Sony Xperia U | A Personal Review

Last year, I got an HTC Wildfire S to replace my washed Nokia C3, and since then, everything has been great. Until I got tired & disappointed with HTC. The processor of the Wildfire S is so weak that it wont be able to run Android ICS on it. So I gave up on it and decided to get another phone.

Two weeks ago, we went to Robinsons Manila to have dinner, then suddenly, my I convinced my dad to get me a new phone. I had three choices in my mind: a Nokia Lumia 610, an HTC One V, and Sony Xperia U.

Obviously, I got the Xperia U. From the first time I held the phone in my hands, I fell in love with it, kind of the same feeling I had when I got my Wildfire S.

What I love about the phone is that it has a 1GHz Dual-core processor which makes the phone perform faster and it also makes the experience smoother. It can even handle games with intensive graphics like Need For Speed Shift, Temple Run, and Sims Freeplay. I also love the screen, which is just an LCD unit, but it's feels so good to look at because of its high pixel density (280 ppi) and the so-called Mobile Bravia Engine.

What I don't like about the phone is its battery life. It can last me a day, but it always ends up at 10% every night. I also hate that there's only 4GB of internal memory, and there's no way to expand it, cause it lacks a microSD card slot. I'm also feeling a bit disappointed with the camera. Sometimes, it takes good photos, especially in dark environments, but some shots tend to have to much noise in them, which is a bit annoying, but it is tolerable.

What I'm really happy about is that Sony Mobile promised that the whole NXT line (Xperia S, P, U) would be updated to Android 4.0. I know some friends who already upgraded their Xperia S, I just hope that the update for Xperia U would come sooner.

So far, I'm still having a lot of fun with my new phone. For its price range, which is about P11,000-12,500, I'd say that this is the best choice for its price range.

I don't tweet, but I have a Twitter account.

Mid-2010 was the time when I got active in social networking. Full-time Facebook, Twitter usage, the whole day. I used to play FB games like Farmville & Cafe World, and tweet about senseless stuff all day, 24/7.

That was in 6th Grade. When I received my first netbook. Now that I'm approaching my Junior years, I realized that there's more to tweeting and bragging about your game level in Farmville.

When I was in 1st Year High School, I used to brag about having a Twitter account. Those were the times when Twitter wasn't that popular with Filipinos. But now, everything's changed. They think that when you have a Twitter account, you're "in." Well, that's what I'm trying to avoid.

I think that there are more ways of using Twitter than tweeting about #ConyoProblems. I mean Twitter can be used for entertainment, and the likes, but I personally use it for as a "customized" news feed, as I can choose where the news and info comes from.

I'm just trying to say that I don't use Twitter for tweeting, but really just for reading new stuff.

An Easter night dinner at Le Ching Tea House

Before attending the Easter mass last Sunday at the St. Peter Shrine in Commonwealth, we decided to eat at my mother's favorite restaurant, Le Ching Tea House.

Ever since our family still resided in Tondo, Manila (that was before my birth), up to the present times where we live in QC, we still go back to Le Ching. Think of it as you regular Chowking Chinese food but with more authenticity.

Every time we eat at Le Ching, we eat in the Banawe branch, but we only knew about the UP-Ayala Land Technohub branch last Sunday. The only ones I've tried in their menu are the Beef Brisket Noodle Soup, which is, by far the best noodle soup for me. I've also tried their Pork Asado, their Pork Siomai & Their Siopao which is best paired with the Beef Brisket Noodle Soup. Oh, and their single servings are huge, too.

Their branch in Technohub is definitely better, in terms of service, the cleanliness, and the interiors of the branch. Definitely a good place for Delicious Chinese Food.

I'm not sure if you could consider this a food review but if I were to rate Le Ching, I'd give it a 9/10, overall.

Have a great week! Don't forget to me on Twitter, @Ako_Si_Kean, and at Instagram, @iamkeanplanas. ;)

Sidenote: I've been looking for Magnum since last Monday, everywhere from 7-Eleven to SM, they were all sold out! Finally, I found some in the Technohub Branch of Mini Stop. :)

#AnthonianKa

I'm pretty sure that once in your Twitter life, you've followed an account that tweets stuff you can relate to. Being an Anthonian, I always smile when I read these tweets from the unofficial account of our school, @Ssa_Qc. Here are just some of those tweets:

 It just reminds me that Anthonians are unique, fun-loving friendly students.

My Christmas Wish List

With only 7 days to go, Christmas is really just around the corner. Which makes me think about what I want to receive on this fine holiday. These are the things that I may not get ever in my life,  but at least their free in my dreams...

1. 27-inch iMac 

Okay, this is really just out of my budget, but it's really nice to have one of these. The high-res display plus Mac OS X Lion, This surely is an all-in-one powerhouse.

2. Nokia N9

Now, this is what I really want. With a 3.9-inch screen, an 8MP Carl Zeiss Camera w/ Dual LED Flash, Meego inside and a seamless design with almost no physical buttons, it's one of the hottest phones around. And it's the one I want to get my hands on this Christmas.

3.  Beats Pro Headphones

Headphones are one of my necessities. They play an important role in my life. If I have no headphones, I can't listen to music. And if I can't listen to music, my life would be as boring as Algebra. And one of the best choices is the Beats Pro. Usually only DJ's have these, but it would be nice to have one. But it costs P30,000!

This is just a wish list. A list of the things I want but at the moment, can't afford. Maybe, someday, I would. 

Is it Christmas already?

It's 36 (or is it 37???) Days before Christmas. Most companies are giving out their Christmas bonuses and 13th month pays. Everyone's shopping for Christmas gifts and for their noche buena, especially that prices at these times are getting higher and higher, one would shop earlier than expected. But for a student like me, I'm just waiting for our Christmas break from school. And don't forget the Christmas Party.

For the past years I've been spending Christmas with my family, Everyone of us feel the joy and excitement when the Christmas season approaches. But it seems that this year, Most of the families are thinking of other, more important stuff, than celebrating Christmas. Just like our family. We still don't feel like it's Christmas. Especially with all the problems that we've encountered these past few months.

Even in my neighborhood, no one seems to feel the Christmas spirit. You see, last year, as early as October, you would see Christmas lights hanging on the walls, Bright lanterns or Parols hanging on lightposts, even big displays of Santa Claus or a Belen outside the houses. This year, it feels like a regular day, with only one house with Christmas Displays.

Now, everyone says that Christmas is all about the love and joy and happiness that you receive from your family and friends, and its giving and not about receiving. Which brings me to my main topic, my Christmas wish. Now that's simple. My first one is to have peace within our family, with all the problems coming our way, we surely want to have peace and unity. My second one is a gift that I'm dreaming of receiving this year, but it seems so impossible; all I want is a 27-inch iMac with a 3.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor. Can't be hard to get, right? Hehehe...:D


By the way, its been a long time since I last made a blog post. It's because I'm busy with more important stuff like projects, homeworks, and reviewing for our upcoming Summative Test - B. I've also been busy making high-rise and housing projects on SketchUp which I post on SSC. 


Whew! That was a long post. That's all for now. Advanced Merry Christmas! ;D

RIP, Steve Jobs.

"That's been one of my mantras - focus and simplicity"

Focus and Simplicity. It's implied in every Apple device ever made. From the Mac to the iPad, from the iPod to the iPhone. It has been his goal to make every one of Apple's customers happy. Then the public discovered he had pancreatic cancer. Soon, everyone speculated and posted on different websites about his health. After, he went on a medical leave, but still appeared in the launching of the iPad 2 and iOS this year.

Then, in August 2011, Jobs announced that he would resign from his duties as CEO of Apple for the reason that "he won't be able to fulfill his duties as CEO". Tim Cook took over as CEO.

Today, October 5, 2011, the whole world got shocked, saddened, and depressed when Apple posted on their website, that Jobs was already dead. I, too got shocked when I found about it this afternoon on GSM Arena. At first I speculated that this was a joke, especially yesterday when the iPhone 4S was released, and everyone got disappointed. But then, I started searching for news articles about his death. Then I believed it.

I'm sure everyone's saddened by his death. He was a revolutionist, with his creations like the Mac, the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. This day will be remembered as a sad day for the whole world. And I'm sure, he will truly be missed by everyone.

Rest in Peace

Steve Jobs

1955 - 2011

Tada!

After a short absence in the blogging world, I will make a comeback today. 

How, you say? Well, with the official IAKP Android App, of course! 

After a few months of development, I give you the official mobile app for my blog. It features easy access to my blog posts, as well as tweets from me. You can also leave me a message using the app. The app for iOS Devices is still under development and will be released in December.

To download, just click here, click the banner, or scan the QR Codes on the banner. Enjoy! ;D

Google+ | First Impressions (and Free Invites!)

I already feel socially complete. (Maybe...) Know why? Cause I got my G+ invite from my friend.

For now, I'm enjoying G+ for the main fact that there's something else to do on the net other than Facebook and Twitter. G+ Also offers games like Angry Birds, Zynga Poker, etc.

Let me go over the features:

First is the Stream, which is equivalent to the News Feed in FB. It shows all activity of your friends. What's good about the Stream is that you can choose what you see and what not to. And instead of "liking" a post form a friend, you +1 them, just like those buttons in different websites.

Next is the Circles, which I think is the most important feature in G+. Because if you don't have anyone in your circles, using G+ will be senseless. It's equivalent to your Friends in FB, in a different way. It seperates your friends in "Circles", and you can chose what content comes to their Stream.

Next is the Hangouts feature, which lets you have video conferences, video group chats, video chats, and all that jazz. It also lets you watch a Youtube Video sent to you by your friends.


Sparks, is a new concept. It lets you find your interests, and lets you share them to your friends' Stream. Kinda neat.

Other features include Chat, Games, Instant Upload, etc.

First Impressions:


I've been trying to get an invite to G+ for weeks. And when I finally got one, I thought it was worth it. And with the features of G+ that FB doesn't have like Circles and Sparks, and Angry Birds! It could really be an FB Alternative, and could even beat it and repeat what happened to Friendster, but I think that's kinda impossible.

PS: I'm giving away 100 free invites to G+. For those who want them, just comment your E-mail Address below. ;D

Washing a Cellphone

Aren't you supposed to be looking for things inside pockets of clothes before you wash them? Well what if you forget to? The result = A Downy-Smelling Nokia C3.

I'm so dumb. How could I forget where I placed it? Maybe this is a sign from God saying that I need a new phone. Or it's just God telling me to have more common sense. Though, One miracle happened. Cause of the plastic lid on the SD card holder, my files were all saved. But my SIM Card was washed and doesn't work anymore. So is the battery.

This isn't the first time this happened to me. My old Samsung Corby was also washed in a washing machine. But after, it still worked. And smelled good.

There's only one thing I know. I need to save up for a new phone! (Or have my C3 fixed.)

Moving on...With a new phone

After disappointment with my latest investment, I decided to save up for another Android device. But it's not a tablet. And it's also not a China-branded gadget. I was thinking of getting the LG Optimus One, ever since before I bought that piece of junk. Now, that idea came back to me. My target to buy this phone is on October 30 (My birthday, if you're wondering). The same date last year when I bought my Nokia C3. If I'm going to save up for the phone starting from June 16, (Warning, this may bore you. Better skip to the last part.), My calculations would be:

P200 - Daily Allowance
-minus-
P120 - How much I spend from my allowance
=equals=
P80

June 16 - Start of Classes
October 30 - Target Date
136 Days in between

136 X 80 = P10880
LG Optimus One = P10790 (Twinline Telecom Price)

So, Conclusion, I can afford it. If I can save up P80 per day, for 136 days. That leaves me P90 left after I buy it. But hey, you gotta save up hard for something you want.

Kingcom Joypad 71: The worst tablet ever! | Personal Review

It was almost a month ago when I bought my first tablet, the Kingcom Joypad 71. At first, it worked perfectly. All the apps I installed were working perfectly. Then after a few weeks, using the resistive touch screen became harder, as the screen wasn't responding to the right commands. And playing the pre-installed Angry Birds became harder too. Then after a couple of days, the touch screen started responding again. Then I started downloading more games and apps. There were some instances when the touch screen didn't respond, but most of the time, it worked perfectly. After a week, my tablet's touchscreen didn't work. I was thinking of having it repair with its warranty but I can't find the receipt.

Conclusion: I wasted P6,000 on a stupid tablet and trusted a Chinese manufacturer.

Again. I warn you. Never trust a Chinese manufacturer/product. Like Kingcom.

Why I think running 2 personal blogs is stupid.

I started my blog almost 1 year ago, titled "Pinoy Ako", which covers anything about the Philippines. But then, last December 2010, I changed my blog to the way it is now, I.AM.KEAN.PLANAS. A personal blog where I could share all my experiences and other stuff. February 2011 is when I started "Techgeek". A technology blog. (Self-explanatory.) I closed down that blog in March 2011 cause I can't handle 2 blogs at once, and cause it doesn't get too many views.

I also thought about making another blog, XD which I didn't continue. What I was thinking at that time is to have a blog network, consisting of 3 blogs. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. Then I decided to have just 1 main blog and keep it as a personal blog. And those decisions were right. Now, my blog became a success.

I still have another blog running for my friends and classmates, but that's another story.

The main point of this post is for other bloggers out there to realize that 1 blog is enough, especially if their running a personal blog like mine. Because you can't run 2 personal blogs at once. Cause that won't be personal.

Now What?

Congratulations. If you're reading this, you've survived the apocalypse. Or, Camping's prediction was wrong.

He first predicted that the world would end on Sept. 1994. Umm, Wait? What date is it now?
He also said in the book that he wrote entitled "1994?" that if his predictions were wrong, the most probable time that the world would end in 2011.

In his other book, "Time has an End", he said that the world would end on May 21, 2011. He even stated that "the Bible guarantees it". He predicted that at 6pm, the Rapture will begin, creating earthquakes and other stuff. He also said that the Rapture will happen at exactly 2am in the Philippines (Actually, I wrote this at 1:30am of May 22).

So some are worried, some are happy, some just don't care. And even if there's no Rapture, let's just pray and we should still live everyday like it's the last day of our lives. Cause, you never know...;D

New!

This is the product of a person who does nothing but using the computer.
Today, I'll be talking about the new features that my blog will offer.

1. Search My Blog
Now you can search posts, links, videos, photos and other stuff in my blog. Actually, that's a little self-explanatory.

2. Follow By E-Mail
Now you can follow my blog via e-mail. Just submit your e-mail address and you'll receive updates about new posts on my blog.

3. Templates
To make reading my blog more fun, you can choose templates for my blog. Choose from Flipcard, Mosaic, Sidebar, Snapshot & Timeslide. Read more about it here.

4. My New Ovi App
You can now download or update to the new version of my Ovi App. Available only on selected Nokia Devices.

5. New Layout
Last and not the least, my blog has a new layout. There are now 2 sidebars with lots of features in them. In the left sidebar, you'll find the Search My Blog feature, Contributors, where you can find our profiles, Also Visit, where you can find my FB & Twitter links, and my sister (better yet, brother) blogs. On the right sidebar, you'll find more features like Follow by E-mail, The new Blog Templates, and of course, the Post Archives.

This Improvement is for a better experience for my readers. So, you're just 100 people per month. Who cares? It's better than nothing.

It's Friday the 13th!

There are two bad things about tomorrow. 1st, It's Friday, 2nd, It's the 13th. Mix them together, you get Friday the 13. Oh wait, WHAT?!

I've spent almost 13 years of my life spending at least 1 Friday the 13th per year, and nothing bad or unlucky happens! Maybe it's cause I really don't believe in Bad Luck every Friday the 13th. Or I just don't see a black cat or walk under a ladder those times.

But really. We can't really say if we have bad luck every Friday the 13th. We can, however, try to stay away from harmfu objects, or ladders, and black cats just in case. ;D

Once Again...

Once Again, the guys from Glee make us love a song we all used to hate. Here's a revitalized version of Rebecca Black's "Friday".

So, What do you think? Speechless? Jaw-dropping? Or just awesome?

It's not the first time the Glee guys made an awful song better. Remember Bieber's Baby & Somebody to Love?

Who cares?

If you all don't know the news, the once-famous social networking site Friendster, is deleting all photos, blogs, comments and other stuff there on May 31 and leaving except for your account and all the games there. But there's one question to be answered. Who cares?

It's not like you stored all of your photos and blogs there. And I'm pretty sure all your Photos are on Facebook. But, Really. No one even opens their friendster accounts anymore. I know I don't. One of the reasons why Friendster's heading another direction is that everyone's too busy Tweeting or Posting on FB. Or, Friendster really hasn't succeeded in changing their format. They even copied off from Twitter and Facebook.

I guess no one really cares about their Friendster accounts anymore. But if you do, you have to export and download all data before May 31. Or your wasteful precious memories will be gone with the wind.

My First Tablet!

Remember this post? The one where I told everyone that I would buy a new phone? Well, my decision's changed and I went for a better option. I went out and bought a tablet.

It's the Kingcom Joypad 71. So it's not a Samsung Galaxy Tab or even a Cherry Mobile Superion. But this baby has a lot more to give than what you expect. In that price range, you'll expect mediocre specs and lag in homescreens and web browsing. But the Joypad has more to offer. Like a 600 MHZ processor and even a camera. For P4,999, it's already a good deal, and has great value. And Angry Birds comes pre-installed! There are just some problems like logging in your E-mail account in the E-mail app and It has a different app market and you can't download in the Web version of the Android Market. But all-in-all, I'm having a pretty good time with it.

No PBCo.?

Yesterday, I headed down to SM North EDSA. For one reason and one reason only: To eat at Peanut Butter Company. But when I arrived, it was gone. Like the flyer I was given and I threw away along EDSA. Gone.

Why? I've heard so many good comments about PBCo. Even though I haven't tried their food yet, I can feel that It's a restaurant I will hangout in everyday. Especially when I saw their feature on Myx's Wer U At. The first time I saw that Marshmallow Peanut Butter Sandwich, I fell in love.

But again, I really never tasted it. And that was the reason I headed to SM North EDSA. I haven't even got the chance to try it out. And now, it's even harder to access a branch from where I live. The SM North EDSA branch was the nearest.

I was even gonna make a review of their restaurant. *Sigh...* So, I'm just gonna have to wait to try out their food the next time we go to Mall of Asia. ;D

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter and add me on FB! ;D