Author: Jay Lagare

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Nokia 105

nokia105frontThe Achilles’ heel of smartphones is their battery life. Sure they provide voice calls, SMS, video calls, chat, email, navigation, games, etc. But when your run out of power, it’s no more than a very expensive paperweight. You don’t even get to call or SMS. I’ve sometimes gotten into such situations. Sometimes disaster (in a manner of speaking) is averted by meeting a preset meeting place (that itself is a good practice but that’s another story). But it is definitely a bummer when your phone runs out of juice.

To lengthen their smartphone usage, people resort to battery cases (expensive), carry extra batteries (somewhat expensive and limited to a specific phone model), power banks (less expensive but can get bulky), or chargers (needs somewhere to plug in). Also, more and more public spaces such as malls and cafes are offering charging stations. But then there also the possibility of a prolonged power outage as in a disaster scenario like the recent Yolanda supertyphoon. Of course, cellular signal was also affected but at least the telcos were able to restore some within 3-5 days.

Enter the Nokia 105 with a whooping 35 days of standby. That should be good till the telcos restore service and the US Marines and the Red Cross arrive (never mind the government). It’s probably the perfect smartphone backup. It’s small and light albeit a little chunky due to its relatively big battery. But still, it’s quite handy and fits in some small pocket in your cargos or [bug out] bag.

It’s got the basic Nokia phone functionality we’ve grown up with as well as an FM radio (requires headphones, not included) and flashlight (which unfortunately doesn’t work without a SIM). The keyboard is splash and dust proof but the unit itself is not so you’ll need to wrap it in a Ziploc or something. It’s also relatively inexpensive (lowest I’ve seen so far is P950).

nokia105backTo complete my backup phone kit, I also got a nano SIM to micro SIM to SIM adapter as well as an iPhone SIM extractor tool. And they all store inside the phone. Nifty!

Of course, don’t forget to keep a copy of important numbers either on the SIM or on the phone itself.

 

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Killer Buses Strike Again

Yesterday, a bus fell off from the Skyway, an elevated expressway, and onto a van below. Eighteen people were killed and many injured. The of operations of the bus company involved was immediately suspended. Unfortunately, it turns out that this bus company already has a history of accidents. So what happened during those previous accidents and ostensibly suspensions? Somehow I suspect it involves money changing hands and the bus company going on with it merry (and deadly) way?

Then there’s supposedly talk of a plan to review the design of the Skyway because of the incident. Leaving no stones unturned. That’s all good. But it’s so ridiculous even mentioning this when obviously the likelier combination of factors are:

  1. Vehicle condition – public utility companies are notorious for keeping dilapidated vehicles (or should it be keeping vehicles dilapidated?) in their quest for maximizing profits. I won’t even expect their doing proper pre-flight on vehicles. If there’s one thing that screams for regulation, this is it. But what is the LTFRB doing?
  2. Driver – both qualification (trained and certified?) and readiness (enough sleep? not drunk or high?). What is the bus company doing? Again, I’m not expecting this but is it properly screening drivers during hiring? Is it providing  proper training? Is it properly vetting drivers as part of pre-flight?
  3. Speed – you’d think those buses are lumbering and slow. I drive close to the limit at expressways but I’m always amazed at how buses can keep up with me and in  cases even overtake me. In this particular case, a witness reported that the bus traveling at around 100kph, much faster than the 80kph limit for buses at expressways. And this was when the conditions were wet.

BTW Neither Aquino nor Roxas were at the scene. Not that I want them to be. It’s just that they were at the SM robbery scene where nobody was really seriously hurt or even killed (which is good). Curious.

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The Mysterious Martilyo Gang Strikes Again

There was a jewelry heist at SM North EDSA yesterday. If that sounds familiar, it is because there was a similar jewelry heist earlier this year at SM Mega Mall. As in the previous incident, the police immediately suspected gang called martilyo (hammer) gang. Because, you guessed it, hammers were supposedly used. Brilliant sleuthing huh?

Actually, the police at least knows that more than just hammers were used (wrenches, crowbars). But hey it’s easier and more sensational to call them martilyo gang than “hammer, wrench, crowbar gang” (too complicated) or “glass breaker gang” (hmmmm I kinda like this one) or just “robbery gang” (now that’s just plain boring).

I’m not sure if the police knows who the leader or members of such gangs are. They’re certainly not sharing it with the media. For security reasons. Or maybe they just don’t know, hopefully, yet. I know it’s not an easy job but certainly declaring that hammers won’t be sold (at least in the normal way) anymore couldn’t help your your image of brilliance any.

BTW I’m so glad to see (NOT!) that President BS Aquino and DILG Secretary Mar Roxas are on top of the situation. They even immediately visited the scene of the crime. If only they are as on top of the situation (in reality, and not just in their dreams) of the ongoing Yolanda calamity.

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When In Rome

There’s a saying “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. I suppose that means speaking in the Roman language, which is Latin (so it would be:  si fueris R?mae, R?m?n? v?vit? m?re; si fueris alib?, v?vit? sicut ibi). It does make sense and I wholeheartedly agree. No sense getting into a miscommunication and getting yourself sold off to slavery or, worse, getting the wrong end of a gladius. Besides, it’s the perfect opportunity to practice your Latin.

So I was in Davao over the weekend and I had the opportunity to talk with people and practice my not-to-often-used Cebuano. What struck me is that the ostensibly more upscale workers (salesladies, receptionists, clerks, etc) would talk to me in Tagalog even though I was initiating the conversation in Cebuano. I don’t know if they are taking pity on my Cebuano or they’re practicing Tagalog. Personally, I don’t think my Cebuano is that bad. Nor do I think they need to practice their perfect Tagalog.

But if they indeed are practicing another language, they might as well be practicing English. Tagalog offers no competitive advantage. English at least is our global competitive advantage. Other countries are trying hard to improve their English skills. Everybody should continue honing their English. And more importantly, I get to do so, too.