Tech Notes 101: Portable Mobile Hot Spot

This is good for your tablet, notebook, gaming console, mobile phone, and all your WiFi recipient gadgets all at the same time. Wherever you go, you got the pocket size WiFi server. I knew this one from T-Mobile in the U.S.and I just discovered we have it here in the Philippines since last year from Globe and Smart (two of Philippines leading mobile network). After Globe Network launches the prepaid version, Smart Communications offered it in prepaid as well. So prepaid maniacs this is for us!

In the United States the unit (Mobile Hot Spot) will cost you $125 -$200 plus your monthly bill around $50 or also available in pay as you go (prepaid). This is a 4G speed so it exceeds your expectation on wireless connections. Of course with limitation to your area coverage. So before you buy, visit your network's website either from T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, Virgin etc. best is to read reviews about it. Most of the time you read all the complaints of connection issues. Remember 95% it has nothing to do with the network provider it will always matter on your location or coverage. Talk to customer care or tech support for diagnosis. Try to include the areas where you used to go such us your work place, your camp haven, or any vacation spots.

In the Philippines the unit cost the average of P3,950. Once you have it either you go for a contract or with plan or prepaid. For Globe you can have unlimited for plan P999/month with lock in period of 2 years but for Prepaid users you can avail 5 days unlimited for 220 Pesos or 50 pesos for 1 day. To register for Globe prepaid, get the sim card out put it on your mobile, type SUPERSURF220 then send to 8888 (this is for 5 day unli) or SUPERSURF50 to 8888 (for 1-day), wait for the confirmation then put it back... booom... there you go easy to set up. This is really awesome for people doing a vacation or a day-off away from home and it's time you don't have to rely on your mobile internet. You can get the pocket size WiFi server and get all your gadgets connected all at the same time. Either in the U.S. or the Philippines they claim 5 devices maximum for connections.

Before, I was planning to buy a Samsung tab, I got confused because it has 2 versions. The cheaper one that only cost ten thousand pesos (WiFi only) and the other with sim slot that cost thirty thousand pesos. Now my best advice, buy the cheapest one and get this pocket WiFi server from any network Globe/Smart. So you'll be spending a total P10,000 for the tab and P4,000 for the pocket size WiFi then you can save more than 50%, PLUS you can let your friends and classmates access your WiFi and charge them Twenty Pesos per hour ~~JK ^_^ See that!!! you are doing business at the same time. Hahaha No wonder I can see a lot of WiFi Bus in Manila, Soy demasiado inocente!

See you again tech readers! I miss my tech job so much!

Mali

I was watching the news tonight at TV-Patrol of ABS-CBN. A segment reported by Noli de Castro of a 37 year old elephant in Manila Zoo named Mali. According to the report she is the only remaining elephant in the Philippines, and the group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is requesting the zoo management to send Mali to an Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee in the U.S. The elephant was an orphan at 3 years old, after her mother died in a trapped in Sri Lanka. She was donated by the Sri Lankan government to the Children of Manila and been in Manila Zoo since then. She is a sweet elephant according to the caretaker. He then added that one time a Nun was watching him feeding Mali and asked him why the elephant is alone and that she needs to have a partner to be happy. Then the caretaker replied, "Sister why did you choose to be alone?" The Nun replied "Single Blessedness" then she left him. Noli de Castro was laughing after the report. The caretaker was then asked the same question by Noli, then the caretaker answered (while he was rubbing a Popsicled ice cream on the elephant's mouth) "I think she is happy here".

My opinion: The only reason we have zoos is to cater our curiosity on animals, to educate us about their character, and to free our mind from the myth of reading them on books. I don't agree with some 'OA' logic of PETA but I strongly believe that these animals have born rights to move around like humans. To meet their own kind, to mate and have family of their own unless of course they claim and confirm their single blessedness ^_^. I agree, that the zoo is one way to keep them safe from any harm of their natural habitat but we have no right to enclose them in a small space, defying their freedom in choosing and picking up their own food, and freedom of running on their own limits. I hope that zoo management if they want to keep animals they must see to it that they can emulate 100% of the real settings not obviously enclosed. The caretaker is so unfair to talk in behalf of the animal judging it to be happy where no actual measure of happiness can be gauged. Let us not be too self centered to satisfy our own curiosity on animals. Technology today is an artificial satisfaction. If we want to see them in real, then we have go to the sanctuary not on a confined environment.

Another random thoughts

I missed the total lunar eclipse last night.
Could have make a soulful efficacious content from a heavenly showdown.
It seldom happens, rarely positioned perfectly.
As when I was younger I always utter my disappointments;
not on the shimmering stars but in the curious moon,
To give all desires of this very bashful eyes.

Yesterday; dusk open the show,
making me naive astonishing conveyance as I stare on its glow.
Unaware, innocent, impeccable of the time and event.
Now, stuck on this night sky pouring tears bringing darkness in short hours.
No lights and power, provoking my a senescence senseless thought.
Damn! and we got the power back too soon,
making this didactic poetic thoughts a space.
Rain still pouring vehemently, I can't sleep so I write then talk my pace.

Random Thoughts in June

I dream of a green pasture in the morning with lambent droplets
caressed by a sunlight.
Raised my head and realized not single iota can fully satisfy
a man's needs in a brimful world.
Lights continued to glow as the green pasture evanescing encapsulating.
Until I am fully awake and my eyes blinded from windows wide open sunlight.
I sat on my bed thinking too much for a productive day.
Something worth in this unfair astonishing world balancing purpose.

I think a lot and I am almost drowned. I hope so much I am scared to falter.
I want my family to be proud, yet I don't know if I started my route.
Quivering hearts of ambition, viciously falling to a distance dim horizon.
Now needing real people to count, expressing thoughts and experiences alike,
seems relieving my mortal character suppressing whine.
Yet all has their life and challenge as with mine in search for purpose and light.

Like a flowing river, I am sailing until I see the end where people sailed in search.
Defining embracing outcome.
If I wonder in the stillness or be drowned in rambunctious current.
Nay, I won't regrets I sailed my way, my reasons, mine.
Or I had been guided by sincerity of a pointing light, I then should follow the greenest pasture.

About Android Phones

After working as tech support agent in America's leading mobile network I planned not to unlearn few simple ideas, so now it's motivating me to write. Identification of mobile phones can sometimes be confusing so let me define one info which most people I talked over the phone get confused with.

Android phones. These are powered by google. These phones won't work without a data plan, which means before you purchase this phone you are expected to have subscription in an internet connection solely for this phone. Wireless Fidelity won't activate this either. When you first turn the phone on, it will ask you to register your google account. If you don't have, it will walk you through the process in creating one. It is very important that you remember the password and the email , surely not far from the future you might experience freezing episodes and you will left no choice but to "master reset". Some people claimed that WiFi activates their Android it's true there are some that has glitches, few androids from Motorola can be activated in WiFi, so might as well check if you can. However once you're out of the WiFi zone say goodbye to your connection. Android always work with internet. It is like a mitochondria of the cell which is the powerhouse, or like a brain and without it is a coma.

Master resetting android phones is a bit complicated, you will loose all your text messages, contacts, calendar, and applications except the pre-installed ones. Your pictures are automatically saved on the memory card so you don't have to worry but best if you back them up on your computer. Information stored on the sim card and the memory card are all spared by the process. One way to have all the contacts and calendar back is to sign in your e-mail, the same exact email.

One more thing, all applications in the Android Market are not created by your mobile network company, so don't blame them if the application sucks. They are all created by private individual, shared or bargain and most are free. If in case they won't work try to check if you are on the latest software version or compatible for your phone type.

Over the air updating of software version are up to the manufacturer, you will just waste your time shouting over the customer care or tech support of your mobile network. Customer care will just tell you if you paid your bill, tech support will check your signal coverage, fixing your signal pick up, refreshing your connection and troubleshoot if you have power issues or problems with phone features. They do not develop a software version which means they cannot send you one or initiate an update. Call Samsung if you are using Samsung, if you are resourceful, get a desktop or a laptop, Google it.