10 Years of Redefining the Music Industry

Apple’s “iPod” is this generation’s “mp3 player” – that’s without a doubt.

October 2001 was the start of something new. Ten years ago, Steve Jobs ushered in a portable music player that changed the game play of all other mp3 player manufacturers. It was not as if an mp3 player was new at that time. It was because the iPod became the first version of the certain device that offers space for 1,000 songs and more or less 10 hours of battery life. Add to that its size that could fit in our pockets.

During that time, many people had a lot of questions on why Apple was getting into mp3 players even if their job as a computer maker was still struggling. But due to its modern template and great user experience, the iPod slowly made its own niche in the market.

Macintosh users were early adapters of the iPod, while the majority of computer users on Windows back then didn’t find it to be worth buying. Thankfully, Apple included the left-out audience in 2003 by introducing the iTunes Music Store to both platforms.

Since then, sales of the different iPod variations have had its lows and peaks, but still continuously existed given the fact that smartphones were starting to highlight music player as one the great features available in devices. To date, Apple has sold more than 300 million iPods.

Apple had to fight with several competitors such as Creative, Rio, and even the popular Sony Walkman. With the right strategy and marketing of the iPod Touch, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle, and iPod Classic that helped position the brand into different price gaps, Apple’s own iPod still reigns king. In fact, other companies had to close outright, such as Dell’s DJ line, Rio, and the most-recent Zune.

Ultimately, the iPod’s groundbreaking contribution to our generation is its stepping stone to becoming one of today’s most successful and richest companies in the world. It can be said that people’s love for the iPod grew exponentially and has really made a way for Macintosh computers to be more visible again. In addition, Apple’s good reputation in the iPod has led the public to anticipate and love the iPhone and iPad.

The iPod’s dominance has also contributed to the huge success of the iTunes, which is now considered to be the largest source of music in the United States. It has been so not because of its copy protection, but due to it awesome ecosystem where consumers could easily, legally obtain music and videos.

The iPod has since evolved from having its signature click wheel control into touchscreens, where different applications, uses, and features were also added. Apple is closely catching up to be on top of the OS race, and we can largely attribute that to the success that iPod created. Even though Steve Jobs is with the Creator now, we remember and thank him alongside Tony Fadell, Job Rubinstein, Jonathan Ive, and other key executives for redefining the music industry since 2001 and beyond.

I had my first iPod in 2008. When did you have yours? 

This article is my 38^th contribution to Manila Bulletin -- one of the Philippines' leading broadsheets -- published on October 31, 2011 (Monday) in the TechNews Section. You can view the PDF version here.

Photo Source: Google Images

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Davao City: Sweet Sensation at Osvaldo's Cakes

I have always heard of Davao as a province with good discipline, fun leisure activities, and delightful treats for the tummy. For the most parts, I was glad to observe that there weren't much trash in public and that the smokers kept their activities in private. I wasn't able to try out any activity since my visit was more of work than relaxation. And on to the food, I'm glad to have discovered a great dessert place called Osvaldo's Cakes.

Tucked inside the compound where Legaspi Suites is located is Osvaldo's Cakes, an open-kitchen themed dessert place for every foodie with sweet tooth.

The store has a simple yet elegant structure where family and friends can stay in, share good stories while eating desserts and sipping a cup of coffee. I love the ambiance inside, as well as the refreshing sight outside when the sun is still out.

The store is owned by the baker himself, Joe Rodriguez who has revealed that Osvaldo's Cakes is a result of his passion for baking. I have to tell you that the desserts are very delicious, which is why it came as a surprise that Joe was a jack of many trades. He graduated with a degree in Physical Therapy, tried out being a flight attendant in Emirates, had a stint as a hotelier, and finally settling in Davao as a master baker.

At Osvaldo's Cakes, Joe bakes different kinds of desserts and pastries every day. If you're staying at the nearby hotel, you can request for a cake and he'll try to do it for you the next day. As a graduate Wilton, master baker Joe is really good at creating all types of cakes with very beautiful designs - by beautiful, I mean stunning, intricate, and awesome designs. Pictured above are some of the special cakes he has done.

My friends and I managed to try out several desserts while chitchatting and playing games inside Osvaldo's. (Look how full I am - I'm holding my tummy already, LOL!) Let me share them to all of you.

We started tasting the simplest of them all - Joe's own version of Brownies (Php75). Each serving is a square-sized pastry with a bit of nuts, which we finished very quickly. As a matter of fact, my friend wanted to share her brownies to me, but because it was very chewy and literally melts in the mouth, she told me to just buy a piece for myself. All of us who tried the brownies loved every bit of it!

Next up was the Carrot Cake with Himalayan crystal salt (Php165/slice or Php1,300 whole). I'm not fond of carrots, but cakes like this mean a different thing for me. For one, cakes are sweet unlike carrots. Another thing, they look better than real carrots! Hands down to this carrot cake, it wasn't too sweet nor bland - just a balance of everything. But just so we're assured not to feel to suya or umay (no exact translation for that in English), the Himalayan salt is meant to equalize our taste palettes. 

Red is for sexy and this Red Velvet Cake (Php105/slice and Php780 whole) just tastes sexy and delicious. Similar to the carrot cake, it was really moist, not too sweet nor bland, and very easy to chew. The presentation came with a dash of strawberry syrup to add sweetness in case you still want more. It was actually a good combination.

We also got to try the Apple Pie with warm vanilla sauce (Php150/slice). This dessert tasted very rich and full. It came with the usual apples and cinnamon, but the crust wasn't too thick that it was hard to slice. The vanilla sauce added flavor and richness as a whole. I love that it was sweet, yet not overly sweet as other apple pies would taste.

All of the desserts at Osvaldo's Cakes are simply satisfying. It gave us that sweet sensation we were looking for. To think that we ate one dessert after another, we still left the place not feeling overly full with sweets. Joe surely knows how to balance the sweetness level and at the same time maintains the quality of the pastry to be moist and chewy. 

When in Davao and searching for a great dessert place, I would highly suggest Osvaldo's Cakes. Master baker Joe Rodriguez also accepts orders for specialty cakes for weddings, birthdays, and just any occasion. 

Make sure to order 2-3 days in advance, so he can give you a great-looking cake depending on your proposed design and budget. At the onset, be willing to spend Php4,000 and up for Fondant Cakes, Php20,000 and up for Wedding Cakes, Php1,500 and up for a dozen of cupcakes with toppers. Of course, all these are negotiable.

While we're at Osvaldo's Cakes, I also recommend staying in Paseo De Lagaspi. It's a compound where the Legaspi Suites hotel is located alongside several restaurants like Kusina Selera. At night, the place turns into a light gimmick place, where friends can hang out without much of the lights and very loud music.

Photos taken by Raphael Torres using BlackBerry 9780.

Specialty Cake Photos by Joe Rodriguez

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Osvaldo's Cakes by Joe Rodriguez
Door 7, Paseo De Legaspi,
115 Pelayo Street, Davao City
Mobile: 09192915008
Open Mondays-Saturdays 9AM-10PM

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KFC Zinger Double Down is Here!

Remember KFC Philippines' Double Down before? Did you miss it? Fret not. KFC has the answer to the public's clamor to bring back the Double Down. Introducing the Zinger Double Down!

Yesterday, I was one of the first people to try out KFC's newest sandwich. The surprise delivery I got was very special, because the Zinger Double Down was presented by a fireman to highlight the spiciness of the new Double Down.

The Zinger Double Down is made with two Zinger fillets that has gotten double the heat and double the meat! Aside from that, it also has cheese and bacon pieces between those fillets. Biting on the sandwich immediately made me feel intensified, especially because it's very delicious and hot!

The new Zinger Double Down will be available at KFC branches starting today, October 28, 2011. Do try it and let me know how you enjoy every bite of it as much as I did. Personally, I like this one better than the original Double Down, because it's thicker and leaves a tingling sensation in my mouth.

How much is the Zinger Double Down (ZDD)?

• ZDD Ala Carte: Php120
• ZDD Meal (Fries and Drink): Php150
• ZDD Fully Loaded Meal: Php220

KFC delivers! Just call 887-8888. You can also 'like' them on Facebook at KFC Philippines.

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Early Techie Christmas Wish List

The Christmas bells are loudly ringing as we enter the second “-BER” month, which is just more than 65 days away from what-could-be the most waited season of the year. Have you gotten your dream gifts jotted down already? If not, go ahead and get started before it’s too late to indirectly whisper your lusted tech toys to your family and friends. Still not sure what to ask for? I’ve rounded up several tech enthusiasts from different industries with diverse interests to recommend what geeky things would be great to include in your early Christmas wish list.

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Ruben John Basa

Government Executive

• MiLi Power Crystal

Being in a government position that demands continuous use of mobile phone for SMS and calls within the day, battery drain is the usual problem I face. This portable battery extender is designed to keep any phone (iPhone, Nokia, BlackBerry or LG) powered when the internal battery is low. Its package comes with a retractable USB cable and seven connecting adapters that power devices whenever and wherever.

• Bento 4

This new version of Bento by FileMaker is an outstanding personal database for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. It will allow me to organize my contacts, print lists and labels, track projects, plan events, and so much more!

• Airport Extreme

The Apple fan in me wants an Airport Extreme, so I can have the perfect wireless solution while at home or at work. This useful device can turn my external USB hard drive, which stores all my critical office documents, videos, and MP3’s, into a device I can share over a network. And I won’t have to be selfish, because up to 50 people can connect to my shared drive wirelessly. By Apple’s standards, this device is ultra-fast too! It operates in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously and offers incredible performance and range for all my WiFi-capable devices.

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Magic Liwanag

Events Photographer

• Nikon D7000

The one that will surely replace my Nikon D40 is Nikon’s newest addition to the DSLR line up – D7000. It has the all-new Multi-CAM 4800DX autofocus sensor module with 39 focus points, and showcases 16.2 effective megapixels. In addition, it’s light and has a new CMOS sensor for absolutely stunning photo quality. I would suggest this camera for hobbyists or aspiring professionals.

• Olympus PEN E-P3

I admit that it does become tiring at times to carry my DSLR all around, because it is a bit bulky and heavy. Being an events photographer, I also want to have a pocket-sized camera that can give me quality photos like the Digital SLR. The Olympus PEN E-P3, announced a few months ago, surely fits the description. It features interchangeable Olympus lenses, 12.3 megapixels, full 1080p HD video recording, 3” OLED display, and fast-touch shutter response.

• Drobo-S

As a professional, I would have to make sure all my work is best kept safe and out of harm’s way. The Drobo-S is the ultimate expandable storage device! The 5-bay swappable drive running in USB 3.0, Firewire 800 and eSATA would not just store files, but will keep them safe forever. Aside from that, the Drobo-S has a high-performance multiple-drive bay that makes backing up files simple and easy.

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Kassy Pajarillo

Fitness Enthusiast

• Garmin Forerunner 305 with Heart Rate Monitor

Running in marathons as part of my health regimen, the Garmin Forerunner 305 would give a lot of help in monitoring my race pace, time, and heart rate. However, this gadget is not just for running. I can also wear this to whichever sport I’m into, except for underwater sports – there’s Garmin Forerunner 310xt for that, especially designed for triathletes.

• GoPro Surf Hero

Not only runners do want their photos taken, Surfers also do have the hype for their own surf session documented. Ride and get stoke, every time with the world’s only HD on-board video and still photo surfing camera! It easily mounts to any surfboard in seconds, and you won’t even feel it’s there due to it being lightweight.

• Surge Waterproof Headphones

There’s no need to worry about wrecking out expensive ear plugs thanks to the Surge headphones. Even14-time Gold Medalist Michael Phelps swears by it! You can take it underwater or during your runs, and it will still provide rich sound and a comfortable fit. Great!

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Mark Ordonez

Movie, Music, TV Geek

• Samsung Internet@TV

Life needs to be in High Definition. Especially when watching your favorite BluRays or that live football broadcast featuring our very own Azkals. Let's say you missed that live broadcast. With Internet@TV, you can watch HD game highlights in YouTube, read reaction entries on Facebook and tweet your thoughts without needing to boot your PC. Welcome the NextGen of couch potato.

• Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Studio High-Definition Headphones

“If you wanna get with me, there’s some things you gotta know... I like my beats fast and my bass... down... low...” so plays Dev featuring The Cataracs' latest hit. And the only way to enjoy it is with these nifty headphones. High resolution, deep bass. You're bound to hear everything from a pin drop to the passing of light.

• Popcorn Hour Networked Media Jukebox

Who says we still need an external hard disk just to store and watch videos from the computer? Sit back, relax and hit the Popcorn Hour for that seamless streaming of rice media digital video, audio and photos from your PC or storage device. With this media player, you'll never be without your favorite Glee covers or HIMYM back episodes.

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Johnn Mendoza

Med Student

• Samsung Galaxy Tab (P1000)

While there are a lot of other nice tablets out there, the Galaxy Tab fits my needs. It’s not pricey, not too big to fit in one hand, has great performance quality, and carries the Android Scene. I can use it for reading e-books, browsing (Flash-capable), accessing notes (via Chat.com app), working on documents, and even playing some pretty heavy games. This would definitely be a student's best friend.

• HP Deskjet Ink Advantage K209

Thanks to HP, the Deskjet Ink Advantage K209 has cut the price to about half of old ink cartridges. By “advantage” it does not only pertain to the ink, but also to how economical it is. Case in point, the predecessor of this model got me printing documents for almost a year. Wow!

• Dell M109S Mini Projector

Although some may not agree, students like me need a portable projector for case presentations or monthly reports. Technology today is indeed amazing as some leading companies are coming up with palm-sized projectors, such as the Dell M109S On-the-Go Mini Projector. Aside from being handy, the biggest advantage of this product is its bulb life at 10,000 hours.

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Archie Buenafe

Registered Nurse

• Hartmann Tensoval Mobil

This fully automatic blood pressure watch is a must-have for nurses like me. All I have to do is to put it on the wrist of the patient and instantly get the results seen on the large, built-in digital display. With its compact size and simple operation, it makes an attractive, useful, and handy device.

• AccuVein AV300

Patients are mostly scared of injection mainly because some nurses aren’t so good in tapping the right veins to put the injection on. With the AV300, I won’t have a hard time locating the veins anymore, as I only need to point the device at an area of the skin and click to display the peripheral veins beneath. In addition, this device is portable, lightweight, and designed to be non-contact (therefore no need to sterilize after every use).

• Stethoscope Light

Two common tools of nurses are stethoscope and penlight. However, using two things instead of one can be a hassle at times. Alas, I can say goodbye to endless looking of penlight through my pocket. This handy stethoscope light fastens to most stethoscopes and can easily be used by simply squeezing the sides of the light. Voila, instant light!

This article is my 37^th contribution to Manila Bulletin -- one of the Philippines' leading broadsheets -- published on October 14, 2011 (Friday) in the quarterly supplement Digital Generations.

Photo Source: Google Images

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Last Hurrah at JB Music's Himig Lakas Sale, Up to 70% Discount

When JB Music says "SALE" they mean huge discounts! Woohoo! They are giving 45% off on all items in stores until the end of the month! Some items are also marked at 70%off. What a huge discount on musical instruments and recording equipment on an extended sale from the generous music store.

Just go to any JB Music store nationwide from October 23-31, 2011 and get a last hurrah at the Historical Himig Lakas Sale as your purchase your dream equipment.

Here are some items you can get from the store:

M-Audio Pro Tools Vocal Studio - Need a quick way to record your vocals? This is the right item for you! It comes with an M-Audio USB Condenser Microphone plus a version of Pro Tools, all the items you need to produce quality recordings at an affordable price.

Suzuki Electric Guitar Package - Who says learning to rock out is expensive? This Electric Guitar Bundle comes fully equipped with all the things you need in order to start your road to becoming the next biggest thing in music!

LP 45th Anniversary Conga - Do the Conga! This 45th Anniversary Conga from LP is really hard to ignore. With its size, color and shape plus the foot shaking beats that comes out of it, this beautiful masterpiece of percussion gets everyone dancing!

There's more, so sugod mga kapatid!

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iGuy Standing Cover for iPad and iPad2

There are many iPad accessories available in the market that are specifically built to protect the precious device. But very few of them were manufactured having both the kids and adults in mind. That's where Speck's iGuy for both iPad and iPad2 comes in.

Who wouldn't instantly be attractive with the iGuy? The packaging itself shows a cute smiley of a standing iPad cover. It could literally draw kids to say, "Mom, Dad, I want that one!"

The iGuy standing cover comes in vibrant colors of blue, orange, and green - just right for youngsters and those young at heart. It looks hip, unique and is actually very light to carry around. You can hold it down beside your body, just as if you are holding the hand of a kid or a girlfriend.

As a freestanding foam case, the iGuy gives your iPad an instant "cute" factor and adds up to its personality! It is very easy to hold and can stand on its own two feet, even while holding up your iPad. Just place it on a straight surface like the table, tv, bed, on your stomach (when lying down), etc. and you can just use your hands to do other things.

Since the iGuy is made for both generations of the Apple tablet, its sides are surrounded by holes exactly for the charger port, speakers, power button, volume and earphone port. Even the back of the iGuy has a small circle for the iPad2's rear camera.

However, since the iGuy is really thick and durable, I had a hard time putting my iPad into it. It's as if the iGuy doesn't want me to use him! All it took was a bit of patience and some ouchie feeling after a lot of pushing, pulling, and pinching. But after being able to put it in, using it gave a different experience. It makes one feel younger. It's really looks fun!

I'm definitely sure that the kids would love to have the Speck iGuy for their iPad. This Christmas, it would be one of the greatest gifts a child would love to have. It's just a simple standing cover, but the kiddos would treasure it so much because of its uniqueness and cute way of protecting their iPad.

iGuy Suggested Retail Price: Php1,450.00

Available at the following stores:

• Beyond The Box
• Digital Hub
• Digital Walker

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Iloilo City: Seafood-Loving at Breakthrough Restaurant

Iloilo is known to have a rich cultural heritage, coupled with delicious dishes and treats that definitely draw people to visit the city again and again.

A couple of months back, my Digicon friends and I visited the southern shores of Panay Island to fulfill some work mission. Of course, we maximized our stay there by trying out several food establishments too.

We ate at Breakthrough Seafood Restaurant on our last lunch in Iloilo. This go-to foodie place is very popular for its fresh and authentic Ilonggo seafood dishes. They have the usual turo-turo style where you choose among the cooked dishes, or the ala carte dining where they cook whatever you have just ordered.

At Breakthrough, you could see several indoor ponds and aquariums where sea creatures such as clams, crabs, shrimps, fish, and more are being rested while waiting to be caught and cooked.

The restaurant is horizontally long. It follows the path of a beach, which is located right across, giving customers a view of the neighboring Guimaras island. What's great about that is you can feel the cool breeze while eating at the restaurant. Due to the spacious size of Breakthrough Restaurant, you won't easily lose seating slots.

On to the food tasting, here are the dishes we ordered. I'm ranking them according to my most favorite to the least favorite.

This huge Bangus is a crowd favorite, mainly because of it's delicious taste. Even the small parts and bites of this fish can be a great partner with plain rice. It isn't oily too and has no fish bones, so fish lovers will like it even more. One order of the bangus can be shared by 3-4 people.

These Oysters are well kept in the vicinity of Breakthrough Restaurant, ensuring that they are harvested only when ready to be consumed. The oyster meat is still moist and not dry. When soaked in vinegar for quite a while, it becomes really yummy and palatable.

Having seen the crabs well taken cared of in the ponds, we know that this Sweet and Spicy Crabs dish would taste good. Although it didn't taste really spicy as the name describes, we still enjoyed it because we didn't want it to be very spicy anyway. 

This next seafood dish called Kinilaw contains raw fish cubes marinated in vinegar along with garlic, onions, ginger, tomato and various peppers. Because the fish itself tastes very fresh, it is very tender and quickly melts in the mouth.

We also ordered Lechon, so that we have meat apart from seafood. I love it's crunchy skin and tasty meat. It's neither too salty nor bland - just enough to satisfy the appetite.

We already have seafood, pork, so we wanted chicken as well. This litson manok Native Chicken is one of the specialties in Iloilo that is sought after by locals and tourists. We loved it too because it has a unique flavor and texture of meat, as well as it is more nutritious. Downside is, native chicken usually have lesser meat, so you might want to order more.

Here are a few of my friends with me enjoying the seafood and meat dishes at Breathrough Seafood Restaurant in Iloilo. The food is great, seafoods are fresh, and the prices are not that expensive as well. Going there on a breezy day will make your experience worthwhile - good food plus relaxing ambiance equals a happy tummy.

Other pictures

                 

Breakthrough Seafood Restaurant

Barangay Sto. Niño Norte, Arevalo, Iloilo, Iloilo, Philippines
Phone Number: (+63 33) 337-3027

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