Technology – Page 18

Let Us Opt Out of EMail Newsletters in One Click

If you are an internet service sending newsletters to email addresses, regardless of whether they were legitimately obtained, there should be a one-click unsubscribe link at the bottom of the message.

There are times when I sign up with an internet service, I just want to get over with all the check-marks and options at once just to “test out” the service. If I decide the service is not for me, I just ignore it and never come back. The problem is they already have my email address. And now they are regularly sending me newsletters I didn’t even want in the first place.

A good internet service places a quick unsubscribe/opt out link at the bottom of any message they send out to users. The bad ones, they put a footer message informing that you can opt out of their newsletter by logging in and changing your preferences from their website.

Unsubscribing should be a one click process (or two at the most). I can’t recall what my username and password were anymore (I use different passwords for different sites). So the quick remedy, I report it as spam.

And you know what happens when I report your message (thus, your email address) as spam in Gmail? The system will learn from that and may mark all your other messages to other Gmail users as spam as well.

Hands On with the Nokia Lumia 800

Note: I forgot to shoot the video in landscape mode.

Saw the Nokia Lumia 800 on display at the Globe store in Greenbelt 4. I have to admit, this is the first time I put a hand on a Windows Phone device, and my impression: the OS design was sleek. With the advancements in mobile hardware these days, device manufacturers can ensure the snappiness of this OS.

Of course, I’m an iPhone guy, but I have to say the cool interface of WP7 can be better in its own right. If only there can be as well enough number of apps to support the platform.

Definitely now, WP7 is better than Android. Ironic, because Android is supposed to be a “free” open source OS so one should expect to pay lower for an Android device, given the same hardware specs. But that is not the case if you truly look closer into the smartphone market.

Archiving My Tweets via TweetNest

Follow me on Twitter at @deuts.

We have to admit, Twitter is a great platform to publish our short notes and thoughts. Other than interacting with friends, both online and personal, I also use it to share links I find interesting as well as bookmark sites for future reference.

The problem, however, is you don’t really have a way to browse, manage, and search through your tweets in Twitter.com especially if you have accumulated a sizable number after some time — at least not for now.

That’s why there have been ways to archive your tweets like this Ozh’ Tweet Archiver WordPress plugin, which I used at my separate WordPress install. I installed it before my number of tweets reached 3,200, that’s why all my tweets are intact since the beginning. My only problem with this solution is that the posts do not link back to the original Twitter permalink. So I installed TweetNest »

It’s More Fun in the Philippines Android App

If you were a fan of the new Department of Tourism slogan, “It’s More Fun in the Philippines”, and you own an Android device, then good news for you.

You may download the app, “It’s More Fun in the Philippines”, from the Android Market if you want to come up with something like this: Check out my sample photo »

Smart vs. Globe Battle on iPhone 4S

Unbox did actual tests of both networks on two iPhone 4S’s.

Truth is I’m not surprised at all by the results. Smart Communications beat Globe Telecom 8 times to nil. Based on my personal experience, Smart’s 3G network is usually faster as compared to Globe’s, even at the heart of the Ayala Center in Makati, which is supposedly Globe’s home turf. Nevertheless, I just hope Smart could/had broaden its 3G wireless network coverage to include my hometown, in Tigbauan, Iloilo, as I’ll be spending my time there during the coming holidays.

Instapaper for Android

After more than a month tinkering with my Android device, the Samsung Galaxy S II (SGS2), I’ve come to the conclusion that the one app I missed the most about my iPhone is Instapaper.

From the mail app, Evernote, Twitter (Tweetbot), Facebook, to Feeddler (Google Reader) apps, you can easily send articles to read later (and even offline) via Instapaper. Alternatives like ReadItLater are great, but seamless integration with various other apps are wanting, and some articles, although obviously blog posts themselves, are not loading properly in ReadItLater.

To a lot of people, owning a smartphone means a lot of games. I consider myself to not belong to that “lot of people”. The only games I have on my smartphones are those that are really quick games like, the usual suspects like Fruit Ninja, Fling, MasterCode, Flight Control, and some card games like Poker, to pass the time away while waiting for something or someone like in waiting areas of airports, clinics, offices, restaurants and meetings. Read Further »

Why I Find Globe PowerSurf for Postpaid Subscribers a Fraud?

I have complained about how Globe’s PowerSurf for postpaid subscribers was so unrealiable. But that was even before my complete billing cycle was over. Now let me post a follow up on that experience.

First, let me describe the timeline of events during the time I was subscribed to PowerSurf99:

September 27, 2011 — subscribed to PowerSurf99;
October 12, 2011 — my billing cut-off for October 2011;
October 27, 2011 — PowerSurf99 auto-renewed in accordance with its terms;
November 12, 2011 — my billing cut-off for November 2011;

I’ve monitored my data usage using an iPhone app as well as the iPhone’s built-in settings and noted that I’ve consumed the 50MB allocation on October 13 for the September 27 subscription, and as early as November 5 for the October 27 subscription. Yet up until now, I haven’t received any text from Globe informing that I’ve reached my quota. Moreover, I’ve constantly inquired with 8888 about the status of my subscription and it responded with an explicit message that my subscription is still active. Continue reading Why I Find Globe PowerSurf for Postpaid Subscribers a Fraud?

Lytro Camera

A Lytro camera uses Light Field Photography (also known as plenoptic photography) which captures all the available light in a scene going in every direction. It works by breaking up the main image with a microlens over an image sensor. (Source: Wikipedia)

Engadget had hands-on experience with this Lytro camera. Check that out for more photos and videos.

Features of a plenoptic camera include: Check out the features list »

What Makes Globe’s PowerSurf So Unrealiable?

I was positive about Globe PowerSurf plans for postpaid subscribers when it came out. But then, I concluded that, 300MB per month is too much for my use.

So, I just availed of the 50MB plan instead last 27th of September 2011. I monitored my data usage using two crappy apps like DataUsagePro and DataMan, as well as via the iPhone’s settings.

16 days into the plan, I noted from my monitoring that I’ve reached my allocated data usage of 50MB, and now, 3 days after, I’m running around 75MB of usage.

Let’s check what the Globe’s FAQ say about this: Carry on »

Why I Bought a Kindle?

I used to own a first generation iPad, and I intend to get a replacement in the future. I currently own an iPhone. Both have (or at least used to have) the Kindle app. Likewise, I have Kindle applications installed in both my laptops.

Last Saturday, I bought a Kindle Keyboard (see photo above) — the 3rd generation Wifi 6″ E-Ink display Kindle with Special Offers and Sponsored Screensavers.

Yet, the question that often pops up: Who needs a Kindle when you can read your e-books in your other existing mobile devices like the iPad?

First, let me just reiterate some “obvious” reasons — that which you’ll usually find in other blogs — why Kindle is better than the iPad to suit the bookworm in you: Carry on »