I'm busy Pinteresting :)

I'm not a follower. I'm an independent, hard-headed woman. You won't find me in Facebook, which I find blah. But for some reason I am hooked on Pinterest and I follow some people and I welcome followers. What's with Pinterest that made me spend hours of my day away? Well, I really enjoy the nice, quality pictures; the absence of far too many comments, particularly feuding and nonsensical ones; and I get to connect to users who share my interests without us being obtrusive to one another. I also pick up many ideas just looking at the vast amount of photos being shared. It opens up my world to many things I would not easily find on my own even if I do intense Google searches day in and day out. My boards are mostly littered with pictures of cute pets, DIYs and beautiful things. This social networking site has a "girly" feel to it, owing to the fact that majority of the users are women. Pinterest is currently the third largest social networking site in the US and currently attracting high volume of sign-ups, especially now that the company lifted it's "by-invitation only" status. When I'm not doing serious work, chances are I'm on Pinterest...pinning happily and feasting my eyes on wonderful pins from users all over the world.

My QR Code

It's been a long while...Real life took over my digital self. But now I'm back! With my QR Code to boot! :) It's so cool that it absolutely saved my grey and dreary rainy Sunday. I was thrilled to scan it using the Scan app on my Android phone which also displayed my decoded web-based info. This app is by a company called Scan Inc. To make your own QR Code, go to www.scan.me

Original HP Color Laserjet cartridge

I thought I'd post something about an ink cartridge. Yup, nothing fancy or too geeky about it, right? However, I just find it remarkable the way HP's original ink cartridge was produced and packed. I thought there's really nothing so groundbreaking about these things, or is there?

I'm just too used, I guess, with the small cartridges that come in small boxes, so when I found myself having to open and install one for a LaserJet, I was pretty impressed. Obviously, there's a lot of careful thought, research and development -- heck even science -- that went with it. It's wrapped and packed so neatly that it looks nicer than the Christmas and birthday presents I wrap!

After getting the cartridge out of the bubble pack and pulling a thin plastic strip off, installation was a snap -- literally. To test if I did it right, I did a test print by photocopying an image from a craft book. The printed result is a mirror image of my book sans copyright, ha ha. Well, at least my ink is original!! You see I'm one of those people who hesitate buying ink refills as much as possible because, based on experience, my printers tend to be "sickly" after a fake ink transfusion.

Anyway, I'm still waiting for information from HP on their recycling programs for old cartridges. Another option would be to bring it to SM's waste market every first Friday of the month and see how little I will get paid for it. :)

Wanted: Camera Bag / Wrap

I need a camera bag for my NX10. It came with its own camera bag when I bought it, but I find it too padded and tight so it's like a major task to put in and pull out items from it. I also don't like that it's so obviously a camera bag so snatchers and thieves need not guess what possible prize is kept inside.

I'm still searching for a good shoulder bag to help me carry my camera around. In the process, I spotted a camera wrap in one of the IT stores but the store clerk said that particular model was big for my NX10.

Searching online I found this AeroPro DSLR Wrap from Sima that costs around $25. It's supposed to be good in protecting digital cameras from scratches, dents and moisture with its soft and flexible Aerorene fabric. The camera can stay in the wrap while being used, just peel the front cover which also expands to fit large lenses. What do you think? I'm new at this and finding this product here may take a while before I could say it's a wrap.

4/11 is fine

What's 4/11? Eleven is the number of items that peppered my last Christmas list and four is the actual total loot. I know it's not even half, but having them already made me feel like a kid in a candy store.

As it is, the four items already cost a lot of money and, because I declared 2011 as the year of my being frugal again, then I feel blessed enough to have a new smartphone, mirrorless DSLR, calf massager, and a Just Dance 2 Wii game.

I had no luck finding the automated ball launcher for dogs so I still play ball with my dog the old way. But that's okay. I think that's EXACTLY how she likes it. :)

The rabbit

I was very happy the way 2010 ended for me in the gadgets department. I bought myself a new LG Optimus 1 Android smartphone and a new Samsung NX10 mirrorless DSLR camera. I also got a new Flip video camcorder, two other mobile phones, and at least two new computer notebooks. These devices ushered me in 2011 and, despite the new tempting arrivals that debuted in the recently-concluded CES in Las Vegas, they will be my work and play mates through most part of 2011.

The funny thing is no matter how many new gadgets I have, old technology has a way of creeping back in because new technology is not always great. For example, a few days into 2011 I finally accepted that my "digital" satellite TV service, Cignal, is really sucky in terms of content and basic customer service. No amount of denial could make me appreciate the kind of "digital" content they pre-selected to clutter my Sony Bravia LCD TV.

I'm a comedy and talk show kind of person. But Cignal one day decided to remove those kinds of shows in my subscription and replaced them with more cartoons and religious shows. I subscribed based on the list of shows they said they will offer. Nobody told me they could just wantonly remove programs that made customers to sign up. 

Now that I don't get them in my paid subscription, I went back to my traditional TV that delivers for free some of the same content I used to get from Cignal. The problem is I don't have aerial antennae to improve the reception in my cute LG vintage TV. Comedy and talk shows are like carrot sticks to me and the way to get them in my analog TV is to pull out the rabbit ears.

This amuses me to no end. Not only because I could now again watch the kind of shows that entertain me but the fact that I have ditched digital TV service for regular analog TV with rabbit ears. Could there be a better time for this to happen than in the Year of the Rabbit?

Happy Birthday Geekay!

Dear Geekayness,

Happy birthday to you my blog, you are one year old. Your first year was exciting. I nourished you with close to 50 posts and a few more will come before the year is over. Those who visited you over the last 12 months, though few and redundant by Google's standards, were happy they did. You also produced affiliate blogs on food, pets and travel that are equally fun to do.

There have been many ups and one major down along the way but the road ahead remains bright. Brace yourself for a busier new year. The best is yet to come!!

Wanted: Assistant Wire Manager

I need a professional assistant wire manager. The job is simple: manage wires well. The candidates for this job must possess a great ability to rein in wires around the residential and office areas. A pleasing appearance is an advantage.

Anyone who has taken interest to read my previous posts here would know that I hate wires. That want-ad I typed above is for real. But I'm not looking for a real person to do it. I'm looking for an object to tidy up the wires that circumnavigate my digital spaces.


Yesterday, I finally "hired" someone, or should I say something, to do the job. It's a little plastic wire manager the size of a short book marker. Once it has neatly coiled and clipped the wires, its tip goes to a slit opening that creates an effect of a cat sticking out its tongue. It's cute and does the job in its own small way. This little helper costs P99 only and is available in other animal characters such as puppies, cow, moose and pig. :)

Cat speaker

Last night as I hurried back home, I chanced upon a store called DigiBabe at SM Cyberzone. Being a true geek-in-pink at heart I instantly decided to quickly browse the store.

The store is a tech lifestyle one catering to the female crowd.



There are hardly any hardware (pun intended) around because they fill their shelves with cute peripherals like this speaker cat. I love it. It goes by the brand name Cooler, a sound blasting MP3/computer speaker that only costs P395. It charges by USB. Ain't it cute? It sounds pretty good, too, for a speaker smaller than a new born kitten. :)

There are other models available. They have mummy, cyclops, Batman, skully, Friday the 13th, etc. I think they make perfect Christmas gifts or give-aways.

On my watch list!

What's the time? It's time for a new watch!! He he he.

Most women are shoes and bags addicts. Cosmetics and perfumeries, too. I'm not. It's watches that I like. It's my dream to one day attend any of the two most important watch fairs in the world, the Baselworld and The Salon International de la Haute Horlegerie in Switzerland, the bastion of timepieces.

My three-year old Philip Stein kept me satisfied enough not to want another one until I flipped through an old catalog and found this:

Ain't it pretty? :)

This Georg Jensen Vivianna large open bangle steel watch is making me drool at the moment. Aside from it's sheer elegance and sexiness, it makes me drool because my jaw dropped when I saw the price online. It costs Euro1180.00 (exclusive of VAT).

The face of the watch is a mirror and features sapphire crystals. Is that why it's so expensive? It was designed in 1969. Is timeless design expensive? Watches priced like this really makes you realize that time is precious. As in Georg Jensen precious.

HP unveils world's smallest color laser printer

HP today announced here in Singapore many printing firsts, one of which is the world's smallest color laser printer, the CP1025nw. It's also one of the world's most energy-efficient color laser printers that is ePrint enabled.

I'll post more details after our conference.

What I want for Christmas...

Today is October 7, still quite early to make a Christmas wish list but not a bad idea to get started now. Anyway, I can always use the edit button to change or add what's on my list which will have the following:

1. A simple smartphone if ever there is one. I don't care for smartphones that are overloaded with stuff I don't need or promise to do a lot of things except feed my cats.

2. An online security camera that is small and easy to maintain. I still wish I could have the BrickHouse Security 017-CAM4-USB.


3. An electronic scooter that will do the balancing and driving for me :)

4. A calf massager. This is a necessity.

5. A DSLR that doesn't intimidate.

6. New good DS and Wii game titles like Just Dance 2 because the old ones are less fun to play now.

7. A mechanical ball thrower for my dog. The one in photo is the GoDogGo automatic tennis ball launcher and fetch machine that costs $119.99. My dog could use this on days when I'm not available to play with her.



8. A toy aquarium for my cats because they need entertainment, too.

9. A huge 3D LED TV, why not?!!!

10. A really fast and no downtime broadband service.

11. An intelligent car that can help me park, can detect the status of my tires, etc. without me having to look because I usually don't know what I should be looking for.

Okay, I think I can't go on any further because it gets unrealistic as I add more items. If only money grows on Christmas trees, then I can have all these even before the holidays roll around.

Google Adsense Account Disabled

I hit a speed bump in my blogging because Google disabled my Adsense account. Although it's not the main reason why I am blogging, I won't deny that I love seeing some ads in my site as it make the page appear busier and active. I was religiously blogging and happily watching "My Stats" that told me I was being read in many parts of the world already. But that was true only until the day Google decided I was a cheat and therefore they should confiscate my meager $25 earnings.

I was so disheartened and appealed my case but Google said: "After reviewing our records, we've determined that your AdSense account poses a risk of generating invalid activity. Because we have a responsibility to protect our AdWords advertisers from inflated costs due to invalid activity, we've found it necessary to disable your AdSense account. Your outstanding balance and Google's share of the revenue will both be fully refunded back to the affected advertisers."

That really sucks and I really felt like I was being crushed by a giant. But no amount of despairing would help and I miss blogging, so, with some reluctance I type this piece to hopefully get me back in the saddle, even without Adsense around.

Mouse pad or Cat pad?

Here's my small collection of mouse pads with cat prints. The Hello Kitty is the oldest, bought from a store in the so-called IT alley in Taipei. The other two were gifts that probably came from abroad, too. I hardly use a mouse pad now, but I keep these fine proofs that show how cats invaded the mouse's pad. :)

Epson EB-450Wi projector

The first time I had to use a projector was in college, and the last time was during one of my graduate classes. Projectors, for me, are one of those appliances I didn't personally want to own because they were pretty much one-trick pony. They project images, that's it...but that was before.

Today, projectors are projecting a better image in more ways than one. Aside from shedding off some pounds by not being too heavy and clunky, projectors are also trying to get into the multimedia, high-definition and even 3D space.

I'm very skeptical when it comes to media events that showcase projectors. I really drag my feet to these events thinking the technology I'll see will be downright flat (read: boring). Epson, however, recently put something in front of me that made me interested. The company's EB-450Wi is an innovative projector that turns any standard whiteboard or smooth, flat surface into an interactive presentation area.

The EB-450Wi comes with its own mechanism so it can be installed overhead and from there beam images onto the flat wall. Presentors will appreciate that having a projector overhead eliminates the nuisance of getting them blinded by the projector's light. The EB-450Wi comes with a digital infrared pen so users can electronically write over their presentations and manipulate on-screen objects as if they are using a chalk or a computer mouse. The changes in the presentations as a result of that digital pen doodling could even be saved as jpeg files onto the computer where it's connected to. Of course, this projector could also be very well used for projecting movies and computer games.

Okay, I don't think these new features are so revolutionary but I'm happy that projectors get to dust off their old image somehow. So, bravo projector, you are no longer just a simple source of light. Yeah, that's how lowly I used to regard projectors. But Epson proved there's more to projectors now to justify its continued use in classrooms and boardrooms, at least for now.

Acer Liquid E Ferrari Smartphone

Want a thoroughbred with a standby power of up to 400 hours or a running power good for five hours?

I’m not talking about an actual purebred horse but a smartphone that distinctively sports on the back the famous Scuderia Ferrari Shield with the Prancing Horse logo. Acer’s partnership with Ferrari again bore another fruit: the Acer Liquid E Ferrari Special Edition smartphone.

First unveiled at the last Computex 2010 in Taiwan, the Acer Liquid E Ferrari smartphone is hard to miss with Ferrari’s corporate glossy red color. It’s Acer’s first Android-based smartphone that supports 3G HSDPA and features full capacitive 3.5-inch touchscreen with high pixel count.

The Acer Liquid E Ferrari smartphone runs on the powerful Snapdragon mobile processor and Android 2.1 operating system. It offers a 512MB internal memory that can be expanded to 32GB with an optional microSD. It has a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus, geo-tagging and accelerometer so photos can automatically rotate how the screen is positioned.

As to be expected, it covers all the bases for connectivity with WiFi, Bluetooth and A-GPS support. It also comes with a Ferrari-branded Bluetooth headset to boot.

Being a special edition, Acer and Ferrari filled it with Formula 1 themed content from ringtones, screensavers, wallpapers, and other widgets.

At 115mm x 64mm x 12.75mm (HxWxD), the unit weighs 135g. And it’s very red so it can’t be mistaken it’s by the famous Italian brand.

Geekay explained

I should have done it when I started this blog, explain what "Geekay" means. For some reason, I was just thinking of local readers who I assumed would immediately pick up how I was playing with two words: one English (geek), the other colloquial Tagalog (Kikay) which describes a lady who is fond of all things nice, especially fashion and beauty.

If you search online you'd see that the term Geekay is not unique to me. There are people and companies that answer to the name Geekay in Australia, Bahrain, India, Austria, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, and even in the United States. I don't know the inspiration behind their use of the term geekay, but mine is simply the fact that there's a "kikay" in me for things geek. But because there are already geekay, gee-kay, gee kay and other variations of the name in the blogosphere, I could only get a green light for "geekayness". Do I like it? For all intents and purposes I prefer the short and succinct term, but the suffix somehow adds a little drama like "(her) highness", so I ran with it.

So, that's how Geekay or Geekayness came to be based on my own definition. Sorry, for the late introduction, but now you know why I call myself Geekay ;)

Zunic

Slimming and body sculpting. If you're on the heavy side, those words might carry a lot of weight (pun unintended). These words, in a nutshell, is what Zunic is all about. This slimming center has eight non-invasive machine-based treatments to help its customers get into shape. No surgery, pills, injections. They also claim that there's no need to diet or exercise. But they do encourage their clients to keep a meal plan/diary to keep an eye on what they eat (good or bad) and to increase their metabolism by being more active.

I've been to Zunic and have seen the machines they use. For one of their popular treatments called Contourage, they use this blue machine that emits radio frequency waves to reduce cellulite in the body. If you look at the picture, there are two objects that look like hair-dryers. Those are what friendly Zunic female staff use to massage a customer's problem area for at least 45-minutes. If it's your tummy that you want sculpted, they would measure first your upper, mid and lower abdomen area before the treatment and compare the numbers afterwards. Results vary as body types are different, but an average of 2cm reduction is common after treatment. Definitely a painless way to get rid of love handles unlike liposuction.

If I'm not mistaken, Zunic also uses this machine for its other treatment, the Ultralift. The client for this treatment are people with chubby cheeks and double chins. You know, like Shrek and Fiona (kidding). The treatment applies heat pulses to melt the underlying fat and stimulate collagen production, Zunic says.

Another popular Zunic treatment called CelluAvant uses laser technology. By combining deep laser stimulation of a problem area, say tummy or thighs, with localized cooling and rhytmic massage, Zunic says they are able to promote better lymphatic drainage, thus relieving clients from feeling bloated as excess fluid and toxins get flushed out. For CelluAvant they use this oval-faced machine with a shower-head looking device that is not only cold to the skin but also gives a feeling that your flesh is being sucked or pinched though not in a painful way. They also ask patients and the attending nurse to wear special eyeglasses to protect their eyes from laser lights.

I also saw the Metabolique machine at Zunic which uses photon lights to increase a person's metabolism without exercise. It looks like an MRI machine but with disco lights! Lots of them, too, so that one is advised to close his/her eyes during the procedure. And that's the reason why I don't have a photo of it. :)

I also have this photo of a red machine at Zunic, which I can't remember what it's for. I thought it looks like an ATM machine. Ha ha. Might as well be, because to avail of Zunic's treatments you really have to hit the bank big time!

The staff at Zunic are very friendly and professional. Like their treatments, the staff are not invasive. I just shared the photos and little information on the treatments though. If you want more, Zunic has consultants who would walk you through what programs would be best for you. The rest is up to you.

Samsung 3D HDTV -- I see 3D, people

Life is indeed full of surprises. Like if you told me 10 years ago that home TV viewing will become three-dimensional, I'd be surprised. So, imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to realize that 3D TV for the home is now possible. As I have probably said in this blog earlier, I don't fawn over every new technology or gizmo I see, but a 3D HDTV immediately landed straight on top of my list of crave technologies the moment I tested one.

It was about a decade ago when I first stepped inside an iMAX theater in Sydney, Australia -- which was along the Darling Harbour to be exact -- to watch a 3D documentary about elephants. The 3D glasses and my close proximity to the screen were overwhelming, but it was an experience worthy of a repeat as I paid iMAX several more visits abroad, until iMAX finally opened in Manila. Now more local cinemas are offering 3D screening which is cool, except for the exorbitant fees.

But wouldn't it be better if we don't have to step out of the house to watch something in 3D?

Just this month, three of the biggest TV giants -- Samsung, LG and Sony -- respectively paraded their 3D TV offerings. The first two already gave me a 3D sneak peek of their offerings. Samsung lent me their 40-inch LED HDTV and threw in three pairs of 3D glasses and some 3D movies for several weeks. Samsung actually sent over a 3D starter kit that contained two 3D glasses and Dreamworks' cute movie called Monsters Vs. Aliens. After the first try, I was hooked. I'm not a couch potato, but Samsung's LED C7000 HDTV turned me into one after the first movie.

It should be noted that this is just the beginning of 3D HDTV for the home and the technology would improve a lot more. Still, I'm already thrilled by this progress.

One thing I also appreciate about the Samsung C7000 is its ability to tweak regular TV programming from 2D to 3D with just a touch of a remote button and, of course, with the use of the 3D glasses. It was a cool effect and though it's not perfect, the images get an acceptable depth of field that make them look 3D. It just takes getting used to wearing the 3D glasses which use wristwatch-type of batteries or USB charger.


It's a pleasant surprise, really, that 3D TV for the home is now a reality. Did I say I now crave for it? But at P169,900 for the 40-inch model (the 46-inch costs P199,900) it would be short of a miracle if I get one soon. In the meantime, I encourage you to check out appliance showrooms and look for this product and that of the other brands, too, just to familiarize yourself on what, I expect, will become part of all our living rooms in the not so distant future.

Sharp Plasmacluster Ion air purifier for cars

I love a room that is not only clean but also smells good. I easily catch colds, you see, so I'm quite fastidious when it comes to this. We all want to have healthy air to breathe, but city-living does not exactly give us that.

Like when was the last time you braved turning off your car aircon and rolling down the window as you drive down the highway? I almost never do that, unless the aircon conked out. But even inside a closed air-conditioned car the air quality I'm sure is not pure. Dust from our shoes and stuff collect on the floor, mats, dashboard and seats. There's lint that we can see and not see. I imagine there are other organisms that co-exist with me inside my car, but even a clean-nut like me won't know how to get rid of them.

Then one day, I was happy to receive a give-away present from Sharp Philippines. It was an air purifier the size of a tall coffee jug that is specially designed for cars and made to fit in a car's cupholder. It was a new product that I'm thankful to have because it promises to remove viruses, bacteria, allergens, molds and bad odors in the car!

The Sharp Plasmacluster Ion Generator releases high-density plasmacluster ions that follow the car's interior airflow. The ions disinfect and purify the air as they are released at a 20-degree angle upwards and are carried along the ceiling of the car to every part of the interior.

It uses the car's power source. Just plug it, turn it on and it'll do the air purifying quietly. The plasmacluster ion generating unit mounted in this product must be replaced periodically. What is periodically? Sharp says after every 17,500 hours which is roughly equivalent to 6 years when operated 8 hours a day. Cool, huh? I'm definitely using this product, but not until I've swept my car clean first. You know, just to give this little workhorse some help. Is that silly? Well, only if you're the type who sprays perfume without taking a shower. Haha!