Bored... 8:27 pm

Me, Josh and Kriselle taking a pic after waking up..

Current Mood: Bored, Blank?
Song Playing: You Remind Me

Alright, this day's so awfully boring. This is why I loathe summer vacation sometimes. The good thing is I get to rest my butt down after 5 months full of stress and anxiety.

Anyway, it was fun listening to Goodtimes with Mo earlier this morning. I can't help but laugh with the Strip Spelling Bee segment with guest Mocha. God, it was hilarious. I kind of agree also to Mo's statement regarding this gay Tsao dude.

I miss my brother L.A. already. SIgh.. He's at Bel-Air still kasi. Hope he'll get to finish all these school stuff already para ma-cuddle ko na siya. :)

My Brother, L.A. Darn it, I miss you bro!

Moving on, I'll be posting a couple of techie updates here tomorrow so please do check it out. About the podcast thing that I mentioned before, well I'm not quite sure if I'll be able to get it going, but I'll keep you notified just in case it's ready.

For more updates, please follow my blog or subscribe to my feeds for more updates.

Till' then, ciao!

Permit me to rant again..... angrily... (>.<)

Yep, once again permit me to be tactless about this HK journalist named Chip Tsao, who released an offensive article regarding us Filipinos.

Before I state my take on this, let me post his entire article here..

*****

The Russians sank a Hong Kong freighter last month, killing the seven Chinese seamen on board. We can live with that—Lenin and Stalin were once the ideological mentors of all Chinese people. The Japanese planted a flag on Diàoyú Island. That’s no big problem—we Hong Kong Chinese love Japanese cartoons, Hello Kitty, and shopping in Shinjuku, let alone our round-the-clock obsession with karaoke.

But hold on—even the Filipinos? Manila has just claimed sovereignty over the scattered rocks in the South China Sea called the Spratly Islands, complete with a blatant threat from its congress to send gunboats to the South China Sea to defend the islands from China if necessary. This is beyond reproach. The reason: there are more than 130,000 Filipina maids working as $3,580-a-month cheap labor in Hong Kong. As a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter.


As a patriotic Chinese man, the news has made my blood boil. I summoned Louisa, my domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, hung a map on the wall, and gave her a harsh lecture. I sternly warned her that if she wants her wages increased next year, she had better tell every one of her compatriots in Statue Square on Sunday that the entirety of the Spratly Islands belongs to China.

Grimly, I told her that if war breaks out between the Philippines and China, I would have to end her employment and send her straight home, because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day. With that money, she would pay taxes to her government, and they would fund a navy to invade our motherland and deeply hurt my feelings.

Oh yes. The government of the Philippines would certainly be wrong if they think we Chinese are prepared to swallow their insult and sit back and lose a Falkland Islands War in the Far East. They may have Barack Obama and the hawkish American military behind them, but we have a hostage in each of our homes in the Mid-Levels or higher. Some of my friends told me they have already declared a state of emergency at home. Their maids have been made to shout “China, Madam/Sir” loudly whenever they hear the word “Spratly.” They say the indoctrination is working as wonderfully as when we used to shout, “Long live Chairman Mao!” at the sight of a portrait of our Great Leader during the Cultural Revolution. I’m not sure if that’s going a bit too far, at least for the time being.

*****

Alright, that's it. Bottomline is this: the concept of OFWs are far more different than the idea of servants, and I could not believe that this person would have the guts to compare us as such to the point that we were like lowlives existing for the sake of serving masters. My God. He even tackled the Spratlys issue to ignite further his point.

All I can say is, BRAVO. You deserve the entire Philippine nation's rage.

Suck it off Chip Tsao. To begin with, we're not servants. These OFWs are heroes. They risk off every drop of blood just to help their families and to provide better means for their children. Servitude is far more different than the OFW's line of work. Besides, we only serve one master. That is GOD. Second, Spratlys is truly ours. I don't even remember China owning this small piece of land from the very start. Third, you have no idea about what you're talking about. And lastly, you're a pathetic, mediocre, gay journalist who craves for attention.

One more thing: we Filipinos are far more better than you think, Tsao.

You don't deserve the Filipinos' respect, Tsao. This is offensive as such, and we can't let such an insult get through that easily.

For the OFWs who continously work up abroad, we salute you. You have no idea how much we are grateful for you guys.

For my fellow Filipinos, let us take a stand against these racist fags. Let us show them what truly Filipinos are.

Three Stars and A Sun!

8:56 pm...

At Outback Alabang..

Current Mood: Tired
Song Playing: Love Story

Good evening everyone! I've had a pretty tiring day. Well, at least I'm not locking myself into the chains of boredom, haha!

Earlier this morning, I attended my cousin's wedding at St. James Parish. Most of our relatives were there, save for my dad and mom, who were both in their offices during that time. Kriselle and Josh's with me. Actually, I invited Yuri to fill in for dad's reservation. Too bad he has to go to UE for his chorale audition. I understand him though. Afterwards, I gave a small treat for Kriselle and Josh at Outback Alabang, then due to Josh's demand and my desire to play Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion(hey, it's been a while!), we altogether went to Mall of Asia.

(It's also the first time that I drove my mom's car without permission, haha!)

We spent the rest of the afternoon having foodtrips, playing at arcades, picture taking and the like. I even taught Josh and Kriselle how to play Tekken, haha! Guess what? Josh has talent on it, haha!

Too bad L.A.(my other brother) wasn't there with us. He has to finish up some requirements at La Salle. I don't have a proper Tekken opponent because of that, sheesh, haha!

It was a tiring, but fun day to say the least. :)

Right now I am practicing 3D Studio MAX. God, it's so much difficult mastering this 3D animation engine, but hey a little dose of practice won't hurt right?

For more updates, please follow my blog or subscribe to my feeds. Actually, I'm also planning to add a podcast feature on this blog. Well, let's see if we can do that into frution.

Until then. Ciao!

Apple got stung by iPod fraud..

I got this news from Apple. Whether you believe it or not, Apple themselves became the victim of fraud. Here, read this one:

*****

An iPod repairman from Michigan who managed to score more than 9000 iPod shuffles from Apple is facing fraud and money laundering charges.

The Boston Globe reports that Nicholas Woodhams, 23, essentially guessed serial numbers for the scaled-back iPods and entered them into Apple's system, claiming they were replacements for faulty devices.

He made his employees enter serial numbers and have the MP3 player replacements sent to a UPS post box.

When Apple didn't receive a defective iPod in return, it would charge the replacement to a credit card. Woodhams used cards that rejected the transactions, the Globe said.

The computer giant sent out more than 9000 shuffles which Woodhams sold for US$49 each.

The US Government, which filed charges in Grand Rapids last week, wants to seize Woodhams' real estate, Apple computers, two vehicles and a motorbike, plus over half a million dollars - allegedly the proceeds of his shuffle fraud.

This article originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.

12:16 mn... Sleepy...

Vanity strikes again..

Current Mood: Sleepy
Song Playing: Good Girl Gone Bad

Should I blame dear boredom for my sleepless nights? Haha.. Anyway, just wanna share some things that occurred earlier this day.

Well, my ex just called me up. Yep, I'm talking about Rei. We caught up with each other's lives in a friendly way, until he brought yet again the idea of second chance. I told him that things have changed, and that I am loving someone right now, but still he told me that he'll never give up on me..

The usual Rei that I've known.. He always promises things- and never gives any assurances that he'll fulfill them.

That is why I am so reluctant right now to trust him. Besides I'm so over him right at this very moment. :P

Alright, enough with that part.

Again I am inviting you dear bloggers to send in your suggestions about future blogposts. You can also share something that you have seen or heard. Then we'll talk about it here.

Send it in at cookiejarislove@yahoo.com.

For more updates, please follow my blog or subscribe to my feeds.

Good night everybody! Have a sweet sleep. :)

10:13 am....

Me and Kriselle. We just woke up!

Good morning everyone! Rise and shine people.

I just woke up. Guess playing PSP too much will hinder you from sleeping properly, isn't it? At least I get to enjoy what I'm doing, haha!

So much for my previous post. Well, I guess that's the last angry rant that I'll be doing here in Blogger.

Anyway, I am now accepting suggestions and requests for my future blog posts. You can also share to me something that you have seen or discovered just recently. We'll post it right here in my blog so that we'll be able to discuss about it, right? I would definitely like to hear it from you. :)

Here's my email address: cookiejarislove@yahoo.com :)

Thankies! Have a nice day fellow bloggers!

Boyet Fajardo scandal

Alright, let's step out from the techie/gaming scene and discuss this, ehem, "celebrity wannabe" Boyet Fajardo(as most people label him).

For starters, let me tell what's going on with the video that I embedded above. As you see, this CCTV cap shows Boyet Fajardo(the bald guy with the shades) forcing the cashier to kneel before him and apologize for some "inconvenience" in the former's part. Boyet also asserts his point that he's someone to be reckoned with, just because he is Boyet Fajardo.

God. For Pete's sake, please don't make me laugh. Sorry guys, but I have to be tactless in this post. Cmon Boyet. What the hell do you think you are? A demigod? Someone to be feared of? Geez, quit the show off and explain yourself. You don't possess the right to force someone to do such things like that. And who the hell are you anyway? The goddamn Boyet Fajardo? A famous fashion designer?

I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!

You're not even THAT popular. FYI, you're just a struggling designer who creates RTW clothes that does not sell at all.

You don't deserve our respect for what you did. You don't even have the right to be called as a filipino. You're a total disgrace to all of us. Let me give a reason why this country's being hindered from achieving total development: It is because of scums like you!!!

Now, how will you defend yourself after all this media circus? Oh God, I cannot believe this. You're despicable.

Sorry if I'm ranting like this. It's just that I'm so much irritated by this guy's act. And I know for sure that most people share the same sentiment as I am.

If you desire to boycott this wannabe's clothing line, here's the link for the petition page:
http://petitionspot.com/petitions/boycottboyetfajardo

Again, I apoligize for being tactless as such with regards to this issue..

Family Day :)

Me with my little bro Josh and sis Kriselle

How was my day? It was great, and not relatively boring like yesterday.

My mom, out of boredom, suddenly decided to give me a treat together with my younger siblings. She told us that we deserve such a treat for all the efforts that me and Josh pulled off for our academics. Well, maybe let's cross out Josh, since he's not yet in the same level of difficulty as I am, haha!

We went to ATC and enjoyed one hell of a time there. You know, it's really fun to unwind and hang out with your family once in a while. It relieves you of your worries and stress.

After I got home I did the usual thing: camwhoring, haha!

All in all it was awesome. Mom, thank you so much for the treat! Love you! Mwahh~!

:)

Such a Bore..

Hi there!

This day's so awfully boring. Guess playing PSP or surfing the net won't be enough to quench away this boredom.

Out of boredom, I just decided to test the capabilities of Adobe ImageReady in order to create a .GIF image. I posted the finished pic above. Too bad it won't budge to animate here.

Anyway, I've also tested my new Acer laptop's webcam:


I know. The cam's a little bit edgy and sharp but it's forgivable though..

Actually, I'm supposed to visit Yuri today, but due to his flu we were unable to do as such. Puffy Yuri, I hope that you'll recover soon enough for your chorale auditions!

:)

Fabula Nova Crystallis- Final Fantasy XIII Updates

I apologize for keeping you waiting. So, here we go. Right now, I'll give some updates about the much hyped up FFXIII. Announced last E3 2006, the series will depict a futuristic world with a large myriad of characters, mythos and plotlines to enjoy.

For starters, this series will feature 3 games distant from each other, but connected in a sense that they exist within a same universe and that the stories as such will revolve within these characters' search for the crystals- hence the flagship title.

The current games in development for the series were the following:

-Final Fantasy XIII
The main game itself. The plot focuses on the fal'Cie, a race existing beyond humanity. The people marked by the fal'Cie for a greater purpose are named the l'Cie. Some thirteen centuries ago, a mythical Crystal told the fal'Cie to construct a paradise for humanity. The shell-like city of Cocoon was created to float high above the surface of the world now known as Pulse, and it was maintained by its own Crystal. Cocoon's Crystal created life forms and machines for its inhabitants to use, and humanity flourished. Over time, the people of Cocoon began to fear for the safety of their world, and were worried that it would be cast down from the sky. In present day, the wilderness of Pulse has strange effects on people, and the theocratic Holy Government of Cocoon quarantines and exiles anyone who has been influenced by Pulse from the city with the help of its mighty army, PSICOM. A former soldier of that army, a woman codenamed Lightning is chosen by the fal'Cie against her will to become a l'Cie, and with that to be an enemy of humanity and bring about the downfall of Cocoon. According to its creators, the trailer released last E3 2006 was just a prototype made to hype up the series. However, Square Enix released last TCG 2008 a definitive trailer of the game, showcasing the main characters themselves. It would be released for the PS3 console and is slated to be released this 2010.

-Final Fantasy Agito XIII
Announced before to be released in mobile phones, Square Enix decided to move the game to a much wider scope of format- the PSP, together with Kingdom Hearts Coded, in order to attract a much wider audience. It was said that this game will serve not as a side story to FFXIII, but rather a stand alone story which connects to the central plot of the series. The battle system will be similar to Crisis Core, but will allow control for a myriad of characters plus the ATB system. A compass was also revealed in early screenshots of the game, which will guide the player in various locations throughout a certain area. The game is set in a magic school named Akademeia, and will gradually expand to the larger world outside of the school. It is described as an online RPG, but not "massively multiplayer". It's been recently revealed that Orience is the name of the world, and the antagonizing military country is called Milites. A peace treaty is supposed to be in effect with the 4 countries, but Cid of Milites has sent his l'Cie soldier to war with the neighboring countries. Other areas have been revealed recently called Rubrum, Anaze, and Kogai. From the IGN Impressions of the trailer that was debuted at Square Enix's closed door party, DKΣ3713, we learned that there is a militaristic nation that, due to the machination and rallies of their leader, began conquering all of its neighboring nations. The nation went unimpeded until they came across a lone island kingdom isolated from the rest of the continent that was apparently being protected by a giant crystal and is also said to worship a god named Suzaku. However, for reasons unknown, the crystal shatters, seemingly leaving the nation vulnerable to be attacked. The kingdom's fear is realized when a cloaked woman, wielding a "whip sword" along with other blades, appears with a massive army in formation behind her. The trailer continues with random bits of fighting in CG along with gameplay, and ends with the cloaked woman sticking a flag in the ground, which is most likely that of the kingdom nation, rallying her allies. It is also confirmed that the nation's military has been destroyed, and 12 students training at a magical institute to become Agito take up arms to free their kingdom from the new menace. 12 characters have been revealed so far, with each of them possessing a unique weapon and ability. As of late, the release date is indefinite, but some sources tell that this will be released coinciding the main game itself.

-Final Fantasy Versus XIII
Unveiled at E3 2006, the game focuses on a mysterious protagonist who is the last heir of a dynasty ruling over the only remaining city to control crystals. Under unforeseen circumstances, he makes a stand against marauders seeking to take the crystal as their own. Final Fantasy Versus XIII is, according to its developers, a wholly independent story unfolding with different characters and a different visual design. Although it is set within the same Final Fantasy XIII universe, it is unrelated to any other entry within the compilation and is thus neither a sequel nor a prequel to any other entries in Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy XIII. Very little information regarding the plot of the game has been revealed since E³ 2006; however, Square Enix representatives have commented that Versus may be the darkest Final Fantasy game yet. Final Fantasy Versus XIII revolves Noctis Lucis Caelum, the last heir to an isolated nation, which holds the last Crystal protected by kings. Its isolation is due to the city's resistance to protect itself against invading heretics. The game has been said to initiate at the "clearing" of a long Cold War between warring nations that revolved around the crystals.

*****

Square Enix announced at its DKΣ3713 party in August 2008 that the demo of Final Fantasy XIII, as well as new trailers of Versus XIII and Agito XIII, would be released in the highly-anticipated Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete Blu-ray Disc. Square Enix announced the release date of the new Advent Children Blu-ray release to be some time during March 2009 (later changed to April 16) and asked fans to disregard previous release dates. Famitsu released a 50-minute DVD entitled "Re: Riplai" on December 13, 2008 including trailers from the Fabula Nova Crystallis series and other Square Enix titles.

Guess we'll have to wait for the release of these trailers in order to have a more definitive look upon the early stages of these games. Don't you worry though, I'll be updating you soon as I get my hands on some news with regards to this much anticipated series.

Anyway, before you log-out, make sure you'll subscribe to my feeds or follow my blog for updates. Until then, ciao!

Sources: wikipedia.org, ign.com

Top 10 Most Controversial Video Games

Yahoo! lists down the top 10 most controversial video games of all time. Love 'em or hate 'em, I'm quite sute these games made a mark on the video game industry by providing their unique and, ehem, "deviant" touch on the gamers' sensibility as such.

So, without any further ado, let us start off.

10. Death Race

Inspired by the cult film Death Race 2000, this 1976 coin-op challenged players to run down humanoid "gremlins" while avoiding tombstones left in their wake. While its graphics seem primitive by today's standards, it was labeled "sick" by countless media outlets, earning it the title of the world's first controversial video game.

9. Mortal Kombat

This legendary fighting game series hasn't always enjoyed flawless victories. Though its slick graphics and instantly iconic characters made it a breakout hit, its sheer brutality and chilling "Fatalities" made it an easy target for anti-violence crusaders. Eventually, the game was brought before Congress in hearings that led to the creation of the body that puts age certificates on games to this day, the ESRB.

8. Doom

Landmark Martian monster mash Doom has been riling up religious groups since flying out of Hell in 1993, but it didn't truly hit the big time until it was tied to the tragic 1999 massacre at Columbine High School. Several victims' families filed lawsuits against the film and video game industries, which were ultimately dismissed.

7. Postal

Naming a game after a slang term describing homicides by disgruntled U.S. Postal employees during the '80s and '90s might be considered a lapse in judgment...which is exactly what the USPS sought when they sued the pants off the developers for trademark infringement. The case would eventually be tossed out of court.

6. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Remember Hot Coffee? Oh cmon, I'm pretty sure you do.

Calling "Hot Coffee" -- the game's infamous, sexually-explicit mini-game -- a significant controversy is an embarrassing understatement; the incident opened the floodgates of video game legislation, resulted in a massive recall and re-rating of San Andreas, and obliterated the 2005 fiscal earnings of Take 2 Interactive. Maybe they should have ordered tea.

5. Resistance: Fall of Man

This acclaimed first-person shooter was one of the PS3's bright spots during its first year. Unfortunately, the designers forgot to ask the Church of England for permission to use Manchester Cathedral in a game featuring guns, bullets and alien hordes. Both sides eventually made nice, though the seemingly negative publicity led to a significant increase in sales.

4. Manhunt 2

Officially destroying the Wii's innocence, Manhunt 2 allowed users to perform horrific executions using the system's motion-sensitive controllers. Th at quickly earned it the dreaded AO rating by the ESRB, effectively rendering it banned until the developers edited the offending content. Sadly, all that hubbub was for naught, as the game received low scores and marginal sales.

3. Mass Effect

When Fox News and psychologist Cooper Lawrence heard that players could consummate a romantic relationship in this role-playing adventure, they went on the offensive. Unfortunately, they also got the facts wrong, resulting in a deluge of angry words from game publisher EA and tons of free publicity for the award-winning game.

2. LittleBigPlanet

This groundbreaking platform game inadvertently raised the ire of the Muslim world when it was discovered that one of the game's licensed songs contained sacred passages from the Qur'an. Sony issued a full recall only days before releasing, costing the company both revenue and peace of mind during the busy holiday season.

1. Resident Evil 5

Alright, the top spot is reserved for.... (drumroll please...)... Resident Evil 5!

Set in an African nation teeming with undead monsters, the latest in the acclaimed horror series has been accused of promoting racist imagery by featuring a white protagonist killing hordes of black zombies. Despite the controversy, the game has already shipped over 4 million units worldwide.

****

And there you go, your top 10 most controversial games of all time. Well, that's out top 10 for now. Sooner, there will be more deviant and controversial games than what we have right now.

Well, for me, it's not the controversy that surrounds a game that counts, but rather, it's the feeling of being able to enjoy playing a game to its fullest, right?

That's it. Before you log-out, make sure you'll subscribe to my feeds or follow my blog for updates. Till' then, ciao!

I Nailed It!!!

On my way to Beda. :)

"I did it, I did it, and I nailed it freakin' hard!"

Oops, sorry for that one, haha! I just couldn't believe the fact that after 5 months of riveting stress, I passed all of my subjects this term. :)

Yeah, and hooray for that!

Now, truly I have reasons to celebrate.. :)

Cheers for that!

Since its vacation already, your princess-next-door's back to regular blogging here in Princess Journal. :)

As I promised before, I'll be posting now this time my updates about FFXIII and Red Alert 3. I was so much busy back then to be able to post updates as such..

Anyways, for more updates, please subscribe via my feeds or just follow my blog. Thanks!

How To Tell If Your PC's Infected?

I got this one from Yahoo!'s ever reliable tech corner. I'm posting it here for the sake of those non-techie bloggers who aren't aware of such viruses and the like.

***

Computer-virus infections don't cause your machine to crash anymore.

Nowadays, the criminals behind the infections usually want your computer operating in top form so you don't know something's wrong. That way, they can log your keystrokes and steal any passwords or credit-card numbers you enter at Web sites, or they can link your infected computer with others to send out spam.

Here are some signs your computer is infected, tapped to serve as part of "botnet" armies run by criminals:

• You experience new, prolonged slowdowns. This can be a sign that a malicious program is running in the background.

• You continually get pop-up ads that you can't make go away. This is a sure sign you have "adware," and possibly more, on your machine.

• You're being directed to sites you didn't intend to visit, or your search results are coming back funky. This is another sign that hackers have gotten to your machine.

So what do you do?

• Having anti-virus software here is hugely helpful. For one, it can identify known malicious programs and disable them. If the virus that has infected your machine isn't detected, many anti-virus vendors offer a service in which they can remotely take over your computer and delete the malware for a fee.

• Some anti-virus vendors also offer free, online virus-scanning services.

• You may have to reinstall your operating system if your computer is still experiencing problems. It's a good idea even if you believe you've cleaned up the mess because malware can still be hidden on your machine. You will need to back up your files before you do this.

How do I know what information has been taken?

• It's very hard to tell what's been taken. Not every infection steals your data. Some just serve unwanted ads. Others poison your search result or steer you to Web sites you don't want to see. Others log your every keystroke. The anti-virus vendors have extensive databases about what the known infections do and don't do. Comparing the results from your virus scans to those entries will give you a good idea about what criminals may have snatched up.

(for more updates, please subscribe through my feeds or just add me up and follow my blog. thankies!)

3 Stars and a Sun...

I just got my FMCC Super Proxy shirt yesterday from a friend of mine. Good thing the shirt does fit my size. I just assumed kasi before that most of these FMCC shirts would be released in bigger sizes. Guess I was wrong.

Anyway, it's quite noticeable that these FMCC Shirts were selling like pancakes. After the demise of the great Francis M people began lining in droves upon FMCC stores just to buy their shirts. Looks like finally, Francis M's goal is starting to materialize.

But the fact here is this: would we have to wait for someone like Francis M to die before we realize how important it is to become a Filipino and how we should act in a time like this?

The answer is obvious. It's a big NO.

I am not saying that I am overly nationalistic, okay? But for what is worth, we are now losing our senses upon the true facet of our current society and the disease that it suffers now. It's now or never people. We have to act now and spread the spirit that Francis M wants to share with us. Let us hold hands and act as one, in order to repel the growing stigma of this nation.

As Francis M always says, "One Love.."

Let us spread that one love, and fight for that 3 Stars and a Sun. :)

New iPod Shuffle released

I am quite sure some of you have heard about this 3rd-gen iPod Shuffle that was actually released last Wednesday by Apple. Well, it was a surprising move to say the least. I mean, the details for this new iPod shuffle were vague until the very day of its release. I just hope that it'll fare well just like its previous iterations.

For starters, let me dish out its known specs.

Memory: 4GB
Size: 1.8 x 0.7 x 0.3 in
Features: VoiceOver Technology, which allows the user to translate the Artist's name, the song and the album's moniker in 14 diff. languages, the volume controls were now removed in favor of a three-button control in the earphones w/c incorporates track and volume control.
Available Colors: Black, White, Silver
Base Price: $79

So there you go. Well, I am not that impressed at all with this new iPod but nonetheless, I have to admire the new features and the changes being placed into this new version. It was a vast improvement I should say from the previous iterations of the Shuffle.

For more techie updates, please do subscribe to my feeds or just follow my blog. Ciao! :)

source: http://wikipedia.org, http://cnet.com

Thank God!

On my way to ATC

Alright, so how was my day? Well, it was pretty good and toxic. I just passed and defended my very own restaurant reservation system in my Object Oriented Programming class. I was too nervous during the actual defense, primarily because of the fact that we have to defend not in front of my classmates, but with a bunch of freshie students who were also under my professor. Luckily, I am able to back it all up with enough confidence and of course, a little encouragement from Puffy. :)

And guess what?

I nailed it!

My professor commented on the system, saying that it is impressive, but still I have a long way to go, but nonetheless, as he says, I am able to deliver such an impressive product out of what skills and resources I have.

My God, I am so much flattered by his comment. Thank God! All those hours of patience and hardwork finally paid off.

All I have to deal right now are my upcoming exams. Hai, hope I can do this...

Puffy! Thank you so much!

Samsung Omnia HD

Source: http://infochat.com.ph
Samsung announced the Samsung Omnia HD i8910, with a switch from Windows Mobile 6.1 to their original platform: the Symbian S60. The Omnia HD has a 3.7-inch touchscreen capable of 16m colors, together with a whooping 8.1 megapixel camera capable of recording 720p HD footage.

It comes with HSUPA 5.76 mbps and HSDPA 7.2 mbps that enable you to download or upload a 4MB MP3 file in less than 10 seconds and a 40MB movie in a minute. 3.7" Auto-Rotating DIsplay on the large screen means that you can enjoy PC-like web-surfing on your phone.

The internal memory is available in 8GB and 16GB capacity options, with the addition of a 32GB microSD card, allows you to store up to 48GB, which translates to 35 DVD-quality films or 18,000 8MP photos.

Alright, fact is, I am not quite a fan of Samsung, simply because I find their phones easy to be spoiled. But don't get me wrong, we have to applaude them for placing such features on their mobile phones. Now, seeing the Omnia HD, I suddenly felt things the other way around, given its functions and capabilities. But then again, I am not bargaining my iPhone 3G nor my Nokia 5800 XpressMusic for that one yet.

Anyway, before you log-out make sure that you'll subscribe to my feeds or follow my blog ofor updates. See ya!

Moving on...

I found this one on a blog site. It's all about moving on. It is quite amusing, but definitely true.
Check it out:

Una… may mga taong mahilig sa bago… tuwang tuwa sila pag may bago… nae-excite… ang hindi nila naiisip, yung mga lumang iniwan nila e dating bago… so wag kang malungkot, malamang sa hindi yung pinalit nya sayo… iiwan niya rin, at pag nangyari yun… ikaw na ang masaya at yung pinalit sayo na ang malungkot… sino ang panalo??? IKAW!... so move on na…

Pangalawa…wag mong paniwalaan yung sinasabi na MAHAL KITA KAYA KAILANGAN NATING MAGHIWALAY KASI AYAW KITANG MASAKTAN LALO… hahaha kalokohan to… ito ang mga banat ng ibang mapagsamantala kapag may nakita ng bago at inuumpisahang diskartehan (o alembongan)… ikaw naman si TANGA… naniniwala ka… UU NGA DAHIL MAHAL KITA DUN TAYO SA GUSTO MO… teka TANGA KA BA??? Hindi!... Kaya mag-move on ka na…

Pangatlo… wag mong ipilit sa sarili mo na BULAG ANG PAG-IBIG… kaya maghihintay ka at hahayaang ang panahon ang magdikta na mag move on ka na… at ipapakita mong sobrang miserable ka dahil iniwan ka… ipipilit mo pa rin ang sarili mo… MALI MALI MALI… hindi bulag ang pag-ibig… ang pag-ibig ay mas pinipili pang wala na lang makita kahit ang dami na nyang alam at nakikita… PUWES hindi mo DESERVE yung ganun dahil parehas kang lumaro… ang kailngan mo… yung parehas ding lumaro… move on…

Pang-apat… ang hilig natin sa HAPPILY EVER AFTER… teka nakaka-ilang ganyan ka na ba??? Kung isa pa lang yan at kayo pa rin habang binabasa mo to… baka isa kayo sa ganun… pero kung nakaka-ilang ganyan ka na… abah gumising ka… nung nakaraang tatlong buwan lang naglalasing ka at ayaw mo na mabuhay kasi iniwan ka tapos ayan ka na naman ngayon… ang ibig sabihin nun ay isa lang… di ka pa handa sa isang mature and serious relationship… kaya pwede ba… bitawan mo yang bote o yang sangkaterbang pagkain na kinakain mo dahil stressed ka… mag move on ka no OA mo…

Pang lima… at sa tingin ko dapat mong isiping mabuti… kapag may umalis sa buhay, matuwa ka… kasi naging bahagi sya ng buhay mo… pwedeng napa unlad ka o napariwara ka… kapag may nang-iwan… may dadating… pwedeng mas higit o hindi… maari silang makahanap ng iba… mas higit sayo… pero ang lagi mong tatandaan… di na sila kahit kelan makakakita ng klase ng pagmamahal na sayo mismo nanggaling… dahil ikaw yun… sayo yun galing… at yun yung isang bagay na kahit kanino ay pwede mong ipagmalaki…

You deserve to be HAPPY… and being happy is felt with LOVE… so if you’re not happy then why consider it love…

Angels & Demons International Trailer

As the title says, yep this is a trailer for the upcoming Angels and Demons film, which will be released on May 2009.

This time, the film will focus on Robert Langdon attempting to unravel a mystery involving the Church, and the Illuminati.

I am quite sure this film will be a great one.

Good Morning!

Just woke up... *Yawn!

Good morning everyone! It's gonna be a busy day for me again. As usual, there's my project for ASP.net, my term paper for BioSci and so much more. Geez..

My Aunt Mariel will be dropping by to our house later this afternoon after 2 years of her stay at Singapore. I missed her company. I wonder what stories she'll be telling later? Haha!

Have a blessed Sunday everyone!

A New, Dangerous Worm inside Facebook reported..

Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/news/nf/20090305/tc_nf/65095

As Facebook works to make itself more relevant and timely for its growing member base with a profile page makeover, attackers seem to be working overtime to steal the identities of the friends, fans and brands that connect though the social-networking site.

Indeed, Facebook has seen five different security threats in the past week. According to Trend Micro, four new hoax applications are attempting to trick members into divulging their usernames and passwords. And a new variant of the Koobface worm is running wild on the site, installing malware on the computers of victims who click on a link to a fake YouTube video.

The Koobface worm is dangerous. It can be dropped by other malware and downloaded unknowingly by a user when visiting malicious Web sites, Trend Micro reports. When attackers execute the malware, it searches for cookies created by online social networks. The latest variant is targeting Facebook, but earlier variants have also plagued MySpace.

Koobface's Wicked Agenda

Once Koobface finds the social-networking cookies, it makes a DNS query to check IP addresses that correspond to remote domains. Trend Micro explains that those servers can send and receive information about the affected machine. Once connected, the malicious user can remotely perform commands on the victim's machine.

"Once cookies related to the monitored social-networking Web sites are located, it connects to these Web sites using the user log-in session stored in the cookies. It then navigates through pages to search for the user's friends. If a friend has been located, it sends an HTTP POST request to the server," Trend Micro reports.

Ultimately, the worm's agenda is to transform the victim's computer into a zombie and form botnets for malicious purposes. Koobface attempts to do this by composing a message and sending it to the user's friends. The message contains a link to a Web site where a copy of the worm can be downloaded by unsuspecting friends. And the cycle repeats itself.

An Attractive Face(book)

Malware authors are investing more energy in Facebook and other social-networking sites because that effort pays off, according to Michael Argast, a security analyst at Sophos. Facebook alone has more than 175 million users, which makes it an attractive target.

"Many computer users have been conditioned not to open an attachment from an e-mail or click a link found within, but won't think twice about checking out a hot new video linked to by a trusted friend on Facebook," Argast said.

Argast called the Koobface worm a mix of something old and something new. The new is using social networks as a method to spread malware. The old is using fake codec Trojans linked to a saucy video to induce the user to install the malware.

Argast said people can protect themselves by running up-to-date antivirus software, restricting which Facebook applications they install, thinking twice before clicking on links from friends and never, never installing a codec from some random Web site in the hopes of catching some celebrity in a compromised situation.

"I would expect to see more attacks on Facebook," Argast said. "As long as this is a successful propagation method, the bad guys will double down and invest more. They are entirely motivated by financial gain. If it pays, they'll continue to romp in your social playgrounds."

*****

My note on this: Yep, actually this Koobface thingy lurks not just on Facebook, but also on Friendster and MySpace. Better be careful from such comments, or else you'll find yourself in awe of this dangerous worm.

PS: Please don't forget to subscribe to my feeds or at least follow my blog for updates. Ciao!

Project time..

Alright, now it's time to wrap up my project after a round of playing Maple Story.

Geez, this term's about to end already. Wish us luck people..

"One Love..." - Farewell, Francis M...

As unimaginable as it is, let us face the fact that indeed, Francis Magalona is gone..

A much heartbreaking loss for the fans, the entertainment industry and especially for those whom he have loved, most notably his friends and family.

To put it all up, we just lost a great person. A TRUE FILIPINO..

To tell you the truth, I was completely shocked by the news. I was taking a walk along MoA that afternoon when suddenly, I received a text message telling that he passed away just moments ago. First, I assumed that it was entirely a crappy joke made to annoy us but after receiving a string of gms and having a quick net browsing at Starbucks, that made me believe that he is truly gone.

I am not actually a hardcore fan of him, but through the years I learned to admire this person, his music and his ideals in life, He is such a great inspiration for all of us. Instead of backing down in the face of death, still he faced everything with a smile and fought up together with the Lawyer in Heaven.

If there's one lesson that I'll never forget from this person, it's this:

"Life is a HAPPY BATTLE.."

Farewell, Kiko. You'll never be forgotten....

A tiring day...

Wishing that ASP.net's as easy as 123..

I am so much tired today.. I have to deal with multiple lab works, quizzes and recitations, plus the fact that I have a term paper and project to finish off this term..

I am starting to feel my own personal brand of hell... Yah, signs that this term's about to end..

So forgive me if I am unable to do my promise of posting updates about gaming and the like. Guess I'll have to refrain from posting game previews/updates and researching about techie stuffs for a while in order to concentrate even further on my studies.

I guess I have to stop playing Tekken BR for the meantime as well.. Hai, I'm gonna miss my Lili, haha!

Wish me luck with all these.. ;)

Feb. 27, 2009....

That's me. I've taken this pic with my laptop's cam after I got home..

Alright, so how was my Friday? Well, it's pretty fine, albeit disappointing because he's not around during that day..

Me and my friends played Tekken BR at Timezone MoA after our respective classes- the usual Friday ritual that we do just to relieve the stresses of college life. We've had a couple of laughs and a whole lot of fun during that time, but that does not hide the fact that I utterly miss him. Yup, my eponymous Tekken Tag Partner, my Lili's Lars...

What's funny is that they keep on asking me about my recent post here in my blog. They want to know if it's true or not. I just replied with a blushing smile, and I am quite sure they know what it means. I even talked to Anne about it, who was with us during that day. She told me to never lose sight of my own and love him in a more positive and giving way..

After our usual Friday Timezone ritual, we all shared a cup of frappe and cream at Starbucks, and went food tripping at MoA. All in all, it was a great day. Although he's not with us, I can say that I'm still happy knowing that my friends were there for me..

After I got home, I suddenly realized one thing: I'll never give up on this feeling. I know that I'll be hurt in the process, but still, I will be there for him..

I will be there for him.. As if it's the last thing that I could do...

What Makes a Great Programmer? (just got this from someone's blog)

This is interesting, and indeed, true. I got this one from a multiply site, and quite frankly, I find his views very much precise..

Source: http://ianuy.multiply.com/journal/item/86/What_makes_a_great_programmer

******

Lo and Behold, I will now commit geeky heresy by confessing that...

"Programming is NOT a talent"

We, the nerds and the geeks, would like to believe that programming is a talent. Something that is special. Something that cannot be learned fully. Something inherent -- a gift from the gods. We would like to believe that programmers are born - not made.

These beliefs stems from the premise that programming is an ART. Like singing or painting.

Let me be the one to tell you that programming is NOT a talent. However, it is true that programming is an ART and as all matters concerning art, passion separates the good from the great.

Programming can be learned. Programming Language can be learned. Algorithms can be learned. Software Engineering techniques can be learned. Everything concerning programming can be learned. So what separates great programmers from good or mediocre programmers? No, not talent. Passion.

Programming (or Software Development to be precise) is just building stuffs for people to use... It's a modern form of craftsmanship. Even in the old times, craftsmanship is the vehicle for passion. Passionate people create great works, their magnum opus. Passion is what separates a $5 painting to $10,000,000 dollar one. Passion is reflected in the end product... It's as if the heart of the creator is passed on into the product.

I still believe that programmers are not born - they can be made. But hear this, Great Programmers are born. Not because great programmers are born with great intellect. Not because great programmers are born with superb logical and rational thinking skills. Not because great programmers are just geniuses...

But because GREAT programmers are born with passion. The passion to create great stuffs.

... and passion can never, ever be learned.