The Bitch is back!: Technology

Product Review: B&D Power Bank

Online Shopping 9/02/2015 01:49:00 PM

Technology has reached amazing feats that sometimes battery life of devices couldn't keep up. But thanks to power banks, running out of charge is no longer a concern. It's definitely a necessity for avid smart gadget users. If you don't have one yet, click HERE to see the short guide I wrote - this should help you choose the best power bank for you.

Image courtesy of http://www.cashcashpinoy.com/

http://www.cashcashpinoy.com/

CCP wrote the ff on their website:

Get extra power for your gadgets with this B&D Power Bank
It has a 21,800mAh capacity for charging devices when needed
Charge 2 devices simultaneously through its USB outputs
You can bring it to school, to work, or whenever traveling
Keep it handy inside your bag to stay ready for power outages

Inside the neat box was the product and a cord. No paperwork included.

The rose gold trim with the white enamel makes it look sleek. Also available in silver, fuchsia, pink, and blue.

The indicator lights up when it's being charged or when charging another device.

Output and Input ports are on top. Press and hold the power button on the right to activate the LED flashlight. Port capacity and other information is printed at the back.

Size is comparable to a lot of Android cellular phones.

The free cord is too small for my liking.

PROs

Doesn't heat up excessively even when used inside a bag
Lightweight
Shaped to fit most bag side pockets or bag organizers
Aesthetically pleasing
Easy to use

CONs

21,800mAh capacity is bogus
Free cord slows down charging
Not "super slim"

Overall rating: 2 out of 5 stars

It takes around twelve hours to reach full charge, leading me to believe that it's actually high-powered. But the 1A port can fully charge my phone only 3 times while the 2.1A port only 3.5 times. 100% battery level is reached after 2.25 to 2.5 hours depending on the port used. My Yoobao 5200mAh power bank takes a little bit over three hours to reach full capacity, and can fully charge my phone 2.5 times. Now you do the math. Not a sizable difference considering the obvious gap in mAh capacity right? I was expecting at least 10 full charges. I do not recommend buying this product.

Note: data services, Wi-Fi, bluetooth, and all running apps/games are closed during charging. Smartphone is only running carrier signal.

Click HERE to read my review on the Yoobao power bank.

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Power Bank Guide

How-To 8/24/2015 05:24:00 AM

Image courtesy of gizmoporn.com

The demand for Power Banks increased since the dawn of smart gadgets. Almost everyone who owns a smart phone, a phablet, or a tablet, would not leave home without a power bank. Have you been looking for one but do not know what to get? Don't make your decision based on color or design! Here's a list of things you should know:

Capacity

First thing to do is finding your smart gadget's battery capacity. It's usually written on the battery itself. If not, look for the info on the manual. This information will help you identify how many times it can be fully charged by a power bank. The lowest capacity on a power bank is 2600mAh, and may double as it increases (depending on the brand). My BlackBerry Q10 has a 2100mAh battery capacity, therefor a 2600mAh power bank may fully charge it once.

Efficiency

Power banks have about 70% to 80% efficiency and the rest of the energy is lost to heat. This means that a 2600mAh may not fully charge my BlackBerry Q10, the same way a 3600mAh may not completely fill your S4's 3600mAh battery. Factor in the running apps in the background (especially those that use internet) and this will further decrease the possibility of a full charge.

Juicing it up

Charging time of a 2600mAh power bank is roughly the same as a 2100mAh smartphone battery, if not a few minutes more. That means the higher power bank capacity, the longer it takes to fully charge.

Sizing it up
Commonly rectangular, these thingamajigs may be cylindrical, sometimes even oddly shaped. And although not true for some, but the higher a power bank's capacity, the bigger it may get. The bigger it is, the heavier it will be. Do consider how you'd be carrying it around.

Assess the need
Do you drain your battery more than 3 times a day? If yes, pick up a a high capacity power bank. Always on the go but have access to an electrical socket? You may not need a high-powered one after all.

TLC

Avoid overcharging. Keep in room temperature. Do not submerge in water. Do not puncture. Do not subject to extreme force or weight. So on and so forth. You get the point.

Maximize your power

Remember that this piece of equipment is like a portable battery. It is not a power outlet. So to get the most out of your charging time, consider turning off your data service, Wi-Fi, bluetooth, and close all running apps/games. Maybe even move to a cooler room.

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First Impression: Casey Crazy

First Impression 7/27/2015 09:24:00 AM

Casey Crazy is a new online smart phone case retailer here in the Philippines. Their quirky and sophisticated cases definitely raise the competition up a notch against other similar merchants. The website is easy to use but rather boring to look at. Hopefully, aesthetic improvements are on the works. Here are some of items in their launch line that caught my attention:

Marble Black

Marble White

Must Visit List

New York

Pixie Matte

Path

Pixie Opaque

Radial Black

If printed cases are not your thing, then maybe these tag line cases will tickle your fancy.

Babe is busy

Do what you love

WTF

Or maybe the quirky ones will suit your taste?

Lemons 1

Cupcakes 2

Hippo 1

Images courtesy of www.caseycrazy.com

Casey Crazy cases sell at $24.49 USD a piece, or roughly 1102.05 PHP, which might be a little steep for some but as a launch promo and a limited time offer, they are giving a 20% discount for those who are interested to purchase their merchandise. Here are some of the things that you need to know:

The phone cases are available only for iPhone 4, 5, and 6; Samsung S3, S4, S5, Note 2, 3, and 4. The clear/transparent cases are available only for iPhone 5 and 6.
Casey Crazy ships worldwide. They offering free shipping for customers in the Philippines, and a minimum of 3 cases to avail free international shipping. Standard international shipping is $6 USD.
Items are pre-order. They produce a case when a customer orders.
The snap-on type cases are made of hard plastic from the same material used by Belkin.
The design is printed on the back and sides of the case (3D) using a thermal technology from Korea.

And if you're feeling creative enough, you could customize your own case! On the order confirmation email, there should be a button where an image could be attached. Obviously you need to order the customized case and not the pre-designed ones. It would be nice if they have an in-house designer for those who have 0% design skill like myself. And just in case you're wondering, any image would do (even if it's a picture) as long as the resolution is big. A 300 dpi file will produce the best result, from what I was told. But do contact them for more information about customizing. This is the design template for your reference:

To know more about ordering, payment options, and order production, click here for their FAQs page. Click here to go to their website or follow @caseycrazyph on Instagram.

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BlackBerry Classic Philippines Launch + White BlackBerry Classic Pictures

First Impression 2/03/2015 10:18:00 AM

Image courtesy of http://crackberry.com/blackberry-classic-officially-launched-philippines-available-feb-5th

If the BlackBerry Passport didn't titillate your smart phone fantasies, maybe the BlackBerry Classic will! Good news BlackBerry fans here in the Philippines, this much awaited unit has finally arrived! Here's what the CrackBerry website said:

"With Australia now taken care of, it was onto the next region for the BlackBerry Classic and this time it has now been officially announced for the Philippines although you'll still have to wait a few days before you can purchase one. Teaming up with MemoXpress, BlackBerry has now announced the BlackBerry Classic will go on sale in the Philippines starting February 5th, 2015 with a suggested retail price of PHP 20,990.

BlackBerry Classic delivers the unique combination of our BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard, physical buttons and a trackpad to aid navigation and control – all powered by the updated BlackBerry 10 OS 10.3.1. The resulting user experience will make BlackBerry Classic a go-to productivity tool for customers here in the Philippines," said Cameron Vernest, Managing Director for the Philippines and Singapore at BlackBerry. "BlackBerry Classic is a secure device that feels familiar in their hands, with the added performance and agility they need to be competitive in today's busy world.

Customers looking to place an order for a BlackBerry Classic of their very own will be able to do so directly through the MemoXpress website. As it stands, it doesn't look as though pre-orders have been set up so you'll just have to wait for MemoXpress to update the site."

View the full article here.

Bored of the usual black unit? Then get it in white! Here are some of the pictures CrackBerry recently posted on their website:

Photo Credits http://crackberry.com/blackberry-classic-white-caught-camera

I personally like the Classic in white. I can't wait to have one! Too bad my contract with Globe doesn't expire until early next year! My Q10 deserves an upgrade!!!

Not a fan? Prefer the Passport over the Classic? Do you like it in black or white? Comment and let me know what you think!

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My Horrifying Experience: Sky Cable Technical Service

Philippines 11/03/2014 06:27:00 PM

Image courtesy of http://www.thepickiesteater.net/2014/01/skycable-just-way-you-want-it.html

My cable TV had intermittent signal during the first week of October until it finally gave up and went dead last October 7. I didn’t bother calling my provider since my experience with their service led me to believe that it should be up and working again after a day or two. On the third day I tried troubleshooting the issue myself, having a 5-year background on technical support, but after going through the initial steps I knew I couldn’t get it back up.

I sent an email on October 10 asking for a technician to be dispatched to check my service and was given a window of three calendar days. Almost a week had passed and no one had gone out to check my cable TV service. As any customer would do, I sent a follow-up email and tweeted to get answers. I thought it was just a case of delay as I found out that a lot of areas were experiencing major problems. I didn’t know I was about to go through an early Halloween treat, my own Horror rollercoaster ride courtesy of Sky Cable.

I was given two different reasons. Their Twitter team said my number was inaccessible, and was asking for another contact number. It was a lousy excuse. I never turn my cell phone off, and my cellular service is strong. There is NO WAY I couldn’t be reached at any given time of the day. But being an understanding customer, I gave an alternate contact number.

On October 17 I was given another schedule for the technician dispatch. No one arrived as usual. I really didn't understand what was taking so long to get someone out.

I sent another follow-up email. Their response shocked me. I almost lost it at that point. For the second time they were asking for landmarks so they could locate my area.

It was already the 25th when I received a call from customer service asking me to fetch the technicians at the landmark I provided. I asked the representative how I could identify their guys. His response: "naka-motor po ata sila" (I think they're riding a motorcycle) followed by a long pause. Don't get me wrong, I know they are in blue uniforms and would come in a van with the company's logo on the side. Yes, Sky Cable hires 3rd-party technician service. But that question shouldn't be that hard to answer. I think this just proves how much their frontliners lacked basic knowledge of their own SOPs.

The technician found out that the cable running from my house was disconnected from the port in the light post. That is where all the connections in our block stem out. I asked the technician what took them so long to get dispatched. He showed me a copy of his work order and it lacked the name of my subdivision. No wonder they were having a hard time locating my residence. Out of the numerous e-mail exchanges and tweets, no one even bothered looking at the work order to verify if the address is correct!!! I also found out that the technicians don't have the ability to call cellular phones because they carry mobile landline. If that's the case, why did their Twitter team say that my number is inaccessible the first time I made a follow-up? Not all subscribers may have landline, especially if they don't find the need for having one.

I don't turn my TV on that often, but when I do I would like to actually be able to watch something. It was a simple issue that required a simple solution. The length of time I had to wait to get my cable service up and running wasn't justifiable.

Do you have a similar experience with this company? Let me know down in the comments! I would love to hear your story.

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First Impression: Blackberry Classic

First Impression 10/21/2014 10:47:00 AM

All photos in this blog post courtesy of http://crackberry.com/blackberry-classic-caught-yet-again-time-some-hq-images

I've been so accustomed to user-friendly Nokia gadgets (last one I had was an e72) that I got my hands on a BlackBerry phone only 3 years ago. I think there's no other mobile device that would fit my lifestyle any better.

While most of my friends and colleagues laugh at me for choosing to stay with this brand, I think that the recent BlackBerry 10 units are very promising. I get the native features that I love, plus I get to use other applications not available in our store since the new OS include support for the direct installation of Android apps.

I used to own a Bold 9780 and now I've been using a BlackBerry Q10 for more that a year. Sure, a lot of people are raving about the weird-looking BlackBerry Passport but not me!

Picture for size comparison. Blackberry Classic (left) and BlackBerry Q10 (right)

I used to dream about owning a BlackBerry Bold 9900. It's sleek, professional and very elegant. The BlackBerry Classic combines the aesthetics of a Bold 9900 and the power of a Q10.

For those who missed the Nav keys on their BlackBerry 1o units, the BlackBerry Classic brings back that awesome feeling of being able to scroll using the track pad and the rest of the Nav Key features, just like those legacy devices back in the day.

Forums show a great deal of people not liking this unit because the hardware specifications are not very promising. Others complain that this device might have an internal battery. My opinion on that: if iPhone users can deal with a non-removable batteries, so can we! So what if you're on the go and can't carry an extra battery? Use a power bank instead. If there's a will, there's a way.

Final specs have not been rolled out yet, so who knows? Maybe they'd consider changing it. For the meantime, enjoy these pictures of the BlackBerry Classic as not a lot have surfaced yet: