Something “Berry” Globe!

 It’s the time of the month again, where we all just think splurging is not bad as it seems. (yea! Screw that. I’ve already been burning my wallet for these past few weeks! lol.) You know, the usual “Christmas naman eh…” line whenever you think twice in buying that things you’ve been eyeing on for some time now. haha! Plus, it’s even fun to go on Christmas bazaars and be dazzled on everything affordable just to realize you’ve already exceeded your budget buying all those mark down priced items and cute stuffs!

And now *inserts* the awesome Globe Blackberry Christmas Offer. hehe. 

I’ve been with Globe for so many years now and I’ve always been enticed by all their awesome promos. I still remember the days when they still got that “IMMORTAL” promo (which eventually didn’t last). Super love that! =] I think, they are even the first one who offered the UNLI promo (if not, still they got the best deal, diba? And I love Globe more than ever because of our UST sim where texting only costs P.50! oh yes, that’s Globe! So moving on. Globe is offering this Christmas season another attractive offer. Though I have never tried yet subscribing on their postpaid plans, I think these BlackBerry offer they got is something bargain hunters like me would like! They have four handsets to choose from and four UnliSurf Combo Plans to pick from. I’ll just push on 3 of the 5 taglines so I won’t sound too overly excited here. haha!

Something Free
- oh yes. the word that tingles our ears! haha! You can own a BlackBerry Curve 8520 for FREE at PLAN 599. u-huh! see, read that? PLUS it comes with unlimited mobile surfing! Perfect for those who can’t get off the net! Definitely a good deal. (More free phones you can have are: BB Curve 3G 9300 @ Plan 999/ BB Curve 9360 @ Plan 1799/ BB Bold 9780 @ Plan 9780)

Something Affordable
‘nuff said. It suits within the budget in varying levels. You can find something affordable that would be perfect on your budget and convenience. If you even get Plan 1799 and up, you can have a freebie of your choice. Plus a consumable amount of load. Practical indeed. You won’t ever think of BlackBerry as too expensive, ever again.

Something Exciting
I had yet to own a BB. But of course, anything NEW is EXCITING. right? It’s exciting to click-clack on that QWERTY keypad and get the hang of it in time (most especially when you got chunky fingers). It’s more exciting with all the BB apps you can get and try on the App World, whether it be paid or free. And it’s even more exciting to hop in the club of BBM. Anything that gets you easily connected to people is exciting. =]

Their promo only runs from December 1 to 31, 2011. Just in time for the Christmas season! And for the love of BlackBerry! =]

A life of inspiration

The highlights of Jobs's career trajectory are well-known: a prodigy who dropped out of Reed College in Oregon and, at 21, started Apple with Wozniak in his parents' garage. He was a multimillionaire by 25, appeared on the cover of Time magazine at 26, and was ousted at Apple at age 30, in 1984.
In the years that followed, he went into other businesses, founding NeXT computers and, in 1986, buying the computer graphics arm of Lucasfilm, Ltd., which became Pixar Animation Studios.

He was described as an exacting and sometimes fearsome leader, ordering up and rejecting multiple versions of new products until the final version was just right. He said the design and aesthetics of a device were as important as the hardware and software inside.

In 1996, Apple, which had struggled without Jobs, brought him back by buying NeXT. He became CEO in 1997 and put the company on a remarkable upward path.

By 2001 the commercial music industry was on its knees because digital recordings, copied and shared online for free, made it unnecessary for millions of people to buy compact discs.

Jobs took advantage with the iPod -- essentially a pocket-sized computer hard drive with elegantly simple controls and a set of white earbuds so that one could listen to the hours of music one saved on it. He set up the iTunes online music store, and persuaded major recording labels to sell songs for 99 cents each. No longer did people have to go out and buy a CD if they liked one song from it. They bought a digital file and stored it in their iPod.

In 2007, he transformed the cell phone. Apple's iPhone, with its iconic touch screen, was a handheld computer, music player, messaging device, digital wallet and -- almost incidentally -- cell phone. Major competitors, such as BlackBerry, Nokia and Motorola, struggled after it appeared.

By 2010, Apple's new iPad began to cannibalize its original business, the personal computer. The iPad was a sleek tablet computer with a touch screen and almost no physical buttons. It could be used for almost anything software designers could conceive, from watching movies to taking pictures to leafing through a virtual book.   - By NED POTTER and COLLEEN CURRY | ABC News

He dropped out but still made his way up and started a company of his own. Who said only degree holders and academic achievers has the authority to get big?

He got ousted but went back to the track, starting a new business and even making his past company struggling. Ever heard of the cliche, “It’s their loss, not mine”?

I got shivers first time I heard the news earlier in the radio. First thing I did was to open twitter and to confirm from  the tech world. And so it was really true. I don’t stalk Apple events or Steve Jobs like other avid Apple enthusiasts. I even have this love-hate feeling with Apple for updating their products in a blink that next thing you'll know, the gadget you're holding is already a thing in the past. diba? But I don’t know. He just simply made so much contributions in the tech world, so many innovations that made a lot things easier and connected. He added definition to the word “apple”, one of the first words you'll learn in school. One of the greatest innovators in time. From him, and his friend Wozniak, started what Apple is now. He introduced me/us to the world of touchscreens and Facetime and all sorts of things you never knew can exist. But of course, all this talent came up from above. God has given him so much great ideas and he made sure that a lot of people would benefit from it. And so maybe he already had done his part in the world and our Almighty God decided it’s time. He already made a mark of his own to a lot of us and it will surely be remembered forever.

He’s a truly innovative man. A person who I consider one of my greatest inspirations in my life. He would always be a reminder of what “no giving up” and “having faith” means. I already had a fair share of failures in my life, but after hearing his story back then, I had always been the one who would rather get back up at once than sulking down for a long time. He made me realize that there’s no sad ending unless you quit trying.

Thank God for Steve Jobs. Rest in peace, and continue doing wonders up there. =]

Ok, so I don’t even have the slightest intention of blogging for this entire week because I super really have to study for our final exams. But then I can’t concentrate here, and Steve Jobs + blog post is running in my mind constantly. Haha! Affected nga kasi ako. XD But infairness, ambilis ko lang na-type ito. hehe. So anyway, I finally got my sentiments out. Signing off to get back to my books! I'll just leave with some of his quotes to get us all inspired.  =]

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” - Steve Jobs [The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 1993]

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.” - Steve Jobs
[Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true."
[Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

“We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life.Life is brief, and then you die, you know?
And we’ve all chosen to do this with our lives. So it better be damn good. It better be worth it.”

Pottermore Beta

Finally had a time with my blog. Grabe! Next week’s our FINALS week and we still had 2-3 topics yet to be discussed on our AudProbs class. K.
 

Currently, Pedring already flew with his “mahangin” attitude away from our country, finally! It caused so much problems, most especilally to those near the ocean. How bad of him to destroy the Baywalk area. Siya na malakas! Tss. We’re just so blessed here in Bacoor, Cavite because we don’t experience flood in our area. Thank God! Maybe because God knows I can’t swim that’s why He don’t let us experience. =] And then I wonder what those people living in the streets do whenever there are strong typhoons like this. Super lamig na kahit nasa loob lang ng bahay, how much more sila diba? Nyaaaaaaaa. Let’s pray for them.

So because of Pedring, classes were suspended for two days straight. And I’m super productive for that two free days because I finished a lot of tasks. Yey! I’ve done my part for our project + AudProbs homework + reviewed  Advacc for an upcoming quiz. I’ve also finally finished my article for my application on essays.ph. I submitted my form way back in August pa, and ngayon ko lang naasikaso because wala naman daw deadline. So I really don’t expect that much. Haha! Besides, it really takes time for me to write about a topic I’m not into. Frustrated writer lang. =/

Anyway, this post was really intended for my Pottermore experience but then, nadala ako sa “recap” part of this post. Hehe. After waiting for so many days, I finally received my Pottermore mail last last September 10, but I only fully played it just now. I don’t know how to start with my experience without spoiling the coolness of Pottermore, so bahala na. Haha! PS. I can't help to post photos. Need some spoilers? =].

 My own bank account at Gringotts! =]

The Hogwarts' list of things to buy:

 

The Sorting ceremony is done using 7 questions: 

The graphics of the site was the thing I like the most. It looked real enough for  someone to get the feel of the story. It got a lot of extra scoops straight from JK Rowling. This Pottermore experience is exactly a supplement for those who have read the whole series. It’s like scanning every chapter but with added notes and “stories” behind the actual story. Pottermore just blatantly justified how wide Rowling’s imagination is. I can’t imagine her writing another fiction after this very much successful  series. She made the world of Harry Potter, with everything from the smallest details, come to life. She made a lot of people wish that Hogwarts is true and flying on broomsticks is the most awesome thing to do. That Quidditch should be an official sport and that having a ¾ station entrance would be nice. Imgaine that? Hands down talaga! No questions asked.

Things to look out for:

• Buying your school stuffs and pet  at Diagon Alley
• Getting a wand. They have this process so Olivander would know which wand will choose you. =]
• Getting sorted! Just be true to yourself and you’ll be sorted on the right house. =]
• Brewing your first potion.
• Casting spells. (You can have a duel with others, but haven’t tried it yet)
• Real time house points.
• Plus a LOT more things to find and discover every chapter.

Note: Don’t forget to zoom in (double-click) so you won’t miss things. *wink*

I got a Solid 13 and 3/4inch Hornbeam with Phoenix feather core wand. Having a rare Phoenix feather in my wand is an honor. Yeee! Haha.

I got sorted into Hufflepuff. Once you got sorted, there’s no turning back. Though I originally wanted to be in Ravenclaw, I think Hufflepuff is really the closest house suited for me. =]

uh-huh! THIS! =]

My first ever potion.

Made the most out of my free day because for sure on October, the site’s traffic would be much much higher because it will now be open to all. I hope Pottermore read all feedback from the Beta users, there’s still some glitches but I didn’t saw some major ones though. Some parts were lacking some features that could add to the whole experience. Nevertheless, I’m very thankful for Pottermore for this won’t let us Potterheads miss the magical world of Harry. Thank you Sony and most especially to J.K. Rowling who never failed to make her fans want more. *clap* * clap*. Feel free to add me at Pottermore! My UN's:  CharmCloak144.

Jailbreak your way

Never had I tried to tinker with my ipod touch because I don’t how much it will cost me if I totally mess up with it. Haha! But anyway, last week while I was listening on my itouch, it suddenly froze on the home screen while the music is still playing. It doesn’t even respond to any touch and the bg light just dims when it suppose to lock up already. So when we got home, I remembered what my friend told me when my itouch froze before, I tried to hard reset it(holding down the sleep/wake button and home button at the same time) or whatever it is called hoping it would come back to life after. So it opened up again JUST to show the apple logo and THATS IT. =(

FROZEN on the apple logo screen:

Just what I’ve said awhile ago, I’m not used to tinkering with my itouch so I just waited for my kuya to go home. He suggested to just restore it because there’s no other way already, meaning I would lose ALL my files (plus those games I spent time with to finish the levels!) and jailbreak will be gone. Huu! But the other problem is Itunes doesn’t recognize so no way can I restore it and kuya doesn’t also know what to do. After days of not able to use it, I just decided to do it my way. Bahala na! Haha! Hello Google, my friend! =]

After researching this is what I did to get Itunes to recognize my itouch and restore:

1. Plug in your itouch to your computer

2. HOLD the home and sleep key till the itouch turns off and turns on again to show the apple logo.

3. RELEASE both buttons WHEN YOU HEAR the chime sound in your computer telling you that your itouch is ALREADY CONNECTED and ready to restore.

4. Then click RESTORE. And sit back and relax for awhile. Hehe. This would take about an hour or more.

*NOTE: Do this only if there’s no other way. =]

After restoring, my firmware is updated to 4.1. Everything is back to zero. And so moving on to my next task: JAILBREAKING

Jailbreaking an ipod touch 2^nd gen IOS 4.1:

This would be my very first attempt to jailbreak an itouch. I was very unsure about doing this because it might damage my itouch if it went wrong, but based on the forums I’ve read it’s not that hard and you can do it again if it doesn’t work on your first try. So I googled the best jailbreak tool for a 2^nd gen IOS 4.1 and stumbled on “greenpois0n rc4”

Steps:

1. Plug in your itouch again. Download greenpois0n to your computer. (I can’t open the greenposi0n site so I just downloaded it here)

2. After installing, unzip it and run.

3. Turn off your itouch. Click “Prepare to Jailbreak (DFU)”. Follow the instructions and everything will be fine. =]

4. After doing it right, “Ready to Jailbreak” message will be shown, click it and wait for it to finish.

*Your screen will be white and then will change to this

And codes will scroll down like this. After the codes stop your itouch will reboot.

5. After successfully jailbreaking it, you will see the Loader app on your home screen. Open it and install Cydia.

6. After installing, a message will pop out asking you if you want to remove your Loader app. Click remove. Then plug out your itouch.

7. Then it’s done. Yey! ^______^

Here’s a video I found in youtube that can help.

Some Cydia apps that you may find useful:

· dTunes: for downloading music

· Winterboard: for customizing your theme

· MxTube: for streaming or downloading videos from youtube

· Installous: download apps like in the app store (you first need to add “hackulo.us” repository in your Cydia to have this)