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March, 2009

  1. Anti-theft software for your Mac/laptop

    March 16, 2009 by ajay

    Okay, so an unsafe environment will probably make you think now about how to keep your precious laptop from disappearing in the hands of bad elements.

    I still have to encounter companies offering laptop and cellphone insurance in this country. The most people do is shop car insurance or get cheap life assurance quote. This is understandable, considering the high risk involved. What you can do is to probably include your gadgets as part of your home insurance, but it will probably be insured only in case of burglary in your home. Another option is to acquire secured loans, but that’s another matter.

    An anti-theft software that’s linked with your computer seems an easier option, and that is what I did, upon the hubby’s prodding recently. Purchase of the software will cost you an average of $40, but I think this is good enough for the peace of mind it will give you. My philosophy is that you will not completely blame yourself if your laptop gets lost and you did not do anything to prevent it. Besides, what is $40-$50 to protect a gadget that costs $2000 or so $$$$$, like those cases I cited in the earlier post.
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    Category Technews | Tags: | 3 Comments

  2. Laptop & camera thefts are on the rise

    March 15, 2009 by ajay

    As a theft victim myself, I couldn’t help but feel the pain of friends and acquaintances who’ve lost their precious gadgets recently.

    One is my Plurk friend Pau who lost his laptop and high-end cameras at the rooftop parking lot of MC Home Depot, The Fort in a span of less than 10 minutes!

    Last night, Plurk was abuzz again with news of another robbery. This time, somebody recounted how some rogue peeps broke into the trunk of a car and stole a MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and a Dell laptop amounting to more than P200,000 at the Podium parking lot in Ortigas.

    Yogini Jane recounts how one lost a laptop through the clever workings of the Salisi Gang.

    Earlier in our photography class, my seatmate also recounted how she lost her camera collection in her parked car inside BF Homes Paranaque.

    Another (and a reporter at that!) was victimized by somebody who engaged him in a conversation in Greenbelt. He lost his MacBook because he put down his bag to talk. His bag was gone in a split second.

    The common thread in all these is that it’s almost suicidal to leave valuable items in any part of the car these days… no matter how inconspicuous they are. It seems that ruthless thieves are now targetting gadgets more expensive than cellphones. And they are doing so upscale places in Makati, Taguig and Ortigas.

    One part of me thinks if this is in any way related to the elections, but laptops will always be in-demand among students and the like. (Yes, even if the advent of cheap netbooks has made owning a laptop easier)

    An even more dangerous trend: unscrupulous persons are cannibalizing stolen items and selling them by parts, where they’re less likely to be traced. Browse the online marketplace and you’ll see some ads being ran about Macbook LCD screens for sale, and being peddled for $200 to $400.

    Here’s my thoughts on the matter:
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    Category Blah-blahs, Technews | Tags: | 10 Comments

  3. Face-to-face with BB Gandanghari: out with the old, in with the new

    March 14, 2009 by ajay

    A lot of girls had a crush with Rustom Padilla, way back when he was younger and married to Carmina Villaroel. I admit I found him attractive too. Here’s an old picture:

    Rustom Padilla

    It was in 2003 that he came to full realization that he was gay and it wasn’t until 2006 or so that he admitted publicly about his orientation. Fast forward to 2009 and everybody’s talking about the birth of a new woman. Gone with Rustom, in with BB Gandanghari:

    BB Gandanghari

    Pictures from the bloggers’ Meet and Greet with BB at mag:net Bonifacio High Street today.
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    Category Life & Living, People | Tags: | 8 Comments

  4. The airline wars: PAL or Cebu Pacific?

    March 12, 2009 by ajay

    Over at Plurk yesterday, I asked my friends which airline they preferred – Philippine Airlines or Cebu Pacific – and the ensuing thread got a few interesting answers.Let us attempt to point their differences, one by one:

    Fares

    CebuPac: Cebu Pacific’s aggressive marketing makes it appear that they’re the budget airline to beat. Promos for seat sales are announced almost every week. There was only one time that I availed of their zero fare, and that was unluckily when Typhoon Milenyo struck. Ticket was non-refundable. Since then, I haven’t booked for a CebuPac promo which are always filled up anyway.

    PAL: The silent player in the price wars. Some people attest to the fact that PAL fares come out even cheaper than the much-hyped offerings of its competitor. It’s now offering Econolight which is priced cheaper than Fiesta Class and comes with no meals, only 15 kg baggage allowance and you will be seated at the back. Still, its meant for the market segment dominated by its rival.

    Airplanes

    CebuPac : Its DC9 planes are really obsolete, as DC9s trace back to the 60s. But its official website does not list the DC9s, only the Airbus and the ATR 72-500.

    PAL : Perceived to have newer fleet than the other, even though it is Asia’s oldest airline.

    Cabin crew:

    CebuPac: Younger (pilots and flight attendants.)

    PAL: Older :D

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    Category Travel | Tags: ,,,, | 11 Comments

  5. Havaianas for a cause

    March 10, 2009 by ajay

    Shortly after we covered the Ipanema event inspired by supermodel Gisele Bundchen, a colorful big box arrived on our doorstep, this time from another well-known flip-flops manufacturer, Havaianas. In it was a denim bag and the “original” Havaianas with a monochromatic color for its strap (we had blue). I equally love this pair as it is simple and classic.

    Havaianas Original

    Havaianas was inviting the media to the launching of its collaboration with Rock Ed on the search for the most original youth-targeted projects. It was quite ironic because right after the launch, news came out in the papers about children’s styles of the brand being recalled from the US market because of high lead content in the paint being used to decorate the sandals. The official distributor in the Philippines, Terry SA, promptly issued a disclaimer and said they have pulled out the kiddie flip-flops in question, and will conduct further testing soon.

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    Category Happenings & Events, Shopping Etc. | Tags: ,,,, | No Comments

  6. Visiting the Wedding Expo Philippines

    March 9, 2009 by ajay

    One month and one week after getting married, the wedding hangover is still upon me. So I took time to visit the 14th edition of the Wedding Expo Philippines which ended yesterday at the PICC Forum. It was full of people and couples! You wouldn’t believe the number of lovebirds engaged or about to be wed in this part of the world. It proves a number of things: love rules and 2) weddings remain a big business in the country, which also assures that it’s as expensive as ever. Each move will cost you thousands, and that’s why it’s always advised to scout for the best, most reasonably-priced supplier. I can tell you it’s possible with a little bit of research and sleuthing.

    In fact, I would tell my fellow brides out there not to limit themselves to these expos because not all suppliers join them. So it’s also good to depend on word-of-mouth, Googling and visiting your locality’s bargain havens.

    What’s great about wedding fairs like W.E.P. is that the exhibitors really try to court you in terms of freebies and discounts just for booking them on your special day. We had fun munching on cake samples. There were also food tastings, free make-up sessions and the like.

    Here are some pictures I took of the wedding fair:

    A bridal car with Mickey and Minnie Mouse in it adds a unique touch from the usual bouquet of flowers pinned to the front of the car.

    Mickey Mouse car

    This is me playing around with the free photobooth from this company called Pose n’ Print. Photobooths are getting to be in-demand wedding souvenirs or reception fixtures….. obviously because guests love seeing their happy, funny faces.

    Photobooth
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    Category Happenings & Events, Weddings | Tags: ,,, | 2 Comments

  7. What I learned from… a sidewalk

    March 9, 2009 by ajay

    bubbleboy

    Fortune Teller, Quiapo

    The streets in Manila are crowded with vendors selling all sorts of wares. First picture shows a boy selling bubble toys and demonstrating it in the process by throwing bubbles in the air :) The second one is making her living telling fortunes of people. There are lots of fortunetellers like her just outside a church in Quiapo, a crowded district in our city. It seems an irony that you profess your faith and then outside, there are lots of old women claiming to tell the future, and more.
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    Category Life & Living | Tags: | 4 Comments

  8. Penang hawker food

    March 7, 2009 by ajay

    What made my short stay in Penang so worth it is that I didn’t taste anything that wasn’t to my liking. Meaning, everything was delicious to my curious tastebuds. I didn’t even eat in a restaurant labelled as “fine dining.” Because to have an inkling of Penang cuisine, you’d have to be there on the streets, where the cooking mamas chop onions as fast as those chefs on TV in their little stalls and serve food on makeshift tables. Outsiders would have the impression that whipping up good hawker food was a way of life there, and the practice was passed on through generations. This is what comprises the legend that is Penang food.

    Penang wan tan mee

    The first real meal I had upon arriving was this colorful wan tan mee, priced at $1 or forty plus pesos. This was egg noodles in black soya sauce with slices of roast pork, dumplings, green veggies, chilies and other bits. Simply superb!
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    Category Munchin', Road Adventures | Tags: ,,,,,,, | 10 Comments

  9. A short journey to Georgetown, Penang

    March 4, 2009 by ajay

    We stayed in Georgetown, Penang at about the same amount of time it took us to get there – a total of 10 hours from Kuala Lumpur, and back. It wasn’t really much of a bother as the ride was smooth and it afforded views of the Malaysian countryside I haven’t seen.

    Add to this my determination to go to Penang because of all the things I’ve read about it in publications like 1000 Places to See Before You Die and more recently New York Times’ 44 Places to Go in 2009. Curious old me wanted to see what the hype was all about.

    And glad to say I wasn’t disappointed. Sure,it had all the tourist traps like not being picture-pretty clean and those trikes possibly overcharging me in their quest to earn a living. The place wins on the fact that it had oodles of character, if those ancient shops, buildings and temples aren’t proof enough.

    Most of all, Penang lived and breathed food 24/7. The hawker food was far from antiseptic but it was whipped up so delectably from the stalls of seasoned cooking mamas. It should rightfully be put on top of any foodie’s must-go-to list.

    Anyway, our trip to Penang began and ended with a passage through the beautiful Penang Bridge, the third longest in the world. I was only able to take this candid shot from our tourist bus.

    Penang bridge

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    Category Road Adventures | Tags: ,,,,,,,, | 5 Comments

  10. Fuego Hotels unveil 7Stones Boracay Suites

    March 2, 2009 by ajay

    7Stones Boracay

    7Stones Boracay

    Just when you think Boracay is the overcrowded paradise it is, high-end developers refute that by saying “the best is yet to come.” Proof is the forthcoming unveiling soon of a Shang-ri la resort in the island and the soft-opening this March of 7Stones Boracay Suites, to be managed by the same people behind Punta Fuego in Batangas, Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay, Hotel Vida in Clark and Pearl Farm in Davao.

    I guess it all depends on which part of Boracay you’re in. While Station 2 is just about cramped, the new Fuego Hotels property is located in Bulabog Beach, a known destination for surfers. 7Stones has five-star prices, but we were definitely impressed by the size of the rooms (smallest is at 40 sq.m. while the biggest is a two-bedroom executive suite at 182 sq.m.!

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    Category Travel | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,, | 5 Comments

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