.com/2011/11/apple-ipod-nano-1st-gen-recall-in.html

Thanks Apple! :)

Cheftonio
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Tattoo 4G SuperStick Review (Huawei E335)

2012-01-24T09:49:00.000+08:00

...and how to use it as an improvised MiFi!

After the media launch of these sticks, I immediately bought a Tattoo 4G SuperStick at the nearest Globe center just a level up near the Ayala Museum in Greenbelt. They released new broadband sticks under the prepaid selection -- one 3G and two 4G sticks. The 2 other sticks seemed normal to me but the 4G SuperStick got my attention and since I love these connectivity sticks, I bought one on the spot. I have several of them at home but what sets this apart from the others are the WiFi capability and the fact that it can get 4G signals.

The Tattoo 4G SuperStick is the Huawei E355. Here are the specs:

HSPA+/HSPA/UMTS/WCDMA 2100MHz
EDGE/GPRS/GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
HSPA+ date speeds up to 21.6Mbps
HSUPA date speeds up to 5.76Mbps
MicroSD Card slot support 32G
Equalizer and receive diversity
Data and SMS Service
Standard USB interface
Dimensions: 90.6 x 28.6 x 12.6mm
Operating Systems: Windows XP SP2/SP3, Vista SP1/SP2,Windows 7, Mac OS 10.5/10.6/10.7

Inside the Tattoo 4G SuperStick (Sim slot and micro SD slot)

Nice semi-frosted plastic finish

Info on the box of the SuperStick

Tattoo 4G SuperStick with NTC sticker

I did some speed tests to check if there's a difference between the ordinary 3G stick and the new 4G sticks:

Test Factor: 4G Stick / Prepaid Sim (Img 1.1)

Test Factor: 4G Stick / Postpaid Sim (Img 1.2)

Test Factor: MiFi Stick / Prepaid Sim (Img 1.3)

Just for everyone's information:
The MiFi stick I am referring to is not 4G enabled. I used the Huawei E5832. Globe locked.
The Tattoo 4G SuperStick is 4G enabled, which is the Huawei E355. Also Globe locked.

As seen in the screencap of the test above, Img 1.1 and 1.2 both used the new 4G stick. There is not much difference between prepaid and postpaid in terms of download speed and upload speeds. But the postpaid seemed more stable in terms of upload speeds.

In Img 1.3, I placed the prepaid sim on a non-4G stick and you can notice the difference. Placed it in the same spot, download went down from a max of 919 to 682 while upload went down from 275 to 106. Latency went up from 310 to 468.

With these non-professional tests that I conducted, I can safely say that if you are a prepaid user, definitely go for the 4G sticks as you'll get more bang for your buck because you'll be paying for the same rate anyway. If you're a postpaid user, upgrading is also recommended to also maximize what you are paying for.

I reinforce my recommendation of the 4G stick because up to 5 WiFi enabled devices can connect to it via WiFi versus the ordinary stick, which solely allows 1 computer user to utilize it. Also, the Huawei E335 can work as a MiFi too! Here's what I did:

4G Tattoo SuperStick w/ Prepaid sim attached to a portable battery pack (Works like a MiFi!)

I attached the Huawei E335 to a portable power source. In this case, I used a device I bought in Hong Kong, which has 1 USB outlet. I plugged the stick in, switched on the power and instantly, the stick emitted WiFi and remained switched on!

To know if the 4G stick is connected, you'll see a steady colored dot (Varies depending on speed. Green, Blue, and Green Blue -- in order, slowest to fastest). If the WiFi is emitting, the WiFi logo will light up as well. (as seen above).

To access the Huawei E335 control panel,
1) Get your WiFi enabled device and connect to your Huawei E335 via WiFi
2) Go to your internet browser
3) Enter this in the address bar: 192.168.1.1
4) Enter password (Default username is admin. Default password is admin)
5) You're in!

This might be a cheaper alternative compared to 4G MiFi Sticks which can cost up to 6,500 pesos (as of time of writing). Also, you can choose your battery pack of choice. The higher mAh, the better because the longer your improvised MiFi stick can last.

Cheftonio
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New Tattoo 4G SuperSticks, Ambassadors and Prepaid Offers

2012-01-23T10:06:00.000+08:00

Tattoo, a brand under Globe, recently announced new products, new plans and new brand ambassadors! Not only does it promise to resist uniformity by resisting being run-of-the-mill but, they also offered cool new super charged sticks!

As Globe rolls out their 4G network, I personally have experienced a significant improvement. What used to be a "bat cave" living room and dining area now has full bar! I even tested the internet speeds using my Globe Tattoo SuperStick and speed test showed that the boost reached 5mbps! Average from multiple tests was around 1 to 1.5mbps. Not bad considering this said location used to have no to low signal at all!

This was the place which has no Globe signal before

Other than the improvement of reach, Globe introduced 3 new devices for prepaid users (Postpaid users can also use these devices. In fact, check out the speed test comparison I’ve done to see the difference.)

New Tattoo Prepaid Products (Can be used with postpaid also):
*Tattoo Sonic 3G Stick | Php 995
Speeds of up to 3.6Mbps (Powered by 3G)

*Tattoo Flash 4G Stick | Php 1245
Speeds of up to 7.2Mbps (Powered by 4G)

*Tattoo 4G Super Stick | Php 3895
Speeds of up to 7.2Mbps (Powered by 4G)
PLUS! 4 other users can connect to this device! WiFi enabled! (See review below)

Upon purchase, all comes with a Globe Tattoo simcard PLUS 120 hours of unlimited connection for 5 days. That itself will cost you around Php 250 pesos already!

New Tattoo Postpaid Products:
*USB Dongle for consumable Plan 299/499
Speeds of up to 7.2Mbps (Powered by 4G)

*USB Dongle for personalized Plan 999**
Speeds of up to 12Mbps (Powered by 4G)
(**Upgrade to SuperStick for only an additional of Php 150/mo)
SuperStick is said to have speeds of up to 21Mbps (Powered by 4G)

Speed Boost:
Up to 12 Mbps for additional P 100/month
Up to 21 Mbps for P 150/month

Up to 42 mbps for P 250/month.

Volume Boost:

Additional 5GB for P 200/month

Additional 10GB for P 300/month

Surf-All-You want option for only an additional P 400/month.

3 new Tattoo ambassadors
Nonito Donaire Jr (World Bantamweight Champion), Georgina Wilson (Master Model) and Miggy Chavez (Rock Rebel). [L-R]

Learn more about Tattoo’s latest products and services by visiting http://tattoo.globe.com.ph

Check out my review of Tattoo's Supercharged 4G SuperStick!
http://cheftonio.blogspot.com/2012/01/tattoo-4g-superstick-review-huawei-e335.html

Cheftonio
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Knife + Fork = Knork Concept

2012-01-22T06:57:00.000+08:00

Don't let looks deceive you. This might look like an ordinary fork.. but it really isn't! I'd say that this is an ingenious invention! I'm sure we've all thought of this concept before and thank God someone took the initiative to bring it to life! Better than a "Spork", this is half knife and half fork. You won't need to switch hands between a knife and a fork while eating. Cuts down eating time by 30% (No scientific basis) but really, admit it, this is one cool utensil you'd want to have. What's left to be invented is a spoon + fork + knife.

Knorks are sharp enough to cut through steak, hotdogs, rotisserie chicken but not to sharp enough to cut your mouth or fingers. There is a pressure platform where you apply pressure and easily, just rock it back and forth and you can cut through your food! Knork has been also featured by the show Top Chef and Rachael Ray herself.

Not only is this for left handed people but it functions just as well for right handed people! Both the finger platform and rounded, thinned tines flank both sides of the utensil so there won't be any problems with that issue. Harmless piece of utensil, useful and a great conversation piece too! Also, Knork Flatware is dishwasher safe.

Great news! It is available locally here in Manila! Check out the following stores for it:
Dimensione Bonifacio High Street
Dimensione Rockwell Power Plant Mall

I'll personally be going to the BHS branch later this afternoon and maybe get a few of these Knorks. I'll add more photos as soon as I purchase them. Don't expect me to add more reviews regarding the battery life or features. There won't be any of those. Pretty straightforward in terms of what the Knork can do. I'll just let you know if I will enjoy eating using these Knorks. Excited!

Products / Prices:
Single Knork (One Piece Knork) - Php 380
4 Pack Knork (4 Pieces Knork) - Php 1395
5 Piece Set (Dinner Knork, Spoon, Knife, Salad Knork, Tea Spoon) - Php 1580
20 Piece Set (Dinner Knork, Spoon, Knife, Salad Knork, Tea Spoon) x 4 - Php 4495

There are 3 kinds of finish:
Glossy - shiny mirrored finish
Matte - a satin brushed finish
Duo - a two tone finish with a frosted handle and glossy head

About Knork Flatware

Knork Flatware was formed with hope and vision of creating and producing products to aid in the chaos of today's on-the-go society. Founded by Michael D. Miller, the company is aggressive in its strategy and innovative in its approach-creating solutions for use in an unlimited number of markets.

Knork Flatware, a division of Phantom Enterprises, seeks to enhance the dining experience by integrating a fork with the functionality of a knife built in. The Knork concept modernizes flatware and has produced the flatware of today... and tomorrow.

So, add them up in Facebook and start digging in!
Knork Philippines in Facebook

www.knork.com.ph/

Cheftonio
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Sumosam Gilmore - Greenhills Town Center

2012-01-21T16:16:00.003+08:00

Sumosam's Bento Box

It's not an unfamiliar restaurant. I've been in their other branches many times and I'm sure a lot have heard of it already. Sumosam is a Japanese restaurant owned by Marvin Agustin, Ricardo Laudico and Raymund Magdaluyo. It has been around for quite a number of years now. In fact, they already have 10 branches around the Philippines. Their newest branch is located in Greenhills Town Center, right along Granada st and a couple of blocks away from the famous Gilmore computer center.

Dojo-like feeling

This is the first franchised branch here in Metro Manila and the first branch outside the mall. Most of their branches are located inside malls and surprisingly, this Sumosam branch has become a top performer even though it was just opened last November 2011. Similar to other branches, Sumosam serves a wide variety of Japanese dishes in generous serving sizes. You can feel a hint of Japanese touch inside but unlike the row of restaurants in Little Tokyo, this has a more modern and simplistic design.

What's unique to this branch that is not offered in other branches for the meantime is their Bento Boxes. True to their word, the bento box boasts generous American portioning, meaning, it's a lot! Hey, I eat out in buffets and other eat-all-you-can type restaurants and this one, I wasn't able to finish! I might need to build up my appetite to finish it the next time I order this.

Here are the choices for the bento boxes:

The one I tried was Samurai's Choice. At Php 488 The bento box menu above specified that the Samurai's choice is 599. Actual price is only 488 :) ), I would think that it can feed 2! Here's my actual photo of the bento box served to me,

Samurai's Choice Bento Box -- So big my camera can't capture the entire thing!

Rice! :)

My bad. I left my other lens and the attached lens was the 50mm meaning, this is a fixed non-zoom lens and everything is near because you can't zoom out. Back to the bento box, I was only able to eat half of each dish inside the bento box and was able to only finish the rice. Samurai's choice has chicken teriyaki, beef misono (US beef knuckle), dory tepan, tuna and salmon sashimi, kani stick, bean sprout, yasai itame, gohan(rice) and dilis.

Everything was great except for the sticky-sweet fish in the middle. So sticky that they were stuck together -- crunchy though. No complaints with the sashimi and the beef. The vegetables were just okay. The chicken and the fish was tender enough to complement the crunchy dilis. We were also served Iced tea that day. They serve the usual red iced tea and after a few refills, I had to drink water because it was too sweet for me. Great for sweet tooths out there!

Speaking of sweet tooth, if you've got one, they have also something to offer to you. Here's the dessert they served that day. Not sure if they have this on the Menu. They have a variety of desserts including frozen Tiramisu, Mango Jubilee, Cheesecakes, Fresh fruits and more! (Just check out the menu below)

Cupcakes!

We also have a few special guests other than the franchisee of this branch namely,

Mr. Sumosam

Mr. Marvin Agustin (Sumosam President)

So if you're in the area, drop by Sumosam Gilmore and try their bento boxes! It will surely fill you up! If you live near the area, they do deliver too!

Sumosam Gilmore menu

Sorry for the blurry photo. Waiting for the clear copy.

Sumosam Gilmore
Greenhills Town Center
#2 Granada St., Brgy Valencia Quezon City
904-8427/ 09175400712

Cheftonio
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Monopoly Deal Card Game - FAQ and Facts

2012-01-20T14:15:00.000+08:00

Monopoly is a game that is fun yet educational. Variations of the game has been made, from cards to board games to quick mini games. Nothing beats the original though but the other variations are sometimes as fun too! Kids before play outside. Today, it will be hard to make them do that. As adults we must encourage younger generations to play educational games versus those computer games that promote war and violence.
Monopoly Deal Hong Kong Edition update below

One of the latest variations to add to the monopoly collection is the monopoly deal. I didn't even make an effort to pay attention to it and understand the game at first. I just thought that it is just one of those board games converted to be a card game. Slowly one by one, kids start playing the game. My future sister in law taught me how to play it and I became hooked! It was fun, easy to understand and a much quicker game to play compared to the original one. I do hope that they make a version of this for iOS and Android soon.

As you learn to play the game more, I am quite sure that you'll have A LOT of questions with regards to the game play because the rules included in the package aren't as comprehensive. I took the liberty to inform you guys some of the frequently asked questions and the answers to them. Most reply are from Hasbro and research. If you want to add facts, detect any discrepancies etc, simply place it at the comment form below.

FAQ compilation for Monopoy Deal:
(This first part will deal with basic FAQs and the latter part will deal with the more complicated Monopoly deal questions.)

More Monopoly Deal Facts:
- You can rearrange your property collection, like colored and wilds to other sets, but only on your turn.
- You cannot re-arrange houses and hotels. It should stay with the set they are placed in. They can only be removed to pay for rent.
- If for example, you have two sets of Blue properties -- (One blue and one wild card x 2), you can collect rent on both groups of properties.
- You just need one house to build a hotel. Value does not stack with houses. Only max of +4M.
- You cannot have a full set composed of just wild cards. You must have at least one property with value.
- You cannot use 'Sly or Forced deal' to get a house or hotel.
- If you used 'Forced deal' and both people completes their 3rd set and therefore wins, the person who used the 'Forced deal' wins.
- If you use a 'Just say no' card to cancel the rent action played against you, everyone else playing should still pay rent.
- The order of removal if using a full set with houses and hotels to pay another player: Hotel > Houses > Properties.
- If you use a 'Just say no' card to counter a 'Rent card' + a 'Double the rent' card, you still don't pay any rent because 'Double the rent' card needs to come with a 'Rent card'.
- You can cancel a 'Just say no' card with another 'Just say no' card. 'Just say no card' doesn't count as part of the 3 cards in your turn because these cards can be played at any time.

Monopoly Deal - still unanswered/ unclear questions:
- Can we play 2 'Double the rent' cards with a 'Rent card'. This is already 3 turns so it is valid but the question is, would the other 'Double the rent' card rely on the same standard 'Rent card'? If yes, how would the computation be? If the base rent is for example 10M, would it be 30M since each double adds another 10 or would it be 40M since you double it each time?

I will be updating this rules/ facts sheet as I get them. For the meantime, enjoy!

Monopoly Deal Hong Kong Edition!
I was talking to a fellow blogger JoTan recently and she mentioned that there were new cards in the Monopoly Deal Hong Kong Edition!!! I got so excited but sadly, I don't know where to purchase locally. Luckily, my fiance is going to HK soon and I'm going to ask her to buy one for me :)

Here are the new cards. (source of the photos: http://casandraalexis.tumblr.com/)

- You Inherit(?)
- Double Sly Deal (Like using 2 Sly Deals. Neat!)
- Speeding Fine (?)
- Pay My Rent (assign someone to pay the rent asked from you)
- Go to Jail (Use it on the person and he/she will miss 1 turn)
- High rise hotels (+5m I think)
- Hong Kong properties

Excited to get a set for myself! :)

Cheftonio
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American Idol Season 11 on Star World #AIonSW

2012-01-18T17:47:00.002+08:00

Other than the ongoing impeachment trial ongoing which is on the verge of being boring from a bit of entertaining, there's a lot of new shows to look forward to this year other than continuation of The Walking Dead series is the American Idol season 11!

American Idol, one of the most followed reality shows in the world is on again! On January 19 Thursday, tune in to Star World, 6pm and witness the unfolding of American Idol Season 11 on Star World! For those watching, we suggest that we all join in the excitement! There will be a discussion on Twitter for the AI show followers. Simply use the hashtag #AIonSW. Also, you can add them up on Twitter: @Starworld_ph

By the way, don't forget to tweet on January 19 using the hashtag #AIonSW. You won't regret it. :P (I'm giving you insider advice)

...and of course, what would American Idol be without something to lighten our moods? Here are some Youtube clips to get you on the roll for the upcoming season:

So American Idol fanatics, tune in!
When? January 19, 2012 - 6pm is the live telecast!
Where? Home of the stars! Star World!
Twitter: @Starworld_ph
Hashtag: #AIonSW

Cheftonio
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Harbor Point Mall Subic: A New Mall in Subic soon by Ayala

2012-01-17T17:17:00.000+08:00

Just recently, I got a chance to visit the new and upcoming mall developed by Ayala Land in Subic Bay Freeport Zone -- Harbor Point Subic. Construction was still ongoing when I visited and they said that construction is on for 24 hours a day! The skeleton structure is already up but it will take months before the mall will be finished. According to them, target opening date is on April 2012.

The perspective design as seen above somewhat reminds me of outlet shopping malls in the US like those of Barstow and similar outlet malls in the US. I hope that Ayala will gather and place the outlet shops scattered inside Subic and put them inside this mall. Problem is, rent would probably kill the tenants. They should work something out of this nice project.

Here's a sneak peak of the development:

Grocery will be operated by Puregold

Soon-to-be row of restaurants

Frontage

Rear part. Row of restaurants and some leisure related establishments

This will be a leisure + dining mall. As per checking, SM is also building a mall near the area. The next Ayala mall closest to Harbor Point is Marquee mall in Pampanga, which is 30 to 45 minutes away via SCTEX.

To go here, from Subic-TIPO expressway, turn right to Rizal Highway. Go straight until you reach Subic International Hotel. This new Ayala mall development will be right in front of the hotel, near the Subic Bay Yacht club. It's a few blocks away from Times Square Cinemas, a local cinema place in Subic. I guess it'll kill that small town cinema because this mall will have 3 to 4 cinemas.

We've already heard some of the future tenants to be placed in Subic's newest mall -- some highend and some midrange and since I'm not sure if I can disclose, I just won't. Of course, expect Starbucks to be there. Care to place a guess on what other tenants will be leasing on that mall?

Cheftonio
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MiLi Power Star Quick Review

2012-01-16T17:21:00.000+08:00

MiLi Power Star
I've reviewed a number of MiLi products already and just this week, I got sent another kind of MiLi portable battery.

MiLi Power Star is small in built but packs a good 2000mAh of power. Depending on your mobile phone battery, it can probably charge your device a little bit over than 1 full charge. This is the external battery pack I will recommend people with devices that has micro USB to buy. No more wire clutters because the micro USB is already built-in. No need to lug around a set of cables.

Perfect for HTC, BlackBerry and even some newer Nokia phones. Just check whether your phone has a micro USB slot. If you have, this Power Star is for you! Even the new Huawei e586 (HSPA+) uses micro USB already! Talk about extended power for your Mobile WiFis! I do that, I do that.

Here's some photo of the actual unit:

Top: MiLi Power Star 2000mAh ; Bottom: MiLi Power King 18000mAh

MiLi Power Star Battery Indicator

MiLi Power Star built-in cables

Here are some of my previous reviews on MiLi products:
MiLi Power King
MiLi Power Pack
MiLi Power Skin

More info?
http://www.miliphil.com/
orders? You can email me. Email is on the left sidebar.

Cheftonio
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3rd Philippine PyroMusical Competition (Schedule and Info)

2012-01-10T15:55:00.001+08:00

Like the previous years, we've always attended the Pyromusicals and Pyrolympics. It is usually held in Mall of Asia but there was one year that it was held in Fort Bonifacio Global City. This year, it will be held in Mall of Asia again. Every year brings a different surprise to the viewers. From heart shape fireworks to Hello Kitty like figures, it never fails to amaze people of all ages!

Get ready for the Brightest show on Earth. The 3rd Philippine International Pyromusical CompetitionAt SM Mall of Asia, the sea and sky meet for the most breath-taking display of explosive colours and electrifying music, the world has ever known.

If you are as excited as I am to watch this years Pyromusical, here's the schedule for the 3rd Annual PyroMusical Competition (February 11 to March 17, 2012)
PyroMusical 2012 Schedule:

February 11, 2012 | South Korea & Malta

February 18, 2012 | United Kingdom & Spain

February 25, 2012 | Finland & Portugal

March 3, 2012 | China & The Netherlands

March 10, 2012 | Australia & Canada

March 17, 2012 | Italy & Philippines

2012 PyroMusical Ticket Prices:
VIP with Dinner | Php 1,500.00
VIP | Php 500.00
Gold | Php 300.00
Silver | Php 50.00

Where to buy PyroMusical tickets?
There are several ticket vendors selling PyroMusical tickets:
Ticketworld
SM Tickets
Ticketnet

Here are my previous coverages of the Pyromusical/ Pyrolympics:

Get your cameras ready! See you there! :)

Cheftonio
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Love Dessert: Dessert Buffet for Dessert Lovers

2012-01-08T06:49:00.000+08:00

After a heavy snack in Big Daddy's Flamed Burgers one lazy Saturday afternoon, we decided to not have dinner anymore. Instead, we all agreed to try out a new dessert place in Banawe. Located at the corner of Banawe and Hon Gregorio Roxas (Beside Brunos Barber and near King Chef restaurant), a new concept in buffet dining opened -- Love Dessert is a dessert heaven for dessert lovers. It's an eat-all-you-can dessert place for only Php 199!

The only famous buffet place before was Saisaki. Now, several other buffet restaurants popped up in Manila-- Yakimix (Grill, eat all you can), Matsuri (Japanese food, Order all you can), Tramway (Chinese food, Low cost buffet) and now, we even get ~~pestered~~ offered by agents offering membership cards in hotel buffets! For desserts, Love Desserts is the first dessert buffet restaurant I've heard of in Manila. Although as per research, there is another one along Swallow Drive near Greenmeadows.

The buffet setup is simple and colorful. I'm assuming that they did this to enhance the dessert place ambiance as the mix of colors make it fun and light. The place is not that big but it can accommodate around 50 to 60pax as per my estimate. If you look at the photo above from left to right, you'll see the Halo Halo station, some cakes, pastries section, empanadas and fresh fruits.

They serve different desserts from time to time. When we arrived, it was around 745pm. The place was almost empty as it was still dinner time for most. Around 8pm, people started to pack the place and by 9pm, it was a full house! They kept on refilling the desserts that were almost finished and they also added new desserts.

Here's some of the food that was served in the buffet line up:

Halo-halo section

Food for the gods, cakes, ecclairs and cookies

Mango sago, sylvannas, fresh fruits, empanadas

Crepe Section (I remember Banana and Apple. Mango was NOT on the list)

Add-ons for the Ice Cream

Coffee and Milk Tea

Ice Cream tubs from Big Scoop

Available Syrups for mixing wherever you want

Here's some of the desserts I've tried:

Loved this! Milk Shake all-you-can! :)

Tuna and Chicken Empanada - Crunchy crust :)

Ice Cream w/ a stick and sprinkles

Banana Crepe

The banana crepe was dry. I do not recommend that but since it's a dessert buffet, just try it to satisfy your curiosity. Ice cream is from Big Scoop so everyone who has tried it will be familiar with the taste and quality of that ice cream. They served two kinds of empanadas that night, one chicken and the other tuna. The tuna is better than the chicken empanada in my opinion. The empanada, although I think is not a dessert, is a good addition to the line up. You can just eat this first if you are hungry before diving in and indulging in the buffet dessert. Milk shake is also available by request. They will make the milk shake for you using the big scoop ice cream they are serving.

Milk shakes available that night: Chocolate, strawberry and vanilla.
Ice Cream flavors available that night: Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla, Cookies & Cream and Avocado.

Coffee!

Cappuccino or Latte?

What I liked best among the food that they served was the milk shake, coffee and tuna empanada. The coffee beans used for the coffee was from De'Longhi. That's also the brand of their coffee maker which can make latte and cappuccino.

Don't ask me about the Halo halo because I'm not a fan of it so I didn't even touch the halo halo section. My mom loved the ice cream section though. I'm also not a fan of ice cream. The others were just so-so and what I didn't like was their milk tea, crepe and banana (it was not yet ripe the time they served it in the buffet selection.)

In my opinion, just the coffee, milk shake and empanada is enough to make the 199-peso dessert buffet worth it. A good enough coffee for example, averages around 80 pesos per cup. Milk shakes will average around 90 pesos too and an empanada around 15 to 20 pesos. Add that all up and you'll reach a total of 190 pesos. That's if you have one of those items each.

I hope it's the 199 price is not a promo price because higher than that, people will have second thoughts eating here unless they add a lot more dessert. I'd visit this again with friends or if I want to stay for a while when working or blogging. I wonder if I can stay from morning til night? Like other buffet places, I guess not.

Love Desserts
915 Banawe St., Quezon City
Telephone number: (To follow)
Operating hours: (To follow)

More info:
Love Desserts Foursquare

A section where you can leave comments or what they call "Love Letters".

Have you tried eating here? Let me know your opinion in the comment section below! :)

Cheftonio
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Saint's Alp Revisited

2012-01-06T07:30:00.000+08:00

Honestly speaking, I'm getting tired of ALL the milk teas I've been having. They all now almost taste the same. I can't even distinguish the difference between them now that I am very used to drinking milk tea. I'm thinking that the milk tea craze has finally reached the top of the bell curve. I know a bunch of people who aren't craving for milk tea anymore but hearing a lot of good buzz from others regarding Saint's Alp which serves different kinds of tea, I decided to try it again after 5 months since my first visit in this same branch. Finally! A chance to try it again to see if they have improved.

Building Parking Entrance

Before, parking was a problem because the only available spaces were along Katipunan. Now that the building is almost done, the basement parking is now also open! Take note that "Park 9" street is one way. If you are coming from behind (Esteban Abada St), turn right after Park 9 street out to Katipunan and turn right again to Park 9 street. You'll see the parking entrance on the left side. First two hours was like 20 pesos and 10 pesos for succeeding hours if I'm not mistaken.

Elevators aren't working yet as of now. Saint's Alp is located at the 2nd floor of Regis center and it's only a few flight of stairs away so an elevator isn't necessary. Besides, it's always good to build that appetite. It was around lunch time when we came and the place was packed. There were businessmen, students, random people (like us) and some families.

Since I was tired of milk teas already, I decided not to try milk tea this time because they all taste the same to me now. You know what I found out? This is indeed a "Tea" house. They have tea based slush called Sorbies, tea based milk shakes, tea based yogurts, tea based eggs and other tea stuff. We've been trained to look at tea houses like this, as a place for milk tea when in fact, the other tea drinks were also awesome! Some "more mature" customers that time even ordered hot tea.. Yes, the one we get from restaurants for free. Hot teas must be good here since they pay for it here rather than get it free in other restaurants.

Dishes we've tried:

Taiwanese Chicken Chop | Php 195.00

Crunchy with an ample amount of salt and pepper! According to them, the breading of the chicken chop and seasoning are imported from Taiwan. The egg is marinated in tea to give it a more aromatic flavor. The quality of the chicken is surprisingly crunchy even if it is on top of a hot steaming rice. One bowl of this is more than enough to fill you up. Admittedly, 195 pesos is not that cheap for a meal but with the quality of it, I guess that explains the price.

Taiwanese Minced Pork | Php 195.00

Don't let looks deceive you. It won't look very appetizing but the actual smell of the dish when delivered to your table will surely catch everyone's attention beside you. Also imported from Taiwan, the marinade and other ingredients of this dish are all imported. This is why I felt that the dish was so familiar. If there are two of you eating, I suggest you order both the chicken chop and this so you guys could split it into two to get a taste of both dishes. The crunchy pickles on top is also great to neutralize the taste of the minced pork once in a while.

For the drinks:

Matcha Aulait w/ Matcha Agar | Php 115.00

For first timers, Agar is a special firm gelatin that is only available in Saint's Alp. It is trade marked to them. For the Matcha Auliat w/ the Matcha Agar, the Agar is cut up into small bits that it adds texture to every sip. Their green tea has a jasmine-like flowery flavor that made me feel refreshed. Reminds me of the good ol
summer days. A perfect way to cool off and to compliment the chicken chop meal!

Double Mango Agar (Large) | Php 135.00

This is a mango shake on your first sip and somewhat transforms into a tropical flavored shake on your succeeding sips. It has lemon Agar that somewhat gives off a slightly peach taste because of the fruits blending. Also a very refreshing drink, I highly recommend this if you are a fan of shakes. The juice rises up though if not touched for a while but that's nothing a little stirring won't solve. The syrup, teas and other equipment making all these tea-based drinks possible are also all imported.

Green Tea White Moustache | Php 100.00

Since I wanted to try this, we had one order split up into two glasses. The green tea taste is also flowery. Nothing special with the tea but the top portion where the cream is, divine! Without it, the green tea would be boring. Mixed with it, it's a completely different drink! I also recommend this drink.

Double Strawberry Agar | To be available soon!

They have a habit of letting customers in their store try out different drinks. We were lucky we tasted something new and this will be only out starting Valentines Day. It's the Double Strawberry Agar! If you want my honest opinion, this drink beats all the other drinks I've tried in Saint's Alp and all the other strawberry shakes I've tried in my life. Reminds me of some childhood memories where my parents used to make us strawberry milkshakes. Not too sweet, not too strong.. Just right and makes you feel yum! Sad though that you won't be able to try this until Feb 14 of 2012. This is a super highly recommended, must order drink, more so if you are a strawberry lover! I think the price of this will be similar to existing Agar mixed drinks.

The taste buds of Filipinos are used to very sweet taste and that might be the reason why I expected a sweet milk tea when I first visited. As per research, Agar drinks have a very huge following, even here in the Philippines. As a hardcore "tea house" where almost all kinds of food and drinks are with something with "tea", I guess that explains why this is called Saint's Alp teahouse and tea houses is not equivalent to those just selling milk teas. This one sells a variety of tea-based drinks and food!

Looks like Saint's Alp did improve a lot from my first visit! My next visit would be to try the other drinks and maybe some breakfast meals from the menu. They sound appetizing.

If you've tried Saint's Alp, feel free to drop a comment below on what you think of them or maybe some comments on what you would like to comment, suggest, request. They're probably reading my post. Go ahead and post :)

Saint's Alp Teahouse (The Fort)
G/F Forbeswood Parklane, Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
478-7135

Saint's Alp Tea House (Katipunan)
2/F Regis Center, 327 Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City
990-2194

Cheftonio
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Moshi Moshi 04i Review

2012-01-04T17:25:00.000+08:00

All the Moshi Moshi units we have reviewed so far has been impressive, in terms of design, function and overall quality. The Moshi Moshi MM04i has got to be the crème de la crème of all the other models in almost all aspects. Before you head out to the nearest shop to buy one, we'd like to help you decide if this unit is for you.

Packaging is frustration free! Remove the seal on the left and right and just lift the top portion of the clear case. The cables, chargers and manuals are inside the white box below of it.

The Moshi Moshi MM01, MM02, MM03 and MM05 were designed by David Turpin. He got his inspiration from retro and modern phones For this unit, the MM04, it was designed by award winning British designer Michael Young. Here's a bit of who he is:

MICHAEL YOUNG (1966-)is a British-born designer who works from studios in Brussels and Reykjavik to create technically rigorous, but always humorous products and furniture.

In terms of design, you'll never go wrong with the MM04i. Very simple yet strikingly elegant. Put it in an empty desk and it'll project a luxurious aura to the table it's on. The device itself is pleasing to the eyes and comes in silver or copper, it will surely match any furniture you place it on. It's made with a mix of soft touch rubber and plastic. The front face of the handset has a honeycomb-like design. You might notice two holes -- one is for the light indicator and the other for the mic.

On top of the device (when docked), you'll see three buttons. It's also a multi-function button where you can adjust the volume, pause/play a track and track control. At the back of the handset, you can see the power button and a rubber-covered port. That port is where you can insert a 3.5mm cable for non-bluetooth / non-iPhone phones.

It's a multi-function device. You can either use it as a speaker for your iPhone/ iPod, speaker for any bluetooth devices that you have and of course, as a handset. You can also use it as a speaker phone for conference calls.

Pairing via bluetooth is easier with the MM04i. Just press the square button on top and wait for the red and blue blinking light indicator. Other bluetooth devices can be a pain in the *ss to pair other devices with. If you've used bluetooth before, you know what I am talking about. Default code for the bluetooth pairing is four zeroes "0000".

Using it as an iPhone/ iPod dock, just jut the middle portion where Michael Young's signature is on and the dock will smoothly pop out. In case you need to attach a non-bluetooth enabled or non-iPhone device, just use a 3.5mm cable and insert it to the back of the base. You can also do that as previously mentioned by removing the covered port at the back of the handset.

Pros:
-Clear voice quality
-Battery life: 6 to 8 hours
-Elegant design
-Multi-function: Conference call speaker phone, handset, bluetooth speaker, 3.5mm speaker, iPhone/ iPod dock

Cons:
-Easily catches dust (Easy to clean though)
-Price point

Whether for your everyday music needs from your different gadgets or for having a more comfortable conversations with everyone, the Moshi Moshi MM04i is a piece of gadget every executive needs. Not only does it add that picture perfect finish to your home desk or office desk, it is also very useful in a lot of ways.

Feel free to ask questions in the comments section regarding the Moshi Moshi MM04i.

Moshi Moshi products are available in the ff stores:
View list here (To be updated)
Online Store: Free delivery!

For more information,
Moshi Moshi Philippines Facebook

Cheftonio
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Alcatel Blaze Glory 918N Review

2012-01-02T15:22:00.002+08:00

Ask kids these days what phone they want. They will either tell you that they want an iPhone or an Android. The clearcut difference is, one is the brand and the other is the operating system. I'm an iOS fan but that's not stopping me from trying out other platforms. Just recently, I get to try out the Android platform. Surprisingly, it is very much like the iOS system but my initial comments would be that the iOS is way smoother than Android.

I had the chance to try out the Alcatel Blaze Glory 918n. As I was unboxing it, it had a very similar packing with the iPhone. Nicely constructed box, accessories individually wrapped and organized neatly in place.

It comes with a charger, manual, USB cable, headset, screen protector and the unit itself with battery. The phone itself is easy to grip. There's one physical and 3 touch sensitive buttons in front. On the right side of the phone, you can see the volume rocker and the on/off switch. Above, you can see the 3.5mm headset port and on the left side is the micro USB port. Upon removing the battery cover, you can see on the upper left side the 2 available sim slots and at the right, the micro SD slot.

Alcatel Blaze Glory OT-918N Specifications:
Chipset MTK 6573
650MHz processor
256MB RAM
850MHz/2100MHz
HSPA (HSDPA/HSUPA)
Android 2.3 Gingerbread
3.2" LCD with HVGA resolution
3MP camera
A-GPS
Wi-Fi b/g/n
Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP
G Sensor (Similar to Accelerometer)

Since I'm used to using iOS, I can already tell you now that if you don't expect the same response rate in Android devices, you won't be dissapointed. Typing needs a little getting used to. Alcatel 918n, being a smaller phone has a smaller set of keyboard compared to the iPhone. After a day of use, I eventually got the hang of it. Good thing here is, there are multiple text input ways -- swipe, qwerty and voice.

Press the "mic" icon for voice input

If you aren't familiar with Alcatel, they were already in the market even way before some of the current mobile phone brands being sold now. The phone I'm reviewing looks high end, feels high end but is very affordable. I have no official pricing info with me but as per research, this unit will cost less than 6 thousand pesos.

4 reasons why the Alcatel Blaze Glory 918N is a great buy:

1) Dual-standby sim

This phone can accommodate 2 sims. Both will be active and usable! What's great with this phone is, they have solved my previous problems when using dual sim phones. My problem with my Samsung dual sim was, you are not made aware what sim you are currently using to send or call. With Samsung, Sim is switchable with a button on the right side of the phone. With my Nokia dual sim, you are made aware in an annoying way. Every time you make a call or try to send a SMS, it will prompt a message asking you which sim to use. This is okay at first but eventually, it becomes annoying. With the Alcatel 918n dual sim, you remain aware of what sim you are using. The currently used sim will be written on the send button. Same thing when calling. I love Alcatel's dual sim system.

Press the "Globe" button to send using Globe. Press the "down" button to select other sim

To call, choose which default sim to use

Choose the default sim to use for data, SMS or calls!

2) Battery life
Since the phone is HTC-like, I can't help but compare them. The HTC I tried was also running an Android system. It was the HTC Chacha. I thought that HTC Chacha was the perfect phone. Qwerty keypad, touch screen and android OS... but no! After a few weeks of trial, battery life was very very bad. Using WiFi, the phone wouldn't even last a day. What more if you are using 3G, right? With the Alcatel 918n, you get it for half the price of the HTC Chacha and you get a phone with a better battery life. I used 3G the whole day and there was some juice left for a few more hours.

3) RAM
Technically speaking, HTC Chacha has a bit of a larger RAM, but I can't seem to open some apps on the Chacha because it keeps on saying 'not enough memory' or a similar message to that. Even though I already closed most, If not all the apps, I still get that warning message. With the Alcatel Blaze Glory 918N, I never did encountered that. More or less, I used the same apps with both phones -- Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Browser and the messaging system. Apps run smoothly without complaints!

4) Voice command
Siri, meet Iris. Iris, meet Siri. Honestly speaking, Siri is more advanced than Iris. Iris is similar to Siri but for Android and is present in the Alcatel 918n. With Iris, I can pretty much say that they are utilizing the Wolfram Alpha system (Available in iOS as an App). I guess Siri is too but Siri can access your phones messaging, phonebook and other features like alarm and calendar. With Iris, it can only do basic search and information inquiries. Here are some of the questions I tested with Iris:

What I like with this phone is, you can pretty much use voice recognition software to input text for you whether to send SMS, tweet, take notes or even do google search. Same with Siri, you can only use Iris when there is available wifi/ 3G connection for the voice recognition software to work.

For less than 6,000 pesos and having all these features, this phone is a steal! Since pinoys are price conscious and more and more are becoming brand conscious, the price point of the Alcatel is actually very afforadable, compared to some of the China phones and even some of the other branded phones out there!

Alcatel provided me with this review unit. While the phone is still with me, I am encouraging you to ask me questions so I can help you decide whether this phone is for you or not. I'm just a comment away. If you don't want to ask through the comment section, email me. My email is located on the left side bar of this blog.

Update: There is an existing GPS problem with this phone. Stay tuned for updated if this feature matters to you. Please join the discussion in the comments section below if you find a fix/work around/update.

For more information,
Alcatel 918n Facebook Page
Alcatel Official Website

Cheftonio

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No More Resolutions - New Year's Resist-olutions!

2011-12-31T16:28:00.000+08:00

New year, new life and new resolutions to break. What's new with that? With all the new things going around us, only one thing is constant and that is change. You've heard it a lot of times before but this time, stop hearing it. Understand it. Change is good if the change is for the good. You're big enough to know what's right and wrong -- this is what our parents always tell us. If you've never been told that, well, at least you know now. This year, I won't be having a New Year's resolution. Instead, I'll be making some New Year's Resist-olutions.

At least for me, I'm going to let you know what changes I want for myself in the coming 2012 and when the year ends, I can look back on this 2012 resist-olution (New year's resolution, reverse psychology way). We've always been promising stuff like, I'll go to gym starting January (No wonder gym membership up in January), or I shall wake earlier to do more productive things, this year, I'll do it the other way around. I'll make 3 resist-olution.

#1 I will resist sleeping late
Sleeping late will only do you harm. We are not getting any younger. Sleeping late has several bad effects, like:
* Sleeping less than six hours a night leads to 48% more chance of developing or dying from heart disease. There is also a 15% more chance of developing or dying from a stroke.
* When you sleep late at night, you will not be able to sleep early the next night and this will create sleeping disorders in your routine. Sleeping disorders produce hormones and chemicals in the body that increase the risk of developing ailments.
* If you sleep late at night you will get up late in the morning and once you get up you will feel very tired and lazy. This will not allow your day to start well plus you will not be able to work efficiently.
* When you sleep late, your body unleashes a ton of destructive hormones like cortisol, into your bloodstream. Cortisol is a stress hormone; too much of it, and it can seriously affect your cell health.

So, sleeping late will give you a bad health and an unproductive day. Starting 2012, I will resist to sleeping late!

#2 I will resist eating unhealthy foods
People worry too much on what they eat between December and January.What they should worry about is, what they eat between January to December. In connection to my first resist-olution, we are not getting any younger. Eating unhealthy foods will only cause us our health and resources. Would you rather enjoy and eat now then pay your hospital bills later rather than eat healthy now and enjoy your resources when you grow older?

I've often heard that you must enjoy while you are living. Live to the fullest. This doesn't mean that you should also eat to the fullest. There's a limit to everything. Your body is not a robot. Even robots breakdown. Anything too much is bad for your health. If you eat too much, bad for you. If you work too much, also bad for you. You must learn how to balance everything.

Here's a great tip on how to control your cravings:
1) Know your cravings - Sometimes, you are craving for something because of something lacking in your diet. Identify what you are craving for from the list below and replace those cravings with those on the list.
Chocolate (Magnesium)
Try snacking on natural fruits, nuts, or take a vitamin/mineral supplement.

Sugar or Simple Carbohydrates (Protein & Complex Carbohydrates)
Since Carbohydrates break down into sugars and it metabolizes quickly, it is not a good source of long term energy. What you should take are Carbohydrates that burn down slower like brown/ wild long-grain rice or pasta/bread made from wholewheat flour.

Fried foods (Calcium & OMEGA 3 Fatty Acids)
Omega 3's are good kinds of fat. Eat more fish, milk, cheese or eggs containing these essential oils plus calcium instead.

Salt (Hydration, Vitamin B, Chloride)
When you are craving for something salty, drink water instead. If you are stressed, this can lead to Vitamin B deficiency. Take Vit B supplements too.

2) Eliminate temptation - Get rid of anything and everything tempting from your home. Never ever go to the grocery to buy food when hungry. Same way, if you are dining out in the restaurant, never order food when hungry as you tend to order more than what you can really consume. If you eliminate all the temptations within reach, it will be more hassle to get that chocolate bar because you still need to leave the house.

3) Force yourself to buy good and healthy foods when doing grocery. Again, never shop when hungry.

4) Replace rituals - You don't really need to eat sweets after a meal (I'm guilty). It's just a habit that formed. Instead, provide yourself with a healthy alternative prior like fruits.

5) Resist boredom - If you are bored, you tend to want to eat. Keep yourself busy.

6) Drink water, lots of it! - If you are thirsty, it means that you are already dehydrated. This sometimes can be confused with hunger.

#3 I will resist procrastination
Procrastination will lead to mediocrity and mediocrity is never good. God made us all unique and we must, in our very best ability to deliver what is expected from us. You will reap what you sow. Make sure you do the best in everything that you do. Here's some self-explanatory tips on how to prevent procrastinaion:

1) Stop thinking and thinking. Just start doing. ( “To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.” )
2) Just take the first step ( “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” )
3) Start with the hardest task ( “Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.” )
4) Don't multitask ( A nice way to say that you’re doing many different things at the same time. And since no one can divide by zero, that means you’re doing many different things half-ass*d. )
5) Finish it ( “Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they started.” )

So there. Those are my 3 resist-olutions and let's see how many of those will be actually fulfilled within the year. Here's a nice year-ender quote I found on the net,

"Resolve to make at least one person happy every day, and then in ten years you may have made three thousand, six hundred and fifty persons happy, or brightened a small town by your contribution to the fund of general enjoyment." - Sydney Smith

Happy New Year everyone!

Cheftonio
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Fire Cracker First Aid, Warnings and Reminders for New Year's Eve

2011-12-30T12:19:00.000+08:00

How was your vacation/ staycation/ workcation so far? Time sure flies fast and now, it's the end of a month-long celebration and a the beginning of a new year. 2011 has brought us a lot of challenges, new experiences and adventures. You know what would be better? Ending the year with a bang, but not literally. Be with your families, celebrate by eating in moderation, have fun even without dealing with fire crackers. It's dangerous enough that it's inside your homes. What more if someone ingested it or get injured by it?

Here are some tips and reminders to have an injury-free celebration. (Send this to relatives and friends. Being informed is a good way to prevent injuries. Don't say you weren't informed. I informed you.)

Image Source

Same almost every year, "Piccolo" is among the hospital's top list cause of fire cracker related injuries. Why is Piccolo dangerous? The packaging is very attractive to kids as there are often cartoon characters printed on the box. Upon opening, they'll see small sticks of red colored stuff. Perfect combination for kids to think that they are candies.

As per research, just the ingestion of 2 sticks can already cause death. Unintentional ingestion of the residue can cause week long vomiting and can also possibly cause death. The most evident presentation of phosphorus ingestion? Phosphorescent feces or vomitus, also known as the “smoking stool syndrome”.

Piccolo contains yellow phosphorus. This is a highly toxic substance. According to a medical dictionary,

Yellow phosphorus, sometimes found in rat poisons, certain fertilizers, and fireworks is most toxic to the gastrointestinal tract and liver. Ingestion is usually followed by vomiting which is said to be luminescent and have a garlicky odour. Delirium, coma and death from cardiovascular collapse may ensue. (source)

Another warning. If the victim is intoxicated with Alcohol, doctors won't be able to administer you with Anesthesia. Whether you get injured by whatever kind of fire cracker, make sure to have a tetanus injection if you don't want complications as grave as death (No pun intended). For some, New Year won't be complete without fire crackers. For me, it is more important to celebrate the new year and enter the next year with complete fingers without any injuries.

Stages of Phosphorous poisoning:
Phase I (0 – 24 hours) Gastrointestinal effects: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain.
Phase II (1 – 3 days) Quiescent stage with improvement. Mild nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
Phase III (> 3 days) Multi-system failure, involving liver, heart, kidneys, and the CNS.

Usual ingredients of fire crackers:
Barium – Profound hypokalemia induced by barium causes muscle weakness, respiratory failure, and ventricular dysrhythmias. Treatment includes respiratory support, potassium repletion, and hemodialysis if indicated.
Arsenic – Inorganic trivalent arsenic effects are predominantly GI (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hemorrhagic gastritis) and cardiovascular (prolonged QT interval, torsades de pointes). Hypovolemic shock is an early threat.
Phosphorous – The phases of white phosphorous poisoning progress over several days from gastrointestinal manifestations to multi-system failure.

First Aid: (Source) -- Keep alkaline soap and eggs ready for first aid purposes.
1. Run cool water over the affected area.
2. Avoid applying ointments or creams
3. Cover the injured area with a clean and dry cloth
4. Seek medical attention immediately when an area larger than the size of the palm is affected, when the burn extends beyond the skin, or when the eyes are involved.

Specific first aid for different parts of the body:
* If ingested, give egg whites (raw) immediately. Adult: 8-12 ; Children: 6-8.
* If the eyes get burnt, immediately rinse the eyes with water and call for medical emergency. If the victim is wearing contact lenses, remove them before rinsing it with water.
* For parts with accessirues, carefully try to remove the burnt clothes of the victim unless it is sticking to the injury. Remove any rings, belt, watch, shoes or any accessory worn by the victim before the affected area swells.
* If clothes are on fire, drop and roll. Running only spreads the fire and should be discouraged.

DO NOT GIVE OILS.
DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING OR DO GASTRIC LAVAGE.
AVOID OXYGEN, UNLESS INTUBATED; IT MAY TRIGGER EXPLOSION.

How to prevent Fire Cracker related injuries:
1) Never ever let kids and minors play with fire crackers. Not even let them light it up. As much as possible, avoid celebrating with fire crackers. It's bad for you and the environment anyway.
2) Fireworks cause injuries and endanger health
3) Children should not use any fireworks
4) Keep safe and away from exploding fireworks
5) Never pick used fireworks
6) Seek immediate medical treatment for all firework injuries.

Other than fire cracker related injuries, you also need to be aware of heart attack symptoms as people tend to eat more in this festive season of merrymaking. Here's a great guide for almost everything about heart attacks.

Whether you are an optimist that wants to see the new year come or a pessimist that makes sure the old year leaves, let us all celebrate the new year peacefully, with full of hope, love and faith.

If you want to watch fire works, just look at some of my photos below or check out youtube!

Happy New Year!!!
from,
Cheftonio
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Kota Kinabalu Itinerary

2011-12-29T20:27:00.000+08:00

Our Kota Kinabalu trip was an unplanned one. I was supposed to go to India a year back but was cancelled for several reasons. This is the result of the re-booked tickets. We booked the flight prior to me leaving for Australia last March 2011 and since this KK trip is still 8 months away, we just left it that way without planning anything.

A month before the trip, we started to panic. We didn't have anything prepared. I did my usual cramming and thank God, everything was alright. Hotels, tours and activities -- All set! I want to share with you guys our 6-day itinerary. 6 days might seem too long but we wanted to make this one a vacation rather than a tour.. there's a huge difference running around and enjoying the place leisurely.

Some facts about Kota Kinabalu or KK:
* Formerly known as Jesselton
* Capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia
* Also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah

*Image from AirAsia website
Day 1 - Welcome to Kota Kinabalu
1100am | Left Manila to DMIA
0430pm | Clark to Kota Kinabalu (AirAsia, 30 minutes delayed)
0800pm | Arrived KK
0900pm | Had Bah Kut Teh dinner around the corner
1000pm | Convenience Store / Back at the hotel

Day 2 - Nature Day
Pekan Nabalu Lookout Point
Poring Hot Springs
Lunch at some restaurant
Kinabalu Park
Wild Boar by the road side
Back at the hotel
Wisma Merdeka Mall

Day 3 - All Day Shopping Day
Gaya Sunday Market
Centre Point Sabah
Warisan Square Shopping Mall
Filipino Market/ Handicraft Center
Suriya Sabah
Grocery near Suriya Sabah
Back at the hotel
Wisma Merdeka
Little Italy (Restaurant near the hotel)

Day 4 - Island Hopping
Manukan Island
Mamutik Island
BBQ Lunch at Mamutik Island
Back at the hotel
Kota Kinabalu Plaza mall
Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu (To rest, hehehe)
Centre Point Sabah (again)
Port View Seafood Village (Dinner with cultural show)
Back at the hotel

Day 5 - KK's Creatures
Orangutan Viewing at Shangri-La Rasa Ria Nature Reserve
Food court lunch (Damai Plaza)
Had coffee around the area
Travel to Proboscis and Firefly area
Snack at the Jetty
Proboscis River Cruise
Dinner at the Jetty
Firefly tour
Back at the hotel
Wisma Merdeka

Day 6 - All the last minute stuff
Walk around the block of the hotel
Wisma Merdeka mall (last minute shopping)
Back at the hotel
Travel to the airport
KFC lunch at the airport
Bye KK!
KK - DMIA

So there. I hope this gives you an overview of what you can do within those days, depending in the number of days you will be in Kota Kinabalu.

Enjoy KK! :)

Our hotel: Best Western Kinabalu Daya Hotel
Our flight: AirAsia

I got Ace Travel & Vacation Sdn Bhd asmy travel agency when I was there. All the tours was booked through them -- not including the hotel and flights.

Contact information

Address :	Lot 24, 1st Floor, Block C, Damai Plaza Luyang, Lorong Pokok Kayu Manis 1, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Phone :	+6088 222686
Fax :	+6088 263686
Email :	acetravelsbh@yahoo.com

Cheftonio
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Proboscis Monkey and Firefly Tour (Kota Kinabalu)

2011-12-28T19:50:00.000+08:00

The Jetty at Night

One of the most recommended tourist stuff to do in Kota Kinabalu is the Proboscis Monkey and firefly tour. If you do a search for the Proboscis monkey, you'll find it very weird looking. They are also called long-nosed monkeys. Also known as "bekantan" in Malay, they are reddish-brown arboreal Old World monkey that is endemic to the south-east Asian island of Borneo.

The monkey also goes by the Malay name monyet belanda ("Dutch monkey"), or even orang belanda ("Dutchman"), as Indonesians remarked that the Dutch colonisers often had a similarly large belly and nose.

Package tour usually starts around 4pm in the afternoon. From the city, it takes around 2 hours to reach the Kota Klias Jetty. Upon arriving, some snacks with coffee and tea will be served. By 430pm, you will now board a boat for your river cruise/ Proboscis monkey sighting session. It is advisable to bring shades as it can be sunny in the first half of the river cruise. Life vests are provided and required.

Make sure to choose your vest first so you'll get the nice ones

Snack time!

A Proboscis Monkey

You can also rent binoculars or just buy yourself one prior to going to the tour. It's really challenging to find those monkeys are they tend to blend in well with their surroundings. Other than that, there are several common monkeys roaming around. I took several photos but they move very quick and in the end, I got one or two clear shos and with the nose being very evidently large, I know I got the right creature.

Common Monkey or Proboscis Monkey? You decide.

On the way back, our boat man informed as to take note of a tree in which the branch is extending towards the river. They told us that around 6pm every night, there would be a monitor lizard clinging on to the branch. According to him, that is every night, without a miss. Might be his home.

Monitor Lizard a.k.a. Bayawak (6pm every night, he goes there)

Buffet Dinner

You'll return to the jetty when the darkness starts to set in. Dinner will be served, buffet style. Don't expect very good food though. It was just so-so and just enough to make you full. After dinner, you'll board the boat once again and start another river cruise. This time, in a pitch black setting where the only light is the moon. Don't forget to bring mosquito repellent.

I've tried a firefly river cruise when I went to Donsol last year but this time, I made sure I get a photo as a souvenir, no matter how challenging the pitch black surrounding is.

Those yellow dots are the fireflies! :) Gotcha!

This is the best I can do. Of course, nothing beats the actual experience as you'll be amazed on how their dimly lit butts give life to the dark forest around them.

After this, we were transferred back to the hotel. Another 2-hour drive. Good thing my iPad kept us entertained the whole trip. If you haven't experienced a firefly tour, I suggest that you take this. The one we had in Donsol, Philippines is very similar yet, you can never get tired of watching these amazing natural shows.

We paid the travel agency RM 130.00 (Approx 1,800 pesos) per pax for this tour. Included is the fee for the river cruise for the Proboscis monkey and firefly, snack and dinner plus hotel-destination-hotel transfers.

All about Kota Kinabalu:
Shangri-La Rasa Ria Nature Reserve
Proboscis Monkey and Firefly tour
Island Hopping: Manukan Island and Mamutik Island
Little Italy Restaurant - Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu Shopping Malls and Market
Kinabalu Park and Wild Boar Experience
Poring Hot Springs
Best Western Kinabalu Daya Hotel
Pekan Nabalu Lookout Point

Cheftonio
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Shangri-La Rasa Ria Nature Reserve

2011-12-27T18:51:00.000+08:00

If you're planning to go on a vacation in Kota Kinabalu, Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort is the way to go. Ranked number 2 out of 80 hotels in Kota Kinabalu (Trip Advisor Ranking), this resort boasts an engaging range of facilities and activities, including a nature reserve for Orangutans to educate visitors and guests.

For our 5th day in Kota Kinabalu, we arrived at the reserve around 845am. Take note that most activities here start at 9am onwards. Refer to the list of activities and schedule here: List of activities in Shangri-La Kota Kinabalu.

We chose to do the Orangutan viewing and feeding. To differentiate Orangutans from other apes, their hair is typically reddish-brown instead of the brown or black hair typical of other great apes. They are native to Indonesia and Malaysia and are currently found only in rainforests on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. The word "orangutan" comes from the Malay words "orang" (man) and "(h)utan" (forest); hence, "man of the forest".

Before starting the trek up the reserve, you'll be asked to watch a 30-minute documentary about Orangutans and what they do to them in that nature reserve. You'll see how they foster and take care of the Orangutans. Some of those creatures even treat the park rangers as their parents. There was this one baby Orangutan that kept on crying whenever the park ranger attempts to distance from the baby.
(Reminder: Bring and apply Mosquito repellent.)

Trek through the rocky trails

The trek up won't be easy for older folks though. There will be steep steps and rocks trails. It's a 10 to 15 minute hike up the reserve, depending on your pace.

To train and familiarize them with their surroundings, Shangri-La made it really forest-like inside the reserve. There are several feeding platforms in various locations. To train them to go around, they would change the feeding location from time to time. Eventually, they will be trained to go to the platforms to find for food until they get used to finding food on their own.

This nature reseve is the stage 1 of their rehabilitation. They will be fed here, fully assisted and nurtured until they are ready to go to the next stage. Then, they would be brought to the Sepilok rehab center in Sandakan for the next step.

Among the primates, they are one of the most intelligent creatures and is said to be more than 96% human-like! We weren't allowed to go near the orangutans but they come near us at times. Rangers warn us that they can be curious at times and might go near us. They reminded us not to touch them so they won't be too comfortable with human touch so that when they return to the forest, they won't be too familiar with humans because some might do them harm.

We paid the travel agency RM 135.00 (Approx 1,900 pesos) per pax for this tour. Includes a half-day tour and hotel-destination-hotel transfers.

If you are interested to visit this reserve, check out Shangri-La's official website.

Here are some photos around the resort:

All about Kota Kinabalu:
Shangri-La Rasa Ria Nature Reserve
Proboscis Monkey and Firefly tour
Island Hopping: Manukan Island and Mamutik Island
Little Italy Restaurant - Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu Shopping Malls and Market
Kinabalu Park and Wild Boar Experience
Poring Hot Springs
Best Western Kinabalu Daya Hotel
Pekan Nabalu Lookout Point

Cheftonio
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Kota Kinabalu Island Hopping (Manukan and Mamutik Island)

2011-12-26T16:58:00.000+08:00

From our hotel, it was only a few minutes drive to the port where the start of our island hopping tour is. We are not going to the usual Jesselton port. Our tour arranged our island hopping adventure via Sutera Harbor. If you plan to do the island hopping tour on your own, read this.

Weather was perfect but not for us. We don't want too much sun. That's why I decided not to go swimming/snorkeling. I know it's such a waste because we've traveled all the way to KK and do island hopping but not go swimming. We just planned to sit around and relax.

The port in Sutera Harbour is nice and had several luxury yachts parked. There was even one made out of stainless steel. It was just like our stainless jeepneys here in Manila only, this was a huge yacht. We embarked a speed boat towards our first island and the ride alone was incredible -- It was so fast and bouncy (not something older people would enjoy) that you can hear James Bond music at the back of your head!

We are only going into the 2 out of several islands under the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park which is Manukan island and Mamutik island. Other islands in the vicinity are: Gaya, Sapi and Sulug. All of which are reachable within 15 minutes via speedboat. According to them, cooler months around this area (Nov to Feb) tend to attract whale sharks. Park is open from 830am to 5pm.

Manukan Island

Our first stop was Manukan island. The island has a dock (as seen in the photo above) with a ticket collector at the entry point. Unlike our islands here in the Philippines where you can just stop anywhere and go down the boat by jumping into the water, here, you need to pay a conservation fee to gain access to the island. There are Pros and Cons to that and one of the Pros is a very well maintained island. The public restrooms were clean and well equipped (but a bit smelly), shower pressure was strong and the path ways are clean.

As we disembarked the speed boat, you can already see the crystal clear water and the abundant marine life in it. That made me change my mind in a snap. I finally decided to take a dip and maybe do some snorkeling.

Looking towards the beach, you'll notice that it is divided into several sections by the floating orange markers. Snorkeling, swimming and diving sections are separated.

Seadoo underwater scooter

My lil brother and sister went to the washroom to change attire to get ready for some snorkeling. On the way back, they found something cooler than just doing the usual snorkeling.. Scubadoo!!! They were explaining to me what this Scubadoo was. I didn't get it at first.. I thought it was like diving with one of those Seadoo underwater scooters.

After seeing what a Scubadoo was really like, I immediately said yes, even though it was a bit pricey. It costs around 250RM per person for 30 minutes. Conversion rate in that island was 100usd = 280 RM. (around 3,500+ pesos)

A scubadoo is like an underwater motorcycle. It's a mini submarine where you sit in a motorcycle like position and the controls are same as how you maneuver a motorcycle. Gassing up, you need to press a button near the handle (similar with how you gas up ATVs. Breathing on the other hand is just like how you breath when doing helmet diving.)

Here's a sample video on how Scubadoo works:

It was really great! Your helmet has windows all over but unlike helmet diving, you won't be conscious on what you are stepping on because you're sitting on that underwater contraption! I recommend that you guys try Scubadoo. It was an awesome experience!

After doing the scubadoo, we just waited until 12noon. Killed time by walking around the island and taking photos. I didn't want to snorkel nor swim because I was already satisfied with Scubadoo and I was afraid to get sunburned. If you're a fan of tourist-y souvenirs, there's a souvenir shop in this island and I suggest that you buy here because in Mamutik island (our next island destination), there was no souvenir shops.

Leaving Manukan Island

Mamutik island dock

For lunch, we transferred to Mamutik island. We had a buffet lunch by the beach. It was also nice that our tour guide had pre-arranged everything for us, including reserving a table in a nice spot-- near the food and entrance plus nice view of the sea.

In our itinerary, it was supposedly BBQ lunch. I was imagining a lunch where you do the BBQ by yourselves while eating, sitting in the sand. Well, turned out to be that everything was already prepared and there were tables and chairs. Food was served buffet style in chafing dishes. After a certain time, they won't refill the food anymore so better get what you want.

Lunch was so-so. It included a bottled water and a can of soft drinks. Ate by the beach in a foldable table with plastic table cloth.Had a nice lunch overall but it was too hot to do any activities because it was around 1pm and the sun was up and intense. We just decided to roam around the island again and take some photos.

Sign around the island - makes me want to substitute "walkers" for stingers (#thewalkingdead series).

Bye Mamutik island!

After getting bored, we requested to return to the city proper and we were back by around 230 in the afternoon. We went straight to the hotel to freshen up a bit and did another round of shopping at the center point mall before having dinner at the port view restaurant.

That night while walking along the waterfront, it suddenly rained. This is why we ended up eating in Port View Seafood Village restaurant. Seeing that the place was huge and there were lots of fresh seafood, we decided to try it out. We were also enticed by the cultural show performance. Very tourist-y, food was just average, it was pricey and the performance was just so-so. I don't recommend this restaurant.

We paid the travel agency RM 130.00 (Approx 1,800 pesos) per pax for this tour. Includes entrance to the 2 islands, buffet lunch, boat transfer and hotel-destination-hotel transfers.

All about Kota Kinabalu:
Shangri-La Rasa Ria Nature Reserve
Proboscis Monkey and Firefly tour
Island Hopping: Manukan Island and Mamutik Island
Little Italy Restaurant - Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu Shopping Malls and Market
Kinabalu Park and Wild Boar Experience
Poring Hot Springs
Best Western Kinabalu Daya Hotel
Pekan Nabalu Lookout Point

Cheftonio
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Most Affordable Globe Blackberry Plan

2011-12-19T15:06:00.001+08:00

I admit I'm an iPhone addict. Never did I imagine myself using a BlackBerry because it was expensive to maintain one as I have to subscribe to BIS. Early this year, my Fiance bought the BB9780. She's having fun using it with BB social. For just 300 pesos a month, she can access social networking sites, including sending unlimited BBM! She can't access the internet though because you need BBMax to access it all. That's going to cost you around 599 pesos.

Just recently, the supposedly expensive BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) plan from Globe is now made affordable!!! This is Globe's latest offer -- For only 599 pesos a month, you get to fully unleash your BlackBerry's potential with BBMax PLUS a free BlackBerry unit!

A brand new BlackBerry 8520 would cost you around 7 to 8 thousand pesos easily. With Globe, you only pay for the Plan 599 and you get your unit for free! Here's the computation:

P599 x 24 months = P14,376
Brand New BlackBerry 8520 = P8,000

Plan 599 for 2 years - (Cost of Brand new BlackBerry 8520) = P6,376

Then, divide the P6,376 by 24 months to get the actual amount paid to Globe per month

P6,736 / 24 months = P265.66

Wow! P265.66 a month! That's even less than a BB Social subscription! But with the Plan 599 w/ BBMax, you get UNLIMITED internet + access to the BIS service and again, A FREE BlackBerry unit!

If you are interested, here are the requirements for the BlackBerry 599 promo:
To avail of a postpaid plan, you may visit the nearest Globe’s store or call our sales hotline (02) 730-1010 (6am-10pm) or via online (http://ow.ly/7TJhp ), etc. and submit the following:

• Proof of Identification like: Driver’s License, PRC ID, TIN/SSS/GSIS/Philhealth ID, Company ID or Government employee ID, Passport.
• Proof of Billing Address like: Latest Public Utility Bill (Electric bill, Water bill), Latest computerized payslip (With address), Letterhead of company indicating address.
•Proof of Financial Capacity like: Latest ITR (BIR Form 1700 for employees), Latest Certificate of Employment and Compensation, Latest computerized payslip.

You should be:
• At least 18 years old
• Have a local billing address (P.O. Box and Business box address is not acceptable)
• Have minimum Gross Monthly Income (GMI) of P15,000.
• A Filipino Citizen; otherwise, must present required document for foreigner.
• Able to provide Contact Number (Landline or Mobile) for verification.

If for example you want a higher model of BlackBerry, here are the other choices with BlackBerry Plan details:

UNLISURF 599
BlackBerry Curve 8520 FREE
BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 P9,268
BlackBerry Curve 9360 P13,500

UNLISURF COMBO PLAN 999
BlackBerry Curve 8520 FREE
BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 FREE
BlackBerry Curve 9360 P7,500

UNLISURF COMBO PLAN 1799
BlackBerry Curve 8520 FREE
BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 FREE
BlackBerry Curve 9360 FREE

UNLISURF COMBO PLAN 2499
BlackBerry Curve 8520 FREE
BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 FREE
BlackBerry Curve 9360 FREE

Blackberry Curve 8520 Free at Globe UnliSurf Combo 599
-with unlimited mobile surfing

Blackberry Curve 3G 9300 Free at Globe UnliSurf Combo Plan 999
-with unlimited mobile surfing
-with P400 consumable amount
-with 1 freebie from A to C, E

Blackberry Curve 9360 Free at Globe UnliSurf Combo Plan 1799
-with unlimited mobile surfing
-with P1,200 consumable amount
-with 3 freebies from A to C, E

freebie A - Free call and Text to Globe/TM - 10mins call and 200sms
freebie B - Free call and Text to other networks - 5mins call and 25sms
freebie C - International Calls and Text to 10 destinations - 20mins IDD and 10sms
freebie E - Free My Super One unlimited call and text to one Globe number

Consumable amount covers the following for calls: Local, NDD, IDD; for Text: GHP to GHP, GHP to other networks & international text; for Value Added Service; roaming charges not part of the consumable amount. Consumable amount are design for this usage and when you register to other promos this will be charge on top of your bill.

*BlackBerry Plan 599 has a unlimited surfing only with free BB 8520. Once you make a call or text you will be charge on top of your bill.

This made me change my mind about the used-to-be expensive BlackBerry. It's now very affordable because of this promo. Promo is only until end of December 2011 only! Hurry!!! (Requirements posted above. Read and head out to the nearest Globe Business Center!)

For more information, read http://www.globe.com.ph/blackberry-christmas-offer

Other awesomely related Globe stuff:
iPhone 4S plans from Globe
iPhone 4S launch
iPhone 4S coming to the Philippines on December 16

Cheftonio
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Official iPhone 4S Postpaid and Prepaid Price from Globe and Smart

2011-12-16T13:38:00.000+08:00

Details below.

Globe Plans:
Plan 1,799* (Consumable = Php 800.00) + 3 Freebies
Plan 2,499* (Consumable = Php 1,500.00) + 5 Freebies
Plan 3,799* (Consumable = Php 2,800.00)+ 7 Freebies
*All plans with unlimited mobile internet (Data)

Freebies (Per month):
A: 10 mins of calls & 200 SMS to Globe/TM
B: 5 mins of call & 25 SMS to other networks
C: 10 mins IDD & 10SMS to 10 international destination
D: ~~Free Mobile surfing for 3 hours~~ (Not practical because plan already includes unlimited internet)
E: Unlimited Call & Text to 1 Globe/TM number

Discounts and offers:
Trade-in your iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 for the new iPhone 4S. [Only on Dec 16, 2011 only]
iPhone 3G - P3,000.00
iPhone 3GS - P5,000.00
iPhone 4 16GB - P10,000.00
iPhone 4 32GB - P15,000.00
Details here: http://cheftonio.blogspot.com/2011/12/globe-iphone4s-trade-in-offer.html

Smart Plans:
Plan 1,500* (60 free minutes, 120 free SMS)
Plan 2,000* (150 free minutes, 200 free SMS)
Plan 3,000* (300 free minutes, 240 free SMS)
Plan 4,000* (400 free minutes, 300 free SMS)
*All plans with unlimited mobile internet (Data)

Discounts and offers:
~~Discounted rates for Employees~~: (Got word from Smart representatives that the plan 999 is also available to everyone!)
Plan 999 for employees but they have to pay an additional P999.00 per month on top of the subscription fee.

*For PLDT, Smart, Meralco, TV5 and other companies under the MVP Group.

Comparison based on the total cash-out

Total cost = Plan X 24 months + Cash out

From the chart, you can see that Smart has the cheapest iPhone 4S prepaid kits. For Postpaid, Globe has the cheapest iPhone 4S.

For those who bought the iPhone 4S 16GB ahead a few months back (in Greenhills or wherever) at around 50,000 pesos, bad news. For just around 48,000 pesos now, you get a Plan 1,799 with unlimited internet data PLUS an iPhone 4S 16GB.

If you think about it, rather than getting a prepaid kit for 37,599 pesos, get the plan 1,799. Why? Because for an additional cash out of around 11,000 pesos, you'll get your iPhone 4S + a plan 1,799 for 2 years! Dividing it by 24 months, you'll be paying just around 459 pesos a month plus a plan worth 1,799!

If you get the prepaid kit from Globe (for comparison purposes since I used Globe postpaid on the first example.), you'll have to pay 37,599 pesos + load (say, worth around 500 pesos a month) for 2 years. Load credits alone for 2 years would cost you around 12,000 pesos giving you a grand total cost of 49,599 pesos, just for a prepaid kit. It's 1,623.00 pesos more expensive!

In the end, it's up to you what you will choose. Just make sure that it fits your budget.

Cheftonio
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Globe iPhone4S Trade-in Offer

2011-12-16T10:58:00.002+08:00

At the press conference this morning for the iPhone 4S launch, Globe announced that they will offer a trade-in scheme for old iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 users.

Globe has set up a trade-in scheme for existing iPhone users who want to upgrade their Apple devices for the ultimate experience. Users of Globe-issued iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 in good working condition can trade-in their units at a specified trade-in value, which may be applied and treated as a discount for qualified purchases or availments of iPhone 4S at designated Globe stores and launch venues on December 16, 2011.

The scheme applies for all existing prepaid and postpaid subscribers of Globe.Aside from the trade-in, Globe subscribers can also get a voucher which will entitle them to a 20% discount when they purchase an original iPhone 4 case. The price slash is available until December 31.

Mechanics to join this offer:
(Update: Check out the value of your iPhone below for the trade-in)

According to @talk2globe Twitter (source)

Exclusive trade-in of older version of iPhones like iPhone 3G/3GS/4 will be offered on the launch on December 16, at the Globe Tent, High Street South Block, The Fort; Bahia Ballroom, Hotel Intercon; Radisson Blu Hotel, Cebu and selected stores in Metro Manila.

THE FORT
MARKET MARKET
INTERCON HOTEL
VALERO
GREENBELT
GLORIETTA
CEBU
EASTWOOD
MARIKINA
TRINOMA
GATEWAY
ALABANGTOWN CENTER
SHANGRILA
SM MEGAMALL
ROBINSONS GALLERIA
ROBINSONS ERMITA
SM MANILA

This is a 1-day event only offer.

► CRITERIA FOR A UNIT TO BE RATED IN GOOD WORKING CONDITION:

1. NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE:

No scratches, dents, cracks in the screen and the SIM tray

The sleep/wake/home button should be functional

Volume Up and Down is functional

Ring/Silent switch is working

2. NO WATER DAMAGE

3. TOUCH SCREEN PANEL IS WORKING

4. PHONE CAPABILITIES/WIFI IS FUNCTIONAL

5. WORKING ACCESSORIES SHOULD BE INCLUDED (Charger/USB Cable/Box, earphones)

►Notes:

• If you trade-in your old iPhone, you may get the new iPhone 4S for free or depending on the cash-out amount of the plan you have selected.

* The amount for the trade-in iPhones will be announced in the event.

• You need to bring the unit, box, USB cable, the USB cord and the charger. No need to surrender the earphones.

• If your accessories are incomplete, we will still accept it as trade-in. But, there will be a deduction of P500 per accessory in the trade-in amount.

• You can still avail of the trade-in offer even if you don’t have the official receipt anymore.

• Only Globe issued iPhones will be accepted.

• If you got your iPhone 3G/3GS/4 as recontracting/loyalty, you can trade it even if your phone is still under lock-up as long as the person trading in the old phone is the owner of the line.

Update:
For trade-ins, I got official word from Globe representative that the value of your iPhone for trade-in are as follows (Given that your phone passed the criteria mentioned above):
iPhone 3G - P3,000.00
iPhone 3GS - P5,000.00
iPhone 4 16GB - P10,000.00
iPhone 4 32GB - P15,000.00

Cheftonio
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Globe iPhone 4S Launch

2011-12-16T10:28:00.002+08:00

I was invited to the iPhone 4S launch by Globe last night held at the Ayala Museum. It was not a grand launch. The launch was just right -- party, food, booze, entertainment and the product itself. There were no lavish raffles and giveaway to attract people and subscribers. It's just the way I expected a product launch would be. Globe had no raffle that night to the attendees and customers.

On screen: First Pinoy Globe iPhone 4S user: President Noynoy Aquino

On stage: Globe President and CEO Ernest L.Cu

Entertainment for the night: Kaskade

Kaskade bringing the house down!

Pardon for the lack of audio. Maybe it's time to get that iPhone 4S!)

On the other hand, Smart got Rockwell as their venue. They offered free cinema screenings, power station games and food. Other than that, Smart also gave away a lot of items, including a Subaru Impreza STi, Apple products and more. They got to have a huge marketing budget to give away all those things. I think they were just in a celebratory mood because this is their first time to launch the iPhone. Honestly speaking, prizes were so awesome that I even thought of getting an iPhone 4S from them just to join the raffle and get a chance to win the Impreza! :)

And midnight struck... December 16, 2011!

It was also a battle of the "#Trends" last night. Yesterday afternoon, #SmartiPhone4S was the first one to trend but after a bit, #GlobeiPhone4S also trended. Over dinner while waiting for the launch, Globe and Smart both trended. At one point, Globe became the top trending topic and at the stroke of midnight, #GlobeiPhone4S was the only one trending.

Bottom line? Apple wins. The consumers win. The real loser here is BlackBerry. A BlackBerry launch here in the Philippines will never be this big.

I'll be posting the official postpaid plans and prepaid kits for both Globe and Smart in a bit after the press conference. Stand by.

Cheftonio
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Exclusive Christmas Globe Tattoo Treat with Bo's Coffee and The Lighthouse Marina Resort

2011-12-13T12:31:00.000+08:00

Still stuck there in your seat thinking of what gift to give to your relatives and friends this Christmas? Why not click that mouse and go to Globe's online shop and give a gift that any person would be excited to receive!

Globe has an online shop selling Tattoo sticks and Tattoo MyFi! If you've been following my blog, you'll know that I was a Globe mobile broadband user since 2008. Tried another network in between but the best will surely make you come back. In terms of mobile broadband speeds, I am very much happy with my Globe Tattoo. I'm on plan 1299 and I use it with Tattoo MyFi. Streaming videos is a breeze! No more play-pause-play-pause moments! I personally am using it and I highly recommend Globe Tattoo Mobile Broadband.

This is one of the many reasons why I also recommend Globe Tattoo (Stick/ MyFi) as a gift! In this festive season of giving, Globe and Bo's coffee is also in the sharing mood! They have an ongoing exclusive Tattoo treat called "Indulge and Unwind!" (See promo details below). This is where Globe online shop buyers can get their coffee fix PLUS a chance to stay at the luxurious boutique hotel in Subic -- The Lighthouse Marina Resort. It is considered as the #1 out of 17 hotels in Subic!

For every online purchase (either paid via COD or Credit Card) of Tattoo Stick or Tattoo MyFi Prepaid, a customer can get Bo's Coffee gift certificate that will be included in the delivery of their Tattoo kits. The GCs may be used to redeem any three choices of beverage or food at any Bo's Coffee branch - White Chocolate Mocha Grande and Cookie, Blueberry Cheesecake and Short Brewed Coffee or Pasta or Sandwich.

Online orders will be delivered free of charge and may take around 3 to 5 working days for Metro Manila orders and 5-7 working days for provincial areas nationwide. If you want to follow up your orders, you can email gttattooonlinesales@globetel.com.ph

Not only that.. for every reload with minimum amount of Php 100.00 to your newly purchased Tattoo stick or MyFi, subscribers are entitled to (1) electronic raffle entry for a chance to win a 2N/3D stay for 2 at The Lighthouse Marina Resort with complimentary massage for 2!

If you are a Citibank card holder, double your chances of winning because every Php 100 peso reload via Citi Mobile entitles you to (2) electronic raffle entries!
Raffle date would be on January 17, 2012.

Bo's coffee is also currently offering their Christmas drinks! Try them out. Just recently, I tried their Cookies and Cream Mint Freeze. Try it and feel light and refreshed! It's a good way to end a meal after "nom"ing on my breakfast meal at dinner time! All day breakfast FTW!

For more information, visit:
Globe's Online Shop
Indulge and Unwind Details
The Lighthouse Marina Resort - Subic Bay Website / Facebook
Bo's Coffee Facebook

Cheftonio
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iPhone 4s Philippine Debut - Globe and Smart

2011-12-08T20:57:00.001+08:00

A lot of people are going to get the most wonderful phone in the most wonderful time of the year this year! iPhone 4S will be released on December 16, 2011 here in the Philippines! To make things more exciting, you can actually already pre-order your units!

What's the reason that you have to be excited about in this new iPhone 4s? I'll put it in 2 sections here in my blog and read which section you like. It's for those who wants to buy or just stay with their iPhone 4.

Why I NEED to buy an iPhone 4s

Dual-core processor and 7x more powerful GPU
Siri natural language commands and dictation engine
8MP camera with improved low-light performance and capture speed
1080p video capture with stabilization
GSM/CDMA dual-mode device
No more death grip thanks to dual antenna design
64GB option
Power-efficient Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity

Why I should stay with my current iPhone 4

Same design
Same screen too, both in terms of size and resolution
The amount of RAM is the same
Siri doesn't work too well for people outside the US
You'll manage to sap more photos and longer videos and avoid 1080p playback problems

So there. Read whichever part you want but honestly speaking, I don't think Apple made this 4S with the iPhone 4 users market in mind. They made this iPhone 4S for those who has the older iPhone units like me! I'm still using the iPhone 3G! That's 4 generations away from the upcoming iPhone 4S! The 4S is basically targetting the users still using the iPhone 1, 2, 3G and 3GS. For Apple fanatics, I am pretty sure that they'll also be upgrading their iPhone 4 to the 4S. My 3G is still usable but boy, am I drooling for that iPhone 4s!

I remembered the first time Apple launched the iPhone. When Globe first brought it here, it was a gadget that everyone wanted. Everyone talked about it. Globe made a huge splash when they officially brought in the iPhone to the Philippines last 2008! Globe was one of the few carriers worldwide who got to release the iPhone (see chart below)!

Here's a chart I got from Technogra.ph (Year in which the carriers get to release the iPhone. His source is from Wikipedia)

3 years after, Smart finally gets to release an iPhone also! But wait... here's a weird thing that I discovered... Unlike the information from Wikipedia which said that Smart is one of the carriers already, check the screenshot I took below. The screenshot below is from the Apple official website. (Source)

3 Technical support for iPhone in this region is provided by the carrier, not Apple.

As stated, the said article was updated on December 05, 2011. According to that list, Globe is the only wireless carrier in the Philippines. See the weird part? Smart announced the release of the iPhone 4S around November 2011. It was around the 2nd of week of November when they announced it. There's no reason that Apple was not able to update that article given a month's time. Here's an article from Inquirer -- Smart to launch iPhone 4s in Manila by end-'11. (Date of that article was November 09, 2011.)

The question is, why is Smart not in Apple's website official list of carriers? Is Smart importing the units on their own? Stating the fact that Apple updated the article on December 05, did Apple do it intentionally or not? I've heard before that Apple is not happy with what Smart did by spilling the beans earlier than told to.

Nevertheless, I am still VERY excited for that iPhone 4S launch! I also use a prepaid Smart but since I am a Globe postpaid subscriber and I use supersurf unlimited internet, it is just practical to get an iPhone 4S from Globe.

Can't wait until the 16th! It's a Merry Christmas after all! :)

Cheftonio
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Christmas Season? Let Visa Debit Card Handle It Like a Boss!

2011-12-06T20:16:00.000+08:00

♫"It's the most wonderful time of the year..."♪ Yes, it should be the most wonderful time of the year! Reunions, parties, shopping for presents, dinners, more presents and the list goes on! Although the real essence of Christmas is not all those merriment, we must admit that this is one of the most sought after months in the whole year, specially for the kids and kids at heart AND spending will be inevitable.

There's a lot of surprises this December! Not only am I talking about gifts but also unexpected dinners and expenses! This is when I get to appreciate my Visa Debit card more. I was at the mall over the weekend when I remembered that I have to pay my Globe bill. I lined up and when it was my turn already, I forgot to check if I have cash. Lo and behold! I forgot that I spent my cold cash on some shopping I did earlier that day in the mall! Do I line up again? No way!

This would be the very first time I tried to use the Visa function from my Unionbank EON card. I have an EON card before but I only use the ATM function. I find it very convenient and helpful because in times of emergency, I still have a card I can use to debit to my account without actually lining up the ATM machine to withdraw or think about the upcoming bank statement. What I did was, I just informed the cashier at Globe that I would like to use the Visa function of the card. It's very annoying to enter your pin in the public, don't you think? Although this is another payment alternative, I'd rather go to the easy route and just sign! Yes! When you use the Visa Debit function, you'll just be signing just like when you use a credit card -- LIKE A BOSS! For this one though, it is instantly debited in your account and you're not going to owe any bank any debt. No more worries of having to pay late credit card billing statements and accumulating all that unwanted interest rates.

As much as possible, I don't want to use my credit card. In fact, my monthly challenge is not to use my credit card at all. This year, I managed to get a bank statement that actually said "Amount due: ZERO!" To make things harder, I decided to stick to that challenge more seriously this December. So what I did was I reloaded my Visa Debit card so I can limit my purchases.

Globe Payment Slip via Visa Debit

Why do I prefer to use my Visa Debit card instead of cash? For one, there are those much needed times when you need to pay for something and you lack cash. Yes, you can withdraw from the ATM but what if for example, you want to buy something and there's only 1 piece left? Would you still have time to withdraw? Again, I don't want to use the credit card because I've been had once when the credit card company charged me interest fees for late payment when the truth was, they sent the statement after the due date. Of course, they wouldn't admit it. Rather than saving money, I ended up spending more because of that late fee.

Other than swiping like a credit card, you can also control your online purchases with this. I'm very particular with regards to the online security of credit cards. Whenever I want to purchase something online, I make sure that I use my debit card because I have heard enough horror stories that others experienced. At least in a debit card, you can control the amount that you can purchase PLUS, when the worst case scenario comes (hacked account etc), the thief can only steal just as much as what you have in your account. I am not saying this debit card is not safe. What I'm saying is, THIS is actually SAFER.

Another way to use it is just like a regular ATM card. I find this Visa Debit card a more practical way to use as an alternative to cash because of the flexibility it has. How can you pay for your online purchases with cash? In a restaurant when treating someone, I don't like it when people secretly count how much money I am taking out of my wallet. I hate those bank statements that comes late and suddenly, it charges you double that amount you spent (Yes, it happened to me. My $10 dollar bill became $20 dollars).

Whether going shopping in the mall or online, I suggest you try out using the Visa Debit Card. I personally use Union Bank's EON card with Visa but you can visit your nearest Sterling Bank of Asia, Standard Chartered Bank, BDO, East West Bank, Chinatrust Commercial Bank, HSBC or UnionBank branch to apply for a Visa Debit card!

(And another VERY useful feature since I forgot my ATM pincode already: I can still use the Visa (Swipe) function of it to purchase stuff! Cool, eh? Still waiting for Unionbank to reset my pin.)

Cheftonio

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Miniature Christmas City

2011-12-05T22:17:00.001+08:00

Christmas is in the air indeed!

I've been busy lately but I wanted to share our Christmas City at home! I have uploaded a short video of it. I'll be uploading photos of it by next week. Enjoy!

Cheftonio
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How to use BPI Express Mobile Banking and other Information

2011-11-23T12:22:00.001+08:00

BPI unveiled their newest innovation in terms of mobile banking last week -- The BPI iPhone, BlackBerry, Java and Android App!

Just a few weeks back, they launched the BPI X Globe Tattoo stick. That package includes a simcard that can access BPI services, even without load credits on your sim! This sim will go great with the BPI Express Mobile Banking app for your iPhone, BlackBerry, Java or Android devices! (Read more here: http://cheftonio.blogspot.com/2011/11/3-reasons-why-you-should-buy-bpi-globe.html)

Updated on Nov 23 3:00pm (See bottom. Instructions for using this app on a device that can't receive SMS)

With the BPI Express Mobile App, you can:
- Do real time deposit and loan balance
- Do fund transfer from one account to another
- Pay bills (more than 300 merchants!)
- Reload prepaid and broadband sticks
- Make bank service transaction (Like checkbook ordering)

What's great is, wherever you are in the world and whenever you feel like doing your transaction, you can now transact 24/7! That's the REAL 24/7 banking!

As an Apple user, I got excited! I immediately downloaded the app while they were announcing it that night! Sad though because my jurassic iPhone 3G can't download the BPI app because it requires a minimum of iOS 3.1.3

...But not to worry, my iPad can!!! Wohooo!

BPI app icon in my iPad

Just press the "2x" button on the lower right to enlarge the BPI app

How to download the app?
For iPhone/ iPad/ iPod Touch users, go to the App store and simply search for "BPI". Click Download.

For others, go to http://www.bpiexpressonline.com/ and look for the mobile banking tab (shortcut to download the BPI Express Mobile Banking app here) It's free across all platforms.

How to register to use the BPI mobile banking app?

Step 1: Log-in to www.bpiexpressonline.com
Step 2: Go to Other Services> Express Mobile Registration > Mobile Banking
Step 3: Fill-out the registration page.
	Internet-Based Mobile Banking is available to you wherever you are anywhere in the world. The registration form will require you to key-in your country code.
Step 4: Enroll in Transfer to Anyone*
	* Enrollment to this facility can be done at a later time. To know more about this facility, click on this link.
Step5: Receive the SMS with the download link
Step 6: Download the link
Step 7: Open the BPI applet on your phone
Step 8: Log-in immediately

Want to read more about activating the BPI Express Mobile service? Read this ( http://thumbworld.mybpimag.com/pages/phone/how_to_register )

For more information on BPI EXPRESS MOBILE, log on to http://www.bpiexpressonline.com and click on Mobile Banking under the Services column.

Corporate Profile

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is one of the Philippines’ largest banks in terms of market capitalization and asset size. It has a lead position in intermediation capacity, corporate and consumer lending, remittances and electronic banking.

Updated on Nov 23 3:00pm
I just found out that when you use this in a device that can't receive SMS like the iPod Touch or the Apple iPad, you can't activate it. I discovered a workaround for it:

1. log on to your account in BPI Express Online (www.bpiexpressonline.com)
2. Go to -- > Other Services --> Express Mobile Registration --> Mobile Banking
3. Fill out the required fields including your mobile number
4. You will receive an SMS containing a link on you phone. Do not open this link on your phone. Instead, copy the link and open it in your iPad's safari (you can also send the entire text message via email so you don't need to copy the whole link character by character)
5. Take note of the activation code on the page you opened using the link. You may also press the download button which will take you to the app store to download the app.
6. Use the activation code to activate your Express Mobile App
7. Log in using your BPI Express Online account

It's really convenient to use this BPI Express Mobile app and I hope that soon enough, they'll consider coming up with an actual iPad app. For the meantime, you can do your transactions on the iPad using this workaround! :)

Cheftonio
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