Smartphone for my Mother

Migrating my mother to use an Android™ Smartphone

I plan to migrate my mother now a senior citizen to use a smartphone. This will be a challenge and a learning experience for me since she is not computer literate so even a smartphone will take time for her to adapt to. She still uses her old keypad phone and I recommended to change her phone because of the following reasons;

1. She likes pictures, her old keypad phone has poor picture and image quality and small screen which is not suitable for her eye sight.

2. Her keypad phone buttons and fonts is too small that she needs to wear glasses to read the letters.

3. Dual Sim, since she still uses two phones.

4. With TV so she can watch her favorite programs while away.

5. Play puzzle games to lessen the possibility of an Alzheimer disease.

Now what brand and model to use, It must be running on Android™ operating system for easy customization, dual sim, with tv and probably more than 1,500mah of battery because she will definitely notice she would be charging constantly if I will get a typical 1,500mah battery phone, and not too expensive brand phone, she don't like buying branded and expensive gadgets would turn her away since she's the one paying.

So with that in mind I got her a Starmobile Energy phone. I tried to customized it to make it easier to use, made the fonts and keypad larger and all, so what is her feedback?

1. She like the 4 inch screen, its big enough to see and its easier to browse the pictures using touch.

2. She commented about the white color, saying dirt would be easily visible, but I don't think that would really matter as its a minor problem.

3. Using the user interface is confusing.

So re-branding the user interface is the way to go for her to easily use the phone. The default interface is composed of the icons that I need to change. So I made this kind of user interface that works for her. I created an all widget desktop screens.

Screen-1 is a dialpad where she can input load codes or saving numbers in the contacts by just an input of the numbers.

Then when you swipe it going to Screen-2 is the contacts, she can browse her contacts and by pressing a name, a popup will appear whether to Call or send SMS.

Screen-3 is the SMS widget messages, where she can read the inbox easily.

Screen-4 is some icons like Camera, Gallery, Calculator, Calendar, FM, Music, Alarm clock and Puzzle games.

Removing the App drawer and Docks as its not needed yet and will only make the interface complicated and confusing but you can use a gesture swipe up for the app drawer to show incase. I also used Perfect Keyboard app for the keypad T9 type, so I can adjust the keypad fonts size and button width for easy use and better visibility, she does not like those small qwerty buttons.

So there you go, a phone she really likes. The interface is nice, just thinking of a good business out of it.

 Android is a trademark of Google Inc.

Flood and Floods Everywhere in the Philippines

Floods in the Philippines

Why the Philippines is getting flooded

Every year, floods struck the Philippines with a devastating blow than the typhoon winds itself. After the typhoon passed by, it will suck all the monsoon clouds from the ocean, pouring all the water from the land, causing lots of deaths and damage to properties, hamper the economy, put the businesses and agricultural business to a halt every year. So I classified what is the problem, why we have so many devastating floods in the country.

1. The obvious; As captain obvious will say, because they cut the trees that absorb the water and the global warming melts the ice so the sea level rises every year, also as the earth warms, typhoon is its natural cooling system, the warmer the place is, the more powerful the typhoon wind and rains will be, well that is the obvious.

Solution; Listen to the green crowd. Approving more coal fired power plants is not going to help. More on electric vehicles, we already have E-trikes, E-jeeps and E-carts plying the metropolis as proof it can be done. Lease residential and commercial rooftops and place a solar panel on it giving them rooftops owner incentives for doing so like electric billing discounts.

2. Population; It seems its getting worst, a lot of people is dying and displaced because of the floods, but if we look at it, decades ago, no one is living on that flat plane, no ones squatting in the river canal, now people are every where living where ever they want to. And the government don't care because the population has the voting power, mess with them, elected officials get messy after the election.

Solution; Create a digital map flood hazard, the government should prevent people from living on those flood hazard areas. I believe that population is an asset so you won't be expecting from me suggesting a solution on population control.

3. Land Conversion/Zoning; decades ago, this place was just a farm land and a creek where water pass by, now there is a Mall and a subdivision, so when a heavy rain comes, where do the water goes? it gets trapped and creates an artificial dam system on places where the water is trapped, and when the trapped water found its way out, its going to be a flash flood, so fast, the people don't know what hit them.

Solution; Come on government create water channels and use digital maps to map out the floods so water would go back to the river, and be strict on zoning or land conversion policies or even have some studies on it.

4. Deep Well Pumps; The more people pump water using deep well, according the a study, the more the land sinks, and primarily the Philippines mainly use deep wells as water source aside from dam sites even though the Philippines is surrounded by sea water. They still prefer deep well pumps especially in depressed areas.

Solution; Find a way to convert sea water cheaply into usable water, we are surrounded by sea water and its not running out in the future. Probably use Solar or Wind turbine to power water desalination plants.

5. Drainage System; Yes yes, those garbage clogging our drainage system and most of it are shopping bag, the reason some cities penalize the use of plastic shopping bag but you can still get one but you have to pay P2 each which means makes the business guys more profit, which in turn is useless because people would just be using black garbage bags instead or the people would be more lazy to throw their garbage in the right place thus increasing garbage mess in the metropolis. But its not just that, its also connected to how houses are build, its just that more house is equals to more water being pump in the drainage when heavy rain pours, those water gushing in that came from the house gutters combine with the heavy rain will create a water traffic and exceeding capacity of the drainage system thus cause flooding.

Solution; Aside from garbage policies, recycling, awareness and reinforcement, the government should require or at least make an effort on equipping houses with water catchment where liters of rain water will be collected before being thrown out in the drainage, this will help delay the water being pump out of the drainage system that will cause water traffic, It will also help during summer where there is water shortage, those water catchment tanks can be used for cleaning or watering the plants during summer season instead of using tap water to preserve water during those water shortage summer season. During the rainy season, it seems that all the water in the ocean dropped by the land then on summer, we complained on where have all the water gone to?

6. Government; as you can see the above problems and even solutions fall in the hands of the government or they have the power to change the above, its their job anyway so no debate there, aside from fixing corruption in their houses like those overpriced flood control projects and so on.

Solution; Vote properly, we people is still the power behind electing government officials. A dumb vote is equals a dumb government official. And your vote can either save or make your life miserable.

In the picture in San Fernando Pampanga. The tax paying people payed for this kilometers of dike for flood control, now rehabilitated by sand bag, a portion which gave in, is now useless, because the other side, when heavy rains pour, it creates a dam effect as there is no water to go which supposedly going back to the river, some genius billionaire blocked the water passage on where the water should go, which is going back to the river and the government, instead of making a water passage way, they would just patch the dike yearly after the damage is done, after lives is lost and property is damaged by the flash floods. When that rain water fills that opposite area and creates an artificial dam, it will find a way to overflow or destroy another portion of the kilometers dike, creating a flash flood in the local town which supposedly being protected by this dike. So much for the pumping station.

Turning Wasteland into Paradise

Turning Wasteland into Parasise

A project to turn a wasteland into a profitable land

We have this ancestral land somewhere in Pampanga near the river. Yearly during the rainy season, it gets flooded waste deep as the Pampanga river overflow. So basically its a useless land not unless you sell it, but its condition makes it a cheap land value so selling it would be a waste.

So a lot of our relatives has little interest on that land since its not even habitable because of yearly flooding. I have been thinking of making that wasteland into something useful, that could benefit our relatives.

My relative is split in half, those who are well off and lived abroad and those who are struggling financially, making that land profitable by not selling it would be a great help to those in need.

What is my interest? Why would I bother? Even though we have rights of share on the land, I am not interested on it because we have our own family farm land already in another place that I am focusing to make it profitable itself in the future. Making this ancestral wasteland into profitable land is just my hobby and to help my relatives. Empowering our relatives would prevent them from asking money on us during their time of need because they have their own additional income.

So how can you make a wasteland into a profitable land then? even though its inhabitable, I noticed that the land is very fertile, fruit trees would just bear fruits easily as compared to our own family farm land. So you get the idea what to do, Plant fruit bearing trees.

Those fruit bearing can turn into profit by selling the fruits after 10 to 15 years, that's far off but better start now while its early. You can read my other article regarding profits on fruit trees titled; Money do grow on Trees.

Problems to Solve:

1. Flooding; the flood can kill your small fruit tree seedlings, being soaked all day long can have a toll on the plant. So what we do here is grow the fruit tree seedlings into a seedling bag for the first 2 to 3 years, once its 5 foot tall, we can already transplant it by the month of December to the ancestral land to avoid the rainy season and have time for the fruit tree to entrench its roots deeply before the rainy season starting as early as May or late as August. Once it has entrenched its roots and is 5 foot tall, it can survive the flooding that occurs every year. Also taking into consideration that there are trees that is very resistant to floods even if it got soak for weeks during its early stages of growth, like Mango trees, other are Duhat, Guyabano then some fruit trees as long as its already an adult tree.

2. Goats and Livestock; Some of the neighbors goats, carabao and horses might stray on the ancestral farm and eat the 5 foot tall fruit tree. The tree is not safe against livestocks until its 8 foot tall, those grass and leaf eating loaf will feast on that tree and chew it dry. So by placing a perimeter fence is a must. Avoiding using metal or tin fences or even nets as this type of materials gets stolen, the ancestral land does not have a caretaker, having one could put a cost in operation. Probably a plastic mesh could do.

3. Public Road; There is an old road in the middle of the ancestral farm, that after sometime, years has passed by it became a public right of way road where people pass through there. Fencing a place like that would be hard because you are going to fence both side of the road for the sake of other people?, so the idea is to just move the road in the middle and place it on the far edge side of the property for public use, this way you only have to fence one side only and you don't interfere with the right of way of the people, even though its private property, in the province, its not nice to just close down a road after years of use. That public road could also be used in other purposes in the future, such as temporary business shops.

So that's it, eventually after 10 years, when the trees is starting to bear fruit, it would be fenced and guarded properly so thieves won't be stealing the fruits of labor. Selling the fruit trees would be the benefits of my relatives, at least it would add income especially when they got sick, they would have financial assistance through a profitable land which if not transform right now would just be a piece of wasteland with low zoning value.

It also has a fishpond, a very fertile fishpond where fish just grow big, where it could be used for lease on some other time or probably use my system for Tilapia fish farming when I had the time for it.

I remember this place when I was a kid, we used to play here and climb the trees, we play with the farm animals and bath in the fishpond, then the whole clan would eat together under the mango tree during fiesta and watch the river floats parade on the side. Decades has passed by, geography change, the place sinks as the river grow larger. Well its not too late for our children to experience that same memories anyway.

Road in the middle which is I am talking about, some old trees, still there are lots of space for fruit trees, a fishpond in the far end, not visible in the picture, abandoned caretaker houses due to yearly floods, banana trees being planted for starters. So my dear cousins, let us start the project.

FILA FL21-WIZER Casual Watch

My First Wrist Watch Purchase

Once upon a time, a Sale day in a Mall. I just bought a wrist watch out of the blue. A blue, casual with a little sporty look wrist watch from FILA for P1,560. I don't know I just like it. After a personal issue with the Girlfriend, I just want to buy something that would make me feel better and a change of look by wearing a decent but not too decent wrist watch would do, I don't wear a wrist watch, I used to when I was in elementary, but wearing one would be nice for a change.

I have noticed It also attract some girls to have a second look, a man with a watch just appeals to some female audience making me feel better at least.

Enough with the personal thing, let's go with the review. As I've said earlier, its a casual but with a little sporty look so it will still looks good even wearing a formal attire for formal business events. I used to use my smartphone as my clock, but this come in handy as you don't need to reach for the phone. It comes with rubber strap and a digital clock, along with a visible seconds and week-day(ex. Sat, Sun). An easy light button up front and date button on the side. I like the backlight amber glow, giving an easy read during at night when you wake up. Aside from that, it has an alarm clock and a stopwatch being a semi sporty watch and is water resistant. That chrome frame makes it look formal and tough.

I really like this watch, well at least I did not regret it when I bought it even though I just bought it out of the blue, you know that feeling, those "Regret Buys" well this is not it, I would consider this a "Satisfied Purchase" If there is one thing I don't like about it is its protruding plastic lens. Its just a scratch magnet, it would hit anything and absorb the scratches but its part of the design that makes it look good minus the scratches.

Locally built Ships for Philippine Navy and Coast Guard

Local Shipbuilding in the Philippines

Locally building Ships for Philippine Navy and Coast Guard

So, supposedly I have read in the news we are receiving a second New Old Ships for the Navy, another Hamilton Class cutter renamed as BRP Ramon Alcaraz from the United States, years before we also received another and was named BRP Gregorio Del Pillar. The platform and performance is good, but its already old, maintaining these old ship is going to be costly. But because of time constraint that we really need a patrol ship ASAP to guard West Philippine Sea then it is a decision that has to be made. But why don't they just lease some patrol ship until they can get new ones.

Okay going to the point, The Philippines is the 4th Largest Shipbuilder in the world according to the news. The Philippines has been building huge commercial ship, just recently the largest ship that was built is a Greek owned ship M/V Argolikos ($60Million) in a Hanjin shipyard, its a huge commercial cargo ship.

Militarily, the Philippines has made some ships and boat like a Multi-purpose Attack Craft and a Landing Craft Utility Transport Ship the BRP Tagbanua ($5Million). If that is so, why are we still buying ships abroad? why don't we just build one for ourselves. Typically we could do simple Offshore Lightweight Patrol Ships at first that do not contain any military grade engineering like complicated armor protection nor stealth components. A simple Offshore Patrol Ship hulled with guns, a cannon, engines, radar, complements and endurance, helipad, even smaller stand alone missiles if desired. The U.S. Coast Guard Hamilton Cutters was donated by the United States for free but we have to pay for the refurbishment ($10Million), in which the cost of refurbishment and maintaining the old ship can actually build you a brand new one locally saving you of maintenance nightmare and gives local economic benefits.

Building ships locally can benefit the economy, It will give jobs to a lot of people and will create an Industry that the Philippine itself would be exporting more ships even for the military like what Indonesia is now doing, why do our government have a mindset of buying abroad instead of making local one even though we have the capability to do so? Make ships locally and contract foreign weapons system manufacturer is a win win solution.

Recently the Coast Guard will purchase 10 brand new Patrol Ships, and that is brand new with the help of Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA), JICA then proposed that 5 of the ships will be build in Japan and the other 5 will be built locally in the Philippines, but according to the news, a Philippine coast guard officer just wants all to be build in Japan. What? Okay I don't blame him, he is a coast guard officer after all, but any sensible Economic Agency in the Philippines like National Economic Development Authority(NEDA) should have interfere to build the 5 ships locally to benefit our economy and to increase our skills in ship building.

If you have seen economic parks in the country, when time out comes, you would see thousands of workers going out and in the outside, businesses benefits and flourishes, from stores to transports, everything is inter connected. And those people with salaries in their pocket would be spending on products and services within the county, making our economy healthier.

Come on Guys in the Government, you should reduce and tone down giving tax money to some people through dole outs like the Pork Barrel or Conditional Cash Transfer, but you should be providing them jobs by making Industries. And Shipbuilding Industry is one of them that needed support, just building your ships locally is a great help to our industry instead of buying ships abroad.

Grandma's Pizza from Sbarro

My favorite Pizza

When I frequent the Mall, I always look at Sbarro for their displayed pizza menu, once I saw that Grandma's Pizza, I always get tempted to dine on it.

I think Grandma's Pizza is not so popular and unattractive not until you taste it, most people will dig in on Pizza's on display that you can see the toppings like bacon, pepperonis, pineapple and such.

Grandma's Pizza is something I can't resist, Its rich tomato flavor, soft white cheese and powerful onion taste along with a crusty dough make it very uniquely different than all other pizza around. Couple up with a Raspberry juice will make a punch. The ingredients looks simple but the combination of taste is really addicting, I would suggest you try.

The serving is quite big and also I would say the price, but I won't regret it as it is equivalent to a full size meal as if you ate a Rice meals to a different restaurants. Its a good alternative if you are hungry and you feel you had enough of rice meals at the time.

I don't think the masses crowd would appreciate the price and taste though, it has a different target market, making their restaurant less crowded and spacious as compared to popular affordable fast food chains. When you eat at Sbarro you just enjoy the meal with less hassle long lines and crowded chairs and people. Its just relaxing.