G1 Update: My Disappointments

Let me start by saying that G1 is efficient in terms of processing and browsing speed with the Android OS running its inner workings.

I just wished though that T-mobile offered this phone with hot-spot-at-home capability like most Blackberry cell phones that they carry. Without this feature, I really cannot appreciate much the usefulness of the device except probably for browsing the net and playing around with downloadable apps that are constantly enhanced and updated to keep your already complicated life even more complicated.

It’s not that it’s a bad thing but a cell phone in the first place should carry out first and foremost the primary function of a cellular device, which is to initiate and receive calls with utmost mobility.

Unfortunately, like I’ve always mentioned in my previous blogs, I’m in a total dead zone, thus, I have no cellular signal except the ones that I can channel through UMA (unauthorized mobile access) technology. This is made possible by utilizing Internet signals with a T-mobile service.

Without this functionality the G1 just sits in sophisticated uselessness as a cell phone.

My biggest disappointment with the G1 is the battery life. I’ve never seen anything that sucks up too much juice in just a very short time. If you have to activate Wi-Fi then the more you need to lug around the charger because you’ll be dumbfounded with how short the battery can go for.

When left to run in battery mode expect that before the day is over you better be near your battery charger to salvage a few more hours of fiddling around the G1.

For some of us who cannot possibly include charging the cell phone on a daily basis as part of our routine, we will be left with a lifeless gadget filled with promising applications that can only wait to come alive and stay alive if constantly plugged in to a power supply. Come to think of it as a gadget on respirator.

It is a big disappointment because more sophisticated gadgets can literally stay awake for days before needing a recharge.

With all that said, my G1 is currently in a state of unconsciousness, after I failed to recharge it, for the last couple of days.

That’s how easily I turn my back on something that held so much promise for a high-tech gadget yet is short on one important factor—the battery life.

Enhancing My Computing Life With A Mac

For all I can remember I’ve been using a PC ever since I turned my interest towards computers and the technology that goes with it. It was quite a long relationship full of bumps since PCs can be so slow and painful at times. You actually wonder how they created something so expensive and so stupid.

Anyways, I’ve had enough of it. I’m done with Windows PC for now. Not that I won’t touch my Windows-based PC again but I’ll probably be happy to give it away to one of my worthy recipients anytime soon.

How can you possibly keep on using something that unexpectedly stops in the middle of a challenging multi-tasked undertaking? Plus, your only clue is that the system is not responding. What a waste of time!

As computers evolve, things should get easier, at least with our computer-related tasks. But I don’t know. With Windows PC things only got a little more complicated and painstaking.

I went to an electronic store and for a moment set my eyes on a Mac. In less than ten minutes, I decided that it’s time to shift gears—from PC to Mac.

The result—a happier and more productive computing life with less to worry about.

Don’ t get me wrong though. Since these two creations are totally similar and unique at the same time, there’ll be some getting-used-to period needed in order for you to really appreciate the advantages of one over the other.

One thing that at first I thought was a disappointment with the Mac was the screen or display zoom function. Unlike Windows-based systems wherein you just click on an icon at the corner of the screen and immediately the screen occupies the entire viewing area, the Mac acts differently. It only zooms in to a particular size that will provide you with the maximum best resolution.

I was disappointed at first because of course I don’t want some unused portions of the screen. If my screen size says 13.3”, I would expect to get the same display size. Right?

Everything is made for a reason, and I guess by having Mac to behave that way, it allows any user an easy access to all open applications. But I still want my entire viewing screen, damn it!

No worries. Just drag that little corner on the bottom right part of the display window and feel free to resize it according to your preference. Use up the entire screen if you must. Now, are you happy?

Anyways, working with a Mac makes computing life a breeze. The built-in airport express allows unrivaled speed for Internet surfing.

I was good this year. Don’t I deserve a Mac? Huh? Santa?

Blackberry Flip: Better Than A Blackberry?

I am a fan of the Blackberry. In fact, I have a black and a red 8320 Blackberry. I simply love the ease and functionality that a Blackberry offers to its users.

Is there anything better than a Blackberry?

Recently Blackberry launched its newest addition—the Blackberry flip. Of course the sucker in me was ecstatic because before becoming a Blackberry fanatic, I also collected a few Motorola flip phones.

For some reason, the flip design is more appealing to me since it perfectly bridges the distance between your ear and your mouth. You might not agree with me because you probably utilize a Bluetooth headset that easily eliminates the need for you to hold the phone against your ear. For some of us though who still like to parade our phones with our ego, it is still a good thing to put our cell phones within the mandibular region.

Besides, the flip design also creates that a-ha snapping sound every time you close and open it. Needless to say, the flip design is simply appealing to some not-so-busy human beings on this planet who still want to waste their precious time, opening and closing their cellular phones.

Of course I have to have one, and I did. The Blackberry flip easily replaced my red Blackberry 8320 in no time. It met the requirements necessary for it to be a contender of my other Blackberry phones: a) it is MyFaves enabled b) it is a hotspot-at-home enabled phone and c) the ringtone is customizable according to my preference which currently is the abridged version of Sting's 'Shape of My Heart'.

The Blackberry flip is also easily mounted on a lanyard that you can wear on your neckline, eliminating the need for you to lug it inside your pocket wherever you are.

Overall, the Blackberry flip is an impressive new phone. After all, it took away some playing-around-time off of my other new cell phone—the G1.

My new get-up? A Blackberry flip phone and some ear buds while I happily listen to my favorite music stored in my phone's micro SD card.

G1: My New Mobile Fave

I got my new phone by Google--the G1 which is manufactured by HTC. T-mobile invited their subscribers to get this new phone which is supposedly a competitor of the iPhone and was launched just today.

I don't own an iPhone but somebody in my family does. I thought I would love the iPhone but I guess I'm not such a big fan of the touchscreen-keyboard-less-kind-of gadget like the iPhone. I prefer the Blackberry 8320 better than all phones I've ever laid a hand on because I prefer the touch of little keys and the precision that comes with every input.

It was quite a sensation to be the first to experience a new gadget which offers the easiest browsing experience--that's the G1 promise under Google's flagship.

I thought it may be worth to try and see for myself what this phone can offer.

Before I continue, let me tell you that one among the discriminating factors that make me decide whether to have a particular phone over another is my mobile dilemma of being in a dead zone basically when I am at home. This problem was addressed promptly with T-mobile's hotspot at home service and since I've been enjoying the service, I didn't want to part with it. Thus, it would be so hard for me to change to a non-hotspot@home-enabled phone.

So the G1 runs on a breakthrough OS called the Android and with the 3G service made available with it, browsing and downloading stuff from the internet should be a breeze.

I didn't have much time to play around with the G1 but here's what I think.
It's a nice phone. Design-wise, I like it better than the iPhone. It has a 3megapixel camera, but it doesn't have video capture capability just like the Blackberry 8320. I don't know if I can customize the ringtone, but I'm really looking forward to be able to manipulate that part of the equation since it is so boring to stick to the ringtone that comes with the phone. There's always an essence of personality when you are able to set your favorite song or melody as your ring tone. Anyway, for now, I'll say that I haven't figured out how to do that yet but I'll work on that task and let you know later.

Hotspot@home-enabled? I don't think so. Even after I connected the G1 to my home network, it still registered a no service indication with the signal bar and that's really a major disappointment. That implies one thing. I can't make a call or be reached when I am at home if I take G1 as a mobile replacement. My mobile access, in other words, is cut off while I'm on my dead zone at home.

I like the way the G1 phone opens up with a keyboard underneath so you can easily type in your search terms, etc. when you are browsing the net. The keys are too small though for big hands but I like the way G1 feels on mine.

The one thing that sets G1 apart from other phones is the operating system that lets you launch applications so easily at a very efficient speed. There's a bunch of mobile applications that you can download for free that may keep you busy for a while like iSafe, cab4me, compareeverywhere, shopsavvy, picsay, imeem and so much more to enhance your mobile life.

The touchscreen, keyboard and the trackball combination provided on the G1 is basically the best user-interface combination in a single phone. It allows easy manipulation of browsed pages, text entries and paging down or up of the phone's screen. I'm delighted that G1 designers incorporated such capability in the phone.

I'm still playing around the G1 phone. On the sidelines, I'm actually enjoying the barcode scanning capability made possible through combining the G1's camera with two shopping tools (you can have either or both)--compareeverywhere and shopsavvy. It's fun to know that you can actually find out where to buy what at how much by picking out the cheapest price among a comparison that is automatically displayed or generated after an item's barcode is successfully captured and scanned by the phone's camera.

Try this. Take the G1 to your bathroom. Open your cabinet of toiletries. Launch either ShopSavvy or CompareEverywhere. Scan the barcode of the item. Enjoy a new discovery and enjoy it for a while because I know that you will be tempted to scan everything that has a barcode in it. Good luck!

Luckily for me, I have two numbers subscribed to T-mobile so I don't have to be completely incommunicado at home if I have to continue enjoying the G1, at least for now. A hotspot-at-home enabled Blackberry plus G1's new innovation is keeping my mobile life a little exciting these days.
What about you?

Dead Zones: A Mobile Dilemma

You probably oftentimes see on TV, one mobile service provider’s ad about dead zones.

I really didn’t pay much attention to dead zones until I was immersed in one. For the last seven days I was basically incommunicado—no internet, no phone lines, no mobile phone signals. You don’t realize how awful it is to be totally disconnected from the outside world. At the same time, there’s this restful feeling of serenity brought about by the absence of all your technology gadgets that most of the time, unbeknownst to you, robs you of your precious time.

The most awful thing about being unable to communicate is when emergency happens and you need immediate help and you’re basically left unaided. The second most awful thing about being unreachable is the feeling of being helplessly unable to vent out your thoughts to your peers and relatives and share some exciting news.

Well, we recently relocated from the west coast to the east and the address where I live now is a total dead zone. Imagine my frustration when I couldn’t make calls even if I have on one hand an iPhone subscribed with AT&T and a Blackberry subscribed to T-Mobile on the other.

Even the most sophisticated phones and the most promising mobile providers in the nation could not be of use where I was at. Both phones show the same thing—No Service.

I was telling myself how useless it was to have subscribed to both services.

I went to RadioShack to look for a high-speed router and happen to bring out my dilemma to one of the store attendants. I was actually thinking of getting a cell phone signal booster antenna. The guy told me that they don’t come cheap. Ballpark figure would be around $400. He suggested that I use Skype phones so I can make calls from computer to computer for free, as if I didn’t know that all along. Actually for those of you who don’t know you can just utilize most internet messaging services like Yahoo messenger to do the same provided your PC is equipped with a microphone and speakers.

He said, what’s the point anyway of using a mobile phone to call from home when you have a regular phone line. True, but the point is, mobility is a sweet little illusion. With cell phones you get this illusion that you have a surgically attached communication device that makes you within reach even when you’re in the deepest corners of this planet and that includes your home.

Well, that’s the bottom line—mobility. It’s always an ego-fattening illusion to think that you are always connected anywhere, anytime.

My point is, mobile phones are just as basic as when you use them outside your home as when you use them indoors, even if you have a regular phone line because there’s a million other things that you want to do with mobile phones that you cannot do with regular phones, thus, it’s a precious thing to have a detectable phone signal in your home.

As of today, I don’t have a landline phone connection yet, but I am less crabby than the last seven days. My stint of being without communication service has ended after some guy installed my internet connection yesterday which changed a lot of things.

The major change was my T-mobile phone was resurrected from the dead. Yup, my Blackberry phone was one of T-mobile’s hotspot@home-enabled phones, thus, it is able to receive and initiate calls using Wi-Fi signals from a home network. The phone went from no service to one that shows ‘UMA’ (unauthorized mobile access) and yes they were in big bold letters, thanks to Linksys Wireless N router that provided a good ‘N’ spot around the house.

So far I’ve made countless calls with T-mobile’s hotspot@home service and none of the calls ever got dropped. I think voice clarity is superb and the signal is probably better than getting a few bars of intermittent cell phone signals from cell sites and or repeaters.

Thanks to T-mobile for introducing the hotspot@home service. It made a huge difference with my connectivity issue.

As to my other phone subscribed to AT&T, I managed to connect it to my home network, watched YouTube with it, browse the net, check the weather and other stats using Yahoo Go but it remained an unusable gadget for mobile phone communications.

Now, let me give you a bird’s eye view on how I take advantage of the convenience of communication technology.

If you use the hotspot@home service to make calls you don’t use up your minutes cause you are basically not utilizing a regular cell site to transmit your signals. It’s almost as if you bypass other cell repeaters and make the internet as your path of communication. You can probably compare it to VOIP (voice over internet protocol) which is a growing trend in phone communications.

But with or without the free calls, you can also take advantage of unlimited calls using services such as myfaves. Just make sure that you register the number that you’d be calling often.

And to add drama, I use a VOIP long distance service to call my home place—the Philippines.

It’s not only much cheaper than calling from regular phones; it is also more personal and less conventional, which I like.

How many people would call other countries from their cell phone using Wi-Fi signals to call an access number to initiate a long distance call that also uses the internet as a signal path? Get it?

Using the hotspot@home service I call Pingo’s access number for free from my cell phone, and since Pingo utilizes VOIP I pay less than regular international long distance rates. Clarity is remarkable and connection time is efficient. And best of all I’m on my cell phone.

You might ask, why don’t I just get services like Skype, Vonage and save myself the hassle of going through several channels.

You’re right, but it’s a matter of preference. I prefer it better this way.

Penzu: Free Private Online Journal or Diary

Today, I just stumbled upon a free online tool called Penzu which allows any registered user to keep an online diary or journal for free.

In this digital age, anything that resembles writing on paper still makes an impact. To me, it has to do with my undying love for pen and paper and the need to feel the illusion of still keeping records in paper format even with the evolution of e-copies and e-books.

Penzu does a good job of keeping it simple and the look is that of a real journal. You simply type an entry which is already dated by default and you can lock it, save it, print it, share it and you can even insert a picture to your journal entry.

It does give that journal feel as you type in your entry. The only possible improvement is if this application will be able to incorporate inking as a method of data entry. Then we will have the feel of pen and paper in our hands.

If you are not aware, Microsoft OneNote is a much better journal that is available with your Microsoft Office 2007 package and it does give you the illusion of getting the book-and-pen note keeping because it allows inking which you can easily do using tablet and pen computer accessory.

The only advantage of keeping one online is the fact that you can access your journal anywhere for as long as you have an internet connection.

There are issues though that you must carefully consider like the security of your data and how much data integrity is provided with a free service.

As of this writing Penzu is obviously still in the works and still on Beta. You can check it out at Penzu. See for yourself.

Geek Style: Pimp Your Desktop

A picture paints a thousand words and a truly magnificent picture paints a thousand magnificent emotions.

What you see on your home screen or your desktop really matters. Today, the possibility of creating the most stunning graphics molded from pure imagination and creativity with the aid of the most sophisticated graphics tools is within a graphic artist's easy reach.

Besides, with the advent of high-definition graphics that create the illusion of images literally popping out of your screen, there is no limit to the extent of how stunning imagery is produced to satisfy a very discriminating user’s visual appetite. So why settle for the obsolete and the mediocre?

There is an enormous amount of free resources that are available online that are solely at the computer user’s disposal. It's all up to you to avail and make use of these resources to benefit and enhance your computing experience.

To me, what meets the eye influences the thoughts. Thus, an amazing scene that portrays a calm atmosphere can somehow put me in a spot that is peaceful and quiet even when I am physically surrounded by chaos.

It's all in your head, but a good optical illusion created by magical works of art is always indispensable.

This is what sits on my desktop. The stunning scenery takes me to my virtual Zen place. I haven't changed the look of my desktop even after I got a new laptop with a different OS. Good things are always a keeper.

This wallpaper is one among the collection entitled Dreamy World. I love the sense of serenity and the haunting sadness depicted in this artwork.

Check this artist's gallery to see more of his stunning work of art. This artist's work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. If you want to download a free copy of this wallpaper you can visit this site or you can download the collection at blueportal.org if you are a member.

Should you settle for anything less?

Just a word of caution, there is always the risk of sharing malignant files over the internet. Make sure that your computer is well-equipped with a powerful anti-virus software and maybe, a good backup. Free download and share sites are almost always a malicious user's playground. Take extra precaution.

No free lunch, eh. Not that you weren't forewarned.

Luminotes: Your Personal Wiki Notebook Online

Did you wish you could take down notes quickly and edit them just as easily? Luminotes makes that possible.

What is Luminotes? Luminotes is an online wiki notebook that is available to you for free. 'K, the wiki thing? I know, I need to explain that too. You probably hear wiki all the time and you don't really know what it means. Let me explain it briefly.

Wiki is a backronym for 'What I Know Is'--a backronym in the sense that the phrase was suggested to stand for wiki instead of wiki being derived from it. The term wiki in Hawaiian, means 'fast'. But the word wiki as used in a vast number of online references implies web pages that are created using a wiki software. A wiki software is a software that allows pages to be created and edited using a common web browser. It is implemented by running a software engine that utilizes a file system to store content files and a relational database management system to store changes to the files.

So a wiki notebook is simply a notebook that you can create and edit endlessly. Luminotes is one wiki notebook that is available online for free. It lets you take down notes as quickly as ideas pop into your head while you are browsing the net, doing a research or working on a project. You can easily add notes, switch notes, link notes, hide notes, share notes, or upload notes with Luminotes.

With Luminotes wiki, the interface uses a clean and simple layout which is easy for a novice user to understand. After logging in, you can start writing notes and do whatever you want to do with them. Isn't that great?

Using Luminotes allows you the convenience of accessing your notes anytime, anywhere by just accessing the internet. And when you are working on an important project, you can easily consolidate your thoughts and ideas with your peers using Luminotes. What a great way of utilizing global connectivity using the internet for a more productive endeavor!

Grooveshark(Lite): Music To My Ear

What tracks do you listen to, to bring life to a badly slaughtered day?

Here’s my list.

1. Dream On by Aerosmith
2. Evergreen by Faithless
3. Superman by Five for Fighting
4. Fix You by Coldplay
5. Woman in Chains by Tears for Fears
6. Drops of Jupiter by Train
7. Ordinary World by Duran Duran
8. Living On My Own by Freddie Mercury
9. Something by Jim Sturgess
10. Feel by Robbie Williams
11. Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve
12. A Little Respect by Erasure
13. Hemorrhage by Fuel
14. Not For All The Love In The World by The Thrills
15. Creep by Stone Temple Pilots

Top it off with Firestarter by Prodigy and you’ll surely get some sparks going.

Where do I go for uninterrupted listening pleasure of my favorite songs and more?

Grooveshark – it’s where people meet and share their favorite music online and more.

Find out what you’ve been missing. Try Grooveshark(Lite) for quick access to millions of songs that you can listen to without the guilt--just pleasure.

VeohTV: Internet TV Right On Your PC

Ever wonder what you can do during those boring times in front of your computer? Why not watch movies,TV shows and your favorite videos?

There is an abundance of online sites that allow you to watch videos for free but most of the time the video quality is crappy and the selection isn't that good as well.

Did you wish you can watch uninterrupted videos that will entertain you for hours?

Watch a full-length concert of Amy Winehouse. Entertain the kids for an hour and more with a child-friendly movie . Watch full episodes of Big Brother or Survivor. Yes you can do all that in the convenience of your PC or laptop, all for free.

All you need to do is to download VeohTV.

What is VeohTV? VeohTV is a revolutionary software that brings internet TV to your PC. It's main objective is to be able to provide a smart solution to watching TV over the internet by scouring the internet for the best videos and bringing them to you through the VeohTV interface that allows TV-like viewing. To learn more visit VeohTV.com

You can also download VeohTV here. You need to register but rest assured that VeohTV is free as of this post. VeohTV is still in its Beta stage but after you download the interface you can start browsing the channels and start watching a movie, a TV show and more videos with stunning clarity. VeohTV even lets you download some videos on your computer's hard disk and watch them at a later time much like a recording videos in a dvr.

VeohTV allows you to search videos from VeohTV's database as well as from Yahoo and Google and from other video sources online. It also lets you customize your favorites every time you find an interesting movie or video. As you watch your videos, VeohTV makes recommendations that match your interest. As of this date, VeohTV is already able to provide an alphabetical listing of all TV shows that are available for viewing. For the movies though, there isn't a complete listing yet but you can try searching for it in the search tool provided within the VeohTV player.

If you want to take a different approach, you can go to quicksilverscreen and from there you can browse the online video database in A-Z list or in A-Z thumbnail format. Please note that movies and videos available from this site are not all VeohTV videos. But whatever you find that has a Veoh logo can be played using the VeohTV interface after you login.

The VeohTV interface is remarkable. It's by far the best video interface available online that doesn't require a monthly subscription. Plus VeohTV offers an interactive tool within the VeohTV player itself that allows you to customize your widgets. So what are you waiting for?

Try VeohTV today.

Stress Busting Techniques In The Digital Age

• Never dwell on something for hours unless it is life threatening

It is always easy to sink into the couch and watch TV endlessly, or work on the computer for hours, or perhaps get lost in a very exciting video game. Yes, it is very convenient and it is also very unhealthy. You could lose track of time, precious time that could be used in some other beneficial endeavors.

How to avoid it?

Set a goal to take a break every 30-min, 1-hour or 2-hour intervals and be sure to comply.

Here's a trick that will really help--I call it the 'bottomless drink' technique. Drink a full glass of low-calorie beverage (water is highly recommended) before you do a prolonged activity. In an hour or so, your bladder fills up and you can't resist the urge to dispose of, thus, you will be compelled to abandon whatever you are doing at the moment, forcing you a break--your much needed break.

Take your time. Go to the bathroom, and before you sit back on your couch, desk, chair or favorite spot always refill by drinking another full glass of beverage. Repeat the cycle endlessly. This is a very powerful trick that brings about a lot of benefits. If you are on a diet, the beverage fills you up most of the time so it limits your food intake. Do snack in between. The repetitive cycle of refilling and disposing of water from your body helps clean your system of toxins that have accumulated in your body.

• Breathe

Oxygen is important for all bodily functions. Your brain which is a vital organ is the primary consumer of the oxygen that you take in. Take time to breathe. It is as essential as drinking, sleeping and eating. Set a few minutes in a day and devote it primarily for breathing exercises.

When you breathe in think about all the good energy and imagine it being drawn to yourself. When you breathe out release all the negativity that you feel inside.

Keep this a daily habit and you will drastically reduce your body's stress level. Even in stressful situations, always take time to breathe.

So the next time you are stuck in a heavy traffic or in a painstakingly long queue, instead of toying with your electronic gadgets or cursing behind your breath, savor this opportunity to breathe.

• Release your inner tension in a creative way

If your body has been subjected to stress for a long while tension builds up inside your body and this could progress to more serious illnesses. Find a way to let it out.

Frustrated? Angry?

Go to a secluded spot and scream at the top of your lungs. You can do this inside your car when you are alone. Just make sure the windows are closed. You can scream in your shower. You can scream under your pillow. You can even go to a sports arena to watch your favorite team, and you can let it all out by just cheering and screaming (not on someone else's ear though, or you will be presented with a more stressful situation to deal with.)

If you love to dance, play some music then groove.

Do a brisk walk around your block and as you walk, mentally picture all the negatives in your life as heavy blocks dropping off one by one with no way of catching up with your pace.

There are other ways to release the tension. You can even break bottles that you place inside a safe plastic bag in your own backyard. Do not go to the extent though of causing a domestic disturbance. Find a hard object to hit the bottles with and everytime your hear that shattered glass sound visualize bubbles of negative energy popping up into thin air. But always be cautious to avoid bodily injury. Always gear up for protection.

• Take supplements to help relax your body

In this day and age, there is an abundance of supplements that you can take to help you relax. Drink chamomile tea. It relaxes your nerves. You can also take St. john's wort as a mood enhancer. For other supplements that claim to help improve your health, always stay on the safe side. If it is not, FDA approved, research about it thoroughly to check if it is safe. It is always good to ask for an advice from your physician especially if you are suffering from certain illnesses.

• Occasionally pamper yourself

Why do you bust your ass on a daily basis?

The answer to that maybe subjective but here's a try. You work hard, so you can save enough money, improve your quality of life, and enjoy your retirement. But think of it this way. What is there to enjoy when your body is so worn out from all the stress you've subjected yourself to, over the years? By that time, you probably have the financial capability but you maybe physically bombarded with illnesses like obesity, diabetes, cholesterol problems, high blood pressure, dementia, Alzheimer's and all other serious conditions that will prevent you from achieving your life-long dream of enjoying your life.

What's my point?

My point is, don't be so harsh on yourself. You are not a workhorse. You are not a machine with replaceable parts. Take time to rejuvenate yourself. Get a massage. Go to a spa. Get a makeover. Watch a movie. Reward yourself. Indulge. Shop. Take a trip to the country side.

Do something that will make you take your mind off of all the problems that are causing you to be stressed.

Take time to relax, now. Don't postpone it for the next year or decade. In this random universe, your future is not as certain as death and taxes.

• Learn to walk away from stressful situations

If you are in a very stressful situation sometimes, it maybe helpful to just walk away. Take a time out and recollect yourself before the situation overcomes you. If you are in a Catch22 situation, then maybe there's no point of putting yourself in the line of fire. Walking away may save your sanity.

• Take a daily dose of mental ventilation

At night as soon as you close your eyes, you probably spend the next hour or so assimilating in your head the things that you need to do and the tasks that you are expected to accomplish. Or perhaps there is an ongoing debate in your head about an issue or a predicament that is bugging you. Or maybe you are bombarded with questions that you really are not mentally ready to answer due to exhaustion.

Stop replaying these monsters in your head. Purge your mind of unpleasant thoughts. Let them out.

Write them down. Keep a handy supply of pen and paper to rescue you. Keep a voice recorder within easy access and take notes orally. Some cellphones and computers are equipped with voice notes recording option. Utilize them.

Not enough?

Download this very useful tool that will help clear the clutter in your head as they pop out and visually connect them in a structured format for easy review or reference in your computer.

• Socialize

No man is an island per se. No matter how self-sufficient we are, we all at some point need to connect to humanity. We need to strike a chord with our own kind through interacting and communicating with other people. Sometimes we are too confined in our own world that it becomes impossible for us to see the bigger picture. It is hard to capture the image if we are looking from down under. Chances are, we will also be engulfed in our own perspective and convictions that maybe limited and uninspired. We need to get out and take a different view from a different angle. Connect with other people. Communicate. Express emotions. Really a more sociable person has more avenues to channel out negative energies.

• Engage in leisurely activities

Whatever you love to do, take time to do it, and enjoy every moment of it. Just don't hurt somebody. Cook. Paint. Do scrapbooking. Blog. Go fishing. Go camping. Do photography. Take a stroll with your pet. Dine out. Go sailing. Do sports. Play video games. Do puzzles. Do gardening. Write a story. Listen to music. Dance. Workout. Read. Do whatever you feel could rejuvenate your worn out self. Even the lamest activity is acceptable like waxing your eyebrows and legs or dyeing your hair or trimming your nails. Whatever it is, once you are done with it, it should give you the feeling of a better self-worth.

• Get plenty of sleep

Sleep is the one commodity that is so costly. Why? If we take more time to sleep, then we take less time for other worldly business that help us earn a living or at least help us make ends meet.

How many hours out of 24 hours do you sleep? 2, 3, 4, 5, 6? I would not even attempt to go to 7 or 8.

That's the reality for most people who are working sometimes two jobs just to get by. How sad! Even those that have no double jobs still could not afford an 8-hour sleep because our world is so bombarded with distractions. We try to make life easy by making mobile gadgets that we can carry around so that wherever we are we can work and play.

Sadly the same convenience, is robbing us of our precious time because we'd rather chat online, play video games, send text messages endlessly, exchange photos, watch videos, promote our social networking web pages, and simply immerse into an infinite amount of digital activities that sends our resting hours down the drain.

There are other reasons why we may not get the sleep that is required of us and each varies depending on our lifestyle. What I'm stating here is simply the obvious considering how digitize our world is.

So what are you supposed to do? Define your schedule and stick to it.

Think of sleep as an investment for your general well-being. Well rested people are more focused, more youthful, happier, more efficient, healthier and live longer.

Sleep should be viewed as a way of cleaning up your body's directories, eliminating spywares, checking for and eliminating viruses, memory optimization and an overall system performance-boosting task. Yes it is a task. You have to comply with it in order to have a properly running system with a more efficient and productive up time. And when inevitable system failure comes your way, you have the option for graceful degradation.

Of all bodily functions sleep is of paramount importance. In fact you can go hungry for weeks and still live but without sleep, a week is too long for you to stay breathing.

How to promote sleep?

If you have to work on your computer, start working early and set a time limit. Once the limit is reached, be ready to leave your desk at all costs. You can connect your devices to an electronic timer that will shut off your electrical supply at a certain time. For some devices that run on batteries, shut off the electrical supply a few hours earlier to make sure you run out of juice in time.

You do not only get to sleep early but you also save on electricity and help in making this world a greener place to live.

You can also take a little dose of Valerian or some melatonin to help you go to sleep easy. And remember a heavy stomach stops you from going to sleep so always make sure that you don't eat anything heavy an hour before sleep.

Perhaps the most important step to promoting sleep is to set a more inviting atmosphere for you to sleep. So make sure that your bedroom has no TV; it is clutter-free; has low lighting; has a nice comfortable area for you to lay down accessorized with cuddly pillows and a nice warm blanket. And yes, it will help if you leave your electronic gadgets out of your bedroom.

Now that you've reached this part, check out the time. Is it time for you to go to bed yet?

• Eat healthy

I couldn't stress enough how important it is to eat healthy. How does eating relate to stress?

Some food that we ingest create a certain chemical imbalance in our brain that can alter our mood. Our mood is a major factor that shapes how we handle stress and how we attack the demons inside of us and around us on a daily basis. In general, eating a well-balanced and healthy meal enriches your body's resources of the vital nutrients so your body can function well. If you eat healthy, your body stay healthy.

Remember, a healthy mind emanates from a healthy body. And a healthy mind is your first defense against stress.

• Exercise

Exercise is essential in combating stress because it gives you a good sense of well-being every time. After exercising, you always feel good and rejuvenated. On the other hand, exercise raises your heart rate and helps circulate blood around your body. Exercise, together with a balanced diet promotes a healthier circulatory system. A healthy circulatory system supplies enough blood and oxygen to your brain which affects your state of mind and in turn affects your mood and your response to stress.

• Take some time alone

It is important for you to withdraw yourself from the outside world and just focus on your own self every once in a while. Devote a few minutes for you to retreat to that one little corner and set your focus on your self and your self alone.

If you liken it to war, this is the time for you to withdraw, lay low, assess the enemy, get more ammunition, and gear up for the next battle.

Spend this time to compliment yourself about the battles you've won, your milestones, your achievements and your resolve.

Take this time to build your inner sanctuary of fulfillment, confidence, and your personal shield from emotional vulnerabilities.

Use this time to summon your inner strength and assess and accept your weaknesses.

Take this opportunity to foster a better self-worth. If you practice this habit you will not only be stress-free but you will always be ready to face even the worst crisis that are yet to come your way.

• Practice yoga and pilates

Yoga dwells on channeling your energy to promote a healthy body and pilates focuses on stretching the body for a healthier physique, easing tension and stiffness from your body. Both are equally helpful in promoting a healthier well-being. In fact, yoga and pilates are considered the most effective stress-busting activities.

• Take a vacation

When all else fails, run away from the source of stress. Take a vacation somewhere. This gives you your much needed break from your responsibilities at work and from your domestic obligations. A change of environment and a change of pace is mostly a good change especially if you get to see the beautiful side of this world and realize the other things in life that matter. Once you get back from a getaway, you'll have a renewed outlook in life. Your self will be equipped with better oiled gears to combat the daily grind of life.

Apple TV: When Computer Screen Size Ain't Enough

Technology has flourished in so many ways that almost all kinds of media devices are made to work with each other, eliminating all forms of limitations. Thus, whatever used to be impossible is now made possible.

If you have an iPod,chances are you have in your computer an iTunes library filled with a huge array of data presented either as music, podcasts, videos, photos, audiobooks, etc. If you have the iTunes library there's also a good chance that you have an iTunes account that allows you access to the iTunes store. With the iTunes store you don't have to spend to be able to enjoy the service. In fact if you scrutinize the iTunes store library there is an unlimited amount of free music and videos that you can download in the form of podcasts--free of charge per se. Don't get me wrong, the videos that you can download are worth watching if you know how to find them. I'll leave that up to you.

Anyway, with iTunes you can easily watch your videos on your computer, or you can upload them to your iPod then connect your iPod to an iPod dock with video player and that's probably as far as you can go.

Well, technology has changed a lot. You are no longer limited in terms of what you can and cannot do with your gadgets.

Ever thought of wanting to watch your videos on your 61" TV from your iTunes library?

That used to be a remote possibility but Apple came up with another genius gadget named AppleTV.

What is AppleTV?

AppleTV is a device that allows you to watch your movies from your iTunes library on your TV. It also allows you access to the apple iTunes store so you can rent movies after you browse the different selections. Some movies are even available in HD. The great thing about AppleTV is the fact that it allows you to play your favorite videos from youtube.com directly from your TV screen without the need for a computer.

AppleTV is easy to configure with your existing TV. You connect it to your TV via the HDMI port, connect it to the power source, turn it on, then set up the network connection. Again, you don't need a computer to set up AppleTV. It is plug and play. As soon as you turn it on, AppleTV automatically detects any available wireless networks in range and from your TV screen you can set up AppleTV to connect to the network by providing the necessary network connection data like your network password or security/encryption password all with the use of an easy access remote control.

If you are youtube crazy, then you definitely have to have this gadget because why do you have to limit your view to a 17" media screen from your computer if you can watch it in a much wider viewing angle through your TV screen? It's a no-brainer.

The video quality is amazing especially the ones from the iTunes library. They're basically lossless. The videos come out crisp and clear. The ones from youtube though depend on the video rate of the videos as they were uploaded or posted. So if it's poor quality videos, of course, they come out the same way they would come out in your computer screen.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed my first few days with the AppleTV. I was literally glued in front of my TV watching my favorite videos from youtube and viewing movies from my iTunes library. And renting movies from the Apple iTunes store is hassle-free provided you already have a valid apple store account.

The only thing that will make AppleTV even better is for the Apple iTunes store to provide as much movie selections as they can because as of this date, there's a lot of good movies that are not available in their selection.

Other than that, kudos to the apple team for another fine gadget.