Life Discourse » Alma

Kindle Fire Challenges: Getting those Apps using GetJar

Alma — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:36:34 +0000

After receiving a Kindle Fire a month ago, I managed to successfully install those games my children has been yapping about– Angry Birds, Angry Birds Rio and others. So its not Words for Friends anymore– there’s more.

Thanks to numerous dissatisfied Kindle Fire users, and numerous hours of reading android forums including that of Amazon, I managed to stumble on this article. Installing getjar was not hard. It does not require alot of ninja moves (side loading). All you have to do is navigate to: http://m.getjar.com/ and download the application itself. You will find the application by checking the download area of your Kindle Fire’s Silk browser. Install this– oh, you will need to allow 3rd party installations first. Navigate through the settings of your Kindle and allow.

Once you have installed GetJar, you can install whatever application is available on GetJar.

Here’s a list of my favorite apps via GetJar:

1- Angry Birds Seasons

2- Angry Birds Rio

3- Angry Birds

4- Classic Notes

5- Spring Pad

6- Fruit Ninja

New Gadget: Amazon Kindle Fire I have just received for my birthday the newest addition...

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How to Reinstall OS 6.0 on a Bricked Torch 9800

Alma — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:29:34 +0000

Although my BlackBerry Torch is still dead, I did manage to reinstall my OS but it died after a day. No idea why my BB kept on slipping to its near demise, but needless to say, the a tutorial that I found here was very helpful.

After days of reviving a bricked BlackBerry, I am on the verge of tossing this expensive smartphone in the bin… what’s stopping me then? Well, if this bricked phone works again, I can pass this to my daughter and BBM with her instead of SMS. That would be ideal. Needless to say, my damn BB has just become an expensive paperweight.

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How to Successfully Wipe All Your Data on Your BlackBerry

Alma — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:01:00 +0000

Several days ago, my BlackBerry became so slow after I have installed a new theme. It became so slow that even several resets failed to fix whatever the problem was that I was forced to perform a full security wipe. I initially tried a partial security wipe which involves deleting only the applications while retaining my contacts and email as well as my files saved in my media card.

If for some reason your BlackBerry is lagging too slow or loads too slow after you have installed several applications, and deletion of that application did not fix the problem, I usually would just go and reset my BlackBerry to factory default. This is not really hard and RIM makes it easier for you to reset and reinstall your desired applications easily. To do a reset, simply go to Options> Security> Security Wipe. You will be asked to type blackberry to confirm. No sweat.

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New Gadget: Amazon Kindle Fire

Alma — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:43:59 +0000

I have just received for my birthday the newest addition to Amazon’s array of e-readers– The Kindle Fire. Sent to me via Fedex, I patiently waited for my second Kindle. Compared to my old Kindle 2, the Kindle Fire has far more features than my handout from my sister. The Kindle 2 is powered by Whispernet, which contrary to Amazon’s claim is available in the Philippines. This has caused a wee bit of inconvenience to people who has just bought any new ebook from Amazon. Instead of your ebook being “pushed” to your Kindle, you’ll have to manually download your ebook file to your PC or Mac and connect your Kindle via micro USB and transfer that file to your Kindle 2 . For more detailed instruction on how to do this, click here.

Unboxing. The Amazon Kindle Fire comes in a nice looking easy to open box. It did not come with any manual apart from a small cardboard that tells you how to turn on your Kindle Fire. Once turned on, it walks you through the settings etc. Nothing complicated.

Weight and Size. The Kindle Fire is a 7 incher tablet. It is considerably smaller than my Kindle 2, however it is heavier. The back is rubberized which makes holding your Kindle Fire easier grip-wise. The screen rotates as well, which is pretty cool. The screen is responsive to touch and scrolling is fast. Not bad.

Wifi and Syncing. The Kindle Fire comes with 8GB internal storage, of which 2GB is allocated to the OS and 6GB is usable. However, if you run of out of local space then no worries. Amazon offers you free cloud storage for all Amazon digital content in the Amazon Cloud. This allows you store Apps, books, movies, and music which will be available instantly to stream or download for free, at a touch of a finger. Once you have set up your wifi connection, you will be asked to register your Kindle Fire. Syncing is swift and I was happy to see all my ebooks purchased months ago.

Browser. The browser is fast although I have read about some people complaining that their Silk Browser is slow, mine was fast and navigation is pretty easy to follow.

The Downside

My only complaint about the Kindle is its inability to connect to the Amazon App Store. Why the heck not when I have an active account in Amazon? I asked. Well, apparently, the Amazon App Store in not available in my region. There were some applications pre-installed in my Kindle Fire like, Amazon’s Email App, Pulse, The Weather Channel and Audible. It sucks not being able to download even premium applications. I have scoured the Amazon Forum and found people from Canada, Singapore, Australia and Malaysia even Ireland, complaining about the Amazon App Store restrictions.

I have read about other Kindle Fire owners “jailbreaking” their Kindle Fires and by installing the Android sdk and rooting their Kindle Fire. The process is not easy and alot of modifications have to be made. I am still trying to find out more information about this, but so far, I have read that the most recent Amazon update has removed the rooting functionality although the applications downloaded were said to continue to work.

It looked like we just have to wait until the Philippines is fully supported by Amazon. Might take a year or another– who knows? But so far, as e-reading goes, the Kindle Fire is a winner. I am still able to connect to Twitter, Facebook and all websites using the browser anyway.

Me with my Kindle Fire

Kindle 2 vs Kindle Fire

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Twitter App: A.Plus by @aplusk and Ubermedia

Alma — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:28:02 +0000

Since I did a major factory reset on my work PC, I lost my Tweetdeck and Seesmic. I have been switching back and forth between these two fantastic Twitter desktop applications for Windows. Since I tweet mainly using my Blackberry, I only use my desktop Twitter application when my mobile is dead and charging, but I truly steer clear from Twitter desktop applications because I find it obtrusive. Put those babies on and say goodbye to work. You know what I mean.

Enter A.Plus, another Twitter desktop application recently launched by movie star-producer-Twitter-icon Ashton Kutcher with Ubermedia. Kutcher is already one of the more popular celebrities on Twitter — beating out CNN as the first to reach 1 million followers on the service — and a high-profile investor in the California tech industry. The app is free and currently available only on PCs, not tablets or smartphones. Pasadena-based UberMedia, which is known which making UberSocial, Twiddroyd and Echofon, built the app to Kutcher’s specifications.

So how do I like A.Plus? If you want preview the websites, images and videos within one application, this is the way to go. Its like Rockmelt, but with access to your Twitter timeline and whatever list you want to track. Not bad. But I want to be able to login to multiple Twitter accounts. I tried using A.Plus for one day, doing some work on the side using Live Preview. Not bad. You can collapse the columns so it’ll be less obtrusive. Not bad.

So will I stick to A.Plus? For now, yes. I use Co-Tweet to manage my multiple Twitter accounts anyway. But for my own Twitter pleasure on my desktop, A.Plus is great for now since I believe that Tweetdeck will have more features coming up eversince Tweetdeck was acquired by Twitter.

To download A.Plus: http://www.aplus-app.com/

To get Tweetdeck: http://www.tweetdeck.com

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Top BlackBerry Applications for Online Workers

Alma — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 03:18:59 +0000

Eversince I got the BlackBerry Torch from my employer, I have been busy learning how to work around RIM’s technology. So far, one of the best feature of the BlackBerry is its push email whether you have gmail, or yahoo or your corporate email– setting up is a breeze. Since the BlackBerry Torch is the bearer of RIM’s latest OS 6.0, the initial set up was pretty easy. I was apprehensive at first since this is my first BlackBerry but after reading Globe Telecom’s FAQ on BB Social and Messaging on Facebook, I was able to prepare the necessary load to first launch my BlackBerry.

So being an online worker the need to be connected is more than necessity. Here are my top BlackBerry Applications on my BlackBerry Torch.

1. WordPress on BlackBerry- if you have some websites to keep tabs on, then thank God that WordPress has a BlackBerry app. I have tried posting a test post days ago, and it went without a hitch. You can post articles, pictures and even video straight from your BlackBerry to your WordPress Blog. Cost: FREE

2. Kompass- if you use Basecamp to collaborate with your team members, you can use Kompass to access your Basecamp account. Although you can access Basecamp via mobile browser, Kompass has better interface in my opinion. You can assign tasks, check milestones, and add comments easily. Cost: FREE

3. Evernote for BlackBerry- from notes to ideas to snapshots to recordings, put it all into Evernote and watch as everything instantly synchronizes from your BlackBerry to the Web to your Mac or Windows desktop. Nifty! Cost: FREE

4. Paypal for BlackBerry- access, receive Paypal payments quickly. You can easily send Paypal to Paypal payments to friends, or relatives. Cost: FREE

5. Lister- if you need a quick and simple list manager for your BlackBerry, then Lister would be more than ok. You can tick items, add more categories and even tag items. Cost: FREE

6. Dropbox for BlackBerry- send and access your files on dropbox from your BlackBerry! Although I do not use this application since the ability to access my dropbox files via mobile browser is available. Sending files to my public folder via email is also possible. Cost: FREE

7. Yousendit Tracker for BlackBerry- if you are a huge Yousendit user, then you can track your files and send files from your BlackBerry to anyone via Yousendit. Cost: FREE

8. Expensify for BlackBerry- keep track of credit card expenses via Expensify.com. Be able to Add expense using your BlackBerry or even upload a receipt by taking an image of your receipt. Your receipt will be uploaded to your online expensify account! You can send your receipts via email as well. Cost: FREE

There are more than 4,000 of both free and paid applications in the BlackBerry App World. Make sure you read the reviews before installing any application. I would suggest using RIM-native applications on your BlackBerry.

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BlackBerry Torch- My Best Mobile Ever

Alma — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 02:54:31 +0000

I have been admiring the smartphones by Research in Motion (RIM). Research In Motion (RIM) is the company behind the innovative and award-winning BlackBerry product line. The BlackBerry family includes best-in-class smartphones and software offerings, as well as the all new BlackBerry PlayBook, the world’s first professional tablet.

I have used several smartphones from Nokia and Sony Ericsson before, including PDAs like Palm Treo and one by O2. I have always admired the iPhone and I consider its exorbitant price silly and it made me reconsider getting another Nokia or a BlackBerry.

Being on Twitter everyday, I noticed that alot of the hardcore Twitter people are using BlackBerry. I checked and found out that the Blackberry has a robust system and has integrated email and social media function in one phone which comes in handy for people like me who works online and needs to be online all the time. I have read several complaints about the BlackBerry Torch — touch screen glitches, etc. But I believe that the strength of the Blackberry is its hardware and the push email feature which was a breeze to set up. Not only that, the BlackBerry OS 6 is spankier and truly made for the best touch screen phone from RIM.

The Apps that kicks ass on the BlackBerry:

1. Twitter for BlackBerry- comes preinstalled. It is fast and easy to use. Coming from a Nokia User and who loves Gravity– a Twitter, Facebook paid application for Nokia, the Twitter app for Blackberry comes a tad short. I miss Gravity’s Google Reader integration, but heck, the BlackBerry 6 comes with

2. Social Feeds- brings together Facebook, Twitter, and BBM into a single feed and lets you post to as many of them at once as you like.

3. Kickass BBM- one of the best way to communicate! Better than text messaging and since its powered by BIS, it is efficient and fast. Share pictures, send messages IM-like.

4. App World- this is by far spiffier than Nokia’s silly Ovi Store. Everything is fast via the app world, paid and free app in one place. Payment facility included! I have added my Paypal account here so I can easily buy applications that I liked. So far I have bought PatternLock and Extra Smiley.

5. Foursquare for BlackBerry- rocks. Easy check-in and fast location search. Simply marvelous.

6. Facebook for BlackBerry- easy photo upload and notifications integrated via Social Feeds.

7. Pattern Lock- cost $2.99 from App World. The application provides you with a new and wonderful way of locking your device. Once the screen is locked, your screen is going to show shows 9 dots in 3 x 3 grids.

8. My PIN Barcode for BBM- now no need to memorize that nasty BBM PIN. Download this free app and flash your BBM PIN by scanning it using your BB Torch. Sweet!

I got my Blackberry Torch from EbuyStore.com.ph. Ordering online was quick. I made the order online, paid the device through bank deposit and it was delivered the next day via Air 21/Fedex. Lovely! Talk about great and fast service.

So I now do everything with my BlackBerry. I even listen to my favorite podcast via my Podcast application. Taking shots, making calls and making notes, receiving and sending emails is a breeze. Calls are crystal clear. With the Pattern Lock installed, there is no danger of butt calling. With Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and GetGlue, I am so into my BB! Add me on BBM!

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Out with the Kids: Tangled – the movie

Alma — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:45:20 +0000

This movie came as a surprise. I did not expect it to move me to tears… Tangled is a Disney movie about Rapunzel– yes the girl with the long hair who dangles her hair from the tower. The kids and I went in the movie house like a bunch of teenagers. Just imagine me and all my 4 children noisily walking the dark movie house– our hands balancing buckets of popcorn and drinks each. And oh, don’t forget those 3D glasses. SM Cinema Cagayan de Oro has gone 3D definitely, and for the cost of P250 each, we get to watch Tangled on 3D. This came with a bucket of popcorn, and unfortunately you’ll have to shell out P40 for your Coke.

Needless to say, I am waiting for the release of Tangled on DVD. It’s one of those cartoons with fabulous dialogue and songs. :)

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Review: Overnight at Ridgeview Chalet

Alma — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 02:20:29 +0000

My son Tyrell is turning 5 in a few weeks. Since our schedule is tight this month because of my work, I decided to celebrate his birthday 2 weeks earlier. Having spent some time at Ridgeview with my friends Jaja, Pam and Ginee, I knew that my children would love the huge pool.

Check-in was a breeze. My children love the huge pool with slides. I made a short review and posted it on Tripadvisor,

If you have children who loves to swim, then this place is for you. I have 4 young children who loves to swim and hang in the pool for hours! It was no brainer that my children would fall in love with this place.

Nicely tucked inside Xavier Estates, Ridgeview Chalet are 4 chalets divided into single rooms and double rooms as well as family suites. The area of Ridgeview is vast and beautiful with nicely manicured gardens. My children spent more than one hour just running on the playground– the place in itself is safe and secure.

We stayed in a Family Room. It has 4 single beds, separate toilet and bath, tv, terrace and room fridge. By international standards, the room’s pretty basic. Beds are wooden framed ones with sadly a tough mattress. The duvet was quite dusty so I have removed them before my children went to sleep. The pillow was small for my taste and comfort. In terms of sleep quality, it was just so-so. Unfortunately when we went inside our room for the first time, we found out that the tv in our room was unavailable– no cable. After a quick check, they replaced our tv with telly from the other room and had it running in no time.

The in room cabinet door was unhinged to my dismay. But I did not bother to complain about it since we were not staying long term. However, things like these should be properly maintained and secure to avoid inconvenience and possible accidents.

To read the rest of the review, click here.

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SM CDO Goes 3D

Alma — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:54:20 +0000

Last week, my children and I spent the weekend at Ridgeview Chalets. Since SM was just a short drive away, we went there for our meals and was surprised with the new offering — 3D movies! If I am not mistaken, Robinsons Place in General Santos City launched their 3D Cinema months ago. Manila has opened their 3D movie theaters several years ago and I am glad that the big malls in the provinces particularly, Mindanao are going along (albeit slower pace) with the new development in cinematic technology.

SM- Cagayan de Oro (CDO) launched their 3D cinema with Avatar. Thankfully we’ve never tried to see it as I was thought this movie was highly over-rated. We went to the mall with the intention to watch The Megamind. When I saw the 3D announcement, my kids and I decided to watch Avatar instead. At the cost of P250 for the ticket, each moviegoer gets to enjoy Avatar 3D.

SM-CDO provided us with those 3D glasses as well as free pop-corn. Since it was their opening day, the ticketing booth was slow and disorganized. Seating arrangements have to be finalized since not all the seats have the vibrating features. Given that we were a group of 5, an usher escorted us to our chairs and given VIP treatment… lol To the amusement of my children, they even helped them with their 3D glasses. Pop-corn came 10-15 minutes after the movie started.

Needless to say, the movie which lasted for 2 hours was glorious. I noted the similarities of Neytiri to Pocahontas. At any rate, the movie Avatar showcased superb animation work. It was truly an eye opener for me, watching as the whole movie unfold on 3D. So, was the P250 worth it? Certainly! As most James Cameron directed movie, this movie did not skimp on animation costs as each finely crafted scene did not miss any single detail.

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