Are You Connectaholic?

Do you remember the good ol’ days when social networking sites were limited, mobile phones were only for sending SMS and calling, e-mails were not much of an importance, and wireless landline phones were non-existent? I know I do. And to be honest, I miss the simplicity of a life without them.

I was recently hospitalized due to dengue fever, and what I only had with me was my mobile phone. There were moments when I would surf the Internet (thanks to the free Wi-Fi), but there were also times when I would pause to ask myself if I am a “connectaholic.” By that, I meant being addicted to having a connection 24/7 in whatever way – may it be via computer, by landline or through the use of a mobile phone.

Our bodies easily become dependent on the likes of coffee, soda, sweets, alcohol, cigarette, drugs, etc.; however, it does not mean someone is addicted to them even if these things are often available and being used frequently (think toothpaste, for instance).

So how, then, can we know whether or not we have become a slave of technology, social media, and being connected?

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Banchetto Opens Third Venue

Banchetto, an Italian word that means "Feast", has been around for a few years now. I was able to get the experience of eating in one of their branches back in October 2010. As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, they are opening a new branch to complete a whole weeknight of street food fiesta.

Now that 2011 has dawned, they are happy to announce that we can already experience Banchetto for five straight nights! Here are the locations:

BANCHETTO - LIBIS

• Schedule: Mondays and Tuesdays, 11:00PM to 8:00AM the next day
• Location: Shopwise Libis (front parking area, along Libis Road before Calle Industria, Quezon City)

BANCHETTO - FORUM

• Schedule: Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8:30PM to 6:00AM the next day
• Location: Robinsons Pioneer (at the back of Cybergate Pioneer Street, corner EDSA)

BANCHETTO - EMERALD - Discontinued

• Schedule: Fridays, 12:00MN to 11:00AM the next day
• Location: Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center (middle street)

BANCHETTO - MEGATENT

• Schedule: Fridays, 9:00PM to 7:00AM the next day
• Location: Megatent, Meralco Avenue, Ortigas

If you want to join the fiesta and become one of their vendors, please contact their home office at (+632) 6550590 and mobile nos. (+63922) 8178910 or (+63922) 8800861, or you can email them at [email protected].

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Helping Friends with Finances

Everyone’s financial priorities are different and are based on a variety of factors. Education, salary and familiarity with the topic of personal finance all affect the state of a person’s financial situation. Offering to help a friend with their personal finances could be a touchy situation. Finances are very personal and even well intended help could be perceived as insulting and invasive. It is important to explain to your pal the help you are attempting to provide is from a place of valid concern and good intent. It should also be explained that a balanced financial plan is equivalent to a three-legged stool; there must be balance. If one of the legs of the stool is removed, the stool will be unsteady and crash. It is important that the financial stool include budgeting and saving, investing and retirement planning.

Budgeting and Saving

Budgeting is the foundation of financial success and responsible money management. Budgeting should be embraced rather than seen as a dreaded chore. It could be explained to a friend that a budget is the equivalent of a financial diet in that the amount of money going out should be monitored in the same way that calories would. A solid brings awareness of how and where money is spent and is essentially a roadmap and helps separate necessary expenses from optional expenses. Additionally, a savings plan must accompany the budget. Without a savings plan, financial goals may seem unattainable. Following a budget results in recognizing how much money can actually be saved.

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Php1,000 Off Nokia X2-01 on January 29 Only

Nokia Philippines is at it once again! One Time, Big Time sale only on January 29, 2011 at more than 90 participating stores nationwide. Buy a Nokia X2-01 for only Php3,950 -- that's Php1,000 off the original price.

Nokia X2-01 Features and Specifications

• 2.4″ Screen with a resolution of 240 x 320
• QWERTY keyboard
• Internal Memory – 55MB, expandable to 8GB
• VGA Camera with video recording
• 3.5mm audio jack
• FM radio with RDS
• MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV player

To guide you on where this unit will be available, here's a list of participating stores for you -- PDF File.

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B&T Mexican Kitchen Gives New Impression on Mexican Food

For the record, Mexican food has never been in my top five favorite food choices. It has always been Japanese, Italian, Chinese, Filipino, and American. But my visit to B&T Mexican Kitchen, one of the newest Mexican restaurants in the Metro gave me a totally different impression.

Located at the Ground Floor of the Sekai Building in San Juan, B&T Mexican Kitchen is owned by Mr. Philip Tan and has been open for a few months already. The restaurant is clean-looking, brightly-lit, and mostly made up of colors black, orange, and green. I have read somewhere that the color Orange is appealing to both the eyes and the tummy, so perhaps this is what its effect is supposed to be. Meanwhile, parking is not a problem, since the slots are located right in front of the restaurant.

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More Than Just Cars: Mind Reading Technology on Vehicles

Technology – why do we love thee? You and I together with the many people around us might be asking the same question ever since technological advancements boomed. It is not a surprise, because it has opened our eyes and minds to new things we did not even imagine can happen before. Of course, technology is still limited even at year 2011, but at least we are going somewhere, right?

One of the interesting things to look forward to this year is catered to car lovers, especially those who love the popular sports car brand known for its annual Singapore racing event, Formula 1 (F1). You thought it right, it is Ferarri. But this is not to promote the car brand; more of emphasizing on the technology they are about to use. Are you ready to know more about the Mind Reading Technology? Read on.

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FedEx Releases New iPhone and BlackBerry Apps

What's your choice of courier when you want to have items delivered to your loved ones? FedEx Express (FedEx), a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the world’s largest express transportation company, might give you more reasons to choose this company.

With their new released enhanced mobile website and iPhone and Blackberry applications, it will surely help customers track, get rates and transit times, schedule a pick-up and find FedEx locations on the go.

Since a lot of people nowadays carry a smart phone, these developments and releases will surely allow them to instantly access information about their FedEx shipments without the need to log on to a computer.

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Free Play: Should violent games be regulated?

Children and adults alike cannot keep the fact that games are part of their life in one way or another. Some games are fun and child-friendly, while others are mature and quite violent. In the interest of this article, we will focus on the latter.

Many children nowadays shoot monsters, zombies, people, animals and more. As a result, what they see are blood, death, cruelty and violence. Although these are just graphically represented made of long lines of codes, three questions would often haunt parents -- (1) do these games affect the way a young child thinks and grows? (2) Is it enough for the government to allow young kids to buy violent games as long as they have their parents beside them for consent prior to purchase? (3) Does the government need to come up with a law that regulates the purchase of "Rated Mature" games for minors, just like what we have now for cigarettes and alcoholic drinks?

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SMART Pasaload Now on Facebook

SMART has introduced a new way of getting credits through the use of Facebook. You've read it right -- through our most loved social networking site Facebook. The app is called the Smart Buddy Web Pasaload.

Back when I was using prepaid, I find it tedious to search for a retail store selling credits just to be able to send SMS. I can remember certain instances when I really needed to text someone for an emergency and I run out of credits. Boom! And I say, WTH!

With SMART's Pasaload Facebook App, users can just search for a Smart subscriber friend or family member who's online and request them to send credits. At the same time, you yourself can send credits to your loved ones who are in need of credits. To add to that, there's no need to touch your mobile phone to send credits, as long as you've already registered. Smart, isn't it?

Simple steps to use the Web Pasaload App. Here's how:

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18th Philippine Travel Tour Expo 2011 on February 18-20, 2011

Don't miss the 18th Philippine Travel Tour Expo 2011 happening on February 18-20 at the SMX Convention Halls 1-4, Mall of Asia Complex from 10AM to 9PM ('till 7PM only on the 20th). Entrance fee is Php50 for General Admission and Php20 for Senior Citizens.

Conceptualized by the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) in cooperation with the Department of Tourism (DOT), this year's expo will offer over 400 booths for us to choose from -- both Domestic and International flights and sale packages that will surely excite us! About 80,000 visitors were present in the 2010 edition which had 416 booths occupied by 230 firms.

From PTAA's website, it says:

With the theme “Around the World in 3 Days”, the show aims to feature various hotspots in the Philippines and all over the world. Visitors can expect a glimpse of what awaits them in their chosen destinations while enjoying cultural presentations, souvenir items and discounted travel packages from the exhibitors.

Again, the details are listed below. For more information, you can also visit their website. Spread the word, so we can all have a great year of traveling!

Date:
18 to 20 February 2011

Venue:
SMX Convention Center Halls 1, 2, 3 & 4,
Seashell Drive, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

Opening Hours:
18 February - Friday
10 AM - 9 PM

19 February - Saturday
10 AM - 9 PM

20 February - Sunday
10 AM - 7 PM

Ticket booths close 30 minutes before end of show hours


Accompanying Events:
Daily Raffle Draws, Entertainment & Games and Exhibitors' Presentations & more surprises

Event Layout / Floor Plan

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Minute Maid Pulpy Orange

This 2011, one of my resolutions is to quit drinking soft drinks or sodas, because I want to live a healthier life. In the absence of such drinks, I will still continue to drink different juice flavors, including iced tea, until I can eventually learn to let go of those too.

Since I'm joining the healthier bandwagon, I am in search for great juice drinks that can act as substitute for sodas. Today, I purchased a bottle of Minute Maid Pulpy Orange from SM Supermarket. For a 330mL bottle of a healthy orange juice with real orange pulps, I guess the price is just alright at Php22.50.

The big question is, "Does it taste good?" Many of us are afraid to try out healthy drinks because we are critical on how it tastes. Of course, we do not want to just be healthy, but also give our taste buds the pleasure of savoring these drinks. Now that I've tasted Minute Maid, I am here to spread the good news that it is indeed very tasteful and healthy because there are NO PRESERVATIVES ADDED to it.

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Keep Up with Smart C+

A day after I was discharged from the hospital due to dengue fever, I was surprised to receive a box of juice labeled as "The Smart Fruit Box." From the box's drawing itself, I already got an idea that it contains three flavors inside. Small as it is, I wonder why it says "this box contains 46 citrus fruits" when I guess it can only contain as much.

Upon opening, I saw six bottles of Smart C+ containing two variants each of Oishi's healthy drink. The three flavors are called Lemon Squeeze (yellow), Orange Crush (orange), and Pomelo Grapefruit (pink).


Each bottle contains 500mg of Vitamin C and is equivalent to a certain number of citrus fruits (Lemon Squeeze is to 11 medium-size whole fresh lemons, Orange Crush is to 8 whole fresh Valencia Oranges, and Pomelo Grapefruit is to 4 large-size whole fresh Grapefruit) – now I understand why it says 46. In addition, the drink has no preservatives added, no artificial color and sweeteners, and does not contain high fructose corn syrup.

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Nokia E5 Phone Review

Just before my birthday last December, WOMWorld was gracious enough to send me a Chalk White Nokia E5 for review. On the onset, I already know that the E-Series is the business phone series of Nokia, so it makes me wonder what sets this phone different from others.


The package came in with the basics I need -- the unit, a charger, battery, short microUSB cable, one-piece headset and some manuals. I asked myself, "why does Nokia keep on changing its charger size?" The one with this package is not as compact as the old one I have.


The Nokia E5 looks elegant and simple built with an all matte-plastic body, except the back battery case which is made of metal. What's nice about the phone's material is that it doesn't attract much grease and smudges, unlike the other E-series phones where metal makes the most parts of the body.

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